General news

• Brexit: David Davis 'can live' with shorter EU transition

  14-03-2018 23:59 via bbc.co.uk
  The Brexit secretary says his main priority is to secure an agreement on the transition period.
  
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• France says to coordinate response soon with Britain on spy poisoning

  14-03-2018 23:05
  France on Wednesday said it would be in touch with Britain in the coming hours to coordinate a response to a nerve agent attack on a Russian spy, which London has blamed on Russia, after an earlier muted reaction to Britain's allegations.British Prime Minister Theresa May earlier on Wednesday announced that Britain was expelling 23 Russian diplomats because it had received no explanation for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a Russian former double agent, and his daughter with a Soviet-made nerve
  
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• Toys 'R' Us could shut all U.S. stores, risking 33,000 jobs - WSJ

  14-03-2018 22:58
  (Reuters) - Toys 'R' Us Inc will sell or close all its U.S. stores in the coming months, risking up to 33,000 jobs, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
  
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• All Toys 'R' Us shops to shut in Britain

  14-03-2018 22:58
  The administrators said in a statement they had not been able to find a buyer for all or part of the business, resulting in the loss of about 3,000 jobs.The retailer's U.S. parent company is also suffering in its home market with reports it is preparing for potential liquidation, six months after filing for bankruptcy.The toy chain, however, is working on a proposal that will keep about 200 U.S. stores open for business even after the liquidation, CNBC reported https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/14/to
  
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• Here’s why some people aren’t happy about Pi Day

  14-03-2018 22:57
  It’s all got to do with another circle constant called tau.
  
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• BBC game challenges young people to spot "fake news"

  14-03-2018 22:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Young people can play the role of a newsroom journalist, making their own decisions on what is true or false in the new BBC iReporter interactive game.
  
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• Jim Bowen and I 'just blended' - Bullseye commentator Tony Green

  14-03-2018 22:33
  Tony Green provided voiceovers and commentary on TV quiz show Bullseye -hosted by comedian Jim Bowen who has died at the age of 80.Here, Tony pays tribute to the man he "admired" so much.Bullseye was made for Jim, but he could not throw a dart.
  
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• Panama Papers law firm Mossack Fonseca to shut down after tax scandal

  14-03-2018 22:23
  Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian law firm at the centre of the "Panama Papers" scandal, said on Wednesday it was shutting down due to the economic and reputational damage inflicted by its role in the global tax evasion debacle.The so-called Panama Papers, which consist of millions of documents stolen from Mossack Fonseca and leaked to the media in April 2016, provoked a global scandal after showing how the rich and powerful used offshore corporations to evade taxes."The reputational deterioration
  
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• Stephen Hawking: World celebrates life of cosmology's brightest star

  14-03-2018 22:12
  Theresa May has been joined by leading scientists and figures from the entertainment industry in paying tribute to Professor Stephen Hawking who died this morning.The Prime Minister said in a tweet that Professor Hawking was "one of the greatest scientists of his generation" and "his legacy will not be forgotten".The 76-year-old, whose life's work shaped modern cosmology and helped ordinary people to better understand the universe, passed away in the early hours of this morning, his family confi
  
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• Salisbury poisoning attack: 'US stands in solidarity with Britain'

  14-03-2018 22:10 via bbc.co.uk
  US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, says Russia is behind an attack on former spy Sergei Skripal in the UK.
  
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• France to coordinate response to UK spy attack at the highest level

  14-03-2018 22:04
  France will coordinate with British authorities at the highest level its response to the nerve agent attack that London has blamed on Russia, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Wednesday."We have full confidence in the investigations that our British partners are carrying out," Le Drian said before going into a meeting with his new German counterpart Heiko Maas."In the coming hours, France will be in contact at the highest level with the British authorities to coordinate our response,"
  
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• UK cyber capabilities 'best in the world' but Britain 'should not attack Russia', ex-GCHQ boss says

  14-03-2018 21:13
  The UK should show Russia there is a "price to be paid" for refusing to be a part of the "circle of civilised nations" but should not resort to cyber warfare, the former GCHQ boss has said.Robert Hannigan, once the Government Communications Headquarters director, said the UK's cyber capabilities - along with its allies - were "the best in the world".Mr Hannigan told Sky News: "We do have very advanced abilities in offensive cyber and of course with our allies, particularly the United States, we
  
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• U.S. Ambassador Haley tells U.N. Russia responsible for chemical attack

  14-03-2018 21:00
  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday the United States believes Russia is responsible for a chemical attack in Britain on a former Russia double agent and his daughter, and the U.N. Security Council should take action."The United States believes that Russia is responsible for the attack on two people in the United Kingdom using a military-grade nerve agent," Haley told a Security Council meeting.
  
