General news

• 'Very convincing liar' Jemma Beale jailed for false rape claims

  24-08-2017 20:49
  A "manipulative" woman who made a series of false rape and sexual assault claims has been jailed for 10 years.Jemma Beale was branded a "very convincing liar" as she was sentenced for four counts of perjury and four counts of perverting the course of justice.Police spent more than £250,000 and 6,400 hours investigating Beale's claims.
  
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• New public register to shame companies over investor pay revolts

  24-08-2017 20:40
  Sky News has learnt that Business Secretary Greg Clark will announce that the Investment Association - the fund managers' trade body - is to oversee the creation of the new register, which will include any company which faces opposition from at least 20% of shareholders.New laws will also pave the way for nearly 1,000 listed companies to publish and justify the ratio between the pay of their chief executive and their average UK-based worker, according to a Whitehall source briefed on the plans.I
  
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• 'Gulf in the law' over dangerous cycling

  24-08-2017 20:35
  Matthew Briggs, widower of Kim Briggs, is calling for the law to be brought up to date, to cope with the number of people cycling.
  
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• Pitter-patter of tiny panda paws? Tian Tian believed to be 'pregnant'

  24-08-2017 20:34
  Tian Tian, the UK's only female giant panda, is believed to be pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo has said.The surprise announcement follows the release of emails suggesting a cub could be born as early as Friday.Emails between the zoo and the Scottish government from late July discuss Tian Tian's pregnancy, and have now been released under the Freedom of Information Act.
  
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• 'Three little girls tried to mug me'

  24-08-2017 20:30 via bbc.co.uk
  When he was a miner, Ron Cordner felt respected, but now he feels isolated in his own community.
  
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• Call for new law after Kim Briggs killed in London bike collision

  24-08-2017 20:30
  The widower of a woman who was killed when she was hit by a bike as she crossed the street has called for UK law to be changed so cyclists can be prosecuted for dangerous driving.Mother-of-two Kim Briggs was on her lunch break when she was struck by a fixed-wheel bike ridden by Charlie Alliston on Old Street in east London.Kim's case was quite unique in the sense that the CPS were able to bring a manslaughter charge because it was an illegal act.
  
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• UK political parties received record £40m of donations in election run-up

  24-08-2017 20:14
  The funding received beat the previous record high for a three-month period by more than £9m, which was set during the run-up to the election in 2015.British political parties received a record £40m of donations in the three months before the election, with the Conservatives bringing in more than twice as much as Labour.More than half of the money was given to the Conservative party, which raised almost £25m between April and June compared with £9.5m for Labour.
  
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• Tory Donors Spent Nearly £25m To Lose 13 Seats At The Election

  24-08-2017 20:06
  Conservative Party donors spent almost £25 million in the run-up to this year’s general election that saw Theresa May lose 13 MPs.
  
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• The fix of 'fixies'

  24-08-2017 19:52 via bbc.co.uk
  As a cyclist riding without a front brake is found guilty over a pedestrian's death, a courier shares his experience of using such a bike.
  
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• New-style GCSEs help identify the best but may not benefit the rest

  24-08-2017 19:49
  Students at Brighton College celebrate their GCSE results.The most obvious difference between this year’s GCSE results and previous years’ is the new grading system measuring attainment in some subjects on a scale from 9 at best to 1 at the bottom.Hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money has been spent trying to explain it to parents, students and employers who this year have to grapple with a mixture of results from the two grading structures as the changes are rolled out gra
  
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• Cambridge University Press censorship attacks are misguided| Letters

  24-08-2017 19:41 via theguardian.com
  All societies limit free speech in varying detail, writes Roger van Zwanenberg, founder of the radical publisher Zed. The censorship is by the customer – the Chinese government – not CUP, says Jessica LaganI refer to Paul Mason’s important, but mistaken argument about Cambridge University Press’s agreement with the Chinese authorities to delete 300 articles from China Quarterly (Cambridge University Press had to reverse its self-censorship in China: the west can’t a
  
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• Change attitudes of men, not carriages | Letters

