General news

• Brexit: Hammond calls on EU leaders for 'clarity' on future relationship

  10-01-2018 23:57
  The Chancellor, seen as the Cabinet's leading Remainer, made his plea in a speech to business leaders in Berlin during a visit to Germany billed as a charm offensive.After a joint plea with Brexit Secretary David Davis for tariff-free trade between the UK and Germany, Mr Hammond appealed for co-operation and no "punishment" for Brexit.
  
  Read more

• UK pledges to cut all avoidable plastic waste by 2042

  10-01-2018 23:33
  Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May will pledge on Thursday to eliminate avoidable plastic waste within 25 years, in an attempt to shift the focus away from her government's divisions over Brexit to a more wide-ranging domestic agenda.After months of headlines dominated by Brexit, scandal and an ill-judged election, May will try to show that she has a grip on domestic issues to help counter the rising popularity of the opposition Labour Party.In a speech on the environment, May will announce pl
  
  Read more

• Jodie Willsher's funeral: Mourners wear pink at murdered Aldi worker's service

  10-01-2018 22:48
  Jodie Willsher was fatally stabbed during her shift at an Aldi store in the North Yorkshire town of Skipton on 21 December.Many of the hundreds of mourners at the service wore items of pink clothing - as she liked the colour.The 30-year-old's husband Malcolm Willsher, who was one of the pallbearers who escorted her coffin into church, said he was lucky to have married her.
  
  Read more

• Donald Trump Reveals 'Norway Has This Thing Called Water'

  10-01-2018 22:47
  Donald Trump appears to have revealed just how little he knows about energy and the climate during yet another bizarre press conference, this time with the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• This lip reading of Donald Trump singing the US national anthem is hilariously convincing

  10-01-2018 22:45
  YouTube’s Bad Lip Reading are at it again.
  
  Read more

• Italian police take computer of Cambridge tutor in Egypt murder case

  10-01-2018 22:14
  Italian magistrates investigating the murder of a graduate student in Cairo two years ago have seized the computer and cell phone of his Cambridge University tutor, the prosecutors' office in Rome said on Wednesday.Giulio Regeni was tortured and killed while carrying out research in Egypt.Italian magistrates have worked with their Egyptian counterparts to try to solve the crime, but have often expressed frustration over the slow pace of the investigation.
  
  Read more

• Marks & Spencer to stop selling 'cauliflower steak'

  10-01-2018 21:58 via bbc.co.uk
  The vegetable slices, part of its new Veggie range, were being sold for £2 a packet.
  
  Read more

• How best to ensure the future of the NHS | Letters

  10-01-2018 20:52
  Young doctors face a ‘deep loss of hope’ as they see the NHS struggling to cope, say Mita Dhullipala and Harrison Carter, co-chairs of the BMA medical students committee.Polly Toynbee (Opinion, 9 January) refers to a “sinister phalanx of Tory lobbies” pressing for “a royal commission on NHS funding”, with ourselves at the head – with a secret agenda to “demolish” the principle of a universal health service.The call by Maurice Saatchi –
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• EU wants citizens to keep UK residence rights in transition period

  10-01-2018 20:05
  EU citizens should be able to secure full UK residence rights during the two-year transition period after Britain leaves the bloc, envoys from the other 27 member states said on Wednesday, in a move sure to annoy Brexit supporters.Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted by 52 percent to 48 percent in the June 2016 referendum to leave the EU, following a large influx of EU citizens into the country, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.Britain formally exits the EU at
  
  Read more

• Early Man: New film from Wallace and Gromit makers

  10-01-2018 19:57 via bbc.co.uk
  Aardman and its Oscar-winning director, Nick Park, are about to unveil a new film, a prehistoric comedy called Early Man.
  
