General news

• New M&S chairman faces tough task turning round high-street institution | Shane Hickey

  03-09-2017 23:32
  Will Archie Norman be able to perform his retail magic on Marks & Spencer and reinvigorate the mainstay of the high street?This will be the first full week that the former Asda chief executive will be in his new role of chairman at the 113-year-old institution – at a time when the company is battling what Norman describes as “the considerable challenges … in a rapidly changing retail landscape”.The teenage newcomer has a market valuation of just under £5bn &nda
  
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• HMP Birmingham Dealing With Disorder Among 'Small Number' Of Inmates

  03-09-2017 23:31
  Prison authorities are dealing with an incident at a privately-run prison in Birmingham involving a “small number of prisoners”.
  
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• HMP Birmingham: Anti-Riot Officers And Inmates In Prison Stand-Off

  03-09-2017 23:31
  Prison authorities are dealing with an incident at a privately-run prison in Birmingham involving a “small number of prisoners”.
  
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• May and Davis warn Tory rebels to toe the line over Brexit bill

  03-09-2017 23:00
  David Davis has said all MPs have an interest in the European Union (withdrawal) bill succeeding.Theresa May will face a testing week as parliament returns on Tuesday, with Conservative whips braced for battles with newly emboldened party rebels over the repeal bill.The European Union (withdrawal) bill, which will have its second reading on Thursday, is intended to transpose EU legislation into British law from the day the UK leaves the EU, but it is set to involve extensive use of so-called &ld
  
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• Bell Pottinger chief quits ahead of ruling on race hate campaign claims

  03-09-2017 20:57
  James Henderson issued an apology in July about his firm’s PR campaign on behalf of the Gupta family.The chief executive of Bell Pottinger has resigned just days before a ruling over accusations that the public relations firm stoked racial tensions in South Africa through its work with the billionaire Gupta family, which condemned opponents of President Jacob Zuma as agents of “white monopoly capital”.James Henderson, who confirmed he had left the role over the weekend, was und
  
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• Should Oxford and the V&A take millions from this Putin pal and Trump donor?

  03-09-2017 20:24 via theguardian.com
  Fallout from resignation of Oxford professor at school bearing tycoon Len Blavatnik’s name latest in which business background has been raisedHis charitable donations have been described as some of the most generous ever made in the UK, but unease about Len Blavatnik’s philanthropy has grown after a leading political academic quit the University of Oxford.
  The Ukraine-born billionaire gave £75m to Oxford to set up the Blavatnik school of government, one of the largest donations
  
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• Woman Dies And Two Men Taken To Hospital After Taking Ecstasy, Prompting Police Warning

  03-09-2017 19:49
  Police have issued a warning about ecstasy pills after a woman died and two men were taken to hospital after taking the drugs.
  
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• Surge in prison population shows that urgent reform is needed | Letters

  03-09-2017 19:39
  ‘The current prison policy needs reversing to one which sees smaller prisons and “localism” being the main drivers for the future,’ says Howard Thomas.The most terrible fact to emerge from Phil Wheatley’s attempt to sound the alarm over the appalling state of our prisons (Unforeseen rise in prison population adds to pressure on system ‘in crisis’, 31 August) is that the rise in the prison population is due to “the courts’, particularly the cr
  
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• Labour’s failure over disability rights | Letters

  03-09-2017 19:37
  Steve Higginson says Labour MPs have failed to ensure that all legislation is closely scrutinised.The critique of the government as contained in the report of the United Nations committee on the rights of persons with disabilities (UN report scathing of disability rights in UK, 1 September), makes for salutary reading.The legal challenges to the government from a variety of disability groups would not be required if all governmental legislation was being monitored through the lens of equali
  
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• Thinking of Foucault and the NHS crisis | Letters

  03-09-2017 19:35
  Michel Foucault said: ‘The struggle against disease must begin with a war against bad government,’ and Richard Crosher is inclined to agree.Photograph: Ben Edwards/Getty
  
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• Differentials for burying the war dead | Brief letters

  03-09-2017 19:34
  Nails and screws were not the only differential when it came to burying the dead in the first world war, notes Kevin Fitzgerald.PJ Murphy wonders if the young men of Eton and Winchester who colluded to cheat in examinations are heading for a career in banking (Letters, 1 September). If history is a guide, I suspect that they are as likely to make their way into politics, where they will find they are equally well prepared and be welcomed by familiar faces who had been taught
  
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• Seismologist's Reaction To North Korea's Nuclear Test Speaks For Most People

  03-09-2017 19:21
  North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday, with an advanced hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile causing an artificial 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the isolated country.
  