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• Crocs loses EU court battle over patent claim

  14-03-2018 20:57
  Crocs, the manufacturer of a range of plastic clogs, has lost a battle to protect its design from copycats.Judges in Luxembourg backed a decision by the EU’s intellectual property office (EUIPO) in 2016 to cancel legal protection for the shoe.The European court of justice agreed that as the clog had made its debut at a boat show in Florida in 2002 and had featured on the company’s website, Crocs was too late when it sought its patent in 2004.
  
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• Shooting in north London leaves teenager with 'life-changing' injuries

  14-03-2018 20:55
  A 14-year-old boy has suffered “life-changing” injuries following a shooting outside a tube station in north London.Police were called by the London Ambulance Service shortly after 11pm on Tuesday night to reports of a male suffering gunshot injuries.Officers including firearms officers and colleagues from British Transport Police attended the scene on Seven Sisters Road close to the underground station.
  
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• UK's devolved nations see potential deal over post-Brexit power-sharing

  14-03-2018 20:47
  Scotland and Wales are within reach of a deal with the central government over power-sharing, Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday, easing the pressure on the British government as it negotiates its exit from the European Union.Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May in London, Scotland's First Minister struck a more positive tone than she had in recent weeks."The issues that remain between us are not insignificant but not insurmountable," Sturgeon said.
  
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• Outgoing UK financial regulator says City's future uncertain due to Brexit

  14-03-2018 20:47
  London's future as a global financial centre is uncertain because of Brexit and Britain faces a tough task to secure European Union market access for its banks and insurers, a top UK regulator said on Wednesday as he steps down.John Griffith-Jones, chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said he believed London had successfully made the transition from a financial centre of necessity to a financial centre of choice.
  
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• French finance minister presses Germany on euro zone reforms

  14-03-2018 20:44
  French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday urged Germany and other European countries to stop holding up tough decisions about the euro zone's banking and capital market regulations.Euro zone finance ministers failed to make a breakthrough on Monday on an EU-wide deposit guarantee scheme, even though the European Central Bank said risks for banks have already been reduced enough.Germany along with other northern countries say euro zone banks must first reduce exposure to risks before su
  
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• Stephen Hawking's voice was his tool and his trademark

  14-03-2018 20:39
  Stephen Hawking's computer-generated voice was known to millions of people around the world, a robotic drawl that somehow enhanced the profound impact of the cosmological secrets he revealed.The technology behind his means of communication was upgraded through the years, offering him the chance to sound less like a machine, but he insisted on sticking to the original voice because it had effectively become his own.Hawking started to communicate again using his eyebrows toindicate letters on a sp
  
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• Illegal schools: Ministers promise crackdown

  14-03-2018 20:33 via bbc.co.uk
  Schools inspectors will gain powers to seize evidence and question witnesses.
  
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• Secret trial shows risks of nerve agent theft in post-Soviet chaos - experts

  14-03-2018 20:27
  MOSCOW/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The British government says Russia is to blame for poisoning former spy Sergei Skripal with a nerve agent, and most chemical weapons specialists agree.The Soviet Union's chemical weapons programme was in such disarray in the aftermath of the Cold War that some toxic substances and know-how could have got into the hands of criminals, say people who dealt with the programme at the time."Could somebody have smuggled something out?" said Amy Smithson, a biological and ch
  
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• Russian spy: Why the UK is expelling diplomats

  14-03-2018 20:25 via bbc.co.uk
  The government's expulsion of 23 embassy officials in response to the Skripal case is explained.
  
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• Theresa May transforms into cold war colossus by not being Jeremy Corbyn

  14-03-2018 20:12
  Theresa May addresses the House of Commons about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal.The prime minister’s decision to expel 23 diplomats, to cancel high-level contacts and to name Vladimir Putin had come as no surprise, given the lack of response from the Russians following the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and her statement had been received with the seriousness the occasion deserved.Now all eyes were on Jeremy Corbyn.
  
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• Russian exile's death in London is suspicious, friends claim

  14-03-2018 19:53
  Friends of the Russian exile found dead in his London home on Monday said they believed his death to be suspicious, adding that he had shown no signs of depression in recent months and was “in a perfect mood”.Nikolai Glushkov’s body was found by his daughter Natalya at his house in New Malden, Kingston upon Thames.Glushkov, 68, lived alone.
  
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• Saved! Future of 1p and 2p coins rescued amid backlash

  14-03-2018 19:46
  The Government has signalled 1p and 2p coins won't be scrapped - a day after the Treasury announced a consultation on their use.As part of his spring statement on Tuesday, the Chancellor announced a call for evidence on encouraging cashless and digital payments.In documents released alongside Philip Hammond's update on the UK economy, it was revealed the Government wants to know whether the "current denominational mix meets the needs of cash users".
  
