General news

• With green jobs, Labour pursues 'radical' plan for power

  25-09-2018 23:35
  British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will promise on Wednesday to "kickstart a green jobs revolution" by fostering investment in housing, wind and solar energy to bring jobs "to communities held back for too long".On the final day of his party's annual conference, Corbyn will make a direct bid for the support of those Britons outside the capital who voted to exit the European Union, often in frustration at feeling left behind by a London-based elite.As part of what he called his "radic
  
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• With green jobs, UK's Labour pursues 'radical' plan for power

  25-09-2018 23:32
  British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will promise on Wednesday to "kickstart a green jobs revolution" by fostering investment in housing, wind and solar energy to bring jobs "to communities held back for too long".On the final day of his party's annual conference, Corbyn will make a direct bid for the support of those Britons outside the capital who voted to exit the European Union, often in frustration at feeling left behind by a London-based elite.As part of what he called his "radic
  
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• Corbyn vows to end 'greed-is-good' capitalism in UK

  25-09-2018 23:30
  Jeremy Corbyn will use his main conference speech to set out his plans to change the direction of the UK economy.Jeremy Corbyn will on Wednesday attack the “greed-is-good” capitalism that he claims has resulted in large swaths of the UK being left behind, promising a raft of new policies including a “green jobs revolution” that will create 400,000 new positions.The Labour leader will attempt to reset the theme of the Labour conference which has so far been dominated by de
  
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• Theresa May rules out an autumn general election before Brexit

  25-09-2018 22:59
  Theresa May has ruled out the idea of another general election before Brexit day, saying it “would not be in the national interest”.Speculation about the idea of an autumn election to break the Brexit deadlock within the government has increased since the prime minister’s Chequers plan got a cool reception from EU leaders in Salzburg.
  
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• Snap election not in UK's interest during Brexit talks - May

  25-09-2018 22:48
  Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday it would not be in Britain's national interest to hold another general election just as she is negotiating the terms of Britain's exit from the European Union.May is subject to intense criticism at home and in Brussels over her approach to leaving the EU, fuelling speculation that she could be ousted by her own party, or that her minority Conservative government could collapse."What I'm doing is working to deliver a good (Brexit) deal with Europe in the
  
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• 'No Deal' Better Than 'Canada-Style' Brexit Agreement, Says Theresa May

  25-09-2018 22:48
  A Canada-style Brexit trade deal that broke up the UK would be worse than no
  
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• Theresa May rejects calls for a general election over Brexit

  25-09-2018 22:34
  Theresa May has rejected Labour's demands for an early general election, saying a snap vote "would not be in the national interest".Mrs May was speaking to reporters on a flight to New York ahead of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn believes a general election would be the best way to resolve the political crisis enveloping the Brexit negotiations, after EU leaders rejected the prime minister's Chequers plan in Salzburg last week.
  
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• Emily Thornberry Says Labour Must Expel Anti-Semites 'Like Oswald Mosley Was Kicked Out Of Liverpool'

  25-09-2018 22:02
  The Labour Party must expel anti-Semites in the same way the infamous fascist
  
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• EU open to free trade but not Chequers customs plan - document

  25-09-2018 22:01
  EU negotiators are ready to offer Theresa May a free-trade area after Brexit but say that, contrary to her "Chequers" plan, there must be a customs border that will make trade less than "frictionless", according to an internal EU document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The document -- three pages of "defensive points" for EU officials to make against the UK prime minister's July proposal on future ties with the bloc -- may offer May some comfort in showing a readiness to seal a free trade agreement
  
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• Meghan steps out without Prince Harry for first royal solo engagement

  25-09-2018 21:54
  The Duchess of Sussex has completed her first solo engagement, looking every inch the modern royal.Meghan was without Harry or any other members of the monarchy as she joined guests at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London.The 37-year-old attended the opening of an exhibition of works from the Oceania region, with art from Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia encompassing the Pacific region.
  
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• May - No-deal Brexit better than current EU offer

  25-09-2018 20:50
  Prime Minister Theresa May signalled on Tuesday that she would prefer a 'no-deal' Brexit to the offer currently put forward by the European Union, stressing that Britain needs to see counter-proposals from the EU to move Brexit negotiations forward.May last week issued an angry edict to Brussels when a summit of EU leaders which had been billed as a chance to generate momentum towards a deal in October or November ended in a blunt dismissal of British proposals."I think a bad deal would be a dea
  
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• Labour leaves door open to second Brexit referendum

  25-09-2018 20:42
  Asked if he backed those words, Mr Corbyn said: "Look, those are the words of the motion, those are the words of a motion that is supported by the national executive and the shadow cabinet and that is what's being voted on in conference.Mr Corbyn also did not confirm that Brexit would definitely happen next March, nor that it would happen at all.Asked if Brexit was going to happen in March 2019, he said: "At the moment it looks like it and we will challenge this government on the six tests.
  