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• Britons need to know consequences of Brexit, says EU negotiator

  03-09-2017 18:27
  The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said the British people need to be educated about the consequences of leaving the single market, the latest in a series of blows traded by Brussels and UK government ministers after a bruising round of exit talks.In remarks likely to enrage UK ministers, Barnier said Brexit would be “an educational process” for the British public who voted to leave the EU.Barnier’s comments follow a tense press conference in Brussels last wee
  
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• Woman dies and two men taken to hospital after taking ecstasy

  03-09-2017 18:18
  Police are warning members of the public to take great care when buying or taking MDMA or ecstasy.Police have issued a warning about ecstasy after a woman died and two men were taken to hospital after taking pills at two London nightclubs.The 22-year-old woman died at King’s College hospital on 28 August after being taken ill at a house in Knight’s Hill, Lambeth.
  
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• Woman dies and two men in hospital after taking MDMA in London

  03-09-2017 18:18
  Police have issued a warning over ecstasy after a woman died and two men were hospitalised after taking MDMA pills at two London nightclubs.All three were Vietnamese nationals in south London.The 22-year-old woman died in King’s College Hospital on 28 August after being taken ill at a house in Knight’s Hill, Lambeth.
  
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• Last-ditch effort to restore Stormont government in Northern Ireland

  03-09-2017 18:09
  The Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire will meet party leaders in Belfast on Monday in a last-ditch effort to restore the Stormont government.With no devolved Executive in place, direct rule from Westminster could become the only option for the first time in a decade.Last week, Sinn Fein rejected Democratic Union Party leader Arlene Foster's proposal to resume power-sharing and address differences over culture and language in a parallel process.
  
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• Toddler rescued after falling into 50-metre well in China – in pictures

  03-09-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Firefighters and excavators dig to rescue a 20-month-old boy who fell into a well in Xi’an, Shaanxi province Continue reading...
  
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• EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier Vows To 'Educate' British During Brexit Talks

  03-09-2017 17:43
  EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has ramped up the tension over Brexit talks after warning he is trying to “educate” the UK about the price of quitting the European Union.
  
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• Alarm over steep rise in number of sextortion cases in UK

  03-09-2017 17:41
  The National Crime Agency says the true number of cases could higher than the 1,250 reported in 2016.Growing numbers of people are falling victim to organised gangs who lure them into sending sexually explicit images and then threaten to post the pictures online unless they get payment.There has been a sharp rise in webcam blackmail, also known as sextortion.
  
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• Grenfell Tower fire victims honoured in charity match at QPR – video

  03-09-2017 16:59 via theguardian.com
  Stars from the worlds of showbiz, football and athletics teamed up at QPR’s Loftus Road on Saturday in Game4Grenfell, a charity match to raise funds for those affected by the tragedy. Survivors and volunteers talk about their ongoing emotions while Les Ferdinand, Tony Fernandes and Marc Bircham explain why it was so important to honour the victims Continue reading...
  
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• This seismologist’s reaction to North Korea’s nuclear test is about as candid as it gets

  03-09-2017 16:48
  It’s quite brief…
  
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• Houston And South Asia May Seem Worlds Apart, But The Challenges Are The Same

  03-09-2017 16:43
  Right now the world's attention is on the emergency unravelling in Texas.
  
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• Brexit will be an education for UK says EU's lead negotiator

  03-09-2017 16:12
  The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said the British people need to be educated about the consequences of leaving the single market, the latest in a series of low blows traded by Brussels and UK government ministers after a bruising round of exit talks.In remarks likely to enrage UK ministers, Barnier said Brexit would be “an educational process” for the British public who voted to leave the EU.Barnier’s comments to the annual economic conference follow a tense
  
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• Theresa May urged to force councils to build more homes

  03-09-2017 16:06
  The communities secretary, Sajid Javid, would like to see housebuilding boosted significantly.Theresa May is being urged to face down a potential backlash from backbench Conservatives and sign off proposals aimed at forcing councils to unleash a building boom to tackle Britain’s housing crisis.The Department for Communities and Local Government has confirmed to the Guardian that it will publish details by the end of this month of how local authorities should assess the need for housing.
  
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• Man on sofa among four hurt after car hits house in York and catches fire

  03-09-2017 15:55
  A man sitting on a sofa was among four people who were injured after a car smashed through the side of a house and burst into flames.Three people had been inside the Golf and all were taken to hospital with head injuries.
  
