General news

• Johnson warns UK cannot become 'vassal state' of EU

  16-12-2017 23:32
  Britain must strike a strong trade deal with the European Union after Brexit and avoid becoming a subordinate state of the bloc, foreign minister and leading Brexiteer Boris Johnson has told the Sunday Times newspaper.Failure to ditch EU law would make the United Kingdom a "vassal state," Johnson said in an interview to be published on Sunday.The government must aim to "maximise the benefits of Brexit" by getting divergence from the bloc's rules so that it could do "proper free trade deals" with
  
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• Deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle 'devastated' by daughter's death

  16-12-2017 23:20
  The deputy speaker of the House of Commons has said he is "truly devastated" by the death of his daughter Natalie.Lindsay Hoyle, the MP for Chorley, Lancashire, posted a statement on Twitter in which he said his family would never be the same again without her.Ms Lewis-Hoyle, 28, was reportedly found unconscious by emergency services at an address in Heybridge, Essex, on Friday morning and died at the scene.
  
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• More than half of Britons now want to stay in EU - poll

  16-12-2017 22:41
  A poll has found that 51 percent of Britons would now keep European Union membership while 41 percent want to leave the bloc, a near reversal of last year's referendum result.The BMG poll of 1,400 people for The Independent published on the newspaper's website on Saturday came as Britain moves into a second phase of negotiations on exiting the EU, which will focus on trade.The Independent said the lead for "remain" over "leave" was the biggest in any poll so far since the vote in June 2016.
  
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• Call off Brexit bullies or face defeat, Tory peers tell Theresa May

  16-12-2017 22:30
  Theresa May faced rebellion from 11 of her party’s MPs last week.Theresa May was warned on Sunday by Tory peers that she will face a string of parliamentary defeats over Europe in the House of Lords if she tries to “bully” members of the second chamber into backing an extreme form of Brexit.After 11 Conservative MPs joined opposition parties to inflict a humiliating loss on the government last week, Tory grandees are warning that the spirit of rebellion will spread to the Lords
  
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• Tulse Hill Hit And Run Latest: Five Drivers Now Traced Following Police Appeal

  16-12-2017 21:03
  Five drivers who may have been involved in a suspected multiple hit-and-run in which a woman died have been traced, police said.
  
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• You’ll be terrified by these four-word Christmas horror stories

  16-12-2017 20:36
  Not the jolliest of lists.
  
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• IDS joins Eurosceptics in slamming Hammond's 'status quo' Brexit plan

  16-12-2017 19:36
  Iain Duncan Smith has joined other Eurosceptics in attacking the Chancellor over his statements that the UK will stay in the single market after it leaves the EU.Philip Hammond was asked whether the UK would remain subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and participate in the single market and customs union, during the transition phase after Brexit.Mr Duncan Smith added his voice to those of others like Peter Bone MP who criticised the Mr Hammond for making a statement that
  
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• Fifth vehicle 'may have been involved' in Tulse Hill hit and run

  16-12-2017 19:32
  The Met Police have said that a fifth vehicle "may also have been involved" in a fatal hit and run in Tulse Hill.Police have said the drivers of all four vehicles involved in the collision have been brought in for questioning, plus the driver of a fifth vehicle who they now believe may also have been involved.CCTV footage released on Friday shows a white lorry and a black car as two of the four vehicles to have hit a 29-year-old woman in Tulse Hill, South London.
  
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• Commons Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle Mourns After Daughter Natalie Lewis-Hoyle Dies Suddenly Aged 28

  16-12-2017 19:08
  House of Commons Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has paid tribute to his daughter who has died suddenly, aged 28.
  
