General news

• Do Labour's sums on education spending add up?

  10-05-2017 23:55
  
  Labour plans to increase spending on schools by using money from proposed Corporation Tax hikes.
  
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• A man who drove a 32-tonne tipper truck the wrong way down a dual carriageway has been jailed

  10-05-2017 23:51
  
  The judge found that the driver was heading towards his ex’s home in an attempt to intimidate her.
  
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• May pledges annual defence spending rises until 2023

  10-05-2017 23:32
  
  British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to increase the country's defence budget by at least 0.5 percent in real terms every year until 2023 if she wins a June 8 election, adding an extra two years to her party's existing spending pledge.May, whose Conservative Party is expected to win the election next month, said the promise was about keeping the country safe and fulfilling Britain's "obligations to the world".Alongside the United States, Britain is one of only five countries in the NATO m
  
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• Ukip leader criticised for disclosing confidential Hillsborough meeting

  10-05-2017 23:00
  
  Paul Nuttall has said it was a ‘complete accident’ that his website carried false claims that he had lost close friends in the Hillsborough disaster.Paul Nuttall has been criticised for disclosing a “strictly confidential” meeting he held with the main Hillsborough family support group in the wake of false claims that he lost friends in the disaster.The Ukip leader revealed the existence of the meeting in an interview with ITV News to be broadcast on Thursday.
  
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• Labour party manifesto pledges to end tuition fees and nationalise railways

  10-05-2017 22:12
  
  The Guardian understands Labour is likely to set out a policy of a phased abolition of tuition fees as part of its election spending promises.Jeremy Corbyn will lay out plans to take parts of Britain’s energy industry back into public ownership alongside the railways and Royal Mail in a radical manifesto that will also promise an annual injection of £6bn for the NHS and £1.6bn for social care.A draft document drawn up by the leadership will also pledge a phased abolition of tui
  
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• Woman shot in police raid, her mother and another woman face terror charge

  10-05-2017 21:53
  A woman who was shot during a police raid in north London is among three who have been charged with preparing a terrorist act and conspiracy to murder.Khawla Barghouthi, 20, of northwest London and Mina Dich, 43, of southwest London, were arrested last month and charged on Wednesday, Scotland Yard said.Boular was shot by armed police during a raid at a property in Harlesden Road, north London, on 27 April and was arrested after she was discharged from hospital three days later.
  
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• Three London women charged with terrorism offences - police

  10-05-2017 21:45
  (Reuters) - Three women from London, including a mother and daughter, were charged on Wednesday with preparation of a terrorist act and conspiracy to murder, police said. Khawla Barghouthi, 20, of northwest London, Rizlaine Boular, 21, of central London, and her mother Mina Dich, 43, of southwest London, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said. The three were arrested last month. Britain has been on its second-highest alert level of "severe"
  
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• Atlético Madrid v Real Madrid: Champions League semi-final – live!

  10-05-2017 21:43 via theguardian.com
  
  Champions League semi-final, second-leg updates (first leg: 0-3)Dani Alves fires Juventus past Monaco into Champions League finalAnd feel free to send an email [email protected]’s way 8.36pm BSTWow. Where did that time go? Pity poor Atletico, who had hauled themselves back into contention with a start of the most glorious intensity. But Real aren’t the European champions for nowt, and they worked their way back into the game, plundering a vital away goal that has in all pr
  
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• The Guardian view on Trump’s behaviour: tyrannical not presidential | Editorial

  10-05-2017 21:35 via theguardian.com
  
  The man in the White House is governing like he is the president of a banana republic, not the leader of the oldest constitutional government in modern timesThe decision of Donald Trump to fire the person overseeing an investigation into him is a turning point in the tragedy of the United States’ 45th presidency. At least when Richard Nixon did so, it was a blatant – and doomed – attempt to save his presidency. Mr Trump says he sacked his FBI director, James Comey, because he w
  
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• James Comey fired 'days after requesting Russia inquiry resources' – live

