General news

• The heart-breaking reason why this German celebrity chef served these doll-sized meals

  19-12-2017 23:58
  Jan-Philipp Cleusters served tiny portions of his food at a Christmas market.
  
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• Colin Gregg, son of Greggs bakery founder, has sentence for indecent assault reduced

  19-12-2017 23:54
  The son of the founder of the Greggs bakery empire has had his sentence for indecently assaulting young boys cut by five years.Senior judges at the Court of Appeal rejected Colin Gregg's bid to have all his convictions overturned but they agreed his sentence was "too long" and reduced it to eight-and-a-half years.The 76-year-old, of Home Steadings, Gosforth, Newcastle was found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault against four boys - aged between 11 and 14 from the early 1960s to the 1990's
  
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• The Shockingly Stingy Money Habits of Queen Elizabeth II and Other Royal Family Members - The Cheat Sheet

  19-12-2017 23:21
  The Cheat Sheet
  The Shockingly Stingy Money Habits of Queen Elizabeth II and Other Royal Family Members
  The Cheat Sheet
  If you were a member of the British royal family with a sky-high net worth, what would you spend your money on? You'd have access to every possible comfort and extravagance imaginable: exquisite clothing and jewels, trips around the world on a private ...and more »
  
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• Charity launches world’s first vending machine for the homeless

  19-12-2017 23:20
  Action Hunger is providing basic needs for homeless people through the machines.
  
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• Metropolitan Police order review of all ongoing rape cases after second trial collapses - Telegraph.co.uk

  19-12-2017 23:01
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Metropolitan Police order review of all ongoing rape cases after second trial collapses
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Scotland Yard has announced a review of all current rape and sex abuse investigations after a second trial collapsed in less than a week amid claims that the police withheld crucial evidence. Isaac Itiary had been charged with the rape of a child, but ...
  Met Police announces review into how it investigates rape cases following collapse of second trialThe Independent
  Met Polic
  
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• Council tax bills could rise by £100 a year as government relaxes cap

  19-12-2017 22:36
  Local authorities are to be allowed to raise council tax by up to 5.99% next year, after a further relaxation of the government-imposed cap to address shortfalls in funding for social care.The move, which has been widely criticised and called “woefully inadequate” by leaders in the social care sector, could see the average band D council tax bill rising to £1,653.30.Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, said all councils would be able to raise council tax by up to 2.99% next
  
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• Uber Drivers Forced To Work Exhausting Hours To Make Ends Meet Are A 'Danger To Public Safety', Claims GMB Union

  19-12-2017 21:48
  Uber is a danger to public safety because it forces drivers to work exhausting hours just to make ends meet, a union has told a court.
  
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• Trump's London visit still uncertain after call with May as tensions continue - The Guardian

  19-12-2017 21:11
  The Guardian
  Trump's London visit still uncertain after call with May as tensions continue
  The Guardian
  Theresa May spoke to Donald Trump on Tuesday about their country's very different positions on Jerusalem, but it was left unclear whether previous damage to the relationship had been repaired – or whether the president would visit London in February to ...
  Theresa May fails to challenge Trump over Britain First in first call since incident, read out suggestsThe Independent
  May and Trump
  
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• MP backs PPF in Toys R Us 'game of poker'

  19-12-2017 21:05
  Labour MP Frank Field, chairman of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, backs the Pension Protection Fund in the 'game of poker' over the future of retailer Toys R Us.
  
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• Victim: Acid attacker disgusting and horrible

  19-12-2017 20:45
  A woman who was injured in an acid attack carried out in a London nightclub by Arthur Collins, the former boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, has described her ordeal.
  
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• Arthur Collins, Towie star Ferne McCann's ex, gets 25 years for acid attack

  19-12-2017 20:36
  Arthur Collins, the ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, has been sentenced to 25 years for an acid attack on clubbers.Collins, who was in a relationship with one of the stars of The Only Way Is Essex, was convicted in November of spraying the caustic substance over a packed nightclub on 17 April last year.Three of the 16 who suffered chemical burns were temporarily blinded and many told Wood Green Crown Court how their injuries had affected their lives.
  
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• Theresa May and Donald Trump discuss 'differences' in first call since Britain First re-tweets

  19-12-2017 20:17
  Theresa May and Donald Trump have spoken for the first time since a public spat over the US President's controversial Britain First re-tweets.The call also came hours after Britain joined 13 members of the UN Security Council in rejecting the US decision on Jerusalem.The far-right group Britain First that originally posted them has since lost its verified badge on Twitter and been suspended pending an investigation by the tech company.
  
