General news

• Theresa May averts new Brexit Bill defeat after remainers back exit date compromise

  15-12-2017 23:15
  Pro-EU Tories issued a joint statement saying they would support the amendment allowing flexibility on the UK's exit date, saving the prime minister from another embarrassing defeat."By restoring flexibility to altering the date of exit if needed, [the amendments] reduce the risk of a chaotic Brexit through last-minute failure which might be readily curable by a change to the date.
  
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• Sales pitch

  15-12-2017 23:00 via bbc.co.uk
  Shops are using quirky events and experiences to lure us back to the High Street - but will it work?
  
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• Uncertain future

  15-12-2017 22:59 via bbc.co.uk
  Will Disney want to keep pumping money into a loss-making news channel after the Fox deal?
  
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• Money machines

  15-12-2017 22:59 via bbc.co.uk
  The cash machine industry and the network are at loggerheads over closure plans.
  
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• Royal protection police officer admits indecent images charges

  15-12-2017 22:52 via bbc.co.uk
  PC Adam Cox created an alter ego called Emily Whitehouse to exchange explicit chat with men online.
  
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• Salford fire: Family of four killed speak of 'nightmare'

  15-12-2017 21:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Claire Pearson says Demi, Brandon, Lacie and Lia were "best friends" as well as siblings.
  
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• Donald Trump Praises FBI Graduates Just Hours After Trashing Bureau

  15-12-2017 21:47
  Donald Trump has given a confusingly mixed message to the FBI, lamenting the “very disgraceful” sactions of the organisation before travelling to address new graduates and telling them he’s a “a true friend and loyal champion”.
  
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• Rape trial collapse student felt 'pure fear'

  15-12-2017 20:43 via bbc.co.uk
  Liam Allan was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault before his case was dropped.
  
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• Local buses could be replaced by Uber-style services, says Grayling

  15-12-2017 20:34
  A rural bus service makes its way through the Lake District.Local buses could be replaced by “Uber-style” rides, the transport secretary has said, sparking a backlash from Labour, trade unions and campaigners.Chris Grayling told local government leaders that the future of local buses was a more bespoke service, suggesting on-demand models similar to the ride-hailing app could be used more widely to bridge funding gaps.
  
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• Martin Rowson on the progress of Brexit talks – cartoon

  15-12-2017 20:27 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
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• Student Liam Allan 'betrayed' after rape trial collapse

  15-12-2017 19:57 via bbc.co.uk
  Police are accused of failing to disclose vital phone records to the defence before the trial.
  
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• Family 'heartbroken' after Salford house fire that killed four children

  15-12-2017 19:41
  The family of four children who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Salford say they have been left "heartbroken" by their deaths.Three suspects have been charged over the incident, which took place in Jackson Street in Walkden, Salford, at shortly before 5am on Monday.Firefighters fought to get the fire under control and rescue the seven people inside, but four children have died and their mother - 35-year-old Michelle Pearson - remains in a coma in hospital.
  
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• Dark rumours in Westminster over Tory whips’ behaviour

  15-12-2017 19:23
  The chief whip, Julian Smith, is said to have overseen a military-style operation to keep MPs under control.Dark rumours have been circulating around Westminster this week about the government whipping operation, with talk of misdemeanour lists to keep troublesome MPs in line, and alleged attempts to put pressure on those threatening to rebel on Brexit.The Conservative party was forced to deny the suggestion that one politician had been reduced to tears by “bullyboy tactics” before b
  
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• Martyn Hett Tribute Revealed On What Would Have Been Manchester Bombing Victim's 30th Birthday

  15-12-2017 19:08
  The brother of Manchester Area attack victim Martyn Hett has revealed a tribute to him that says “Be more Martyn”, on what would have been his 30th birthday.
  
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• Driver dies after school bus crash in Aberdeenshire

  15-12-2017 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Several children escaped with minor injuries after a school bus crashed on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
  
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• German pilots' union ready for talks with Ryanair next week

  15-12-2017 19:03
  German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has requested a meeting with Ryanair early next week after the Irish low-cost carrier said it would recognise unions in a bid to stop strikes."It's now up to Ryanair to prove the seriousness of this announcement," Ilja Schulz, VC president, said on Friday.VC had threatened Ryanair with strike action, joining unions in other countries to put pressure on the airline's management as they sought to negotiate better contracts.
  
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• Quantico star Priyanka Chopra could be Meghan Markle's bridesmaid

  15-12-2017 19:01
  A Bollywood actress who apparently never reads her emails could be one of the bridesmaids to accompany Meghan Markle when she weds next May.There is speculation that Priyanka Chopra will be asked by Ms Markle to be part of her bridal party when she gets married to Prince Harry in Windsor on 19 May.Ms Chopra hit the headlines earlier this year when a friend posted a picture of her holding her phone which displayed more than 250,000 unread emails.
  