  10-05-2017 21:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Keep up to date with all the news as Trump dumps Comey as FBI directorHuge skepticism greets president’s decision, taken on Tuesday evening‘Terrifying, Nixonian’: Comey’s firing takes democracy to new territoryTrump dumps Comey: catch up with the shock announcement as it happened 8.32pm BSTTrump says Democrats are feigning discomfort with the firing of Comey to score political points. That view omits the possibility, among others, that people have honestly come-by concern
  
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• Family 'devastated' by death of girl who fell from Drayton Manor ride

  10-05-2017 21:11 via theguardian.com
  
  Relatives of Evha Jannath, 11, from Leicester, say their ‘world was torn apart’ when she died after theme park incidentThe family of an 11-year-old girl who died after falling into water from a ride at a theme park have said their “world was torn apart” by her death, as relatives called for the attraction to stay closed while investigations continue.Evha Jannath, from Leicester, was at Drayton Manor theme park in Staffordshire as part of a school trip with the Jameah girl
  
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• Family 'devastated' by death of girl who fell from Drayton Manor ride

  10-05-2017 21:11
  
  Evha Jannath, from Leicester, was on school trip to the theme park in Staffordshire.The family of an 11-year-old girl who died after falling into water from a ride at a theme park have said their “world was torn apart” by her death, as relatives called for the attraction to stay closed while investigations continue.Evha Jannath, from Leicester, was at Drayton Manor theme park in Staffordshire as part of a school trip with the Jameah girls academy, an Islamic day school, Staffordshire
  
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• Noel Edmonds seeks £50m compensation over Lloyds fraud

  10-05-2017 21:02
  TV host Noel Edmonds has launched a claim for £50m compensation from Lloyds Banking Group for "immense economic loss" in a fraud carried out by HBOS staff.Mr Edmonds claims his former business Unique Group - a production company with interests in radio broadcasting - was among those affected by the actions of Mark Dobson, one of the HBOS staff, who was jailed for four-and-a-half years.Lloyds has set aside a £100m compensation pot for the fraud victims and previously said it would beg
  
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• 'Jealous' ex-girlfriend found guilty after fatal Cardiff car chase

  10-05-2017 21:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Melissa Pesticcio, 23, to be sentenced after death of Sophie Taylor, 22, last year in vehicle pursuit also involving their ex-boyfriend, Michael Wheeler A woman is facing jail after being found guilty of killing a 22-year-old woman in a car chase.Melissa Pesticcio, 23, “literally drove” Sophie Taylor to her death when her car hit a block of flats in Adamsdown, Cardiff. Continue reading...
  
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• Staley might be right: UK immigration policy could be key to City's future | Nils Pratley

  10-05-2017 20:45 via theguardian.com
  
  The ability to hire skilled staff from abroad must be protected, Barclays boss suggests, and the next government should take noteThose intrepid American adventurers heading to London to explore the drama and meaning of Brexit, courtesy of the New York Times at $6,000 a pop, should strike the Barclays AGM off their list of attractions. The chief executive, Jes Staley, between apologies for his “mistake” in trying to unmask a whistleblower, made leaving the EU sound like a stroll in th
  
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• Madrid Open: Nadal and Djokovic survive scares to reach third round

  10-05-2017 20:42 via theguardian.com
  
  • Spaniard beats Fabio Fognini in three sets to set up Kyrgios showdown
  • Djokovic comes back from 3-0 down in final set to beat Nicolás AlmagroDefending champion Novak Djokovic and home favourite Rafa Nadal were made to work hard to reach the third round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.Djokovic overcame Spaniard Nicolás Almagro 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 while Nadal endured a three-hour epic with Italy’s Fabio Fognini before progressing 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-4. Continue reading...
  
