General news

• Face transplant recipient hails staggering results just eight months after surgery - New Zealand Herald

  17-02-2017 23:46 via nzherald.co.nz
  
  Washington Times
  Face transplant recipient hails staggering results just eight months after surgery
  New Zealand Herald
  Staggering transformation: Face transplant recipient Andy Sandness attends a speech therapy appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Photo / AP. He'd been waiting for this day, and when his doctor handed him the mirror, Andy Sandness ...
  Man, 31, undergoes life-changing face transplant op after blowing off his jaw and nose in failed suicide bidThe Sun
  Face t
  
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• Pakistan says it has killed 100 'terrorists' after suicide shrine attack

  17-02-2017 23:44
  
  Pakistani security forces killed dozens of suspected militants on Friday, a day after Islamic State claimed a suicide bombing that killed more than 80 worshippers at a Sufi shrine, the biggest in a spate of attacks this week across the country.The bombing at the famed Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in southern Sindh province was Pakistan's deadliest attack for two years, killing at least 83 people and highlighting the threat of militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and Islamic State.With au
  
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• Mum killed by cervical cancer was 'too young for smear test' and was 'sent home with painkillers'

  17-02-2017 23:37
  
  A 25-year-old mother-of-four died after a year-long struggle with cervical cancer after allegedly not being offered a smear test.Sadie Blackston’s sister said she visited her GP three or four times to complain of pain and bleeding but was not offered the cervical screening and instead was sent away with painkillers.The NHS cervical screening programme, which encourages women to get tested every three years, begins at 25.
  
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• Theresa May: I want to transform how we think about domestic violence

  17-02-2017 23:30
  
  Prime minister launches major consultation to result in domestic violence and abuse act with new measures to help victimsA new law to increase prosecutions for domestic violence and eradicate a postcode lottery in the way victims are dealt with by police forces will be brought forward by Theresa May.The prime minister said it was a key personal priority to transform the way the UK thought about tackling domestic violence, as she called for ideas about how the treatment of victims can be improved
  
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• Manchester United can qualify for Champions League, says Wes Brown

  17-02-2017 23:30
  
  • Former defender says José Mourinho has brought back fear factor
  • Brown could feature for Blackburn against United in FA CupWes Brown is backing his former club Manchester United to finish in the top four and says the fear factor is returning under José Mourinho.The 37-year-old defender could face United in Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Ewood Park, though he expects to start on the Blackburn Rovers bench. Of United, he said: “Any team they put out will be a strong
  
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• Foreign coaches take time to understand FA Cup, says José Mourinho

  17-02-2017 23:30
  
  • Manchester United face Blackburn Rovers in fifth round on Sunday
  • ‘Not everybody studies and understands the culture of this country,’ he saysJosé Mourinho believes that some foreign coaches fail to understand English football’s culture and this can lead to FA Cup upsets, with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool the highest-profile casualty of this year’s competition.Mourinho takes Manchester United to Blackburn Rovers for Sunday’s fifth-round ma
  
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• White House on leaked memo: national guard swoop on migrants is not policy

  17-02-2017 23:26
  
  Draft memo called for unprecedented militarization of immigration enforcement, including targeting undocumented people nowhere near Mexican borderRead the draft memo obtained by the Associated PressThe White House has been forced to deny that a draft memo suggesting it considered mobilising 100,000 national guard troops to round up and deport unauthorised immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, is current administration policy.
  An 11-page draft memo obtained by the
  
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• Bosnia to appeal UN court ruling clearing Serbia of genocide 

  17-02-2017 23:25
  
  Bosnia will appeal a U.N. court ruling that cleared Serbia of blame for genocide, the Bosniak (Muslim Bosnian)  member of the country's presidency said on Friday, a move likely to widen rifts between the ethnic groups which fought the 1992-95 war.The 2007 judgment by the International Court of Justice exonerated Serbia of direct responsibility for killings, rapes and "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, though it said Serbia had failed to prevent
  
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• North Korea will reject Kim Jong-nam postmortem result – video

  17-02-2017 23:01
  
  North Korea’s ambassador in Malaysia, Kang Chol, tells reporters his country will reject the results of a postmortem carried out on the body of Kim Jong-nam. Chol has demanded the authorities immediately release the body, asserting that Malaysia is colluding with forces intent on ‘damaging the image of our republic’Suspect in North Korea killing ‘thought she was taking part in TV prank’Continue reading...
  
