General news

• Obama blamed media for the election outcome. That's counterproductive | Matt Laslo

  16-12-2016 23:41 via theguardian.com
  
  The outgoing president is leaving a party in shambles. Sowing discord for the fourth estate on the eve of an anti-press presidency will only worsen thingsPresident Barack Obama is planning to stick around Washington DC for a time after leaving the White House, but that doesn’t mean he likes this town.In his last press conference of 2016 on Friday, the outgoing president scolded the media, especially conservative outlets, and the nation’s partisan establishment, whom he blamed for pav
  
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• Glasgow seal double over beleaguered Racing to go top of Champions Cup pool

  16-12-2016 23:40 via theguardian.com
  
  • Glasgow 23-7 Racing 92
  • Racing well beaten by Warriors on same day as Goosen’s shock retirementGlasgow secured a European Champions Cup double over Racing 92 with an impressive 23-7 victory over last year’s runners-up at Scotstoun.Tries from Josh Strauss, Fraser Brown and Ali Price sent Glasgow top of Pool 1 with their third win in four matches, although they knew Munster would return to the summit on Saturday if they maintain their perfect record against Leicester. Cont
  
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• Fags, mags - and bags?

  16-12-2016 23:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The left luggage industry has a new rival, as one start-up recruits small shops to store items.
  
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• Prison to profit

  16-12-2016 23:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Reoffending rates for female prisoners are high, but a number of schemes are helping women turn their lives around by starting their own businesses.
  
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• Facebook's plan to tackle fake news raises questions over limitations

  16-12-2016 23:24 via theguardian.com
  
  Operation prompted scrutiny about process and site’s apparent unwillingness to pay for fact-checking that relies on users and non-partisan organizationsFacebook’s new effort to flag news deemed to be “fake” began on Friday, as new questions emerged about the limitations of the system the social media giant has put in place to outsource the fact-checking process. The tech company’s decision to swiftly test a system to identify fraudulent news stories has won plaudits
  
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• British Airways says cabin crew to strike over Christmas

  16-12-2016 23:16
  (Reuters) - British Airways said on Friday it was "appalled" by trade union Unite's decision to call a strike involving one of its five cabin crew fleets on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Dec. 26). Unite said in a statement earlier on Wednesday that thousands of British Airways cabin crew had voted in favour of strike action in a pay dispute. In a statement, the airline said Unite's "calculated and heartless action is completely unnecessary" and that it would plan to ensure that all customers cou
  
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• Obama says he warned Russia to 'cut it out' over election hacking

  16-12-2016 23:15 via theguardian.com
  
  The US president held his final press conference of 2016, criticizing the media for its coverage of Hillary Clinton’s emails, and discussing Russia and SyriaObama promises retaliation against Russia over hacking during US electionBarack Obama pointed a finger at Vladimir Putin for hacking the US election, admitting he directly told his Russian adversary to “cut it out”.Obama also used his final press conference of 2016 to criticize the media for its coverage of Hillary Clinton&
  
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• Airport staff and British Airways crew announce Christmas strikes

  16-12-2016 22:39
  More than 1,500 staff at 18 airports, as well as British Airways cabin crew, are to strike over the Christmas break. Check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew who are employed by Swissport and members of the Unite union will strike first, for 48 hours from 23 December. British Airways cabin crew, also members of Unite, will then strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
  
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• Spectacular rooftops around the world – in pictures

  16-12-2016 22:16 via theguardian.com
  
  Rooftops: Islands in the Sky is a new book by Taschen showcasing the best architect-designed roofs around the world. It features the most beautiful and imaginative urban retreats, from New York City to Singapore Continue reading...
  
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• Muslim woman dragged on ground by her hijab in east London assault

  16-12-2016 22:09 via theguardian.com
  
  Metropolitan police seeking two white males aged 17 to 19 after young woman attacked in Chingford shopping precinctA young Muslim woman was forced to the ground in a busy shopping precinct and dragged along by her hijab by two men in what police are treating as a racist attack. The woman, who police said was in her 20s, was walking alone in Chingford, east London, when the two men dressed in black approached her, tried to pull off her headscarf and pushed her to the ground.Continue reading...
  