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• US decision to arm Kurds in Syria poses threat to Turkey, says Ankara

  10-05-2017 20:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Erdoğan joins his prime minister and other government figures in condemning US decision before meeting with TrumpThe Turkish government has criticised a US decision to directly arm Kurdish militants in Syria as a “threat to Turkey” – the first diplomatic scuffle between the two Nato powers since President Donald Trump took office.The condemnations from Ankara by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it prime minister and top diplomat came before a face-to-fa
  
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• Barclays chief apologises to shareholders over whistleblowing incident

  10-05-2017 20:26 via theguardian.com
  
  Jes Staley admits mistake at AGM, where 17% of investors failed to back his re-election to boardJes Staley, the chief executive of Barclays under fire for his attempts to unmask a whistleblower, has admitted to hundreds of shareholders that he made a mistake and has issued a personal apology for his behaviour.The American banker told 460 investors at Barclays’ AGM that he had made an error in trying to reveal the identity of the individual making allegations about the previous conduct of a
  
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• 'Disappeared' victim Seamus Ruddy found buried in French forest

  10-05-2017 20:23
  The body of one of the "Disappeared" victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles has been found buried in a French forest.Teacher Seamus Ruddy was abducted from Paris in 1985 then murdered and buried by republican paramilitary group INLA.The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) announced on Saturday that it had discovered a body at Pont-de-l'Arche, near Rouen, in northern France.
  
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• Three women charged with terrorism offences after north London raid

  10-05-2017 20:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Rizlaine Boular, 21, her mother, Mina Dich, 43, and Khawla Barghouthi, 20, charged with preparation of terrorist act and conspiracy to murderThree women, including one who was shot during a police raid and her mother, have been charged with preparing an terrorist attack and conspiracy to murder, police have said.Rizlaine Boular, 21, and her 43-year-old mother, Mina Dich, as well as 20-year-old Khawla Barghouthi are to appear at Westminster magistrates court, central London, on Thursday morning.
  
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• Montaly kicks out at Anna Lisa Balding but wins Chester Cup by a neck

  10-05-2017 20:11 via theguardian.com
  
  • Montaly kicked out at his trainer’s wife before race and broke her phone
  • Frankie Dettori rides Enable to win at Cheshire OaksMontaly tried to kick his trainer’s wife before the Chester Cup here on Wednesday, and though he missed his target the phone in Anna Lisa Balding’s handbag was not so lucky. Montaly redeemed himself a few minutes later, however, as a strong run got him home by a neck in the feature race and took the £74,000 first prize in this unique t
  
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• The high social cost of downsizing the state | Letters

  10-05-2017 20:08
  
  Andy Burnham (right) with Jeremy Corbyn at Labour’s election campaign launch in Manchester. ‘Andy Burnham’s intention to prioritise homelessness is to be welcomed, but to donate some of his salary to a new fund can send out the wrong message,’ write Dr David Etherington and Professor Martin Jones.In your report on the mayoral elections in Greater Manchester (Manchester mayor puts focus on homelessness, 9 May) you highlight the financial challenges facing the region, inclu
  
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• Morgan and Soubry show May none are so devout as the forcibly converted | John Crace

  10-05-2017 20:07
  
  The Supreme Leader cast her eyes around the congregation gathered in the Millennium suite of the Richard Herrod Centre on the outskirts of Nottingham.Every May Team candidate from the Midlands – even the apostates Nicky Morgan and Anna Soubry – were gazing back at her in awe.Once she was sure she had absolute silence, the Supreme Leader began to impart her message.
  
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• The Guardian view on raising the minimum wage: slowly does it | Editorial

  10-05-2017 20:04 via theguardian.com
  
  Higher pay rates would mean increased productivity and a lower benefits bill, but it can’t be done all at onceBritain’s low-paid army will get a rise whoever wins the election. Theresa May is committed to increase the minimum wage to £9 an hour by 2020. Jeremy Corbyn has trumped that by saying all workers, not just those over 25, should be on £10 an hour by the time the decade is out.There was not always such cross-party consensus. The Conservatives fought hard against th
  
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• Noel Edmonds demands £73m compensation over HBOS fraud

  10-05-2017 20:02 via theguardian.com
  
  TV presenter claims in letter to Lloyds that he lost tens of millions of pounds, suffering ‘deep distress and public humiliation’
  Noel Edmonds has demanded £73m in compensation from Lloyds Banking Group for what he claims was the destruction of his business empire together with public humiliation and damage to his reputation caused by the fraudulent activities of the bank’s HBOS Reading arm.In a letter to the Lloyds chief executive, António Horta-Osório, law
  
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• Tipper truck rampage ends with arrest

  10-05-2017 20:00
  
  A man who quit his job before nearly running over his boss and swerving at a police car has been jailed for six months.
  
