General news

• A-level pupils feel the stress of sitting new, untested exams

  11-08-2017 23:54 via theguardian.com
  As results day looms, students complain that changes were rushed in, with errors in papers and inadequate revision materials availableStudents awaiting their A-level results next week have described the stress of sitting new, untested qualifications this summer for which many felt ill prepared, with no past papers, no mark schemes and no clarity about grade boundaries.Many complained that the changes, introduced by the Tories, had been “rushed in”, with teachers and students struggli
  
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• British watersports instructor, 19, dies while snorkelling in Greece

  11-08-2017 23:53
  A 19-year-old British watersports instructor died while swimming underwater and snorkelling in Greece, the club he worked at has said.Harry Byatt was found unconscious on the seabed at a depth of about 30m on 6 August.The alarm was raised five minutes after he went under the water using a mask and monofin, said a spokesman for the Peligoni Club on the island of Zakynthos.
  
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• Japanese invader

  11-08-2017 22:59 via bbc.co.uk
  A smartphone app can tell you whether Japanese knotweed is anywhere near where you live.
  
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• Kidnapped model Chloe Ayling set for Big Brother? Babe's TV dream revealed - Daily Star

  11-08-2017 22:32 via dailystar.co.uk
  Daily Star
  Kidnapped model Chloe Ayling set for Big Brother? Babe's TV dream revealed
  Daily Star
  CHLOE Ayling could be chumming up to Emma Willis on the next series of Big Brother. 0. By Nadia Mendoza and Jack Pusey Exclusive / Published 12th August 2017. Play Video. Play. Mute. Current Time 0:00. /. Duration Time 0:00. Loaded: 0%. 0:00.
  Model wanted her wealthy pals to pay ransom to 'kidnapper'New York Post
  Chief suspect in 'kidnap' of model claims he was not involved in any crimeBT Sport (pre
  
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• British watersports instructor, 19, dies while swimming in Greece

  11-08-2017 22:17
  A 19-year-old British watersports instructor died while swimming underwater in Greece, the club he worked at has said.Harry Byatt was found unconscious on the seabed at a depth of about 30m on 6 August.The alarm was raised five minutes after he went under the water using a mask and monofin, said a spokesman for the Peligoni Club on the island of Zakynthos.
  
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• Donald Trump's Vision Of A Post-Brexit Trade Deal Could Be Very Bad For Britain

  11-08-2017 21:18
  “Brexit has caused a lot of uncertainty, a lot of confusion,” Emanuel Adam, director of trade and policy at British American Business, says.
  
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• Ukip allows anti-Muslim activist to stand in leadership contest

  11-08-2017 21:10
  Anne Marie Waters has close links to the far right and has described Islam as ‘evil’.Ukip’s ruling body has permitted an anti-Muslim activist with close links to the far right to stand for its leadership, opening a potentially major division within the party over its future direction.The party’s national executive has approved the candidacy of Anne Marie Waters among the 11 people who will be put to a vote of members next month.
  
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• Hydrogen Cars: Water Is The Only Emission Of The Fuel That Could Solve Britain's Lethal Air Pollution

  11-08-2017 21:02
  Lukewarm, not hot, and with a slight metallic zing - the only signs the liquid had, seconds earlier, spurted from an outlet underneath a car.
  
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• Boardmasters surf festival – in pictures

  11-08-2017 19:52 via theguardian.com
  The Boardmasters surfing competition held in Newquay, Cornwall, is now part of a larger five-day surf, skate and music festivalContinue reading...
  
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• Three men jailed for turning nuclear bunker into £2m-a-year cannabis factory

  11-08-2017 19:32
  Three men have been jailed for turning a nuclear bunker into the "largest cannabis factory to be found in the south of England", capable of producing £2 million worth of the drug each year.Martin Fillery, 46, Plamen Nguyen, 27, and Ross Winter, 31, admitted conspiracy to produce class B drugs and abstracting electricity at the RGHQ (Regional General Headquarters) Chilmark, Wiltshire.Fillery was jailed for eight years, while Winter and Nguyen were each sentenced to five years in prison.
  
