General news

• 'Hitler's personal telephone' gifted by Red Army to British officer sells for £195,000 at auction

  19-02-2017 23:56
  
  Andreas Kornfeld of Alexander Historical Auctions said the bid was made by phone, the auction house does not disclose the names of buyers.Bill Panagopulos, from Alexander Historical Auctions in Chesapeake City, which is now selling the phone on behalf of Rayner’s son, calls it a ”weapon of mass destruction".
  
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• SS-GB: BBC Nazi drama criticised for 'mumbling' as viewers say it is the 'worst since Jamaica Inn' 

  19-02-2017 23:46
  
  Even before it had aired, SS-GB had courted controversy, with publicity images for the BBC's new drama set in Nazi-occupied London showing Buckingham Palace draped in swastikas.
  
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• Priest believed it was God's will he move in with woman sacked by church in France

  19-02-2017 23:43
  
  Father Gréa, now Mr Gréa, served as a parish priest in central Lyon for six years and increased church attendance by giving mass “a new look”, bringing in a Catholic pop group, Glorious to accompany services.Some members of the congregation burst into tears when the decision was announced and Mr Gréa’s letter was read out by the vicar general, Patrick Rollin, in church on Sunday morning.
  
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• French Catholic priest fired for saying God wants him to get married

  19-02-2017 23:43
  
  Father Gréa, now Mr Gréa, served as a parish priest in central Lyon for six years and increased church attendance by giving mass “a new look”, bringing in a Catholic pop group, Glorious to accompany services.Some members of the congregation burst into tears when the decision was announced and Mr Gréa’s letter was read out by the vicar general, Patrick Rollin, in church on Sunday morning.
  
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• Ben Jennings on the Stoke byelection – cartoon

  19-02-2017 23:26 via theguardian.com
  
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• Theresa May faces Government split over business rates amid warnings that hikes will 'whack' small firms

  19-02-2017 23:00
  
  Theresa May is facing a Government split over changes to business rates after Philip Hammond was warned that significant rises will "whack" the confidence of small firms ahead of Brexit.A Government source told The Telegraph that the Chancellor should "lessen the pressure" on small businesses amid concerns that they are facing huge increases while Amazon and large supermarkets will benefit.It came as senior Conservatives said that they have been given indications by ministers that the Treasury r
  
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• Revealed: How Margaret Thatcher intervened to keep Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in prison 

  19-02-2017 23:00
  
  Mrs Thatcher also ordered extra security for Ian Brady when he was being transferred into a new prison “to make doubly sure that this maniac cannot escape”. I do not think that  either  of these prisoners should ever be released from custody.The comments are contained in a note from Mrs Thatcher scrawled in blue ink which has been uncovered by Government officials.
  
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• Donald Trump's State Visit to UK is in national interest but he won't address Parliament, ministers expected to say

  19-02-2017 23:00
  
  Donald Trump's state visit to the UK is in Britain's national interest but he has no plans to address Parliament in the wake of a backlash by MPs, ministers are expected to say today.MPs will today debate a petition signed by more than 1.8million people calling for a state visit by President Trump to be abandoned because it will "embarrass" the Queen.John Bercow, the Speaker of the Commons, added to the controversy surrounding the visit by calling for Mr Trump to be barr
  
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• Perfect storm

  19-02-2017 22:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Tackling an industry that trades on perfection with a talent agency for disabled actors and models.
  
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• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child wins eight prizes at WhatsOnStage awards

  19-02-2017 22:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Sold-out show wins best new play, best director and three acting prizes, while Billie Piper wins best actress for YermaHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, one of the biggest stage events of recent years, has won eight prizes at the only UK theatre awards voted on by the public.
  The two-part play at London’s 1,900-seat Palace theatre took best new play, best director and three of the acting prizes at the 17th annual WhatsOnStage awards on Sunday. Continue reading...
  
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• Exclusive: Oxford University set to break with 700 years of tradition and open a foreign campus - after France offers Brexit sweetener

  19-02-2017 22:30
  
  Oxford University might break with 700 years of tradition by establishing its first foreign campus in response to Brexit, The Telegraph can disclose.French officials met senior staff at Oxford last week and revealed new proposals that they hope would guarantee future European Union funding for a "satellite" base in Paris.Other universities, including Warwick, were approached with the idea to build a new campus in Paris in 2018.
  
