General news

• The other Harry and Megan get ready to tie the knot

  01-05-2018 23:53
  Their namesakes may be getting all the media attention but Harry and Megan are looking forward to their wedding this month with every bit as much excitement.Harry Hindley, that is, and Megan Morley, who both teach performing arts to children in Nottingham and tie the knot in London after a hasty eight weeks of planning."The other Meghan is perfect for the other Harry and I am perfect for this Harry," said Megan.
  
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• Brexiteers send customs 'ultimatum' to Theresa May

  01-05-2018 23:51 via bbc.co.uk
  The government is under pressure to drop one of its preferred options to manage customs after Brexit.
  
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• Commons Speaker John Bercow accused of bullying private secretary

  01-05-2018 23:32 via bbc.co.uk
  The Speaker's former private secretary breaks a non-disclosure agreement to speak to Newsnight.
  
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• John Bercow faces further claims of bullying

  01-05-2018 23:30
  House of Commons speaker John Bercow faces fresh bullying allegations after a former private secretary claimed that he was subject to angry outbursts and obscene language when he worked for him.Angus Sinclair said that Bercow had shouted at him, undermined him in front of other staff, swore and attempted to physically intimidate him, with a mobile phone smashed on the desk in front of him on one occasion.The former senior official told BBC Newsnight he was paid £86,250 in 2010, after worki
  
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• Man and woman found dead at home in Loughborough

  01-05-2018 23:28
  A man and woman have been found dead in a house in Loughborough.
  
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• UK's most polluted towns and cities revealed

  01-05-2018 23:26 via bbc.co.uk
  Areas above the limit include London and Manchester, with the Welsh town Port Talbot the worst.
  
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• Uber's licence renewal in Brighton turned down

  01-05-2018 23:16
  Brighton and Hove City Council's licensing panel said the firm is "not fit and proper", citing concerns over a data breach in which customers' personal details were leaked.Councillors were also concerned about the number of Uber drivers who are not licensed in Brighton but still operate there.The Silicon Valley firm is already battling a Transport for London decision to strip them of their licence in the capital.
  
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• RAF strikes on IS in Iraq 'may have killed civilians'

  01-05-2018 23:03 via bbc.co.uk
  Doubt is cast on the MoD's claim it has seen no evidence that strikes against IS caused civilian casualties.
  
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• MPs back 'Magnitsky amendment' on sanctions for human rights abuses

  01-05-2018 22:03
  Britain will be able to impose sanctions on people who commit gross human rights violations under a so-called "Magnitsky amendment" backed by members of parliament on Tuesday.The amendment to a new Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill going through parliament passed without a vote as it was backed both by the ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party.Lawmakers referred to it during their debate as the Magnitsky amendment, in reference to Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who
  
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• Brexit: Theresa May plans 'robust' response to Lords defeat

  01-05-2018 22:03 via bbc.co.uk
  No 10 says the House of Lords defeat in a key vote risks tying negotiators' hands in Brexit talks.
  
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• Immigration minister apologises to Windrush victims at meeting

  01-05-2018 21:53
  The immigration minister Caroline Nokes has apologised in person to a series of people affected by the Windrush crisis, promising a meeting in parliament devoted to the issue that she would sort people’s plight as rapidly as possible.Underlining the government’s eagerness to get a grip on a situation that has already seen Amber Rudd resign as home secretary, Nokes offered no new policies but said she would pledge to put right what had happened.Who are the Windrush generation?
  
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• Exeter university students expelled over racist comments

  01-05-2018 21:30 via bbc.co.uk
  Exeter University says the "very severe consequences" have not been reached "lightly".
  
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• PM expected to delay customs decision to appease key Brexiters

  01-05-2018 21:28
  Theresa May risks a showdown with key Brexiters over options for future customs arrangements.Theresa May will attempt to head off a rebellion of her Brexit inner cabinet and prevent key leave-supporting ministers from resigning by delaying a final decision on her “customs partnership” model.The prime minister is expected to keep both of Downing Street’s options for a future customs arrangement with the European Union on the table at least for now as the 11-strong sub-committee
  
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• Bank sees NatWest as the future of RBS

  01-05-2018 21:25
  Sky's Business Correspondent Adam Parsons reports on why Royal Bank of Scotland is shutting so many RBS branches.
  
