General news

• Cabinet behind PM after Brexit talks

  21-09-2017 23:50
  A Cabinet meeting called by Theresa May ahead of a crucial Brexit speech has ended with an apparent show of unity around her strategy.
  
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• May to urge EU 'creativity' in major Brexit speech in Florence

  21-09-2017 23:46
  Theresa May will urge EU leaders to show "creativity" over Brexit and remind them of the historical significance of securing a UK exit deal.In a major speech in Florence, which the Prime Minister hopes will push Britain's divorce talks on to discussions about a future trade deal, Mrs May will set out her plan for a time-limited transition period as the UK departs the EU.The sum will be enough to fill the black hole in the EU's current budget due to be left by Britain's departure in March 2019.
  
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• May seeks Florentine renaissance for deadlocked Brexit talks

  21-09-2017 23:44
  By William JamesFLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to rescue stalled Brexit talks on Friday with a speech in the Italian city of Florence she hopes will convince the European Union she is ready to cut a fair divorce deal.Europe's capitals and boardrooms will be watching to see if May can offer enough to EU negotiators to persuade them to move talks forward, without angering eurosceptics in Britain who have the power to destabilise her minority government.Brit
  
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• This hilarious video of a guy petting his dog may catch you off guard

  21-09-2017 23:41
  Paul Rugg has an interesting way of coming home to unwind…
  
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• London's National Gallery prevails in 'stolen' Matisse lawsuit - NY judge

  21-09-2017 23:22
  By Jonathan StempelNEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Gallery in London on Thursday won the dismissal of a lawsuit in which three grandchildren of a muse of the artist Henri Matisse sought to recover a painting they said was stolen shortly after World War Two.U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan said the museum and Great Britain were shielded by sovereign immunity, and the grandchildren waited too long to sue for the return of "Portrait of Greta Moll."Oliver Williams and Margarete Gre
  
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• Putney Murder Investigation: Neighbour Reports 'Weird Barbecue' Smell After Charred Body Found In Garden

  21-09-2017 22:12
  A neighbour said she smelled a “weird barbecue” in the garden where a badly burned body was found.
  
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• Who would win in a fight? 1,000 unarmed humans or 1,000 brown bears?

  21-09-2017 22:05
  It’s the question that’s taking Twitter by storm.
  
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• Parsons Green attack: Two men released without charge

  21-09-2017 21:56
  Two men arrested over the Parsons Green terror attack have been released from custody without charge.Yahyah Farroukh, 21, was detained at a fried chicken shop in Hounslow, west London, on Saturday, while a 48-year-old man was arrested at an address in Newport on Wednesday.Four other men remain in custody in connection with last Friday's attack, which saw a crude home-made bomb left on a London Underground train.
  
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• UN Peacekeepers: Congo leads world in sex abuse allegations

  21-09-2017 21:24
  The girl was only 11 when the first peacekeeper raped her, luring her with bread and a banana as she was leaving school in her village in northeastern Congo. "It was the first man who ever touched ...
  
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• UK banks to check 70m bank accounts in search for illegal immigrants

  21-09-2017 21:00
  A Barclays spokesperson said the bank was simply complying with the Immigration Act 2016.Banks and building societies are to carry out immigration checks on 70m current accounts from January in the biggest extension of Theresa May’s plans to create a “hostile environment” for illegal immigrants in Britain, the Guardian has learned.The Home Office expects to identify 6,000 visa overstayers, failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders facing deportation in the first year
  
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• Readers recommend: share your songs about taboos

  21-09-2017 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 25 September We want to hear about songs that talk up taboos – or, indeed, may have been taboo themselves. For more on how to interpret the theme, keep an eye on the comments.You have until 11pm on Monday 25 September to post your nomination and make your justification. Samantha Birchard, who posts below the line as drunkenpanda, will select from your
  
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• UK debt crisis and the onward march of neoliberalism | Letters

  21-09-2017 20:39 via theguardian.com
  Quantitative easing allowed the wealthy to get out of cash and into assets, writes Martin London; the provisionally passed Ceta deal is TTIP by the back door, says John Airs. Plus letters by David Dodd and Paul NicolsonThe debt crisis Larry Elliott predicts (Borrowed time: Threadneedle Street is right to fear a bubble, 19 September), is the result of our failure to resolve the financial crisis of 2008. The credit crunch demonstrated that western economies were living beyond their means and that
  
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• Fostering often leads to very good outcomes | Letters

  21-09-2017 20:38
  Dawn Foster is, sadly, right when she writes that fostering tends to appear in the news for negative reasons (It’s hard enough as a foster child without being demonised, Opinion, 21 September).Foster children are vulnerable, and can be challenging, but with the right support they can have fulfilling and positive futures.Without enough loving homes these children risk being moved around.
  
