General news

• Residents of this Irish town are rather awkwardly receiving calls meant for an adult TV station

  24-01-2017 23:22
  
  Viewers are calling Babestation’s premium-rate numbers without adding the international dialling code. Oops.
  
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• Britain confirms bird flu case in Lancashire, to cull infected poultry

  24-01-2017 22:38
  (Reuters) - The H5N8 bird flu strain has been found in a flock of about 10,000 pheasants at a farm in Lancashire, northwest England, British authorities said on Tuesday. Some of the birds have already died and the remainder will be culled, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said in a statement. Different strains of bird flu have been spreading across Europe and Asia since late last year, leading to the large-scale slaughter of poultry in certain countries and some human dea
  
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• Millionaire 'murdered' by 'gold digger' bride, inquest told

  24-01-2017 19:45
  A British millionaire was "murdered" on his first wedding anniversary by a hit-and-run driver hired by his Ukrainian internet bride, a coroner was told. IT consultant Barry Pring's body was cut in two by a speeding car after his wife left him trying to wave down a taxi on a dark and snowy dual carriageway in 2008. Coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at his inquest in Exeter.
  
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• Arsenal player Granit Xhaka questioned over race abuse claim at Heathrow

  24-01-2017 19:39
  Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has been interviewed under caution by police over an allegation of racist abuse at Heathrow airport. The Swiss international was at Terminal Five on Monday evening when the alleged incident happened. A Metropolitan police spokesman said a claim had been made that a member of staff had been racially abused.
  
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• Sir Richard Branson backs Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign

  24-01-2017 19:23
  
  Sir Richard Branson has told Sky News he finds it "astonishing" that President Donald Trump wants to roll back measures to protect the environment which were brought in by his predecessors. The billionaire and green ambassador was talking to Dermot Murnaghan as part of Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign to reduce plastic waste. Sir Richard said, in the absence of leadership from the White House on the threats of pollution and climate change, "business leaders are going to have to step in and work with
  
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• Bernie Ecclestone not 'deposed', F1 replacement Chase Carey says

  24-01-2017 19:12
  
  The new boss of Formula One has insisted that Bernie Ecclestone was not "deposed" after 40 years running the sport. Mr Ecclestone, 86, told the German publication Auto Motor und Sport on Monday that he had been forced out after F1's new American owner, Liberty Media, completed its $8bn takeover. Mr Carey told Sky News: "Deposed isn't a word I'd use but he is no longer CEO, I am CEO.
  
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• BT shares plunge as cost of Italy accounting scandal hits £530m

  24-01-2017 18:49
  BT's market value has plunged by more than £7bn after it issued a profit warning while revising up the impact of an accounting scandal in its Italian business from £145m to £530m. BT had first revealed details of accounting errors in its Italian business last October but an independent review has now found that "inappropriate behaviour" was "far greater than previously identified". The review had found improper accounting practices as well as a "complex set" of improper transac
  
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• Snubs and surprises

  24-01-2017 18:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Here's a round-up of the surprises and talking points from this year's Oscar nominations list.
  
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• Olympian Nicole Cooke: British Cycling 'downright sexist'

  24-01-2017 17:04
  British Cycling is "downright sexist" and "run by men, for men", according to former Olympic champion Nicole Cooke. Appearing before a Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee hearing into doping in sport, Cooke offered a withering commentary on the sport and many of its most senior figures.
  
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• Murder probe after man stabbed to death on bus in Birmingham

  24-01-2017 16:11
  The victim - who has not been identified bit is from Smethwick - was attacked in front of stunned passengers on the upper deck of the 11A bus as it travelled along Rookery Road in Handsworth, towards Birmingham city centre, on Monday night. Detective Superintendent Tom Chisholm said: "There didn't appear to be much of a build-up to this incident.
  
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• Government plans to introduce bill to start Brexit process on Thursday

  24-01-2017 16:07
  
  The Government is planning to introduce a fast-track Bill in Parliament on Thursday to begin the process of leaving the EU, according to Sky sources. The move comes after the Government lost its Article 50 appeal in the Supreme Court, a defeat that was widely expected. Speaking in the Commons within hours of the eight-three ruling by the Supreme Court judges, the Brexit Secretary David Davis warned MPs against attempting to sabotage the legislation in the Commons or the Lords.
  
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• What is net neutrality and where does Donald Trump stand on it?

  24-01-2017 15:43
  
  Ajit Pai’s appointment as the head of the FCC tells us where the president stands.
  