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• UK family found guilty of enslaving homeless and disabled people

  11-08-2017 19:29 via theguardian.com
  Lincolnshire gang forced at least 18 victims to work for little or no pay and live in squalor for up to 26 years
  Eleven members of a Lincolnshire family have been convicted of a series of modern slavery offences after forcing at least 18 victims – including homeless people and some with learning disabilities – to work for little or no pay and live in squalid conditions for up to 26 years.The members of the Rooney family, who were based on Traveller sites in Lincoln, targeted vulnerab
  
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• Gas supplies cut off at Peckham tower blocks at risk of collapse

  11-08-2017 19:26
  Engineers work to disconnect the gas supply on the Ledbury Estate on Friday.Engineers have moved in to start making safe a group of local authority-run tower blocks that may have been at risk of collapse for decades.Residents, who were given short notice of the action, had to collect electric hotplates from a community centre to cook on.
  
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• Dozens killed as two trains collide in Egypt

  11-08-2017 19:18 via theguardian.com
  Death toll likely to rise as train from Cairo crashes into the back of another coming from Port Said At least 43 people were killed and more than 100 injured when two trains collided in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria on Friday in the country’s deadliest rail accident in more than a decade.
  The crash occurred at a small station in the district of Khorshid, just east of Alexandria, when one train travelling from the capital, Cairo, hit the back of another, stationary train, travelli
  
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• Corbyn continues on campaign trail towards another chance

  11-08-2017 19:13 via theguardian.com
  Labour leader takes post-holiday road show to Bristol and Swindon, drawing crowds as he challenges Theresa May to call electionFor the first time in three summers he is not fighting for the party leadership, and he has just been through a gruelling general election. But Jeremy Corbyn was campaigning again on Friday, and is planning to continue doing so for the rest of the summer to capitalise on Theresa May’s political travails.The Labour leader spent the second day of his post-holiday pol
  
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• Airbnb listing for Trump's childhood home boasts it's where the president was 'likely conceived'

  11-08-2017 19:04 via theguardian.com
  The yellow, mock-Tudor townhouse in the New York borough of Queens where the president spent his early years can now be yours from $725 a nightThe childhood homes of US presidents are normally hallowed places, sacred to the nation, preserved and turned into museums or libraries for posterity.But there is perhaps something fitting that in the case of property developer-turned-president Donald Trump, the house where he spent the first four years of his life has been filled with bunk beds and rente
  
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• Lincolnshire gang operating modern slavery ring forced victim to dig his own grave

  11-08-2017 18:48
  Members of a traveller family have been convicted of running a modern slavery ring, with one of their captives held in "truly shocking" conditions for decades.Operating from sites in Lincolnshire, they targeted victims who were homeless, had learning disabilities or complex drug and alcohol issues.Eighteen victims, men aged 18 to 64, were freed following raids by Lincolnshire Police and the National Crime Agency in 2014.
  
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• From rural Taiwan to the frozen north via a great white whale: dance at the fringe spreads its wings

  11-08-2017 18:44 via theguardian.com
  The most exciting dance is on the fringe this year, dealing with epic themes and a common inspiration of being lost or set adrift in strange placesDance has had an uneven history at the Edinburgh fringe. For decades it seemed to be marooned within the official festival – considered either too posh or too delicate to survive elsewhere. But this year the situation has been entirely reversed, and while the official programme looks predictable and lacklustre, the fringe is presenting one of it
  
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• 'Upskirt' photos of women should be sexual offence, Labour says

  11-08-2017 18:38
  Taking photographs under women's dresses without their consent should be a specific sexual offence, Labour has said.The proposal from shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon follows the case of a woman who had such photographs taken at a festival in Hyde Park last month.Gina Martin, 25, started a petition to add 'upskirting' to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 - attracting 58,000 signatories.
  
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• 3,900 jobs at risk in shake-up at retailer Wilko

  11-08-2017 18:38
  Nearly 4,000 jobs are at risk at discount chain Wilko as it faces a "challenging retail landscape".The store said it was talking to 3,900 store supervisors about a new store management structure.Wilko, which has 400 stores and employs 20,000 people, said it was "introducing a new simplified retail team structure… to ensure it can operate successfully and competitively".
  
