General news

• UK pledges cash for Commonwealth education, urges malaria fight

  16-04-2018 23:34
  Prime Minister Theresa May will pledge cash to help improve children's education in the Commonwealth and call for a commitment from fellow leaders to tackle malaria on Tuesday.May's government is looking to reinvigorate the Commonwealth, a 53-country network of mostly former British colonies, as it seeks to define its post-Brexit role in the world as a leader of free trade and active global citizen.Speaking on the second day of a week-long Commonwealth meeting in London, May will switch focus fr
  
  Read more

• Alfie Evans parents 'won't give up' after losing bid to take him abroad

  16-04-2018 23:21
  The father of seriously ill toddler Alfie Evans has said "we are never going to back down" after he and the child's mother were told they cannot take their son to a foreign hospital.Mr Justice Hayden set a date for the 23-month-old, who is being cared for at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, to be allowed to die.On Monday, Alfie's parents, Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, asked Court of Appeal judges to rule that Alfie should be allowed to travel to a hospital in Rome.
  
  Read more

• Alfie Evans' father: 'We are never going to back down'

  16-04-2018 22:45
  The father of seriously ill toddler Alfie Evans has said "we are never going to back down" after he and the child's mother were told they cannot take their son to a foreign hospital.Mr Justice Hayden set a date for the 23-month-old, who is being cared for at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, to be allowed to die.On Monday, Alfie's parents, Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, asked Court of Appeal judges to rule that Alfie should be allowed to travel to a hospital in Rome.
  
  Read more

• May defends British strikes in Syria against parliament critics

  16-04-2018 22:11
  British Prime Minister Theresa May, facing a rowdy session of parliament on Monday, defended her decision to join U.S.-led missile strikes against Syria without first seeking parliament's authorisation.Jeremy Corbyn, head of the opposition Labour party, led criticism of May for not recalling parliament a vote, accusing her of blindly following U.S. President Donald Trump's orders.May has weathered months of doubt over her leadership due to rows over the Brexit decision to leave the European Unio
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Windrush residents: Government accused of 'day of national shame'

  16-04-2018 19:50
  The Home Secretary launched an unusual attack on her own department as the Government faced severe criticism over the treatment of the "Windrush" generation of British residents.Amber Rudd turned on her own officials, saying she was "concerned" the Home Office can "sometimes lose sight of the individual", as she sought to dampen down an escalating row over immigration problems faced by those who came to Britain from the Commonwealth after the Second World War.
  
  Read more

• Vauxhall showrooms face axe in contract shake-up

  16-04-2018 19:47
  Vauxhall says it does not expect any UK showroom staff to lose their jobs despite giving all of its 326 dealerships two years' notice of contract termination.The move forms part of a Europe-wide effort by the new owner of the Opel and Vauxhall brands, PSA, to bolster sales and customer satisfaction while cutting costs, Vauxhall said.
  
  Read more

• 'Russia government hackers attacking critical national infrastructure in UK and US'

  16-04-2018 19:44
  The Russian government is attacking critical national infrastructure in the UK and the US, security agencies have warned.In a joint technical alert issued by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the FBI and the US Department for Homeland Security (DHS), the Kremlin is accused of being behind an on-going hacking campaign.The primary targets of the campaign are government and private-sector organisations, as well as critical infrastructure businesses and the internet service providers s
  
  Read more

• U.S., UK accuse Russian government-backed hackers in global cyber campaign

  16-04-2018 19:41
  U.S. and British officials told reporters in a conference call that they planned to issue a joint alert on the attacks, which targeted routers that form a key part of the internet infrastructure in a cyber espionage campaign that could be leveraged in the future to launch offensive attacks."When we see malicious cyber activity, whether it be from the Kremlin or other malicious nation-state actors, we are going to push back," said Rob Joyce, the White House cybersecurity coordinator.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK supports Prince Charles to succeed Queen Elizabeth as Commonwealth head

  16-04-2018 18:57
  Britain backs Queen Elizabeth's son and heir, Prince Charles, to succeed her as head of the Commonwealth network of 53 mostly former British colonies, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday."The UK supports the Prince of Wales as the next head of the Commonwealth.
  