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• HSBC closing 62 more UK branches to create 'sustainable' network

  24-01-2017 14:55
  HSBC has said it is to shut a further 62 UK branches in 2017, just weeks after a report said the bank had led the sector in site closures over the past two years. HSBC said the latest cuts placed 180 jobs at risk but it said it hoped to redeploy many of those workers. HSBC said 90% of its interactions with customers now came through digital services.
  
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• HSBC to close 117 branches in Britain, cut 380 jobs

  24-01-2017 14:24
  HSBC said on Tuesday it plans to close 117 branches this year and will cut 380 roles in Britain to try to reduce costs. The bank said about 180 jobs will be eliminated in the final round of branch network cuts, marking the end of its restructuring programme in Britain. "Today is a dark day for hundreds of HSBC staff," said Dominic Hook, a national officer at the Unite union.
  
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• What does the Supreme Court ruling on Brexit mean?

  24-01-2017 14:11
  
  Here’s everything you need to know.
  
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• Scotland's Sturgeon raises independence spectre after court ruling

  24-01-2017 14:08
  By Elisabeth O'Leary EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Nicola Sturgeon raised the spectre of another Scottish independence referendum after Britain's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the devolved assembly in Edinburgh did not need to be consulted on triggering Brexit. "This raises fundamental issues above and beyond that of EU membership," the Scottish First Minister said. "Is Scotland content for our future to be dictated by an increasingly right-wing Westminster government with just one MP (lawmaker) h
  
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• UK to introduce Article 50 legislation 'within days' - Brexit minister

  24-01-2017 13:52
  The government will introduce "straightforward" legislation within days seeking parliament's approval to trigger Britain's divorce with the European Union, Brexit minister David Davis said on Tuesday. Earlier the UK Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May must give parliament a vote before she can invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty to begin two years of exit talks. "We will within days introduce legislation to give the government the legal power to trigger Article 50," Davis
  
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• Government will introduce Brexit bill 'within days'

  24-01-2017 13:47
  The Government has announced it will introduce a "straightforward" bill on triggering the start of Britain's exit from the EU "within days".
  
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• Factbox - Reaction to UK Supreme Court ruling parliament must approve triggering Brexit

  24-01-2017 13:44
  Prime Minister Theresa May must get parliament's approval before she begins Britain's formal exit from the European Union, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday. The UK's highest judicial body dismissed the government's argument that May could simply use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks. Below is some reaction to the judgement: SPOKESMAN FOR BRITISH PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY: "The British people voted
  
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• HSBC to close 62 branches in Britain, resulting in 180 job losses

  24-01-2017 13:25
  HSBC said on Tuesday it plans to close 62 branches and fire more than 180 employees marking the end of its branch restructuring programme in Britain aimed at reducing costs. HSBC said the number of customers using branches for transactions has fallen by about 40 percent over the last five years, while the number of people making digital transactions has increased. "This marks the end of our branch restructuring programme," said Antonio Simoes, chief executive of HSBC in Britain.
  
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• PIMCO sees slowing UK economy but worst over for sterling

  24-01-2017 13:18
  By Kirsten Donovan LONDON (Reuters) - After a court ruled on Tuesday that the legal process for Brexit cannot be triggered without parliament's approval, sterling portfolio manager Mike Amey of Pacific Investment Management Co (PIMCO) said the British economy was likely to slow in 2017. According to the supreme court ruling, Prime Minister Theresa May must give parliament a vote before she can formally start Britain's exit from the European Union, giving lawmakers who oppose her plans a shot at
  
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• What's your experience of discriminatory dress codes at work?

  24-01-2017 13:08 via theguardian.com
  
  A petition to make it illegal for women to be forced to wear heels at work has received thousands of signatures. Share your stories of discriminatory dress codes with us A petition to make it illegal for employers to force women to wear high heels has received over 150,000 signatures, highlighting a lack of legal protection to guard workers from discriminatory dress codes. If you’ve experienced discrimination at work because of your appearance, we’d like you to share your story with
  
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• UK offshore wind costs fall nearly a third in four years – report

  24-01-2017 13:06
  The cost of producing electricity from wind farms off the coast of Britain has fallen 32 percent in the past four years, meeting a government target four years early, an industry report released on Tuesday said. Britain plans to increase its offshore wind capacity to help bridge a looming electricity supply gap as old nuclear plants and coal-fired power stations close. Offshore wind farm costs fell to an average of 97 pounds ($120.82) per megawatt-hour (MWh) in the 2015-2016 financial year, from
  
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• Britain's gender pay gap starts with pocket money - survey

  24-01-2017 13:01
  "The data points towards an early gender imbalance in the way parents educate their children about money matters and financial independence," said Jenny Ehren, Childwise research manager. "Prepare your daughter for working life – give her less pocket money than your son," Smethers said in a statement.
  
