General news

• KFC announces its first female Colonel

  26-01-2018 23:35
  She’s a famous country singer, too!
  
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• Ben Te’o gives England Six Nations boost after funding own rehab regime

  26-01-2018 23:00 via theguardian.com
  • Centre set to face Italy after paying ‘thousands’ for six-week camp• Denny Solomona may start on right wing as injury toll mountsThe return of Ben Te’o is a rare shining light in England’s injury gloom and the Worcester centre has revealed he dug into his own pocket to fund a six‑week rehab programme in Australia and ensure he is fighting fit for the Six Nations Championship.Te’o spent thousands of pounds to fly to Brisbane in December and team wit
  
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• Sky poll: Men's behaviour at Presidents Club dinner 'typical'

  26-01-2018 22:25
  The majority of the public thinks the behaviour at the scandal-hit Presidents Club dinner is 'typical' of British men, a Sky Data poll reveals.The annual charity dinner, attended by leading businessmen, has closed after an undercover journalist alleged that hostesses had been sexually harassed at the men-only event.Some 54% said the men's behaviour was typical of men in Britain, while 33% said it was unusual.
  
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• John Worboys' Prison Release Halted So Victims' Legal Challenge Can Be Heard

  26-01-2018 22:19
  The release of black cab rapist John Worboys has been halted so a legal challenge to it by two of his victims can be heard.
  
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• This timelapse of a sunrise from the cockpit of a passenger jet will fill you with awe

  26-01-2018 22:08
  A beautiful sight.
  
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• Wetherspoons drops supplier Russell Hume over meat hygiene fears

  26-01-2018 21:32
  The Wetherspoon pub chain has cancelled its contract with meat supplier Russell Hume after being forced to pull dishes from their menus.The problem came to light when customers out for Wetherspoons' Tuesday Steak Club were instead offered chicken or halloumi and quinoa.Jamie Oliver restaurants, Greene King pubs, Tiger Tiger and Marston's pubs were also affected, as was Butlin's and Haven owner Bourne Leisure.
  
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• Black cab rapist John Worboys' release put on hold amid legal challenge

  26-01-2018 21:22
  The release of black cab rapist John Worboys has been put on hold after victims won the first step in a legal challenge.Two victims made an "urgent application" to the High Court for a stay of his release pending a further permission hearing, lawyer Harriet Wistrich said."We have been granted a stay on his release until an oral application between February 6-8," she said.
  
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• Doreen Lawrence: if stab victims were white, MPs would care more

  26-01-2018 20:24
  Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, says she feels empathy with the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.Doreen Lawrence, the Labour peer whose son Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack in 1993, has said the recent surge in knife crime in London would be taken more seriously if the victims were white, and told the government to “get a grip”.Speaking nearly 25 years after her son was stabbed to death in a racist attack by a gang in Eltham, south-e
  
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• This man got a touching tattoo of his mother’s last heartbeat before she died

  26-01-2018 19:33
  Thomas Resch also got a note she had written to him tattooed in her handwriting.
  
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• Barry And Honey Sherman Were Murdered, Police Announce

  26-01-2018 19:32
  Canadian pharmaceutical billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey’s deaths were murder, Canadian police announced on Friday, but no one has been charged in their deaths.
  
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• NHS to lift suspension of elective surgery as hospital pressures 'ease'

  26-01-2018 19:24
  NHS England is to lift the suspension of elective surgery imposed to help cope with winter pressure.The National Emergency Pressure Panel (NEPP) has decided that planned operations, suspended because of pressure on the NHS in January, can resume next month.It comes after hospitals in England were advised to cancel all non-urgent operations and in-patient treatments at the start of the New Year.
  
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• John Worboys' release put on hold after victims launch legal challenge

  26-01-2018 19:22
  John Worboys’ release has been put on hold.The release of John Worboys, the black-cab rapist, has been put on hold after a high court battle to keep him behind bars launched by victims passed its first hurdle on Friday.Mr Justice Supperstone granted an urgent application from the women’s lawyers delaying Worboys’ release until a further hearing could be held next month to decide whether the legal challenge should be allowed to go ahead.
  