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• Streets should not be named after local heroes in case they are later found to be paedophiles, councils told

  17-02-2017 23:00
  
  Streets should no longer be named after local heroes because they might one day be named as paedophiles, according to official guidance.Councils have been told that places should not be named after individuals - including fallen soldiers - in case they are later linked to "inappropriate activities".It comes after hundreds of streets, footpaths and plaques named after Jimmy Savile had to be altered when the star was exposed as a child abuser.
  
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• Steve Borthwick defends under-pressure Dylan Hartley’s England form

  17-02-2017 23:00
  
  • Captain faces competition for place from Jamie George for Italy fixture
  • James Haskell fit to make first England start since last JuneDylan Hartley’s performances for England in the Six Nations so far have been staunchly defended by the forwards coach, Steve Borthwick, who has backed his “brilliant captain” despite a groundswell of support for Jamie George to replace him at hooker. Borthwick also confirmed James Haskell is fit to make his first England start since
  
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• Return of pounds and ounces? Britain might allow firms to use imperial measures after Brexit

  17-02-2017 23:00
  
  British food manufacturers could be able to sell goods in pounds and ounces once laws are repatriated from Brussels after Brexit, Andrea Leadsom, the Environment Food and Rural Affairs secretary has said.Mrs Leadsom also suggested that after the UK leaves the European Union in 2019 food manufacturers could be allowed to use teaspoons to demonstrate how much sugar is in food products.Speaking after the announcing the winners of councils and schools which promoted British Food Fortnight last Autum
  
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• Bioterrorism could kill more people than nuclear war, Bill Gates to warn world leaders

  17-02-2017 23:00
  
  Bioterrorists could one day kill hundreds of millions in an attack more deadly than nuclear war, Bill Gates will warn world leaders.Rapid advances in genetic engineering have opened the door for small terrorism groups to tailor and easily weaponise disease viruses.A resulting pandemic is currently one of the most deadly threats faced by the world, he believes, yet governments are complacent about the scale of the risk.
  
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• Biological terrorism could kill more people than nuclear attacks, Bill Gates to warn world leaders

  17-02-2017 23:00
  
  Bioterrorists could one day kill hundreds of millions in an attack more deadly than nuclear war, Bill Gates will warn world leaders.Rapid advances in genetic engineering have opened the door for small terrorism groups to tailor and easily weaponise disease viruses.A resulting pandemic is currently one of the most deadly threats faced by the world, he believes, yet governments are complacent about the scale of the risk.
  
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• Gloucester edge out Saracens as Mako Vunipola makes return from injury

  17-02-2017 22:57
  
  • Gloucester 31-23 SaracensMako Vunipola proved his fitness for England’s Six Nations encounter with Italy next week by lasting for 70 minutes in his first match since Christmas, but he could not prevent Saracens from slumping to their second defeat in six days to a team in the lower half of the table and failing to pick up a bonus point for the first time this season.The England head coach Eddie Jones watched from a hospitality box as the loose-head prop, returning two months after d
  
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• RBS plans: Williams & Glyn sale should be dropped, UK says

  17-02-2017 22:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  RBS could abandon the sale of its small-business lender, Williams & Glyn, under government plans.
  
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• Father of UK woman fighting IS praises her 'passion'

  17-02-2017 22:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  But Philip Taylor praises daughter Kimberley for her passion "about the injustices of this world".
  
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• Manhunt after elderly woman held captive at home in south London

  17-02-2017 22:30
  
  Police have launched a manhunt after an elderly woman was held captive at her home in south London.
  
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• Logan review – Hugh Jackman's Wolverine enters a winter of X-Men discontent

  17-02-2017 22:30
  
  The third and final Wolverine film is a poignant study of ageing and infirmity, as the arthritic mutant holes up in Mexico with a declining Professor XavierSuperpowers are one thing, but no-one said they were immortal. What happens when superheroes get old? Actually, what happens when, like many non-superheroes, they arrive at late middle-age without a partner, in ill health, and with an ageing parent to look after? Or parent-figure anyway. You find yourself asking these questions watching this
  
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• Treasury plan may allow RBS to avoid selling 300 branches

  17-02-2017 22:29
  
  Proposals to meet state aid demands would cost bank £750m if approved by EU but resolve longstanding dilemmaRoyal Bank of Scotland could be released from a demand imposed by Brussels to sell off 300 branches as a result of proposals made by the Treasury. The new plan to meet state aid requirements will cost RBS £750m but remove a significant hurdle facing the bailed-out bank if it wins support in the EU. Continue reading...
  
