General news

• England goalscorer Jermain Defoe says vegan diet and discipline paying off

  27-03-2017 23:30 via theguardian.com
  
  • Recovery techniques working for Sunderland striker
  • ‘I have a better understanding of my body now’Jermain Defoe has credited a recent switch to a vegan diet as being partly behind his continued excellence at the top level as the Sunderland striker seeks to maintain his form and remain in contention within the England set-up following his goalscoring return to the national side.The veteran forward, recalled by Gareth Southgate, marked his first England appearance in three
  
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• Broadchurch recap: series three, episode five – never lie about mackerel

  27-03-2017 23:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The net of potential suspects widens further – as does the number of potential victims. Are the crimes linked, perhaps even with earlier Broadchurch storylines?Blimey. I think I might need to set up a spreadsheet to work out where we’re up to with everything. Perhaps I can ask Creepy Aaron to help. He’s good with data. But then so is Ian, the highly suspect ex-husband. And here he is, breaking in, presumably to steal his daughter’s computer which has something dodgy on it
  
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• On the eve of Brexit, Qatar pledges over $6 billion in investment in Britain

  27-03-2017 22:59
  
  By Tom Finn and Kylie MacLellanLONDON (Reuters) - Qatar pledged 5 billion pounds ($6.3 billion) of investment in Britain on Monday in a show of support for the world's fifth-largest economy just two days before Prime Minister Theresa May triggers formal Brexit talks.The wealthy Gulf state has 40 billion pounds of investments in the United Kingdom, including high-profile London landmarks like the Shard skyscraper, Harrods department store, The Savoy hotel and a stake in the Canary Wharf financial
  
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• Correction: Penn State-Abuse story

  27-03-2017 22:13
  
  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — In some versions of a March 24 story about the criminal conviction of former Penn State University president Graham Spanier, The Associated Press erroneously reported the length of retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's sentence. It was for 30 to 60 years, not 10 to 30 years.
  
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• Steve Bell on May's meeting with Sturgeon – cartoon

  27-03-2017 22:02 via theguardian.com
  
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• Will Jeremy Corbyn still be Labour leader in 2020?

  27-03-2017 21:40
  
  Jeremy Corbyn seems unimpressed as he is repeatedly asked if he will be Labour leader in 2020.
  
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• Corbyn 'almost as unpopular as Trump' in Britain, according to poll

  27-03-2017 21:23
  
  Jeremy Corbyn is almost as unpopular as Donald Trump among the British public, according to pollsters GfK.The majority of Britons think both men are doing a bad job, with 58% disapproving of the performance of Mr Corbyn as leader of the opposition and 60% disapproving of Mr Trump as US President.Just 17% approve of Mr Corbyn's performance, while 18% approve of Mr Trump, the poll found.
  
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• Sturgeon says May’s Brexit timescale matches referendum plan

  27-03-2017 21:11
  
  Nicola Sturgeon has said there is no longer any rational case against a second Scottish independence referendum after Theresa May told her that the full Brexit deal would be known within 18 months.The first minister said May’s disclosure, during a meeting in Glasgow, closely matched the Scottish government’s timescale for calling a fresh referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.She said the prime minister was clear that the detailed terms of the UK’s divorce from the EU a
  
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• Settle Brexit bill quickly to boost chance of free trade deal, say pro-EU Tories

  27-03-2017 21:05
  
  Theresa May is facing conflicting calls over the Brexit bill from within the Conservative party.Theresa May will be urged by pro-EU Conservatives to reach a quick deal over the divorce bill from Brussels in order to maximise the chances of reaching a free trade deal within the tight deadline for Brexit talks.As the prime minister prepares to trigger article 50, the formal process for leaving the EU, on Wednesday, rebel Tories who seek the closest possible relationship with the EU are preparing t
  
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• Dustin Johnson on top of the world but favourites rarely prosper at Augusta | Ewan Murray

  27-03-2017 21:00 via theguardian.com
  
  World No1’s third title in a row at WGC Match Play makes him the man to beat but no favourite has won the Masters since Tiger Woods in 2005The only certainty relating to Dustin Johnson’s epic run is that it will come to an end. Even recent history tells us that much. Fascination and uncertainty relate to precisely when the world No1’s streak will conclude and, more pertinently, if it can be sustained to the point where the 32-year-old wins the Masters for the first time.Johnson
  
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• Westminster killer Khalid Masood's mother: 'I have shed many tears for victims'

  27-03-2017 20:52
  The mother of Westminster killer Khalid Masood says she has cried for the victims of the "horrendous" attack.Masood killed four people, including a police officer, during his 82-second rampage in central London last Wednesday.Police have said there was "no evidence" he had links with Islamic State or al Qaeda but was "clearly" interested in jihad.
  