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• Museums compete for prestigious annual UK award

  01-05-2018 21:11 via bbc.co.uk
  Five contenders are shortlisted for the UK's Museum of the Year Award, which has a £100,000 prize.
  
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• Windrush scandal: Labour plans to ambush PM by demanding release of secret papers

  01-05-2018 20:47
  Labour plans to ambush Theresa May on the Windrush scandal by tabling a Commons motion demanding the release of secret Government papers.Jeremy Corbyn and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott will use the same parliamentary procedure that was successful in forcing the Government to hand over Brexit papers.Using an Opposition Day debate in the Commons on Wednesday, Labour will propose a humble address, which if passed will give the Commons the power to require ministers to release Government papers
  
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• House of Lords plays havoc with Brexit bill

  01-05-2018 20:21 via bbc.co.uk
  Peers have defeated the government multiple times on key Brexit legislation - how far can they go?
  
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• Jamie Oliver says Govt's obesity strategy 'let British kids down' as he calls for 'sugar tax' to hit milk drinks

  01-05-2018 20:14
  Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver suggested widening the "fantastic" tax on sugary drinks to milk drinks as he said the Government's childhood obesity strategy had "let British kids down".Appearing alongside fellow chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in front of the House of Commons' Health and Social Care Committee, Oliver told MPs the childhood obesity strategy published by ministers in August 2016 had been "a massive disappointment"."I think we let British kids down, I think we let British parents dow
  
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• Abortion death after 'repeated failures' at Ealing clinic

  01-05-2018 20:12 via bbc.co.uk
  Aisha Chithira, 32, bled to death after a procedure at a clinic in west London in January 2012.
  
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• Ray Wilkins memorial: Frank Lampard, Gary Lineker and John Terry among football stars at service

  01-05-2018 20:06
  Frank Lampard, John Terry and Gary Lineker were among the football legends to pay tribute at the memorial service for Ray Wilkins.Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate, England coaches past and present, were also at the service at St Luke's and Christ Church in Chelsea.
  
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• U.S. factory activity slows further, tariff concerns grow

  01-05-2018 19:58
  The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) survey published on Tuesday also showed shortages of skilled workers, which together with the proposed import tariffs were causing bottlenecks in the supply chain.Rising raw material costs are the latest indication that inflation pressures are building and could attract the attention of Federal Reserve officials who began a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday.
  
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• Poet Benjamin Zephaniah: 'I hit my ex-girlfriend'

  01-05-2018 19:55 via bbc.co.uk
  The poet describes how becoming politically active led him to change his behaviour towards women.
  
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• Does Sajid Javid’s track record bode well for the task ahead?

  01-05-2018 19:24
  Sajid Javid arriving for a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. ‘His rapid upward trajectory, and Theresa May’s fragile position, means he might soon be moving into 10 Downing Street,’ writes Joe McCarthy.Sajid Javid is a politician with a Teflon-like quality who is often at pains to emphasise his personal sincerity – though he doesn’t always produce results (Javid steps into the breach as PM tries to halt Windrush crisis, 1 May).In 2017, after the Grenfell Tower disast
  
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• 96-year-old Tory candidate in Newcastle could become UK's oldest councillor

  01-05-2018 19:16
  A 96-year-old woman in Newcastle could become the UK's oldest councillor following this week's local council elections.Florence Kirkby has vowed to stand up for the elderly and for teachers if she wins a seat for the Conservatives in the newly created Manor Park ward in Newcastle upon Tyne.The nonagenarian, from Gosforth, spent her entire career in education, as a teacher, headmistress and on the governing body of Newcastle University, receiving an MBE for her services to education in 2013.
  
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• 'I was stranded on a train in a wheelchair'

  01-05-2018 19:07 via bbc.co.uk
  BBC reporter Alex Taylor on the difficulties of commuting to work as a disabled person.
  