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• Andrew Quilty: my three years photographing Afghanistan's 'forgotten war'

  16-12-2016 22:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Australian photographer Andrew Quilty has been documenting war-ravaged Afghanistan since December 2013. His arrival coincided with the planned withdrawal of Nato forces; what followed should have been a period of ‘resolute support’ and rebuilding. Instead he has witnessed the resurgence of extremist groups, mass displacement of families and the traumas of war. This month Quilty became the first photographer to win the Gold Walkley for excellence in Australian journalism. Guardian
  
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• Martin Rowson on the world's response to Aleppo – cartoon

  16-12-2016 21:28 via theguardian.com
  
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• Don’t call it post-truth. There’s a simpler word: lies | Jonathan Freedland

  16-12-2016 20:49 via theguardian.com
  
  Denying facts used to be for extremists only. Now from Aleppo to Trump, it’s becoming mainstream, destroying the ground we all stand onSixteen years ago, I sat in court 73 of the Royal Courts of Justice in London and felt the ground crumble beneath my feet. I was following the libel trial brought by David Irving, the Holocaust denier and “pro-Nazi polemicist” – to quote the judge’s eventual verdict – against Penguin Books, which had dared publish a text which
  
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• Unite's Len McCluskey denies Corbyn link to his re-election bid

  16-12-2016 20:45
  In his first TV interview since quitting and triggering an election, the man dubbed "Red Len" told Sky News the claims were an attempt by "the Right wing of the Labour Party" to discredit him. "It's nothing to do with Jeremy Corbyn or the Labour Party," Mr McCluskey said. Mr McCluskey is being challenged by Gerard Coyne, the union's West Midlands regional secretary.
  
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• Nicky Morgan replaced by designer handbag on Have I Got News For You

  16-12-2016 20:36 via theguardian.com
  
  Former education secretary had pulled out of BBC panel show after row with Downing Street over cost of Theresa May’s trousersNicky Morgan was represented by a designer handbag on Have I Got News For You, after deciding to pull out days after it emerged she had fallen out with Downing Street over the cost of the prime minister’s trousers. Related: Theresa May sidesteps question about £995 leather trousersContinue reading...
  
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• As Alastair Cook ponders his England future, is it time to release the hounds? | Barney Ronay

  16-12-2016 20:30 via theguardian.com
  
  The England captain is exiting with all the unhurried deliberation of a great cricketer who has been an understated marvel of the sporting age. It is all a little mannered, don’t you think?Alastair Cook must go! Alastair Cook might go. Alastair Cook could conceivably go. Providing, you know, he’s OK with it. In the buildup to the final Test against India in Chennai Cook announced that no decision would be made “in the heat of the moment” on his future as England’s T
  
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• Staff at 18 UK airports to strike before Christmas

  16-12-2016 20:26
  More than 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew at 18 airports will strike for 48 hours from 23 December. The airports affected are Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow,  Heathrow, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted. Unite's Oliver Richardson said: "We appreciate that this is a very busy time of year at the UK's airports.
  
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• Andy Burnham: Labour wrong to put single market ahead of immigration

  16-12-2016 20:26 via theguardian.com
  
  Manchester mayoral candidate departs from Labour policy with suggestion that its priorities over Brexit are wrongAndy Burnham, Labour’s candidate to become the mayor of Greater Manchester, has accused his party of getting its priorities over Brexit wrong by placing single market access at the top of the list ahead of controlling immigration. Related: Labour needs to take back control of the immigration debate | Andy BurnhamContinue reading...
  
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• Bird flu confirmed at Lincolnshire farm with 5,000 turkeys

  16-12-2016 20:25
  An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a farm with 5,000 turkeys near Louth in Lincolnshire.
  