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• The Guardian view on counter-terrorism: strong encryption makes us all safer | Editorial

  27-03-2017 20:51 via theguardian.com
  
  There are many things the web giants could do to help combat terrorism, but weakening privacy protection is not one of themThe home secretary has made a hash – or what she would call “a hashtag” – of her efforts to appear to be doing something in the wake of last week’s Westminster terror attack. Amber Rudd’s demand that the big digital companies weaken the encryption they use on their messages is unrealistic and – if it ever became real – self-def
  
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• New GCSEs: 'Only two pupils in England will get all top marks'

  27-03-2017 20:31
  
  The chief analyst at the Department for Education (DfE) has estimated that just two pupils in England are likely to get all top grades in the new GCSEs being phased in from this summer.In recent years, parents, pupils and teachers have become accustomed to a sizeable number of the highest-achieving students in the most academically successful schools gaining all straight A*s in their GCSE examinations.
  
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• Westminster attacker Khalid Masood had interest in jihad, say police

  27-03-2017 20:30
  
  Khalid Masood: police said there is no evidence he was radicalised while in prison in 2003.Khalid Masood, the Westminster attacker, had a clear interest in jihad and his methods echoed the rhetoric of Islamic State leaders, Scotland Yard has said.Six days into the investigation, the Metropolitan police’s deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, who is also senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said there was no evidence that Masood had discussed the planning of his
  
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• The retreats where famous authors found inspiration – in pictures

  27-03-2017 20:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Former president Barack Obama is to journey to the South Pacific island of Tetiaroa, once owned by Marlon Brando, to write his memoir. Here’s a look at where other famous authors found the inspiration to write Continue reading...
  
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• Doctor was 'dishonest' in screening nurse who had Ebola, tribunal finds

  27-03-2017 20:09
  
  Dr Hannah Ryan, who appeared before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal.Ryan misled screening staff over Pauline Cafferkey’s temperature, the panel found.A doctor acted dishonestly when she lied to investigators about the dangerously high temperature of a nurse who went on to develop Ebola, a tribunal has found.
  
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• Amber Rudd seeks more EU action over online extremism

  27-03-2017 20:05
  
  Amber Rudd also discussed the UK’s own specialist unit dedicated to removing terrorist material from the internet.Amber Rudd has called for more EU action to tackle online extremism, as she steps up pressure on tech firms to make it harder for terrorists to use the internet.Meeting her EU counterparts in Brussels, just days before Britain embarks on its European divorce by triggering article 50, the home secretary reiterated her message that internet companies needed to be more proactive i
  
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• Alcohol consumption and a dash of deceit | Brief letters

  27-03-2017 19:59
  
  ‘Useful to know my GP is likely to magnify my hitherto accurately detailed alcohol consumption,’ writes Martin James.Emma Laughton (Letters, 27 March) makes the mistake of including the costs of policing society with the costs of maintaining a military able to invade other nations.The internal policing of a society is an essential part of monitoring its many institutions.
  
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• Weaponise! ​The meaning of 2017’s political buzzword

  27-03-2017 19:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Sex, the NHS, Brexit, loose tal​k – all have been ​described as ​‘weaponised’​. But what is the effect on the public when ​language is constantly on a war footing?
  In our embattled age, it seems everything can be turned into a weapon. The Scottish Tory leader, Ruth Davidson, has frequently accused Nicola Sturgeon of “weaponising Brexit” to break up the union. Donald Trump’s “loose talk about Muslims”, the Washington Po
  
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• Britain reopens privacy debate after attack, presses tech firms

  27-03-2017 19:27
  
  By Eric AuchardLONDON (Reuters) - British officials have demanded tech firms do much more to give police access to smartphone communications following last week's Westminster attack, just months after new laws gave security services broader powers.British media have reported that shortly before launching the attack last Wednesday, Khalid Masood used encrypted messaging via WhatsApp which investigators cannot read.
  