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• Egg contamination scandal widens as 15 EU states, Switzerland and Hong Kong affected

  11-08-2017 18:23 via theguardian.com
  Brussels spokeswoman says situation is evolving as two men remain arrested following raids in Belgium and the NetherlandsEurope’s latest food scandal has widened after the European commission announced that a total of 15 EU states, plus Switzerland and Hong Kong, are now known to have received egg products contaminated by an insecticide harmful to human health.A spokeswoman in Brussels said the situation was “evolving by the day”, as criminal investigators continued to hold two
  
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• While the president's away, the White House gets a facelift – in pictures

  11-08-2017 18:20 via theguardian.com
  Donald Trump is on vacation in Bedminster, New Jersey, so the builders are in to make some much-needed repairs to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Continue reading...
  
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• Sky faces paying extra £1.8bn for Premier League broadcast rights

  11-08-2017 18:10
  Sky might have to pay a premium of up to 45% on the £4.18bn it paid to secure UK rights.Sky could be forced to pay an extra £600m annually to retain the lion’s share of Premier League matches when the next rights auction launches this year, with Amazon emerging as a potential competitor for the biggest prize in UK sport broadcasting.Google, Apple, Facebook and Netflix are other possible rivals for Britain’s most valuable sports rights, which are split between Sky and BT u
  
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• Italian firefighter filmed starting blaze amid wildfires across country

  11-08-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  28-year-old man arrested in Pavia, Lombardy, on suspicion of setting fire to hedges and rubbish binsA volunteer firefighter has been filmed starting a blaze in northern Italy at a time when the country is struggling to cope with a spate of wildfires.
  A 28-year-old man was arrested in Pavia, Lombardy, on suspicion of setting fire to hedges and rubbish bins before returning to his force’s base, alerting colleagues and rushing with them to put out the blaze. Police said he was suspected of ha
  
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• Gang jailed for running big cannabis farm in nuclear bunker

  11-08-2017 18:00
  Three Britons were jailed on Friday for running a huge cannabis farm inside a former Cold War nuclear bunker in an isolated area of southwest England.The gang used the bunker, built in the 1980s to house local government officials in the event of a nuclear attack, to cultivate more than 4,000 cannabis plants capable of producing 2 million pounds worth of drugs a year.The bunker, located in Chilmark near Salisbury, was no longer owned by the Ministry of Defence but was still intact with its nucle
  
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• Applying to university: how clearing became mainstream

  11-08-2017 18:00
  One in eight people accepted to full-time university courses got there through clearing.The past few years have seen many factors that might impact on clearing – Brexit, new A-level formats, the removal of the cap on student numbers and a demographic that means fewer 18-year-olds.“A few years ago, clearing was embarrassing,” says Sarah Gordon, head of outreach and engagement at London South Bank University.
  
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• Sadiq Khan criticised for backtracking on pledge for London public energy company

  11-08-2017 17:54 via theguardian.com
  Mayor is letting down Londoners by leaving out a manifesto pledge to create a not-for-profit energy company from his new environment strategy, say green groupsCampaigners have condemned the mayor of London’s new environment strategy for falling short by failing to announce the establishment of a publicly owned energy company for Londoners, one of his manifesto promises.Sadiq Khan published his environment policy on Friday, which aims to turn the capital into a zero waste and zero emissions
  
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• Lincolnshire Family Convicted Of Running Modern Slavery Ring That Targeted Vulnerable Victims

  11-08-2017 17:53
  Eleven members of a traveller family have been convicted of running a modern slavery ring that targeted people who were homeless, had learning disabilities or complex drug and alcohol issues.
  
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• Can you spot the problem with this children’s number book?

  11-08-2017 17:51
  The page about the number five came with a bonus illustration.
  