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• Parsons Green attack: Yahyah Farroukh released without charge

  21-09-2017 19:52
  A 21-year-old man arrested over the Parsons Green terror attack has been released from custody without charge.Yahyah Farroukh was arrested at a fried chicken shop in Hounslow, west London, on Saturday.Five other men remain in custody in connection with last Friday's attack, which saw a crude home-made bomb left on a London Underground train.
  
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• Ryanair to recruit 120 new pilots in the 'next week or two'

  21-09-2017 19:45
  Ryanair's boss Michael O'Leary is rushing to recruit 120 new pilots within "the next week or two" to avert the prospect of a new wave of cancelled flights.The announcement was made just hours after a letter was sent to the company by a group of its existing pilots, rejecting an offer of a tax-free £12,000 bonus in exchange for working overtime.A total of 315,000 passengers have been affected by the blunder, which has resulted in 2% of Ryanair services up to the end of October being axed.
  
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• Former Fifteen to One host William G Stewart dies

  21-09-2017 19:42
  William G Stewart, the former host of popular TV show Fifteen to One, has died at the age of 84.A legendary figure in UK television, Stewart was also the producer and director of The Price is Right and Family Fortunes.Stewart fronted the Channel 4 general knowledge show Fifteen to One, often called the toughest quiz show on television, from its inception in 1988 until 2003.
  
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• David Shepherd obituary

  21-09-2017 19:42 via theguardian.com
  Artist whose popular wildlife paintings helped raise millions for conservationFresh out of school, with no scholastic achievements to recommend him, David Shepherd applied for a place at the Slade School of Art in London. The Slade did him the biggest favour of his life by telling him that he had no talent for art. Instead, Shepherd, the artist and conservationist, who has died aged 86, took to painting meticulous pictures of railway engines, aircraft and – the real breakthrough – wi
  
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• Sir Teddy Taylor obituary

  21-09-2017 19:28
  Admirers warmed to his eloquent, quickfire attacks on the European project, but to others he seemed obsessive, and in 1996 he admitted: “I am the biggest Euro-bore there ever was.” Nonetheless, few doubted his courage or the sincerity of his views, which did not help his career prospects.Having entered the House of Commons in 1964, Taylor was given a junior post in Edward Heath’s government, but resigned in 1971 when Heath applied for entry to the European Economic Community.
  
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• Spain and the Catalan referendum | Letters

  21-09-2017 19:14 via theguardian.com
  A group of MPs and peers writes to denounce Spain’s attempts to block the referendum in Catalonia. And more than a hundred academics put their names to a letter condemning Madrid’s crackdownWe, the undersigned peers and MPs, have a range of opinions on whether Catalonia should be independent or remain part of Spain (Report, 21 September). However, we all agree that the issue should be decided by the people of Catalonia in a democratic and peaceful way. We are extremely disturbed by t
  
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• Man almost loses sight after 'despicable' acid attack during street robbery

  21-09-2017 19:14
  An elderly man almost lost his sight in one eye after being sprayed with acid by two men who stole his Cartier watch.Were it not for "swift intervention and treatment at the scene", his sight could have been badly damaged.
  
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• Arnold Schwarzenegger pumps iron at Yorkshire gym

  21-09-2017 19:11
  Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger surprised staff at a Leeds gym by turning up and pumping iron.The actor and former politician trained at the 1-RM training studio in the Yorkshire city as he was visiting for a performance on stage.The studio was closed while the Hollywood icon worked out, but several members of staff had the chance to meet their hero.
  
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• This apparent masterpiece is actually just a smudge someone found on a wall at work

  21-09-2017 19:02
  You can almost see the individual buildings.
  
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• We Must Use The Millicent Fawcett Statue To Transform Women's Lives

  21-09-2017 18:55
  Put a statue of a Suffragette in Parliament Square.
  
