General news

• Thieves Target Cash Machines In 'Smash-And-Grab' Raids Because Of Lower Prison Sentences

  12-10-2018 23:33
  A rise in "smash-and-grab" raids on cash machines is being linked to shorter
  
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• Shaun Wane: ‘I don’t cry much but I’ve just got upset then, haven’t I?’

  12-10-2018 23:29 via theguardian.com
  Wigan’s coach, facing the Grand Final against Warrington, is aiming to leave his beloved club with a fifth major trophyIt is often a thankless task trying to get a read on the stony-faced Shaun Wane and his emotions, but as the record buttons were pressed in front of the Wigan coach this week it was fairly simple to work out what was about to happen.For 35 years – barring a short spell with Leeds in the early 1990s – Wigan has been all that he has known. From a boot-cleaning ac
  
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• Sometimes Always Never review – Bill Nighy spellbinding in Scrabble drama

  12-10-2018 23:16 via theguardian.com
  The veteran actor shines as an ageing word wizard searching for his estranged son in Carl Hunter’s kind-hearted debutThere’s a beguiling Englishness to this elegant, offbeat comedy-drama, terrifically written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and directed by feature debutant Carl Hunter. It has a wonderful syncopation in its writerly rhythm and narrative surprises. The film positively twinkles with insouciance, and is performed with aplomb, particularly by Bill Nighy, who brings a droll sprigh
  
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• UN employee in Democratic Republic of the Congo tests positive for Ebola

  12-10-2018 23:10 via theguardian.com
  Head of peacekeeping mission breaks news amid alarming rise in new cases A United Nations employee in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the first such incident during the current outbreak, according to the head of the UN peacekeeping mission.“I am writing today to inform you that my leadership team and I have regretfully just received news that a UN colleague based in Beni has tested positive for Ebola and is now receiving the necessary medical treatme
  
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• Luke McGrath shines as Leinster romp to runaway win over Wasps

  12-10-2018 22:57 via theguardian.com
  • Leinster 52-3 Wasps
  • McGrath and James Lowe score two tries eachEven by their usual high standards Leinster could not have launched their defence of the Champions Cup in more emphatic style. This runaway eight-try win over a depleted Wasps represented a major statement of intent and the Irish province have now equalled their best-ever run in Europe with 10 successive victories.By any standards this was a horribly one-sided rout, with Wasps receiving a brutal reminder that this compe
  
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• Marcus Rashford fluffs his lines in England’s eerie draw with Croatia

  12-10-2018 22:53 via theguardian.com
  • Croatia 0-0 England
  • No fans, no goals and not much to shout about anywayOf all the nights following England, it is difficult to think of a more surreal experience, when near-goals were greeted with eerie silence, when the players’ shouts carried across the pitch and at one stage, to Jordan Pickford’s bemusement, there was a muffled chant from the nearby hills requesting him to wave at the 20 or so supporters who had climbed as high as they could to get a long-distance v
  
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• Kim Tate returns to Emmerdale 'for good'

  12-10-2018 22:23 via bbc.co.uk
  The veteran baddie, played by Claire King, is returning to the soap for good after her recent cameo.
  
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• Princess Eugenie's dress showed off her scoliosis scar

  12-10-2018 22:15 via bbc.co.uk
  14-year-old Georgie says Princess Eugenie’s decision to wear a wedding dress that showed off her scoliosis scar was “an inspirational thing to do.”
  
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• Facebook says 14m accounts had personal data stolen in recent breach

  12-10-2018 22:14 via theguardian.com
  Hackers were able to access name, birthdate and other data in nearly half of the 30 million accounts that were affectedFacebook has revealed 30m accounts were affected in a data breach last month. The company said hackers were able to access personal information for nearly half of those accounts.That information included name, relationship status, religion, birthdate, workplaces, search activity, and recent location check-ins. The company had initially said 50m accounts were affected. Continue r
  
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• Sick survivors of 9/11 could be granted a permanent compensation fund

  12-10-2018 22:01 via theguardian.com
  Proposal calls for permanent funding of the program, which will expire in 2020, and could run out of money even earlierEmergency first responders, residents and workers who have been diagnosed with cancer and other illnesses linked to the 9/11 terror attacks could be granted access to a permanent compensation fund under proposed new legislation.Congress created a program, known as the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to make payments to those who have developed illnesses linked to the 20
  
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• Storm Callum: Village's evacuation warning and people rescued from train

  12-10-2018 21:39 via bbc.co.uk
  Winds of 70mph reported, roads flooded, trains cancelled and power off as Storm Callum strikes Wales.
  