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• A London mayor, a jeweller to the stars and a cybersecurity expert – meet the London Met alumni

  11-08-2017 17:50 via theguardian.com
  To check the pedigree of a university, you need only look at how previous students have fared in the workplaceIf you are looking for a place to study that will lead you into an influential career then you need look no further than London Metropolitan University. Sadiq Khan, the current mayor of London, is one of the many alumni who have gone on to be leaders in their field, proof that the university equips graduates to meet the needs of our time.Khan grew up on a council estate in south London a
  
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• 'Unbearable' Birmingham bin strike could continue until Christmas

  11-08-2017 17:44
  The threat of a bin strike continuing until Christmas would be "unbearable", Birmingham residents have told Sky News.The piles of rubbish that have mounted up in some parts of the city have led to a feeding frenzy for rats, maggots, flies and other vermin.Birmingham City Council has offered to take the long-running negotiations over the strike to ACAS, but the Unite union has confirmed that they are now considering balloting to extend the strike action, possibly until Christmas.
  
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• Yemen: aid offers ‘only hope of survival’ in cholera epidemic, says Priti Patel

  11-08-2017 17:39 via theguardian.com
  Development secretary says ‘catastrophic disaster’ is looming unless foreign donors follow UK lead to tackle disease that has infected half a million YemenisHumanitarian aid is “the only hope Yemeni people have to survive”, said the UK development minister, Priti Patel. She warned Yemen is “on the brink of catastrophic disaster” unless the international community follows Britain’s lead to stem the cholera epidemic.Heavy rains, stagnant water and overflow
  
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• This police force is looking for a make-up thief and the tweets on the matter are hilarious

  11-08-2017 17:30
  That’s one way to get people to spread the word.
  
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• Refugee rescue ship sails to aid of anti-migrant activists stranded in Med

  11-08-2017 17:22 via theguardian.com
  German NGO says its rescue vessel is sailing to help a group of far-right activists after their ship got into trouble off the coast of LibyaAn NGO vessel that has saved the lives of hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean is sailing to the rescue of a group of far-right anti-immigration activists whose ship is in difficulties off the coast of Libya.The German NGO Sea Eye said one of its search and rescue boats was on its way to the C-Star, manned by members of the extremist Generation Identity
  
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• Brexit pain for holidaymakers as pound expected to fall further against euro

  11-08-2017 17:18 via theguardian.com
  Investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts pound-euro parity by early next yearBritish holidaymakers should brace themselves for more Brexit pain when they change their pounds into euros, with a leading investment bank forecasting the currencies are on the way to parity.Sterling is trading at €1.09 after collapsing from €1.31 on the day before the UK voted to quit the European Union in June 2016. Continue reading...
  
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• Conchita Wurst cancels Edinburgh festival show after band denied visas

  11-08-2017 17:17 via theguardian.com
  Eurovision-winning Austrian drag queen was due to perform at festival but band members, who are from Syria, denied visasEurovision song contest winner Conchita Wurst has cancelled her performance at the Edinburgh festival after her band members were denied visas.The Austrian drag queen had been due to perform at the Friday night showing of New European Songbook alongside her Syrian ensemble, Basalt, who are based in Vienna.Continue reading...
  
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• Should 'upskirting' be a specific criminal offence?

  11-08-2017 17:10
  Should 'upskirting' be a specific criminal offence?
  
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• Secret bunker cannabis growers jailed

  11-08-2017 17:07 via bbc.co.uk
  Three men have been jailed for running a cannabis factory inside a former nuclear bunker in Wiltshire.
  
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• Hello! Goodbye: royals gift to magazines as reality stars lose shine, says editor

  11-08-2017 17:04
  Love Island may have been the surprise television hit of the summer, but interest in reality TV stars in Britain is showing signs of waning while intrigue surrounding the royal family reaches record levels.The latest circulation figures show sales of celebrity magazines are slumping, and the editor of one of the market leaders has questioned the longevity of reality TV personalities.While the stars of this year’s Love Island may soon disappear from viewers’ minds, Rosie Nixon, the ed
  
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• Three men jailed for running cannabis factory in ex-nuclear bunker

  11-08-2017 16:54
  Police were tipped off by dog walkers who noticed a strange smell near the underground bunker.Three men have been jailed for their part in running a vast underground cannabis farm in a former nuclear bunker in the UK, staffed by young Vietnamese workers who were held in slave-like conditions.As the sentences were announced, anti-trafficking organisations said they were concerned that slavery charges against the three had been dropped despite investigators’ certainty that four Vietnamese me
  
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• Bristol international balloon fiesta takes off – in pictures

  11-08-2017 16:32 via theguardian.com
  More than 130 balloons from all over the world are heading skywards in the four-day event, which is Europe’s largest annual meeting of hot-air balloons Continue reading...
  