  24-08-2017 19:39 via theguardian.com
  Sexism is a cultural issue writes Alan Borgars, while Sue Newte laments misogyny not being seen as a hate crimeThe shadow minister Chris Williamson’s idea of women-only carriages to tackle sexual assault on public transport is not feasible nor does it solve problems (Labour in row over all-female train carriages, 24 August). So many trains on commuter routes are already overcrowded, making segregated carriages impossible to enforce, especially since many trains no longer have guards on boa
  
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• Do you work tackling air pollution for a council? Share your experience with us

  24-08-2017 19:25 via theguardian.com
  We want to hear from people who monitor air quality data and inspect other forms of pollution locally. Get in touch with us hereThe issue of air pollution has recently been thrust into the news after the UK government lost court cases over illegally dirty air. It has been estimated that poor air quality contributes to the shortening of the lives of around 40,000 people a year. Councils are required to monitor the air quality in their district under the Environment Act 1995. Local authorities mus
  
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• Jordan Brookes review – wildly entertaining standup demolishes conventions of comedy

  24-08-2017 19:11 via theguardian.com
  Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
  You seldom know exactly what’s happening in this set as our host prowls the room, eyeballs the audience and wreaks confusionIs the comedy world big enough for another Hans Teeuwen? The influence of that great Dutch disturbist is unmissable in Jordan Brookes’ new show, Body of Work, which transferred from the Free Fringe to the Pleasance and has been nominated for the Edinburgh comedy award. Like Teeuwen, Brookes is here to wreak confusion and instabilit
  
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• Exit checks data raises questions over May's focus on student overstayers

  24-08-2017 19:06
  “Let me be clear about students – we welcome students coming to study,” she said.Limiting immigration was a Conservative manifesto pledge and, her cabinet colleagues say, a personal crusade for May. Vince Cable, now the Liberal Democrat leader, who sat in cabinet alongside May in the 2010-15 coalition government, has described her as being “obsessed” with it.
  
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• UK giant panda Tian Tian believed to be pregnant

  24-08-2017 19:00
  Tian Tian, the UK's only female giant panda, is believed to be pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo has said.The announcement follows the release of emails suggesting a cub could be born as early as Friday, according to The Scotsman newspaper.Emails between the zoo and the Scottish government from late July discuss Tian Tian's pregnancy, and have now been released under the Freedom of Information Act.
  
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• Chelsea flats bought for Grenfell Tower victims

  24-08-2017 18:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Hortensia Road, London, is one of 105 properties acquired by Kensington and Chelsea council to house Grenfell survivors.
  
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• Driver arrested after 13 men found in lorry near Rugby

  24-08-2017 18:49
  A driver has been arrested after 13 men - some requiring medical treatment - were found inside an overseas lorry near Rugby.Warwickshire Police were called to Mangrove service station on the A45 London Road at about 2pm on Thursday afternoon.West Midlands Ambulance Service says their condition is not believed to be life threatening.
  
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• Innocent Until Proven Guilty - Not When It Comes To Your Face

  24-08-2017 18:42
  This weekend thousands of people will take to the streets of Notting Hill in West London to celebrate Carnival.
  
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• This teacher encouraged GCSE students with his Stormzy remix and pupils are heaping on the praise

  24-08-2017 18:38
  Mr Bruff is now teaching English via grime online.
  
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• Divisive, Disgraceful And Disgusting: Australia Steps Back In Time

  24-08-2017 18:35
  With everything that is going on in America and the daily upheavals in the Trump administration, it's very easy for us as a nation to focus our eye westward when it comes to international politics.
  
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• Panda Tian Tian may be pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo says

  24-08-2017 18:33
  Tian Tian, a giant panda on loan to Britain from China, is believed to be pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo said on Thursday, promising to provide any update as soon as possible."Giant panda breeding is a very complicated process but we believe that Tian Tian is pregnant," a spokesperson for RZSS Edinburgh Zoo said."Although a specific date was suggested, like all babies, it's hard to predict precisely and the panda breeding season can last until late September," it said, adding that Tian Tian is being cl
  
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• Terrified Of Men

  24-08-2017 18:30
  Terrorism affects our lives with quite miserable regularity at present.
  