  Read more

• Ant McPartlin given driving ban and £86k fine

  16-04-2018 18:51
  TV presenter Ant McPartlin has been fined £86,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving.Prosecutor Katie Sinnett-Jones told Wimbledon Magistrates' Court that the incident happened when McPartlin drove around a "sharp bend and lost control", then ended up on the wrong side of the road.
  
  Read more

• Why Wetherspoon has quit social media

  16-04-2018 18:41 via bbc.co.uk
  Pub chain Wetherspoon has quit social media, so what difference will it make to its business?
  
  Read more

• US And UK Say Russia Has Infected 'Millions Of Computers' In Wave Of Cyber Attacks

  16-04-2018 18:41
  The United States and United Kingdom on Monday said that Russian government-
  
  Read more

• UK And US Issue Joint Alert Over Russian Hackers That Have 'Infected Millions'

  16-04-2018 18:41
  UK and US spies issued an unprecedented joint alert over Russian-sponsored
  
  Read more

• May - Do not doubt our resolve to prevent normalisation of chemical weapons

  16-04-2018 18:22
  LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain was determined to prevent the use of chemical weapons becoming normalised, responding to questions in parliament about her decision to authorise air strikes against Syria.
  
  Read more

• Britain's WPP, investors adjust to life without Sorrell

  16-04-2018 18:09
  WPP entered uncharted territory on Monday after the exit of founder Martin Sorrell left the world's biggest advertising company rudderless at a time of intense industry change.Shares in WPP fell 6 percent after Sorrell, the driving force behind 33 years of dealmaking and relentless expansion, stepped down on Saturday after the board investigated an allegation of misconduct.David Herro of Harris Associates, WPP's biggest shareholder according to Thomson Reuters data, said Sorrell would be missed.
  
  Read more

• May - Syria strikes were in Britain's interest, not because Trump told us to

  16-04-2018 17:53
  Britain's decision to conduct air strikes against Syria was in the country's national interest, and not the result of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament on Monday."We have not done this because President Trump asked us to, we have done it because we believed it was the right thing to do, and we are not alone.
  
  Read more

• Police catch criminal after spotting fingerprint in WhatsApp photo

  16-04-2018 17:49
  Even on encrypted messaging platforms, be careful what you send.  Police officers in South Wales were able to identify a drug dealer's fingerprints from an old WhatsApp photo, the BBC reports. The fingerprint helped secure 11 drug-trafficking convictions, which are believed to be the first convictions in Wales to come from a photograph.  SEE ALSO: Even the founder of WhatsApp thinks you should delete Facebook "Ultimately, beyond everything else, we took a phone and looked at everything
  
  Read more

• Britain apologises for 'appalling' treatment of 'Windrush generation' migrants

  16-04-2018 17:48
  Home Secretary Amber Rudd apologised on Monday to thousands of British residents who arrived from the Caribbean decades ago and are now being denied basic rights after being incorrectly identified as illegal immigrants.Prime Minister Theresa May is under growing pressure to resolve the issue of the 'Windrush generation' of migrants who arrived in Britain more than 50 years ago and have become victims of a recent tightening of the immigration system.Many have been told they need evidence includin
  
  Read more

• EU threatens new sanctions against Syria but not Russia

  16-04-2018 17:40
  European Union foreign ministers on Monday threatened new sanctions against Syria over its alleged chemical attacks, but held off from joining expected new punitive U.S. measures against Russia.After Britain and France joined the United States in missile salvoes meant to knock out Syrian chemical arms facilities, EU foreign ministers discussed steps to deepen the isolation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad."The European Union will continue to consider further restrictive measures against Syria
  
  Read more

• Syria: Does Russia always use a veto at the UN Security Council?

  16-04-2018 17:33 via bbc.co.uk
  Russia has been criticised for vetoing UN resolutions related to Syria.
  