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• Kay Burley named broadcast journalist of the year at London Press Club awards

  01-05-2018 18:52
  Kay Burley has been named the London Press Club's broadcast journalist of the year.The Sky presenter beat two BBC journalists, including Laura Kuenssberg, in an all-female shortlist on Tuesday afternoon.Ms Burley, 57, joined Sky News in 1988 and was one of the first journalists to work for the television station.
  
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• RBS closures: Is your local branch set to shut?

  01-05-2018 18:49
  Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced the closure of a further 162 branches across England and Wales, with the loss of around 792 jobs.
  
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• Jamie Oliver says more tax is not way to cut childhood obesity

  01-05-2018 18:48 via bbc.co.uk
  TV chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall gave evidence to MPs on how to tackle the epidemic.
  
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• Labour members quit in transgender row

  01-05-2018 18:47 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour disputes claims 300 members have quit in protest at transgender women being included in all-women shortlists.
  
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• Belfast hospital trust recalls 2,500 patients amid concerns over consultant's work

  01-05-2018 18:47
  A hospital trust has recalled 2,500 patients following an investigation into the work of a consultant neurologist, in what is believed to be the largest ever case review in Northern Ireland.The Belfast Trust said it had taken the decision after a review of patient notes relating to Dr Michael Watt.Fellow doctors had raised concerns about the care and treatment provided by Dr Watt, who is no longer treating patients, the trust said.
  
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• Nerve agent clean up begins

  01-05-2018 18:40
  Soldiers and RAF personnel begin digging up areas of Salisbury potentially contaminated during thenerve agent attack on the Skripals.
  
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• No suspects identified yet in Salisbury nerve agent attack, UK national security adviser says

  01-05-2018 18:28
  No suspects have yet been identified in the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning investigation, the UK's national security adviser has told MPs.Sir Mark Sedwill, who advises the Government and works closely with the police and security services, also confirmed that security is being reviewed around other former spies who may be at risk.It is now almost two months since Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped on a park bench in central Salisbury after being exposed to the military gra
  
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• Uber licence renewal in Brighton turned down

  01-05-2018 18:25 via bbc.co.uk
  Brighton and Hove City Council said it had "significant concerns" about the firm's data breach.
  
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• May Day celebrations in Glastonbury – in pictures

  01-05-2018 18:25
  Although more synonymous with International Workers’ Day and Labour Day, May Day, or Beltane, is celebrated by druids and pagans as the beginning of summer. It offers a chance to celebrate the coming of the season of warmth and light. Other traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing and the crowning of a May Queen with celebrations involving a Maypole Continue reading...
  
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• Asperger's woman 'dragged out' of film for loud laughter

  01-05-2018 18:13 via bbc.co.uk
  Tamsin Parker, 25, says security staff grabbed her arms and removed her from the cinema.
  
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• The YouTube stars being paid to sell cheating

  01-05-2018 18:11 via bbc.co.uk
  A BBC investigation finds that stars including Adam Saleh and JMX are encouraging students to buy essays.
  
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• The YouTube stars paid to promote cheating

  01-05-2018 18:06 via bbc.co.uk
  A BBC Trending investigation has uncovered the selling of academic cheating by YouTube stars on a massive scale.
  
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• Rare tiny spider tortoise born at UK zoo

  01-05-2018 18:00
  The spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides), which is usually found around the southwestern coast of Madagascar, has been successfully bred at Paignton Zoo in Devon.To get the reptiles to breed, keeper Andrew Meek had to mimic the natural seasonal changes the adult animals would experience in the wild, with all the corresponding fluctuations in weather and diet."This is a great achievement for all the team, but I must congratulate keeper Andrew Meek," said Luke Harding, curator of lower vertebrates
  
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• Ministers back down on tax haven company registers

  01-05-2018 17:55 via bbc.co.uk
  The government faced a rebellion on forcing overseas territories to publish firms' ownership details.
  
