General news

• Shots fired as intruder chased inside US base in Suffolk

  18-12-2017 23:34
  A US Air Force base was placed on lockdown after an unauthorised man drove through the checkpoint and was shot at as he sped towards a military plane, police said.The 44-year-old British man failed to follow security directions at the entrance to RAF Mildenhall, near Bury St Edmunds, at 1.40pm on Monday, Superintendent Kim Warner, of Suffolk Police said.There were initial reports of a car being rammed into the checkpoint, but Supt Warner said he was "unaware of any damage to the base itself".
  
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• New approach promises early warnings of soggy summers

  18-12-2017 23:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Researchers develop a new technique to give a more accurate advance forecast for summer weather.
  
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• People are obsessed with Donald Trump’s two-handed water sipping technique

  18-12-2017 23:15
  It’s the second time in two months Trump has demonstrated a strange strategy for drinking water.
  
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• Manchester Airport: Heavy fog and runway 'defect' suspends flights

  18-12-2017 23:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Heavy fog and repair work on a runway at Manchester Airport led to all flights being temporarily suspended.
  
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• Flamefest Sex Festival Death Caused By Lethal Dose Of MDMA, Inquest Told

  18-12-2017 22:33
  A 53-year-old man died at a woodland sex fetish festival after taking a lethal dose of MDMA, an inquest has heard.
  
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• Wendy Thomas jailed for people smuggling to UK

  18-12-2017 21:47 via bbc.co.uk
  Wendy Thomas hid three people in a car and tried to drive them into the UK via the Channel tunnel.
  
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• RAF Mildenhall: Shots fired in security alert at US Suffolk airbase

  18-12-2017 21:38 via bbc.co.uk
  US personnel respond as a man drives through a checkpoint near to an aircraft at RAF Mildenhall.
  
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• 'You are never mutineers' - Bercow urges MPs to uphold principles

  18-12-2017 20:57 via bbc.co.uk
  Speaker John Bercow defends the right of MPs to vote on Brexit in line with their principles.
  
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• Police feel they are used as 'taxi service' for children in care

  18-12-2017 20:49
  Police forces are under pressure from a high volume of calls to children's care homes, sometimes for trivial issues, a new report sugests.Other officers said they felt like a 'taxi service' to get children back home, while others described feeling as though they had to 'tuck in' teenagers.The Howard League, which advocates for reform in the criminal justice system, worked with more than half of the police forces in England and Wales to understand how they are policing children's homes.
  
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• Rebecca Dykes: Family of embassy worker describe her as 'irreplaceable'

  18-12-2017 20:46 via bbc.co.uk
  The family of Rebecca Dykes, killed in Beirut, have spoken of their loss.
  
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• Two dead in Loch Lomond hotel fire

  18-12-2017 20:11 via bbc.co.uk
  Three other people, including a child, were treated in hospital after the blaze at the Cameron House Hotel.
  
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• BBC and Guardian sued over Paradise Papers leaks

  18-12-2017 19:22 via bbc.co.uk
  The law firm says the BBC breached confidentiality by misusing and publishing details within the documents.
  
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• Sarah Mullally: Former chief nurse is new Bishop of London

  18-12-2017 19:17
  The UK's former chief nursing officer has become the most senior woman in the Church of England after being chosen as the new Bishop of London.Downing Street announced the Right Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally would succeed the Rt Rev Richard Chartes after her nomination was approved by the Queen, placing her in the Church's third most senior position behind the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.The 55-year-old - who received her damehood in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to n
  
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• Fears for Toys R Us future grow as PPF balks at rescue plan

  18-12-2017 19:02
  The future of Toys R Us's British operations looked increasingly precarious on Monday as the UK's pensions lifeboat demanded a £9m injection into its pension scheme in exchange for backing a rescue plan this week.Sky News has learnt that the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the scheme's trustees want the sum - equivalent to four years of employers' contributions, along with related levy payments - to be agreed within 24 hours.The demand could determine the future of Toys R Us in Britain,
  
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• Rebecca Dykes: Family says British diplomat killed in Beirut was 'simply irreplaceable'

  18-12-2017 19:01
  The family of Rebecca Dykes, the British diplomat murdered in Beirut, have described her as "simply irreplaceable".
  
