General news

• Sexualised atmosphere among aid workers in Haiti disturbed me | Phoebe Greenwood

  13-02-2018 23:37 via theguardian.com
  I was among thousands flown in after the 2010 quake, and was unsettled by the atmosphere
  I arrived in Port-au-Prince a few days after the earthquake in 2010. I was a spokesperson for Save the Children and my job was to help set up an emergency communications team.It was my first experience of a humanitarian catastrophe and I was overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. I’d never seen anything like it. Neither had many of the aid veterans. The scale of the devastation and death – and
  
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• Bill and Melinda Gates urge Trump to respect people and to not cut foreign aid

  13-02-2018 23:32 via theguardian.com
  Gates foundation letter urged the president to treat women and minorities with more respect and warned against cutting aid to the developing worldDonald Trump should treat people – especially women – with more respect, and continue investments in poorer countries for the sake of global security, the world’s leading philanthropic couple Bill and Melinda Gates said on Tuesday.Continue reading...
  
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• Minnie Driver quits Oxfam role over charity's sex scandal

  13-02-2018 23:17
  Actress Minnie Driver is the first celebrity to resign as an Oxfam ambassador in protest at the sex scandal engulfing the charity.The Good Will Hunting star said she was "horrified" by allegations that some Oxfam staff were having sex with prostitutes in crisis-hit Chad and Haiti.The news came amid reports that the aid worker at the centre of the scandal, Roland van Hauwermeiren, joined Oxfam after he was dismissed by another British charity over similar allegations of sexual misconduct.
  
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• Shetland review - the body count mounts in this stunningly bleak drama

  13-02-2018 23:00 via theguardian.com
  It’s easy to see why the BBC’s hugely successful export has so many fans all over the world – with its beautiful scenery and knotty plots, it’s pure escapismDetective Inspector Jimmy Perez is back for a fourth series of Shetland, the detective drama based on the novels of crime writer Ann Cleeves. In the early days they told a story over two episodes, but in the last series and now in this one, all six episodes are devoted to a single story. This helps to keep d
  
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• Boris Johnson warns thwarting Brexit vote would be disastrous

  13-02-2018 23:00 via theguardian.com
  Speech telling remainers that vote to leave must not be betrayed branded ‘hypocritical’Boris Johnson will warn that the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU face a disastrous and irreversible betrayal if attempts to overturn the referendum vote succeed.
  The foreign secretary will say “we cannot and will not let it happen” in a major speech on Wednesday marking the start of a series of interventions by cabinet ministers laying out the government’s “roa
  
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• 'Woman was coerced to have sex'

  13-02-2018 23:00
  Helen Evans, the ex-head of global safeguarding at Oxfam, says she learnt of three allegations of sexual misconduct in one day.
  
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• Champagne on ice: the mystery and myths behind Dutch skating success

  13-02-2018 22:59 via theguardian.com
  Dutch fans take great pleasure in attempts to make sense of their dominance, particularly the frozen-canals theoryNicholas Tomalin reckoned that the three qualities a journalist needs to succeed are rat-like cunning, a plausible manner and a little literary ability, none of which are much use when you’re trying to tell a salchow from a toe-loop on a tight deadline. During the Winter Olympics it pays to be a quick study, too. Particularly in Britain, where the usual recreational activities
  
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• FBI head contradicts White House over Rob Porter background check

  13-02-2018 22:52 via theguardian.com
  Chris Wray disputes White House’s claims of ignorance over allegations of domestic abuse, saying investigation was submittedThe FBI director, Chris Wray, contradicted the White House on Tuesday about when the bureau had completed a background investigation of former Donald Trump aide Rob Porter, who resigned last week following allegations of domestic violence.The White House has claimed ignorance of allegations of spousal abuse against Porter, who was promoted to become a close aide to th
  
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• Christian Eriksen tops off brave Spurs fightback after Higuaín double