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• Defence secretary refuses to answer questions about relationship with past colleague

  26-01-2018 19:15
  Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, has refused to answer a series of questions about the circumstances surrounding a relationship with a colleague which he disclosed in a Daily Mail interview.The Mail interview was published a few hours after Williamson’s lawyers refused to answer a series of questions from the Guardian about his departure from the fireplace firm Elgin & Hall, where he was the managing director in 2004.In the article, he said the relationship “became flirta
  
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• Gang jailed for forging immigration documents

  26-01-2018 19:06
  Members of an organised crime gang who conspired to manufacture and supply fake ID documents for illegal immigrants have been jailed for a total of more than 16 years.Investigators from the Home Office's immigration enforcement division monitored the gang from late 2015 until June 2017, gathering evidence which ultimately led to the conviction of seven conspirators from Coventry, Nottingham, Redditch and London.Over the course of their investigation, officers unearthed the wide-scale distributio
  
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• UK spells out Brexit transition demands as pressure mounts on May

  26-01-2018 19:05
  Britain wants to benefit from European Union trade deals and have a say over EU laws passed during its transition out of the bloc, Brexit minister David Davis said on Friday, seeking to defuse tension between senior ministers over the interim deal.Davis set out the government's position on a transition period, looking to offer something for both those who want to keep close ties with the European Union after leaving and those who want a more radical break.The balancing act, designed to appease b
  
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• Cheers? No thanks! Low- and no-alcohol lifestyle booms

  26-01-2018 18:58
  Drinking rates among British adults are at their lowest since 2005.Sales of beer and cider with less than 1.2% alcohol grew by nearly 30% last year compared with 2015 while demand for low- and no-alcohol wine was up 8%, according to analysis firm Kantar Worldpanel.The trend is creating a new market for major drinks companies, craft brewers and retailers.
  
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• Most Britons favour a vote on final Brexit terms - Guardian/ICM poll

  26-01-2018 18:55
  Most Britons would support a vote on whether or not to leave the European Union once the terms of departure are known, a poll by ICM for the Guardian newspaper said on Friday, but the result of a new vote would be too close to call.The Guardian-ICM survey that found 47 percent of people favoured a vote on the final Brexit deal, with 34 percent opposed.Excluding undecideds, 58 percent supported a new vote, giving it a 16-point lead over 42 percent who were against it.
  
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• Drone flew so close to passenger jet over Kew that crew thought it had hit plane

  26-01-2018 18:52
  A drone came so close to a London-bound passenger jet that the crew believed it must have collided with the tail.The aircraft, an Airbus 321, was flying over Kew in west London on approach to Heathrow when the incident happened.A report by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) said a three or four-engine white drone came to within just five feet over the first officer's window.
  
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• Presidents Club critics 'should look at hen parties', says Jimmy Tarbuck

  26-01-2018 18:51
  Jimmy Tarbuck has defended his presence at the controversial Presidents Club dinner, saying critics should look at the behaviour of women at hen parties for "bad behaviour".Sky News spoke to the 77-year-old at his home.When asked what he thought when he read the news reports about the event, he replied: "They should look at maybe ladies' hen parties at airports.
  
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• Ukip Loses All 17 Councillors In Thurrock, As They Ditch Party To Form New Local Group

  26-01-2018 18:44
  All 17 Ukip councillors on an Essex council have quit the party and formed a new group, denouncing the “bitter reality of party politics”.
  
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• The power of pop culture: why we’re all crazy for nostalgia

  26-01-2018 18:27 via theguardian.com
  From Stephen King’s It to Steven Spielberg’s new film Ready Player One, entertainment references from decades gone by are currently inescapable. So why all these blasts from the past now, asks film writer Ben FalkPop quiz, hot shot: when is nostalgia not nostalgia?Answer: when it’s permeated movies, TV and music so deeply it’s become part of our 2017 norm. Think: the reboot of Stephen King’s It becoming the biggest horror hit ever, the myriad geeky references in Net
  
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• Euro strength spoils new year rally for European shares

  26-01-2018 18:05
  European shares edged up on Friday, helped by a solid update from luxury group LVMH but not enough to counter the impact of a rising euro, which spoiled a strong start to the year and left them broadly flat over the week.The eurowas up on Friday, though below the December 2014 high it hit on Thursday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he wanted a "strong dollar", contradicting earlier comments made by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, which sent the dollar plunging."The traffic light for d
  
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• David Davis reveals Cabinet 'arguments' on Brexit in speech on transition deal hopes

  26-01-2018 18:01
  David Davis has conceded there are "arguments" between Cabinet ministers about Brexit in a speech meant to downplay divisions.The Brexit Secretary denied there was a split between the most senior ministers, but conceded there were different views on the "tactics" of quitting the EU.Speaking after Chancellor Philip Hammond sparked fury from some Eurosceptics for saying the UK and EU economies would diverge "very modestly", Mr Davies said that would only apply during the transition period.
  
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• Donald Trump Shouldn't Be Invited To Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Wedding, Say 69% Of Brits

  26-01-2018 17:48
  More than two thirds of Britons oppose inviting Donald Trump to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, a poll has revealed.
  
