General news

• Barcelona Becomes Latest European City To Suffer Vehicle Terror Attack After Las Ramblas Incident

  17-08-2017 23:49
  What we know so far: Incident happened around 5pm local time on Las Ramblas, ​​a busy tourist area Authorities have confirmed there are least 13 people dead and more than 100 injured Islamic State claims responsibility Two people have been arrested, Catalonia’s regional president has said Police in Barcelona have said the incident is ‘most likely’ a terror attack Van crossed central promenade of the Rambla de Canaletas and crashed into a kiosk Metro stations are clo
  
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• England v West Indies: Alastair Cook & Joe Root hit centuries in UK's first day-night Test

  17-08-2017 22:34 via bbc.co.uk
  Alastair Cook and Joe Root hit centuries as England reach 348-3 against West Indies on the first day of the inaugural day-night Test in the UK.
  
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• Fatal crash cyclist Charlie Alliston tells court front brake would not have saved Kim Briggs

  17-08-2017 22:19
  A cyclist accused of hitting and killing a mother on his racing bike has said having a front brake would have made no difference.Charlie Alliston, then aged 18, was riding a fixed-wheel track bike with no front brake - not legal on the road - when he collided with Kim Briggs.Mrs Briggs had been on her lunch break when she was hit as she crossed Old Street, east London, on 12 February last year.
  
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• Have you been affected by the attacks in Spain?

  17-08-2017 22:17 via theguardian.com
  If you’ve been affected by the terror attacks in Las Ramblas Barcelona and Cambrils, you can share your experiences with usBarcelona van attack – latest updatesAt least 13 people are dead and dozens injured after a van crashed into a crowd of people in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas area.Hours later, in the seaside town of Cambrils, a second vehicle hit pedestrians leaving one dead and six wounded.Continue reading...
  
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• World leaders and Barcelona FC lead the tributes in the wake of the Las Ramblas terror attack

  17-08-2017 22:16
  Donald Trump, Theresa May and Barcelona FC have all spoken out about the attack.
  
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• Vice Media's immersive Charlottesville report gets traction

  17-08-2017 22:13
  NEW YORK (AP) — For all the words flowing since last weekend in Charlottesville, the most striking television reporting has been Vice Media's insider account of the white nationalist movement and what it has wrought.
  
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• Aftermath of attack on Las Ramblas – in pictures

  17-08-2017 21:55 via theguardian.com
  Images from the scene of deadly rampage that left at least 13 dead and many more injured in BarcelonaBarcelona van attack – latest updatesContinue reading...
  
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• Barcelona attack: Theresa May says the UK stands with Spain

  17-08-2017 21:42 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May expresses solidarity with Spain after a van ploughs into pedestrians, killing 13.
  
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• Steve Bell on Donald Trump and Confederate statues – cartoon

  17-08-2017 21:36 via theguardian.com
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• Obi-Wan Kenobi film set to join Star Wars universe

  17-08-2017 21:34 via theguardian.com
  A standalone adventure focused on the character played by Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor is in the works, with Stephen Daldry in talks to directA standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi film is set to join the ever-expanding Star Wars universe.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the project is at a very early stage but has already attracted the Oscar-nominated film-maker Stephen Daldry, who is in negotiations to direct. If he joins the film, he will develop from script level with Lucasfilm. Continue reading
  
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• Readers recommend: share your favourite live versions

  17-08-2017 21:00 via theguardian.com
  Make your nomination in the comments and a reader will pick the best eligible tracks for a playlist next week – you have until Monday 21 August This week we’re looking for your suggestions of the best live versions ever recorded. Some might be subtly different to their studio counterparts due to energy levels or arrangement, some uniquely listenable and perhaps even only ever seen and heard on stage. For more on the theme, keep an eye on the comments.
  You have until 11pm on Monday 21
  
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• The Guardian view on Hong Kong: the voice of Beijing, not of justice | Editorial

  17-08-2017 20:53 via theguardian.com
  Campaigners in Hong Kong and abroad say it is vindictive to imprison pro-democracy protestors over a sit-in. They are rightThe jailing of Joshua Wong, Hong Kong’s youthful “face of protest”, and of his fellow activists Nathan Law and Alex Chow, is technically a matter of law but in reality one of politics. Two of them had already carried out community service for unlawful assembly or inciting unlawful assembly; the third had received a suspended sentence. That was not enough. T
  
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• Barcelona Attack: Foreign Office Advice Tells Britons In Area To Avoid Las Ramblas

  17-08-2017 20:37
  Britons in Barcelona have been urged to stay indoors and avoid Las Ramblas after the terror attack in which a van crashed into people, killing 13 people.
  