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• What evil plots is the snow hatching? | Brief letters

  15-12-2017 18:58
  Snow in the Brecon Beacons national park in Wales on Monday. Photograph: Drew Buckley/Rex/Shutterstock
  
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• SNP told to find extra £150m for councils or lose Greens’ support

  15-12-2017 18:48
  Derek Mackay presents his budget in the Scottish parliament.Nicola Sturgeon’s minority government has been told it must increase funding for Scottish councils by at least £150m to get its budget passed by Holyrood.The Scottish Green party said its six MSPs would not support the Scottish government’s budget unless there was a real-terms rise in council funding.
  
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• Canada's spy agency settles lawsuit over alleged racist and homophobic bullying

  15-12-2017 18:42 via theguardian.com
  Details of the settlement were kept confidential after five employees claimed ‘discriminatory behavior has become the accepted culture’ at the agencyCanada’s spy service has settled a C$35m lawsuit launched by five employees who alleged they suffered years of bullying in a workplace rife with racism, homophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment. The allegations against the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, documented in a statement of claim filed in July in Federal Court, offered
  
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• Gulf in expectations for next phase of Brexit talks widens

  15-12-2017 18:39
  As in the first round of talks, the sequencing of phase two will be set by the European Union.The British prime minister, Theresa May, declared that trade talks would start “straight away”, directly contradicting the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, who said they would start in March.As in the first round of talks, the sequencing will be set by the EU and has already been outlined by Juncker and in a European council text on Friday.
  
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• Michael Billington's top 10 theatre of 2017

  15-12-2017 18:38 via theguardian.com
  Imelda Staunton simmered, Sondheim’s showgirls sizzled, Bryan Cranston gave us a cathode-ray Lear, and Jez Butterworth found love in the time of hunger-strikes• More of the best culture from 2017 Continue reading...
  
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• This may be a turning point in treating neurodegenerative diseases

  15-12-2017 18:37 via theguardian.com
  Success in trials for Huntington’s and Spinal Muscular Atrophy raises hopes that diseases such as Alzheimer’s and ALS could be tackled using a new class of drugsThey are diseases that threaten more than physical health: memories, personality, and the ability to move and speak are incrementally stolen. And until this year neurodegenerative diseases, from Alzheimer’s to ALS, had been entirely unstoppable.However, a breakthrough in Huntington’s disease this week suggests thi
  
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• A million homes can't get decent broadband, watchdog warns

  15-12-2017 18:35
  More than a million homes and businesses in the UK cannot get decent broadband, the communications regulator has reported.Although coverage is improving, Ofcom found that 1.1 million - roughly 4% of properties in the UK - were stuck with speeds below 10 megabits per second.The number has fallen from 1.6 million last year, Ofcom said in its Connected Nations 2017 report.
  
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• Ryanair offers to recognise unions in historic shift to try to avert strikes

  15-12-2017 18:32
  Ryanair offered on Friday to recognise pilot unions for the first time in its 32-year history in a last-minute attempt to avert its first-ever pilot strike.The move convinced Italy's largest pilot union to suspend a four-hour strike planned for Friday afternoon, but it was unclear if other unions would call off strikes planned for next week in Ireland and Portugal.Investors also took fright at the potentially major change to the business model at Europe's largest low-cost carrier, with Ryanair s
  
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• Italy's main pilots' union calls off planned strike against Ryanair - source

  15-12-2017 18:32
  Italy's main pilots' union, Anpac, called off a planned four-hour strike against Ryanair on Friday after the company said it would recognise the union in a bid to avoid the walkout.An Anpac source said it had received a letter from Ryanair and that talks between the company and the union to establish a national contract would begin soon.Fit-Cisl, a union that represents fewer pilots, said it would go ahead with the strike.
  
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• British pilot union BALPA accepts Ryanair offer of talks

  15-12-2017 18:32
  BERLIN (Reuters) - British pilots' union BALPA said it has accepted Ryanair's offer to start talks to discuss recognising unions, adding that the company's change of heart was welcome.
  
