General news

• May calls on housebuilders to 'do their duty', demanding more homes

  04-03-2018 23:48
  British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday call for homebuilders to "do their duty" and build new houses more quickly to meet demand, launching a draft policy on planning laws designed to ease the country's housing shortage.May has made tackling a long-term housing shortage one of her top priorities as she looks to show voters that her government is capable of delivering domestic reforms at the same time as negotiating the country's exit from the European Union.Successive British governme
  
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• PM warns developers to stop sitting on land as housing plans unveiled

  04-03-2018 23:46
  The Prime Minister is to rewrite planning rules by clamping down on developers who "just sit on land and watch its value rise" instead of building homes on it.Mrs May will stress she "cannot bring about the kind of society I want to see, unless we tackle one of the biggest barriers to social mobility we face today" - the lack of affordable housing.Mrs May will claim some developers are discouraged from constructing houses after getting planning permission due to a "perverse incentive" for bosses
  
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• May attacks 'perverse incentive' of housing industry bonuses

  04-03-2018 23:30
  The prime minister will say the housing crisis is one of the biggest barriers to social mobility.Theresa May will hit out at the “perverse incentive” of housing industry bonus structures paying out millions of pounds to chief executives as a result of company profits rather than the number of homes built.The prime minister will make the comments as she unveils a series of measures, previously outlined in the government’s housing white paper, to rewrite the rules on planning in
  
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• Use as little water as possible, public urged

  04-03-2018 22:32
  People across the UK are being urged to use as little water as possible after extreme weather hit supplies.Residents of some parts of London and the South East said they had been without water for more than 24 hours by Sunday night, with little indication of when the supplies would return.Burst pipes on networks and an increase in leaks are leading to exceptionally high demand for water and increasingly widespread shortages following the recent freeze and rapid thaw.
  
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• Man charged with murdering his grandmother in Walsall

  04-03-2018 22:18
  A 25-year-old man has been charged with murdering his grandmother after she was found stabbed to death in her home.Greg Irvin was arrested on Thursday - the day after the body of Anne James was discovered by a neighbour in Walsall."We are all devastated at the loss of a loving wife, mum, grandma and great grandma," a statement from Mrs James' family said.
  
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• Thames Water faces criticism as 12,000 properties remain without water

  04-03-2018 22:07
  Customers expressed frustration with Thames Water, criticising the company for not providing more convenient access to water.Thames Water has faced criticism for resorting to handing out bottled water to customers after up to 20,000 properties in London and the Thames valley were left without water.The company apologised and said the number of homes without water was now down to 12,000 – and falling – as engineers battled to fix widespread disruption to the water supply.
  
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• May tells Trump of 'deep concern' over US trade tariff plans

  04-03-2018 20:49
  Theresa May has called Donald Trump to raise Britain’s “deep concern” over plans to impose tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and 10% on aluminium amid US threats of a trade war with China and escalating tensions with the EU.The prime minister had been scheduled to call the US president on Sunday to discuss the appalling situation in Syria, with the pair agreeing it was a humanitarian catastrophe driven by the Syrian regime and its backer, Russia, according to Downing Street.&l
  
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• Big freeze cost UK economy up to £1bn a day

  04-03-2018 19:55
  Businesses are counting the cost of the big freeze with fears the UK economy may have taken a hit of up to £1bn a day.
  
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• March4Women: Thousands rally for gender equality in London

  04-03-2018 19:09
  Thousands of people have taken part in a march in London to highlight the fight for gender equality.Celebrities including Bianca Jagger, Anne-Marie Duff, Natalie Imbruglia, Biffy Clyro and Michael Sheen joined London's mayor Sadiq Khan on the march.Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, also attended and said "right across the board, in every sphere, there's work to be done".
  