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• Arlene Foster: Martin McGuinness knew of 'cash for ash' warnings

  25-09-2018 20:41
  Arlene Foster was giving evidence to the public inquiry into the ‘cash for ash’ scandal.Arlene Foster, the Democratic Unionist party leader, has claimed Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness knew of warnings about a botched green energy scheme that cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds.A public inquiry into the “cash for ash” scandal heard evidence from Foster on Tuesday that she had told the late deputy first minister about a note from a whistleblower tha
  
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• Labour delegates back Keir Starmer push for public vote on Brexit

  25-09-2018 20:34
  Keir Starmer delivers his speech on the third day of Labour’s conference in Liverpool.Labour conference delegates overwhelmingly backed the party’s Brexit policy on Tuesday after Keir Starmer sparked a burst of sustained applause for dropping into his conference speech the line that “nobody is ruling out remain as an option”.Brexit has been among the most contentious issues in Liverpool.
  
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• Beluga whale spotted in River Thames could be 'in trouble'

  25-09-2018 20:33
  A rare beluga whale which has been spotted in the River Thames could be "in trouble," marine wildlife experts have said.Ecologist Dave Andrews first shared video footage of the sea mammal on social media, which he said was swimming in the river off Coalhouse Fort, Essex.Mr Andrews added that the beluga had been feeding around barges on the river for around an hour and had not moved more than 200m in either direction on the river.
  
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• Duchess Meghan makes first royal solo outing for art exhibition

  25-09-2018 20:00
  Meghan Markle attended the opening of London's new "Oceania" exhibition on Tuesday evening in what was her first royal solo outing since marrying Britain's Prince Harry in May.Meghan, 37, who is officially known as the Duchess of Sussex, visited the Royal Academy of Arts, where on display are some 200 works including ornaments, canoes and images from the Pacific region Meghan will visit with Harry on their first overseas tour next month.The exhibition, which includes items from Melanesia, Micron
  
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• Manhunt after 'corrosive substance' attack outside Manchester school

  25-09-2018 19:58
  A manhunt is under way after two armed men in balaclavas poured a "corrosive substance" on a car outside a Manchester primary school.Greater Manchester Police said the suspects then poured a corrosive substance on the vehicle.Inspector Colin Macdiarmid, of GMP's City of Manchester Division, said: "I know this incident will cause a lot of concern in the local community but I want to assure people in the area that we are responding and have officers working to find the men responsible.
  
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• Labour's Brexit plan: to have an illusion of a plan, not an actual plan

  25-09-2018 19:58
  After an hour in which delegates argued about constitutional arrangements and conference procedures which only they appeared to fully understand, Keir Starmer was finally called to the lectern to begin the Brexit debate.Trying to keep up with Labour’s internal manoeuvrings on its Brexit proposals over the previous 24 hours had proved to be next to impossible.At this rate, Labour will soon need to give hourly updates on its latest policy positions.
  
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• Spotify, Deezer and others call for stronger EU action against U.S. rivals

  25-09-2018 19:33
  Music streaming services Spotifyand Deezer joined European business and industry bodies in calling on EU regulators to take tougher action to curb what they say are the unfair practices of online platforms.EU governments are set in the coming weeks to come up with a joint position on a proposed platform-to-business (P2B) law which is meant to ensure greater transparency and fairness in the digital economy.Driven by concerns over privacy and data protection, the European Union has in recent years
  
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• Labour’s proud history is crying out for rejuvenation

  25-09-2018 19:32
  ‘In all the gloom of these times, Labour stands ready to prove that there are grounds for hope, and that politicians don’t cry in Liverpool,’ writes Nick Mayer.John Harris’s stimulating piece (Can Labour forge a new 21st-century socialism?, 24 September) contained a dangerous proposal: to devolve social security powers to “the most local level possible”.Does he mean that social security benefit rates and regulations would be decided at this level?
  
