General news

• Millionaire scrap dealer had 'no idea gems he hid for Hatton Garden raider were stolen'

  02-03-2017 23:31
  
  A millionaire scrap-metal dealer accused of hiding jewellery that had been stolen by one of the Hatton Garden raiders in his office roof told a court he never suspected the collection had been stolen.Charles Matthews denied ever doing business in jewellery with Terry Perkins, a family friend who was jailed for seven years over the high-profile 2015 break-in, during their trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.Matthews, nicknamed Chick, is accused of handling stolen goods over items worth &poun
  
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• Theresa May accuses SNP of treating politics like a ‘game’

  02-03-2017 23:30
  
  The Prime Minister will on Friday accuse Nicola Sturgeon of treating politics like a “game” in a visit to Scotland on Friday.Speaking at the Scottish Tories’ spring conference in Glasgow Theresa May will say the Scottish Government is neglecting school standards by apparently focusing on Scottish independence as an issue.With the union between Scotland and England under pressure in the wake of the Brexit vote, the PM will use her visit north of the border to highlight her commi
  
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• Ruth Davidson warns Nicola Sturgeon: Unionists would win second independence referendum by bigger margin

  02-03-2017 23:30
  
  The Conservatives have warned Nicola Sturgeon that if she makes good her threat of a second independence referendum she will lose by an even larger margin.Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson told the Telegraph there was “every chance” that the pro-Union side would win by more than the 10-point margin they secured in the 2014 referendum.In comments that will be seen as a direct challenge to Ms Sturgeon to think again about demanding another vote, Ms Davidson said the arguments for
  
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• Northern Ireland assembly elections: Polls close as power-sharing deal hangs in the balance

  02-03-2017 23:09
  
  Voters in Northern Ireland have headed to the polls in an emergency election designed to save power-sharing.A spokesperson for the Northern Irish Electoral Office said turn out is expected to match that of previous polls.Sizeable turn-out will be welcome news to proponents of the power-sharing Executive amid fears an exasperated electorate could effectively boycott the vote due to growing dissatisfaction.
  
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• US attorney general Jeff Sessions recuses himself from Russia probe

  02-03-2017 23:03
  
  Donald Trump’s attorney general announced on Thursday that he was standing aside from an investigation into the Russian meddling in the US election after it emerged he twice talked with Russia’s ambassador to Washington during the Republican's election campaign.Jeff Sessions had been under intense pressure ever since details of the two meetings emerged, the latest administration figure to come under fire for contacts with Russia.While his decision will defuse the immediate crisis, it
  
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• Twenty Conservative MPs to back amendment to Brexit Bill to give Parliament 'meaningful vote'

  02-03-2017 23:00
  
  Theresa May is facing a major House of Commons rebellion over giving Parliament a right to stop her from walking away from the European Union in two years’ time without a deal.Peers are expected to vote to amend legislation triggering the start of Brexit talks on Tuesday to force the Government to give MPs and peers a “meaningful vote” on the outcome of her negotiation.Downing Street has made clear that it expects MPs in the House of Commons to overturn the changes in the Lords
  
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• Nearly 100,000 small traders facing business rates hikes could be given discounts worth £1,500 each

  02-03-2017 23:00
  
  Nearly 100,000 small traders facing huge hikes in business rates will be given discounts worth up to £1,500 each under plans being considered by ministers ahead of the Budget next week.On Wednesday CVS, a ratings agency, presented Mr Javid with a series of options for to help businesses including the revival of a "retail relief scheme" to limit the impact of price hikes.Under scheme, which was previously used by George Osborne in 2013, small businesses were given discounts of up to £
  
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• Jane Fonda reveals she was raped and sexually abused as a child

  02-03-2017 22:54
  
  Jane Fonda has revealed she was raped as a child in a candid interview with fellow Hollywood star Brie Larson.The Oscar winner said she had always thought the rape and sexual abuse she suffered were "her fault" in an interview with fellow actress Ms Larson.Ms Fonda also revealed she was once fired from a job because she would not have sex with her boss.
  
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• Two schools evacuated and army called in over unexploded World War Two bomb 

  02-03-2017 22:04
  
  Two schools and nearby homes have been evacuated after a suspected Second World War bomb was discovered on a building site.The army has been called in to deal with the bomb while police and the fire service also remain on the scene, Brent Council said.Superintendent Nigel Quantrell said: "I would like to thank the community for their continued support as we and our partners deal with this incident.
  