  Read more

• Ant McPartlin apologises outside court following drink driving sentence

  16-04-2018 17:18 via bbc.co.uk
  The TV presenter apologised outside court after being fined £86,000 and banned from driving for 20 months.
  
  Read more

• Southport: Sefton Council's road resurfacing 'epic fail'

  16-04-2018 17:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Residents say the road looks 'so stupid' after council workers resurfaced around a parked car.
  
  Read more

• Whitbread shares surge amid talk that Costa and Premier Inn divisions could be split

  16-04-2018 16:42
  Shares in Whitbread, the firm behind Costa Coffee and Premier Inn, have soared more than 7% on reports of growing pressure to split itself in two.The FTSE 100 company's market value took off on Monday after the activist investor, Elliott Advisors, confirmed over the weekend that it had become Whitbread's largest shareholder with a 6% stake.According to Reuters, it is the second US-based hedge fund to have taken a significant stake in recent months on hopes they can urge Whitbread to demerge the
  
  Read more

• Government admits 'Windrush' residents could have been deported 'in error'

  16-04-2018 16:34
  The Government have apologised after admitting "Windrush" generation UK residents have potentially been deported to the Caribbean "in error".Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes revealed she was "very sorry" amid an escalating row over problems faced by those who came to Britain from the Commonwealth after the Second World War.After initially rejecting their request for a meeting, a Downing Street U-turn will now see the Prime Minister meet with Caribbean leaders in a bid to ease the co
  
  Read more

• Government apologises for treatment of 'Windrush generation' of migrants

  16-04-2018 16:28
  Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Monday apologised to thousands of British residents who arrived from the Caribbean decades ago and are now being denied basic rights after being incorrectly identified as illegal immigrants.More than 140 members of parliament have signed a letter to the prime minister calling on her to resolve an anomaly that means many people who arrived in Britain as children between 1948 and 1971 are being denied health services, prevented from working and in some cases
  
  Read more

• How half a million hens were saved from slaughter – video

  16-04-2018 16:11 via theguardian.com
  There's
  a growing trend in the UK for re-homing chickens, with tens of thousandsfinding new homes across the country every year. Many of the hens ​come
  from farms where they share cages with up to 90 other birds, and have never
  seen daylight or breathed fresh air Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• CCTV released of shopkeeper being stabbed in Twickenham

  16-04-2018 15:53
  Police have released footage of two men who attacked a shopkeeper in west London with a knife.The second suspect could be seen throwing things at the victim and pulling off his turban during the incident which took place at around 10pm on 23 December last year.The shopkeeper managed to fight off the knifeman before both suspects ran away in the direction of Percy Road.
  
  Read more

• Grenfell Refurbishment Turned Tower Into Major Fire Safety Hazard, Leaked Report Reveals

  16-04-2018 15:50
  Survivor groups have reacted with anger after a leaked report into the
  
  Read more

• Diane Abbott Slammed For Using Fake Bombing Raid Image In Syria Tweet

  16-04-2018 15:41
  Diane Abbott has come under fire after posting a fake image of a bombing raid
  
  Read more

• EU threatens new Syrian sanctions but no clear Russian target

  16-04-2018 14:38
  European Union foreign ministers threatened on Monday new sanctions on Syria over what the West says were chemical attacks on its own people, but held off from joining expected new U.S. punitive measures against Russia.After Britain and France joined the United States in missile salvoes meant to knock out Syrian chemical arms facilities, EU foreign ministers eyed steps to deepen the isolation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
  
  Read more

• Theresa May to hold 'Windrush' meeting with Caribbean leaders after U-turn

  16-04-2018 14:06
  A Downing Street U-turn will see Theresa May now meet with Caribbean leaders over problems faced by "Windrush" generation UK residents.The Prime Minister had come under pressure after it was revealed a request for talks by Commonwealth heads of government had initially been turned down.Caribbean leaders have expressed concern at immigration problems suffered by those who have lived in Britain for the majority of their lives, but have recently encountered difficulties when finding work, accessing
  