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• The Guardian’s betrayal over Leveson part two

  04-03-2018 18:49
  Copies of Lord Justice Brian Leveson’s report on media practices, 29 November 2012. ‘Every investigation is a backward look at events and Leveson 2 would have allowed a thorough look at the relationships between the press and public officials,’ writes Andy Trotter.Your editorial (The Guardian’s view on Leveson 2: look ahead, not behind, 2 March) constitutes a fourfold betrayal.It betrays the blameless and often vulnerable victims of those crimes, who were promised a full
  
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• Boris Johnson: a boarding school, Bullingdon Club vandal

  04-03-2018 18:49
  Boris Johnson: a reason to phase out private schools. Photograph: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images
  
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• Commoners revolt at outdated of princes and princesses

  04-03-2018 18:48
  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA
  
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• EU set to expose differences with Theresa May in draft Brexit guidelines

  04-03-2018 18:42
  The EU will keep its draft guidelines for a post-Brexit trade deal as short and general as possible, the Guardian understands, in order to force Theresa May to explain what the UK wants and leaving the door open for a British shift on the customs union and single market.The publication of the EU’s draft guidelines on Tuesday will be a stark moment for the prime minister, as it is made clear that a whole range of proposals made by May in her Mansion House speech on Friday are to be rejected
  
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• Icy roads and floods still a risk as big thaw begins

  04-03-2018 18:09
  Forecasters have warned of icy roads in the north of England, East Midlands and Northern Ireland as much of the country begins to thaw following days of biting cold weather.The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of ice until 11am on Monday.There is also a yellow warning until the end of Monday for icy roads in large parts of Scotland and some areas could have up to 10cm more snow, with 1-3cm in lower levels.
  
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• Sky bidder Comcast labelled 'worst company in America'

  04-03-2018 18:02
  Comcast was rated ‘America’s most-hated company’ in a customer survey last year.Comcast, which last week unveiled a £22bn offer for Sky, has been labelled the “worst company in America” for two years running over shoddy customer service and pricing.It has also been involved in regulatory transgressions which legal experts believe means its plan to take over Sky should be closely scrutinised by watchdogs.
  
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• Storm Emma: 'Concern is growing' for missing Lucy Duncan

  04-03-2018 17:36
  Police are searching for a teenage girl who disappeared during Storm Emma.Lucy Duncan, 19, set off in her car just before the Met Office's red weather warning came into force on Thursday."Concern is growing for Lucy's welfare particularly due to the recent snow and poor driving conditions," a spokesperson for the police force said.
  
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• Sir Roger Bannister, British athlete who broke four-minute mile – video obituary

  04-03-2018 17:25 via theguardian.com
  Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to break the four-minute mile, has died aged 88. At the time many people had though his achievement – posting a time of three minutes, 59.4 seconds in 1954 – a near-impossible feat. 
  Sir Roger Bannister obituary Continue reading...
  
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• Theresa May tells Trump of 'deep concern' over US trade tariff plans

  04-03-2018 17:13
  Theresa May has called Donald Trump to raise Britain’s “deep concern” over US plans to impose tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and 10% on aluminium.The prime minister called the president on Sunday after world stock markets tumbled in the face of a threatened trade war with China, and escalating tensions between the US and EU.“The prime minister raised our deep concern at the president’s forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilat
  
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• May tells U.S. President Trump of 'deep concern' over metals tariffs

  04-03-2018 17:10
  British Prime Minister Theresa May told U.S. President Donald Trump she had "deep concern" about the expected announcement of U.S. tariffs on aluminium and steel, May's office said on Sunday following a phone call between the two leaders."The Prime Minister raised our deep concern at the President’s forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties’ interests," a spoke
  
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• Homes evacuated after London explosion

  04-03-2018 17:08
  Police were called to a building along a parade of shops following an explosion in Romford, northeast London.Homes were evacuated and people were urged to avoid the area around Farnham Road as officers investigated the cause of the blast.The Metropolitan Police said the incident was not being treated as terror related.
  
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• March4Women Through London Sees Sadiq Khan Join Demonstrators For Gender Equality

  04-03-2018 17:04
  Sadiq Khan and Helen Pankhurst were among those marching through London for Sunday’s March 4 Women.The demonstration, which began at Millbank, culminated in a rally at Trafalgar Square.The march marks both International Women’s Day and the 100 year anniversary of women’s right to vote in the UK.
  
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• Watson should consider returning Mosley donation, McDonnell suggests

  04-03-2018 16:38
  John McDonnell has suggested that his shadow cabinet colleague, Tom Watson, should consider whether to return half a million pounds in donations from Max Mosley, the disgraced racing tycoon and privacy campaigner.The shadow chancellor told Sky News that Labour’s deputy leader ought to think hard about his “relationship with Max Mosley and the finances as well, because if he is reiterating his views from the past he clearly hasn’t changed”.Watson, who is also shadow cultur
  
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• John McDonnell piles pressure on Tom Watson over Max Mosley furore

  04-03-2018 16:16
  John McDonnell has suggested his shadow cabinet colleague Tom Watson may need to "consider seriously" his links with Max Mosley.Mr Mosley said in an interview earlier this week that he was of the opinion that "financial inducements" should be offered to immigrants to persuade them to "go home".The comments came as it emerged Mr Mosley had allegedly published a campaign leaflet connecting non-white immigrants with tuberculosis, VD and leprosy.
  