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• Parsons Green bombing: police release 21-year-old man

  21-09-2017 18:45
  Neighbours said it was a halfway house or hostel.A 21-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the Parsons Green terrorist attack has been released from custody with no further action, Scotland Yard has said.The man – understood to be Yahyah Farroukh, who was arrested in Hounslow on Saturday – was released as police were searching a property in south London after arresting a sixth person in connection with the tube bombing.
  
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• Owner of house where 35 men are living threatens to sue Brent council

  21-09-2017 18:45
  The owner of a three-bedroom house in north-west London where 35 men are living in rooms full of mattresses has insisted he had no idea of the conditions at the property and threatened to take legal action against the council for calling him a rogue landlord.Brent council raided the property on Winchester Avenue, Queensbury, after complaints from neighbours.The owner of the property, Sunil Hathi, who is a doctor, told the Guardian he was shocked by the discovery and has pledged to evict the men
  
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• These guys made an underwater jet pack to let them glide like Iron Man

  21-09-2017 18:37
  Ryan Kung and David Shulman are a dab hand at this DIY stuff.
  
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• Parsons Green Bombing: 21-Year-Old Arrested Has Been Released Without Charge

  21-09-2017 18:36
  A 21-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the Parsons Green terror attack has been released from custody with no further action, Scotland Yard has said.
  
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• Nine British School Children Taken To Hospital After Gas Leak At Spanish Hotel

  21-09-2017 18:24
  Nine British children on a school trip have been taken to hospital after a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a hotel in northern Spain.
  
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• Weather presenter Sian Lloyd breaks wrist after racing colleague while wearing wellies

  21-09-2017 18:16
  Weather presenter Sian Lloyd has suffered a broken wrist after falling during a "stupid running race in wellies".
  
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• Olia Hercules: the childhood food that’s shaped my life

  21-09-2017 18:13 via theguardian.com
  Chef, food writer and author Olia Hercules grew up in Ukraine, then Cyprus, before a stint working in restaurants in Sicily inspired her career in food. Here, she shares her memories and her recipe for potato and courgette raguI remember these mad, long summers growing up in Ukraine. It would start getting hot in April, when people move into their summer kitchens outside. Some of my first memories are of waking up and going there and finding this dish called “sous”, or “sauce&r
  
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• Pregabalin, known as 'new valium', to be made class C drug after deaths

  21-09-2017 18:06
  Pregabalin will no longer be available on repeat prescription.A prescription drug described as the “new valium” is to be classified as a class C controlled substance after it was linked to a growing number of UK deaths.Pregabalin – a substance used to treat nerve pain, epilepsy and anxiety – is increasingly being handed out too readily and being used recreationally, according to doctors and pharmacists.
  
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• Doctors Are Leaving The Profession - We Need To Find Out Why

  21-09-2017 17:54
  I remember when I first started my training as a junior doctor in Northampton.
  
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• EU tells Britain to 'settle the accounts' and speed up Brexit progress

  21-09-2017 17:30
  Speaking ahead of a keynote speech by the British prime minister, Theresa May, in Florence on Friday, Michel Barnier said there was still “major uncertainty” over the UK’s approach on key issues and asked why it has taken so long to set out its stall.Warning that the UK has just one year left to make a deal, he said: “The question facing us over the coming months is serious, but simple: will the United Kingdom leave in an orderly fashion with an agreement, or not?“W
  
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• Kingsman: The Golden Circle: Colin Firth on the superspy comedy sequel – video

  21-09-2017 17:25 via theguardian.com
  The second Kingsman film sees the dapper British secret agents go up against American supervillain Poppy Adams, played by Julianne Moore, with the help of Statesman, their US equivalent. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is out now in the UK, and is released on 21 September in Australia and 22 September in the US. Continue reading...
  
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• EU wants May to make firm offers now for Brexit deal - Barnier

  21-09-2017 17:06
  By Giuseppe Fonte and Gavin JonesROME (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May should make the EU firm offers by next week to break deadlock in Brexit talks if she wants an orderly withdrawal and transition to a new relationship, the bloc's negotiator said on Thursday.Speaking to the Italian parliament on the eve of a speech that May will deliver in Florence, Michel Barnier said he was wondering why there was still "major uncertainty" on all key issues Brussels wanted settled before openin
  
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• How does Scotland's education system worth without tuition fees?

  21-09-2017 17:05
  How does Scotland's education system worth without tuition fees?
  