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• Me and Robin Hood review – engaging show about gap between rich and poor

  24-08-2017 18:26 via theguardian.com
  Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
  Shôn Dale-Jones delivers a thoughtful piece about inequality, myths and taking control of your own storyShôn Dale-Jones’s greengrocer father was a devotee of Margaret Thatcher and believed in taking responsibility for yourself. His paternal grandmother, Phyllis, believed in community, and fell out with her son over politics. They are now buried side by side in the local graveyard. Dale-Jones grew up torn between the two and was obsessed by the BBC seri
  
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• Lorry driver held after 13 men are found in back of vehicle at service station

  24-08-2017 17:55
  Police said officers found the men after they were called to Mangrove service station.A lorry driver has been arrested on suspicion of people trafficking after 13 men were discovered in the back of his vehicle.Three of the men were taken to hospital suffering heat exhaustion, West Midlands ambulance service said.
  
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• UK seeks 'adequacy' deal with EU on data flow after Brexit

  24-08-2017 17:46
  Britain wants an early agreement with the EU over data protection to ensure the free flow of crucial information after Brexit.In its latest position paper ahead of negotiations with Brussels resuming next week, it proposed using an "adequacy" agreement to ensure the flow of information vital to businesses and the police was not interrupted.Under adequacy agreements, the European Commission recognises levels of protection provided by non-EU countries.
  
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• Woman Jailed For 10 Years For Making 9 False Rape Claims

  24-08-2017 17:30
  A woman who made a string of false rape claims and sexual assault allegations cost the police more than £250,000 and around 6,400 hours of work.
  
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• School wall that killed pupil Keane Wallis-Bennett had been 'inherently unstable'

  24-08-2017 17:28
  A school wall that collapsed and killed a 12-year-old girl was "inherently unstable", an inquiry has found.Keane Wallis-Bennett died when a wall designed to separate showers in a PE block fell on her on 1 April, 2014.A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) was held at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in June to examine the full circumstances surrounding the incident at the city's Liberton High School.
  
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• Grenfell Tower Victim Ines Alves Aces GCSE Exam She Took Hours After Blaze

  24-08-2017 17:21
  A teenage girl who wowed the nation by sitting a GCSE chemistry exam just hours after escaping the Grenfell Tower fire has revealed that she aced the paper.
  
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• Big Ben's bongs fall silent for renovations

  24-08-2017 17:15
  Hundreds of people have gathered to watch Big Ben fall silent for controversial renovations that will last for four years.
  
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• Why Donald Trump's plans to pardon sheriff Joe Arpaio are so troubling | Chiraag Bains

  24-08-2017 17:12 via theguardian.com
  If the former Arizona sheriff, who racially profiled Latinos, is pardoned the it would be a further erosion of checks and balancesChiraag Bains is a senior fellow at Harvard Law School’s Criminal Justice Policy ProgramOn Tuesday night, Donald Trump all but promised he would pardon disgraced Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt three weeks ago. “I won’t do it tonight,” he said. “But Sheriff Joe can feel good.” CNN is now reporting
  
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• Russian tanker sails through Arctic without icebreaker for first time

  24-08-2017 17:12 via theguardian.com
  Climate change has thawed Arctic enough for $300m gas tanker to travel at record speed through northern sea routeA Russian tanker has travelled through the northern sea route in record speed and without an icebreaker escort for the first time, highlighting how climate change is opening up the high Arctic.The $300m Christophe de Margerie carried a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Hammerfest in Norway to Boryeong in South Korea in 22 days, about 30% quicker than the conventional southern
  
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• Champions League group stage draw – live!

  24-08-2017 17:12 via theguardian.com
  Champions League draw: who could the six British sides face?Email: [email protected]: @Simon_Burnton 4.12pm BSTAnd here are some hopefuls arriving for the awards bit. By helicopter, natch. 4.07pm BSTHere’s a moody shot of some plastic half-balls and some paper with club names on it. Continue reading...
  