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• Push on ballboy results in six-match ban for Leyton Orient midfielder

  17-02-2017 22:13
  
  • Liam Kelly charged with violent conduct after incident at Plymouth
  • Captain denies FA charge but independent commission rules against himThe Leyton Orient midfielder Liam Kelly has been banned for six matches following an incident involving a ballboy during a League Two match at Plymouth.The Football Association charged Kelly with violent conduct after he appeared to push a Plymouth ballboy to the ground while attempting to retrieve the ball during his side’s 3-2 win at Home P
  
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• Love all! Romance blossoms as glamorous tennis star Eugenie Bouchard and Twitter stranger plan second date after Super Bowl wager

  17-02-2017 22:07
  
  While it sounds like it could be the plot of the latest Richard Curtis film, romance appears to be blooming for real for Eugenie Bouchard and an American university student as they plan a second date.The Canadian tennis star, who models for Sports Illustrated, made a bet with John Goehrke, a 20-year-old student, that the Atlanta Falcons would defeat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
  
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• Scientists must join the battle against Andrew Wakefield's poisonous anti-vaccine nonsense

  17-02-2017 21:49
  
  The scandal over the supposed link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism is one of the worst health scares in living memory.Hundreds of thousands of parents rejected one of the most fundamental safeguards for children on the basis of a false alarm.Measles, a highly unpleasant disease which can lead to life-threatening infections of the lungs and brain, had been virtually eliminated in Britain following the introduction of MMR in 1988.
  
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• Man guilty of murdering girlfriend Xixi Bi in Llandaff

  17-02-2017 21:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A man is found guilty of murdering his 24-year-old girlfriend at their flat in Cardiff.
  
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• Beachcombers

  17-02-2017 21:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  People who collect the microplastics explain why and how they are collected.
  
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• Mugabe's wife says he could run in election 'as a corpse' 

  17-02-2017 21:21
  
   Zimbabwe's 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe should run "as a corpse" in next year's election if he dies before the vote, his wife said Friday.Grace Mugabe accused some ruling ZANU-PF party officials of plotting to take over from her husband and said that even if he dies, supporters should put his name on the ballot to show their love for him."If God decides to take him, then we would rather field him as a corpse," she told thousands of cheering supporters at a rally
  
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• Martin Rowson on Tony Blair's Brexit speech – cartoon

  17-02-2017 21:02
  
  Continue reading...
  
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• Mass exodus of Polish army's top ranks in protest over political interference from government 

  17-02-2017 20:59
  
  Some 26 generals and 260 top officers have left their posts in the last 16 months, frustrated with an apparent favouring of soldiers loyal to Law and Justice, Poland’s governing party, and the defence ministry’s failure to consult them on changes to the army’s structure.The loss of senior staff has raised question marks over the government’s handling of a key Nato military at a time when Poland and the alliance face increasing security threats from Russia and th
  
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• De Menezes family call for Cressida Dick to be barred from leading Met

  17-02-2017 20:55
  
  Family of innocent Brazilian shot dead in operation led by Dick say she should not be in running to be force’s next commissionerThe family of an innocent man shot dead in an operation commanded by the woman tipped to be Britain’s next top police officer have said she should not be considered for the role.
  The family of Jean Charles de Menezes said Cressida Dick’s part in the 2005 disaster meant she could not “command public confidence” as commissioner of the Metropo
  
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• Fashion folk celebrate inclusivity in shadow of Brexit and Trump

  17-02-2017 20:51
  
  Launch event and first catwalk show salute city’s diversity, as pragmatism comes to fore after industry shock at political upsets London fashion week is really in the entertainment business these days. The livestreaming of Burberry’s upcoming catwalk show on Monday evening is being trailed with the kind of full-page magazine advertising that would befit the pilot of a buzzy new TV drama.The extra-wide pavement outside the new Aldwych catwalk venue has been commandeered as a stage on
  
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• RBS proposes abandoning sale of Williams & Glyn unit

  17-02-2017 20:49
  (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc has proposed abandoning the planned sale of its Williams & Glyn unit after a seven-year struggle to sell the small business lender to meet European Union state aid demands. The taxpayer-backed bank has proposed an alternative series of measures to help so-called challenger banks and boost competition among lenders. If the plan is accepted it would end one of the bank's biggest headaches after it was ordered to sell Williams & Glyn as a conditi
  