  Read more

• Brexiteers Bungle Attempt To Impress EU With A Hamper Of 'British' Goodies

  10-01-2018 19:57
  Brexit campaigners have been mocked for an attempt to show Britain can thrive outside the European Union after they presented the bloc’s top negotiator with a hamper of ‘British’ goods that have a distinctly European flavour.A delegation led by independent MEP and ex-Ukiper Steven Woolfe today met Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, and gave him the special gift so the EU could “fully grasp the powerful commercial position Britain occupies globally”.
  
  Read more

• Why the British Army has taken a soft approach in its new campaign

  10-01-2018 19:50 via bbc.co.uk
  The British Army's new recruitment adverts emphasise tolerance rather than heroism and adventure.
  
  Read more

• Jeremy Hunt admits NHS needs more money after facing calls to quit

  10-01-2018 19:24
  Jeremy Hunt has acknowledged the NHS will need “significantly more funding” over the next decade, as he faced calls from Labour to quit for losing the confidence of doctors, patients and the prime minister.The health secretary clung on to his job in the reshuffle despite Theresa May’s attempts to move him, but has been under severe pressure since then over reports of a dire situation in hospitals across the country.In an opposition day debate, MPs lined up with a deluge of stor
  
  Read more

• Organist reprises Life on Mars tribute to David Bowie

  10-01-2018 19:15
  Organist Chris Nickol pays tribute to David Bowie on the second anniversary of the singer's death.
  Many turned out at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow for the performance of Life on Mars.
  Nickol played the song on the day of Bowie's death two years ago.
  
  Read more

• Brexiteers deliver 'British' hamper of goods to Barnier

  10-01-2018 18:48
  Brexit supporters have delivered a hamper of what they say are quintessentially British goods to Michel Barnier in a bid to warn him not to underestimate Britain's global influence.Mr Woolfe says the hamper was very well received, and that Mr Barnier was particularly enthused by the complete works of Shakespeare and the compendium of essays and speeches about Churchill.
  
  Read more

• WhatsApp 'bug' raises questions over group message privacy

  10-01-2018 18:39
  WhatsApp 'bug' raises questions over group message privacy
  
  Read more

• Army jobs: Are there fewer young white British men?

  10-01-2018 18:30 via bbc.co.uk
  The head of the Army claims there are 25% fewer white men aged 16 to 25.
  
  Read more

• I Sold Drugs And Carried A Gun - I Know What Must Be Done To Stop Others Following In My Footsteps

  10-01-2018 18:28
  New Year’s Eve 2017 recorded a staggering number of stabbings across the country.
  
  Read more

• Labour Party's finance chief to attend Davos summit - spokesman

  10-01-2018 18:27
  The British opposition Labour Party's finance chief John McDonnell will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this month to set out his vision for an alternative to the current model of capitalism, his spokesman said on Wednesday.Davos is a gathering of politicians, central bankers, business leaders and celebrities who debate the world's problems at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps.Prime Minister Theresa May is also expected to attend the Jan. 23 to 26 meeting.
  
  Read more

• Neighbours tell of shock as dead body found in garden

  10-01-2018 18:21
  Neighbours have told of their shock after a man's body was found buried in the back garden of a house.Detectives believe the remains to be those of Kenneth Coombes, who would have celebrated his 99th birthday today.A woman named locally as Barbara Coombes is said to live at the address.
  
  Read more

• The day I met Meghan Markle and dreamed of a radical future at Kensington Palace

  10-01-2018 18:19
  Yesterday, I shook Meghan Markle’s hand.As a Suits fan, this was a pleasure, but as Markle is about to join the royal family it caused my republican self some consternation.As she shyly came forward to shake the hands of rows of (mainly) black women who had lined up to offer her their congratulations, I had become part of the raucous chorus of adoration.
  
  Read more

• Tim Farron regrets saying gay sex not a sin

  10-01-2018 18:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Ex-Lib Dem leader says he regrets saying he didn't think gay sex was a sin, in the general election.
  