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• Barcelona Van Attack: 13 Dead, More Than 100 Injured As Vehicle Strikes Las Ramblas

  17-08-2017 20:27
  Incident happened around 5pm local time on Las Ramblas, ​​a busy tourist area Authorities have confirmed there are least 13 people dead and 90 injured Two people have been arrested, Catalonia’s regional president has said Police in Barcelona have said the deadly van incident is ‘most likely’ a terror attack Van crossed central promenade of the Rambla de Canaletas and crashed into a kiosk Police were looking for a man of 1.70m, white shirt and blue stripes as a suspe
  
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• Barcelona Van Attack: 13 Dead, 80 Injured As Vehicle Strikes Las Ramblas

  17-08-2017 20:27
  Incident happened around 5pm local time on Las Ramblas, ​​a busy tourist area Authorities have confirmed there are least 13 people dead and 90 injured Two people have been arrested, Catalonia’s regional president has said Police in Barcelona have said the deadly van incident is ‘most likely’ a terror attack Van crossed central promenade of the Rambla de Canaletas and crashed into a kiosk Police were looking for a man of 1.70m, white shirt and blue stripes as a suspe
  
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• Barcelona Van Attack: 13 Dead, 50 Injured As Vehicle Strikes Las Ramblas

  17-08-2017 20:27
  The death toll after a van collided with “dozens” of pedestrians on Barcelona’s busy Las Ramblas on Thursday afternoon has risen to 13 in what police say is a “terror attack”.Reports said a large vehicle hit pedestrians on the famed walkway, a hotspot for tourists in the Spanish city.
  
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• Grenfell inquiry should shine a spotlight on UK’s housing issues | Letters

  17-08-2017 20:18
  ‘It is imperative that the Grenfell inquiry should – as the terms of reference outline – look at the causes and spread of the fire, as well as the response’.With reference to your report on the Grenfell inquiry terms of reference, it is crucial, as argued by Justice for Grenfell and your editorial, that the provision, financing and allocation of social housing is put under the spotlight (Grenfell fire inquiry will not consider bigger picture, 16 August).The knock-on impac
  
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• Britain is failing young people in custody | Letters

  17-08-2017 20:17
  Gareth Myatt, who was asphyxiated while being restrained at a young offenders’ institute in 2004.Inquest’s work with bereaved families has consistently revealed a litany of systemic neglect, violence, institutional complacency and short-sighted policies which contribute to the deaths and harm of children and young people (Report on Northants children’s prison finds rise in violent incidents, 9 August).Ten years ago, in July 2007, the judge at the inquest into the death in 2004
  
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• Bad Opinions Need To Be Heard To Be Challenged

  17-08-2017 20:11
  Google gives access to information, but the dismissal of one of its own engineers for promoting peculiar views about female technical skills raises questions about where the lines should be drawn regarding opinions.
  
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• When I was 16, I went to confession. I wish the priest had reported what I'd told him | Mary-Rose MacColl

  17-08-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  The Catholic church is not above the law. We can’t afford to let Archbishop Hart and his colleagues make judgements about what is and isn’t revealedMary-Rose MacColl is an Australian writerMelbourne Archbishop Denis Hart has said he’ll risk going to jail rather than report what’s said to him in the sacrament of confession, even if what’s confessed relates to child sexual abuse. His latest comments, made on ABC radio, were responding to a recommendation from the roya
  
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• New sperm creation method could overcome genetic male infertility – study

  17-08-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Healthy sperm have been created in mice with a common form of infertility, raising hope for future treatment for men with extra sex chromosomes
  A common genetic cause of male infertility has been overcome in mice using a technique that creates healthy sperm in the laboratory, scientists have shown.The research raises the future prospect of hope for men who cannot father children because they have three instead of two sex chromosomes.Continue reading...
  
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• A-level results show rise in top grades despite tougher exams

  17-08-2017 19:44
  British sixth formers have achieved some of the best A-level results seen for several years, despite the introduction of tougher exams in England that depressed grades in several popular subjects, including the sciences.Driven partly by improved performances among boys nationally, the proportion of students awarded the top A* and A grades rose for the first time since 2011.
  
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• How to turn Britain’s universities into comprehensives | Sonia Sodha

  17-08-2017 19:39 via theguardian.com
  A more localised system with less academic selection might be better and cheaperIs it worth it? That’s the question many young people starting university this autumn have to grapple with, in a way previous generations haven’t. Young people now graduate with an average debt of more than £50,000, which three quarters of them will never pay off. So the vast majority will spend most of their working lives effectively paying an extra 9p of income tax for every pound they earn over &
  
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• What we know so far about the terror attack in Barcelona

  17-08-2017 19:36
  At least three people are feared dead and dozens injured in the attack on Las Ramblas.
  
