General news

• 'Opportunity knocks': Bidding for Paul Cattermole's S Club 7 Brit Award reaches £66k

  12-01-2018 23:54
  S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole has expressed his delight after bidding for his Brit Award on eBay reached £66,000.Cattermole wrote on eBay: "I didn't expect it to skyrocket like this.Cattermole first announced he would be selling the statuette on Twitter and posted a picture captioned "opportunity knocks".
  
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• Open Banking 'revolution' to challenge banks' dominance

  12-01-2018 23:34 via bbc.co.uk
  Fraud worries persist as the Open Banking system promises to change the way we manage our money.
  
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• Flu vaccine only works in 30-40% of cases, researchers say

  12-01-2018 23:02
  The flu vaccine used to fight this winter's outbreak is only working in 30-40% of cases, the director of the Worldwide Influenza Centre laboratory in London has told Sky News.Dr John McCauley, director of the laboratory based at the Francis Crick Institute, said the threat posed by H3N2 may have been over-stated, and figures show it is responsible for only one in four cases."The vaccine for this particular influenza, H3N2, is not particularly effective, it is basically considered of moderate eff
  
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• Britain First supporter jailed for driving at curry house owner on Brexit vote anniversary

  12-01-2018 22:38
  A Britain First supporter who chased an Asian man around a shopping centre and shouted "white power" before driving at a curry house owner during a drunken rampage has been jailed for 33 weeks.Polish-born window fitter Marek Zakrocki told a police officer he was going to "kill a Muslim" before driving his van at 5mph in the direction of the owner of the Spicy Night restaurant in Alexandra Parade, Harrow, northwest London.The 48-year-old, who was initially charged with attempted murder, pleaded g
  
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• Corbyn reappoints Clive Lewis to Labour front bench

  12-01-2018 21:42 via bbc.co.uk
  The Norwich South MP becomes a shadow Treasury minister after quitting over the Brexit bill.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Promotes Clive Lewis In Frontbench Reshuffle

  12-01-2018 21:22
  The Labour Party has chosen late Friday evening to announce news of a shadow cabinet reshuffle which includes a promotion for Clive Lewis, recently cleared of a claim of sexual assault.
  
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• Labour steps up inquiry into complaints against MP Kelvin Hopkins

  12-01-2018 21:16
  Kelvin Hopkins will face a national constitutional committee hearing.Kelvin Hopkins, the Labour MP for Luton North, could face expulsion from the party after accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards two women were referred to its highest disciplinary committee.A spokesperson for the party confirmed that the complaints made by Kerry McCarthy, the MP for Bristol East, and activist Ava Etemadzadeh, would be referred to the national constitutional committee, which has the power to expel Labour
  
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• Clive Lewis returns to frontbench in Labour reshuffle

  12-01-2018 20:55
  Clive Lewis had resigned from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet over the party’s stance on Brexit.Jeremy Corbyn has brought Clive Lewis back to Labour’s frontbench and promoted the campaigning MP Laura Pidcock as part of 13 new appointments to the party’s junior ranks.Lewis, the Norwich South MP who resigned over Labour’s Brexit stance – and was recently cleared of a claim of sexual assault – will be a junior shadow Treasury minister.
  
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• Great Yarmouth fancy dress shop to close after 50 years

  12-01-2018 19:57 via bbc.co.uk
  Competition from retail giants means the shop can no longer make money.
  
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• Boris Johnson attacks Labour in row over Donald Trump's cancelled visit

  12-01-2018 19:54
  Boris Johnson, left, accused his successor as London mayor, Sadiq Khan, of being a ‘puffed up pompous popinjay’.Downing Street has accused Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan of jeopardising relations with America for telling Donald Trump he is not welcome in Britain, after the US president called off a planned visit to London in the face of likely mass protests.In a move that reinforces Theresa May’s determination to remain publicly close to Trump, despite accusations of racism and h
  
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• Footage released of attacker ripping out policewoman's hair

  12-01-2018 19:50
  Footage has been released of the moment a policewoman had a large chunk of her hair pulled out in a violent confrontation.The disturbing scene was captured by PC Emma Agyei's body cam following the attack in Chapel Street, Bradley, to highlight the abuse suffered by officers.In the clip released by the West Midlands force, the policewoman is forced to the ground by a 24-year-old man, who beats her and then rips out a large chunk of her hair.
  
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• Snowdonia hoax caller jailed over £32,000 mountain rescue

  12-01-2018 19:42 via bbc.co.uk
  Michael Cuminskey faked accidents in Snowdonia and the Lake District in March 2016.
  