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• Lord Mandelson calls for Lords to frustrate Brexit bill in Blairite plot

  19-02-2017 22:28
  
  Allies of Tony Blair will attempt to frustrate Brexit in the House of Lords on Monday by urging peers to rally against the Government.The former Labour prime minister, last week urged people to “rise up” against Brexit and support a new movement to keep Britain in the European Union.Lord Mandelson, one of Mr Blair’s closest allies, urged peers to defy the Government and not “throw in the towel early”.
  
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• Council investigates Oldham headteacher's claims of threats

  19-02-2017 22:17 via theguardian.com
  
  Department for Education says inquiry has nothing to do with extremism and should not be referred to as a ‘Trojan horse’ caseAn investigation has been launched after a headteacher claimed she had been forced to work from home and that her position at an Oldham school had been made untenable by alleged threats and verbal abuse.The Department for Education is working with Oldham council to investigate allegations made by Trish O’Donnell, head of Clarksfield primary school, that s
  
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• Picasso masterpiece that represents Nazi occupation of Paris set to fetch £15m at auction

  19-02-2017 22:00
  
  A Picasso painting of the tomato plant that grew on his windowsill during the Nazi occupation of Paris is to go under the hammer with an estimate of up to £15 million.The still life represents both the privations of war - Parisians were forced to grow their own produce because food was scarce - and, with its vibrant colour and ripe fruit, the resilience of the human spirit.A Cecil Beaton photograph from the time was taken in Picasso's studio and shows him standing beside sev
  
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• Joseph Olopo: Barnet murder victim stabbed in the neck after mass brawl near Brent Cross named by police

  19-02-2017 21:21
  
  The man murdered after a mass fight in north-west London has been named as 21-year-old Joseph Olopo.Police have confirmed Mr Olopo died after being stabbed in the neck on a residential road on Friday evening.Homicide detectives are investigating the killing, which took place just metres away from Brent Cross Tube station.
  
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• The retirement village where women are living years longer than everyone else

  19-02-2017 21:17
  
  Humans have pondered the secret to longer life for centuries and, with 11 residents over 100 years old, Whiteley Village in Walton appears to have cracked it.Pearl Wilkinson, 96, told the Sunday Times: "Dancing is my secret.Researchers who analysed decades-worth of medical records found the convivial village's female residents lived up to 4.9 years longer than the median for a woman in England and Wales, the paper reported, even if they were from poorer backgrounds and therefore more likely to h
  
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• Piers Morgan pulls out of hosting television awards after social media outcry

  19-02-2017 20:45
  
  RTS announced Mr Morgan would be hosting just three days ago, however the decision was met with furious backlash on social media and petition sites.Sky drama commissioner Cameron Roach also wrote a letter to RTS CEO Theresa Wise, which was made public, to urge her to reconsider the “inappropriate” and “damaging” appointment.
  
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• Man and woman found dead in Hertfordshire flat after being stabbed 

  19-02-2017 20:39
  
  Officers found the body of a woman after storming a flat in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.A nearby bar manager claimed two children were inside during the incident.A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said: "When police arrived at the address they found a woman had been stabbed and had tragically passed away.
  
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• How the wife of former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys 'realised he was having an affair'

  19-02-2017 20:33
  
  Sports presenter Richard Keys’ wife realised he was having an affair when she began writing a book about infidelity.Trained counsellor Julia Keys revealed she used her skills honed over a 20-year career to pen a book about the sensitive subject of helping women identify if their man is cheating.Mr Keys, 59, is said to have continued his affair with 27-year-old lawyer Lucie Rose - a friend of their daughter Jemma - after previously pressuring his wife to into saying it never took place.
  
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• Donald Trump's defence minister distances himself from the president's war on the media, and Republicans praise a free press

  19-02-2017 20:32
  
  Donald Trump's defence secretary has distanced himself from the president's war on media, calling journalists a constituency of the democratic process.James Mattis' comments came after his commander-in-chief declared the fifth estate the "enemy of the American people" and vowed to "expose them for what they are"."The press, as far as I'm concerned, are a constituency that we deal with," Mr Mattis said.
  
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• Labour could lose Copeland and Stoke by-elections but Jeremy Corbyn won't quit, Diane Abbott says

  19-02-2017 20:25
  
   Labour could lose two by-elections this week as it faces challenges from the Conservatives and Ukip, a senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn has admitted.Diane Abbott, the shadow Home Secretary, said that the Copeland and Stoke by-elections will both be "difficult" and "quite tight".The Conservatives believe that they are on course to win Copeland in Cumbria, making them the first governing party to gain a seat in a by-election since 1982.
  