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• This quiz on the true cost of university is harder than a Monday 9am lecture

  21-09-2017 16:59
  Is university worth it?Tuition fees, rent, travel and food bills all vary wildly, meaning a degree from Oxford Brookes will put you back £18,000 more than one from Northampton over a three-year degree.Among the Russell Group institutions, choosing Warwick over Imperial would save you £8,000 a year - almost the same as another 12 months of tuition fees.
  
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• What can the Government do about the cost of university?

  21-09-2017 16:58
  Since Jeremy Corbyn promised that Labour would abolish fees, there has been a frenzy of speculation about how the Government would respond.After the election, there were private discussions in government about dramatically slashing or even abolishing fees to respond to Labour's promise.
  
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• Irish border data underlines huge task facing Brexit negotiators

  21-09-2017 16:53
  The scale of the difficulties facing Brexit negotiators in disentangling the border between Britain and Ireland has been highlighted by new data showing there were more than 110m border crossings between the two last year.An official analysis by British and Irish statisticians found there were an estimated 375,900 Irish-born people living in the UK and 277,200 UK-born people living in Ireland.The scale of possible disruption through the introduction of a post-Brexit hard border between Northern
  
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• Addison Lee seeks appeal of court ruling over courier rights

  21-09-2017 16:46
  Premium car service Addison Lee said on Thursday it had applied to appeal a court decision that ruled a courier deserved workers' rights such as holiday pay, in a bid to defend the flexible working lauded by employers but criticised by unions.Like taxi app Uber [UBER.UL], Addison Lee operates in the so-called "gig economy", where most people are self-employed and entitled to only basic protections.Unions and some lawmakers argue they should receive rights such as the minimum wage and holiday ent
  
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• Corrie McKeague: New CCTV Images Released In Hunt For Missing RAF Airman

  21-09-2017 16:40
  Detectives investigating the disappearance of RAF gunner Corrie McKeague have released CCTV images of people they would like to speak to.
  
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• Tell us about the bad habits you've broken and how it's changed you

  21-09-2017 16:38 via theguardian.com
  Whether you overspend, snack too much or lose yourself in social media, we’d like to know about the bad habits you’ve given up and what it meant to you
  October starts next week and for some it’s Stoptober, the month to try and give up smoking. Others stop drinking alcohol in the new year for Dry January. We’d like to hear about the bad habits you’ve given up and what it meant to you to break them. Continue reading...
  
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• Cycling proficiency

  21-09-2017 16:34 via bbc.co.uk
  As ministers consider making dangerous cycling an offence, should licences also be on the agenda?
  
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• Age of May, Corbyn, Cable, Churchill, Merkel and Putin

  21-09-2017 16:28 via bbc.co.uk
  The average age of the three biggest UK-wide party leaders now 67.
  
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• Ian Brady: Moors Murderer 'would remove feeding tube'

  21-09-2017 16:24 via bbc.co.uk
  Ian Brady's intermittent hunger strikes played no part in his death, a coroner rules.
  
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• Man guilty of double killing at Dundee family vigil

  21-09-2017 16:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The 43-year-old stabbed a man and woman to death in the street after the family gathering in Dundee.
  
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• Ryanair scrambles to please pilots, customers and investors

  21-09-2017 16:16
  By Conor HumphriesDUBLIN (Reuters) - Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary on Thursday scrambled to placate pilots and reassure investors as the airline's annual general meeting was dominated by the cancellation of 2,000 flights in a "cock-up" that exposed major staffing issues.O'Leary told shareholders he took personal responsibility for the staffing issues and the way the company broke the news to customers, adding that Ryanair's pilot pay levels may have been too modest in the past.
  
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• Hurricane Maria: British territory braced for onslaught

  21-09-2017 16:10 via bbc.co.uk
  There are fears the latest hurricane to hit the Caribbean could devastate Turks and Caicos.
  
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• Corrie Mckeague search: New CCTV images released

  21-09-2017 16:08 via bbc.co.uk
  A year after he disappeared, police release new pictures of people who may have seen the airman.
  
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• Police question man and woman after body found in south London garden

  21-09-2017 15:57
  Specialist investigators are carrying out work at the property in Wimbledon Park Road.A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was discovered in the garden of a house in south-west London.Firefighters who put out a fire at the address on Wimbledon Park Road in Wandsworth called police at about 6.30pm on Wednesday to report the body.
  
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