General news

• The guestlist for the US State Of The Union address reflects America’s biggest issues right now

  30-01-2018 23:58
  Here are just some of the guests attending Tuesday evening’s event.
  
  Read more

• Haringey council leader quits over 'sexist, bullying behaviour' as Labour NEC row grows

  30-01-2018 23:36
  A council leader is quitting over "sexist and bullying" behaviour she experienced in a battle with Labour's ruling body.Claire Kober said she had been "disappointed and disillusioned" by the row over a £2bn housing project in Haringey, north London.The senior local government official declared she would not stand for re-election when council seats are re-fought in the capital in May.
  
  Read more

• Labour bids to force full publication of leaked Brexit impact paper

  30-01-2018 23:34
  Ministers could be forced to publish a top secret study on the impact of Brexit - after the details of what it contains were leaked.Labour plans to use an archaic parliamentary procedure to push the document into the public domain.Its "Humble Address" motion tabled for Wednesday is the same method that bound the Government to publish its earlier "impact assessments" on Brexit.
  
  Read more

• UK and China 'won't always see eye-to-eye', says May before trade trip

  30-01-2018 23:30
  The UK and China will “not always see eye-to-eye”, Theresa May said on the eve of a three-day trade visit where she said she would underline the importance of a “rules-based” approach to economic expansion.The prime minister’s warning before her visit to Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai suggests she will attempt to walk a tightrope between championing a new post-Brexit era of free trade alongside coded suspicion of President Xi Jinping’s flagship Belt and Road init
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Actor Mark Salling dies weeks after child porn guilty plea

  30-01-2018 23:07
  Mark Salling, who played bad-boy Noah "Puck" Puckerman in the hit musical-comedy "Glee," died of an apparent suicide Tuesday, weeks after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. ...
  
  Read more

• London's annual pollution limit for 2018 breached within a month

  30-01-2018 23:05
  January may not be quite over but London has already breached its legal air pollution limit for the whole year.Nitrogen dioxide levels in Brixton Road, Lambeth, have exceeded hourly limits 18 times already this year.This is the maximum allowed per year under European Union air quality rules.
  
  Read more

• Backlash mounts at Brexit minister's 'insulting' comments

  30-01-2018 23:00
  A Brexit minister’s claim that government officials have never produced a correct economic forecast has triggered a furious backlash as senior figures branded it an insult and the former head of the civil service said it was unacceptable.Bob Kerslake, who ran the civil service from 2012 to 2015 and is now a crossbench peer, warned that Steve Baker’s comments would damage the morale of officials already operating in challenging circumstances.“Civil servants are serving the gover
  
  Read more

• Labour council leader to quit due to 'sexism and bullying'

  30-01-2018 22:44
  Claire Kober made the announcement on Twitter.The Labour leader of Haringey council is to stand down citing “sexism and bullying” she has suffered during a long-running party feud over redevelopment plans for the borough.Claire Kober has revealed she will not seek re-election because of a bitter row over a controversial £2bn housing project known as the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV).
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• RSPB Minsmere winter starling murmuration

  30-01-2018 21:26 via bbc.co.uk
  Starlings take to the skies to create a spectacular aerial ballet before settling on roost.
  
  Read more

• Hatton Garden ringleaders must pay £27.5m or serve more years in prison

  30-01-2018 21:20
  The four ringleaders of the Hatton Garden raid must pay £27.5m or serve another seven years in jail each, a judge has ruled.John 'Kenny' Collins, 77, Daniel Jones, 63, and Terry Perkins, 69, are each serving seven-year sentences, while Brian Reader, 78, is serving six years and three months, for their roles in the notorious burglary.At Woolwich Crown Court today, Judge Christopher Kinch said the men jointly benefited from an estimated £13.69m worth of cash, gold and gems stolen from
  
  Read more

• Prince William and Kate's bandy hockey penalty shootout

  30-01-2018 21:15 via bbc.co.uk
  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge go head-to-head while learning about bandy hockey in Sweden.
  
  Read more

• Finsbury Park suspect Darren Osborne 'planned to kill Jeremy Corbyn at pro-Palestine march'

  30-01-2018 21:01
  A man accused of deliberately driving a van into worshippers outside two mosques told jurors he hoped to kill Jeremy Corbyn as he gave evidence in court.The 48-year-old is alleged to have crashed into Muslims outside the mosques in Finsbury Park, north London, with a van just after 12.15am on 19 June last year.Osborne told the court he met with two people called Terry Jones and Dave, with whom he planned to target the Al Quds march in support of Palestine, which they thought would be attended by
  
  Read more

• London's annual pollution limit breached within a month

  30-01-2018 20:48
  January may not be quite over but London has already breached its legal air pollution limit for the whole year.Nitrogen dioxide levels in Brixton Road, Lambeth, have exceeded hourly limits 18 times already this year.This is the maximum allowed per year under European Union air quality rules.
  
