General news

• Storm Hector rolls over UK with 70mph winds

  13-06-2018 22:41
  Gales and winds of up to 70mph are set to hit the UK as Storm Hector makes its way from the Atlantic.An amber warning has been issued for Northern Ireland, and there are yellow warnings for Scotland and the North of England.The Met Office said: "The strongest winds will reach the west coast during the early hours of Thursday before spreading eastwards during the day.
  
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• Comcast launches $65bn bid to steal Murdoch's Fox away from Disney

  13-06-2018 22:24
  Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is the subject of an intense bidding war.Cable giant Comcast has launched a hostile bid for 21st Century Fox, the media empire controlled by Rupert Murdoch.On Tuesday, a judge threw out US government objections to AT&T’s takeover of Fox’s rival Time Warner.
  
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• Brexit campaigner orders EU's Verhofstadt to retract claim of Russian collusion

  13-06-2018 22:21
  Lawyers for Brexit campaigner Arron Banks ordered the European Parliament’s chief Brexit coordinator on Wednesday to retract a claim that Banks colluded with Russia to deliver Britain's vote to leave the European Union.Guy Verhofstadt, who leads the European Parliament Brexit coordination team, said on Twitter on Wednesday that far-right and right wing leaders across Europe made up a fifth column of cheerleaders for Russian President Vladimir Putin.In a letter to Verhofstadt, Bank's lawyer
  
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• How MPs voted on the EU withdrawal bill amendments

  13-06-2018 22:17
  The government faces 20 amendments to the EU withdrawal bill. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn hit by revolt as dozens defy whip in Brexit vote

  13-06-2018 22:08
  Jeremy Corbyn has suffered his biggest backbench revolt since he became leader as Labour’s divisions on Europe broke out into the open once more.In an extraordinary breakdown of party discipline, more than half of his backbenchers defied the party whip.In a vote on a Lords amendment that would effectively mean staying in the European Economic Area, 75 backbenchers defied party instructions to abstain and voted for the EEA.
  
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• EU withdrawal bill: which Labour MPs rebelled over the EEA amendment?

  13-06-2018 22:08
  The government has defeated two amendments to the EU withdrawal bill that would have forced the government to prioritise single market access in the final Brexit deal.The Lords amendment – which backed full EEA membership – was defeated by a clear majority of 201 votes.The government’s victory came just a day after Theresa May offered Tory rebels significant concessions in order to hold off defeat on the key ‘meaningful vote’ amendment.
  
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• Weakened, May defeats final Brexit challenges in parliament

  13-06-2018 22:05
  Prime Minister Theresa May defeated the final challenges to her Brexit blueprint in parliament on Wednesday, leaving plans for Britain's departure from the European Union still largely on track but her authority weakened.Lawmakers supported the government's position to reject amendments to the EU withdrawal bill that challenged May's commitment to leave the bloc's customs union and single market, leaving the overall shape of her Brexit strategy intact that will transform Britain's trading relati
  
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• May wins vote, parliament rejects staying in European Economic Area

  13-06-2018 22:03
  Prime Minister Theresa May won a vote in parliament on Wednesday that threw out a proposal which would have forced the government to negotiate staying in the European Economic Area, meaning it would participate in the European Union's single market.The House of Commons voted 327 to 126 to reject the proposed amendment by the upper house of parliament to the government's key Brexit blueprint that will sever legal ties with the EU.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn suffers rebellion as six MPs quit over key Brexit vote

  13-06-2018 22:03
  Jeremy Corbyn has suffered a rebellion over a Brexit vote on remaining in the European Economic Area, with six of his MPs resigning.Junior Labour frontbenchers Laura Smith, Ged Killen, Ellie Reeves, Tonia Antoniazzi and Anna McMorrin were the first to step down from their roles on Wednesday night.
  