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• Labour support on rise for rethink of leaving EU, survey finds

  26-01-2018 17:31
  Labour voters are becoming increasingly receptive to reconsidering Brexit, according to a poll that shows even many leave supporters are growing more comfortable with the idea of a second referendum.The findings of the Guardian/ICM survey may throw into sharp relief the continuing divide among Labour MPs over whether to support the government’s Brexit strategy or call for a wider rethink of the decision to depart the EU.Nearly as many Labour leavers are now in favour of a second referendum
  
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• Brexit: Britons favour second referendum by 16-point margin – poll

  26-01-2018 17:31
  The poll for the Guardian found a growing number of people are worried about Brexit’s impact on the UK economy.Voters support the idea of holding a second EU referendum by a 16-point margin, according to one of the largest nationwide opinion polls since the Brexit vote.The ICM survey, conducted as part of a Guardian reporting project, found 47% of people would favour having a final say on Brexit once the terms of the UK’s departure are known, while 34% oppose reopening the question.
  
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• Rio Tinto lifts force majeure on copper, acid from U.S. mine

  26-01-2018 17:18
  Rio Tinto lifted force majeure on Jan. 1 for shipments of refined copper and acid from its Kennecott mine in the United States, 79 days after declaring it could not meet customer commitments, a spokesman said on Friday.The global miner declared force majeure Oct. 13, after halting production of refined copper at its Utah mine smelter following the death of a worker exposed to sulfur dioxide gases at the plant.In the fourth quarter, refined copper production at Kennecott declined 67 percent compa
  
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• EU and UK negotiators eye accelerated Brexit transition talks

  26-01-2018 17:07
  British Brexit negotiators are expected to launch fortnightly rounds of talks in Brussels from as early as next week with the aim of agreeing a swift deal on a transition period, EU diplomats said on Friday.Brexit Secretary David Davis said in a speech outlining his view of a post-Brexit transition that was close to the status quo proposed by the EU that he expected to start talks in the coming "days and weeks".The EU negotiating team led by Michel Barnier will, EU sources said, be ready to rece
  
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• Theresa May is coming home to Brexit’s toxic transatlantic trade-off

  26-01-2018 17:05
  News that Downing Street is preparing for a visit to Britain by Donald Trump in 2018 (Report, 26 January) will herald a PR drive by the UK government to sanitise the US president’s tarnished image for public consumption.Boris Johnson struck an early blow in this “manufacturing consent” campaign earlier this month.On the same day Trump cancelled a plan to open the new US embassy in London – hours after he was reported to have called African and other developing countries &
  
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• Princess Eugenie’s wedding news fails to excite

  26-01-2018 17:04
  One of my most thrilling moments as a teenager in the late 1970s was the surprise of finding myself selling bread to Mark E Smith (Obituary, 26 January) in my Saturday job at Slattery’s bakery in Prestwich (not least due to the mere shock of considering that he actually ate at all).John Cooper Clarke was another occasional customer.• “A peal of bells is a carillon”, writes Alan Woodley (Letters, 25 January).
  
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• 52 Baboons Break Out Of Paris Zoo

  26-01-2018 16:47
  More than fifty baboons reportedly escaped their enclosure at a zoo in Paris on Friday, prompting evacuation of the premises.
  
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• Starbucks' 2018 may not be as bitter as some fear - analysts

  26-01-2018 16:39
  "Subpar 1st quarter top-line results, but we ask if this is a 'broken story' or just a great brand with huge moats and large growth opportunities rolling through a rough patch," Morgan Stanley analyst John Glass said in a note.Starbucks has been adding working hours at some U.S. stores and is focusing on workflow, adding one or two more baristas to service orders during peak hours.China same-store sales were up 6 percent and Starbucks said it is planning to more than triple its over 3,000-store
  
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• Brexit minister says no difference with PM and finance minister over EU exit

  26-01-2018 16:25
  Britain's Brexit minister said there was no difference between himself, finance minister Philip Hammond and Prime Minister Theresa May over their aims on Brexit."There is no difference between the chancellor and myself and indeed the Prime Minister in terms of that we both want a Brexit which serves the British economy and serves the British people," David Davis said during a speech in Teesport, northern England.On Thursday, a source in May's office rebuked Hammond after he said at a business ev
  
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• Justin Trudeau’s sock game was stronger than ever at Davos

  26-01-2018 16:20
  The Canadian prime minister sported yellow duck socks during a panel at the World Economic Forum.
  
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• Laura Plummer, Briton Jailed In Egypt Over Illegal Painkillers, ‘To Be Freed After Pardon’

  26-01-2018 16:14
  A British woman jailed in Egypt for bringing painkillers in her luggage is reportedly to be freed within the next two days.
  
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• Amazon removes magnetic putty from website over arsenic fears

  26-01-2018 16:14 via bbc.co.uk
  A magnetic putty toy is no longer on sale after dangerous levels of arsenic were found in a product.
  