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• Donald Trump promises to increase US Naval fleet as he trumpets military build-up

  02-03-2017 21:47
  
  Donald Trump promised to expand America’s naval fleet to include 12 aircraft carriers as he trumpeted his plans for a major military build-up during a visit to a shipyard on Thursday.This week, the White House announced it would be adding $54 billion (£43 billion) to the defence budget – about a 10 per cent increase.With another of his key allies accused of inappropriate contacts with Russian officials, Mr Trump escaped the White House to don a Navy flight jacket and cap for a
  
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• Donald Trump promises 12-carrier naval fleet as he trumpets military build-up

  02-03-2017 21:47
  
  Donald Trump promised to expand America’s naval fleet to include 12 aircraft carriers as he trumpeted his plans for a major military build-up during a visit to a shipyard on Thursday.This week, the White House announced it would be adding $54 billion (£43 billion) to the defence budget – about a 10 percent increase.With another of his key allies accused of inappropriate contacts with Russian officials, Mr Trump escaped the White House to don a Navy flight jacket and cap for a r
  
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• Explosion in number of UK's super-rich revealed in one graph

  02-03-2017 21:16
  
  Property consultants Knight Frank, who conducted the research, estimated the number of UHNWIs would grow globally by 43 per cent by 2026, though significant disparities are expected between different regions.Despite concerns over Brexit, London is expected to be the main draw for the super-rich.“In a European context, London is without doubt the dominant city for the wealthy,” Liam Bailey head of research Knight Frank, told the Guardian.
  
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• 'Worzel Gummidge' laird sent his tenants letters warning he was a retired secret agent and trained to kill, court hears

  02-03-2017 20:51
  
  A "Worzel Gummidge" laird sent his tenants letters warning he was a retired secret agent trained to kill in an apparent bid to force them off his land, a court heard.Niall Campbell, who owns Rowallan Castle and the estate near Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, is said to have sent an anonymous message which said: “1972 – Recruited MI5 field officer.The letter, partially typed and handwritten, said Mr Campbell liked to appear “Worzel Gummidge- like” but was “ruthless and lice
  
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• MPs investing in cigarette companies, oil giants and 'tax avoiders' through their pension scheme

  02-03-2017 20:49
  
  Pensions paid to British MPs are funded by the profits of cigarette companies, international oil giants and companies who MPs themselves have accused of avoiding tax, The Independent can reveal.The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund (PCPF), whose investments have never been made public before, ploughed more money into British American Tobacco (BAT) and oil giant BP and than any other two companies over the past year.Millions of pounds were also put into oil company Shell and controversial m
  
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• Alexei Navalny accuses Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev of corruption

  02-03-2017 20:45
  
  Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russian president between 2008 and 2012, uses a network of charities run by close associates to hide his control of assets including mansions, yachts, and even a vineyard, Mr Navalny claimed.The allegations are made in a report released on Thursday by the Anti Corruption Foundation, a group led by Mr Navalny that investigates high-level graft.
  
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• François Fillon's home searched by corruption investigators as Alain Juppé indicates he could replace the scandal-hit presidential candidate

  02-03-2017 20:30
  
  Alain Juppé, a former French prime minister, was poised to replace François Fillon as corruption investigators searched the home of the scandal-tainted centre-Right presidential candidate yesterday (Thurs) and allies deserted him.Sources close to Mr Juppé, who had previously ruled out being a “plan B”, told Libération newspaper he had reconsidered because of the deepening crisis in the Républicains party provoked by Mr Fillon’s refusal to stan
  
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• No 10 refuses to budge on Brexit bill, despite heavy defeat in Lords

  02-03-2017 20:13
  
  The government is determined that the bill to trigger article 50 will not be altered, even if a standoff ensues with peers who backed an amendment to guarantee the rights of EU citizens on Wednesday night, No 10 has said.At a meeting with the Danish foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, he said: “We’ve said very, very clearly that we want to come to a generous arrangement for everybody in the European Union.
  
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• Gina Miller threatens fresh legal action demanding MPs get final say on Brexit deal

  02-03-2017 20:07
  
  Gina Miller has threatened fresh legal action against the Government if parliament doesn’t have a “meaningful” vote on the final outcome of Brexit negotiations.The businesswoman, who successfully challenging the Government’s right to take Britain out of the European Union without parliamentary approval, said she would be willing to fund another lawsuit.It came as campaigners opposed to a so-called "hard Brexit" have obtained legal advice that Britain's "actual withdrawal"
  
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• 'Titanic of train disasters': Italy finally commemorates hushed-up wartime tragedy that killed more than 600 people

  02-03-2017 20:01
  
  On the night of March 2, 1944, a freight train packed with Italian civilians, who were travelling to the countryside in the desperate hope of buying food at a time of near starvation, stalled inside a steeply sloping tunnel.Within minutes, the passengers, most of whom were sleeping, were asphyxiated by lethal carbon monoxide fumes from the coal that fueled the steam locomotives.
  