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• Footage released of man ripping out policewoman's hair in attack

  12-01-2018 19:41
  Footage has been released of the moment a policewoman had a large chunk of her hair pulled out in a violent confrontation.The disturbing scene was captured by PC Emma Agyei's body cam following the attack in Chapel Street, Bradley, to highlight the abuse suffered by officers.In the clip released by the West Midlands force, the policewoman is forced to the ground by a 24-year-old man, who beats her and then rips out a large chunk of her hair.
  
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• Nottingham train station fire being treated as arson

  12-01-2018 19:26
  A huge fire which broke out at Nottingham railway station is being treated as arson, police say.Around 60 firefighters tackled the blaze which started in a public toilet before spreading to the roof of the station.The blaze was put out on Friday evening and an arson investigation has been launched by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue and British Transport Police.
  
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• Spanish, Dutch deny joint plan to seek softer Brexit

  12-01-2018 19:24
  The Netherlands and Spain have not reached an agreement about how Britain should leave the European Union, a Dutch Finance Ministry official said on Friday, denying an earlier report of a deal that drove sterling sharply higher.Bloomberg reported earlier on Friday that the Spanish and Dutch finance ministers had agreed to work together for a softer Brexit agreement that maintains close ties between the EU and Britain.The Spanish finance minister met his new Dutch counterpart but no deal was reac
  
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• Theological guidance for Farron on gay sex | Letters

  12-01-2018 19:23
  Tim Farron needs better theological education and spiritual direction (Farron: I misled voters on gay sex, 11 January).Theologically, sin is not so much a breach of law (which would be dealt with by punishment) but rather a breach of grace (dealt with, thank God, by forgiveness).
  
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• Goodbye Berliner, auf wiedersehen Berlin, so long Labour? | Letters

  12-01-2018 19:22
  Martin Kettle’s Brexit advice to Jeremy Corbyn (On Europe, Labour was right to be cautious.No longer, 12 January) bears striking and therefore credible resemblance to Tony Blair’s recent intervention (Tony Blair: timid Labour risks becoming handmaiden of Brexit, 3 January).
  
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• Missing four-year-old British girl found with mother in Spain

  12-01-2018 18:56
  Elliana Shand has been found safe in Spain.A four-year-old girl who went missing with her mother has been found safe and well in Spain, a high court judge has said.Elliana Shand, also known as Elliana Richards, who has been missing with her mother, Jessica Richards, since last summer, is the subject of care proceedings.
  
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• We shall not be moved: Theresa May's shambolic reshuffle | John Crace

  12-01-2018 18:41
  Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson won’t budge.With the best part of two weeks to prepare for her reshuffle, you’d have expected this was at least one thing Theresa May could get right.The first sign that things weren’t running smoothly came when someone from Conservative central office tweeted to say that Chris Grayling had been appointed as the new party chairman.
  
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• Britain First fan who drove van at London restaurant owner walks free

  12-01-2018 18:27
  Marek Zakrocki pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, beating his wife, and drink-driving.A Britain First supporter who drove at a curry restaurant owner after saying “I’m going to kill a Muslim” is to walk free after serving his prison sentence while on remand.The Old Bailey heard that Marek Zakrocki, 48, also gave a Nazi salute and shouted “white power” before driving his van at Kamal Ahmed outside Spicy Night restaurant in Harrow, north-west London, on 23 June last
  
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• John Feeley, US Ambassador To Panama, Quits Because He Can No Longer Serve Under President Trump

  12-01-2018 18:20
  US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley, a career diplomat and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, has resigned, telling the State Department he no longer feels able to serve President Donald Trump.
  
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• Girl, 11, who dreams of becoming a Washington Post journalist gets the sweetest response

  12-01-2018 18:18
  She has been a subscriber for the last two years.
  
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• Vauxhall to Trump: We're not 'off'

  12-01-2018 18:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Donald Trump will not open the new US embassy, calling its location "off", but local people are proud.
  
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• Teen jailed for plotting to blow up parents after mother disapproved of his girlfriend

  12-01-2018 18:16
  Gurtej Randhawa, 19, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after he tried to buy explosives on the dark web in a crime that police say was not terror related.Randhawa, of Wightwick, Wolverhampton, was arrested by armed officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) last May after he obtained what he believed to be an explosive device and attempted to test it.The NCA said the package had been replaced with a "safe dummy device" before they allowed it to be delivered to the address he had pro
  
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• Sophie Lionnet murder: Couple admit burning French nanny's body but deny killing her

  12-01-2018 18:14
  A couple have admitted to disposing of the body of a French nanny by burning it, but deny murdering her.The charred remains of Sophie Lionnet, 21, were found in the garden of a house in Southfields, south west London, on 20 September last year.Designer Sabrina Kouider, 34, and her partner Ouissem Medouni, 40, of Wandsworth, deny murdering the nanny on or before 20 September.
  