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• Ed Sheeran and Eminem locked in a battle for the Christmas number one

  18-12-2017 19:01 via bbc.co.uk
  He's got some tough competition... from himself.
  
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• Sheffield's Birley Academy bomb hoax threat: Boy arrested

  18-12-2017 18:50 via bbc.co.uk
  The school was evacuated but a "prolonged search" did not find anything, police said.
  
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• RAF Mildenhall: Shots fired as US base put on lockdown

  18-12-2017 18:44 via bbc.co.uk
  The shots were fired at RAF Mildenhall after a man tried to drive through a checkpoint.
  
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• Liverpool jail: The worst conditions ever seen, says report

  18-12-2017 18:28 via bbc.co.uk
  Some prisoners live in dirty and dangerous cells that should be condemned, a leaked report says.
  
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• Eurosceptics baulk as May pitches status quo Brexit transition

  18-12-2017 18:15
  British Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament her plan on Monday for a Brexit transition period with broadly the same access to European Union markets but was met with scepticism from pro-Brexit lawmakers fearful of a watered-down EU exit.On Monday, she reported back to parliament on those talks, setting out the framework of a roughly two-year implementation period designed to smooth Britain's EU exit and provide clarity for businesses and citizens.The outline of the transition period that
  
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• From Despacito to Mans Not Hot – 12 tunes that defined 2017

  18-12-2017 18:08 via theguardian.com
  It’s been a funny year, hasn’t it? There were highs and lows and in-betweeny bits and the UK’s music choices reflected that. We delved into Spotify’s Top 200 – literally the most-streamed tracks – and the Viral 50 (which is the only place the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme tune can outrank Katy Perry), to see which big news events and mass cultural moments affected the nation’s listening habits. Continue reading...
  
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• Lebanon detains Uber driver suspected of murdering British embassy worker - security official

  18-12-2017 18:03
  A Lebanese Uber driver with a previous arrest for drug use confessed to killing a British woman who worked at the British Embassy in Beirut, a senior Lebanese security official said on Monday.A second security source said preliminary investigations into the murder of Rebecca Dykes showed the motive was purely criminal, not political, and that the suspect had immediately confessed to the crime, which took place early on Saturday.A spokesman for Uber said in an email: "We are horrified by this sen
  
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• Sterling holds back Britain's FTSE, spreadbetters plunge

  18-12-2017 18:01
  The FTSE 100was up 0.6 percent, restrained by a rising pound, while the pan-European STOXX 600rose by twice as much, up 1.2 percent.A strong currency typically cuts revenues for the international companies that dominate the FTSE 100 and do much of their business outside the UK.The FTSE 250 , made up of smaller constituents and more focused on the UK economy, was up 1.1 percent.
  
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• Britain First members suspended from Twitter

  18-12-2017 18:01
  The leader and deputy leader of far-right organisation Britain First have been banned from Twitter as the social media company begins to enforce new rules.One rule regarding violence takes into account Twitter users' activity offline, forbidding users from affiliating with organisations that promote violence against civilians either on or off the site.Britain First leader Paul Golding, 35, and deputy leader Jayda Fransen, 31, are both facing charges in Belfast.
  
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• US military shoot at man during alleged break-in attempt at RAF Mildenhall

  18-12-2017 17:54
  The force described the incident as ‘significant’ and urged members of the public to avoid the area near the base.US military personnel opened fire on a man as he allegedly attempted to break into an RAF base in Suffolk on Monday afternoon.RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, was put on lockdown after a “security incident”, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said.
  
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• Amtrak Passenger Train Derails On Bridge And Falls On Highway Below In Washington State

  18-12-2017 17:54
  An Amtrak passenger train has derailed and fallen on to a busy highway in Washington State in America’s northwest.
  
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• Brexit thinktank removes 'institute' from its name

  18-12-2017 17:45
  The Conservative MEP, Daniel Hannan, is an advocate of Brexit and unfettered free trade.A thinktank set up by Daniel Hannan, a pro-Brexit Conservative MEP, has changed its name and website after it faced a possible fine for describing itself as an “institute” without permission.The Institute for Free Trade (IFT) was launched by Hannan in September.
  