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• UK defence secretary is scaremongering about Russia - energy experts

  26-01-2018 16:13
  Williamson said Moscow was looking at energy cables between the UK and the EU, and sabotage could come by a cyber-attack, missile or undersea activity.Experts have accused the UK defence secretary of scaremongering by claiming a Russian disruption of Britain’s electricity interconnectors to Europe would cause chaos and kill thousands of people.Gavin Williamson told the Daily Telegraph that Moscow was looking at energy cables and pipelines between the UK and the EU, and sabotage could come
  
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• Birmingham pub bombings: Court overturns coroner's ruling

  26-01-2018 16:08 via bbc.co.uk
  Two High Court judges say they will "quash" the decision not to name potential suspects.
  
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• Banks can withstand market moves as rates rise - BoE's Carney

  26-01-2018 16:03
  Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Friday that markets are likely to be affected when central banks around the world raise interest rates, but that reforms to the financial system meant there would be limited impact on the real economy."What's the probability that there will be an adjustment in asset prices?Yup, that probability has gone up," Carney said when asked about the chance of sharp falls in asset prices during a World Economic Forum panel discussion.
  
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• UK and Europe must follow same rules during Brexit implementation - Davis

  26-01-2018 16:02
  Britain's Brexit minister David Davis said Britain and Europe must follow the same rules during the implementation period to smooth the country's path out of the European Union.In a speech in northeast England, he also said he would discuss with the EU how regulators could provide clarity to companies during this period.
  
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• Sandeep Samra, 18, jailed for Syria terrorist acts bid

  26-01-2018 15:56 via bbc.co.uk
  A judge says Sandeep Samra, 18, was effectively "training" herself to watch extreme content.
  
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• Julian Assange Arrest Warrant Judgment Due Next Month After Five-Year Embassy Standoff With Police

  26-01-2018 15:51
  Julian Assange will learn next month if the warrant for his arrest will be dropped, after his five-year standoff with police.
  
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• Exclusive - HSBC side-steps high-profile Qatar deals in Gulf gauntlet

  26-01-2018 15:46
  DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters/IFR) - A boycott of Qatar by its neighbours has prompted HSBCto turn down a leading role on Doha's new dollar bond as the bank treads a political tightrope in the Gulf, four banking sources familiar with the decision told Reuters.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in June cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, which they accuse of backing terrorism.The move initially hit Qatar's growth but by the end of 2017 its economy had largely recovered.
  
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• Boy, 15, jailed over Leeds car crash that killed five people

  26-01-2018 15:44
  A 15-year-old boy who killed five passengers, including three children, when he crashed a stolen car into a tree has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.The car “split in two” and its five passengers were thrown into the road, suffering fatal injuries, on 25 November last year, Leeds crown court was told.Sentencing the boy on Friday, Peter Collier QC told the boy the crash in the Meanwood area of the city would “forever shape your life”.
  
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• Norfolk County Council's 'gleeful' no-gritting tweet

  26-01-2018 15:41 via bbc.co.uk
  Council criticised for a "sun has got its hat on" tweet about not gritting the roads.
  
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• Driver on phone at wheel of holiday coach

  26-01-2018 15:40 via bbc.co.uk
  Sean Davies admits being 'silly' after being filmed using his mobile while driving passengers through Belgium.
  
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• Birmingham pub bombing suspects can be named, says court

  26-01-2018 15:39
  Firefighters survey the damage outside the Tavern in the Town pub in Birmingham after the IRA bomb blast in November 1974.A judge has overruled a coroner’s decision to ban the naming of an IRA unit alleged to have been responsible for killing 21 people in the 1974 Birmingham pub bomb atrocities.In July, the coroner, Sir Peter Thornton QC, ruled that the names of the alleged perpetrators would not be part of the framework of the new inquests.
  
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• Senior police figures call for Scotland's chief constable to resign

  26-01-2018 15:32
  Phil Gormley (photographed in February 2017), who faces complaints including bullying and dishonesty, has denied any wrongdoing.Senior police figures are calling for the resignation of Scotland’s chief constable amid a growing political crisis over a series of allegations of misconduct.Phil Gormley, who leads Police Scotland, has been on special leave since July pending the investigation of the claims.
  
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• Trump says won't turn blind eye to unfair trade

  26-01-2018 15:12
  DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned trading partners on Friday that Washington would no longer tolerate unfair trade, saying predatory practices were distorting markets.
  
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• Raw power: make a statement in denim – in pictures

  26-01-2018 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Time was when denim meant one thing: jeans. But now … from jumpsuits to jackets, in all shades and cuts, this is how to wear denim this winter Continue reading...
  
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