General news

• Yoga, herbs and sunshine: New Zealand opens 'humane' jail for most violent inmates

  29-07-2018 23:24
  A new $300m high-security prison in Auckland offers serious offenders holistic and therapeutic programs New Zealand’s most violent and disturbed inmates will soon be able to walk on real grass, take sun baths and practice yoga in their cells as the country opens its first “humane” prison for maximum-security offenders.The new NZ$300m prison has just been completed on the outskirts of Auckland and when it opens will be the only specialist facility for maximum and high-security m
  
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• Safety measures announced for funeral of novichok victim

  29-07-2018 23:20
  No pallbearers will carry Dawn Sturgess’s coffin at service in Salisbury on MondaySpecial measures will be in place to protect mourners at the funeral of Dawn Sturgess, the woman who died after exposure to the nerve agent novichok.The funeral directors have been working with Public Health England (PHE) and the crematorium to ensure the safety of the congregation, according to Rev Philip Bromiley, who will lead the service in Salisbury on Monday. Continue reading...
  
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• The Handmaid's Tale recap: season 2, episode 11 – gruelling but not grim

  29-07-2018 23:15
  An episode that Elisabeth Moss carries almost single-handedly sees June deliver her baby in a convincing labour scene in the snowSpoiler alert: this recap is for people watching The Handmaid’s Tale series two, on Channel 4 in the UK. Please do not add spoilers from later episodes.
  Offred is where we left her last week, shivering in the snow, a red blot on a white tundra. The red/blood symbolism abounds this week as baby Holly arrives into a world her mother would never have chosen. Continu
  
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• Unforgotten series 3 episode 3 recap – DCI Stuart spots the weakest link

  29-07-2018 23:00
  As the four amigos get their alibis straight, Cassie and Sunny press on with their questioning and some interesting patterns begin to emergeCarefully plotting his own redemption arc, former DCI John Bentley is a big help talking Cassie’s crew through the when-and-where of the initial investigation. On the night of Hayley’s disappearance we have a burglary at the local church, a black car driving erratically in terrible weather and a final sighting of Hayley just after midnight. Cassi
  
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• Travels in Trumpland with Ed Balls review – a lycra-clad quest to understand America

  29-07-2018 23:00
  The former shadow chancellor dons a union jack leotard on his journey to find what motivates Trump supporters – at least you can’t say he’s not gameWearing a tight union jack leotard, Ed Balls lies on the floor of the ring at Southern Legacy Wrestling in Munford, Alabama. Playing the foreigner (in other words, the bad guy), he has just been counted out, defeated by the all-American hero Johnny Slaughter. The crowd of a couple of hundred – just about every one a Trump supp
  
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• Poldark recap: series four finale – an ending that will cause copious weeping

  29-07-2018 23:00
  Episode eight went from joy to tragedy to elation and ultimately despair – we’re all going to need a lie downPoldark: episode by episode
  Lawks a-lummy, ‘Darkers! ’Twas a corker! I may require a sedative from Dr Enys if Evil George doesn’t want it. Giddy aunt. Copious weeping. The little she-bear? Yes! Drake and Morwenna? Yes! Sindy Doll wanting to get back in the family way? Yes! But Elizabeth? No! No! No! Please God, no. They visited every emotion possible in this
  
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• Trump blasts back after Times publisher decries 'enemy of the people' attacks

  29-07-2018 22:27
  President and Sulzberger each say other is damaging AmericaRhetoric also criticized by Washington Post’s Marty Baron
  Hours after saying he had a “very good meeting” with the publisher of the New York Times about his labelling the press the “enemy of the people”, Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on what he called “anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry”.
  “The failing New York Times and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but wr
  
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• Tour de France victory has given Geraint Thomas desire for more big wins

  29-07-2018 21:36
  • ‘It’s insane - I’ve certainly got the taste for it,’ says Welshman• Next month’s Vuelta a España likely to be a step too farGeraint Thomas says his first Tour de France victory has given him a “taste” for more grand tour successes, although he appears unlikely to tackle the Vuelta a España despite being pencilled in for next month’s race.The 32-year-old could barely contain his excitement after crossing the line, draping t
  
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• Lewis Hamilton delighted after Hungarian win extends title lead

  29-07-2018 21:32
  • Championship leader takes second successive victory• Hamilton heads into summer break with 24-point leadLewis Hamilton has said how pleased he was to come away with a win at the Hungarian Grand Prix, having entered the weekend expecting to drop points to Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari. Related: Lewis Hamilton bolsters F1 title lead with victory in Hungarian Grand PrixContinue reading...
  