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• 'That bus has gone' - EU sees no Brexit U-turn now

  19-02-2017 20:24
  By Alastair MacdonaldBRUSSELS (Reuters) - Tony Blair wants fellow Britons to "rise up" and block or soften Brexit, but it may now be out of their hands -- many Europeans just want them to get on and get out.After their June referendum vote to quit the EU, stunned European leaders insisted Britons were welcome to change their minds.While officially the door remains open to Britain to stay, many on the continent would not welcome a U-turn now.
  
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• Rogue forensic workers feared to have doctored the results of 500 lab tests - throwing hundreds of court cases into doubt

  19-02-2017 20:19
  
  Almost 500 criminal investigations are being reviewed after test results at a forensics lab were allegedly tampered with by two "rogue" scientists.Two men have been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice after a major security breach was uncovered at the Randox Testing Services (RTS) lab in Manchester.The laboratory, which carries out toxicology tests for police forces across the country, has identified a total of 484 cases which may have been compromised.
  
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• Missing toddler found dead in river just an hour after going missing

  19-02-2017 20:10
  
  Emergency services were called to the Bridge of Cally in Highland Perthshire after the child went missing from his home nearby late on Sunday morning.A Police Scotland helicopter was involved in the search before the boy was found in the River Ericht, close to the property, just over an hour later.John Swinney, the MSP for Perthshire North, expressed his sympathy on social media, tweeting: "Heartbreaking news from the River Ericht at Bridge of Cally.
  
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• Missing toddler found dead in river

  19-02-2017 20:10
  
  Emergency services were called to the Bridge of Cally in Highland Perthshire after the child went missing from his home nearby late on Sunday morning.A Police Scotland helicopter was involved in the search before the boy was found in the River Ericht, close to the property, just over an hour later.John Swinney, the MSP for Perthshire North, expressed his sympathy on social media, tweeting: "Heartbreaking news from the River Ericht at Bridge of Cally.
  
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• Trump’s fragile male ego craves the dangerous drug of adulation | Joan Smith

  19-02-2017 19:49 via theguardian.com
  
  The president’s hyped-up behaviour at his Florida rally was an alarming display of his neediness. Maybe he should have his own theme parkTherapy has never been so expensive. At the weekend, it cost American taxpayers millions of dollars to fly Donald Trump down to Florida so he could hold a session with thousands of adoring fans after another trying week in the White House. At a cost of roughly $3m per trip, it would have been cheaper to hire Dr Freud but, sadly, aides who tried to contact
  
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• Second Islamist 'Trojan Horse' scandal feared after Oldham headteacher reports death threats

  19-02-2017 19:39
  
  Fears of a second wave of Islamist plots to take over schools have been raised after a teachers’ union revealed it was dealing with a “variety of apparent Trojan Horse issues".A head teacher in Oldham has reportedly said she has started working at home having been subjected to a campaign of “death threats” and verbal abuse by people determined to introduce an Islamic agenda.In an email to Oldham council, seen by the Sunday Times, Trish O’Donnell said she had “
  
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• High prisoner numbers create a vicious cycle | Letters

  19-02-2017 19:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Liz Truss claims that prisoner numbers should not be reduced because of increases in the use of prisons to combat sexual offences, domestic violence and child abuse (Truss rejects calls for shorter prison sentences, 13 February). Her claim is both inaccurate and dangerous. Inaccurate, because she conflates crime data on drug sentences with those of violence. The data, however, indicates that about 60% of sentences are for drugs and/or property offences. It is dangerous because our society will n
  
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• The will of the people – except when it’s Aslef | Brief letters

  19-02-2017 19:30
  
  A Southern rail train. Now Aslef drivers have voted to reject the company’s deal, will the government back the democratic decision, asks Brian Curwain. Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA
  
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• Piers Morgan pulls out of hosting Royal Television Society awards

  19-02-2017 19:28
  
  Morgan had refused his fee to present the awards, because he thought it would be ‘fun’.Piers Morgan has pulled out of hosting the Royal Television Society awards, saying he did not want to become a distraction after a campaign claiming his involvement would be “damaging” and “inappropriate”.The Good Morning Britain presenter was unveiled as host of the awards three days ago, with the RTS chief executive, Theresa Wise, saying his “reputation for being opi
  
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• Roland Mouret brings high-voltage to a grey Sunday in fashion week

  19-02-2017 18:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Decade on from his Galaxy dress and just showing his collections in Paris, UK-based designer in celebratory mood in LondonA decade on from creating the hit Galaxy dress that became a defining look of the noughties, Roland Mouret has celebrated the 20th anniversary of his label by bringing his catwalk show home from Paris to London for fashion week.And that dress was back, too – in spirit, at least. “When I think about the Galaxy dress now, I see that it was all about the women who wa
  
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• Check your fivers! Last remaining Jane Austen £5 note worth £50,000 'could be anywhere in the world'

  19-02-2017 18:35
  
  An artist who helped mastermind a Willy Wonka-style treasure hunt for four bank notes, worth an estimated £50,000, admits the only still-hidden fiver could be anywhere in the world.Micro-engraver Graham Short etched Jane Austen's face into the transparent part of the new plastic Bank of England £5 notes.Mr Short's friend and fellow artist, Tony Huggins-Haig, who launched the project, said around 5,000 people have called up falsely claiming to have found it.
  