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• Barcelona attack eyewitness: 'Van was 10 feet from me'

  17-08-2017 18:58 via bbc.co.uk
  A van has ploughed into crowds on the Ramblas tourist area in Barcelona.
  
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• Leading elephant conservationist shot dead in Tanzania

  17-08-2017 18:56 via theguardian.com
  Wayne Lotter had received numerous death threats while battling international ivory-trafficking networksThe head of an animal conservation NGO who had received numerous death threats has been shot and killed by an unknown gunman in Tanzania. Wayne Lotter, 51, was shot on Wednesday evening in the Masaki district of the city of Dar es Salaam. The wildlife conservationist was being driven from the airport to his hotel when his taxi was stopped by another vehicle. Two men, one armed with a gun opene
  
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• Who Really Is The Saddest Animal In Captivity?

  17-08-2017 18:45
  It seems every article I read on animal welfare concerns in zoos or aquariums is titled something along the lines of "The Loneliest/Saddest Animal in Captivity".
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn urges PM to rethink terms of Grenfell fire inquiry

  17-08-2017 18:45
  Jeremy Corbyn has said he is deeply concerned that the Grenfell fire inquiry will not examine the wider implications of social housing policy and urged Theresa May to look again at the terms of reference.The inquiry’s terms of reference, published last week, mean it will not look at the social and political conditions around the blaze, including the provision and state of social housing in the UK.
  
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• Jeremy Clarkson pulls off a feat of grammar to explain rogue Twitter activity

  17-08-2017 18:41 via theguardian.com
  The infirm motoring show host’s tweet about ‘not leaving your phone unattended’ creates a mystery as to who ‘liked’ porn on his accountA sticky moment this week for Grand Tour maestro Jeremy Clarkson, who recently revealed he has been hospitalised with pneumonia, and would now be spending two months recuperating. There is absolutely nothing wrong with recuperating – it is completely normal and natural – but for whatever reason, a few uptight Twitter user
  
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• Round three

  17-08-2017 18:30 via bbc.co.uk
  Long-delayed Brexit talks are now under way - but there are many potential pitfalls.
  
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• Timeline: Northern Ireland's same-sex marriage debate

  17-08-2017 18:29 via bbc.co.uk
  BBC News NI looks at the story of the same-sex marriage debate in Northern Ireland so far.
  
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• Paedophile jailed after Newport train station sting

  17-08-2017 18:28 via bbc.co.uk
  Adrian Simut thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl when he travelled from London to south Wales.
  
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• Cohousing: the British families embracing communal living

  17-08-2017 18:22 via theguardian.com
  With their emphasis on shared meals and parenting, cohousing communities offer an antidote to the isolation of modern life, writes Olivia Gordon Growing numbers of people are sharing meals – not only with their own family and friends, but with their neighbours. It’s all thanks to the increasingly popular idea of cohousing, which originated in Denmark in the 1970s, rapidly spreading across Scandinavia, the US and Germany and, since the late 1990s, Britain.Unlike in communes, resident
  
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• Trevor Kavanagh's The Sun Column Slammed For Failing To Apologise For 'The Muslim Problem' Comment

  17-08-2017 18:16
  Trevor Kavanagh’s latest column for The Sun has drawn scorn for its “astounding” failure to apologise for using the term “The Muslim Problem” in a widely-criticised piece published on Sunday.
  
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• London cyclist accused of killing woman denies being thrill-seeker

  17-08-2017 18:08
  Charlie Alliston, who struck Kim Briggs with his fixed-gear bike, denied getting ‘a kick’ by riding dangerously.A former bike courier accused of mowing down a mother-of-two on his bicycle has denied being a risk-taking thrill-seeker influenced by “dangerous” cycle race videos.Charlie Alliston, 18, likened cycling without a front brake on his bike to starring in “alleycat” movies, films of informal races in cities around the world, the Old Bailey heard.
  
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• Barcelona Attack Witnesses Describe Screams And Panic As Van Drives Into People In Las Ramblas Area

  17-08-2017 18:07
  Witnesses have described hearing people scream as they ran from the scene in Barcelona where a van crashed into crowds of people.
  
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• A-level agony?

  17-08-2017 17:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Results not quite what you were expecting? Two experts are on hand with some advice.
  