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• Pennsylvania man convicted in death of daughter from bullet that hit him first

  29-07-2018 20:50
  Ciara Meyer, 12, was killed when a constable serving eviction papers fired on Donald Meyer Jr, who pointed a loaded rifleA Pennsylvania man was convicted on all charges in the death of his 12-year-old daughter, who was shot by a constable serving eviction papers with a bullet that went through her father’s arm.Perry county authorities said that in January 2016 Donald Meyer Jr, 60, pointed a loaded rifle at the constable. The officer fired and the bullet wounded Meyer but killed Ciara Meyer
  
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• I’m angry about Labour antisemitism. But I didn’t scream abuse | Ian Austin

  29-07-2018 20:30
  I am being investigated by the party for my conduct – and yet the leadership is still failing to take this issue seriouslyOn 18 March 1939 a 10-year-old Jewish boy was woken in the middle of the night by noises from the streets of Ostrava, a city in what was then Czechoslovakia. Peering out of the window, he saw the German troops marching into the town square.A few days later, his mother and teenage sisters waved him off on a train as he escaped to England. He never saw them again. Rounded
  
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• Fans line Paris streets as Geraint Thomas wins Tour de France

  29-07-2018 20:29
  The Welshman – the first to win the tour – crossed the finish line on the Champs Élysées alongside teammate Chris FroomeThousands of fans lined the streets of Paris on Sunday to see Geraint Thomas become the first Welshman to take home cycling’s biggest prize, the Tour de France. Clad in the winner’s yellow jersey Thomas crossed the finish line smiling, arm in arm with his teammate Chris Froome.Two weeks ago the French football team had ridden along this sam
  
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• From Wales to the Champs-Élysées: the selfless rise of Geraint Thomas | William Fotheringham

  29-07-2018 20:24
  The remarkable career of a cycling all-rounder whose innate talent has taken him to Tour de France triumphIt is 11 years and one month since a chubby-faced Welsh youth stood on London’s Tower Bridge marvelling, along with a slightly less chubby-faced Manx youth, at the fact that they were both about to make their debuts in the Tour de France. Both Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas were products of the legendary British Cycling academy in Manchester, run by the plain-speaking coach Rod Elli
  
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• Three dead in New Orleans after gunmen open fire at busy strip mall

  29-07-2018 20:11
  Two men shot ‘indiscriminately’ in area popular with locals, police say, as city mayor calls for end to violenceThree people were killed and seven injured when two men opened fire into a large crowd outside a New Orleans strip mall on Saturday.Police said the men shot “indiscriminately”, one with a rifle and the other with a handgun. According to the city police chief, Michael Harrison, the pair stood over one person and fired multiple shots before fleeing. Continue readi
  
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• 'My babies are dead': huge northern California wildfire kills five

  29-07-2018 20:11
  Carr fire devastates Shasta county near Oregon border38,000 people evacuated, some with homes destroyedFire officials said a northern California wildfire that has killed five people and destroyed more than 500 buildings did not grow dramatically overnight into Sunday, though crews were still struggling to contain it.Related: 'A fire tornado': death toll in massive California blaze rises to fiveContinue reading...
  
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• Maternity units 'could prevent 600 stillbirths a year in England'

  29-07-2018 20:05
  NHS says use of best practice already saved 160 babies over two years at 19 unitsAbout 600 stillbirths a year in England could be prevented if maternity units followed national best practice, the health service said.NHS England said practical steps including reducing smoking in pregnancy, and better monitoring of babies’ growth and movement in pregnancy and subsequently during labour, had already contributed to improved survival rates. Continue reading...
  