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• Theresa May stresses importance of early deal on EU citizens' rights

  17-02-2017 20:48
  
  Meeting at Downing Street with French prime minister covered range of bilateral issues, foreign policy and Brexit Theresa May stressed the importance of an early deal on EU citizens’ rights after Brexit during talks with the French prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, at Downing Street.
  The prime minister said she was “delighted” to welcome Cazeneuve and that they had “worked so well together” when she was home secretary and he was France’s interior minister. Co
  
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• Donald Trump vows 'None will dare challenge US military might', White House denies 100,000 National Guard to deport illegal immigrants

  17-02-2017 20:48
  
  Trump vows 'peace through strength' President pledges to build military 'none will dare challenge' Trump in Charleston for launch of Boeing Dreamliner plane White House denies National Guard to deport illegal immigrants Associated Press cites 11-page deportation draft memo Memo written by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly Report: National Security adviser post a 's*** sandwich' 14 of the best Donald Trump cartoons so far How the papers reported Mr Trump's 'wild' press conference
  
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• Boy, 14, charged after spate of stun gun attacks on women drivers

  17-02-2017 20:48
  
  A 14-year-old boy has been charged following a spate of stun gun attacks on women drivers.The boy, from Sparkhill, is set to appear in custody at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.
  
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• Labour MPs challenge Tony Blair over Brexit comments

  17-02-2017 20:38
  
  Former PM’s speech, in which he says party allowed Brexit vote to happen, viewed as unhelpful before byelections Tony Blair faces a backlash from Labour MPs for fuelling the party’s divisions over Brexit, as he launched a campaign to keep the UK in the EU ahead of two crucial byelections in leave-voting seats.In a major intervention on Friday, the former prime minister accused a weakened Labour party of allowing Brexit to happen, and called for a cross-party political movement to per
  
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• 10 questions that were left off Trump's mainstream media accountability survey

  17-02-2017 20:28
  
  For example: ‘Don’t you think it would be cool if the mainstream media looked the other way every once in a while?’The latest salvo in Donald Trump’s war on discernible reality has arrived in the form of a “Mainstream Media Accountability Survey” released by his campaign committee yesterday.Questions on the survey range from what seem to be straightforward inquiries into the perceived trustworthiness of certain news organizations that Trump has accused of prom
  
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• Lincoln City and Sutton United look to take the chance of a lifetime| Paul MacInnes

  17-02-2017 20:27
  
  Two clubs have the chance to be the first non-leaguers since 1914 to reach the quarter-finals of the FA CupAs Lincoln City travel to Burnley and Sutton United host Arsenal this weekend they will be making history. They are the first pair of non-league sides to have reached the last 16 of the FA Cup since 1920. And if either of the two National League teams win their tie, they will become the first non-league club to reach the quarter-finals since Queens Park Rangers in 1914. Put simply, the
  
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• Mark Zuckerberg rules his empire but politics is another country | Anne McElvoy

  17-02-2017 20:22
  
  The Facebook founder could yet lead other tech titans into the arena of public life. But theywould need a whole new set of skillsAbraham Lincoln took under 300 words to deliver the Gettysburg address. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg deployed just under 6,000 to explain his mission as a defender of globalisation, and mark an official shift in his career plan from tech titan to political aspirant. Related: Mark Zuckerberg's letter annotated: what he said and what he didn'tContinue reading...
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon says Tony Blair is right to say Brexit strengthens case for independence - Telegraph.co.uk

  17-02-2017 20:18 via telegraph.co.uk
  
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Nicola Sturgeon says Tony Blair is right to say Brexit strengthens case for independence
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Nicola Sturgeon has praised the “quality of analysis and argument” in a speech by Tony Blair after he claimed the case for Scottish independence had become "much more credible" since the Brexit vote. The former Labour prime minister warned the break-up ...
  Reality Check: Four claims in Tony Blair's speechBBC News
  The Cuprinol diva pulls out the old ham-theatr
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon says Tony Blair is right to say Brexit strengthens case for independence

  17-02-2017 20:17
  
  Nicola Sturgeon has praised the “quality of analysis and argument” in a speech by Tony Blair after he claimed the case for Scottish independence had become "much more credible" since the Brexit vote.The former Labour prime minister warned the break-up of the UK was "back on the table”, while adding that he did not want Scotland to become independent.In a speech for Open Britain, which is campaigning against a hard Brexit outside the single market,  he called on pro-Eu
  
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• 'You're all fake news': comedians mock Trump's press conference – video

  17-02-2017 20:15
  
  Donald Trump’s first solo press conference provided the bulk of material for Thursday’s late-night hosts. Comedian’s ranging from Trevor Noah to Seth Meyers reacted to the event while Jimmy Fallon impersonated the president, who began by saying ‘You’re all fake news, I hate you all very much and thank you for being here’Late-night hosts on Trump’s disastrous press conference: ‘We elected a mess’Continue reading...
  