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• Brexit campaigners order EU's Verhofstadt to retract claim of Russian collusion

  13-06-2018 22:03
  Lawyers for Brexit campaigner Arron Banks ordered the European Parliament’s chief Brexit coordinator on Wednesday to retract a claim that Banks colluded with Russia to deliver Britain's vote to leave the European Union.Guy Verhofstadt, who leads the European Parliament Brexit coordination team, said on Twitter on Wednesday that far-right and right wing leaders across Europe made up a fifth column of cheerleaders for Russian President Vladimir Putin.In a letter to Verhofstadt, Bank's lawyer
  
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• One dead as helicopter ditches into loch in Western Isles

  13-06-2018 22:01
  A helicopter has ditched into a loch on an island in the Outer Hebrides, leaving one man dead, police have said.The 58-year-old died after the AS350 Squirrel aircraft plunged into the loch between Lochmaddy and Clachan Na Luib on North Uist at about 10.15am on Wednesday.Officers from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are travelling to the Outer Hebrides island off the west coast of Scotland.
  
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• May wins vote on customs in boost for her Brexit vision

  13-06-2018 22:01
  Prime Minister Theresa May won a vote in parliament on Wednesday that threw out a proposal which would have forced the government to report on the efforts it had made to negotiate membership of the European Union's customs union.The House of Commons voted 325 to 298 to reject the proposed amendment by the upper house of parliament to the government's key Brexit blueprint that will sever legal ties with the EU.
  
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• Grenfell Tower fire: Survivors, friends and family mark first anniversary of tragedy

  13-06-2018 21:53
  The Grenfell community is tonight remembering family and friends who died in the tragedy, the horrific memories of scenes they were "not meant to see" inescapable in the shadow of the tower block.Some of those affected by the fire spoke to Sky News to mark the first anniversary."He liked his flat very much, it was very pretty and newly furnished," said Daniella Burigotto, the mother of architect Marco Gottardi, who died that night with girlfriend Gloria Trevisan, also an architect.
  
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• Silent vigil, prayers mark one year since London's deadly Grenfell fire

  13-06-2018 21:46
  A round-the-clock vigil at a London church where people sought refuge on the night of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 71 people, will mark the first anniversary of a tragedy that still haunts Britain.Grenfell Tower, a social housing block that was home to a close-knit, ethnically diverse community, was engulfed by flames in the middle of the night of June 14, 2017, in Britain's deadliest domestic fire since World War Two.The disaster, which unfolded within one of London's richest boroughs,
  
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• Haiti withdraws Oxfam GB's right to operate after misconduct scandal

  13-06-2018 21:17
  PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haiti's government on Wednesday said it was withdrawing Oxfam Great Britain's right to operate in the Caribbean country after allegations of sexual misconduct by some of the charity's staff.The British aid organisation has been rocked by allegations that staff, including a former Haiti country director, used prostitutes during a relief mission after a devastating earthquake hit the island nation in 2010.In February, Haiti temporarily revoked Oxfam Great Britain's right
  
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• UK university figures show up to fivefold rise in first-class degrees

  13-06-2018 20:40
  British universities have been handing out higher-class degrees at an unprecedented rate over the past decade, according to detailed figures released by the higher education regulator.The figures, from a selection of universities taking part in the government’s latest teaching excellence framework, known as Tef3, show huge variation, with at least one university issuing five times as many first-class degrees last year as it did a decade before.The figures confirm previous signs that univer
  
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• MPs condemn Home Office deportation threats over taxes

  13-06-2018 20:14
  Caroline Nokes, the immigration minister, has been accused by MPs of either not having a grip on her department or being recklessly incompetent for allowing the use of counter-terrorism powers to force the removal of highly skilled migrants from the UK over their taxes.In a Westminster Hall debate called by the SNP’s Alison Thewliss, MPs spoke about constituents including teachers, doctors, lawyers and engineers who are facing expulsion from the UK under paragraph 322(5) of the immigration
  
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• Bound and gagged Scottish government employee 'contemplated suicide'

  13-06-2018 19:39
  A Scottish Government employee, who was once pictured bound and gagged in an office chair, has told a tribunal she contemplated suicide after bullying by work colleagues.DeeAnn Fitzpatrick, 49, told how she became a recluse and contacted the Swiss suicide clinic Dignitas because "I'd had enough".The Canadian national has brought a case to an industrial tribunal alleging she endured racism and misogyny at Marine Scotland where she worked as a fisheries protection officer.
  
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• SNP gifts May a hissy-fit to take her out of the limelight at PMQs

  13-06-2018 19:31
  Tory backbenchers heckled and jeered the Scots Nats made their their way out of the chamber.For a while now the SNP have been feeling rather peripheral to the main events in Westminster.Much the same way the prime minister must feel when she goes to meetings of the G5 + 1 + 1 and the European council.
  