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• Inmates take over prison wings in UK jail disturbance

  16-12-2016 20:22
  By Peter Nicholls BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Hundreds of rioting prisoners took control of at least two wings of an English jail on Friday, authorities said, in the latest and most serious disturbance at a British prison this year. The trouble erupted at HMP Birmingham in central England, which can hold 1,450 male prisoners, shortly after 0900 GMT, forcing staff to withdraw, according to G4S , the private firm that runs the prison. "Our teams withdrew following a disturbance and sealed two
  
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• Hospitals in England told to put operations on hold to free up beds

  16-12-2016 20:15 via theguardian.com
  
  Health service regulator asks hospitals to postpone most of their planned operations in a drive to make more beds available over ChristmasHospitals in England have been advised to halt elective surgery over Christmas to ensure enough beds are free for patients who need emergency treatment at the end of the year.In a sign of the intense pressures on NHS resources over the winter months, the regulator NHS Improvement said all hospitals should make more beds available between now and mid-January.Co
  
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• Labour needs to take back control of the immigration debate | Andy Burnham

  16-12-2016 19:59 via theguardian.com
  
  The referendum was a vote against free movement. Now the national interest requires a balance to be found between border controls and single market accessThe usual tendency at this time of year is to say, in an optimistic way, that at least next year can’t be as bad as this one. I wish I could say that but I don’t think I can. From January, a new rabble-rousing rhetoric will be ringing out from the Oval Office, making sparks fly into powder-keg elections in France and the Netherlands
  
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• The Guardian view on Taiwan: Trump should handle with care | Editorial

  16-12-2016 19:58 via theguardian.com
  
  The president-elect’s intentions towards Taiwan are unclear – and worrying. This does not augur well for the island or the regionNo one exactly expected the Chinese to seize a United States underwater drone in the South China Sea on Friday. But Beijing has so far proved rather more predictable than the president-elect of the US. Since Donald Trump sought to rattle its cage by sharing a phone call with Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen and questioning the “one-China” p
  
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• The Guardian view on Moomintroll: a hero for our time | Editorial

  16-12-2016 19:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Tove Jansson’s Moomin Valley is enchanting because it contains real dangers, not just cosinessAlthough the Swedish academy has awarded the Nobel prize for literature to seven people writing in Swedish, of all the world’s languages, it overlooked a woman who is almost certainly the best-loved Swedish-language author in the world, and one of the very best as well: Tove Jansson. Ms Jansson is mostly known for her creation of the Moomins, although she was a subtle and unflinching observe
  
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• Transport Secretary Chris Grayling knocks cyclist off bike

  16-12-2016 19:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The transport secretary knocked cyclist Jaiqi Liu off his bike as he opened the door of his ministerial car in October.
  
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• Airport workers' strike could disrupt Christmas flights

  16-12-2016 19:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Stansted, Luton and Gatwick staff to join BA cabin crew in taking action over festive weekendHoliday flights could be disrupted by more industrial action as 1,500 baggage handlers, check-in staff and cargo crew working at 18 airports across the UK are set to strike over the Christmas weekend.Members of the Unite union employed by Swissport, who work on behalf of airlines at airports including Stansted, Luton, Gatwick, Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh, intend to
  
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• 101-year-old paedophile Ralph Clarke guilty of child sex offences

  16-12-2016 19:37
  A 101-year-old man has become Britain's oldest prison inmate after being found guilty of historical child sex offences. One of Ralph Clarke's victims said the former lorry driver deserved to die behind bars and "rot in hell". Clarke, from Erdington in Birmingham, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday, but has been told to expect a double-figure jail term.
  
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• Hundreds of Calais child refugees have UK asylum claims rejected

  16-12-2016 19:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Home Office criticised over failure to give written reasons for decision as children are advised to lodge applications in FranceHundreds of child asylum seekers in France who had been expecting to come to the UK have been told that the Home Office has rejected their claims. The children and teenagers dispersed from Calais in October have been advised to lodge their applications in France instead.The Home Office confirmed that the transfer of children previously in the Calais camp and now in Fren
  
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• Drivers' strike halts all Southern rail services for third day

  16-12-2016 19:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Two-day strike by RMT conductors starts on Monday and ongoing overtime ban by Aslef drivers will add to disruptionStrikes by Southern train drivers have caused the cancellation of all services on the network for a third day, and the company warned of further severe disruption to come next week when conductors walk out. About 300,000 passengers were left without their usual service as Southern cancelled all of its 2,242 weekday services on Friday.Continue reading...
  
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• Britain confirms bird flu outbreak at turkey farm in eastern England

  16-12-2016 19:31
  The H5N8 bird flu strain has been found at a turkey farm in Lincolnshire, eastern England, Britain's agriculture department said on Friday. Several European countries and Israel have found cases of H5N8 bird flu in the past few weeks and some have ordered poultry flocks be kept indoors to prevent the disease spreading. The last case of bird flu in Britain was in July 2015 when the H7N7 strain was detected near Preston, northern England.
  