  13-02-2018 22:49 via theguardian.com
  When Christian Eriksen stood over the free-kick Juventus hearts fluttered, and for good reason. The Tottenham playmaker had been irrepressible, lifting his team from an early crash that left them trailing by two goals, driving them forward with his zip and precision.It was the 72nd minute, Tottenham were alive thanks to yet another Harry Kane goal and Eriksen’s set-piece opportunity was central, a little under 25 yards out. What he did next had Tottenham’s hopes soaring and fired a r
  
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• Manchester City’s Ilkay Gündogan strikes twice against Basel in easy win

  13-02-2018 22:39 via theguardian.com
  Manchester City are surely coasting into the Champions League quarter-finals for only the second time in their history after this emphatic win.Pep Guardiola will be keen to guard against complacency and that his team retain focus when the last-16 second leg is played in three weeks’ time. Yet this was a dream result for the manager as it will allow him to rest players, should he wish, for the return leg. Continue reading...
  
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• Birmingham theatre evacuated during show after 'loud explosion'

  13-02-2018 22:36 via theguardian.com
  No casualties reported following incident, believed to be caused by a technical fault in staff areaThe Birmingham Repertory theatre has been evacuated following an explosion, West Midlands police said on Tuesday evening.A statement from the force posted on Twitter said: “All emergency services are currently at Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre, Broad St following reports of an explosion. Initial indications are that this was a technical fault in a staff only area. No casualties are repo
  
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• Police release CCTV of man sought after attempted rape of 10-year-old girl

  13-02-2018 22:33
  Police have issued CCTV images of a man they want to speak to in connection with the attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl in Manchester.
  
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• Mark E Smith's family reveal Fall singer's cause of death

  13-02-2018 22:13
  Mark E Smith died after being diagnosed with terminal lung and kidney cancer, his sisters have revealed.In a note on the band's official website, sisters Barbara, Suzanne and Caroline wrote that Smith had fought a "long and hard battle" following his cancer diagnosis."We would like to thank family, friends and fans for all their kind words, condolences and memories about our brother Mark," they wrote.
  
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• Benjamin Netanyahu: Israeli police recommend indicting prime minister

  13-02-2018 21:42 via theguardian.com
  Attorney general will examine evidence and decide whether to indict after police investigation of the prime minister in two casesIsraeli police have recommended that Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted on charges of bribery and breach of trust, in an embarrassing blow that has thrown the prime minister’s political future in doubt.Following a 14-month investigation into two cases of alleged corruption, the country’s attorney general will examine the evidence and then – possibly in se
  
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• Canada murder case prompts rival crowdfunding campaigns for killer and victim's family

  13-02-2018 21:37 via theguardian.com
  A white farmer’s acquittal of murdering Colten Boushie, a young First Nations man, has underlined the persistent racial divide in CanadaAfter an all-white jury cleared a white farmer of murdering a young First Nations man, competing crowdfunding pages have underlined the persistent racial divide in Canada’s prairies.Gerald Stanley, 66, was acquitted on Friday of murdering Colten Boushie, 22, from Saskatchewan’s Red Pheasant First Nation, in a verdict which provoked fresh critic
  
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• Long-lost manual reveals surprising secrets of 1720s sex

  13-02-2018 21:26
  A long-lost sex manual from the 1720s has exposed some of the more unsettling beliefs to be held in Georgian times.
  
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• Oxfam hit by new report of sex abuse by aid workers

  13-02-2018 20:57
  British aid organisation Oxfam faced fresh pressure on Tuesday after a former senior member of staff said her concerns about "a culture of sexual abuse" involving aid workers had not been taken seriously by the charity's bosses.Helen Evans' statement deepened the scandal around one of the best-known international NGOs, which has aid programmes running across the globe.Separately, the chairman of Oxfam's international umbrella group, Juan Alberto Fuentes, was arrested on Tuesday in his home count
  
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• S.Africa's ANC orders Zuma to resign as president - Daily Mail

