General news

• Storm Brian incoming: 70mph gusts expected

  20-10-2017 23:43
  Storm Brian has already hit the west coast of Ireland and will be crossing the Irish Sea tonight.Communities across the British Isles are battening down the hatches in anticipation of Storm Brian, just days after three people died in hurricane-force winds and hundreds of thousands were left without power by Storm Ophelia.The Met Office said gusts of up to 70mph were expected on Friday evening, combining with high tides in coastal areas to produce huge waves and storm surges.
  
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• Dulwich Park attacker convicted at Inner London crown court

  20-10-2017 23:13
  McDonald stabbed a 31-year-old man in the left side of his head and his chest after trying to steal the handbag of the man’s female friend.Jermaine McDonald, 26, was found guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm, robbery and attempted robbery at Inner London crown court on Friday for the attack in Dulwich Park in April.McDonald stabbed a 31-year-old man in the left side of his head and his chest after he approached the victim and a female friend as they sat on the grass.
  
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• Geostorm review – Gerard Butler's dull disaster movie is a washout

  20-10-2017 22:54 via theguardian.com
  An ill-timed action thriller about a rogue weather-controlling system is as clunky as its premise and dumber than a street full of hailstonesWhen writer-director Dean Devlin titled his handsomely budgeted new action tentpole Geostorm, he entered into an unspoken pact with his prospective audience. He chose a goofy, make-believe word, and in doing so, promised a goofy, make-believe movie. Nobody’s walking into the auditorium looking for lofty insights on the complexities of the human condit
  
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• This police force is explaining what is and isn’t a prank, because its 2017

  20-10-2017 22:11
  Hint: Don’t falsely report crime.
  
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• Storm Brian Sees Brits Batten Down The Hatches As They Prepare For Atlantic Ocean 'Weather Bomb'

  20-10-2017 21:59
  Communities across the UK are battening down the hatches with sandbags and barricades in preparation for the arrival of Storm Brian.
  
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• Drug dealer Harry Fisher caught with £1m stolen painting jailed for eight years

  20-10-2017 21:17
  A drug dealer who was caught with a £1m stolen painting and a £450,000 stash of cocaine and ecstasy has been jailed for eight years and eight months.Harry Fisher, 28, of Kingston upon Thames, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and acquiring criminal property.The work, by Sir Stanley Spencer, had been stolen from the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, Berkshire, in 2012.
  
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• Pilots at Ryanair's largest base reject pay offer

  20-10-2017 20:56
  A majority of Ryanairpilots at its largest base haverejected management's offer of improved pay and conditions, the airline said on Friday, dealing a blow to its efforts to address a recent pilot shortage.It responded by promising pilots significant improvements in pay and conditions, exceeding rates paid by rivals, with negotiations to take place with each of its 86 bases individually.Pilots at London's Stansted Airport rejected the Ryanairoffer by a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent at Friday
  
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• Police to resume search for missing RAF airman Corrie McKeague at landfill site

  20-10-2017 20:32
  Police are to resume the search for missing RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague at a landfill site next week.Officers from Suffolk Constabulary have confirmed they will continue searching for the 23-year-old at the Milton landfill site from Monday.The extended search, expected to take four to six weeks, will focus on an area of Cell 22 next to the site of the earlier search.
  
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• Oxbridge 'failing to address diversity', David Lammy says

  20-10-2017 20:21
  Oxford and Cambridge have been accused of failing to engage in serious debate over their lack of diversity by the former education minister David Lammy, who first highlighted the issue with data obtained by freedom of information requests.The Labour MP said the universities had been “trying to make journalists change their stories” rather than address how little progress they were making in recruiting talented students by race, social class and location in England and Wales.On Friday
  
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• RBS restructuring unit probed over claims it profited from stricken firms

  20-10-2017 20:09
  Police in Scotland are looking into allegations a controversial division of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), set up to restore struggling companies to health, broke the law in its dealings with them.More than 90% of the firms put into RBS' Global Restructuring Group (GRG), established after the financial crisis, are understood to have suffered "inappropriate action" against them by the bank, according to a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) report leaked in August.Police Scotland says it is a scopin
  
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• Phones4U founder 'felt bereaved' after partner's expenses claims, high court hears

  20-10-2017 19:25
  John Caudwell, the founder of Phones4U, said the breakdown of his relationship with a trusted business adviser who he regarded as a “best friend” was like suffering a “bereavement”, the high court has heard.Caudwell was giving evidence at the high court on Friday in his legal battle with French businesswoman Nathalie Dauriac, the former chief executive of Signia Wealth, which helped to manage his personal fortune.Dauriac has been accused of fiddling her expenses.
  