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• Northern Ireland Secretary grants more time for power-sharing talks

  27-03-2017 19:26
  The Northern Ireland Secretary has said there is just a "short window of opportunity" that exists to "resolve outstanding issues and for an executive to be formed".James Brokenshire was speaking as the deadline to form a new Stormont administration passed at 4pm Monday, following last month's snap elections.Sinn Fein pulled out of negotiations on Sunday after announcing it would not nominate a new deputy first minister.
  
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• May's 'global Britain' gets boost as Qatar looks at £5bn investment

  27-03-2017 19:10
  
  Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, speaks at the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum in London.Theresa May’s ambitions to create a “global Britain” after Brexit have been boosted by Qatar’s announcement that it expects to invest £5bn in the UK over the next five years.On Monday, two days before the planned triggering of article 50, Qatari investors at a London conference suggested they were unperturbed by the prospect o
  
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• Collapse of Stormont powersharing arrangements: How budgets are being affected

  27-03-2017 19:04
  
  Cuts could threaten scores of jobs.
  
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• Like Trump, the Chinese leader is pushing a political system to its limits | Timothy Garton Ash

  27-03-2017 19:00 via theguardian.com
  
  With an erratic US president and an array of potential flashpoints, understanding China’s unprecedented domestic experiment is more crucial than everWhen the two most powerful men on earth, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, meet for the summit that’s expected to take place soon in the American emperor’s summer palace, they will have one thing in common: each is testing his country’s political system to its limits.With independent courts blocking Trump’s travel ban,
  
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• Brexit question draws U.S, Russian, Chinese interest at WTO

  27-03-2017 18:54
  
  By Tom MilesGENEVA (Reuters) - China, Russia and the United States said on Monday they were taking an interest in Brexit, a World Trade Organization source said, after a question about a tricky but vital reform required by Britain arose at the Geneva-based trade body.The question, posed at the WTO's agriculture committee by Indonesia, was about how Britain would handle its agricultural tariff system and preferential trade scheme for poorer countries after Britain leaves the European Union.The Un
  
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• Pharrell Williams' early life to be made into movie musical

  27-03-2017 18:52 via theguardian.com
  
  The star’s childhood will be the basis for Atlantis, a project that’s being characterized as a music version of Romeo and JulietPharrell Williams’ life is set to inspire a big-screen musical called Atlantis.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the project will be based on the singer’s younger years in Virginia Beach. Initial reports suggest it will be similar to Romeo and Juliet, but with songs. Continue reading...
  
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• Westminster terror attack: Memorial fund for PC Palmer tops £736,000

  27-03-2017 18:47
  The family of Westminster terror attack victim PC Keith Palmer say they are "overwhelmed" after a memorial fund in his name raised more than £736,000 in five days.A JustGiving page was aiming to raise £250,000 for the family of PC Palmer, who was stabbed to death outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday.The JustGiving page has now being closed, with the Metropolitan Police Federation, which set up the official site, saying it felt a "suitable amount" had been collected in the of
  
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• Sir Tim Barrow to hand-deliver article 50 letter to Donald Tusk

  27-03-2017 18:46
  
  Sir Tim Barrow (above) replaced Sir Ivan Rogers at UKRep after the latter resigned in frustration.Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s permanent representative in Brussels , is to personally hand over a letter from the British government to the European council president, Donald Tusk, to provide notification of Britain’s intention to leave the European Union.Once the letter is received by the European council, the clock will begin ticking on two years of talks regarding the terms of withdrawal a
  
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• Ukip demands to be heard as it shouts its wild Brexit demands | John Crace

  27-03-2017 18:45 via theguardian.com
  
  Paul Nuttall struggles to take spotlight from Nigel Farage as he spells out message that you can’t trust Johnny ForeignerSix is the magic number. Over breakfast, Keir Starmer had laid out Labour’s six Brexit red lines that Theresa May was guaranteed to ignore; just a few hours later, the Ukip high command was gathered at the Marriott hotel on the south side of Westminster Bridge to deliver their six Brexit demands that were also almost certain to be largely ignored. Related: Ukip: Br
  
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• Demonstrations matter – they create the kind of power politicians despise

  27-03-2017 18:40 via theguardian.com
  
  Crowds of protesters form lasting connections – and their later revolts always surprise elitesThe tide is turning and you can feel it on the streets of the world’s capital cities. On Sunday, hundreds of peaceful protesters were arrested in Moscow and St Petersburg, after thousands massed in unsanctioned demonstrations against corruption.There were similar scenes in Minsk, where punitive taxes on the unemployed have driven people to the streets. In February, half a million Romanians f
  