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• Star Wars: The Last Jedi: the Porgs, the Force and the future - discuss with spoilers

  16-12-2017 19:05 via theguardian.com
  It gave us new powers, abundant alien creatures and a triumphant last hurrah for Luke Skywalker, but did Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII live up to the hype?•Warning: this article contains spoilers Related: Star Wars: The Last Jedi review – an explosive thrill-ride of galactic proportions Fan theorists were certain that Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi would be to The Empire Strikes Back what JJ Abrams’ The Force Awakens was to the original Star Wars, a movie full of Jedi tr
  
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• This Cambridge Uni hopeful is searching for stranger who wrote ‘good luck’ note

  16-12-2017 18:23
  Joe Wren received unexpected encouragement on his way back from an interview.
  
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• Alex Rowley Resigns As Scottish Labour Party Deputy Leader

  16-12-2017 18:02
  Alex Rowley has announced he won’t resume the role of deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
  
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• Surrealism and the city – in pictures

  16-12-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Brooklyn-based photographer Ben Zank has an eye for the unusual. His urban portraits – many of them self-portraits – present a surreal depiction of the struggles of everyday life, inspired by the area he lives and works in. While he attempts to capture as much of the final effect as possible using the camera, digital manipulation in Photoshop afterwards can take anywhere between one and 15 hours per image. Zank sees each setup as its own self-contained story rather than part of a ser
  
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• David Cameron to lead £750m UK-China investment initiative

  16-12-2017 17:50
  David Cameron’s role is not his first job since stepping down as PM in 2016.David Cameron has taken a job leading a billion-dollar investment initiative agreed between the UK and China.The former prime minister, who played a key role in efforts to boost trade links with Beijing while he was in Downing Street, will take charge of the £750m fund to improve roads, ports and rail networks between China and the countries it trades with.
  
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• Nigel Farage Says 18 Years As A Ukip MEP Has Left Him 'Skint'

  16-12-2017 17:16
  Nigel Farage has said he is “skint” after spending 18 years as a Ukip MEP fighting for Brexit.
  
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• These Are The UK's Worst Airlines, According To Passengers

  16-12-2017 17:05
  British Airways has slumped to third from bottom in an annual survey of short-haul airlines.
  
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• Schools On Ofsted 'Name And Shame' List Suffer Huge Staff Exodus, Union Claims

  16-12-2017 16:51
  Schools included on a so-called “name and shame” list by the education watchdog have lost almost 600 staff since 2015, a union has said.
  
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• This app will send coal to the person at the top of your naughty list

  16-12-2017 16:25
  A fitting gift for someone you are not pleased with this year.
  
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• The Nation's Favourite Tipple Has Been Revealed

  16-12-2017 15:47
  It’s a quintessentially British favourite and quite the perfect mix with a tonic.
  
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• Eurosceptics attack Govt over 'status quo' Brexit transition plan

  16-12-2017 15:47
  The Chancellor has indicated the Government will accept EU proposals for a Brexit transition period, despite concerns raised by some Conservative Eurosceptics.On Friday, the EU published a document which set out the process of agreeing the terms of transition, which made clear the UK will be expected to observe all EU rules during the period, including on freedom of movement, and be barred from making independent free trade deals.During a trade visit to China, Philip Hammond was asked whether th
  
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• Royal Wedding Day: These Three Couples Explain How They Feel

  16-12-2017 14:44
  The date’s been set for what will become one of 2018′s most-watched events.
  
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• Heinz Wolff Dead: Great Egg Race Presenter And Prominent Scientist Dies Aged 89

  16-12-2017 14:21
  Heinz Wolff, a prominent scientist best known for his role as the presenter of the BBC’s Great Egg Race television programme has died, aged 89.
  
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• Hart in Hampshire has been crowned the UK's best place to live

  16-12-2017 13:58
  Hart in Hampshire has been crowned the UK's best place to live, according to the Halifax Quality of Life Survey.
  