  Read more

• Scottish firefighters offered 20% pay rise

  30-01-2018 20:45 via bbc.co.uk
  The emergency workers are being offered the salary increase if they agree to take on new responsibilities.
  
  Read more

• I Left The BBC Because Of Pay - It Must Fix This Almighty Mess

  30-01-2018 19:27
  Unconscious bias is subtle but pervades every part of society.
  
  Read more

• Hatton Garden ringleaders must pay £27.5m or serve seven more years in prison

  30-01-2018 19:13
  The four ringleaders of the Hatton Garden raid must pay £27.5m or serve another seven years in jail each, a judge has ruled.John 'Kenny' Collins, 77, Daniel Jones, 63, and Terry Perkins, 69, are each serving seven-year sentences, while Brian Reader, 78, is serving six years and three months, for their roles in the notorious burglary.At Woolwich Crown Court today, Judge Christopher Kinch said the men jointly benefited from an estimated £13.69m worth of cash, gold and gems stolen from
  
  Read more

• Brexit forecasts are useless, long live Brexit forecasts

  30-01-2018 18:59
  Steve Baker ‘beamed with pride as he dropped the the words ‘epistemology and econometrics into the same sentence’.Another day, another minister called to the Commons to answer an urgent question on the government’s repeated insistence on turning Brexit into a farce.With David Davis unavailable and Robin Walker still in rehab after his working over the day before, this time it was Steve Baker’s turn to be the fall guy.
  
  Read more

• Gibraltar says can implement Brexit selectively, muddying outcome - report

  30-01-2018 18:51
  Gibraltar can choose elements of any Brexit deal Britain agrees with the European Union and avoid those it considers detrimental, the chief minister of the British territory said.Fabian Picardo told the British newspaper The Independent that Gibraltar's constitution allowed it to decide which parts of any agreement with the European Union it would keep."We will be able to determine whether aspects of what is agreed will be implemented in Gibraltar or not," Picardo said.
  
  Read more

• The Albion Rooms: The Libertines unveil hotel plan for seaside town of Margate

  30-01-2018 18:48
  The Libertines have revealed details of their new hotel and studio in the seaside town of Margate.Located on the Kent town's Eastern Esplanade, The Albion Rooms will be situated in a renovated five-storey, ten-room Victorian townhouse previously known as the Palm Court Hotel.It was bought by the rock group in September last year at a reported cost of £450,000 and planning permission was subsequently granted for a rear extension by Thanet District Council.
  
  Read more

• Global study names Switzerland as capital of bank secrecy

  30-01-2018 18:34
  Switzerland and the United States are the most secretive major financial centres in the world, according to a global ranking compiled by a group campaigning for more transparency.The Tax Justice Network's study found Switzerland to be the "global capital of bank secrecy" while it placed the United States in second place because its share of global offshore financial services has increased steadily.
  
  Read more

• BBC Women: Their pay gap stories

  30-01-2018 18:21 via bbc.co.uk
  Women tell their stories of alleged gender bias at the BBC ahead of a select committee hearing.
  
  Read more

• Britain will get stuck in long post-Brexit transition - EU lawmaker

  30-01-2018 18:13
  Britain is likely to get stuck in a long transition period in which it will pay the European Union and abide by its laws but have no say in the bloc's affairs, a European lawmaker handling Brexit said.The EU legislative will have to sign off on any Brexit deal and Philippe Lamberts, one of six in the 750-strong body to deal with Brexit, said any future trade deal between Britain and the EU was irreconcilable with avoiding an Irish border."The transition period will be stretched," Lamberts told R
  
  Read more

• Barry Bennell accused of smirking during sexual abuse trial

  30-01-2018 18:08
  Barry Bennell has been accused of smirking during his trial on a day in which a court heard how the father of one alleged victim accosted the former Manchester City football coach over rumours of inappropriate behaviour with young players.Bennell has admitted seven offences of sexual abuse but denies another 48 counts relating to 11 boys from 1979 to 1990.The former player, once affiliated to Crewe Alexandra, where Bennell was also a coach, said he had been one of the six complainants when the a
  
  Read more

• Why is there talk about threats to Theresa May's job?

  30-01-2018 18:04 via bbc.co.uk
  A look at the challenges facing Theresa May if she wants to remain the UK's prime minister.
  