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• John Skipper resigns as ESPN president over 'substance addiction' issue

  18-12-2017 17:42
  John Skipper joined ESPN in 1997 and served as the network’s president since 2012.John Skipper has resigned as ESPN president and co-chairman of the Disney Media Networks, citing a “substance addiction” issue.George Bodenheimer, who was president of ESPN from 1998 through 2011 and the network’s executive chairman until 2014, will take over in the interim as acting chairman while Disney finds a replacement.
  
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• Britain not treating incident at military base as terrorism at this stage - source

  18-12-2017 17:24
  Britain is not treating an incident at a British military base on Monday as terrorism-related at this stage, a Western security source said.The British authorities "are not treating the incident as terrorism related at this stage," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.
  
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• May tells 'Brexit war cabinet' UK must aim high in trade talks

  18-12-2017 17:15
  Senior ministers Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd leave No 10 after a cabinet meeting led by Theresa May on Monday.Theresa May has insisted the government must aim high in the next phase of EU negotiations, during a meeting of her “Brexit war cabinet” that highlighted some divides between senior ministers.A source revealed that the prime minister argued strongly for the UK to maintain its calls for a “bespoke and ambitious” trade deal despite a suggestion from the EU’s
  
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• Uber's licence in UK city Cambridge extended for five years

  18-12-2017 17:13
  The British university city of Cambridge extended Uber's operating licence for five years on Monday in a boost to the taxi app which is battling to keep its cars on the road in London, its most important European market.On Monday, local officials in Cambridge, eastern England, said the U.S. firm, valued at around $70 billion, will be able to keep operating for a further five years."We consider Uber to be a fit and proper operator," said Councillor Gerri Bird, the chairwoman of Cambridge city cou
  
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• How Do We Navigate The Black Hole Of Dementia Care Research?

  18-12-2017 17:10
  Every year we invest millions of pounds in academic research, but how are these learnings applied in health and social care practice?
  
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• Scottish companies say Brexit already making it hard to find staff

  18-12-2017 17:09
  Scottish businesses said on Monday that Britain's impending exit from the European Union was already making it hard to fill gaps in their workforces, citing a skills shortage, visa problems and a negative, uncertain image of the United Kingdom abroad.In evidence given to a UK parliamentary committee, representatives of the food and drink, tourism, health and social care sectors pointed to difficulties recruiting and training staff to cope with demand for their services, particularly in Scotland'
  
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• PM May says EU clear UK can have bespoke trade deal

  18-12-2017 17:08
  LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday a senior European Union negotiator had made it clear that Britain could end up agreeing a bespoke trading arrangement after it leaves the EU.
  
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• Bijan Ebrahimi murder: 'Institutional racism' by council and police

  18-12-2017 17:07 via bbc.co.uk
  A report finds evidence of "institutional racism" in the case of murdered refugee Bijan Ebrahimi.
  
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• Shots fired by U.S. military personnel to stop man forcing entry onto British base

  18-12-2017 17:00
  U.S. military personnel fired shots on Monday as they stopped a man who tried to force his way into a British military base used by the U.S. air force, police said.The Mildenhall Royal Air Force base said security staff locked down the base, used by the United States to refuel U.S. and NATO aircraft in Europe, at about 1300 GMT following reports of a disturbance."Shots were fired by American service personnel and a man has been detained with cuts and bruises and taken into custody," Suffolk Poli
  
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• US military opens fire on man after alleged break-in bid at RAF Mildenhall

  18-12-2017 16:54
  The force described the incident as “significant” and urged members of the public to avoid the area near the base.US military personnel opened fire on a man as he allegedly attempted to break into an RAF base in Suffolk.RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, was put into lockdown after a “security incident”, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said.
  