  Read more

• UK opposition Labour Party's finance chief to attend Davos summit - spokesman

  10-01-2018 18:00
  The British opposition Labour Party's finance chief John McDonnell will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this month to set out his vision for an alternative to the current model of capitalism, his spokesman said on Wednesday.Davos is a gathering of politicians, central bankers, business leaders and celebrities who debate the world's problems at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps.Prime Minister Theresa May is also expected to attend the Jan. 23 to 26 meeting.
  
  Read more

• Laura 'jailed just for being kind'

  10-01-2018 18:00
  Laura Plummer is "petrified" and probably on the "verge of a mental breakdown" according to her sister, Jayne Synclair.
  
  Read more

• UK police investigate how British woman jailed in Egypt obtained painkillers

  10-01-2018 17:56
  British police are investigating how a woman came to possess strong prescription painkillers after she was jailed for three years in Egypt.Laura Plummer was arrested and jailed after taking around 300 Tramadol tablets, which are banned in Egypt but legal in the UK, into the country.The 33-year-old shop worker, who said she got the tablets from a friend, told an Egyptian court she had brought the painkillers for her boyfriend Omar Caboo, who suffers from severe back pain.
  
  Read more

• What a ‘no deal’ Brexit would mean for key UK industries

  10-01-2018 17:53
  The EU has advised the pharma sector to rethink its supply chains and make contingency plans.More than 2,600 drugs are manufactured, at least in part, in the UK, and many are shipped to the continent.All of those drugs need to be authorised by the European Medicines Agency, which is moving from the UK to Amsterdam after Brexit.
  
  Read more

• Footballer gets puppy after teammates bombard wife with dog videos

  10-01-2018 17:49
  Nottingham Forest star Eric Lichaj has seen his dream of getting a new puppy come true after launching a campaign to convince his wife on Twitter.Lichaj's wife, Kathryn, promised him that if he scored a hat-trick during a game in 2018 she would fulfil his wish and get him a dog.The American came close on Sunday as he scored twice against Arsenal, but was denied the opportunity to take two penalties to seal the deal as Forest eliminated the FA Cup holders in a 4-2 victory.
  
  Read more

• Victims of John Worboys not consulted over terms of his release

  10-01-2018 17:48
  John Worboys is to be released after serving nine years and nine months for sexually assaulting 12 women.Lawyers for victims of the serial sex attacker John Worboys reacted with anger after it emerged they have not been consulted on the terms of his release licence, which are due to be finalised on Thursday.One victim was told on Tuesday by the Probation Service that if she wanted to make representations she should do so “urgently” – in effect within hours.
  
  Read more

• Card surcharges: Is this finally the end?

  10-01-2018 17:47 via bbc.co.uk
  Business will no longer be able to charge customers for paying by card, so what does this mean for prices?
  
  Read more

• Bath revives plan to impose tourist tax

  10-01-2018 17:29
  Opponents of the tax believe it will put off visitors and be difficult to administer.The city of Bath is planning to lobby the government for the power to charge its many visitors a tourist tax.Councillors see it as a way of raising extra cash in times of austerity, but many hoteliers are reluctant to charge tourists, believing even a small additional cost will put off some visitors and claim such a scheme would be difficult – and expensive – to administer.
  
  Read more

• Brexit bill probed over 'reasonableness' concern by spending watchdog

  10-01-2018 17:28
  Britain's multi-billion pound Brexit bill will be investigated by a watchdog over whether it represents good value for taxpayers.Public spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) announced it will deliver a final verdict on the estimated £39bn divorce sum in March.It comes after a direct intervention by Nicky Morgan, a senior rebel Tory MP who chairs the Commons' Treasury Select Committee.
  
  Read more

• What causes mudslides?

  10-01-2018 17:22
  Mudslides after a storm on the California coast have so far left 15 people dead.
  