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• Child protection costs 'threaten local councils' financial stability'

  13-06-2018 19:28
  There is a £2bn shortfall in children’s social services.Failure to support families at risk and reduce pressure on the care system will lead to child protection services becoming financially unsustainable, the chair of an expert care review group has warned.Nigel Richardson, a former director of children’s services at Leeds city council, said that the struggle to cope with the rapid surge in children being taken into care at a time when budgets were shrinking could tip some cou
  
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• FTSE moves in tight range before Fed; Just Eat drops

  13-06-2018 19:26
  MILAN (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 ended flat on Wednesday as a weaker pound supported export-oriented shares, helping offset a fall in Just Eat on fresh competition worries and weaker energy stocks.
  
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• 'I couldn’t speak. I just froze,' jury told in George Ormond trial

  13-06-2018 19:19
  Former Newcastle United ‘kit man, gopher and dogsbody’ George Ormond arrives at Newcastle crown court last month.The former football coach George Ormond sexually assaulted a young Newcastle United player after befriending him when the footballer was feeling insecure and low on confidence, the jury at Ormond’s trial has been told.Giving evidence at Newcastle crown court, the former player said that Ormond, who was a coach at a north-east boys’ football club and has been de
  
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• PM on Grenfell: I do not know why official help took so long to come

  13-06-2018 19:00
  May speaks to firefighters as she visits Grenfell Tower.The prime minister has admitted she still does not know why it took so long for the authorities to help the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.Survivors have repeatedly complained about the lack of a co-ordinated official response in the hours and days after, saying it left them feeling abandoned while food and clothing for victims was delivered by volunteers on an ad hoc basis.
  
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• How the Kardashians sold their terrifying sex glamazon look to the world

  13-06-2018 18:57 via theguardian.com
  Ten years ago, Kim and co were widely agreed to look ridiculous – now their ludicrous get-up has gone globalI think I’m being stalked by the Kardashians. Everywhere I go I see them. Are they just really busy or am I losing my mind?
  Steven, by emailBoth. I may not have any actual qualifications to diagnose mental disorders, being only accredited by the Royal College of Banging on About Clothes. But then, neither did Lucy van Pelt and I consider the wisdom she dispensed from her psychi
  
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• After compromise, May set to avoid parliament defeat on customs

  13-06-2018 18:56
  Prime Minister Theresa May looked set to avoid an embarrassing defeat in parliament on Wednesday over her post-Brexit trade plans, a day after she defused a rebellion in her party over control of Britain's departure from the EU.On the second day of debate on changes to May's European Union withdrawal bill, lawmakers will vote on amendments from the upper house of parliament over Britain's relationship to the bloc's customs union and single market.The prime minister told lawmakers she would honou
  
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• After winning Brexit compromise, UK's pro-EU rebels fear betrayal

  13-06-2018 18:55
  Pro-EU lawmakers threatened on Wednesday to withdraw their support for Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy if she does not follow through on concessions they thought they had been promised.On Tuesday, rebels in May's party who want parliament to have more say over the final outcome of negotiations on leaving the European Union extracted a major concession from the government in exchange for not voting against their leader.The government agreed to discuss elements of a rebel plan to crea
  
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• Sticking up for sex workers draws mixed responses

  13-06-2018 18:44
  The recent “pop-up brothel” inquiry by an all-party parliamentary group ignored evidence from current sex workers and recommended increased criminalisation using speculation and unsubstantiated data about trafficking as justification.
  
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• 'Neo-Nazi' murder plot: disillusioned man blew whistle, jury told

  13-06-2018 18:35
  Jack Renshaw admitted plotting to kill Rosie Cooper, above, the Labour MP for West Lancashire.A former member of the banned neo-Nazi group National Action has told a court how he revealed a plot to murder a Labour MP after becoming disillusioned with the group.Robbie Mullen, 25, said he acted as a whistleblower after he heard about the plan to kill the West Lancashire Labour MP Rosie Cooper with a 19-inch machete.
  
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• Britain's FTSE moves in tight range before Fed; Just Eat drops

  13-06-2018 18:25
  MILAN (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 ended flat on Wednesday as a weaker pound supported export-oriented shares, helping offset a fall in Just Eat on fresh competition worries and weaker energy stocks.
  