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• Churchill’s unmerited Nobel for literature | Letters

  10-05-2017 19:57
  
  Winston Churchill’s 1953 Nobel literature citation read “for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory defending exalted human values” (Novelist politicians, 9 May).As historian David Reynolds has detailed, the six volumes of Churchill’s history of the second world war were built upon selective memory forged out of ego, not least the “great man’s” fleeting memory of the 1943 Bengal famine, in which more
  
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• Are painkillers such a bitter pill to swallow?

  10-05-2017 19:57 via theguardian.com
  
  According to new research, painkillers can increase your risk of a heart attack by 50%. But what does that actually mean?Painkillers are turning out to be a real pain: according to a new study in the BMJ, taking them for just a week can increase your risk of a heart attack by 50%. The research suggested that the risk associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was greatest with higher doses and during the first month of use, with a potential increase in risk of 75%
  
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• Wayne Rooney hints he may have to leave Manchester United in summer

  10-05-2017 19:55 via theguardian.com
  
  • Former England captain admits future may lie elsewhere• ‘I’ve been at this club 13 years, but I want to play football’Wayne Rooney has given the clearest indication yet that his 13-year Manchester United career will end this summer, with the striker admitting he has to leave to play more.Rooney has lost his status as a first-choice this season and has also struggled to make the match-day squads selected by manager, José Mourinho. Continue reading...
  
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• Richard III would be a nobody without Shakespeare | Letters

  10-05-2017 19:54
  
  Yes, we all know that Shakespeare’s Richard III was a “fiction that more than anything else has blackened this man’s reputation” (Letters, 9 May), but such was Shakespeare’s genius that the pantomime villain he created has surely attracted more interest in this much-maligned monarch than any more obvious panegyric could possibly achieve?As a southerner of Lancastrian antecedents I might never have discovered Richard at all, were it not for my English teacher’s
  
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• Driver Patrick Denman stole works tipper truck to 'intimidate ex-wife'

  10-05-2017 19:52
  A tipper truck driver stole his work vehicle and drove it the wrong way down a dual carriageway before swerving towards a stationary police car.Patrick Denman, 36, has been jailed for six months after taking the vehicle, allegedly to "intimidate" his ex-wife.Dramatic helicopter footage shows him crossing the central reservation, performing a U-turn and then heading back on the wrong side of the dual carriageway towards two stationary patrol cars.
  
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• Dramatic minimum wage rises will put low-paid jobs at risk, says IFS

  10-05-2017 19:47 via theguardian.com
  
  Thinktank says planned pace of increase for rest of decade could price workers out of a job, with young people worst affected• General election 2017 – latest updatesDramatic increases in the minimum wage planned by Labour and the Conservatives after the general election will put the jobs of low income workers in danger, a leading tax and spending thinktank has warned.The Institute for Fiscal Studies said accelerating the pace of rises in the minimum wage and the “national living
  
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• Sleep-bragging is the preserve of the ultra–powerful – no wonder Apple is cashing in | Suzanne Moore

  10-05-2017 19:46 via theguardian.com
  
  The tech company has just bought sleep tracker Beddit – but sleeping should not be seen as a sportCome sleep with me and my machine. We will do it all night long. Every breath, every movement will be tracked. Every position noted. In the morning, we can compare notes on our performance and vow to do better. Who slept best? Who achieved the right number of cycles? Who woke at precisely the right moment? Who is the most rested? Who really is superior in bed? It’s not me, for sure.Women
  
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• Labour party’s future lies with Momentum, says Noam Chomsky

  10-05-2017 19:44 via theguardian.com
  
  The US radical thinker blames the media for Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity and says he would vote for himProfessor Noam Chomsky has claimed that any serious future for the Labour party must come from the leftwing pressure group Momentum and the army of new members attracted by the party’s leadership.In an interview with the Guardian, the radical intellectual threw his weight behind Jeremy Corbyn, claiming that Labour would be doing far better in opinion polls if it were not for the &ld
  
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• Boys' jobs and girls' jobs – so who returns the Asos package?