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• Shots fired as 'car rams gate' at US Air Force base in Suffolk

  18-12-2017 16:51
  A car rammed the gates of a US Air Force base in Suffolk as gun shots were fired.A Ministry of Defence (MoD) source said a man driving a car tried to force the vehicle into the barriers at the entrance to RAF Mildenhall near Bury St Edmunds at 1pm on Monday.Suffolk Police said shots were fired by American service personnel at the base which was placed on lockdown, with aircraft grounded.
  
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• May says her government is well on way to delivering Brexit

  18-12-2017 16:47
  British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday her government was well on the way to delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit but called on lawmakers to stop the debate on leaving the European Union from ending in threats or intimidation."We are well on our way to delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit," she told parliament after the EU approved last week a deal to move Brexit talks to a second phase and on to a discussion of future trade and a transitional agreement.
  
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• Girl DJs - the next generation

  18-12-2017 16:45 via bbc.co.uk
  After 16 years experience of DJing at some of the best club nights in the UK, veteran DJ Miss Melodie is training the next female DJ generation.
  
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• 'Nothing was ready' at Winter Wonderland

  18-12-2017 16:42 via bbc.co.uk
  Winter Wonderland cancelled in Bangor, County Down
  
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• Two dead in luxury hotel fire on banks of Loch Lomond

  18-12-2017 16:29
  Two people have died in a fire at a five-star hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond, Police Scotland have said.More than 200 guests were evacuated from the Cameron House hotel when the blaze broke out just before 7am on Monday.
  
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• U.S. military personnel fire shots as man tries to force entry into British base

  18-12-2017 16:26
  U.S. military personnel fired shots as they stopped a man who tried to force his way into a military base in central England used by the U.S. air force on Monday, police said.The Mildenhall Royal Air Force base said security staff locked down the base, used by the United States to refuel U.S. and NATO aircraft in Europe, at about 1300 GMT following reports of a disturbance."Shots were fired by American service personnel and a man has been detained with cuts and bruises and taken into custody," S
  
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• More prisoners should 'commute' to work, says justice secretary

  18-12-2017 16:25
  Justice secretary David Lidington says 83% of former prisoners are jobless a year after release.The justice secretary is to encourage prison governors to allow more inmates to “commute to work” by making greater use of their powers to grant prisoners temporary releases on licence.David Lidington, in a major speech on prison reform, highlighted the day release initiative alongside a pilot project for prisoners to access housing on release.
  
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• UK police say shots fired in incident at U.S. military base, no staff injured

  18-12-2017 16:21
  LONDON (Reuters) - British police said shots were fired by U.S. service personnel during an incident on Monday at a military base in central England used by the U.S. air force.
  
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• Bijan Ebrahimi: Murder victim let down by 'institutional racism'

  18-12-2017 16:14
  A refugee who reported a string of racial abuse and threats to kill before he was beaten to death by his neighbour was let down by "institutional racism" at the local council and police, an inquiry has concluded.In a damning assessment of Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council's conduct before Bijan Ebrahimi was killed in July 2013, the Safer Bristol Partnership (SBP) review found there had been a "collective failure" to properly address the 44-year-old's concerns.Iranian Mr Ebrahimi
  
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• Britain First's Jayda Fransen And Paul Golding Suspended From Twitter Amid Crackdown On 'Hateful Conduct'

  18-12-2017 16:12
  Britain First’s Jayda Fransen and Paul Golding have been suspended from Twitter as it begins a crackdown on “hateful conduct”.
  
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• British coal still burning abroad despite push for global ban

  18-12-2017 16:05
  Britain led calls for an end to coal-fired power generation at United Nations climate talks in Bonn last month but at the same time British companies are active in coal projects around the world, often with government help.In Britain, the use of coal in electricity generation has declined sharply since the introduction of a carbon tax in 2013, although the country remains a centre of coal-mining expertise.There is however a clash with the words of the British climate minister, who said the world
  
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• How small is the world's smallest Xmas card?

  18-12-2017 16:00
  A zoom showing how small the UK's National Physics Laboratory's smallest ever Christmas card actually is.
  
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• M606 Collision: Man Dies In Motorway Crash Following Police Chase In Bradford

  18-12-2017 15:59
  A man has died in a motorway crash following a police chase in Bradford.
  
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