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• Philippine's Rodrigo Duterte urged to drop charges against leading  war on drugs critic

  19-02-2017 18:32
  
  Human Rights Watch has demanded the Philippines drop “politically motivated” charges against a fierce critic of a war on drugs that has killed over 7,700 people in the last seven months.The former justice minister, and political nemesis of President Rodrigo Duterte, has repeatedly denounced a bloody wave of extrajudicial killings since his crackdown on drugs began last July.A Filipino protester wearing mask participates in a rally to mark International Human Rights Day in Manila, Phi
  
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• Tens of thousands expected to march across UK demanding Donald Trump's state visit be cancelled

  19-02-2017 18:11
  
  Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets on Monday to demand Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK be cancelled.Protests have been organised in cities around the country from Plymouth to Inverness, including in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, as part of a nationwide day of action.This comes as Parliament is due to debate the US President’s state visit on Monday after nearly two million people signed a petition calling for it to be cancelled.
  
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• China’s terracotta army prepares for war - against replicas 

  19-02-2017 18:07
  
  China's iconic Terracotta Warriors are making a defiant stand - against a rising tide of fakes which authorities claim have infringed their copyright.In an ironic reversal of roles from a country which is known as the home of counterfeit goods, the Museum of the First Qin Emperor warned in a statement that it "reserves the right to pursue" anyone it believes infringed copyright of the army of ancient stone soldiers, horses and chariots.The warning comes amid media reports that museum officials a
  
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• Piers Morgan pulls out as host of television awards after campaign to oust him following his support for Trump

  19-02-2017 18:06
  
  Piers Morgan has pulled out of hosting a television awards ceremony over criticism of his support for Donald Trump.The television presenter said he agreed to host the Royal Television Society (RTS) Programme Awards for no fee, but a campaign to ban him was subsequently launched.Ms Greer said that she was "honoured to be a judge" for the awards on Twitter, but would decline to attend the dinner because of Mr Morgan's role.
  
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• Piers Morgan pulls out as host of television awards after campaign to oust him 

  19-02-2017 18:06
  
  Piers Morgan has pulled out of hosting a television awards ceremony, after a campaign was started saying it was "inappropriate" for him to be given the role.The television presenter said he agreed to host the Royal Television Society (RTS) Programme Awards for no fee, but a campaign to ban him was subsequently launched.The former newspaper editor said he had received criticism that he lacked the "creative excellence" required to present the awards, and he had "failed to understand a so
  
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• Theresa May: The Enigmatic Prime Minister by Rosa Prince – digested read

  19-02-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  
  ‘I’d better not say how boring she was at Oxford,’ says a cabinet colleague, ‘in case I get sacked’It was 10am on Monday 11 July 2016 and Theresa May was preparing to launch her leadership campaign in Birmingham when Fiona Hill entered the room where she was sitting with her husband, Phil, to tell her that Andrea Leadsom was on the phone. May told everyone to leave before taking the call and then went on stage to deliver her speech. Only at the end did she tell ever
  
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• Populist correctness: the new PC culture of Trump's America and Brexit Britain| Arwa Mahdawi

  19-02-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Rightwing snowflakes are offended by everything from Kermit to holiday greetings and Starbucks cups
  An Englishman, a Frenchman and an American man walk into a bar and make whatever jokes they want because – have you heard? – political correctness is dead. Donald Trump and Brexit have sent it to its grave. You can say whatever you like now, offend whoever you like!Well, not quite. Continue reading...
  