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• Artificial human life could soon be grown in lab after embryo breakthrough

  02-03-2017 20:00
  
  Artificial human life could soon be grown from scratch in the lab, after scientists successfully created a mammal embryo using only stem cells.Cambridge University mixed two kinds of mouse stem cells and placed them on a 3D scaffold.After four days of growth in a tank of chemicals designed to mimic conditions inside the womb, the cells formed the structure of a living mouse embryo.
  
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• Donald Trump promotes military build-up with trip to shipyard

  02-03-2017 19:57
  
  Donald Trump is expected to trumpet his plans for a major military build-up when he meets sailors and shipbuilders on an aircraft carrier in Virginia on Thursday.During the campaign he promised a surge in military spending as part of his campaign to make America great again.This week, the White House announced it would be adding $54 billion (£43 billion) to the defence budget – about a 10 percent increase.
  
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• Cambridge college removes David Irving books from display following complaint

  02-03-2017 19:57
  
  Dr Irene Lancaster, formerly a history professor at Manchester University, said she was "livid" to see books written by the Holocaust denier on display.In an email to Dr Lancaster, the university's office of external affairs said the book was kept "so that others can challenge and refute" Irving's ideas, but added that it would nevertheless be removed from open display.
  
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• James Murdoch praises British TV, seeking Sky deal approval

  02-03-2017 19:42
  By Paul SandleLONDON (Reuters) - James Murdoch, the chief executive of Twenty-First Century Fox, lauded the quality of Britain's television industry on Thursday as the company makes a fresh attempt to gain control of European TV business Sky.Fox, which is controlled by the Murdoch family, launched a 11.7 billion pound ($14.4 billion) bid to take full control of Sky in December, seeking to fulfil an ambition that was thwarted in 2011 by a phone-hacking scandal at their British newspapers.Murdoch,
  
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• Allotment association president, 80, 'found strangled in shed'

  02-03-2017 19:34
  
  The 80-year-old president of a London allotment association has been found strangled in a shed hours after the group’s annual meeting.Lea Adri-Soejoko, who was described by police as a “pillar of the community”, was found dead in a garage at the Colindale allotments, in north-west London, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.Police refused to confirm reports from neighbours that Mrs Adri-Soejoko, who was also known by her maiden name of Hulselman, had been found with a rope ti
  
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• German state intelligence investigates 'Scientologist infiltration' at leading art musuem

  02-03-2017 19:32
  
  German state intelligence is investigating remarkable allegations that Scientologists have taken over the management of one of Munich’s most famous art museums, it has emerged.A senior figure at the city’s Haus der Kunst, or House of Art, has been placed under investigation over suspicions he is a Scientologist working to infiltrate the musuem.Scientologists have been under surveillance by the intelligence services since 1997 as a potential threat.
  
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• Republicans join calls for Jeff Sessions to step aside from investigation into Russian meddling in US election after conversations during campaign revealed

  02-03-2017 19:26
  
  Leading Republicans have broken ranks to demand Donald Trump’s Attorney General steps aside from an investigation into Russian meddling in the US election after it emerged he talked twice with Russia’s ambassador to Washington during the campaign.Jeff Sessions is under intense pressure after details of the meetings surfaced, apparently contradicting evidence he gave to his confirmation hearing.Mr Sessions played a central role in the Trump campaign.
  
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• Nigel Farage deserves to be made a duke, says Neil Hamilton

  02-03-2017 19:19
  
  Nigel Farage deserves to be made a duke, according to Ukip's leader in Wales, Neil Hamilton.Mr Hamilton told the BBC's Daily Politics: "I would say Nigel deserves a peerage.Mr Hamilton had been asked about reports that the party's sole MP, Douglas Carswell, had tried to block the former Ukip leader's efforts to gain a peerage.
  