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• Theresa May: 'No-deal' Brexit better than Canada-style one

  25-09-2018 19:27
  The prime minister has said a "no-deal" Brexit would be better than a Canada-style deal proposed by rebel Brexiteers, which she claims would lead to the break-up of the UK.Speaking during her flight to the UN General Assembly in New York, Theresa May also hit out at Labour, saying the party would "accept any deal Europe gives, regardless of how bad it is for the UK".Asked directly by reporters whether no deal would be better than a free trade agreement like that agreed between the EU and Canada,
  
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• Police Helicopter Called In After Sheffield School Fight Escalates Into Mass Brawl

  25-09-2018 19:27
  Large numbers of police were called to a secondary school in Sheffield after a
  
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• Exclusive - EU open to free trade but not Chequers customs plan: document

  25-09-2018 19:19
  EU negotiators are ready to offer Theresa May a free-trade area after Brexit but say that, contrary to her "Chequers" plan, there must be a customs border that will make trade less than "frictionless", according to an internal EU document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The document -- three pages of "defensive points" for EU officials to make against the UK prime minister's July proposal on future ties with the bloc -- may offer May some comfort in showing a readiness to seal a free trade agreement
  
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• Michael Kors makes high-end fashion statement with $2.2 billion Versace buy

  25-09-2018 19:17
  Michael Korsagreed to buy luxury designer Versace for 1.83 billion euros (1.67 billion pounds) including debt on Tuesday, as the U.S. fashion group positions itself to take on larger European rivals.Michael Kors, whose namesake label is best known for its leather handbags, has made no secret of its ambition to widen its customer base and its portfolio of high-end brands after buying British stiletto-heel maker Jimmy Choo for $1.2 billion last year.The bet on Versace comes as the U.S. group looks
  
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• Labour approves Brexit motion

  25-09-2018 18:52
  LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain's Labour overwhelmingly approved its Brexit motion with a show of hands on Tuesday, paving for the way for the party to reject any deal with the EU that fails to meets its tests and to keep open the option of a second referendum.
  
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• Tuesday at the Labour party conference

  25-09-2018 18:48
  Emily Thornberry, left, with Claudia Webb, of the Labour NEC, and Jeremy Corbyn.Tosh McDonald, Aslef president, on Margaret Thatcher: “I hated her.Steve Turner, an assistant general secretary of Unite, stepped on to the podium in the morning to slap down shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer over the party’s second referendum policy.
  
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• Labour pledges to expand free childcare programme

  25-09-2018 18:45
  Labour will extend the government’s 30 hours of free childcare programme to the parents of all two-, three- and four-year-olds as the party moves a step closer to providing universal support for all families with young children.Jeremy Corbyn will announce on Wednesday that the expanded scheme would benefit more than a million children, claiming the existing “patchy” support on offer is holding back too many families and not reaching the least well-off.Families on the lowest inc
  
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• Emily Thornberry: Labour didn't deal with antisemitism well enough

  25-09-2018 18:45
  A senior member of Jeremy Corbyn's top team has admitted the party did not deal with claims of antisemitism within its ranks well enough.Speaking at an event on the fringes of the party's annual conference in Liverpool, Emily Thornberry said she had a frank and honest discussion with Mr Corbyn about the issue and "I got the feeling he was deeply upset about it all".Ms Thornberry told the Times Red Box event that some of her children's Jewish friends will "never vote Labour again" because of the
  
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• Beluga Whale Spotted In The Thames

  25-09-2018 18:23
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• This scary-looking dust devil was spotted crossing the road in Utah

  25-09-2018 18:21
  Dust devils aren’t generally dangerous, but they do look pretty impressive.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn backs Sir Keir Starmer over not ruling out Remain at Labour conference

  25-09-2018 18:09
  Asked if he backed those words, Mr Corbyn said: "Look, those are the words of the motion, those are the words of a motion that is supported by the national executive and the shadow cabinet and that is what's being voted on in conference.Mr Corbyn also did not confirm that Brexit would definitely happen next March, nor that it would happen at all.Asked if Brexit was going to happen at all, Mr Corbyn said: "Well look, we will challenge the government's terms for Brexit if they don't meet out six t
  
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• WhatsApp says working with Reliance Jio to curb fake news menace

  25-09-2018 18:08
  Facebook's WhatsApp is working closely with Reliance Jio to spread awareness of false messages, weeks after the Indian telecoms operator opened up the messaging service to tens of millions of customers using its cheap internet-enabled phone.Jio this month gave its more than 25 million JioPhone customers, many of them first-time internet users, access to WhatsApp at a time when the messaging service is battling false and incendiary texts and videos circulating on its platform.Reliance Chairman Mu
  