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• Russia threatens retaliation after Britain expels 23 diplomats

  14-03-2018 19:41
  Britain is braced for retaliation from Moscow after Theresa May blamed the Russian state for the Salisbury poisoning, and announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and a crackdown on “corrupt elites”.The prime minister told the House of Commons the Kremlin had responded with “sarcasm, contempt and defiance” to the 24-hour deadline the government set on Monday for explaining the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal.It was “unlawful use of force by the Russian st
  
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• Williams: church's old views on gay clergy led to desire not to judge sexual activities

  14-03-2018 19:37
  The Church of England may have “overcompensated” for earlier repressive attitudes to gay clergy with a reluctance to deal rigorously with priests who sexually abused children, Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, has said.Giving evidence to the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, Williams said an “awkwardness” about the church’s views on homosexuality 30 or 40 years ago may have led to a desire not to be “judgmental about people’
  
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• UK sanctions against Russia: what impact will they have?

  14-03-2018 19:34
  Theresa May’s package of diplomatic and economic measures against Russia is measured, focused but unlikely to put additional economic pressure on either Russia or Vladimir Putin’s entourage, British defence and diplomatic analysts have said.Jonathan Eyal, an associate director at the military thinktank Rusi, said he had expected a stronger reaction.Mathieu Boulègue, a Russia expert at Chatham House, another thinktank, said: “The Kremlin will understand this as a very mil
  
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• Scottish and Welsh leaders hopeful of deal on post-Brexit powers

  14-03-2018 19:31
  Nicola Sturgeon has expressed hope that she and Theresa May could soon reach an agreement over Brexit power-sharing arrangements spelled out in the EU withdrawal bill, following talks at Downing Street.The Scottish first minister said that while there had been no immediate breakthrough in Wednesday’s discussions, also involving her Welsh counterpart, Carwyn Jones, progress had been made.
  
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• Britain expels 23 Russian diplomats over nerve attack on ex-spy

  14-03-2018 19:28
  Britain is to kick out 23 Russian diplomats, the biggest such expulsion since the Cold War, over a chemical attack on a former Russian double agent in England that Prime Minister Theresa May blamed on Moscow.May pointed the finger firmly at Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as she outlined retaliatory measures in parliament.Russia denies any involvement in the attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who have been critical in hospital since they were found unconscious
  
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• Russian spy poisoning: investigation extends to Dorset town

  14-03-2018 19:22
  Soldiers wearing protective clothing prepare to take away the recovery vehicle in Gillingham, Dorset.The police investigation into the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, has widened further to take in a Dorset town.Some residents of Gillingham, 30 miles west of Salisbury, were told to stay indoors while detectives and military personnel secured a vehicle suspected of being connected to the inquiry.
  
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• May expels 23 Russian spies but stops well short of bothering Putin

  14-03-2018 19:22
  Prime Minister Theresa May's response to Russia after a nerve agent attack on British soil is unlikely to trouble Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin unduly, despite the expression of outrage that greeted it in Moscow.After the first known use of a military-grade nerve toxin on British soil since World War Two, May expelled 23 Russian spies using diplomatic cover and promised to freeze Russian State assets if they were used to threaten British interests.
  
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• Integration plans criticised over English-language teaching cuts

  14-03-2018 19:03
  Opposition MPs have challenged the government’s proposals on improving community integration and accused the Conservatives of being “the party of the hostile environment and go home vans”.More than a year after the publication of Dame Louise Casey’s report on community cohesion, the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, launched a green paper on Wednesday containing wide-ranging proposals covering schools, housing, shared space and marriage.“We cannot and we will not
  
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• This woman received a telegram from the Queen on her 100th birthday

  14-03-2018 18:40
  And was showered with love on the internet.
  
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• Novichok nerve agent: What exactly is it?

  14-03-2018 18:40
  The poison used to target a former spy and his daughter is Russian-made nerve agent novichok, the PM has said.
  
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• Salisbury attack: 'Sheer fury' at Corbyn's response to spy poisoning

  14-03-2018 18:37
  Jeremy Corbyn was accused of "appeasement" towards Russia as MPs - including his own backbenchers - voiced anger at the Labour leader's apparent reluctance to directly blame Moscow for the Salisbury nerve agent attack.Mr Corbyn was heckled in the House of Commons on Wednesday as he responded to the Prime Minister's statement setting out a range of retaliatory measures the UK will take against Russia.The Labour leader described the Salisbury attack as an "appalling act of violence", but
  
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• Russia travel advice: Britons warned not to 'talk politics' amid tensions

  14-03-2018 18:31
  The Foreign Office has urged British nationals to "remain vigilant" in updated travel advice after Theresa May orderedthe expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats on Wednesday .It was issued as the Prime Minister looked to take action after reaching a stalemate with Russia following demands for Moscow to explain the use of a chemical weapon in Salisbury.Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were targeted with a nerve agent and remain in a critical condition.
  