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• London attacker interested in jihad but no evidence of IS link - police

  27-03-2017 18:38
  British police said on Monday they had found no evidence that Khalid Masood, who killed four people in an attack on Britain's parliament last week, had any association with Islamic State or Al Qaeda, but he was clearly interested in jihad.Masood drove a car through a crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing three and injuring about 50, then ran through the gates of parliament and fatally stabbed a police officer, before he was shot dead by police.Neil Basu, senior national coordinator
  
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• Westminster attacker Khalid Masood had interest in jihad – police

  27-03-2017 18:34
  
  Khalid Masood, who killed four people in the Westminster attack, had a clear interest in jihad and his method echoed the rhetoric of Islamic State leaders, Scotland Yard has said.Metropolitan police deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said on Monday there was no evidence yet that Kent-born Masood, 52, had discussed his plans with others.
  
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• Britain gives Northern Ireland more time to reach power-sharing deal

  27-03-2017 18:28
  
  By Ian GrahamBELFAST (Reuters) - The British government on Monday gave Northern Ireland's largest political parties a few more weeks to clinch a deal on a power-sharing regional government, staving off the risk of a suspension of devolved power for the first time in a decade.Northern Ireland politics has been in crisis since Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein pulled out of government in January.A March 2 election ended the majority pro-British unionists had enjoyed in the province since Ireland w
  
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• Paul Nuttall: Ukip isn't going away despite losing only MP

  27-03-2017 18:26
  
  Ukip leader Paul Nuttall insists they will continue to exert influence despite no longer having an MP with Douglas Carswell leaving the party to become an independent. Video block text
  
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• Mother of Westminster terrorist says she is 'shocked' by his actions and does not condone the attack 

  27-03-2017 18:25
  
  Janet Ajao, 69, said she did not condone the attack or the beliefs which had led Masood to commit the "atrocity".Speaking for the first time since the attack, which left four dead and dozens injured, she said: "I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster."I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committi
  
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• Brexit-voting regions are most at risk from its economic effects, report finds

  27-03-2017 18:10
  
  British regions that voted for Brexit are among those most at risk from the economic consequences of leaving the EU, a new report has found.Cross-party think tank, Demos, came to the conclusion after studying regions reliance on exports to the EU, use of non-British European workers and receipt of support grants across the UK.EU funds make up almost one per cent of its total annual output in terms of goods and services – more than three times higher than anywhere else in the UK.
  
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• Soldier stabbed ex-partner before trying to kill himself, court hears

  27-03-2017 18:07
  
  The court heard the couple were arguing after Wake discovered Nava was being investigated for an alleged sex attack.Jay Nava argued with Natasha Wake as her children slept upstairs after she discovered he was being investigated by police for an alleged sexual assault on another woman, the court was told.Nava, 27, who was on leave from the army, allegedly stabbed 26-year-old Wake with a 20cm-long kitchen knife at her home in Bournemouth, Dorset.
  
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• EDF gets consent to start building Hinkley C plant

  27-03-2017 18:07
  Britain's nuclear regulator has granted consent for construction to start at EDF's Hinkley C nuclear power plant, it said on Monday.French utility EDF's 18 billion pound ($23 billion) project will be the first nuclear plant to be built in Britain in more than 20 years.Britain's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said the consent was a regulatory milestone and covered the placement of the concrete for the first safety-related structure at the plant, which is due to start producing power around 2
  
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• Khalid Masood: London attacker had no links to Isis or al-Qaeda, says Met Police

  27-03-2017 18:05
  
  Police investigating the Westminster attack say they have found no evidence that killer Khalid Masood had links to radical Islamist groups such as Isis or al-Qaeda.The bombshell revelations, which come on the fifth full day of the police investigation, appeared to contradict earlier reports that he was linked to Islamist terror groups, and that he had developed extremist views while in jail.
  
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• Chas & Dave star Hodges announces comeback after cancer diagnosis

  27-03-2017 17:57
  Chas Hodges, of music duo Chas & Dave, has announced a comeback after four months battling cancer.The pair's comeback gig will take place at the British Summertime Festival at London's Hyde Park in June.It will be their first on-stage appearance since Hodges was diagnosed with cancer last December.
  