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• US puts sanctions on Venezuela's first lady and vice-president

  25-09-2018 18:01 via theguardian.com
  Trump administration slaps financial sanctions on four members of Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle on allegations of corruptionThe Trump administration has slapped financial sanctions on four members of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle, including his wife and the nation’s vice-president, on allegations of corruption.As part of the actions, the US barred Americans from doing business with and will seize any financial assets in the US belonging to fir
  
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• Trump to UN: 'We reject globalism and we embrace patriotism' – live updates

  25-09-2018 18:01 via theguardian.com
  US president says ‘America is governed by Americans’
  Trump thanks North Korean leader Kim for his ‘courage’Sign up for the US morning briefing4.59pm BST Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, speaks about the relationship between the African Union and United Nations. “The theme for this year’s general debate is making the United Nations relevant to all people,” Kagame says.4.45pm BST Erdoğan talks about Turkey being one of the top global providers o
  
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• No-deal Brexit better than Canada-style deal, says Theresa May

  25-09-2018 17:57 via theguardian.com
  Prime minister says basic trade deal touted by hardline Tories would risk breakup of UKA no-deal Brexit would be better for the UK than any Canada-style free trade agreement allowed by the EU, Theresa May has argued as she arrived at a United Nations summit determined to regain control of the narrative after some bruising recent days for her own Chequers proposal.At the start of a two-day trip to New York, the prime minister knocked down the possibility of a more basic free trade deal with the E
  
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• Labour must not betray leave voters over Brexit | Gisela Stuart

  25-09-2018 17:57 via theguardian.com
  Keir Starmer’s second referendum proposal would mean Labour scornfully turning its back on millions of its supportersThe EU referendum forced us to acknowledge that people in large sections of the UK had lost faith in political parties and the Westminster elite. While for some, closer integration with the EU had brought greater prosperity, many leave voters felt their jobs under threat, their prospects and those of their children narrowing and the public services they rely on coming under
  
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• Should we all be drinking whisky in the bath, like Gwyneth Paltrow?

  25-09-2018 17:55 via theguardian.com
  The Goop founder, who previously advocated inserting jade eggs into the vagina to restore energy levels, has revealed she likes a daily dram in the tubHow best to ingratiate yourself with the British public when you are Gwyneth Paltrow and opening a Goop wellness shop in London? Insist you do the normal things in life. Such as unwinding in a bath with an alcoholic drink. Of course, Paltrow isn’t necking Glen’s vodka; her tipple is Japanese whisky and, as she rolls the smooth liquid a
  
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• Rastafarian Bus Driver Banned From Wearing Turban Wins Battle With Employer

  25-09-2018 17:54
  A Rastafarian bus driver who was banned from wearing a religious headscarf
  
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• Pret had nine sesame allergy incidents in year before girl's death, inquest hears

  25-09-2018 17:53
  A teenager who died after eating a Pret a Manger baguette was the 10th person to have had an allergic reaction to sesame at the chain, an inquest heard.The 15-year-old, who was at the start of "the best summer ever", suffered a fatal reaction to sesame, which she did not realise was in the bread.The packaging failed to mention sesame seeds were "hidden" in the dough, an inquest at West London Coroner's Court heard.
  
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• Pret a Manger had nine allergic reactions in year before girl died, inquest told

  25-09-2018 17:46 via theguardian.com
  Inquest hears that Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, collapsed and died on plane due to sesame in baguetteThe sandwich chain Pret a Manger did not list sesame seed as an ingredient on its “artisan” baguettes despite six incidents of allergic reactions in the year before a teenage schoolgirl died, an inquest in to her death has heard.Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, aged 15, who had numerous allergies, collapsed on a British Airways flight from London to Nice on 17 July 2016 after eating an artich
  
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• How to humiliate a woman: the ugly lesson of Brett Kavanaugh's yearbook

  25-09-2018 17:39 via theguardian.com
  He and his teenage friends boasted of being ‘Renate alumnus’, a claim that, 35 years later, has embarrassed a woman who had offered her wholehearted support to the US supreme court nomineeAlongside the accolades “Keg City club” (“100 kegs or bust”) and “Beach Week Ralph club – biggest contributor” in Brett Kavanaugh’s 1983 yearbook entry, there lurks a more obscure boast: “Renate alumnus”. As accusations of sexual assault mo
  
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• West Midlands Police Offers Halloween Sleepover In Fred West's Cell For £75

  25-09-2018 17:38
  Looking for a novel way to spend Halloween? West Midlands Police have just the
  
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• PM May - No-deal Brexit better than current EU offer

  25-09-2018 17:38
  Prime Minister Theresa May signalled on Tuesday that she would prefer a 'no-deal' Brexit to the offer currently put forward by the European Union, stressing that Britain needs to see counter-proposals from the EU to move Brexit negotiations forward.
  