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• McCartney says wanted to show Markle's 'human side' with dress

  13-06-2018 18:24
  Designer Stella McCartney said she wanted to help Meghan Markle project her "human side" when making the American actress' second dress for her marriage to Britain's Prince Harry.For the actual ceremony, watched by millions around the world, Markle, now called the Duchess of Sussex, wore a sculpted long-sleeved dress with a boat neck by Clare Waight Keller, the British designer of couture house Givenchy."I was aware that we had to get the right kind of positioning, the right pace, the right voic
  
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• Noel Gallagher's former home Supernova Heights up for sale for £5.3m

  13-06-2018 18:19
  Supernova Heights - the former house of ex-Oasis star Noel Gallagher and current home of comedian David Walliams - is up for sale.It was named after Champagne Supernova, the final track on Oasis' record breaking No.1 hit album (What's The Story) Morning Glory, which earned the band millions of pounds.The house was a destination for Oasis fans who were often seen milling around in the hope of catching a glimpse of one of the Gallagher brothers.
  
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• Irish PM says EU needs decisions from UK, not internal debate

  13-06-2018 18:14
  The British government needs to move on from internal debates and make choices about what it wants from Brexit, and must acknowledge that it cannot have its cake and eat it, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday.Varadkar made the comments as British Prime Minister Theresa May attempted to avoid an embarrassing defeat in parliament on the second day of debates over her post-Brexit trade plans."While there have been some improvements in recent months it is very often the case that th
  
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• Scottish lawmakers walk out of UK parliament in Brexit row

  13-06-2018 18:13
  EDINBURGH/LONDON (Reuters) - Lawmakers from the Scottish National Party (SNP) walked out of the British parliament on Wednesday to protest what they say is Scotland's voice being ignored over Brexit.The SNP's Ian Blackford was thrown out of the chamber by the speaker of parliament because he refused to sit down after demanding a new debate on Scotland and Brexit.Blackford was followed by the rest of the SNP's 35 lawmakers.
  
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• Neo-Nazi suspects wanted war to 'wipe out' non whites, court told

  13-06-2018 18:09
  Alleged members of a banned extreme far-right group wanted to "wipe out" non-white people "by any means necessary", a court has heard.The group hoped to achieve its aims using "war, anything", according to whistleblower Robbie Mullen.The disillusioned former National Action member scuppered a plan to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper when he reported it to campaigning charity Hope Not Hate, the Old Bailey was told.
  
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• Easy does it: the slow travel guide to the Peloponnese, Greece

  13-06-2018 18:07 via theguardian.com
  The majestic peninsula is home to local tavernas, picturesque villages, ancient sites and stunning stretches of coast. Best of all, it’s delightfully unhurried and free of overhyped hotspotsThe Peloponnese, southern Greece’s much-mythologised peninsula, has something of a reputation for philoxenia – the tradition of giving a warm welcome and showing generous hospitality to visitors. It’s also a region that embodies the very ideal of slow travel: local food and drink, plen
  
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• Men on trial over art heist from Bulmer cider family's mansion

  13-06-2018 17:56
  Matthew Evans, one of the men accused of carrying out the robbery, arrives at court.Raiders stole millions of pounds worth of antiques and paintings from a cider-making family’s West Country mansion, a jury has been told.Artwork, silverware and jewellery were among the items stolen in the March 2009 burglary on the Somerset home of Esmond Bulmer, 82, a a former MP and member of the Bulmers cider dynasty, and his wife, Susie, 76.
  
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• Former football coach Barry Bennell appeals 30-year child abuse sentence

  13-06-2018 17:49
  Former football coach Barry Bennell has appealed against his 30-year-sentence for child sex offences.Bennell, 64, was sentenced for 50 child sex offences against 12 young boys between the late 1970s and early 1990s.During his six-week trial, the court heard evidence of "industrial scale" abuse committed by Mr Bennell against vulnerable boys in his care.
  
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• British woman and boyfriend fall to deaths 'taking selfie' in Portugal

  13-06-2018 17:44
  A British woman and her Australian partner have fallen to their deaths while taking a selfie on a wall at a beach in Portugal, according to reports.Louise Benson and Michael Kearns died on the Praia dos Pescadores near Ericeira on the country's west coast.The head of the rescue service at Cascais port near Lisbon, Rui Pereira da Terra, told the Lusa news agency that it was suspected that the couple had been taking a selfie on a wall above the beach.
  