  13-02-2018 20:32 via dailymail.co.uk
  Daily Mail
  S.Africa's ANC orders Zuma to resign as president
  Daily Mail
  South Africa's ruling ANC party on Tuesday "recalled" scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma from office but set no deadline for him to step down, pitching the country into further uncertainty. ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule told reporters that Zuma ...
  ANC in chaos after Jacob Zuma refuses order to step downThe Guardian
  'Zexit' consumes South Africa as defiant Zuma clings onFinancial Times
  Jacob Zuma's last standThe Eco
  
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• SECRET talks over who takes over from Queen held TODAY...and it may NOT be Charles - Daily Star

  13-02-2018 20:31 via dailystar.co.uk
  Daily Star
  SECRET talks over who takes over from Queen held TODAY...and it may NOT be Charles
  Daily Star
  A “HIGH-level group” from the Commonwealth is holding secret talks over who will succeed the Queen, it has been reported. 0. By Nicholas Bieber / Published 13th February 2018. Play Video. Play. Mute. 0:00. /. 0:00. Loaded: 0%. Progress: 0%. Stream ...
  Q&A: The CommonwealthAberdeen Evening Express
  Commonwealth in 'secret' meeting over Queen's successorThe Week UK
  Commonwealth
  
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• BBC aims to be free of single-use plastics across all operations by 2020

  13-02-2018 20:30 via theguardian.com
  Decision follows the corporation’s landmark series Blue Planet II, which highlighted plastic pollution in the oceansThe BBC will ban single-use plastics from its operations by 2020, in the wake of its landmark series Blue Planet II which highlighted plastic pollution in the oceans.Plastic cups and cutlery will be removed across BBC sites by the end of 2018, ending the use of around 2m plastic cups used by visitors and staff each year, the corporation said. Continue reading...
  
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• Six of the best pancake recipes

  13-02-2018 20:25 via theguardian.com
  The only recipes you need to sweeten up your pancake day, from a classic crepe with lemon and sugar to beetroot drop scones and a custard-filled stack Prep 10-15 min
  Cook 2 min per pancake
  Makes 18 Continue reading...
  
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• Cal McCrystal on Iolanthe: 'It deserves to be as fruity as we can possibly make it'

  13-02-2018 20:25 via theguardian.com
  Does Gilbert and Sullivan need updating for our changed times? Cal McCrystal explains why his joyful new Iolanthe contains not a single lecherous peer but plenty of feisty fairiesI’ve never been a fan of the theatre laugh – the polite one audiences do when they know there’s a funny bit they should acknowledge. What I go for is the genuine belly laugh – the sort you can’t control that leaves you banging your head on the seat in front. When English National Opera invi
  
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• FBI head contradicts White House over Rob Porter background check - The Guardian

  13-02-2018 20:22 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian
  FBI head contradicts White House over Rob Porter background check
  The Guardian
  FBI director Chris Wray on Tuesday contradicted the White House about when the bureau had completed a background investigation of former Donald Trump aide Rob Porter, who resigned last week following allegations of domestic violence. Trump chief of ...
  A timeline of the White House's head-scratching responses to the Rob Porter debacleCNN
  FBI Director's Account Conflicts With White House Timeline Of Porte
  
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• Israeli police recommend charging Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery in corruption investigation - Telegraph.co.uk

  13-02-2018 20:20 via telegraph.co.uk
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Israeli police recommend charging Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery in corruption investigation
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Israeli police have recommended charging Benjamin Netanyahu with accepting bribes worth 1 million shekels (£200,000), dealing a potentially serious political blow to the long-serving Israeli prime minister. After more than a year of investigating ...
  Netanyahu: Israeli police recommend indicting prime minister for briberyThe Guardian
  Israel PM Netanyahu faces corru
  
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• 'Punished for a crime I hadn't committed'

  13-02-2018 20:12 via bbc.co.uk
  Joanna is one of at least 9,000 non-smokers in the UK diagnosed with lung cancer every year.
  