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• Mark Zuckerberg captures some of his daughter's first steps in 360 video

  16-12-2016 19:25
  
  The Facebook founder used a video post to chronicle a key life moment for his daughter, Max.
  
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• Redundancy fears as Penguin Random House derecognises staff unions

  16-12-2016 19:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Workers from Unite and NUJ fear move heralds industrial strife at company that publishes one in four books sold globallyPenguin Random House, the publisher of hits including The Girl on the Train, Fifty Shades of Grey and Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks, has terminated its collective agreement with unions after talks aimed at protecting staff redundancy terms broke down.The world’s biggest book publisher, formed in a £2.4bn mega-merger between the UK’s Penguin and German-owned R
  
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• Duterte vows to continue war on drugs after killing confession

  16-12-2016 19:16 via theguardian.com
  
  Philippine president repeats claims of killing suspected criminals when he was mayor of Davao CityThe Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, has repeated claims that he killed suspected criminals as he vowed no let-up in his war on drugs that has already claimed thousands of lives.In an hour-long speech on Friday to Filipinos in Singapore, Duterte referred to international news coverage of his claims this week that in his previous role as mayor of a major southern city he killed suspects to set
  
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• Could the best way to make money from science be to give it away for free?

  16-12-2016 19:16 via theguardian.com
  
  Billionaire Larry Tanenbaum has announced a major donation that will not just fund neuroscience, but support a new way of doing itWith the help of Tanenbaum’s gift of 20 million Canadian dollars (£12million) the ‘Neuro’, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, is setting up an experiment in experimentation, an Open Science Initiative with the express purpose of finding out the best way to realise the potential of scientific research.It is hard to be against &lsq
  
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• Cuba offers to pay off debt to Czech Republic in rum

  16-12-2016 19:13 via theguardian.com
  
  Cubans offer to settle $270m debt in kind – including several brands of rumCzech minister calls liquor proposal ‘an interesting option’Cash-strapped Cuba has offered to pay its old debt to the Czech Republic with goods it can spare, including its coveted rum, according to the Czech finance ministry.“The Cuban party as a possible solution presented a list of commodities … [including] several brands of rum,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday. Continue
  
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• Badger cull kills more than 10,000 animals in three months

  16-12-2016 18:54 via theguardian.com
  
  Ministers claim soaring number is a success in effort to cut bovine TB in England but charities question cull’s effectiveness The number of animals shot in England’s controversial badger cull soared to more than 10,000 this autumn, as part of the government’s attempt to cut tuberculosis (TB) in cattle.Ministers claimed the result as a success but a leading scientist said there was “no basis” for suggesting the cull was effective, while wildlife charities said badger
  
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• Nicola Adams: ‘I’d love to see a woman headlining a boxing show’

  16-12-2016 18:52 via theguardian.com
  
  The BBC Sports Personality of the Year contender became the first British boxer to retain an Olympic title in Rio and with the possibility of turning pro or a tilt at Tokyo 2020, she is not ready to call it a day yetIt is 20 August 2016 and something unusual is happening in the complex of buildings known as the Riocentro. Nicola Adams has just won the gold medal in the women’s flyweight division, beating France’s Sarah Ourahmoune on points to become the first Briton to retain an Olym
  
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• Poundland to start selling clothing – but for more than £1

  16-12-2016 18:50 via theguardian.com
  
  Boss Andy Bond says he wants the chain to start moving into clothing sales and trying out a range of pricesPoundland’s advertising once trumpeted “Yes! Everything’s £1!” but that pledge could be ditched as the bargain chain’s new owners move into clothing sales.Related: Britons spent £5bn in bargain stores last yearContinue reading...
  
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• 'Norman' the red-footed booby flown home

  16-12-2016 18:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A tropical bird that was found washed ashore on a Sussex beach has an easier journey home - on a flight from Heathrow.
  
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• Staff at 18 airports to strike before Christmas

  16-12-2016 18:43
  More than 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew at 18 airports will strike for 48 hours from 23 December. The airports affected are Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow,  Heathrow, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted. Unite national officer Oliver Richardson said: "We appreciate that this is a very busy time of year at the UK's airports.
  