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• More than 400 former jihadi fighters back in Britain, say security sources

  27-03-2017 17:52
  UK authorities are facing an increased terror threat from battle-hardened fighters returning from Mosul and other conflict zones in Iraq and Syria.Security sources have told Sky News more than 400 former fighters are now believed to be back in Britain.The authorities believe there is a growing risk the UK could suffer the kind of mass gun and bomb attacks seen in France and Belgium recently, as many returning fighters will have been trained in the use of weapons and the construction of improvise
  
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• May meets Sturgeon after blocking new independence bid

  27-03-2017 17:49
  
  By Russell CheyneEAST KILBRIDE, Scotland (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday held her first meeting with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon since blocking Scotland's bid for a second independence referendum.The pair met just a day before Scotland's devolved assembly resumes a debate on independence that is expected to give Sturgeon authority to demand a second referendum.Sturgeon, who left the talks with May without commenting, is pressing for a second referendum in the second half of 2
  
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• Northern Ireland secretary rules out snap election

  27-03-2017 17:48
  
  James Brokenshire said there would be a ‘short window of opportunity’ for fresh talks between the parties.Northern Ireland’s political parties have been given an extra few weeks to reach a deal aimed at power sharing, the secretary of state, James Brokenshire, has announced.
  
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• Vogue Williams 'still recovering' from Jump injury

  27-03-2017 17:45
  Vogue Williams has said she is still recovering from a knee injury she suffered while training for TV show The Jump.The Irish presenter and model was the first person forced to pull out of the winter sports competition after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament while training.Williams left the show one day before it aired, and was replaced by former Miss Britain Amy Willerton.
  
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• New high-tech £1 coin to replace old pound in bid to tackle forgeries

  27-03-2017 17:43
  The new 12-sided £1 coin will enter circulation on Tuesday, replacing the old round version after 30 years.For the next six months both coins will be accepted as legal tender, but people are being encouraged to return their old pound coins to the bank or spend them by 15 October at the latest.The new pound coin will gradually enter circulation over the next few months.
  
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• Taxpayers facing £100m bill over botched nuclear deal

  27-03-2017 17:37
  Taxpayers face a £100m bill after the Government agreed a pay-out to two US firms over the botched handling of a nuclear decommissioning contract.Energy Secretary Greg Clark also ordered an independent inquiry led by former National Grid boss Steve Holliday after a "flawed" tendering process for the £6bn deal.Shares in Britain's Babcock International, which has a 65% stake in the venture that won the contract, fell 4% as it said the termination would blow an £800m hole in its &
  
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• Soldier 'stabbed partner to death before telling young child blood on the wall was ketchup'

  27-03-2017 17:35
  
  A soldier stabbed his partner to death and then told her young children that blood on the wall was "ketchup", a court heard today.Jay Nava and on-off girlfriend Natasha Wake argued while her children were sleeping upstairs after she discovered he was investigated by police for an alleged sexual assault on another woman.A jury heard 27-year-old Nava, who was on leave from the army, then struck the 26-year-old mother-of-two before stabbing her repeatedly with an eight-inch kitchen knife.
  
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• Church accuses Mexicans who work on Trump wall of 'treason'

  27-03-2017 17:35
  
  The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico has condemned as "traitors" any local companies or people who help build President Donald Trump's proposed border wall.An editorial in Desde la fe, the Archdiocese's weekly publication, was titled "Treason against the Homeland" and lambasted Mr Trump as a "fanatic".It said large numbers of Mexican companies were interested in supplying cement, paint, lighting and other raw materials for the wall.
  
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• Mother-of-nine and nephew shot dead in East Finchley were 'innocent victims of vendetta', court hears

  27-03-2017 17:34
  
  A mother-of-nine and her nephew became innocent victims of a "vendetta of violence" when they were shot dead in their north west London home, a court has heard.Annie Ekofo, 53, and psychology student Bervil Ekofo, 21, were allegedly killed by Obina Ezeoke at their flat in East Finchley, on September 15 last year.Silent "assassin" Ezeoke is accused of shooting Mr Ekofo in the head at point-blank range as he slept, then killed his aunt when she came out to investigate, the Old Bailey heard.
  
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• Ukip's yellow and purple colours and pound sign logo could be dropped as it reinvents itself in 'post-Brexit age'

  27-03-2017 17:16
  
  The UK Independence’s famous purple and yellow colours and its pound sign could be ditched as part of a major rebrand as the party prepares for a post-Brexit future.Only the name – Ukip - is safe because it is worth "millions of pounds", Paul Nuttall said.The party's leader said that he would unveil a new image of a “post-Brexit Ukip” at the party's annual conference in Torquay in September.
  
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