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• Ex-football coach Barry Bennell guilty of abusing young boys on 'industrial' scale - Metro

  13-02-2018 20:07 via metro.co.uk
  Metro
  Ex-football coach Barry Bennell guilty of abusing young boys on 'industrial' scale
  Metro
  Serial paedophile Barry Bennell has been convicted of abusing more young footballers after grooming them with claims that he could fulfill their dreams of a career in the sport. The 64-year-old, who has previously received three jail sentences for ...
  Ex-football coach Barry Bennell facing fourth jail term after abuse convictionsBelfast Telegraph
  Barry Bennell found guilty of sexually abusing youth fo
  
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• Team Sky’s Chris Froome ready for first race since failed drugs test

  13-02-2018 20:06 via theguardian.com
  • Froome failed test last September but clear to race
  • Briton has been training hard for Ruta del SolChris Froome will compete for the first time since his failed drug test became public, beginning a five-stage race in Cala de Mijas on Wednesday, a fishing village on the Costa del Sol, popular with tourists for year-round sunshine and beach-front bars.But this will be no holiday for the four-times Tour de France winner. That much was clear when his rivals gathered to discuss the Ruta
  
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• Sky Sports win rights to show 128 Premier League matches a season in £4.5billion deal - Mirror.co.uk

  13-02-2018 20:04 via mirror.co.uk
  Mirror.co.uk
  Sky Sports win rights to show 128 Premier League matches a season in £4.5billion deal
  Mirror.co.uk
  We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Share; Comments. By. John CrossChief Football Writer. Aaron FlanaganSports journalist. 18:38, 13 FEB 2018; Updated 18:57, 13 FEB 2018. Sport. Sky and BT have ...
  Sky and BT win Premier League TV rightsBBC News
  Sky extends Premier League rights through to 2022SkySports
  Sky and BT to pay
  
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• Chemicals in packaging, carpets and non-stick pans 'may contribute to obesity'

  13-02-2018 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Studies have also linked compounds called perfluoroalkyl substances to cancer, high cholesterol and immune problemsChemicals used to make non-stick pots and pans, stain-resistant carpets, and food packaging may contribute to high levels of obesity by disrupting the body’s ability to burn calories, scientists say.Researchers at Harvard University examined the effects of compounds called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which have already raised concerns among some health experts after ani
  
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• Abuse Scandal Forces Oxfam To Pursue Criminal Checks On All Shop Volunteers

  13-02-2018 19:55
  Oxfam was tonight scrambling to ensure safety in its high street shops after being forced to admit thousands of volunteers work alongside children without criminal records checks.
  
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• Sky and BT Sport retain grip on Premier League rights but TV frenzy cools

  13-02-2018 19:48 via theguardian.com
  • Five of seven packages available have been announced
  • Sky to broadcast 128 matches starting from 2019-20 seasonThe payTV broadcasters Sky and BT Sport have retained their hold on live televised Premier League football, paying £4.464bn to the clubs for the rights to the five main packages of matches from 2019-22. Two minor packages of rights remain to be sold, a new experiment by the Premier League to allow the entire fixture list of 10 matches to be broadcast simultaneously, f
  
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• Sky and BT Sport pay £4.464bn for first tranche of Premier League TV packages

  13-02-2018 19:48 via theguardian.com
  • Five of seven packages available have been announced
  • Sky to broadcast 128 matches starting from 2019-20 seasonThe payTV broadcasters Sky and BT Sport have retained their hold on live televised Premier League football, paying £4.464bn to the clubs for the rights to the five main packages of matches from 2019-22. Two minor packages of rights remain to be sold, a new experiment by the Premier League to allow the entire fixture list of 10 matches to be broadcast simultaneously, f
  
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• Murder probe after man 'jumps from window' in Manchester

  13-02-2018 19:47
  A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead at a flat in Manchester.Police were called to the property in the Ancoats area of the city at 7.40am on Tuesday, following reports that a man had jumped from a second-storey flat window.Officers then received reports that a number of people had been assaulted, after which they gained entry to the flat in Swan Street and found the body of a woman.
  