  Read more

• Britain reviewing risks to its satellite-reliant infrastructure

  30-01-2018 18:01
  Britain is reviewing its reliance on satellite-based technology for critical infrastructure including the Global Positioning System (GPS) as the threat of jamming attacks and disruptions grows, a government report said on Tuesday.Emergency services, transport, communications and financial networks are among key sectors which depend on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS.Experts say the problem with GNSS is their weak signals, which are transmitted from 12,500 miles (20,100 km)
  
  Read more

• Budget boost for electric cars

  30-01-2018 18:00
  Chancellor announces plug-in infrastructure fund.
  
  Read more

• RBS boss admits claim about turnaround unit was not true

  30-01-2018 17:52
  Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan has admitted that a past claim its controversial restructuring unit turned around the vast majority of small businesses it worked with was not true.The bank chief executive spoke as he and chairman Howard Davies faced questions from MPs on the Treasury Select Committee over the state-backed lender's treatment of small firms during and after the financial crisis.RBS's Global Restructuring Group (GRG) handled more than 12,000 struggling firms between 2007 an
  
  Read more

• Did you see last night's supermoon?

  30-01-2018 17:50
  Did you see last night's supermoon?
  
  Read more

• 'Game changing' electric car chargers return power to grid

  30-01-2018 17:49
  Electric car chargers that are able to return power back to the grid network are being trialled by Newcastle University.It is hoped the project will improve grid capability and make renewable sources become more integrated and affordable.The bi-directional power flow will allow owners to charge their vehicles during times of low demand, and feed power back to the grid at times of high demand.
  
  Read more

• Stakeknife: Fred Scappaticci arrested over murders

  30-01-2018 17:46 via bbc.co.uk
  The man alleged to have been the agent codenamed Stakeknife is arrested over dozens of murders.
  
  Read more

• Women at BBC criticise pay review over failure to identify gender bias

  30-01-2018 17:39
  A controversial review of on-air pay at the BBC that claimed there was “no evidence” of gender bias in pay decisions has sparked a backlash from women at the corporation.The accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which produced the report, found “anomalies that need addressing” with BBC pay, including paying too much to a small group of predominately male stars at the top of the organisation because “too much weight has been placed on the prominence and prof
  
  Read more

• Brexit minister says Whitehall economic forecasts always wrong

  30-01-2018 17:16
  Steve Baker questioned the worth of research like the leaked analysis, slamming the use of Treasury forecasts during the EU referendum as ‘Project Fear’.One of Theresa May’s key Brexit ministers has claimed that civil servants have never produced a correct economic forecast, and said he looks forward to continuing to prove the “horror story predictions” of economists wrong.Steve Baker made the comments to MPs after being summoned to explain a leaked analysis, drawn
  
  Read more

• Super blue blood moon: Three lunar events for the price of one

  30-01-2018 17:05
  Lovers of all things astronomical can look forward to a rare celestial event on Wednesday when three lunar phenomena collide.A super blue blood moon will be taking place - a spectacle that hasn't been seen in the US since 1866.UK based stargazers will be able to appreciate two of the trio of events - a supermoon and a blue moon.
  
  Read more

• Finsbury Park Attack Suspect Darren Osborne ‘Hoped To Kill Jeremy Corbyn’

  30-01-2018 16:47
  A man accused of carrying out the Finsbury Park terror attack has denied driving the van which mowed down Muslims in north London.
  
  Read more

• Finsbury Park Attack Suspect Darren Osborne Denies Driving Van – Blames ‘Dave’

  30-01-2018 16:47
  A man accused of carrying out the Finsbury Park terror attack has denied driving the van which mowed down Muslims in north London.
  
  Read more

• Finsbury Park attack accused 'wanted to kill Jeremy Corbyn'

  30-01-2018 16:44
  A man accused of carrying out a van attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park had initially hoped to kill senior Labour party figures including Jeremy Corbyn, he has told a jury.Giving evidence on Tuesday, Darren Osborne claimed he picked up another man, whom he named only as “Dave”, as he drove round the area.Asked by the prosecutor, Jonathan Rees, whether he had planned to kill the Labour leader, Osborne told the jury: “Yeah.
  
  Read more

• What Is The PIP Review? How 'Austerity' Measure Backfired And Could Cost Government £3 Billion

  30-01-2018 16:40
  The Government has pledged to review all 1.6 million disability benefit claims after deciding not to fight a High Court ruling on personal independence payment (PIP) that a judge called “blatantly discriminatory”.
  
  Read more

• Five held in £50m cocaine seizure at Farnborough Airport

  30-01-2018 16:37 via bbc.co.uk
  Five men are arrested as half a ton of the drug is found in suitcases on a flight from Colombia.
  
  Read more

• Rochdale ambulance worker's petrol paid for by stranger

  30-01-2018 16:36 via bbc.co.uk
  The ambulance worker says he was "blown away" by the random act of kindness.
  