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• Arthur Collins Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison Over Acid Attack In London Nightclub

  19-12-2017 20:04
  Arthur Collins, the ex-boyfriend of reality TV-star Ferne McCann, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail over an acid attack in a London nightclub that injured 22 people.
  
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• Finsbury Park van attack: why an imam saved a terror suspect

  19-12-2017 19:59 via theguardian.com
  Mohammed Mahmoud made headlines when he stood guard over a suspect after a van was driven into Muslims on the street. He talks about the aftermath of that night and his problem with being called a heroOn a humid evening in June, Mohammed Mahmoud, the 31-year-old imam of the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park, north London, finished tarawih, the evening prayer performed during Ramadan. It was nearly midnight when he returned to his first-floor office. “I hadn’t made the tea yet whe
  
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• Met to review all ongoing rape cases after second trial collapses

  19-12-2017 19:28
  The Metropolitan police is to review scores of sexual assault cases after potential errors led to the collapse of a second rape case in the space of a week.The Met said material had not been given to the defence team of the suspect, Isaac Itiary, until his lawyers asked for it.The Guardian understands that material recovered from the phone of the complainant by police was handed over to the defence lawyers in recent days.
  
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• Police non-disclosure should lead to reform | Letters

  19-12-2017 19:23
  The prosecution of Liam Allen on rape charges was only dropped after the police belatedly disclosed undermining evidence.This young man came very close to being wrongly convicted of rape due to appalling failures by the police and CPS to disclose material to the defence and prosecuting counsel.A review is being undertaken by the police and CPS into the causes of this particular failure but there are deeper concerns that need addressing: underfunding of the police and CPS, cuts to legal aid and t
  
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• Three judges sue Ministry of Justice for race discrimination

  19-12-2017 19:13
  According to the MoJ, just 7% of court judges are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background.Three judges from black and Asian backgrounds are suing the Ministry of Justice for race discrimination and victimisation, the Guardian has learned.Recorder Peter Herbert, one of the group bringing employment tribunal cases, has been involved in a long-running case against the ministry over a speech he made saying that racism could be found in the judiciary.
  
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• First vending machine for homeless people launches in UK

  19-12-2017 19:01
  The machine in Nottingham will dispense water, food and other essentials to those in need.A vending machine containing essentials for rough sleepers has been installed in Nottingham in what is believed to be a world first, with the inventor hoping to put one in every city with a homelessness problem.It dispenses water, fresh fruit, energy bars, crisps, chocolate and sandwiches, as well as socks, sanitary towels, antibacterial lotion, toothbrush and toothpaste packs, and books.
  
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• Jingle bell frock: which Christmas decoration are you?

  19-12-2017 18:31 via theguardian.com
  Asking the important questions, the Guardian fashion team has looked deep into their wardrobes and then at their Christmas trees to decode which decoration they are this season Continue reading...
  
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• Dreading Christmas

  19-12-2017 18:07 via bbc.co.uk
  After one devastating night two years ago, Michelle Brooks took over the care of her two grandsons.
  
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• All the Money in the World review – raucous crime thriller banishes ghost of Kevin Spacey

  19-12-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Ridley Scott’s drama about the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III looked sunk after allegations were made against the actor, but Christopher Plummer excels as his last-minute replacement‘The rich are different from you and me,” said F Scott Fitzgerald, to which Ernest Hemingway is famously alleged to have replied: “Yes, they have more money.” This film suggests they also have more fear of their own children – fear that they will parasitically suck away energy t
  
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• Toys R Us prospects bleak as PPF confirms vote against rescue

  19-12-2017 17:48
  A rescue deal for Toys R Us UK is hanging by a thread after one of the company's largest creditors confirmed it intended to oppose the overhaul later this week.The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) said it had failed to secure reassurances about the security of the Toys R Us retirement scheme and would vote against a store closure and rent reduction plan on Thursday.It followed a Sky News report on Monday that the PPF, Britain's pensions lifeboat, was demanding a £9m injection into the scheme
  
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• Police arrest four over possible Islamist plot to attack UK - The Guardian

  19-12-2017 17:45
  The Guardian
  Police arrest four over possible Islamist plot to attack UK
  The Guardian
  Police and the bomb disposal unit outside a property in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA. UK news. Police arrest four over possible Islamist plot to attack UK. Army bomb disposal unit called to house in Chesterfield after man ...
  Four held as bomb squad called in amid police terror plot raidsHeraldScotland
  Police and MI5 thwart 'UK Christmas terror attack plot' as four men are arrested in d
  
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• ‘Europeans are profoundly UNHAPPY!' Political expert destroys EU's federalist vision

  19-12-2017 17:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  GUY Verhofstadt's vision of a "united states of Europe" will be destroyed as Europeans grow “profoundly unhappy” at the EU’s federal vision, warned political expert Matthew Goodwin.
  