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• Phones 4U founder 'felt bereaved' after partner's expenses claims, high court hears

  20-10-2017 19:25
  John Caudwell, the founder of Phones 4U, said the breakdown of his relationship with a trusted business adviser who he regarded as a “best friend” was like suffering a “bereavement”, the high court has heard.Caudwell was giving evidence at the high court on Friday in his legal battle with French businesswoman Nathalie Dauriac, the former chief executive of Signia Wealth, which helped to manage his personal fortune.Dauriac has been accused of fiddling her expenses.
  
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• Ryanair says pilots at London Stansted reject pay offer

  20-10-2017 19:19
  DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ryanair pilots at its largest base at London's Stansted airport on Friday rejected an offer of improved pay and conditions in response to recent damaging pilot shortages, the Irish airline said.
  
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• Catalonia Independence Row Sees Spanish Government Move Closer To Imposing Direct Rule

  20-10-2017 18:59
  The Spanish government is one step closer to imposing direct rule in Catalan after winning the support of the socialist opposition party for plans to dissolve the region’s parliament and hold new elections.
  
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• 'Imbecile' Donald Trump slammed by MPs for UK crime tweet

  20-10-2017 18:52
  British MPs have accused Donald Trump of "fearmongering" and of making "inflammatory and ignorant statements" after he claimed a rise in UK crime was caused by "radical Islamic terror".Among a number of comments on social media, co-leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, tweeted: "OK @theresa-may, this is a test.
  
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• John Lewis winning in challenging market, boss says

  20-10-2017 18:50
  John Lewis, Britain's largest department store operator, is outperforming a challenging market as it approaches the key Christmas trading period, its boss said on Friday.British consumers' discretionary spending is under pressure from rising inflation, subdued wage growth and ongoing uncertainty in the UK economy."Consumer confidence is in quite a challenged place ... It is not a market for the faint-hearted at the moment," said Paula Nickolds, the company's managing director.
  
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• Forget fields of wheat, Theresa May sitting alone at a table is the meme of the moment

  20-10-2017 18:47
  “Hello darkness my old friend.”
  
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• Tell us how working in hospitality has changed since Brexit

  20-10-2017 18:43
  A BHA report says 75 per cent of waiters and waitresses, 25 per cent of chefs and 37 per cent of housekeeping staff in the UK are from other EU nations.A staffing crisis in the hospitality industry is inevitable as a result of the Brexit vote, according to an industry association.Some 75% of waiters and 25% of chefs working in the UK come from other EU nations.
  
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• Black students on Oxbridge: 'we need to change the narrative'

  20-10-2017 18:41
  Oxford and Cambridge must engage with students at a much younger age, and state schools should better prepare their students for elite colleges, black British Oxbridge students say.Hope Oloye, 20, from Newham, east London, is the only black biomedical student in her year at Oxford.“My head of sixth form, who grew up in a council estate and went to Cambridge, called my mum in to speak to her, and helped everyone with all Oxbridge applications.
  
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• Monte dei Paschi's return to stock market delayed - source

  20-10-2017 18:34
  Shares in bailed-out Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena are expected to resume trading on the Milan bourse in the week of Oct. 30, a source familiar with the matter said, a few days later than expected.Monte dei Paschi's shares have not traded in Milan since December 2016, when the bank failed to raise capital from investors and had to seek help from the state ahead of an 8 billion euro (£7.1 billion) rescue.The source said Italy's market watchdog Consob would likely approve the prospe
  
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• UK among worst in Europe for pollution-related deaths

  20-10-2017 18:08
  The UK has one of the worst records for pollution-related deaths in Europe, a major environmental study has found.More than 50,000 Britons died from exposure to man-made chemicals in 2015, making up 8.39% of deaths in the UK.It is a higher proportion than in many other European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.
  
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• This mother wanted to spell out ‘love’ for a family photo, but got an unwanted surprise

  20-10-2017 18:00
  Warning – this article contains a rude word.
  
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• Scottish haggis is coming back to Canada after 46 years and Canadians don’t seem too bothered

  20-10-2017 17:58
  The foodstuff will now be available in Canada following a ban.
  
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• Pollution More Likely To Kill You If You're Poor

  20-10-2017 17:49
  If you’re poor, you’re more likely to be killed by pollution.
  