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• Teenager jailed for trolling footballer Andy Woodward about abuse

  15-12-2017 18:31 via theguardian.com
  Lewis Hawkins, 18, and his father, David Riches, sentenced to 12 months each after Twitter messages that left abuse survivor in tearsTwo people are beginning 12-month prison sentences after a fake Twitter account, purporting to be that of a paedophile, was set up to “troll” Andy Woodward after he became the first former footballer to waive his anonymity and leave the sport facing a sexual abuse scandal involving hundreds of other victims.Woodward, the former Crewe Alexandra, Bury and
  
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• 'Congratulations': EU moves to Brexit phase two but warns will be tough

  15-12-2017 18:30
  The European Union agreed on Friday to move Brexit talks onto trade and a transition pact but some leaders cautioned that the final year of divorce negotiations before Britain's exit could be fraught with peril.EU leaders, who had offered British Prime Minister Theresa May a rare summit round of applause over dinner in Brussels the night before, took just 10 minutes to agree that she had made "sufficient progress" on divorce terms last week and to give negotiators a mandate to move on to the mai
  
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• UK households turn downbeat about finances as Brexit weighs - BoE survey

  15-12-2017 18:27
  More households in Britain expect a deterioration in their finances than an improvement for the first time in three years, with much of it linked to the Brexit vote in 2016, a survey published by the Bank of England showed.The fall reflected how households felt about their personal finances over the past 12 months and a loss of confidence in the outlook for the economy since the referendum decision to take Britain out of the European Union, the BoE said."Households' expectations of income and sp
  
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• Trump judicial nominee can't answer basic legal questions at hearing – video

  15-12-2017 18:21 via theguardian.com
  US senator John Kennedy asked one of Trump's district court judge nominees, Matthew Petersen, a series of questions on basic law, and he was unable to answer them. Concerns have been raised over the suitability of the five nominees for the role, including Matthew Petersen. The American Bar Association declared one of the nominees 'unqualified' Continue reading...
  
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• Anna Soubry receives messages calling for her to be hanged as a traitor

  15-12-2017 18:21 via theguardian.com
  One of 11 Conservative MPs who defied government whips over Brexit says she is worried for her staff who see abusive messages firstAnna Soubry, one of the 11 Conservative MPs who defied government whips this week when the government suffered its first Commons defeat over Brexit, has received multiple messages saying she should be hanged as a traitor.Messages received by Soubry’s office – usually seen first by her parliamentary staff – also feature abuse, with one Facebook messa
  
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• How To Ask For An End Of Year Pay Rise

  15-12-2017 18:10
  The end of year review is looming and so too is the one conversation you dread the most!
  
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• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to marry on 19 May

  15-12-2017 18:02 via theguardian.com
  Kensington Palace confirms the royal wedding date for the prince and his American fiancee, the same day as the FA Cup finalPrince Harry and Meghan Markle are to marry on Saturday 19 May, Kensington Palace has announced.The couple had already indicated they planned a May wedding at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. Continue reading...
  
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• Trump turning US into 'world champion of extreme inequality', UN envoy warns

  15-12-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Special rapporteur Philip Alston, fresh from fact-finding tour, issues devastating critique of US society and condemns ‘private wealth and public squalor’The United Nations monitor on poverty and human rights has issued a devastating report on the condition of America, accusing Donald Trump and the Republican leadership in Congress of attempting to turn the country into the “world champion of extreme inequality”. Related: A journey through a land of extreme poverty: welco
  
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• Thomasina Miers’ recipe for roast winter vegetables with walnut and pomegranate sauce

  15-12-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  The classic Iranian sweet-sour sauce works as well with veg as it does with poultryRichly sweet, subtly sour, with a satisfying depth of flavour from ground walnuts: fesenjan is a tempting Persian stew traditionally eaten during the winter solstice. Northern Iran can get properly cold, and I suspect the varied climate has influenced some of the eclectic variations in Iranian cuisine. Imagine a place where your traditional winter dish is inspired by pomegranates – the sheer luxury of it.Tho
  
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• Christmas Is The Excuse Awkward Brits Need To Tackle Loneliness

  15-12-2017 18:00
  This week, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness publishes its final report – a call to arms for action on loneliness.
  
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• Britain's Rise In Homelessness Should Shame Us All

  15-12-2017 17:57
  I walk towards the station and see them, either lying by the side or trudging around.
  
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• Morecambe MP stirs row after doubting poverty claims by local schools

  15-12-2017 17:56 via theguardian.com
  Conservative MP David Morris questions stories of rickets and hungry children, saying claims are from schools ‘with links to leftwing group Momentum’A row is brewing between a Conservative MP and some of his Lancashire constituents after he suggested that claims by teachers about extreme poverty at local schools were untrue. A report by ITV earlier this week went viral after it showed schools where teachers said they had to wash their pupils’ uniforms because their families cou
  
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• More than 1m 'forgotten homes' in UK do not get fast enough broadband

  15-12-2017 17:56 via theguardian.com
  Ofcom report finds 4% of UK properties cannot access speeds of at least 10Mbps deemed necessary for modern internet useMore than 1m “forgotten homes” across the UK are unable to get sufficiently fast broadband to meet a typical family’s needs, from watching Netflix to browsing YouTube.Ofcom, the communications regulator, said 4% of UK homes and offices, about 1.1m properties, could not access broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps. Continue reading...
  