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• Footage captures Leicester baby's first word

  12-01-2018 18:09 via bbc.co.uk
  Leicester couple Laura and Tom Webster caught their three-month-old baby Jenson's first word on camera.
  
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• Donald Trump’s First Medical Could Raise Some 'Big Red Flags'

  12-01-2018 18:05
  Donald Trump has his first medical exam as US president on Friday after a week in which his mental fitness for the job has come under intense scrutiny.
  
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• Kate Humble on Corfu: 'I begged my parents to let us stay longer'

  12-01-2018 18:04 via theguardian.com
  Broadcaster Kate Humble was enchanted by the island of Corfu from her first visit at age 10 – so much so that it remains her best ever holidayI grew up in Berkshire, in the leafy home counties, next to a farm, so my childhood was lots of climbing trees, building dens and riding bikes. Holidays were always in the UK and tended to involve going and staying in another cottage other than the one we lived in, doing wholesome things – Famous Five picnics, walking and going to a lovely pett
  
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• Non-Welsh speaking Santa at Castell Coch sparks complaint

  12-01-2018 18:03 via bbc.co.uk
  Someone has complained that the Father Christmas at Castle Coch, Cardiff, did not speak Welsh.
  
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• What doctors, nurses and patients think about the NHS

  12-01-2018 17:59 via bbc.co.uk
  Staff and patients tell Newsbeat about their experiences of the NHS this winter.
  
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• Could an online postgraduate course be right for you?

  12-01-2018 17:55
  For working parents, online courses can be the only way to study as a postgraduate.Full-time, part-time, online, or a mix of all three – the variety of postgraduate study options can be bewildering.This wide choice, however, does give scope to suit prospective students’ differing circumstances and lifestyles.
  
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• Never too old for new tricks: the joy of being a mature student

  12-01-2018 17:54
  Returning to university as a mature student can give your career a new lease of life.About 40% of mature students studying at university are over the age of 30, some in their 50s and 60s.Although the prospect of returning to education, essay writing and mixing with younger students can seem daunting, having a few extra years on your peers can be a distinct advantage.
  
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• The Guardian: What will you make space for in 2018?

  12-01-2018 17:53 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian launches its new tabloid format next week. We’d like you to be part of this campaign by telling us your hopes for the year Related: Guardian unveils new masthead before tabloid launch On Monday 15 January, we’ll be making some changes to the way our readers experience the Guardian. Whether you’re reading us in print or online, we’ve redesigned what we do to bring you hopeful ideas and fresh alternatives.Continue reading...
  
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• The Blue Planet effect: why marine biology courses are booming

  12-01-2018 17:53
  From battling sea anemones to turtles with cancerous tumours, options for marine research are vast.When she was just 12 years old, an impressionable Cathy Lucas, now associate professor in marine biology at the University of Southampton, met Sir David Attenborough.Just back from a research trip to Saudi Arabia, she’s since spent years investigating what makes jellyfish tick – programme makers at the BBC’s latest natural history series Blue Planet II sought her expertise for a s
  
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• 'How skipping helps good behaviour in schools'

  12-01-2018 17:47 via bbc.co.uk
  Pete Thompson holds the record for the most crossovers with a rope in 60 seconds.
  
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• Where did it go wrong for Carillion?

  12-01-2018 17:38 via bbc.co.uk
  The construction firm faces dangerously high levels of debt and its future hangs in the balance.
  
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• ECB's Weidmann plays down risk of imminent rate hike

  12-01-2018 17:33
  The risk of an imminent hike in the European Central Bank's interest rates is low, Germany's representative on the ECB's rate-setting body said on Friday, reaffirming a pledge to keep policy easy for a long time to come.Investors started to bet on a December rate hike this week after the accounts of the latest ECB meeting showed policymakers were preparing for a change in their message to reflect an improved economic outlook for the euro zone."Regarding central bank rates in the euro zone, the i
  
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• Crown jewels hidden in biscuit tin during WW2

  12-01-2018 17:09 via bbc.co.uk
  The Queen has only recently learned of the story, thanks to the makers of a BBC documentary.
  