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• Ben Jennings on ads during the Brexit campaign – cartoon

  29-07-2018 20:05
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• Rightwing UK thinktank 'offered ministerial access' to potential US donors

  29-07-2018 20:01
  Exclusive: Institute of Economic Affairs boss tells undercover reporter it is in ‘Brexit-influencing game’A rightwing thinktank has been offering potential US donors access to government ministers and civil servants as it raises cash for research to support the free-trade deals demanded by hardline Brexiters, according to an investigation.The director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) was secretly recorded telling an undercover reporter that funders could get to know ministe
  
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• The Guardian view on the fight against fake news: neutrality is not an option | Editorial

  29-07-2018 19:34
  The culture select committee of MPs has published a report that ought to galvanise the public debate about online giants and their political influenceHouse of Commons select committees often do useful work. Yet very few of them produce reports with the potential to reshape the political landscape. The weekend report by the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee on disinformation and “fake news” is one of these exceptions. What started in 2017 as a herbivorous munch throu
  
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• Giuliani: 180 tapes seized from Cohen but Trump only speaks on one

  29-07-2018 19:28
  President’s lawyer attacks credibility of former fixer and suggests, without evidence, that tapes may have been doctoredApproximately 180 secret recordings were seized by investigators from Donald Trump’s former legal fixer Michael Cohen, the president’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani suggested on Sunday. Related: New York Times publisher meets Trump over 'enemy of the people' attacksContinue reading...
  
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• Geraint Thomas seals maiden Tour de France title with Paris procession

  29-07-2018 19:12
  • Welshman secures title in another win for Team Sky
  • Alexander Kristoff wins final sprint on Champs ÉlyséesNever, surely, has a flute of champagne tasted so sweet as the one Geraint Thomas enjoyed on the road into Paris. For it confirmed that winning the yellow jersey, which had appeared such a vacuous dream, was now a lucid reality. Before standing on the podium the 32-year-old Welshman promised a party that would go on for “two weeks or perhaps even a month&rdqu
  
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• England set to rotate Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad due to tight schedule

  29-07-2018 19:05
  • India series made up of five Tests in six weeks
  • Both senior bowlers are returning from injuryEngland have spoken to Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad about the likelihood of their being rotated against India at some stage, with the new‑ball pairing told not to take it personally should they be left out in order to navigate the packed schedule.The Specsavers series with the world’s No 1 side gets under way on Wednesday at Edgbaston, with five matches squeezed into jus
  
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• Panashe Chigumadzi picks the best books about Zimbabwe

  29-07-2018 19:00
  Ahead of the country’s general election, the novelist picks books that capture Zimbabwe’s violent history and explore its national identityHistory is big business in Zimbabwe. The struggle over the past is really the struggle to define the present and future. As the country prepares for a general election, the shadows of Big Men from Cecil John Rhodes to Emmerson Mnangagwa obscure the histories of ordinary people. Related: Battling tokenism: Zimbabwe's female politicians pin hopes on
  
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• Kare Adenegan finds ambition and sacrifice is a winning combination

  29-07-2018 18:52
  Record-breaking 17-year-old British Paralympian is making great strides in her charge towards gold at Tokyo 2020The custom-built £4,000 racing wheelchair that transported Kare Adenegan to a world record in London earlier this month has been accorded a name of its own.“They used to be quite silly ones but now they mean a little bit more,” the 17-year-old giggles. Hence the latest model is called Karen, after her mum. Continue reading...
  
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• Zimbabwe’s rival parties may have to govern together | Wilf Mbanga

  29-07-2018 18:39
  There are three possible results in this election, one of which could be a marriage of convenience Related: Robert Mugabe: I won't vote for Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe election “Mugabe has gone. Things will never be the same again.” For pretty much the average life expectancy of many Zimbabweans, one man has ruled the country with an iron fist. Eight elections were held during his rule – and every time, that fist ensured victory for Robert Mugabe. Continue reading...
  
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• With more elections looming, fake news must be tackled now | Matthew d’Ancona

  29-07-2018 18:26
  Within 12 months we could have a second referendum, local elections and a general election – all vulnerable to digital disinformationWhen Damian Collins and his colleagues on the Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee were in the US taking evidence for their inquiry into disinformation and fake news, they were struck by the priorities of the FBI officials they met.Yes, it was of the greatest importance to pursue and uncover manipulation of the 2016 presidential election
  
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• Thomas Cook axes trips to SeaWorld over animal welfare concerns

  29-07-2018 18:26 via bbc.co.uk
  Travel giant Thomas Cook stops selling SeaWorld and Loro Parque tickets over animal welfare concerns.
  