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• Nigel Farage claims he is 'skint' and says 'there's no money in politics'

  16-12-2017 12:57
  Nigel Farage at the European parliament in Strasbourg, where he has one of the worst voting participation records.Nigel Farage, the former leader of Ukip, has bemoaned being “53, separated and skint” in an interview, adding “there’s no money in politics”.In an interview in the Daily Mail, Farage discusses his personal life and his 24-year political career, while claiming his “contempt for career politicians knows no bounds”.
  
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• Canadian Police Investigate 'Suspicious' Deaths Of Billionaire Couple In Toronto

  16-12-2017 12:37
  Canadian police said they were investigating the mysterious deaths of Barry Sherman, founder of Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex Inc, and his wife, Honey, one of the nation’s wealthiest couples whose bodies were found in their mansion on Friday.
  
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• Brexit transition deal will 'replicate the status quo', Hammond says

  16-12-2017 12:17
  The Chancellor has indicated the Government will accept EU proposals for a Brexit transition period, despite concerns raised by some Conservative Eurosceptics.On Friday the EU published a document which set out the process of agreeing the terms of transition, which made clear the UK will be expected to observe all EU rules during the period, including on freedom of movement, and be barred from making independent free trade deals.During a trade visit to China, Philip Hammond was asked whether the
  
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• Tony Blair Calls Brexit 'Tory Psychodrama' That Leaves No Time For Other Issues

  16-12-2017 11:36
  Tony Blair has said Brexit is a “Tory psychodrama” that leaves the country with “no time to deal with the problems of inequality”.
  
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• Hart in Hampshire 'best place to live in UK'

  16-12-2017 11:32 via bbc.co.uk
  The Hampshire district came top in a study that looked at factors including life expectancy.
  
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• Salford fire deaths: Siblings 'will be buried side-by-side'

  16-12-2017 11:22 via bbc.co.uk
  The uncle of four siblings who died after a house fire says he hopes they get the "funeral they deserve".
  
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• Boy, 12, dies after being hit by bus in Brondesbury Park

  16-12-2017 11:13 via bbc.co.uk
  The child was struck by a 206 bus in Brondesbury Park, north-west London.
  
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• New ice warning, but will it be a white Christmas?

  16-12-2017 11:03
  Frozen Britain woke up to icy conditions this morning, after temperatures plummeted overnight.The Met Office issued Yellow weather warnings for ice in Scotland and across the east and west of the UK until 11am.Greg Dewhurst, Met Office forecaster, said: "It's a lovely sunny start, plenty of winter sunshine, but a cold, frosty start.
  
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• Strictly Come Dancing 2017 champion to be crowned

  16-12-2017 10:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Four celebrities are in with a shot of lifting the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy.
  
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• Islamophobia surge in sport 'because of Brexit'

  16-12-2017 10:35
  Troy Townsend, Kick It Out's education officer, says there are more instances of discrimination and racism in non-league football since the Brexit vote.
  
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• 'It's been 26 years - I can't die without finding my Nicola'

  16-12-2017 10:28
  Nicola Payne, from Coventry, disappeared after crossing wasteland near her parents' house on 14 December, 1991.
  
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• JK Rowling has defended Johnny Depp's casting in Fantastic Beasts. Is it time we moved on?

  16-12-2017 10:00
  Cat Person by Kristen Roupenian was published in the New Yorker and I heard so many people arguing about it I briefly felt like a member of the Dickensian public in the heady days of The Pickwick Papers.Last week JK Rowling issued a statement defending the casting of Johnny Depp in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts.Rowling, who is clearly A Good Thing, has spoken out frequently in defence of women.
  
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• Homeless Man Who Guarded Open Car ‘Overwhelmed’ By Thousands Raised For Him

  16-12-2017 09:30
  A homeless man who stood guard by an open car to make sure a handbag and money was not stolen has been overwhelmed by a campaign that has raised thousands of pounds for him.
  
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• The house that Edek built - and the secret suitcase kept inside

  16-12-2017 09:17 via bbc.co.uk
  The architect, his modernist post-War home, and the suitcase full of secrets he kept inside.
  