  Read more

• Cheers as Prince Harry praises Meghan Markle at Commonwealth summit

  16-04-2018 13:48
  Prince Harry drew cheers at the start of a Commonwealth summit in London as he described how his fiancee Meghan Markle is "hugely excited" to join his work in a new role handed to him by the Queen.Having been appointed a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador by his grandmother, Prince Harry told young delegates that "it is you who are going to change the world", at the beginning of the week-long Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).Prince Harry, who will marry Ms Markle next month, earned an
  
  Read more

• Man and woman killed within minutes of each other in separate knife attacks

  16-04-2018 13:45
  A 26-year-old man was attacked with a knife in Colindale, north London, just before 6pm on Sunday and a woman in her 30s was stabbed to death in Brixton, south London, shortly after 6.30pm.The stabbings come as the number of killings so far this year approaches 60 in London.The Colindale victim was treated by land and air ambulance crews before being taken to hospital in central London.
  
  Read more

• May faces backlash over treatment of 'Windrush generation' of migrants

  16-04-2018 13:44
  Prime Minister Theresa May is under pressure to resolve the status of thousands of British residents who arrived from the Caribbean decades ago and are now being denied basic rights after being incorrectly identified as illegal immigrants.More than 140 members of parliament have signed a letter to the prime minister calling on her to resolve an anomaly that means many people who arrived in Britain as children between 1948 and 1971 are being denied health services, prevented from working and in s
  
  Read more

• May wants to give parliament time to debate Syria strikes - spokesman

  16-04-2018 13:32
  British Prime Minister Theresa May wants to give parliament plenty of time on Monday to scrutinise her decision to join U.S. and French air strikes on Syria at the weekend, her spokesman said.May has been criticised for bypassing members of parliament when she decided to launch the action in Syria, which she has defended by saying the government needed to move quickly to protect "operational security and give a very clear message" to Damascus."The prime minister has set out very clearly over the
  
  Read more

• UK Weather Forecast Predicts The Hottest Day Of The Year So Far

  16-04-2018 13:04
  Britain will bask in sunshine and warm temperatures this week as the country
  
  Read more

• JD.com takes $85 million stake in Allianz China unit

  16-04-2018 12:58
  JD.com Inc will invest 536.6 million yuan ($85.4 million) for a 33 percent stake in the China unit of global insurance giant Allianz SE, the companies said, as part of the Chinese e-commerce firm's push into financial services.The investment will make JD.com the second largest shareholder in Allianz China, said the insurance firm in a filing on Monday.JD.com spun out its finance unit in 2017 and earlier this month Reuters reported it aims to raise $1.9 billion in fresh equity that will potential
  
  Read more

• Daily Mail Forced To Apologise After Using C-Word To Describe Australian Reality TV Star

  16-04-2018 12:39
  The Daily Mail has apologised after calling an Australian reality TV
  
  Read more

• Euro zone bond yields at three-week highs as Syria escalation fears ease

  16-04-2018 12:37
  Borrowing costs in the euro zone rose to three-week highs on Monday as hopes that a U.S.-led strike on Syria would not escalate into a broader conflict supported appetite for risk assets, denting demand for fixed income.The premium investors demand for holding Spanish government bonds over German peers fell to a one-week low after ratings agency Moody's upgraded Spain's ratings on Friday, marking the third ratings upgrade for the southern European state this year.Across the single currency bloc,
  
  Read more

• Chemical weapons inspectors not yet allowed access to Douma - UK delegation

  16-04-2018 12:37
  The inspectors arrived on Saturday to examine whether chemical weapons were used at Douma on April 7, and if so what kind.The British delegation to the OPCW said in a statement posted on Twitter that Russia and Syria had not yet allowed inspectors access to Douma.
  
  Read more

• Jaguar Land Rover confirms plans to cut 1,000 UK jobs

  16-04-2018 12:30
  Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed plans to shed 1,000 jobs as it cuts production at two sites.Britain's biggest carmaker said it had been informing employees about the decision on Monday - after reports had emerged last week.A spokesman confirmed that 1,000 agency staff at Solihull were not having their contracts renewed.
  