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• Four Easy Ways To Help Your Local Food Bank

  15-12-2017 17:56
  A jam-packed calendar of festive parties and extravagant Christmas shopping leaves most people with a dwindling bank balance by the end of December.
  
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• Leading women

  15-12-2017 17:55 via bbc.co.uk
  The government wants more women on the boards of public bodies - what challenges do they face?
  
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• Running out of wriggle room: what do future Brexit talks promise for UK? - The Guardian

  15-12-2017 17:54 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian
  Running out of wriggle room: what do future Brexit talks promise for UK?
  The Guardian
  Liam Fox (L) and Michael Gove will have to wait, it seems. Photograph: Niklas Hallen/AFP/Getty Images. Brexit. Running out of wriggle room: what do future Brexit talks promise for UK? A transition period with no power, delays to trade deals and no ...
  Brexit: Guidelines for the next stage of talksBBC News
  European leaders give green light to second phase of Brexit talksHeraldScotland
  EU sees new '
  
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• Running out of wriggle room: what do future Brexit talks promise for UK?

  15-12-2017 17:54 via theguardian.com
  A transition period with no power, delays to trade deals and no taking back control of anything: phase-two talks don’t offer much to look forward toAs the door shuts on the first phase of departure talks, EU leaders have declared six rigid parameters for second-phase talks that could prove to be an even tighter squeeze for Brexiters itching to take back control next year:Continue reading...
  
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• The Fiver | Beyond standard repetition and into the realms of performance art

  15-12-2017 17:50 via theguardian.com
  Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!For popular news agency Reuters Friday’s Arsène Wenger press conference, scheduled in theory so the Frenchman could look forward to Saturday’s game against Newcastle, revealed one thing that was particularly exciting. “Arsenal will not sell Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil during the January transfer window, manager Arsène Wenger has said,” they breathlessly reported. “When asked
  
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• Persimmon bosses must decide how greedy they want to be | Nils Pratley

  15-12-2017 17:49 via theguardian.com
  Mega-million payouts look appalling amid a housing affordability crisis – doubly so when bonuses appear determined by luck and subsidy, not just skillLet’s hope the penny now drops for Jeff Fairburn, Persimmon’s chief executive and a man looking to scoop a bonus currently worth around £110m.The moral to be drawn from the resignation of the chairman, Nicholas Wrigley, should be simple: you don’t deserve the full whack, so best to forfeit a good chunk or make a hefty
  
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• Marco Polo del Nero, Brazil football president, handed 90-day Fifa ban

  15-12-2017 17:49 via theguardian.com
  Lawyer fled Zurich in May 2015 during US-led probe into football corruption‘My hope is that he is banned for good,’ says former Brazil forward RomarioMarco Polo del Nero, the Brazilian Football Confederation president, was suspended by Fifa’s ethics committee on Friday, a move that could bring him closer to facing trial in the United States on charges of racketeering and money laundering. Del Nero has been banned for 90 days from all football activities. The suspension, which s
  
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• Police open fire on man with knife at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam - Telegraph.co.uk

  15-12-2017 17:45 via telegraph.co.uk
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Police open fire on man with knife at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Dutch military police say they have shot a man with a knife at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. The man was threatening passengers at the airport, police said, adding that the situation was now under control. In a tweet, the Marechaussee police service ...
  Amsterdam airport evacuated as Dutch police shoot man armed with knifeThe Independent
  Dutch police shoot man armed with knife at Amsterdam airpo
  
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• Small business owners share the most important lessons they’ve learned

  15-12-2017 17:40 via theguardian.com
  From harnessing the power of Facebook and FaceTime to raising your own equity, three small business owners give the advice they wish they’d received at the outset
  Cyndy Lessing and her business partner Jan Shure launched the online fashion business SoSensational in 2010 to sell clothes for women in their 50s and 60s. Continue reading...
  
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• Music trends alert: what you’ll be listening to in 2018

  15-12-2017 17:34 via theguardian.com
  Reggaeton rolls on, Justin Timberlake makes a return and we’ll all be singing Three Lions – for at least a few weeksIt might be freezing in the UK in January, but pop music is already looking ahead to summertime anthems – with reggaeton reigning supreme. After the success of Despacito featuring Justin Bieber, music journos reckon we’ll see a lot more pop stars digging out their Spanish GCSE phrasebooks and turning to Latin American vibes.“Everyone’s been talki
  
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