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• Woman survives after gas explosion destroys house in Sunderland

  11-08-2017 15:56
  A neighbouring property was also damaged.A woman whose house was destroyed by a huge gas explosion survived after a fridge fell on top of her, her sister has claimed.Tracy Judson, 52, said “there must be a god somewhere” after her sister, Susan Shepherd, survived the blast on Friday morning in Rosslyn Avenue, Sunderland.
  
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• How does tourism affect where you live?

  11-08-2017 15:50 via theguardian.com
  Residents in tourist hotspots have been speaking out against unsustainable visitor numbers. We’d like you to share your experiences of tourism with usLocals in tourist hotspots around Europe have been fighting back against what they see as destruction of their neighbourhoods because of unsustainable visitor numbers.Overcrowded streets blamed variously on an unlicensed accommodation sector, thoughtless visitors and chains of Segway-riding tour groups, has led some activists to breaking poin
  
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• Man held for allegedly pushing woman into bus while jogging 'was in US at time'

  11-08-2017 15:47
  A man held on suspicion of pushing a woman into the path of a bus while jogging has denied any involvement.Eric Bellquist says he has "irrefutable proof" he was in the US at the time of the incident in Putney, southwest London, according to a statement released by his lawyer."He categorically denies being the individual concerned and has irrefutable proof that he was in the United States at the time of the incident.
  
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• What is arthritis? Separate the facts from the fiction

  11-08-2017 15:46 via theguardian.com
  Arthritis has a huge impact on the daily lives of millions of people in the UK, causing continuous pain and fatigue to those living with the condition whether they’re young or old. But despite the huge numbers affected, arthritis is surrounded by misconceptions. Find out the truth …There are more than 200 different kinds of arthritis, with symptoms not limited to joint pain and swelling but also including, for some people, fatigue, psoriasis, or even mouth ulcers, depending on the t
  
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• How Girls' Education Can Tackle Climate Change

  11-08-2017 15:33
  Photo Credit: Jon Pilch, Camfed In a previous blog, I talked about the changing political climate as a result of the onset of election season in Europe.
  
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• Chloe Ayling Kidnap: 3 British Businessmen Targeted For Ransom Money

  11-08-2017 15:31
  Three wealthy British businessmen have been identified as having been approached for ransom money in the alleged kidnapping of Chloe Ayling.
  
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• CCTV To Be Installed In All Slaughterhouses In England, Defra Announces

  11-08-2017 15:19
  CCTV will be mandatory in all slaughterhouses in England under new plans unveiled by the Government in a move hailed by animal welfare advocates.
  
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• Benjamin Clementine review – unvarnished, unpredictable and fantastically awkward

  11-08-2017 15:13 via theguardian.com
  Festival theatre, Edinburgh
  Debuting songs from his forthcoming second album, the formerly homeless Mercury prize winner evokes David Bowie, Radiohead and AnohniWhen Benjamin Clementine eventually pads on stage barefoot and perches on a high stool at his grand piano, it’s in complete darkness that has descended on the theatre long enough to leave audience members sniggering in discomfort. But even without the preceding half-hour delay caused by technical issues, this show would have felt f
  
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• The Left And Englishness

  11-08-2017 15:09
  Identity is a complex thing and what someone draws from to forge their own sense of self varies.
  
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• Hunger In South Sudan: Don't Let The Rainy Season Become The Dying Season

  11-08-2017 15:09
  One of the hardest parts of my job is seeing mothers turned away from one of Save the Children's health clinics, even when their babies are malnourished.
  
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