  Read more

• Penguins Queue Up For Their Weigh-In At Milwaukee County Zoo

  10-01-2018 17:05
  Weighing the penguins can be a challenge for keepers at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
  
  Read more

• Football coach Barry Bennell had three boys in bed at once, trial told

  10-01-2018 16:31
  Barry Bennell is appearing at Liverpool crown court via video link for reasons of poor health.A former junior footballer from Manchester City’s youth system cried as he told police he was sexually abused around 100 times by Barry Bennell, and often had to stay four in a bed with the man he believed would help him have a professional career.In police interviews shown to Bennell’s trial at Liverpool crown court on Wednesday, the complainant said he used to stay with the former coach at
  
  Read more

• Scotland prepares contingency Brexit laws in stand-off with London government

  10-01-2018 16:28
  The Scottish government said on Wednesday it was preparing legislation that would ensure legal continuity in Scotland after Brexit as a fallback option in case it fails to reach agreement with Prime Minister Theresa May on her exit plan.Scottish ministers are unhappy with several elements of May's approach to legally enacting Britain's exit from the European Union, including the way that powers reclaimed from Brussels will be distributed back to Scotland.May's government says she expects to have
  
  Read more

• Man suspected of funnelling Libyan cash to Sarkozy granted bail by UK court

  10-01-2018 16:07
  A French businessman suspected by investigators of funnelling money from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to finance Nicolas Sarkozy's successful 2007 presidential campaign was granted bail when he appeared at a London court on Wednesday.Alexandre Djouhri, 58, was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday on a European arrest warrant (EAW) issued by France after arriving on a flight from Switzerland.London's Westminster Magistrates Court heard Djouhri was wanted by the French authoriti
  
  Read more

• PMQs: Corbyn and May clash over NHS

  10-01-2018 16:00
  The Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn have clashed in PMQs over the NHS.
  
  Read more

• Ex-BHS owner Dominic Chappell accuses regulator of 'hostile' act

  10-01-2018 16:00
  Dominic Chappell has told a court that The Pension Regulator carried out a "hostile and deliberate act" against BHS when it served him with an investigative notice.The document, known as a "section 72 notice", was given to Mr Chappell shortly after his purchase of the retailer for a pound in 2015.It confirmed that the regulator was investigating the health of the company's pension scheme.
  
  Read more

• Apple hands UK taxman £137m in 'adjustment' following HMRC audit

  10-01-2018 15:51
  Apple has handed over an extra £137m to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) following a probe into its tax payments going back years.Apple Europe - which handles the tech firm's UK marketing - said the taxman had carried out an "extensive audit" of its UK operations dating before 22 September 2015.The filing, at Companies House, said: "This payment of additional tax and interest reflects the company's increased activity and is recognised in the current financial period which ended on 1 April 2
  
  Read more

• Tim Farron says he regrets saying gay sex is not a sin

  10-01-2018 15:45
  The former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has said he regrets telling people he does not believe gay sex is a sin when he was forced to clarify his position during the election campaign.The MP said he had felt “isolated” and under pressure from his party to say gay sex was not sinful, suggesting he ended up misleading the public about his views.Throughout the campaign, Farron was pursued by questions over his views on homosexuality.
  
  Read more

• Schools urged to give pupils swimming tests after boy drowns on trip

  10-01-2018 15:31
  A health and safety expert told the inquest ‘fundamental changes’ were needed to the teaching of swimming.Children should undergo swimming tests before being allowed to go swimming on school trips, a coroner has recommended, after a schoolboy drowned in a Canadian lake after being pushed into the water by a schoolfriend.Abdul Jamal Ottun, 17, a house captain at Wallington County grammar school in Surrey, was on a two-week rugby tour after completing his AS levels in July 2015 when he
  