  10-05-2017 19:38 via theguardian.com
  
  On The One Show, the PM suggested that there are traditional gender-defined tasks in a relationship. But some of modern life’s chores are a bit more complicatedTimes were when Tory leaders had to run around reversing gender stereotypes. Witness David Cameron’s WebCameron project, where he was filmed “candidly” washing the dishes at his modest west London mansion.Well, Theresa May isn’t interested in signalling to the electorate that she is Tory Nouveau, Lite or Glut
  
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• Newcastle’s Rafael Benítez promised ‘every last penny’ after talks

  10-05-2017 19:27 via theguardian.com
  
  • Owner Mike Ashley says he will give full backing to manager• ‘I’m pleased with the positive approach we are all taking’Newcastle manager Rafael Benítez is set to be handed significant funds to rebuild for life in the Premier League after productive talks with owner Mike Ashley.The two men, along with managing director Lee Charnley, met at a secret location on Tuesday to discuss the way forward in the wake of the club’s promotion back to the top flight,
  
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• Tension grips Brazil as ex-president Lula appears in court on corruption charges

  10-05-2017 19:24 via theguardian.com
  
  Brazil’s most popular president accused of benefiting from Petrobras scandalPresident’s supporters descend on Curitiba, where hearing is taking placeTwo of Brazil’s most powerful men are facing each other in a Curitiba courtroom in a legal encounter that has divided the country and left Brazilians tense over what could happen next. Related: Brazil's archaeologists join fight to preserve country's ancient landsContinue reading...
  
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• Ukraine spy agency 'may have seen planting of bomb that killed journalist'

  10-05-2017 19:14 via theguardian.com
  
  New film suggests an intelligence services agent was present when device was hidden under Pavel Sheremet’s car last JulyA new documentary film alleges that Ukraine’s spy agency may have witnessed the planting of a car bomb that killed a prominent journalist last July in Kiev.Pavel Sheremet had just left his home in the Ukrainian capital and was driving to work when his car exploded. He was killed instantly. The murder was the most high-profile assassination of a reporter in the count
  
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• Steven Van Zandt: 'We literally brought down the South African government'

  10-05-2017 19:10 via theguardian.com
  
  The E Street Band member and Sopranos actor has his first solo album since 1999 – here he talks about Springsteen, Trump and taking on ApartheidHey, Steven. You’re back with your first solo record in 18 years. What made you decide to come back?It just felt like the right time to do that. It was circumstantial – it’s always circumstantial. You can plan your life meticulously and it never goes that way. I put together a band and we learned 20 songs and did a show [in London
  
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• US markets weaken after FBI director's firing; ECB's Draghi defends stimulus –as it happened

  10-05-2017 19:07 via theguardian.com
  
  All the day’s economic and financial news, as Donald Trump’s sacking of James Comey undermines the US dollarOil price jumps as US crude stocks fallHopes rise for IMF participation in Greek dealDraghi defends ECBDollar has fallen against pound and euro after Comey axed
  Watergate memories worry investorsWhy Comey sacking will alarm the City
  As it happened: calls for special prosecutor after Trump sacks Comey 6.07pm BSTThe talking point in the dealing rooms was Donald Trump’s sudd
  
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• Lava waves the size of Wales spotted on Jupiter moon Io

  10-05-2017 19:06 via theguardian.com
  
  Geological forces unleash waves on fourth largest Jovian moon, where hugely powerful active volcano has produced 8,301 square mile dent in the surfaceAstronomers have tracked two huge lava waves rolling around a volcanic crater the size of Wales on one of Jupiter’s many moons.Geological forces unleashed the waves on Io, the fourth largest Jovian moon, where the most powerful active volcano in the solar system has produced a 8,301 square mile dent in the surface.Continue reading...
  