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• Robert Mugabe: I won't vote for Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe election

  29-07-2018 18:15
  Former dictator says he is backing longtime rival party MDC on eve of historic voteRobert Mugabe has said he will not vote for his former party Zanu-PF or the current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in an astonishing intervention on the eve of Zimbabwe’s historic election.In his first major statement since being ousted by the military last November, the 94-year-old former dictator told reporters in Harare he would be voting for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the country’s b
  
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• Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora wins show Eddie Hearn’s growing power | Kevin Mitchell

  29-07-2018 18:13
  The promoter’s control of heavyweight boxing is growing as Whyte earned himself a rematch with Anthony JoshuaEddie Hearn, working to a blueprint laid down nearly four decades ago by Don King, is taking control of heavyweight boxing with business acumen that continues to outflank his rivals.When two of his favourite London eccentrics, Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora, survived contrasting trials in front of a sell-out, 20,000 crowd at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, two more piece
  
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• Arctic cruise ship guard shoots polar bear dead for injuring colleague

  29-07-2018 18:10
  Firm operating MS Bremen in Svalbard claims ‘self defence’ as critics online condemn killing and wildlife tourismA polar bear has been shot dead after injuring a guard working for cruise ship tourists visiting an Arctic archipelago in Norway. The bear was shot dead by another employee, the cruise company said after the incident on Saturday. Continue reading...
  
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• Flooding clean up continues

  29-07-2018 18:05 via bbc.co.uk
  More than a month's worth of rain fell in some parts of Northern Ireland on Saturday.
  
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• Tory ministers to head across Europe selling May's Brexit strategy

  29-07-2018 18:04
  While the PM is on holiday, Jeremy Hunt and Philip Hammond are due in FranceA series of ministers are to head across Europe this week as the government embarks on a summer spent trying to sell Theresa May’s Brexit strategy to individual EU leaders, while simultaneously keeping sceptical Tory activists on side.While the prime minister is on holiday in Italy, the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and the chancellor, Philip Hammond, are due separately in France in the coming days for meetings.
  
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• Cambodia: Hun Sen re-elected in landslide victory after brutal crackdown

  29-07-2018 17:58
  Election widely condemned as a sham by human rights groups and political observersCambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, has won a landslide election victory, a result that was seen as a foregone conclusion after a months-long brutal crackdown destroyed all opposition.The election, widely condemned as a sham by human rights groups and political observers, saw Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 33 years, re-elected with an estimated 80% of the vote, with his party, the CPP, taking at least 10
  
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• Ian Austin: Labour MP faces action after anti-Semitism code row

  29-07-2018 17:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Ian Austin denies being abusive in a row over the party's anti-Semitism code, and says it is a "disgrace".
  
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• Church of England to review George Carey's official role

  29-07-2018 17:37
  Decision to restore ministry position criticised after appearance at child abuse inquiryThe Church of England is to review its decision to allow George Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury, to resume an official church role following his evidence at the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) last week and criticism from survivors.Steven Croft, the bishop of Oxford who issued Lord Carey with a “permission to officiate” (PTO) earlier this year, said: “We recogn
  
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• Tributes to Ben Quartermaine after Clacton sea death

  29-07-2018 17:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The 15-year-old had been swimming with his friend near the pier when he got into trouble.
  
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• Girl, 6, dies after going into sea at Margate

  29-07-2018 17:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The six-year-old died in hospital after paramedics were called to the Kent resort on Saturday afternoon.
  
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• PM Theresa May begins her walking holiday in Italy

  29-07-2018 17:12 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May is due to return to work in a week before continuing her break in Switzerland.
  
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• RideLondon: peletons and a pennyfarthing – in pictures

  29-07-2018 17:02
  RideLondon is part of a programme by mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to get more people on their bikes. The weekend event includes a fun ride, FreeCycle, and two professional races, the 100-mile RideLondon-Surrey Classic and women’s event RideLondon Classique Continue reading...
  