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• UK could rethink social media laws after Brexit, says minister

  14-03-2018 18:28
  Brexit could free up Britain to impose world-leading regulations on technology companies, the culture secretary has said.Matt Hancock argued that when Britain left the EU it would no longer be bound by regulations such as the e-commerce directive, allowing it to write new “forward-looking” legislation for social media platforms.
  
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• Snow warning amid threat from 'Beast from the East Two'

  14-03-2018 18:28
  The Met Office has issued a series of long-range yellow warnings for snow as another cold snap moves in from the east.Forecasters are predicting that rain will turn to snow on higher ground across much of the east of the UK on Friday evening and into Saturday.In addition, snow showers are likely throughout Sunday in the South East, East Anglia and into the East Midlands.
  
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• Penny not dropped? Govt signals 1p and 2p coins are safe amid backlash

  14-03-2018 18:21
  The Government has signalled 1p and 2p coins won't be scrapped - a day after the Treasury announced a consultation on their use.As part of his spring statement on Tuesday, the Chancellor announced a call for evidence on encouraging cashless and digital payments.In documents released alongside Philip Hammond's update on the UK economy, it was revealed the Government wants to know whether the "current denominational mix meets the needs of cash users".
  
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• Britain expels 23 Russian 'undeclared intelligence officers' over Salisbury nerve agent attack

  14-03-2018 18:17
  The Prime Minister has unveiled a raft of measures against Russia in response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack.The UK will kick out 23 Russian diplomats, suspend bilateral relations with Moscow, toughen sanctions powers and lead a boycott of dignitaries at this summer's World Cup, Theresa May said.Following the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Mrs May told MPs on Wednesday there can be "no alternative conclusion" other than the Russian state being responsible for
  
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• Moscow received list of 23 Russian diplomats to be expelled from Britain - Foreign Ministry

  14-03-2018 18:07
  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow has received a list of 23 Russian diplomats to be expelled from Britain following Prime Minister Theresa May's statement responding to a nerve toxin attack on a Russian ex-spy in southern England, the Russian foreign ministry's spokeswoman said on state TV on Wednesday.
  
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• ‘We lost half our embassy’: how Russia retaliated in 1985 spy row

  14-03-2018 18:00
  The last mass expulsion of alleged Russian spies from London took place in September 1985, at the height of the cold war, when the British government ordered 25 Soviet diplomats to leave.It triggered a wave of tit-for-tat expulsions that were halted only after the British ambassador in Moscow, irate at facing the effective closure of his embassy, pleaded with ministers to quit while they were ahead.“Never engage in a pissing match with a skunk, he possesses important natural advantages,&rd
  
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• Corbyn jeered as Labour MPs back PM on Russia

  14-03-2018 18:00
  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was jeered in the Commons as he responded to a statement from the Prime Minister on actions the Government is taking against Russia.
  
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• In Pictures: Thousands of US students walk out of school to protest over gun violence

  14-03-2018 17:39
  The protest comes a month after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
  
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• France wants proof before responding on Britain poisoning affair

  14-03-2018 17:37
  France on Wednesday said it wanted firm proof of Russian involvement in the nerve-toxin poisoning of a Russian double agent in Britain before it took any action in solidarity with the British government.In contrast to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump who assured British Prime Minister Theresa May they were taking her government's views on possible Russian involvement extremely seriously, President Emmanuel Macron and other French officials have declined to mention
  
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• New German foreign minister - disappointed with Russia in ex-spy attack

  14-03-2018 17:32
  Germany's new Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Russia to cooperate in the investigation into a nerve agent attack on an ex-Russian spy in England for which British Prime Minister Theresa May blames Moscow."We take the assessment of the British government seriously and it is disappointing that Russia seems not to be willing to contribute to clearing up (this case)," Maas said in his first speech as minister before heading to Paris."Moscow should be ready to be transparent... And it is clear
  
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• UK privacy watchdog ends WhatsApp probe after compliance pledge

  14-03-2018 17:30
  The decision by Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham means WhatsApp, which has 1.5 billion monthly users, will not be fined and that any future sharing of user data would be governed by European privacy rules that enter into force in May."I am pleased to state that WhatsApp has now signed an 'undertaking' wherein they have given a public commitment not to share personal data with Facebook," Denham said in a blog post on Wednesday.
  
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• Married Durham University Academics Face Deportation In Days 'As Punishment For Doing Their Jobs'

  14-03-2018 17:30
  Two Durham University academics facing deportation to Mexico in a matter of
  
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• Blind YouTuber Joy Ross creates videos showing people her everyday life

  14-03-2018 17:30
  ‘It inspires me to know that I’m inspiring others.’
  
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