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• The Tick review – a beacon of bizarreness in a relatively normal superhero universe

  24-08-2017 17:11 via theguardian.com
  Dressed as a 6ft 4in blue insect, Peter Serafinowicz’s superhero is a throwback to the Golden Age of Comic Books – but with everything just a fraction offWhat is it? A superhero series, because Lord knows, we need another one of those at the moment.Why you’ll love it: As superhero series go, it’s less po-faced than the 27 or so currently clogging up Netflix. More importantly, it’s finally a decent platform for Peter Serafinowicz, one of our finest comic talents, but
  
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• Big Ben coverage 'gets on my wick', says Ruth Davidson

  24-08-2017 17:05
  Ruth Davidson has said the level of media coverage devoted to the silencing of Big Ben's bongs "gets on my wick".One of those who gathered to mark the event was Labour MP Stephen Pound, who said it was a "desperately sad" moment and demonstrated a "real poverty of imagination".Ms Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, reflected on coverage of the event at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, where she led a Q&A with broadcaster Jon Snow.
  
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• Qatar enacts law to protect foreign domestic workers

  24-08-2017 17:04
  Qatar's ruler has introduced a law giving broad protection totens of thousands of foreigners working as maids, cooks, cleaners and nannies, addressing some concerns long highlighted by human rights groups.The new rules on foreign domestic staff mandate a maximum of 10 hours per working day with breaks for prayer, rest and eating, along with three weeks of severance pay at the end of their contracts.State news agency QNA said the measure was promulgated by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and was
  
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• Divided states of America: 62% say Trump is driving people apart, poll finds

  24-08-2017 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Quinnipiac University poll finds president has negative 35%-59% overall approval rating as he tweets picture of himself replacing Obama in ‘eclipse’Donald Trump’s divided states of America have been laid bare by a new survey and a fresh volley of tweets in which the president attacked fellow Republicans and depicted himself replacing Barack Obama in a “solar eclipse”. Related: The 'Trump slump': gun sales decline as fears of tighter controls fadeContinue reading...
  
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• The Catholic church must stop blaming victims: children cannot consent to sex | Dino Nocivelli

  24-08-2017 16:56 via theguardian.com
  In my work with survivors I have seen many assertions that they consented to abuse. This includes the government’s own victim compensation schemeWhat has consent got to do with child abuse? A simple question, which should have a simple answer. A child under the age of 16 is in law unable to consent to sexual acts. The age of consent exists for a reason: to protect vulnerable members of society who have not yet developed the emotional or physical maturity to engage in sexual relationships.Y
  
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• Family beg May to help UK ex-soldier held in Turkey after fighting Isis

  24-08-2017 16:55 via theguardian.com
  Joe Robinson is charged with membership of terrorist organisation after fighting with US-backed Kurdish group in Syria in 2015The family of a former British soldier arrested in Turkey after fighting against Isis in Syria have begged Theresa May for help after his lawyer revealed he has been charged with “being a member of a terrorist organisation”.Joe Robinson, 24, from Accrington, Lancashire, is facing up to 16 years in a Turkish prison, after he spent four weeks as a combat medic w
  
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• Has 'ambitious' PM May aimed too high with EU demands?

  24-08-2017 16:38
  By Elizabeth PiperLONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May always said she would be "ambitious" in negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union, and government documents published this month show the scale of that ambition -- wanting the closest of ties without the costs.European officials have suggested that Britain should instead stick to a previously agreed timetable for Brexit negotiations.For Britain, the release over two weeks of a series of strategy and discussion documents was
  
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• Man held in Netherlands suspected of preparing terror attack on Allah-Las gig

  24-08-2017 16:37 via theguardian.com
  Dutch police say 22-year-old was detained after alert from Spain led to cancellation of LA band’s gig on WednesdayA man arrested in the Netherlands early on Thursday morning is suspected of preparing a “terrorist attack” on a concert by an American rock band, Dutch police have said.Police detained the 22-year-old in Brabant province, south of Rotterdam, after an alert from Spanish colleagues. The Spanish warning led to the cancellation of a performance on Wednesday night by Los
  