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• Letter: Lord Sutherland of Houndwood obituary

  01-05-2018 17:41
  Stewart Sutherland was an exceptional man. Photograph: PA
  
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• Four sleeping children 'murdered in arson attack triggered by feud'

  01-05-2018 17:40
  Four children were murdered as they slept in their bedrooms when their house was hit by lit petrol bombs, a court has been told.Demi Pearson, 15, her brother Brandon, eight, and sister Lacie, aged seven, were pulled lifeless from the wreckage of their home after a petrol bomb blocked the only exit to the ground floor, trapping them upstairs.Zak Bolland, 23, launched the fatal attack on their home in Walkden, Manchester after a feud with the victims' 16-year-old brother, the prosecution told the
  
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• Uber Loses Brighton Licence After Council Find Taxi App Is Not 'Fit And Proper'

  01-05-2018 17:37
  Uber's licence in Brighton will not be renewed the council announced on
  
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• Parachute trial husband 'thought he'd get £120k payout if wife died', court hears

  01-05-2018 17:36
  An army sergeant accused of sabotaging his wife's parachute thought he would get a £120,000 payout in the event of her accidental death, a court has been told.Emile Cilliers was nearly £22,000 in debt when his wife Victoria's main and reserve parachutes failed during a 4,000ft jump in 2015, a retrial at Winchester Crown Court heard on Tuesday.The 38-year-old, who is accused of attempted murder, was having affairs with his ex-wife and another woman at the time, and had also arranged t
  
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• Uber loses its licence in Brighton

  01-05-2018 17:35
  Uber's licence in the southern English coastal city of Brighton will not be renewed, the local council said on Tuesday, adding the taxi app is not "fit and proper" and citing concerns over a data breach and the use of drivers from outside the area.The Silicon Valley firm is also battling a decision by London's transport regulator last September to strip the firm of its licence, after which Brighton granted a six-month extension while it monitored the situation.On Tuesday, the Chair of Brighton's
  
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• Bouncy castle trial: 'I beat myself up' over death, funfair operator tells jury

  01-05-2018 17:34 via bbc.co.uk
  Summer Grant, 7, died after the bouncy castle she was playing in was blown across a fairground.
  
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• Who might replace Matthew Wright on The Wright Stuff?

  01-05-2018 17:19 via bbc.co.uk
  As Matthew Wright stands down from The Wright Stuff, who could replace him and what could the show be called?
  
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• UK territories ordered to open up about secretive companies

  01-05-2018 16:57
  Britain's government agreed on Tuesday to order its overseas territories to make secretive company ownership information public to try to tackle corruption and tax avoidance.Overseas territories and crown dependencies have come under increasing pressure to reveal who is behind anonymously owned companies, with campaign groups saying such secrecy aids money laundering, tax evasion and corrupt diversion of public funds from developing economies.Many of these territories, such as the Cayman Islands
  
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• MPs warn Zuckerberg of 'formal summons' to appear before Parliament

  01-05-2018 16:48
  Mark Zuckerberg could face a "formal summons" to appear before MPs the next time he travels to the UK, as the scandal over its use of user data continues.Facebook's founder and chief executive has turned down requests to give evidence to a committee investigating fake news, sending deputies instead.At the time, Damian Collins, the chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said it was "absolutely astonishing" that Mr Zuckerberg was declining to answer MPs' questions.
  
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• Trinity Mirror's £126.7m Express and Star deal to be investigated

  01-05-2018 16:36
  The Culture Secretary has referred Trinity Mirror's £126.7m deal to buy national newspapers, including the Daily Express and Daily Star, to a further regulator.Matt Hancock first raised public interest concerns over the acquisition last month - some weeks after the owner of the Daily Mirror agreed terms with Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell group for the string of titles.In addition to the dailies, the sale includes the Sunday Express, Daily Star Sunday and celebrity magazines OK!, N
  
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• Nurses syndicate from Cleland Hospital scoops £1m in lottery

  01-05-2018 16:15 via bbc.co.uk
  The 15 members of the syndicate at a hospital in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, will pocket about £66,666 each.
  
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