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• Union and taxi drivers' group can participate in Uber's London appeal

  19-12-2017 17:38
  A British trade union and a taxi drivers' trade body can take part in Uber's appeal case against the decision by London's transport regulator to strip the taxi app of its operating licence, a judge ruled on Tuesday.The GMB Union and the London Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA), which represents the city's black cab drivers, had asked to be "interested parties", meaning they would be given access to documents and could make submissions.
  
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• Cameron House Fire: Couple Killed Are Named

  19-12-2017 17:36
  Two men who died in a fire at a five-star luxury hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond have been named.
  
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• Husband Of British Woman Jailed In Iran Reveals Backlash To Boris Johnson Tehran Visit

  19-12-2017 17:35
  The campaign to free a British woman jailed in Iran has warned of a “backlash”  to Boris Johnson’s visit to the country that is threatening the prospect of her being released by Christmas.
  
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• UK to pursue ambitious trade deal with EU, Theresa May tells cabinet

  19-12-2017 17:31
  Theresa May had a ‘good, clear and detailed’ meeting with her cabinet, No 10 said.Theresa May has told her cabinet she aims to pursue a bespoke trade deal that is “significantly more ambitious” than the EU’s deal with Canada, in the first formal discussion ministers have held about goals for the “end state” of the Brexit negotiations.Downing Street said the meeting was “good, clear and detailed”.
  
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• Vile thug RAPED woman before telling her: 'You're looking at me like I'm a MONSTER'

  19-12-2017 17:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  A MAN who raped a woman in her own home before chillingly telling her "You're looking at me like I'm a monster" has been jailed for 11 years.
  
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• MAPPED: UK towns where house prices are PLUMMETING

  19-12-2017 17:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  MORE than a third of homes up for sale in Britain have had their prices slashed as sellers are desperate to shift their property in a slowing market, according to a new report.
  
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• We need the darkest Christmas stories. These are dark times | Stephanie Merritt

  19-12-2017 17:24 via theguardian.com
  That’s enough cloying schmaltz. There’s a mysterious side to the season and we should embrace it, especially nowThe tradition of Christmas tales, made popular in the 19th century by Charles Dickens, is based on the theme of redemption. Misanthropy, isolation and self-pity must be replaced by self-knowledge, generosity, communion and compassion – usually as a result of some pivotal encounter in which innocence thaws bitterness and cynicism.It’s a theme that runs from A Chr
  
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• Crossrail's Elizabeth Line Added To TfL's Tube Map To Mark One Year Until Start Of New Service

  19-12-2017 17:13
  Transport for London (TfL) has released an updated tube map featuring the Elizabeth line to mark one year until the new service starts running.
  
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• Trump: Kim Jong Un is 'a sick puppy'

  19-12-2017 17:10
  The US President was talking about tax reform when he got distracted by thoughts of the North Korean leader.
  
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• Critics pooh-pooh use of spikes in trees to protect cars from birds

  19-12-2017 17:06
  One resident said there was a big problem with bird droppings on cars in the area. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
  
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• Thrifty mum has spent just £20 on family Christmas – THIS is how

  19-12-2017 17:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  A MUM-of-three has spent just £20 on a family Christmas and that includes everything from presents, drinks, decorations to her family's entire Christmas dinner.
  
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• Defence Secretary warns of North Korea's 'massive threat' to Britain

  19-12-2017 17:00
  North Korea is on its way to developing missiles capable of striking London, the Defence Secretary has warned.Urging Britain to "step up" in dealing with dictator Kim Jong Un, Gavin Williamson has delivered a chilling alert over the "massive threat" from Pyongyang.On Tuesday, Washington also found Pyongyang"directly responsible" for the WannaCry attackon global computer systems, which crippled the NHS in May.
  
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• Ryanair says serious on union recognition, but threat to move planes remains

  19-12-2017 16:58
  Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Tuesday he was serious about his decision to recognise trade unions, but the airline would retain the right to move planes to different countries if unions made unreasonable demands.Ryanair shocked investors on Friday by recognising trade unions for the first time in 32-years to try to avoid its first-ever strike later that day.There isn't," O'Leary told Reuters in an interview hours ahead of his airline's first meeting with Ireland's pilot union.
  