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• Parliament must vote before UK can trigger Brexit, top court rules

  24-01-2017 12:28
  By Michael Holden and Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May must give parliament a vote before she can formally start Britain's exit from the European Union, the UK Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, giving lawmakers who oppose her Brexit plans a shot at amending them. By a majority of eight to three, the UK's highest judicial body decided May could not use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and so begin two years of
  
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• Scotland's Sturgeon says Brexit ruling shows devolution promises "worthless"

  24-01-2017 12:25
  The British government is politically obliged to consult the nation's devolved assemblies on exiting the European Union, regardless of a Supreme Court ruling earlier on Tuesday saying their consent was not legally necessary, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. "The claims about Scotland being an equal partner are being exposed as nothing more than empty rhetoric and the very foundations of the devolution settlement that are supposed to protect our interests ... are being shown to be
  
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• UK public finances data suggest Hammond likely to hit deficit target

  24-01-2017 12:13
  Britain cut its budget deficit by slightly less than expected last month but a better than previously thought performance in November could help Chancellor Philip Hammond to hit his target for the current financial year. Official figures on Tuesday showed public borrowing in December alone fell by 5 percent to 6.9 billion pounds, higher than a median forecast of 6.7 billion pounds in a Reuters poll of economists. The Office for National Statistics revised the shortfall in November to 11.3 billio
  
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• Watch the moment a trapped woman is dragged from a burning car

  24-01-2017 12:11
  No-one was seriously injured in the incident in Washington state.
  
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• Pound slips back as markets react to Brexit ruling

  24-01-2017 12:11
  The pound has slipped back after the UK's highest court ruled on a legal challenge over the Brexit vote. Sterling was initially a little higher at more than $1.25 as the Supreme Court upheld a ruling that the Government needs the approval of Parliament to trigger the process of leaving the European Union. Meanwhile there was anxiety among businesses about whether the ruling would mean more anxiety about the timing or the nature of the UK's departure from the EU.
  
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• Government loses Supreme Court case over Article 50

  24-01-2017 12:11
  
  Theresa May needs the approval of Parliament to trigger the Brexit process, Britain's most senior judges have ruled. The Supreme Court has decided that MPs must be given a vote on triggering Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the European Union. Despite the setback, Downing Street insisted Mrs May's plan to begin negotiations on leaving the EU by the end of March remains on track.
  
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• Ewan McGregor and Piers Morgan in Twitter spat over women's marches

  24-01-2017 12:11
  Ewan McGregor has refused to be interviewed by Piers Morgan because of the TV presenter's comments about the women's anti-Donald Trump marches. The Trainspotting actor was due to appear on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, but changed his mind when he learned Morgan was a host. McGregor tweeted: "Was going on Good Morning Britain, didn't realise Piers Morgan was host.
  
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• British Gas to pay 9.5 million pound for customer billing failings - Ofgem

  24-01-2017 12:07
  (Reuters) - Centrica-owned British Gas has to pay 9.5 million pounds ($11.9 million) in compensation to customers who faced billing problems after the household energy supplier upgraded its system in 2014, UK energy market regulator Ofgem said on Tuesday. Ofgem said British Gas, Britain's biggest energy supplier, had shown failings in its registrations, complaints handling and billing processes for business customers and over 6,000 new customers had experienced delays registering with the suppli
  
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• May must get parliament's approval before triggering Brexit

  24-01-2017 11:46
  By Michael Holden and Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May must give parliament a vote before she can formally start Britain's exit from the European Union, the UK Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, giving lawmakers who oppose her Brexit plans a chance to amend or hinder them. By a majority of eight to three, the Supreme Court decided May could not use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce
  
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• Prince Charles' hopes for Sky Ocean Rescue campaign

  24-01-2017 11:39
  The Prince of Wales has given his backing to the Sky Ocean Rescue campaign, describing the build-up of plastic waste in our oceans as "one of the most troubling environmental trends". Speaking in the Morning Room at Clarence House, Prince Charles said: "One of the most troubling environmental trends, as I see it at least, is the progressive build-up of plastic waste in the oceans.
  