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• Faulty speed indicators suspected as cause of Russian plane crash

  13-02-2018 19:44 via theguardian.com
  Iced-over instruments could have given pilots wrong data, causing accident that killed 71 peopleRussian experts investigating a plane crash outside Moscow that killed 71 people at the weekend have said the accident may have been caused by ice on instruments that led to faulty information on the craft’s airspeed.“A factor in the development of a special situation in the flight could be the wrong data about flight speed on pilots’ indicators, which was likely due to iced pitot tu
  
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• UK minister touts automated effort to combat extremism online

  13-02-2018 19:42
  "This is an incredibly exciting development which could help remove significant amount of the terrorist material we're referring to," Rudd told a forum in Palo Alto, California, that was broadcast on Facebook.
  
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• Oxfam International Chairman Juan Alberto Fuentes Knight Arrested Over Guatemala Corruption Probe

  13-02-2018 19:41
  The chairman of Oxfam International has been arrested as part of a corruption probe in Guatemala.
  
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• House price flatlining is a good thing, despite estate agents' gripes

  13-02-2018 19:41 via theguardian.com
  First-time buyers are taking advantage of low interest rates and a flat market, and why shouldn’t they?Over the past year the rate of house price inflation has fallen while the number of first-time buyers has risen to its highest level since 2006. These two facts are connected: the reason young people have become renters rather than owner-occupiers is that property became expensive.Property has become so dear that the average first-time buyer is now 30 years old and has a salary of £
  
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• Scores of Russian mercenaries reportedly killed by US airstrikes in Syria

  13-02-2018 19:35 via theguardian.com
  Reports suggest high number of casualties in Deir Ezzor regionUS officials say airstrikes carried out against pro-regime forceScores of Russian mercenaries were reportedly killed when US forces carried out air strikes against a pro-regime force in eastern Syria last week, according to US and Russian reports.If the high estimates of Russian casualties are confirmed, it would be the most lethal clash between US and Russian citizens since the end of the cold war, and it comes at a time when proxy f
  
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• UK spectrum auction to go ahead after legal challenge blocked

  13-02-2018 19:34
  British telecoms regulator Ofcom said on Tuesday it could proceed with the sale of new mobile airwaves after a London court denied operator Three permission to mount another legal challenge to the rules it had set for the auction.Three, the smallest of Britain's four networks, and the biggest operator BT'sEE had challenged the level of cap set by Ofcom on the amount any one operator can own, but both cases were rejected by the High Court in December."The Court of Appeal has very firmly rejected
  
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• Prince Harry speaks with boy about trains during Edinburgh visit

  13-02-2018 19:27 via bbc.co.uk
  A young boy spoke to Prince Harry about trains during his visit to Edinburgh
  
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• Europe’s future now rests on who owns the story of its past | Natalie Nougayrède

  13-02-2018 19:23 via theguardian.com
  Europe’s angst has brought a frenzy of fragmentation. We must evaluate our common past, get to grips with it, and build on itEurope seems awash with historical hang-ups. And they are important ones. They may define the continent’s future as much as the outcome of Germany’s current political convulsions, or the state of Italy’s banks, or whether Brexit Britain manages to cobble a transition deal. Large crowds of Greek people recently protested against the use of the n
  
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• Former coach Bennell found guilty of multiple sex offences

  13-02-2018 19:22
  Former soccer coach Barry Bennell was found guilty of multiple sexual offences against boys in the 1980s, British media reported on Tuesday.The 64-year-old, who was once a talent spotter at Crewe Alexandra and a coach at Manchester City, was convicted of 36 charges including rape and indecent assault by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.It said the judge directed them to find Bennell not guilty on three other counts.
  