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• Home Office agrees to review asylum claims of child refugees in France

  19-02-2017 17:52
  
  The Home Office has agreed to review asylum applications from child refugees in France after it emerged that several had returned to the site of the former Calais camp in a renewed effort to make the crossing to the UK.One teenager who arrived in London this weekend after hiding beneath a coach at the port told the Guardian that increasing numbers of children in French reception centres had lost hope of travelling to the UK by official means and were returning to the notorious site.Responding to
  
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• Villager who defied neighbours with bright yellow car gives in to critics and buys grey vehicle

  19-02-2017 17:31
  
  A retired dentist whose bright yellow car was written off by vandals for damaging a picture postcard village view has bought a grey motor to avoid being targeted again.Peter Maddox's beloved three-year-old Vauxhall Corsa was written off when it sustained £6,000 worth of damage after someone scratched "MOVE" into the bonnet.It centred on complaints from photographers and tourists, who moaned it was "photobombing" their photos of picturesque Arlington Row in Bibury, Glos
  
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• Villager who defied neghbours with bright yellow car gives in to critics as he buys grey vehicle

  19-02-2017 17:31
  
  A retired dentist whose bright yellow car was written off by vandals for damaging a picture postcard village view has bought a grey motor to avoid being targeted again.Peter Maddox's beloved three-year-old Vauxhall Corsa was written off when it sustained £6,000 worth of damage after someone scratched "MOVE" into the bonnet.The damage sustained last month left the 84-year-old searching for a new runaround  - and yet again he opted for a trusty Vauxhall Corsa.
  
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• Two-year-old boy dies after being found in Perthshire river

  19-02-2017 17:25 via theguardian.com
  
  Child was reported missing from a property in Milton of Drimmie area and later recovered from river ErichtA two-year-old boy has died after being recovered from a river in Perthshire. A search was launched after the child was reported missing from a property in the Milton of Drimmie area, close to Bridge of Cally, at around 11.15am on Sunday. Continue reading...
  
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• Norma McCorvey obituary

  19-02-2017 17:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Plaintiff known as Jane Roe in the groundbreaking 1973 US legal case over the right to abortionJane Roe, the anonymous plaintiff in the Roe v Wade case by which the US supreme court legalised abortion, became an icon for feminism. But the real Jane Roe, Norma McCorvey, who has died aged 69 of heart failure, was an unlikely heroine, unwilling to take the spotlight and uncomfortable with it when she finally did. Then she underwent a Damascene conversion and became an equally iconic anti-abortion c
  
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• Two-year-old boy found dead after being recovered from River Ericht

  19-02-2017 17:22
  A two-year-old boy has died after being recovered from the River Ericht.A major search was launched after the child was reported missing from a property in the Milton of Drimmie area, close to Bridge of Cally in Perthshire at around 11.15am on Sunday.The Police Scotland helicopter and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel were involved in a full search of the area along with police officers.
  
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• Fresh offensive against Islamic State begins in western Mosul as Iraqi prime minister urges forces to 'respect human rights'

  19-02-2017 16:56
  
  Iraqi forces have launched an early morning ground offensive to dislodge Isil militants from their remaining stronghold in western Mosul.Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, announced the start of the campaign, asking Iraqi forces to "respect human rights" during the battle, after a series of shocking videos and images depicting abuse by uniformed men emerged.
  
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• Results will reveal the good, the bad and the ugly of UK banks

  19-02-2017 16:37 via theguardian.com
  
  Boardroom pay, litigation and losses to come under spotlight as Britain’s top lenders post financial results this weekBritain’s major banks will be in the spotlight this week as they unveil their full year figures, with Royal Bank of Scotland forecast to make losses of more than £6bn and HSBC expected to face questions about a boardroom overhaul.
  The controversy over bankers’ pay is likely to be reignited as they disclose the size of their bonus pools and how much their b
  
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• How to have a pop culture hit like La La Land and Rae Sremmurd

  19-02-2017 16:30 via theguardian.com
  
  What are the ingredients of a smash movie or track in 2017? Embrace nostalgia, follow the superstars, and piggy-back on the social networks ...How do you make a hit? This is the question I have posed to dozens of entertainment executives, pop-culture historians and academics over the past few years. Some of them claimed to know. Others maintained that such knowledge was impossible. But the most interesting things I learned weren’t the variables of some mythic formula, but rather how the sh
  
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• Search and rescue in the Mediterranean – in pictures

  19-02-2017 16:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Photographer David Ramos was onboard the rescue vessel Golfo Azzurro, operated by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms which provides assistance to refugees and migrants in distress at sea Continue reading...
  
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• SpaceX launches and lands Falcon rocket from historic spaceport

  19-02-2017 16:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Rocket launches from pad that was home to some of Nasa’s best-known missions – then booster gracefully returns to EarthSpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday on a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that marks a new era of private spaceflight at one of Nasa’s most storied bases.A Falcon 9 rocket took off at about 9.40am eastern from the Kennedy Space Center, off the coast of central Florida, from a launchpad that has seen off some of Nasa
  
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