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• I'm A Celebrity: Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale paid £70,000 for appearance

  12-01-2018 16:29
  Kezia Dugdale has confirmed that she donated to charity just over £5,000 of the £70,000 fee she received for her controversial appearance on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!The former Scottish Labour leader’s decision to spend three weeks filming on location in Australia while the Scottish parliament was in session attracted criticism from across the political spectrum, including from some previously stalwart supporters.A spokesperson for the MSP, who has info
  
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• Former Brexit campaign boss says no desire for a re-run of the EU referendum

  12-01-2018 16:25
  British voters do not want a re-run of the referendum on European Union membership and any hint of another vote undermines the government's Brexit negotiations, the former CEO of Britain's main "Leave" campaign told Reuters.Two of Britain's most prominent Brexit campaigners have endorsed a re-run of the referendum as a way to stop EU supporters from trying to water down or even halt Brexit.In the United Kingdom's 2016 referendum, 51.9 percent, or 17.4 million people, voted to leave the EU while
  
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• Police investigating huge blaze at Nottingham railway station

  12-01-2018 16:13
  Police are investigating the cause of a huge fire at Nottingham railway station, which was tackled by 60 firefighters at its height.Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire started in a public toilet at the station and spread to the roof.While the fire is still being fought, it has been brought under control and an investigation is under way.
  
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• Waxwork Donald Trump paraded outside new US embassy in London

  12-01-2018 16:12
  Donald Trump has arrived in London to visit the new US embassy - well, sort of.A Madame Tussauds waxwork figure of the US President was paraded outside the future home of American diplomats in Britain in a stunt on Friday morning.It came after Mr Trump cancelled plans to open the building in Nine Elms, south London.
  
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• Surgeon Simon Bramhall avoids jail for burning his initials on patients' livers

  12-01-2018 16:12
  An "arrogant" surgeon who burnt his initials on two patients' livers has avoided jail.Simon Bramhall, 53, was given a community order and fined £10,000 after admitting two charges of assault.Prosecutors described how the surgeon used an argon beam to brand his initials on the livers of two anaesthetised patients at the end of transplant operations in February and August 2013.
  
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• Terror police arrest woman at Heathrow Airport

  12-01-2018 16:10
  A woman has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, Scotland Yard has said.In a statement, police said: "Officers from the Met's counter terrorism command have arrested a 27-year-old woman at Heathrow Airport."The woman, a UK national, arrived on a flight from Addis Ababa and was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorist Act 2006.
  
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• Calls for Theresa May to reconsider Esther McVey's move to DWP

  12-01-2018 16:07
  Labour have expressed ‘grave concern’ about Esther McVey because HSE prohibition notices are an area covered by the DWP.Labour has called on Theresa May to rethink the appointment of Esther McVey as work and pensions secretary because McVey was a director of a demolition company served with health and safety prohibition notices, an area covered by her department.Jon Trickett, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, has written to the prime minister saying he had grave concern about McVey
  
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• After rejecting Uber, London renews Addison Lee's licence

  12-01-2018 15:51
  London has renewed premium car service Addison Lee's licence to operate in the capital for the next five years, less than four months after Uber was stripped of its licence.In September, regulator Transport for London (TfL) refused Uber's application, citing problems with the company's approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks - a decision the Silicon Valley firm is appealing.Addison Lee, the second-biggest private hire operator in London, was granted a five-year lice
  
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• Huge rise in number of British people wanting French passport since Brexit vote

  12-01-2018 15:32
  The number of Britons applying for a French passport has increased five-fold since Brexit vote
  
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• Exclusive - EU Parliament expected to soften euro clearing relocation powers

  12-01-2018 15:32
  The European Parliament is aiming to soften plans to give European Union regulators the power to force London's main clearing house to relocate if it wants to continue doing business in the single market after Brexit, an EU lawmaker said.Euro clearing is one of the main battlegrounds between London and Brussels in divorce talks that will shape how Europe's financial market is divided up when Britain leaves the European Union.The European Commission proposed in June to give broad powers to itself
  
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• Explainer - Was the sale of the U.S. embassy in London a 'bad deal' done for peanuts?

  12-01-2018 15:26
  U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a trip to London scheduled for next month to open a new embassy, blaming Barack Obama for selling off the old one for "peanuts" in a bad deal.The American flag was this month removed from the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square as part of the move to a location on the South Bank in a $1 billion (£733 million) construction project.WHAT DID DONALD TRUMP SAY?
  
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• Surgeon who burned initials into livers of two patients fined £10,000

  12-01-2018 15:10
  The judge said Bramhall’s conduct was ‘born of professional arrogance of such magnitude that it strayed into criminal behaviour’.A surgeon who burned his initials on to the livers of two patients during transplant surgery has been given a 12-month community order and fined £10,000.Simon Bramhall, 53, used an argon beam – used to stop livers bleeding during operations and to highlight an area to be worked on – to sign “SB” into his patient’s l
  
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