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• MI6 is bringing back the 'tap on the shoulder' recruitment method

  02-03-2017 19:16
  
  MI6 is to reintroduce the classic "tap on the shoulder" as a means of recruiting spies from black and minority ethnic groups, the agency's chief has said.Alex Younger said increasing demand on the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) necessitated expansion and added that it needed to "attract the best of modern Britain".Mr Younger, known in SIS as "C", was himself recruited after a tap on the shoulder, he told The Guardian.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn and Labour’s electoral challenge | Letters

  02-03-2017 19:16
  
  Jeremy Corbyn: ‘In this media-driven age, it is essential that party leaders are able to communicate their ideas clearly to reach out beyond their committed supporters to the wider public,’ writes Anthony Isaacs.Owen Jones has misunderstood Labour’s problems (Jeremy Corbyn says he’s staying on as leader.What the party needs is not a new leader but a clear and coherent political philosophy.
  
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• Police numbers have been cut to the bone | Letters

  02-03-2017 19:15
  
  Police patrolling outside Wembley stadium before the EFL Cup final, February 2017. Photograph: Paul Marriott/Rex/Sutterstock
  
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• Man admits raping a woman in a park for two hours on his wedding day

  02-03-2017 19:09
  
  Predatory Derry McCann, 28, launched his horrific, two-hour assault as his victim was “within sight” of her front door in a London park on January 13.The defendant, of Hackney, east London, fixed his eyes on the ground as he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration and one count of robbery.McCann's “unusual” behaviour saw him also snatch the woman's mobile phone and bra, the court heard.
  
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• Murder inquiry after woman, 80, found dead at London allotment

  02-03-2017 18:24
  
  Police have launched a murder inquiry after an 80-year-old woman was found dead at an allotment in north-west London.The body of Lea Adri-Soejoko, 80, was discovered inside a lockup store at the site in Sheaveshill Avenue, Colindale, on Tuesday morning, the Metropolitan police said.Scotland Yard has not yet disclosed how she died, except to say it was “in the most tragic way possible”.
  
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• University bans phrases such as 'right-hand man' and 'gentleman’s agreement' in favour of gender-neutral terms 

  02-03-2017 18:21
  
  A university has banned phrases such as “right-hand man” and “gentleman’s agreement” under its code of practice on inclusive language.Cardiff Metropolitan University’s guidance dictates that “gender-neutral” terms should be used where possible, adding that students should not allow their “cultural background” to affect their choice of words.The university has been accused of undermining free speech and “insulting” students a
  
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• At least 20,000 mobile phones and sim cards discovered in prisons last year

  02-03-2017 18:21
  
  The proliferation of handsets in jails has been linked to drugs and organised crime, while some inmates have used the devices to film themselves and post videos on websites such as Facebook.Justice Secretary Liz Truss has announced new measures to crack down on their use, including giving prisons power to jam the signals.
  
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• Death of the weekly supermarket shop sparking 'tap-and-go' card boom

  02-03-2017 18:09
  
  The death of the weekly supermarket shop has sparked a "tap-and-go" payment boom as the number of payments made by contactless cards more than tripled last year.The average online card payment was for £80.04 in December, compared to the average contactless card payment, which was worth £9.52.Increased contactless spending in supermarkets helped boost an overall increase last year with contactless payments accounting for £25 billion of spending, compared to £7.75 bill
  
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• British pub culture under threat as reclusive diners order 'pub grub takeaways'

  02-03-2017 18:01
  A trend for home-delivered restaurant food could be killing the traditional British pub atmosphere, as reclusive diners are avoiding trips out by opting for "pub grub takeaways".For the first time a selection of pub favourites such as pies and roast dinners are becoming available for home delivery through services like  Deliveroo, Just Eat, Hungry House and UberEATS.
  
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• UK may return tortured asylum seekers to country they fled, says immigration minister

  02-03-2017 17:59
  
  The British government does not consider a person having being tortured in the country they are fleeing reason enough alone to accept a claim of asylum, the immigration minister has said.Robert Goodwill told a parliamentary debate on torture that not all proven survivors of past torture “automatically qualify for protection” if they cannot produce additional evidence that they would be at risk of further serious harm upon being sent back to where they had fled.MPs called for the deba
  
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• Inside Japan's bizarre owl cafés

  02-03-2017 17:50
  
  Many owl cafés have popped up in Japan amid a pet café boom.  Adults and children can play and pet owls which are kept in a room with their feet restrained. Despite the popularity of these cafés, animal rights groups have criticised them for making the birds stressed and disrupting their natural sleeping pattern.  Video block text
  
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• Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks out about death of baby daughter

  02-03-2017 17:43
  
  Gordon and Sarah Brown have told how the tragic death of their baby daughter 15 years ago helped save the life of the grandchild of former Labour leader John Smith.The couple helped set up a research laboratory in Edinburgh after their premature daughter Jennifer died aged just 10 days old in 2002.Mr Smith's daughter Catherine Smith, 43, revealed work carried out at the lab "impacted directly" on the care given to her daughter Ella McConnachie and "improved her chance of survival" after she was
  
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• First day of spring: The Vernal Equinox – everything you need to know

  02-03-2017 17:22
  
  The astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins on Monday, March 20 and will end on Wednesday, June 21.The spring (vernal) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is also known as the March equinox.It's called the "autumnal (fall) equinox" in the Southern Hemisphere.
  