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• Brexiters trying to 'bluff' UK's readiness for no-deal scenario, says Macron

  20-10-2017 17:48
  Emmanuel Macron said talks on the UK’s divorce bill from the EU were ‘not even halfway there’.Emmanuel Macron has accused Brexiters of seeking to “bluff” the EU into softening its negotiating stance by championing a no-deal scenario, in a dramatic intervention at a summit of European leaders.The French president said such an outcome was “in no case” part of the discussions, in an apparent reference to reports that the Brexit secretary, David Davis, was p
  
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• Toddler Elsie Scully-Hicks had injuries similar to those in 'severe' car crashes

  20-10-2017 17:44
  Eye injuries a toddler suffered - discovered after she was allegedly murdered by her adoptive father - were similar to those seen in a "severe" car crash, a court has heard.Elsie Scully-Hicks died in hospital in May 2016 after suffering three separate areas of subdural bleeding, retinal bleeding in both eyes, a skull fracture and fractures to three ribs and her leg.Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, who is accused of inflicting those injuries on the 18-month-old girl, had formally adopted her with his hu
  
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• Storm Brian: 'Weather bomb' storm set to batter Britain and Ireland

  20-10-2017 17:35
  Storm Brian is set to batter the British Isles this weekend - with the prospects of gusts of up to 70mph and flooding along the coast.Sky's weather producer Jo Robinson said the second named storm of the season, caused by a "weather bomb" of low pressure in the Atlantic, will be a "mature" storm by the time it reaches Ireland on Saturday morning."The south and west of Ireland may see up to 80mph gusts in coastal parts early on Saturday, with an orange 'be prepared' warning issued by Met Eireann
  
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• Customs declarations to treble after Brexit – leaving staff struggling

  20-10-2017 17:27
  If the existing entry regime for non-European Economic Area nationals is extended to all EEA arrivals, auditors said UK Visas and Immigration will need to make 230% more decisions a year.Customs declarations are expected to more than treble after Brexit while immigration officials face making more than double the number of decisions, Whitehall’s official spending watchdog has found.As Theresa May’s government prepares to leave the EU, the National Audit Office has warned that the ext
  
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• We Need A Cross-Government Strategy Which Tackles The Key Drivers Of Homelessness

  20-10-2017 17:26
  How do we effectively support people sleeping rough away from the streets for good?
  
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• Thief steals crash victim’s belongings as he lay dying in road

  20-10-2017 17:20
  After a pedestrian was hit by a car, an opportunistic thief in another vehicle pinched items which had been scattered in the crash.
  
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• Why Racism Doesn't Go Away

  20-10-2017 17:16
  Differential treatment of people by race and colour persists, despite the fact that racism is illegal in most of the world.
  
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• Spice Girls bar Mel B reunite for Mel C's new Room For Love video

  20-10-2017 17:16
  A full Spice Girls reunion may still be just a pipe dream, but four of the original five are appearing together again.Mel C has enlisted the help of former bandmates Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner for her latest single Room For Love, with the trio appearing in the single's video.The video merges crowdsourced visuals of Sporty Spice Mel C and her fans, as well as clips of celebrity cameos including contributions from Posh, Ginger and Baby.
  
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• Hey Guys, It's Really Not Complicated

  20-10-2017 17:16
  There seems to be a view in some quarters, following the grotesque disclosures about the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, that men are confused about what is, and is not, acceptable behaviour.
  
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• A Reply From A Muslim Woman Who Had A Segregated Education

  20-10-2017 17:16
  Ofsted stated segregation in a Birmingham Islamic faith school left girls 'unprepared for life in modern Britain'.
  
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• Italy market watchdog seen approving Monte dei Paschi prospectus next week

  20-10-2017 17:14
  Italy's market watchdog Consob is expected to approve the prospectus for the re-listing of Monte dei Paschi's shares in the second half of next week, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday, a few days later than expected.Shares in Monte dei Paschiwere expected to resume trading after a 10-month suspension at the beginning of next week, but the source said that it was now more likely to happen the following week.Monte dei Paschi's shares have not traded in Milan since December 2016, whe
  
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• Raqqa Drone Footage Shows Horrific Devastation In The Syrian City After Isis Fighting

  20-10-2017 17:01
  Drone footage from Raqqa on Thursday showed the extent of the devastation caused by weeks of fighting between Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and so-called Islamic State militants.
  
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• No Donald Trump, 'Radical Islamic Terror' Did Not Cause A 13% Rise In UK Crime

  20-10-2017 16:59
  Donald Trump has stoked a wave of anger and mockery after claiming that Islamic terrorism is responsible for a 13 per cent rise in crime in the UK.
  
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• Protect The Protectors

  20-10-2017 16:45
  During nearly 13 years in frontline of Emergency Ambulance work I have suffered a number of assaults - some physical most verbal.
  
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• Labour MP Clive Lewis apologises for 'get on your knees' comment

  20-10-2017 16:35
  Clive Lewis, who has apologised after a video emerged in which he made derogatory comments.The Labour MP Clive Lewis has apologised for using a misogynist phrase at a Labour party conference fringe event last month after being criticised by several prominent female colleagues.Video from the Momentum event in Brighton surfaced on Friday in which Lewis, the MP for Norwich, told the actor Sam Swann to “get on your knees bitch”.
  