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• Foreign Office's Palmerston is mouser in chief as Larry catnaps

  03-09-2017 15:32
  Palmerston has been busy keeping the rodent population at bay, catching at least 27 mice since arriving on Whitehall in 2016.Palmerston arrived from Whitehall from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2016.The FCO said it "does not keep an accurate figure for the amount of mice caught by Palmerston.
  
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• Boris Johnson: 'no easy military solution' after North Korea nuclear test

  03-09-2017 15:23
  Boris Johnson has warned there is “no easy military solution” to prevent North Korea escalating its nuclear aggression but said all options were still on the table for retaliation after the regime’s nuclear weapons test.The UK foreign secretary said it was not clear how a military response from the west would be possible, given the proximity of the South Korean capital, Seoul, to the North Korean border.
  
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• Everything you need to know about the nuclear bomb North Korea has tested

  03-09-2017 15:16
  This is the country’s sixth and most powerful test to date.
  
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• Brexit: David Davis denies Theresa May will agree €50bn divorce bill

  03-09-2017 15:08
  David Davis has denied Theresa May is preparing to approve a Brexit ”divorce bill” of €50bn, saying UK negotiators would not allow time pressures to force Britain into paying vast sums.The Brexit secretary insisted there was no legal obligation for the UK to pay sums for EU projects after leaving the bloc, even those approved while the UK was a member, but conceded there were “moral or political” reasons to reach a financial settlement.
  
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• Four injured as car smashes into lounge of house in York

  03-09-2017 15:02
  Fire crews arrived at the scene in Clifton Moor, York, to find almost the entire car inside the house, with only its boot protruding amid a pile of shattered bricks.North Yorkshire police arrested a 20-year-old man who is thought to have been at the wheel.Sgt Paul Cording, of North Yorkshire police, said it was ”astounding” that no one lost their life in the crash.
  
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• Brexit talks: David Davis accuses EU of playing 'time against money'

  03-09-2017 14:54
  David Davis has accused the EU of playing "time against money" during Brexit negotiations as it tries to exert pressure on the UK to agree a divorce bill.The Brexit Secretary also said Brussels had made itself look "silly" by insisting that there had been no progress in the talks."They've set this up to try and create pressure on us on money, that's what this is about.
  
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• Keir Starmer: Labour won't give PM 'blank cheque' over Brexit vote

  03-09-2017 14:33
  Labour’s Keir Starmer has warned Theresa May the government will face a parliamentary battle on the first Commons vote on controversial Brexit legislation unless she answers concerns about accountability.The shadow Brexit secretary said the party would not hand May “a blank cheque” over the repeal bill, which is to have its second reading when parliament returns next week, which he said would give ministers “very wide powers” that could override parliamentary scruti
  
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• Dramatic Pictures Show Car Which Slammed Into House And Burst Into Flames

  03-09-2017 13:59
  Four people were hospitalised when a car smashed through the side of a house and burst into flames.
  
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• Conversation with David Cameron: yours for $7 in South Dakota

  03-09-2017 13:34
  It is not known how much David Cameron will receive as payment.Just days after his successor addresses the party faithful at the Conservative conference, David Cameron will be speaking to a very different audience at bargain-basement prices.The good folk of Rapid City, South Dakota, a stone’s throw from the old west frontier town of Deadwood, can join a “Conversation with David Cameron” for just $7 (£5.40) or $3 for students.
  
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• When in Rome … it’s time to eat real spaghetti carbonara

  03-09-2017 13:30 via theguardian.com
  For Heinz Beck, a three-Michelin-star German chef working in the city’s top restaurant, the much-loved pasta dish is Rome on a plateIf you ask a Roman, they will tell you that spaghetti carbonara belongs to Rome. But I think this dish reflects the way the city welcomes outsiders. I first tried it in 1994, shortly after my arrival from Germany. I visited local restaurants to get to know the Roman culinary tradition, and I ate my first carbonara at Armando al Pantheon.The history behind carb
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon 'Will Scrap Public Sector Pay Cap' In Scotland

  03-09-2017 13:05
  Nicola Sturgeon will scrap the one percent cap on public sector pay rises in Scotland when she sets out her legislative plans for the coming year, it is understood.
  