  Read more

• Prince Harry promises to listen as he starts new Commonwealth job

  16-04-2018 12:19
  Prince Harry has been appointed a Commonwealth youth ambassador, his highest-profile public role to date and a job that will see him working with his future wife encouraging young people to use the network of mostly former British colonies."I know that serving as ambassador to young people I'm going have to try to keep up with you all ... my job will be to listen to you, my duty will be to ensure that your ideas, concerns, thoughts and hopes are heard," Harry told the opening of a Commonwealth f
  
  Read more

• Russia central bank says no plans to intervene on rouble

  16-04-2018 11:51
  Russia's central bank said on Monday it would not intervene in currency markets following a sharp drop in the value of the rouble, playing down the impact on the currency of new U.S. sanctions.Volatility on Russian markets has soared since Washington imposed fresh sanctions on April 6, targeting some of Russia's biggest companies and most prominent businessmen to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and other "malign activity".The rouble plunged more than 10 percent v
  
  Read more

• Theresa May under pressure over 'Windrush' immigration problems

  16-04-2018 11:45
  The Prime Minister has been criticised after Downing Street turned down a request to discuss immigration problems faced by "Windrush" generation British residents.Ahead of this week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, Caribbean leaders tried to arrange a meeting with Theresa May.It comes as some of those who moved to Britain from the Caribbean after the Second World War have begun to experience issues as a result of recently tightened UK immigration requirements.
  
  Read more

• Japan keeps assessment economy is 'gradually recovering'

  16-04-2018 11:39
  Japan left unchanged its assessment that the economy is gradually recovering, suggesting in an economic report growth will rebound from an expected slowdown in the first quarter."Japan's economy is gradually recovering," the Cabinet Office said in its monthly economic report for April on Monday.The government left unchanged its assessment that consumer spending is "recovering" as spending on home electronics shows signs of improving and as households spend more on dining out.
  
  Read more

• British envoy - OPCW must act to prevent 'further barbaric use of chemical weapons'

  16-04-2018 11:39
  The global chemical weapons organisation has recorded more than 390 alleged incidents of illicit use of poisonous munitions in Syria since 2014, the British envoy to the organisation said on Monday, calling for members to take collective action.The comments were made at a closed door meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is holding a special session on the April 7 attack in Douma, Syria."The time has come for all members of this Executive Council to take a st
  
  Read more

• Cold snap sends shiver through high street

  16-04-2018 11:38
  Footfall declined by 6% in March compared with the same month last year as plunging temperatures and icy conditions deterred consumers, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and data company Springboard.At the same time, figures from Visa showed the biggest fall in quarterly consumer spending since the last three months of 2012 - also partly blamed on the "Beast from the East".Severe weather conditions have added to the sector's woes - as well as that of the wider economy, w
  
  Read more

• James Comey ABC Interview: 5 Key Accusations About Donald Trump

  16-04-2018 11:34
  Former FBI director James Comey has slammed Donald Trump as "morally unfit" to
  
  Read more

• Russia may have tampered with chemical attack site, US envoy says

  16-04-2018 11:31
  Russia may have tampered with the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria's Douma, the U.S. envoy to the global watchdog said on Monday, urging the body to condemn the continuing use of banned chemical weapons.The comments came during a closed-door meeting at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, convened after an April 7 attack in the town of Douma, outside the Syrian capital, in which dozens of people were allegedly killed with poison gas."It is long overdue tha
  
  Read more

• WPP shares fall as Sir Martin Sorrell quits

  16-04-2018 11:17
  Shares in advertising giant WPP have fallen after chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell resigned following allegations of personal misconduct.Sir Martin, who has built up the company over 32 years, resigned over the weekend following claims related to the alleged misuse of company assets.Sir Martin already owns shares in WPP worth more than £200m‎, while his annual remuneration packages - he earned £70m two years ago - have made him a target for critics of lavish boardroom pay.
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralnewsUK on Twitter!