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• Groundsmen look to heavens hoping nature saves them from the sewer | Simon Burnton

  29-07-2018 16:59
  The intense heat has made pitch preparation problematic, and some drastic solutions were found in the summer of 1976It was around this time in the long, hot summer of 1976 that things were getting really desperate for the nation’s greenkeepers and groundsmen. It remains the hottest, driest summer on record, though one that this year is threatening to outdo, and it forced those in search of water to keep their well-tended turf alive to get creative. Related: England's dry spell puts the hea
  
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• Hungarian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton wins to extend title lead

  29-07-2018 16:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Lewis Hamilton wins tense strategic battle at the Hungarian Grand Prix to head into Formula 1's summer break with a 24-point championship lead.
  
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• Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall reveals second miscarriage

  29-07-2018 16:38 via bbc.co.uk
  The Queen's granddaughter says it has been "too raw" to talk about until now.
  
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• I'm ashamed at the way my party is offending Jews, says Labour MP

  29-07-2018 16:37
  Ian Austin rejects as ‘grotesque’ the idea that he has ulterior motive for his criticisms The second Labour MP to face a disciplinary inquiry by the party after condemning its antisemitism policy says he is “shocked and ashamed” at the impact of the wider row on the Jewish community. Related: I’m angry about Labour antisemitism. But I didn’t scream abuse | Ian AustinContinue reading...
  
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• Bank ram-raiders destroy Olney branch of Barclays

  29-07-2018 16:35 via bbc.co.uk
  Raiders rammed a digger into the bank before making off with a cash machine.
  
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• Camp Bestival shuts down as rain and strong winds break heatwave

  29-07-2018 16:06
  Belfast gets a month’s rain in hours as mercury falls across much of UK, albeit temporarilyThe UK’s heatwave has been abruptly interrupted by heavy rain and high winds, with the music festival Camp Bestival forced to shut down because of the weather.With a sharp drop in temperatures and stormy conditions across much of the country, the festival closed down its main stages because of safety concerns. In a statement posted on social media organisers said that they were “utterly d
  
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• Threaded bliss: why more men are getting their eyebrows shaped

  29-07-2018 16:00
  With grooming parlours reporting a sharp rise in male customers looking to tame their brows, one writer gives threading a go for the first time
  “Would you like feminine, or masculine?” asks the beauty therapist as she reclines my chair.“Masculine, masculine,” I insist, suddenly at her mercy. “Very subtle, please.” Continue reading...
  
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• Succession: The Thick of It writer turns his eyes on the media

  29-07-2018 16:00
  Screenwriter Jesse Armstrong skewered political spin doctors. His new comedy drama targets media’s ultimate players: America’s rich and powerful TV barons. But don’t think it’s about the MurdochsAn ageing and cantankerous media billionaire is living in New York with his third wife, surrounded by a brood of children and hangers-on who spend their time squabbling over who will inherit the family conglomerate. Desperate to win the favour of their foul-mouthed father, the off
  
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• Derelict homes on Hull's Preston Road get graffiti makeover

  29-07-2018 16:00 via bbc.co.uk
  The artwork will remain on the boarded-up homes until they are demolished.
  
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• Spike Lee: ‘This guy in the White House has given the green light for the Klan'

  29-07-2018 15:54
  The director’s award-winning new film is the story of a black detective who went undercover with the KKK. He talks ‘wokeness’, vindication and Trump’s AmericaThe black detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux KlanSpike Lee has heard all his film-making life that he is preoccupied with race. Sometimes the criticism has not come from obvious voices. Back in 2000, when Lee suggested that a lot of African American comedy and music – including gangsta rap – was not fa
  
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• Thomas Cook to end trips to parks with captive killer whales

  29-07-2018 15:50
  Customer feedback and animal welfare evidence informed decision, says tour operatorThomas Cook is to stop selling trips to animal parks that keep killer whales in captivity, following, it said, customer feedback and evidence from animal welfare specialists.“This was not a decision we took lightly,” Peter Fankhauser, CEO of Thomas Cook Group, said in a blog posted on Sunday. Continue reading...
  
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