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• Police investigate reports of London explosion

  04-03-2018 15:48
  Police are investigating reports of an explosion in Romford, northeast London.
  
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• Police respond to reports of explosion in north-east London

  04-03-2018 15:34
  Emergency services are responding to the reports.Emergency services are responding to reports of an explosion in north-east London, the Metropolitan police has said.The explosion, in Romford, is not being treated as terror-related.
  
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• Explosion Reports In Harold Hill, North London, Investigated By Police

  04-03-2018 15:31
  Police have now been stood down after investigating reports of an explosion in north-east London.
  
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• Explosion In Harold Hill, North London, Investigated By Police

  04-03-2018 15:31
  Police are investigating reports of an explosion in north-east London.
  
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• Tony Hall: BBC must fight US tech firms to protect British values

  04-03-2018 15:18
  Tony Hall said the media landscape was undergoing ‘breathtaking, seismic change’.The UK’s public service broadcasters face a David versus Goliath fight against “west coast giants” to protect British values and prevent the spread of social unease and division, the BBC director general will warn this week.In one of his most significant interventions, Tony Hall will take aim at the US “Fang” companies – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google – in
  
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• Record-breaker Sir Roger Bannister, who completed first four-minute mile, dies aged 88

  04-03-2018 15:13
  Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes, has died at the age of 88.The record-breaking British runner died in Oxford, his family said.Sir Roger ran the world's first ever sub-four minute mile in May 1954 at the Iffley Road track in Oxford.
  
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• Leveson 2 is off but relations between press and power are little changed

  04-03-2018 15:00
  The government has scrapped plans for the second phase of the inquiry into press standards, a move attacked by its chair, Judge Leveson.The government is convinced a revolution has taken place.Culture secretary Matt Hancock has now scrapped any further Leveson inquiry into the press and its relationship with the police force: “The world has changed,” he said.
  
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• May defends stance on post-Brexit financial services rules

  04-03-2018 14:53
  Prime Minister Theresa May defended her decision to rule out so-called 'passporting' rights for banks after Brexit, saying Britain could not become a "rule taker" when it came to financial services.Setting out her thinking in more detail, May said the financial services sector was too important to the British economy for Brussels to retain control of it under the existing 'passporting' arrangement.
  
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• Markets clear German hurdle, Italy up next

  04-03-2018 14:52
  The revival of Germany's grand coalition should aid stability and keep the euro zone's plans for tighter fiscal union on track, investors and analysts said as months of political uncertainty ended on Sunday.Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) voted decisively for another tie-up with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, clearing the way for a new government in Europe's largest economy more than five months since the country's inconclusive election.Two thirds of the SPD membership voted "yes" to
  
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• PM: Brexit deal will mean compromise

  04-03-2018 13:35
  Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech about her vision for Brexit, at Mansion House
  
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• Sir Roger Bannister who completed first four-minute mile dies

  04-03-2018 13:22
  Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes, has died.The record-breaking British runner died in Oxford aged 88, his family said.Sir Roger ran the world's first ever sub-four minute mile in May 1954 at the Iffley Road track in Oxford.
  
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• UK Weather: Country Begins To Thaw - But Ice Remains Hazardous

  04-03-2018 13:20
  Ice is continuing to cover parts of the UK, thought temperatures have at last continued to rise.Yellow weather warnings remain in place for in Northern Ireland until 11am on Monday and in Scotland until the end of Monday.
  
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• EU could reject Northern Ireland border proposals, Republic's deputy PM suggests

  04-03-2018 13:07
  Brussels could reject Theresa May's plan to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic post-Brexit, according to Ireland's deputy prime minister.Mrs May is adamant that a soft border can be maintained on the island of Ireland through technological solutions and placing no new restrictions on the cross-frontier trade from smaller businesses.
  