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• EU commission criticism of Brexit talks was 'silly' - David Davis

  03-09-2017 11:56
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's chief Brexit negotiator David Davis said on Sunday the European Union had made itself look silly by criticising the British approach to the talks that Brussels said had made little progress. "Bluntly, I think it looked a bit silly, because there plainly were things that we've achieved," Davis told the BBC. "The commission puts itself in a silly position if it says nothing has been done." He also said it was likely Britain would continue to pay some money into the EU
  
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• Anonymous Vote Registration Boost For Domestic Abuse Survivors

  03-09-2017 11:27
  More domestic abuse survivors should be able to take part in elections after the Government confirmed plans to make it easier to register to vote anonymously.
  
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• Taking on the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc – in pictures

  03-09-2017 10:45 via theguardian.com
  The annual Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc is a 170km mountain ultramarathon around the highest mountain in the Alps, crossing France, Italy and Switzerland, whilst tackling numerous passages in high altitude (>2500m) and in difficult weather conditions (night, wind, cold, rain or snow)Continue reading...
  
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• Roaring along: readers' photos on the theme of fierce

  03-09-2017 10:00 via theguardian.com
  For last week’s photography assignment in the Observer New Review we asked you to share your photos on the theme of fierce via GuardianWitness. Here’s a selection of our favouritesShare your photos on this week’s theme ‘class’ by clicking the button belowContinue reading...
  
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• Theresa May Ignored Advice Against Election, Leaked Memo Reveals

  03-09-2017 09:55
  Theresa May was warned by campaign guru Sir Lynton Crosby that her gamble of calling a snap general election carried “a lot of risk”, a leaked memo has revealed.
  
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• North Korea Latest: US Warns Kim Jong Un Of 'Total Annihilation' After Successful Test Of Nuclear Weapon

  03-09-2017 09:13
  US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has warned North Korea that any provocation will be met with a “massive military response” after the outcast state said it has successfully tested a nuclear weapon that can be loaded onto a long-range missile.
  
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• North Korea Latest: Earthquake Hits As Country Says It Has Successfully Tested Nuclear Weapon

  03-09-2017 09:13
  North Korea says it has successfully tested a nuclear weapon that can be loaded onto a ballistic missile.
  
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• Ghost cities haunt stability dream in far west China

  03-09-2017 09:00
  Dubbed "Shenzhen City" after the bustling southern port city that financed it, the more than 200,000 square metre development is part of a government project to stabilise Xinjiang with massive ...
  
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• The i: as intelligent and compact as ever, but nothing like as cheap

  03-09-2017 08:00
  There was a change of ownership in April 2016 when a regional giant, Johnston Press, paid £24m as the old Indy departed to find a wholly digital future.The little brother, crisply edited by Oly Duff and a small team, sailed on.Circulation revenue for the i increased from £4.4m to £11m and advertising revenue was said to be up from £0.8m to £3m (over a slightly different period).
  
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• Fox on the run as Murdoch’s tarnished silver is stashed in the cupboard

  03-09-2017 08:00
  Only 2,000 or so of us a day will miss Fox News as it disappears from Sky UK.A purely technical decision, says New York HQ.Fox live in British living-rooms was a reminder of what “fair and balanced” US news could be like, when run by Roger Ailes.
  
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• Death in Bangladesh doesn’t draw a crowd like Melania

  03-09-2017 08:00
  Donald and Melania – in a much-remarked-upon outfit - depart for Houston.The great Bhola cyclone of 1970, pounding the shores of East Pakistan (soon to be Bangladesh) and West Bengal.Only last week the monsoon rains – dumping walls of water on Nepal and east India – flooded one-third of Bangladesh.
  
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• Hard sell for Norman as he takes the reins at under-pressure M&S

  03-09-2017 07:59
  Will Archie Norman be able to perform his retail magic on Marks & Spencer and reinvigorate the mainstay of the high street?This will be the first full week that the former Asda chief executive will be in his new role of chairman at the 113-year-old institution – at a time when the company is battling what Norman describes as “the considerable challenges … in a rapidly changing retail landscape”.The teenage newcomer has a market valuation of just under £5bn &nda
  
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• Newspaper headlines: 'Secret' Brexit bill, and Tory rebels warned

  03-09-2017 07:32 via bbc.co.uk
  The Sunday Times says Theresa May has "secretly agreed" a £50bn sum to settle the UK's Brexit bill.
  
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• 15 injured as lightning strikes music festival in France

  03-09-2017 07:31
  At least 15 people were injured, two of them seriously, after lightning struck a tent during a music festival in northeast France on Saturday (2 September), according to reports.The regional council said in a statement that the lightning struck several areas during the Vieux Canal festival in the northeast town of Azerailles.According to local media, the lightning struck a big tent pitched near a tree under which festival goers had taken shelter.
  
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