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• Former football coach Barry Bennell guilty of child sex abuse

  13-02-2018 19:21
  Former football coach Barry Bennell has been convicted of a string of child sex offences.The serial paedophile was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of 36 charges, including rape and indecent assault of young boys.Some of his victims broke down in tears when the verdicts were delivered, while Bennell stared at the floor as he appeared via prison video link due to ill health.
  
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• Boston Dynamics crosses new threshold with door-opening dog

  13-02-2018 19:15 via theguardian.com
  Robotics company releases video of the SpotMini, its four-legged and well-mannered machineEight years after it was first revealed to the public, the uncanny gait of Boston Dynamics’ quadrupedal robots is still unsettling. But a new video, released by the firm on Monday, shows the company’s flagship robot, the SpotMini, crossing a new threshold – literally – as it demonstrates that it can open doors.The video depicts a SpotMini, a four-legged yellow machine that stands abo
  
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• Mark Dion review – a fabulous, fun-filled bestiary in the heart of the city

  13-02-2018 19:14 via theguardian.com
  Live birds crapping on David Attenborough, a unicorn’s horn, false teeth fished from the Thames … this is a mind-boggling romp through the natural (and not so natural) world
  Zebra finches flit about a dead apple tree, planted amid piles of books in a giant aviary at the Whitechapel Gallery. The birdschirp merrily, crapping on the books below. There are books everywhere: books on birds and novels with birds in their titles; books in the branches and underfoot. The branches are hung w
  
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• Meghan Markle brings tartan touch as Shetland pony upstages Harry in Edinburgh - Belfast Telegraph

  13-02-2018 19:09 via belfasttelegraph.co.uk
  Belfast Telegraph
  Meghan Markle brings tartan touch as Shetland pony upstages Harry in Edinburgh
  Belfast Telegraph
  Meghan Markle wore tartan for her first official visit to Scotland with Prince Harry, and waiting to greet them was one of the armed forces' smallest recruits – a Shetland pony. The couple celebrated Edinburgh and its people during a whirlwind tour of ...
  Prince Harry 'asks Ed Sheeran to perform for his wedding to Meghan Markle'Mirror.co.uk
  When Harry met Edinburgh crowdsBBC
  
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• Theresa May banks on making the road to Brexit clearer

  13-02-2018 19:08
  Theresa May is planning an away day at Chequers to end infighting in her cabinet.Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/PA
  
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• Top police officer faces dismissal over loss of confidential papers

  13-02-2018 19:03 via theguardian.com
  Marcus Beale of West Midlands police left counter-terrorism documents in his car for five daysA senior counter-terrorism police officer who had top-secret documents stolen from his car has been recommended for dismissal over the error by a disciplinary panel.Marcus Beale, the assistant chief constable of West Midlands police, was found to have committed gross misconduct by leaving the material in a locked briefcase in the boot. Continue reading...
  
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• Secret papers in boot: Police chief faces sack for gross misconduct - BBC News

  13-02-2018 18:58 via bbc.co.uk
  BBC News
  Secret papers in boot: Police chief faces sack for gross misconduct
  BBC News
  A senior counter terrorism officer with West Midlands Police is facing dismissal for leaving top secret papers in the boot of his car. The highly classified documents were stolen from Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale's unmarked car in May. A ...
  Top policeman who lost secret files should be sacked, says disciplinary hearingTelegraph.co.uk
  Senior counter terrorism officer faces dismissal after top secret
  
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• The Guardian view on the Charity Commission: guarantor of public generosity | Editorial

  13-02-2018 18:56 via theguardian.com
  More than £9bn a year is given by people who want to do good. Their confidence must be protected by rigorous monitoring of charities’ activitiesThe Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into Oxfam as part of its duty to promote trust and public confidence in charities. That is necessary. But the Commission also has to reassure an increasingly sceptical audience that its own regulatory culture is rigorous and sceptical enough to deserve trust and confidence. Get this wro
  
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