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• European leaders resist Trump's ultimatum to increase defence spending or risk losing US commitment to Nato

  17-02-2017 20:11
  
  European leaders have pushed back at Donald Trump’s ultimatum that they increase defence spending or risk America scaling back its commitment to Transatlantic protection.The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker also said countries must not cave in to US demands.James Mattis, US defence secretary, earlier this week warned Nato that a new “political reality” after the election of Donald Trump meant it was no longer possible for allies to shirk their share
  
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• Angela Merkel and European leaders resist Donald Trump ultimatum to increase defence spending or risk losing US commitment to Nato

  17-02-2017 20:11
  
  European leaders have pushed back at Donald Trump’s ultimatum that they increase defence spending or risk America scaling back its commitment to Transatlantic protection.The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker also said countries must not cave in to US demands.James Mattis, US defence secretary, earlier this week warned Nato that a new “political reality” after the election of Donald Trump meant it was no longer possible for allies to shirk their share
  
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• Malcolm Turnbull tries to give Donald Trump advice - but misquotes Churchill - Stuff.co.nz

  17-02-2017 20:10 via stuff.co.nz
  
  Stuff.co.nz
  Malcolm Turnbull tries to give Donald Trump advice - but misquotes Churchill
  Stuff.co.nz
  The US President attacked the media, prompting Malcolm Turnbull to attempt to quote Winston Churchill to reporters in NZ. When President Donald Trump delivered a lengthy "fake news" tirade against critical reporters and the media in general, the ...
  Banks probe needed, not tax giveawayNEWS.com.au
  Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's power scare is desperate rubbishThe Age
  Excluding big banks from t
  
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• Alan King enjoys fine season as Yanworth warms up for Champion Hurdle

  17-02-2017 20:09
  
  The Wiltshire trainer has already had more winners than in any of the past seven seasons, with the two major jumps festivals still to come‘You’re battling all the time,” says a vigilant Alan King, waiting at the top of the Sharpridge gallop for his horses to appear at the bottom. “There’s always something going on, something that’s not quite right.”But there is no trouble to be seen from this Wiltshire peak, surrounded by gorgeous downland, much of it av
  
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• Glasgow bin lorry crash driver admits driving without licence months later

  17-02-2017 20:03
  
  The driver of the bin lorry that crashed in Glasgow killing six people is facing a possible jail sentence after he admitted culpable and reckless driving just nine months after the tragedy.Harry Clarke, 60, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to driving a car in the city on September 20, 2015 to the danger of the public, despite having lost his licence for medical reasons.It was revoked after a fatal accident inquiry into the fatal crash on December 22, 2014 when he blacked out and his
  
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• Pay to see your GP?

  17-02-2017 20:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Brits in one place do just that - but critics say it can deter people from seeking help.
  
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• Teenager who posted loaded gun through letterbox in north London locked-up

  17-02-2017 19:53
  
  A cycling teenager who posted a loaded gun through a letterbox in north east London has been locked up.Hugo Borges, 18, was cycling in Matthias Road, Dalston, with another man when the pair were asked to stop by two police officers in November last year.Officers spotted Borges post a converted blank firing pistol through the door of a house in the road.
  
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• World’s first transgender doll to be unveiled at New York toy fair

  17-02-2017 19:50
  
  Limited edition doll, which is modelled on teenage transgender activist Jazz Jennings, will retail at about £72The world’s first transgender doll is being unveiled at the New York toy fair this weekend, modelled on the US teenager and LGBTQ campaigner Jazz Jennings.Sixteen-year-old Jennings was propelled to fame as one of the youngest people ever officially documented as transgender. She has signalled her personal approval of the doll, which she thinks sends out a positive message ab
  
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• Two slices of buttered toast a day doubles diabetes risk, study suggests

  17-02-2017 19:47
  
  Eating two slices of buttered toast a day can double the risk of diabetes, warns new research.The consumption of whole fat yogurt was associated with a lower risk, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
  
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