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• Paris wants to regulate Asian bike-share operators

  20-10-2017 16:03
  Paris does not want Asian bike-sharing operators to burst into the city the way Airbnb and Uber did and plans to introduce regulation to ensure an orderly rollout of new bicycle schemes, a top city official told Reuters.Launched just last week, Hong Kong's Gobee.bike has already spread its bikes all over Paris and Chinese giants Ofo and Mobike, as well as Singapore startup oBike, see entering the French capital as a key step in their plans to conquer Europe's city centres.Armed with hundreds of
  
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• What is behind the London stock market's positive spell?

  20-10-2017 16:01
  Have you ever wanted to own shares in a debt collection agency?Well, soon you will have the opportunity to do so, as Cabot Credit Management, the UK's largest, has announced it plans to float on the stock market.The IPO, which is expected to take place some time during November, will value the company - currently owned by the private equity firm JC Flowers and the US debt collection firm Encore Capital - at £1bn.
  
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• Too much sun. Hair too dry - L'Oreal adds Paris to digital beauty start-up cities

  20-10-2017 15:56
  L'Oreal , the world's biggest cosmetics company wants to see more beauty techlike sensory hair brushes that tell you how to care for your hair, and skin patches that let you know how much sun you are getting.L'Oreal makes an ever greater slice of sales online and has rolled out services and items for tech-savvy consumers, such as a phone app for virtual make-up tests.The French group said it was looking to develop more inventions at a site for start-up companies in Paris, where 10 to 12 firms wi
  
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• test test 2

  20-10-2017 15:55
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• BBC Apologises Over Gay Conversion Tweet Asking If 'Therapy' Should Be Banned

  20-10-2017 15:44
  The BBC has apologised after an online poll sparked outrage when listeners were asked whether gay conversion therapy is “acceptable practice” or not.
  
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• Merkel says Britain must move on Brexit bill to break deadlock

  20-10-2017 15:43
  German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that the European Union could only agree to enter the next phase of Brexit negotiations in December if Britain provided specific assurances about its readiness to settle financial obligations to the bloc.Speaking to reporters at the end of a two-day EU summit in Brussels, Merkel said it was "very clear" what British Prime Minister Theresa May had to do to break a deadlock in the talks that has prevented a discussion about Britain's post-Brexit relat
  
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• May wins Brexit reprieve, faces tough weeks ahead

  20-10-2017 15:43
  British Prime Minister Theresa May won a modest reprieve in stalled Brexit talks on Friday, with European Union leaders signalling their readiness to move the negotiations forward in the coming months.EU leaders said at a summit in Brussels that they would begin preparations to move into "phase two" of the Brexit negotiations in December, a step forward that would allow London to discuss its future trade relationship with the bloc.
  
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• Elsie Scully-Hicks jury hears 999 calls by father accused of her murder

  20-10-2017 15:07
  Matthew Scully-Hicks is accused of killing Elsie two weeks after he and Craig Scully-Hicks formally adopted the 18-month-old.During a call made by Matthew Scully-Hicks on the day Elsie allegedly sustained fatal injuries, he described her as being “floppy and limp” and the operator can be heard instructing him to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.Two months earlier, Scully-Hicks had also dialled 999 to report that Elsie had fallen down the stairs of the home in Cardiff he shared w
  
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• MP: diversity leads to better decision making

  20-10-2017 15:00
  Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, makes the case for more diversity at the Bank of England and across financial services.
  
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• 'If all goes well...' Titanic victim's letter expected to sell for thousands

  20-10-2017 14:57
  A hand-written letter found on the body of a man killed in the sinking of the Titanic is expected to fetch up to £80,000 at auction on Saturday.The letter, written by first-class passenger Alexander Oskar Holverson to his mother on embossed Titanic "on-board" stationary, describes his impressions of the palatial ship, praising the food and music."If all goes well we will arrive in New York Wednesday A.M.," Holverson wrote the day before the ship's fateful encounter with an iceberg.
  
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• London the starting line as Adidas laces up robotic shoe run

  20-10-2017 14:51
  Adidas has launched the first of six planned city-themed running shoe models in London as it capitalises on its first Speedfactory, which it has opened in Germany and equipped with time-saving robotics.Adidas plans to use the factory - and another due to open soon in Atlanta, Georgia, to produce small batches designed for particular markets, and ultimately for individual consumers, in contrast to mass production runs ordered months in advance.After London it plans shoe models inspired by Paris,
  
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