  Read more

• Brexit paper 'leaked to undermine EU exit', minister claims

  30-01-2018 16:36
  An assessment of the likely impact of various Brexit scenarios was leaked to undermine the exit talks, a Government minister has claimed.The study, obtained by BuzzFeed News, found the country would be worse off under every Brexit scenario modelled, with the much-vaunted benefits of new trade deals predicted to add just 0.3% to GDP in the long-term.Responding to calls for the full document to be made public, Brexit minister Steve Baker told MPs the paper was a "preliminary analysis" and the repo
  
  Read more

• Five men arrested after £50m cocaine haul found on private jet at Farnborough Airport

  30-01-2018 16:34
  Five men have been arrested after half a tonne of cocaine worth more than £50m was found at Farnborough Airport.The massive haul was discovered after border officials searched a private jet which had arrived from Bogota in Colombia.Two Britons, two Spaniards and an Italian are being held on suspicion of importing Class A drugs, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
  
  Read more

• China Waste Ban Sees Local Authorities Start To 'Stockpile' Rubbish

  30-01-2018 16:30
  The effects of the Chinese ban on importing plastic waste are starting to be felt in the UK, as experts warn that local authorities are now stockpiling rubbish.
  
  Read more

• What is the super blue blood moon? - video

  30-01-2018 16:25 via theguardian.com
  The super blue blood moon will grace our skies on Wednesday. This rare celestial event, when a blue moon and lunar eclipse combine with the moon being at its closest point to Earth,  has not been seen for more than 150 yearsSuper blue blood moon: when and where to see the rare lunar eclipse
  Super blue blood moon – in picturesShare your 'super blue blood moon' photographs Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• RBS restructuring arm did not turn around 'vast majority' of businesses - CEO

  30-01-2018 16:15
  Royal Bank of Scotland's restructuring business did not turn around the "vast majority" of small businesses it worked with, Chief Executive Ross McEwan said on Tuesday in response to lawmakers' questions.McEwan and RBS Chairman Howard Davies were being grilled by members of the Treasury Select Committee, which has challenged state-backed RBS on its treatment of troubled small businesses during and after the financial crisis.
  
  Read more

• Campaigners say UK surveillance powers must change after court ruling

  30-01-2018 16:00
  Britain will need to amend its law allowing for sweeping powers to carry out mass digital surveillance after a court ruled on Tuesday that previous legislation was illegal, civil rights campaigners said.London's Court of Appeal backed a challenge led by lawmaker Tom Watson, deputy leader of the opposition Labour party, that it was not lawful to access personal data such as internet use and phone records where there was no suspicion of criminal activity or where there was no proper oversight.The
  
  Read more

• Black cats shunned for purr-fect selfies

  30-01-2018 15:32 via bbc.co.uk
  A cat rescue shelter says black cats are being shunned as people strive for the purr-fect selfie.
  
  Read more

• The innovative money management tools widening access for all

  30-01-2018 15:22 via theguardian.com
  As digital technology transforms banking on both a global and personal level, it’s proving a great enabler for people with accessibility needsAndre Louis can use the accessibility functions on his smartphone – and his musician’s dexterity – to type an email faster than the average teenager. He can cut jazz tracks on a laptop with the skill of a computer games coder. There is very little he cannot do – despite only understanding he was blind at all at the age of nine
  
  Read more

• Manchester attack homeless 'hero' jailed for theft from victims

  30-01-2018 15:17
  Judge David Hernandez accepted Parker had offered ‘limited’ assistance to some of the injured, but said he had an ulterior motive.A homeless man hailed as a hero after the Manchester Arena bomb has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison after admitting stealing from the victims he claimed to have helped.Chris Parker, 33, was caught on CCTV “deliberately” targeting people as they lay seriously injured following the attack on the Ariana Grande concert last
  
  Read more

• Homeless 'hero' jailed for stealing from British bomb victims

  30-01-2018 15:00
  A homeless man feted as a hero for helping the injured and dying following a bomb attack at a pop concert in Britain last year which left 22 people dead, was jailed on Tuesday after he admitted stealing from two of the victims.Rough sleeper Christopher Parker had been in the train station next to the Manchester Arena when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the foyer at the end of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande.The 22 victims included seven children while more than 500 were injured.
  
  Read more

• Manchester 'hero' Chris Parker jailed for stealing from terror victims

  30-01-2018 14:58
  The homeless "hero" of the Manchester terror attack has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for stealing from victims.Chris Parker was told he was "not the hero" he pretended to be but "just a common thief", as he was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.The 33-year-old had previously admitted stealing a purse and a mobile phone from two victims of the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May last year.
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralnewsUK on Twitter!