  Read more

• Jo Whiley to join Simon Mayo in drivetime slot in BBC Radio 2 revamp

  10-01-2018 15:24
  The BBC has shaken up the daily schedule of Radio 2, the most listened to station in Britain, by moving Jo Whiley to its drivetime show, increasing the number of female presenters, and axing three long-running arts programmes.Whiley will move from her weeknight show to presenting an extended drivetime programme alongside Simon Mayo between 5pm and 8pm.Other changes include Sara Cox, the former Radio 1 Breakfast Show host, presenting a new 10pm show, and Cerys Matthews, the lead singer in former
  
  Read more

• Shell sells stake in Iraq oilfield to Japan's Itochu - oil official

  10-01-2018 15:03
  Iraq has approved the sale by Royal Dutch Shellof the company's 20 percent stake in Iraq's West Qurna 1 oilfield to Japan’s Itochu Corp , a senior Iraqi oil official said on Wednesday.The deal comes as the Anglo-Dutch company agreed to exit the Majnoon oil venture, one of the largest fields in OPEC member Iraq, and hand over its operation to the state-run Basra Oil Co. (BOC) by the end of June 2018.
  
  Read more

• Corbyn claims May is 'too weak' to sack Hunt amid NHS crisis

  10-01-2018 15:02
  The crisis in the NHS dominated raucous exchanges in the Commons as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn clashed in the first Prime Minister's Questions of 2018.The Labour leader accused the Prime Minister of being "too weak" to sack Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has been a lightning rod for criticism in his more than five years in the role.Mrs May attacked her opposite number's portrayal of the state of the health service, telling MPs that if you were to believe Mr Corbyn, everyone who turns up at
  
  Read more

• May to meet finance bosses on Brexit

  10-01-2018 14:55
  Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May will meet executives from major finance companies on Thursday to give them a clearer idea of what Britain's European Union exit will mean for them.There are concerns that Brexit threatens London's status as the financial capital of Europe and that banks are preparing to move thousands of jobs to the continent to preserve their access to the EU's single market.The meeting is one of a regular series with business leaders and will also be attended by finance min
  
  Read more

• Corbyn attacks May's NHS record in first PMQs of the year

  10-01-2018 14:47
  Jeremy Corbyn suggested that Jeremy Hunt’s insistence on ‘not abandoning the ship’ was an admission the NHS was sinking.Jeremy Corbyn has used the first prime minister’s questions of 2018 to castigate Theresa May for presiding over what he described as a crisis in the NHS, chiding her for being “too weak” to sack the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt.The prime minister reiterated her apologies to patients who have had operations postponed or been forced to wait in
  
  Read more

• NHS staff: is your hospital considering cuts to cancer care?

  10-01-2018 14:40
  Have you had a letter to tell you about a delay in getting chemotherapy?It emerged on Wednesday morning that a leading NHS hospital is delaying chemotherapy for cancer patient due to a lack of staff.Andrew Weaver, the head of chemotherapy at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, wrote to staff to explain that treatment was being delayed.
  
  Read more

• New Army adverts tell potential recruits it is okay to cry, be gay and practise your faith

  10-01-2018 14:31
  The Army has released a series of videos which tell potential recruits it is okay to be emotional, gay and religious in a drive to encourage people from all backgrounds.
  
  Read more

• Industry gives Brexit-bound UK economy a shot in the arm

  10-01-2018 14:20
  British industry enjoyed solid growth in November, benefiting from a global upturn that has allowed the economy to outperform gloomy forecasts made after 2016's Brexit vote, although it still lags behind its international rivals.The British economy grew more slowly than all other Group of Seven members in the first nine months of 2017 as consumer-facing sectors suffered from a surge in inflation caused by sterling's post-Brexit vote plunge.With departure from the European Union set for March 201
  
  Read more

• Man suspected of funnelling Libyan cash to Sarkozy granted bail by court

  10-01-2018 13:51
  A French businessman suspected by investigators of funnelling money from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to finance Nicolas Sarkozy's successful 2007 presidential campaign was granted bail when he appeared at a London court on Wednesday.Alexandre Djouhri, 58, was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday on an international arrest warrant issued by France.
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralnewsUK on Twitter!