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• First day of spring: Everything you need to know about the vernal equinox

  02-03-2017 17:22
  
  The astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins on Monday, March 20 and will end on Wednesday, June 21.The spring (vernal) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is also known as the March equinox.It's called the "autumnal (fall) equinox" in the Southern Hemisphere.
  
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• Joe Biden’s son Hunter is dating his other son Beau's widow, with the blessing of their father

  02-03-2017 17:21
  
  Joe Biden’s youngest son is dating the widow of his other son, Beau, with the blessing of his father, according to media reports.Beau Biden died in 2015 at the age of 46 after a prolonged fight with brain cancer.
  
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• New two-shot Taser X2 weapons for England and Wales police

  02-03-2017 17:16
  
  The Home Secretary has approved controversial plans to issue police officers in England and Wales with a new and more powerful Taser stun gun.Amber Rudd has given the go ahead for chief constables to begin issuing their officers with the X2 stun gun, which has a second shot in case the first should fail.In August 2016, footballer Dalian Atkinson died after a Taser was used during a confrontation with officers in Telford in the West Midlands.
  
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• Despondent McDonnell delivers rallying cry with howl of despair | John Crace

  02-03-2017 17:16
  
  When the Labour leader’s own advisers are briefing that the party has no chance of winning the 2020 general election, it’s hard to position yourself as a government in waiting.There was an air of melancholy as McDonnell began listing his budget demands in a speech at London’s Southbank centre.
  
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• Nearly 1 million fly tipping incidents reported last year as councils introduce rubbish collection charges

  02-03-2017 17:10
  
  Fly tipping soared by 50 per cent last year as councils reported nearly 1 million incidents, following the introduction of "complicated" charges to collect household junk.Councils across England reported 936,090 cases of fly-tipping in 2015/16 with the number rising for a third year in a row, data from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has revealed.The majority of items being illegally dumped on roads and in public places were household rubbish items which are too big to
  
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• Daniel Craig need not apply - MI6 looks to 'tap up' new spies

  02-03-2017 17:03
  Britain's MI6 spy agency will go back to its old, informal "tap on the shoulder" method of hiring new agents in a bid to find more black and Asian recruits.Alex Younger, head of the Secret Intelligence Service as MI6 is officially known, told the Guardian newspaper he wanted the agency to reach communities who were "selecting themselves out"."We have to go out and ask these people to join us," said Younger, who rarely makes public comments, in the interview published on Thursday.
  
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• Vicar faces row after putting plastic children's furniture in 12th century church

  02-03-2017 17:00
  
  Rector Lynda Klimas introduced the pint-sized white furniture set as a way to keep young children entertained during services.Kevin Sims, 67, who has been attending the St Mary the Virgin Church for 20 years, said: "I definitely do not feel the number of children warrants it.
  
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• Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak cleared of killing protesters during 2011 revolution

  02-03-2017 16:59
  
  Egypt's top appeals court found Hosni Mubarak innocent on Thursday of involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his 30-year rule, in a final ruling that could see the former president walk free.
  
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• Riz Ahmed: we will lose kids to extremism if we don't make them heroes in our stories

  02-03-2017 16:47
  
  British Muslims are turning to extremism because they do not see themselves represented as heroes on screen, according to the actor Riz Ahmed.In a speech at the House of Commons, Ahmed said: “When we fail to represent, people switch off.
  
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• Brexit without a trade deal 'would open Pandora's Box' for economy

  02-03-2017 16:47
  
  Leaving the EU without a deal on future trade arrangements would open up a "Pandora's Box" for the UK economy, business leaders have warned.Paul Drechsler, the CBI president, says that leaving the UK to fall back on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules after Brexit would be "not only wrong but irresponsible".In a keynote speech in the City of London, Mr Drechsler will warn that British firms would face tariffs on 90% of their exports to the EU products without an agreement as well as a raft of n
  
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