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• Bird flu confirmed in turkeys at Lincolnshire farm

  16-12-2016 18:42
  An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in turkeys at a farm near Louth in Lincolnshire.
  
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• In a world of fake news, real journalism must be paid for | Mark Thompson

  16-12-2016 18:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Digital ecosystems allow lies to spread in ways that could ultimately threaten democracy. Tough-minded, transparent journalism is more vital than everIn the weeks since one of the most divisive and momentous elections in living memory, the news has itself become the news. Consider what has been the hottest post-election media talking point: the question of fake news.  On the 4 December, a man was arrested in Washington DC after firing a gun in a pizza restaurant. This has been linked to &ld
  
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• 'Six hundred' inmates involved in prison riot at HMP Birmingham

  16-12-2016 18:26
  At least three prisoners have been wounded, including one "badly injured", and inmates have set fires during a disturbance at HMP Birmingham, in Winson Green. A prisoner told the Birmingham Mail that a wing "has been destroyed", adding: "The big issue was the exercise and the gym. The Ministry of Justice said the situation was "contained, the perimeter is secure and there is no risk to the public".
  
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• Man pleads guilty to killing woman while her husband listened helplessly on phone

  16-12-2016 18:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Husband of Nicola Cross says he sees no future happiness after stranger Marcin Porczynski stabbed her to death at homeA man has pleaded guilty to stabbing a mother to death in her home while her children were asleep and her husband, who was away on business, listened helplessly on the phone.
  Nicola Cross was killed by a Polish car mechanic, Marcin Porczynski, who “smashed his way into the house” on the night of 14 September last year and stabbed her 10 times in the torso. Continue re
  
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• We made a film to get women talking about their pubic hair. Here's why

  16-12-2016 18:12 via theguardian.com
  
  Our video was created for student TV, but was published by several national media outlets and sparked fierce debate. Which is precisely why we made itPubic hair – or a lack thereof – became a talking point this week after several national media outlets, including The Daily Mail and The Mirror, published a video we made for our student TV station. In it, we asked female students at Bristol University how they groom their lady gardens – and the responses have kick-started a debat
  
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• Brexit Britain has the deepest faultlines of any country I have known

  16-12-2016 17:47 via theguardian.com
  
  British society needs modernisation but instead Brits will be busy rebuilding bridges they are about to tear downI love British humour. When something goes fundamentally wrong, the British laugh at it.Brexit? The EU now has 1GB of free space. If that gives you a wry smile, better jokes will be along soon – Brexit has a lot of potential to go wrong. Continue reading...
  
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• The last acceptable prejudice? Sadly, pale, stale males aren’t the only victims | Marina Hyde

  16-12-2016 17:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Redheads? The middle class? So many groups have staked a claim – that’s why I devised Hyde’s theoremListen, I’ve got a lot of time for most of the Lasts: Exit to Brooklyn, Tycoon, Picture Show. Even of the Summer Wine, as a means of vicious self-punishment for a hangover that doesn’t lift all Sunday. I love of the Mohicans, in both formats.But apart from Tango in Paris – let’s leave it for another column – the one I can’t get my head around i
  
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• This Christmas tree in Glasgow has been tragically fenced off - but people are taking a stand with tinsel

  16-12-2016 17:40
  
  “Free the tree.”
  
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• EU blanks May's call for quick Brexit deal on expat rights

  16-12-2016 17:40
  By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Theresa May has got nowhere with the EU in seeking an early guarantee of post-Brexit rights for British and European expatriates, officials said on Friday after the British prime minister pushed the issue again at an EU summit. "We cannot now do some deal quickly with her," said one person familiar with some of May's discussions in Brussels on Thursday. It has to be part of a whole process." May briefed the summit on her plan to trigger the two-year wit
  
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• Bail decision on ex-Royal Marine Alexander Blackman is delayed

  16-12-2016 17:39
  Sergeant Alexander Blackman - known as Marine A - was convicted by a military court of murdering an injured Taliban fighter in 2011. Blackman's wife Claire was present in court with dozens of supporters. Blackman shot his victim in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol, while quoting Shakespeare. The Afghan had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter.
  
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