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• Pubs to stay open late for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding weekend

  04-03-2018 12:36
  Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am over the weekend of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed licensing hours across England and Wales would be relaxed to celebrate their nuptials on 19 May.Pubs, bars and other licensed premises will be allowed to keep serving until 1am, instead of the usual 11pm, on the nights of Friday 18 May and the following night, after the wedding.
  
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• Murder probe as man dies of gunshot wound in Birmingham

  04-03-2018 12:34
  A murder investigation has been launched after a 31-year-old man died from a gunshot wound in Birmingham.Detective Chief Inspector Edward Foster, from West Midlands Police's homicide unit, said: "We are conducting house-to-house inquiries and have already spoken to several potentially key witnesses.
  
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• Roger Bannister, First Runner To Break The Four Minute Mile, Dies At 88

  04-03-2018 12:29
  Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile, has died aged 88.The record-breaking runner died in Oxford, his family confirmed on Sunday.The 25-year-old was studying medicine at the University of Oxford at the time.
  
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• Theresa May rules out City firms 'passporting' after Brexit

  04-03-2018 11:41
  Theresa May has said that signing up to “passporting” for the City of London after Brexit would leave the UK as “just a rule-taker”, insisting that financial services will instead be covered through a free trade deal.In an interview broadcast on Sunday morning, the prime minister also rebuffed the suggestion that the foreign secretary had raised the spectre of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic in an internal government report.“No. Boris is abso
  
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• Donald Trump Threatens To Tax EU Car Imports

  04-03-2018 11:02
  The US president cited a “big trade imbalance!” and said the EU made it “impossible of our cars (and more) to sell there”.The United States has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our “very stupid” trade deals and policies.If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for
  
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• Flood warnings in place for millions across UK as big thaw begins

  04-03-2018 10:29
  After days of freezing cold, heavy snowfall and biting blizzards, a big thaw is now under way in parts of the UK.With temperatures set to reach as high as 9C (48F) in parts of England, dozens of flood warnings have been put in place for the North East and South West.There are 35 flood alerts in place across the UK - meaning people should be prepared - including six in Wales, where water levels are set to surge.
  
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• Flood warnings in place for millions across UK as big melt begins

  04-03-2018 07:13
  With temperatures set to reach as high as 9C (48F) in parts of England over the weekend, dozens of flood warnings have been put in place for north east and south west.The Environment Agency has put 16 flood warnings in place across England, meaning that flooding is expected and people should take immediate action.There are 34 flood alerts in place across the UK, meaning that people should be prepared for flooding.
  
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• Annie Swynnerton: The woman who forced open the male art world

  04-03-2018 05:38 via bbc.co.uk
  Annie Swynnerton, the first woman to join the all-male Royal Academy, gets overdue recognition.
  
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• 'Nimby' councils which fail to build enough new homes will lose planning powers

  04-03-2018 05:15
  Councils which fail to build enough homes will lose the right to decide where new houses are placed in their area under new Government plans.Housing Secretary Sajid Javid warned local authorities he would be "breathing down your neck every day and night" to ensure home-building targets are met.An overhaul of planning laws will see the creation of new rules to give councils targets for how many homes they should build each year.
  
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• The handbag that costs as much as a house

  04-03-2018 04:02 via bbc.co.uk
  Why second-hand designer bags are proving to be smart buys for the fashion-conscious investor.
  
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• 'Luckiest man alive' cheats death in power line incident during Storm Emma

  04-03-2018 03:16
  An unidentified passer-by has been dubbed "the luckiest man alive" after trying to move a tree branch from a live power line.Electricity North West tweeted a photo of the man on Saturday, saying he escaped with only "a tingle" after trying to move the branch, which Storm Emma had brought down over a power line.The man phoned Electricity North West, which then cut the power from the 11,000-volt line in Mottram, Hyde, in Greater Manchester.
  
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• Matt Smith 'nearly turned down Doctor Who'

  04-03-2018 02:40 via bbc.co.uk
  The actor admits he had "a wobble" after being told he'd be David Tennant's successor in the Tardis.
  
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• Newspaper headlines: The £1bn a day cost of the 'Beast from the East'

  04-03-2018 01:48 via bbc.co.uk
  Sunday's papers feature stories about the financial cost of the 'Beast from the East' weather front.
  
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• Devolving broadcasting 'may mean less money'

  04-03-2018 01:28 via bbc.co.uk
  A media academic believes devolving broadcasting could see Wales lose out over funding.
  
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