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• Antisemites on left are like fascists, Thornberry tells Labour conference - Politics live

  25-09-2018 17:37 via theguardian.com
  Rolling coverage of the Labour conference in Liverpool, including the debate on Brexit and a second referendumKeir Starmer’s morning interviews on Brexit - SummaryLunchtime summary 4.37pm BST In the Welsh assembly today, in response to a question from the Plaid Cymru AM Steffan Lewis, the Labour first minister Carwyn Jones explained the difficulties with holding a referendum if Theresa May does secure a Brexit deal. Asked if he thought the referendum should include an option to remain in t
  
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• Germany won't jail doctor from Nazi paedophile sect convicted in Chile

  25-09-2018 17:35 via theguardian.com
  Hartmut Hopp was a doctor in the notorious ‘Colonia Dignidad’ sect that abused members and was used as a place to torture and ‘disappear’ regime critics during the Pinochet dictatorshipA German court has said it could not enforce a Chilean prison sentence for a German former member of a Nazi paedophile sect for complicity in child sex abuse.It ruled that Hartmut Hopp, 74, could not be jailed because the evidence the Chilean court had provided against him fell short of tha
  
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• Lance Armstrong: David Millar is ‘last person’ who should lead cyclists’ union

  25-09-2018 17:31 via theguardian.com
  • Disgraced seven-time Tour winner comes out fighting
  • Peloton should fight for cyclists’ rights, Armstrong addsDavid Millar’s candidacy for president of the professional riders union, the CPA, may have the support of Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome but his suitability to lead the professional peloton has been questioned by his former team-mate, Lance Armstrong.“Millar is probably the last person that would come to mind for this role,” Armstrong told the Guardi
  
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• Man murdered transgender woman after sex and drugs binge, court told

  25-09-2018 17:26 via theguardian.com
  Jesse McDonald, 25, killed Naomi Hersi, 36, then recruited girlfriend to hide crime, jurors hearA man murdered a transgender woman after a three-day sex and drugs binge before recruiting his teenage girlfriend to help clean up the crime, a court has heard.Jesse McDonald, 25, is accused of drugging Naomi Hersi, 36, before stabbing her to death with a knife and a broken bottle in the hotel room where he stayed near Heathrow airport, in the UK. Continue reading...
  
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• Hand-drawn map of Dunkirk evacuation among war documents published for first time

  25-09-2018 17:26 via theguardian.com
  New book showcases second world war papers, including a sketch of Dunkirk evacuation plans and Churchill’s annotated End of the Beginning speech From a hasty sketch detailing the plan for one regiment’s escape from Dunkirk, to the handwritten annotations on Winston Churchill’s End of the Beginning speech, a clutch of rarely seen documents from the second world war are being published – many for the first time - by the Imperial War Museum.The museum’s head of documen
  
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• Saudi Arabia opens high-speed rail linking Islam's holy cities

  25-09-2018 17:16 via theguardian.com
  Haramain railway connecting Mecca and Medina part of plan to increase visitor numbersSaudi Arabia’s King Salman has inaugurated a high-speed rail link between the two holiest cities in Islam, part of efforts to boost tourism as the country seeks to shed dependence on oil exports.The 280-mile (450-km) Haramain railway connecting Mecca and Medina with the Red Sea city of Jeddah cost £6bn ($7.87bn) and is one of the largest transport projects in the Middle East, targeting nearly 60 mill
  
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• 'There are no different truths': the last years of Soviet cinema

  25-09-2018 17:03 via theguardian.com
  A new season at the Barbican tells the story of the USSR’s final generation through the lens of its pioneering film-makers“Young people are our big hope, but they spell trouble for us too.” In 1965, an administrator at the Leningrad film studio, Lenfilm, summed up an enduring dilemma for Soviet official culture. How could the Young Communist League (on paper a “public organisation”, in practice entirely subordinate to the party leadership) mobilise the younger gener
  
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