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• Queen appoints Prince Harry to take over from his grandfather Philip as the Captain General of the Royal Marines - Daily Mail

  19-12-2017 16:43
  Daily Mail
  Queen appoints Prince Harry to take over from his grandfather Philip as the Captain General of the Royal Marines
  Daily Mail
  Prince Harry has taken over from his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh as Captain General of the Royal Marines, after the appointment was approved by the Queen. Harry accompanied Prince Philip in his final duty as Captain General today, as they hosted ...
  Prince Harry Takes Over for Prince Philip as Captain General Royal MarinesEntertainment Tonight
  Queen appoin
  
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• Major London road blocked as police swoop on suspect car

  19-12-2017 16:42
  LONDON (Reuters) - British police said they had arrested a man on suspicion of weapons offences on Tuesday after an operation that forced the brief closure of a major London road.
  
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• Police describe scene as harrowing

  19-12-2017 16:40
  Officers investigating a major road crash in Birmingham in which six people were killed have described the scene as harrowing.
  
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• Brexit will cause loss of influence on scale of 1970s, says ex-MI6 chief

  19-12-2017 16:27
  Sir John Sawers said the UK would have to invest more heavily in diplomacy, defence and intelligence.Brexit is set to cause a loss of UK influence on a par with the 1970s, requiring a national assessment of how the UK’s future standing can be recovered once Brexit is complete, Sir John Sawers, the former head of MI6, has warned.Speaking to the foreign affairs select committee, Sawers said: “We can see the trend of the coming years and we do not want to go through a repeat of the 1970
  
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• Final two victims of 'harrowing' multi-vehicle car crash in Birmingham named

  19-12-2017 16:23
  The final two victims of a "harrowing" multi-vehicle car crash in Birmingham that left six people dead have been named.Lucy Davis, 43, and her boyfriend Lee Jenkins, 42, were in a black cab that was involved in the deadly collision close to the city centre early on Sunday.Ms Davis, who had a son and a daughter and worked as a sign language interpreter, was from Kingstanding in Birmingham.
  
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• Extra £450m for police to be partly funded by council tax increase

  19-12-2017 16:23
  The £450m increase for police forces in England and Wales includes an extra £130m for national policing priorities, including armed officers and digital technology.A £450m boost to police funding has been announced by the home secretary, Amber Rudd, but £270m of the extra cash is to be funded by a £12 increase per household in council tax bills.The £450m increase for forces in England and Wales includes an extra £130m for national policing priorities, in
  
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• Bitcoin warnings grow more strident as Singapore urges 'extreme caution'

  19-12-2017 16:19
  By Masayuki Kitano and Jemima KellySINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) - Global financial regulators are beginning to warn the public against the risks of investing in a market that many feel is in a speculative bubble, with Singapore's central bank on Tuesday urging "extreme caution" about buying cryptocurrencies.The staggering growth of bitcoin and other decentralised digital currencies this year - with the market swelling from around $17 billion at the start of January to well over $600 billion now -
  
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• Anti-Bird Spikes Fitted To Trees To Protect Cars From Pigeon Poo

  19-12-2017 16:17
  Anti-bird spikes have been fitted to trees – in an apparent bid to protect cars beneath them from pigeon poo.
  
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• This woman’s quest to find her lost laptop had the internet gripped

  19-12-2017 16:16
  Everyone was rooting for illustrator Lisa to be reunited with her MacBook – and helped her along the way.
  
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• New Zealand’s PM received her secret Santa gift and it was lovely

  19-12-2017 16:10
  A lovely Christmas gift.
  
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• London road on LOCKDOWN as police arrest man suspected of possessing firearms

  19-12-2017 16:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  POLICE have locked down East India Dock Road, near Canary Wharf, following a sting operation to arrest a man suspected of being in possession of firearms.
  
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• How much do you know about other Royal Navy teething troubles?

  19-12-2017 16:02
  HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was found to be taking in water during sea trials.The news that the £3.1bn flagship vessel HMS Queen Elizabeth has sprung a leak brings back memories of other Royal Navy teething troubles as the fleet was modernised and had to get to grips with new technology.HMS Penzance, a Sandown-class mine countermeasures ship, misplaced an 850kg £750,000 mini-submarine in 2005.
  
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• Bitcoin warnings grow more strident as Singapore urges "extreme caution"

  19-12-2017 15:56
  SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) - Global financial regulators are beginning to warn the public against the risks of investing in a market that many feel is in a speculative bubble, with Singapore's central bank on Tuesday urging "extreme caution" about buying cryptocurrencies.The staggering growth of bitcoin and other decentralised digital currencies this year - with the market swelling from around $17 billion at the start of January to well over $600 billion now - has led to increasing concerns over
  
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