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• Indian army on standby on eve of guru's rape charges verdict

  24-08-2017 16:37 via theguardian.com
  Parts of two Indian states are in lockdown as tens of thousands of Ram Rahim Singh’s followers await verdictParts of two northern Indian states are in lockdown as tens of thousands of followers of a flamboyant “godman” nicknamed the “guru of bling” await a verdict on long-standing rape charges against the spiritual leader.
  The Indian army is on standby in Punjab and Haryana, surveillance drones are circling, and schools and roads have been shut in the city of Panchk
  
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• Why not so serious: might The Joker make the perfect Martin Scorsese villain?

  24-08-2017 16:36 via theguardian.com
  News that the Oscar-winning film-maker is set to produce an origins story for Batman’s most notorious nemesis has come as a surprise – but history suggests that the match might not be as disastrous as it soundsAt first glance, Warner Bros’ decision to pitch a Joker origins movie starring somebody other than Jared Leto looks crazier than the clown prince of Gotham at his most psychopathically nutty. Leto was popular in the role in the otherwise wasteful Suicide Squad, and the st
  
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• Teen Who Battled 27th Round Of Chemo While Sitting GCSEs Celebrates 'Incredible' Results

  24-08-2017 16:34
  A teenage girl who battled her 27th round of chemotherapy while sitting her GCSE exams has celebrated a string of top grades.
  
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• After Kim Briggs’s death, cyclists must realise that they are traffic too | David Shariatmadari

  24-08-2017 16:34 via theguardian.com
  While riding a bike it’s too easy to forget the harm you can do to yourself and others. Perhaps Charlie Alliston’s conviction will shake us into vigilanceI love cycling. I am not a bike nut, and those who are would laugh at the secondhand lump of steel that costs more to service than I paid for it. But, like millions of others, I love the feeling of zipping through the city under my own steam. Bikes allow you to be in touch with your surroundings in a way cars don’t. By encasin
  
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• Donald Trump tried to revive the solar eclipse memes with this bizarre retweet

  24-08-2017 16:29
  He might be a little late to the party…
  
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• Runaway bus in St Helens smashes into cars before ploughing into garden

  24-08-2017 16:13
  A bus careered out of control into two cars before ploughing into the front garden of a semi-detached house taking one of the vehicles with it.Witness Phil Gadd told Sky News he and his seven-year-old daughter "were sitting in car park when we heard a loud bang".A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: "It is believed that the driver of the bus may have suffered a medical episode prior to the collision and has been taken to hospital.
  
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• Mae Martin: Dope review – hair-raising comedy about romance and rehab

  24-08-2017 16:13 via theguardian.com
  Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, Edinburgh
  In a likable and thoughtful set, the Canadian standup revisits her adolescence and explores the affinities between relationships and recreational drugsYou might think Mae Martin’s appearance on this week’s Edinburgh Comedy award shortlist crowns the emergence of an exciting new talent. Scratch the “new”: now 30, the Canadian has been doing this for more than 15 years. Her show Dope takes us back to the standup apprenticeship she serve
  
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• Kim Wall: Murder Charge Sought For Peter Madsen Over Dismembered Journalist

  24-08-2017 16:13
  Danish prosecutors plan to charge Danish inventor Peter Madsen with the murder of journalist Kim Wall, according to reports.
  
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• Financial deregulation: will the US really go back to a pre-crisis free-for-all? | Howard Davies

  24-08-2017 16:12 via theguardian.com
  A Federal Reserve official has spoken out against the Trump administration’s reform plans. It is important to hold a debate Since a revolving door was installed at the entrance to the West Wing of the White House, it has been difficult to keep track of the comings and goings in America’s corridors of power. Anything written about the Trump administration’s personnel and policies may be invalid before it is published.At least for the time being, however, the key economic policy
  
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