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• Iain Lee addresses I'm a Celeb bullying claims

  16-12-2017 09:04 via bbc.co.uk
  The radio host says the term bullying is a "bit strong".
  
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• This is what Christmas has looked like in Downing Street over the decades

  16-12-2017 09:00
  From the Thatcher years to the present day.
  
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• Revealed: The worst airlines for customer satisfaction

  16-12-2017 08:56
  British Airways has plunged to third from bottom in an annual survey of customer satisfaction on short-haul airlines.The poor scoring comes in a year when BA stopped free catering for passengers travelling in economy class on short-haul flights.The airline was given a score of just two stars for its food and drink and received the same poor rating for seat comfort and value for money.
  
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• Brexit: UK must not be EU 'colony' after Brexit

  16-12-2017 08:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Conservative backbenchers are split over the terms of a transition period once the UK leaves the EU.
  
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• Royal Court U-turn over play axed amid harassment claims

  16-12-2017 08:45 via bbc.co.uk
  The Royal Court will stage Rita, Sue and Bob Too following accusations of censorship.
  
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• Former PM to lead UK-China investment role

  16-12-2017 08:32 via bbc.co.uk
  David Cameron is to lead a £750m fund to improve links between Britain and China, the government says.
  
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• 'I Lost My Mind': Teenage Girl Tells HuffPost UK How Syrian Soldiers Slaughtered Her Family

  16-12-2017 08:30
  The war in Syria has produced many harrowing tales of bloodshed and loss – but few are more heartbreaking than that of Aiysha’s.
  
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• Is Tefl a springboard to getting other jobs?

  16-12-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  I’m thinking of teaching in Spain or Italy, but I’m wondering whether employers recognise any value in working abroadEvery week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out – a selection of the best answers will appear in next Saturday’s paper.This week’s question: Continue reading...
  
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• Surfer Andrew Cotton plans to return to his board after breaking his back on 50ft wave

  16-12-2017 07:49
  A British surfer who broke his back when a 50ft wave crashed on top of him is recovering at home in Devon and says he aims to be back on a board by February.Andrew Cotton, 36, is a professional surfer who travels the globe hunting for the world's biggest waves.It was in Portugal in early November that he broke his back in mountainous seas off Nazare in Portugal.
  
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• China, UK vow to continue, strengthen economic, financial cooperation

  16-12-2017 07:44
  China and the United Kingdom vowed to continue and strengthen cooperation on a wide range of economic, financial and trade issues, the British government said on Saturday in a statement following talks in Beijing between the U.K. finance minister Philip Hammond and Chinese officials.Both countries opposed trade protectionism and reaffirmed their support for the World Trade Organisation as a key pillar of the global trade system.
  
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• Brexit vote 'sparks rise in Islamophobia' against Muslim footballers at grassroots level

  16-12-2017 07:09
  Muslim footballers playing the game at grassroots level are increasingly being targeted with Islamophobic abuse following Brexit, according to the organisation that monitors racism in football.Troy Townsend, Kick It Out's education officer, told Sky News: "I was always worried about Brexit and the outcome of that and I think what we've found now is people want to take ownership a lot more.Mr Townsend said in some instances young children were being singled out because of their faith.
  
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• Newspaper headlines: 'Royal own goal' wedding and final clash

  16-12-2017 06:43 via bbc.co.uk
  Next year's royal wedding, which will clash with the FA Cup final, makes many of Saturday's front pages.
  
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• Ice warning - but will it last until Christmas?

  16-12-2017 06:28
  Forecasters are warning of the potential for icy conditions on Saturday morning following freezing temperatures overnight.The Met Office has issued Yellow weather warnings for ice in Scotland and across the east and west of the UK until 11am.Greg Dewhurst, Met Office forecaster, said: "It's a lovely sunny start, plenty of winter sunshine, but a cold, frosty start.
  
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