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• Scottish ministers ordered to end 'two-tier' FoI regime

  13-06-2018 17:13
  The chamber of the Scottish parliament: ministers will produce an action plan ordered by the commissioner in three months’ time.Scotland’s information watchdog has ruled that Scottish ministers breached the country’s transparency laws by wrongly singling out the media for discriminatory treatment.Daren Fitzhenry, the Scottish information commissioner, has ordered ministers in Edinburgh to overhaul their freedom of information (FoI) procedures after upholding a series of complai
  
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• An ancient cave provided perfect acoustics for this impromptu choir performance

  13-06-2018 17:12
  Wow.
  
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• Letter: Invoking the Rev Colin Morris law of TV debates

  13-06-2018 17:00
  As controller of BBC Northern Ireland, the Rev Colin Morris was a canny operator.When I was series producer on Network for BBC1 in 1987, he gave me enormous assistance behind the scenes when we devoted a programme to debating Margaret Thatcher’s absurd Sinn Féin ban, when viewers and listeners were not allowed to hear the actual voices of politicians such as Gerry Adams, only actors impersonating them, word for word.
  
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• National Action Members Jailed For Inciting Racial Hatred

  13-06-2018 16:53
  A group of white supremacists have been jailed for plastering racist stickers
  
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• This teen was surprised with tickets to Mean Girls and her reaction is priceless

  13-06-2018 16:50
  Rachel Smook surprised her daughter Abby with tickets to a Broadway show and her reaction is heartwarming.
  
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• Robbie Williams and wife Ayda Field set to join X Factor

  13-06-2018 16:38
  Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field are reportedly in talks to become X Factor judges.The former boyband member and American actress would replace current judges Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger, it is believed.Last month she interviewed Simon Cowell, who created the show in 2003 and has been a full-time judge on the panel since day one.
  
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• May in fresh standoff with Tory rebels over Brexit demands

  13-06-2018 16:34
  Theresa May has found herself in a fresh standoff with Conservative rebels after Downing Street signalled it has no intention of discussing a central aspect of their demands.More than a dozen MPs who were called into the prime minister’s office in the final minutes of the Brexit debate on Tuesday believed they had received assurances the government would discuss clause C of an amendment tabled by the former attorney general Dominic Grieve.As a result, they withdrew their objections and vot
  
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• Ryanair to open new base at Southend airport

  13-06-2018 16:17
  Low-cost airline Ryanair is to open a new base at Southend Aiport next April.One million Ryanair passengers a year are likely to pass through the airport on more than 55 flights a week, with trains running between London Liverpool Street and the terminal.Southend will be Ryanair's 14th base, creating 750 on-site jobs according to the carrier, in what its chief commercial officer called a "vote of confidence in UK aviation".
  
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• Kevin Spacey to appear in first film since sexual assault claims

  13-06-2018 16:17
  Kevin Spacey will appear in his first big screen production since allegations of sexual assault were made against him last year.The Oscar winner was one of the first stars to be accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.The former artistic director of the Old Vic was also investigated by the Metropolitan Police overthree allegations of sexual assaultin London - two in 2005 and one in 2008.
  
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• Investors give WPP a bloody nose over Sorrell payout

  13-06-2018 16:16
  Almost a third of WPP investors have failed to support the company's pay plans, which could see former boss Sir Martin Sorrell pick up almost £20m over the next five years, depending on company performance.A number of individual investors registered their protest at the long-term awards due to Sir Martin over five years despite his shock departure in April from the firm he founded.
  
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• Storm Hector to hit UK with 70mph winds

  13-06-2018 16:15
  Gales and winds of up to 70mph are set to hit the UK as Storm Hector makes its way from the Atlantic.A yellow warning has been issued across Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland.The Met Office said: "The strongest winds will reach the west coast during the early hours of Thursday before spreading eastwards during the day.
  
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• Oxford University Criticised For Linking Rough Sleeping With Student Kindness

  13-06-2018 16:09
  Oxford University is facing a backlash after two of its proctors suggested
  
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