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• Beauty sleep: why there’s no escaping makeup

  10-05-2017 19:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Bare Minerals is selling makeup to wear in bed – meaning women may never have to show their real, unadorned faces again It’s a real thing, apparently, and it was yesterday. It was inevitable, I suppose, that if you were a person who needed to be told that the US had a National Sleepover Day, you wouldn’t find out until it was over.In New York, they marked the event by building a giant bed in Times Square. As a spontaneous gathering in a civic space, it was a little bit like Spa
  
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• Paul Pogba transfer shows Mino Raiola’s power in stark contrast to Fifa inaction

  10-05-2017 18:57 via theguardian.com
  
  Mino Raiola has emerged much richer from the Pogba transfer to Manchester United despite apparent conflict of interest between United and JuventusThe allegations about how the Monaco-based agent Mino Raiola has earned £41m from all three parties involved in Paul Pogba’s move from Juventus to Manchester United broke over Fifa just as its ousted ethics committee chairmen were accusing it before the annual congress here of cutting their work off at the knees.It was, in a way, handy for
  
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• The Alexa effect: what we can expect from her new collection

  10-05-2017 18:55 via theguardian.com
  
  The new issue of Vogue has landed on the fashion desk – and with it, a first look at Alexa Chung’s new label. Here’s our snap verdictFashion has a million so-called influencers, but only one Alexa Chung. She put a generation of millennials in Peter Pan collars, brought the Barbour jacket back from the dead to backstage at Glastonbury, and is the reason why you have so many pairs of ankle boots. So her Alexachung collection, which goes on sale 31 May, is going to hit your wardro
  
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• Late-night hosts on Trump firing Comey: 'The kind of thing dictators do'

  10-05-2017 18:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Comics, including Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah, discussed the president’s shock decision to fire the FBI directorLate-night hosts discussed the president’s decision to fire the head of the FBI, comparing Donald Trump to a dictator. Related: Late-night hosts on anti-Trump tone: 'Gee, I wonder why we're so angry'Continue reading...
  
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• Luka Pibernik celebrates Giro d'Italia 'stage win' 6km early – video

  10-05-2017 18:51 via theguardian.com
  
  Luka Pibernik celebrates what he thinks is a stage five win at the Giro d’Italia on Wednesday, forgetting there is a final 6.2km lap of the race remaining. The Bahrain Merida rider crosses the finish line as the last lap bell sounds, raising his arms in celebration. Seconds later he turns back, sees the approaching peloton still racing and realises his mistake. Fernando Gaviria went on to win the stage Continue reading...
  
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• You can now search every dog name in New York City and people's political choices may surprise you

  10-05-2017 18:44
  
  There are 46 canine Bernies in New York – who knew?
  
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• David Beckham - he can play football, but can he act? King Arthur trailer leaves fans 'cringing'

  10-05-2017 18:42
  
  David Beckham may have wowed the world with his sporting talents, but his latest on-screen performance has left fans "cringing".The ex-footballer, 42, has a small part in Guy Ricthie's upcoming film, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.In the film, Beckham plays a disgruntled Cockney knight called Trigger who offers a few offhand words of advice to Arthur as he attempts to pull the legendary sword from the stone.
  
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• 5 reasons why Donald Trump's sacking of FBI Director Comey is such a big deal

  10-05-2017 18:41
  
  The FBI was investigating Trump’s ties to Russia when Comey was sacked.
  
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• EBRD sees oil price rebound boosting economic growth

  10-05-2017 18:38
  
  The rebound in world oil prices since the first quarter of 2016 has been positive for Russia as well as countries that rely on it for remittances and export demand, the European Bank for Reconstruction ...
  
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