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• 'I hate him': Martin Shkreli court transcript reveals struggle for impartial jurors

  17-08-2017 17:42 via theguardian.com
  In choosing a jury for entrepreneur’s fraud trial, the court dealt with anger over his treatment of the Wu-Tang Clan and concerns that he looked like ‘a snake’Don’t disrespect the Wu-Tang Clan – not if you want a fair trial. The transcripts for jury interviews from the trial of Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical entrepreneur who became “America’s most hated man”, are out – and they show that finding 12 good men (and women) was no easy task.Sh
  
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• Donald Trump called the removal of confederate statues ‘foolish’ so Twitter made it a meme

  17-08-2017 17:41
  The best solution is always laughter.
  
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• Deborah James funeral: 40 Minis join cortege

  17-08-2017 17:36 via bbc.co.uk
  The funeral procession for fundraiser Deborah James featured dozens of her favourite cars.
  
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• Paralympian Pamela Relph on her arthritis: ‘It’s as if I have a split personality’

  17-08-2017 17:35 via theguardian.com
  Paralympic rower Pamela Relph was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis as a child, but it wasn’t until she trained with the GB Paralympics team that she came to terms with having a disability. Here, she explains how the condition has affected her entire lifeWith two Paralympic gold medals and four World Championship titles under her belt, it would be easy to assume that rower Pamela Relph has “conquered” the psoriatic arthritis she was diagnosed with at the age of just seven. But
  
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• Glasgow fruit market fire brought under control

  17-08-2017 17:27
  The fire took hold at Blochairn fruit market in eastern Glasgow at about 4am on Thursday, as suppliers, traders and customers were starting work.The Scottish fire and rescue service (SFRS) confirmed at 4pm that the blaze was under control, with crews looking for heat sources to put out any remaining fires at the site.At the height of the fire, the Scottish fire and rescue service was using 12 appliances and four aerial firefighting platforms.
  
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• Barcelona Van Attack: At Least Two Dead, Several Injured As Vehicle Strikes Las Ramblas

  17-08-2017 17:14
  Crowds of people have fled Barcelona’s Las Ramblas amid reports of loud noises.
  
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• Theresa May declines to be drawn on Brexit talks delay claim

  17-08-2017 17:12
  Theresa May has said there is still "a lot to be done" in Brexit negotiations - and did not deny suggestions the next phase of the talks could be delayed.The Prime Minister was asked about a report by Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam, who said Cabinet ministers involved in the talks have indicated that the next phase may not get under way until December - two months later than planned.When asked how confident she was that the next round of talks would not be held up, Mrs May did not directly
  
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• May on progress of Brexit negotiations

  17-08-2017 17:10
  Theresa May says Brexit negotiations are going well and that a 'deep and special partnership' will be formed with the EU.
  
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• A-level reforms may have helped boys achieve better results

  17-08-2017 17:05
  The latest A-level results suggest the tide could be starting to turn on the relative performance of boys and girls.The exams are perceived as favourable to boys by some educationalists, who have argued they are less likely to work consistently throughout the year and prefer to throw all their preparations into a final, decisive exam as opposed to continuous assessment.Alan Smithers, the director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, said whe
  
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• A-level reforms could have helped boys achieve better results

  17-08-2017 17:05
  The latest A-level results suggest the tide could be starting to turn on the relative performance of boys and girls.The exams are perceived as favourable to boys by some educationalists, who have argued they are less likely to work consistently and prefer to throw all their preparations into a final, decisive exam as opposed to continuous assessment.Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said when modular qualifications were i
  
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• Britain's female wrestlers grapple with acceptance

  17-08-2017 17:01
  By day, Claire Heafford works as a personal trainer but, once every few weeks, she dons a mask and takes on the role of "Rag Doll" to slam and grapple around the ring in an all-female wrestling night in London.Heafford, 36, is one of the performers at EVE, an all-female wrestling show that takes place once or twice a month in London's Bethnal Green.While female wrestlers have long featured on the professional circuit in the U.S., their amateur British counterparts have faced challenges before cl
  
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• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie told to pay €565,000 in chateau lighting wrangle

  17-08-2017 16:54 via theguardian.com
  French designer claims Hollywood stars failed to pay bills for multimillion-euro project at 17th-century Provence propertyA French interior designer is suing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for failing to credit her for work on their chateau in Provence. Odile Soudant also claims the superstar former couple drove her company towards financial ruin by failing to honour bills for a multimillion-euro project to illuminate the 17th-century property. Continue reading...
  
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• Man held over alleged Chloe Ayling kidnap plot fights extradition to Italy

  17-08-2017 16:53
  The brother of the man accused of allegedly kidnapping British model Chloe Ayling is fighting extradition to Italy.Michael Herba, 36, appeared at Westminster Magistrate's Court on Thursday after being arrested in Birmingham under a European arrest warrant.
  
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