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• Article 50 ruling does not change Brexit timetable - spokesman for May

  24-01-2017 11:23
  Britain will trigger the legal process for leaving the European Union by the end of March despite a court ruling that means the government needs to get parliamentary approval, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday. The UK's highest judicial body dismissed a government argument that May could simply use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks.
  
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• The Supreme Court has ruled on Article 50 and Twitter couldn't take the suspense

  24-01-2017 11:22
  
  The verdict was a big win for Gina Miller, who brought the original case.
  
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• Factbox - Reaction to Supreme Court ruling parliament must approve triggering Brexit

  24-01-2017 11:21
  Prime Minister Theresa May must get parliament's approval before she begins Britain's formal exit from the European Union, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday. The UK's highest judicial body dismissed the government's argument that May could simply use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks. Below is some reaction to the judgment: SPOKESMAN FOR BRITISH PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY: "The British people voted t
  
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• Brexit plans unlikely to be slowed by Article 50 defeat

  24-01-2017 11:14
  By Michael Holden and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May's plans to start the process of Britain leaving the European Union by the end of March are unlikely to be hindered or slowed by Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling the government must seek parliamentary approval. In the ruling, judges on Britain's top judicial body upheld an earlier High Court decision that lawmakers had to give their assent before May can invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which formally starts two
  
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• Labour will not frustrate Article 50 trigger, but will seek oversight - spokesman

  24-01-2017 10:58
  Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday it would not frustrate the process of triggering Article 50 - the legal process for leaving the European Union - after a court upheld a ruling that parliament must vote on its approval. "Labour respects the result of the referendum and the will of the British people and will not frustrate the process for invoking Article 50," a spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement.
  
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• Murder probe after man stabbed to death on bus

  24-01-2017 09:51
  A man has been stabbed to death on the upper deck of a bus in the West Midlands. The victim, in his thirties, was found fatally wounded on the number 11A double decker bus as it travelled along Rookery Road in Handsworth, towards Birmingham city centre, on Monday night. A fellow passenger reported the attack to the police at 10.43pm.
  
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• BT profit alert as it counts £530m cost of Italy accounting scandal

  24-01-2017 09:50
  BT has issued a profit warning after revising up the impact of an accounting scandal in its Italian business from £145m to £530m. Shares were 19% lower in early trading, as the telecoms giant also said the outlook for its UK public sector and international corporate markets had deteriorated and issued revised guidance for full-year earnings. BT had first revealed details of accounting errors in its Italian business last October but an independent review has now found that "inappropri
  
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• Prince Harry says jokes help cope at veterans' support centre

  24-01-2017 07:46
  Prince Harry spoke of soldiers' need for "a dark sense of humour" to cope with the aftermath of serving in conflict zones as he visited a support centre for ex-servicemen suffering from anxiety, depression, stress, anger, and alcohol issues. The prince, who served with the British forces in Helmand, Afghanistan on two operational tours, was visiting the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre in Tidworth, Wiltshire, in southern England, where he learned more about the therapeutic benefits of outdoor act
  
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• Two more arrests over shooting of policeman in Northern Ireland

  24-01-2017 03:46
  Detectives investigating the attempted murder of a policeman at a petrol station in Belfast have made two more arrests. The men, aged 30 and 39, were detained in west Belfast - and a 36-year-old who was arrested following Sunday's shooting remains in custody. Police say up to 10 shots were fired by a high-velocity rifle in the attack on the community policeman, who was shot in the arm at the garage forecourt on Crumlin Road in the north of the city.
  
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• Tougher fines to hit serious speeding offenders 'in the pocket'

  24-01-2017 02:41
  Drivers caught going considerably over the speed limit will face harsher punishment from April. Under the changes, fines for motorists convicted of the most serious speeding offences will start from 150% of their weekly income, compared to the current level of 100%. The Sentencing Council says the guidelines for magistrates are designed to ensure there is a "clear increase in penalty as the seriousness of offending increases".
  
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• Two Polish brothers jailed in Britain in modern slavery conviction

  24-01-2017 01:53
  By Magdalena Mis LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Two Polish brothers were jailed under Britain's modern slavery laws for six years each on Monday for stealing wages of around 18 other Poles they tricked with promises of work in the UK, prosecutors said. Erwin and Krystian Markowski were found guilty to charges of conspiracy to arrange travel with a view to exploitation and conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between 2015 and 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. Th
  
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• Car insurance costs rising 'five times faster than train fares'

  24-01-2017 01:01
  Ministers are being urged to accelerate plans for a crackdown on the compensation culture being partly blamed for a surge in insurance premium costs.
  
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