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• Why tech’s gender problem is nothing new

  12-10-2018 21:33 via theguardian.com
  Decades after women were pushed out of programming, Amazon’s AI recruiting technology carried on the industry’s legacy of biasA recent report revealed Amazon’s AI recruiting technology developed a bias against women because it was trained predominantly on men’s résumés. Although Amazon shut the project down, this kind of mechanized sexism is common and growing – and the problem isn’t limited to AI mishaps.Facebook allows the targeting of job ads
  
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• Caviar, diamonds, Netflix and Aberdeen Angus cattle: The latest 'no-deal' Brexit impacts

  12-10-2018 21:27
  The government has released the latest batch of papers advising households and businesses about the impact of a "no-deal" Brexit.The government has warned a no-deal Brexit means the single electricity market on the island of Ireland might not be able to continue.Trains from the UK to European countries could stop without a Brexit deal.
  
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• Six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza protests – officials

  12-10-2018 21:22 via theguardian.com
  Violence on Friday included incident where four Palestinians were shot dead after breaching security fenceIsraeli forces have shot dead six Palestinians, including four in a single incident, in one of the deadliest days in months of mass protests along the security fence separating Gaza and Israel, Gaza’s health ministry said.The ministry said four were killed in one location, where the Israeli military said it opened fire on Palestinians who breached the fence and approached an army post.
  
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• French authorities investigate whether PSG game against Red Star was fixed

  12-10-2018 21:01 via theguardian.com
  • L’Équipe says Red Star official suspected of €5m bet on 6-1 loss
  • Clubs strongly deny wrongdoing in Champions League gameFrench authorities are investigating whether a Champions League game involving Paris Saint-Germain and Red Star Belgrade was fixed.Both clubs have strongly denied wrongdoing after L’Équipe reported that a Red Star official was suspected of betting €5m (£4.4m) on the team losing by five goals in a match PSG won 6-1. It is u
  
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• Reckonings review – the next big things in dance

  12-10-2018 21:00 via theguardian.com
  Sadler’s Wells, London
  The theatre celebrates its 20th anniversary with three ambitious, striking, heart-lifting new commissions from Botis Seva, Julie Cunningham and Alesandra Seutin To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its building, Sadler’s Wells has eschewed best-ofs in favour of next-big-things, presenting three diverse choreographers who put dance firmly in the now.The most impactful piece comes from hip-hop choreographer Botis Seva. In BLKDOG, a murky stage simmers with parano
  
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• Melania Trump speaks out on husband's alleged affairs: 'It's not a focus of mine'

  12-10-2018 20:47 via theguardian.com
  The first lady says she loves Donald Trump and has ‘much more important things to think about’ than rumors of his philanderingMelania Trump says she loves Donald Trump and has “much more important things to think about” than allegations he cheated on her with a porn star, a Playboy Playmate or anyone else.Mrs Trump, who was interviewed by ABC while touring Africa last week, said people are just spreading rumors about her marriage. Continue reading...
  
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• Westminster attack: Police chief defends deputy who stayed in car as officer was killed

  12-10-2018 20:16
  The head of the Metropolitan Police has said it is "simply wrong" to criticise her deputy for remaining in his car during the Westminster terror attack.Cressida Dick said that accusing Sir Craig Mackey of cowardice was "confused, unpleasant, personalised and ignorant" and was "simply not supported by the evidence".The Muslim convert mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in a hired SUV, killing four people and seriously injuring 29 others, before stabbing PC Keith Palmer to death.
  
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• Police investigate fraud allegations at 3aaa apprenticeships

  12-10-2018 20:05
  3aaa spent £480,000 to become the ‘principal partner’ of Derbyshire County Cricket Club.Police are investigating allegations of fraud at the government-funded apprenticeship provider 3aaa, which has collapsed into administration, putting 500 jobs and 4,500 apprenticeships at risk.3aaa – which stands for aspire, achieve and advance – was placed into immediate administration after the Department for Education pulled all of its funding from the firm following an invest
  
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• Hastings Coffin Club breaks down taboos over death

  12-10-2018 20:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Would you assemble and paint your own flat-pack coffin? A club doing that is launched in Hastings.
  
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• FTSE 100 falls to six-month low as fears grow over US interest rates

  12-10-2018 20:04 via theguardian.com
  Index closes below 7,000 for the first time since March after challenging weekThe FTSE 100 has dropped below 7,000 for the first time in more than six months as stock markets around the world remained under pressure amid the fear of rising US interest rates.The index of UK blue-chip shares closed 11 points lower on Friday, taking it below the 7,000 milestone for the first time since March to finish the week at 6,995.91. After a closing peak of 7,877 in late May, the FTSE has now lost more than 1
  
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• Competition regulator considering UK digital ad market inquiry

  12-10-2018 19:41
  Facebook and Google are also under scrutiny over their role in the dissemination of ‘fake news’.The chief executive of the UK competition regulator has said it is “actively considering” launching an investigation into the digital advertising market.The comments from Andrea Coscelli of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are the latest example of growing pressure on Google and Facebook, which dominate the £13bn UK market.
  
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• Patisserie Valerie saved by cash injection

  12-10-2018 19:39 via bbc.co.uk
  Entrepreneur Luke Johnson, who owns 37% of the firm, has provided up to £20m in the form of loans.
  
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• A 'well-mannered' wedding - not 'bonkers' like Harry and Meghan's big day

  12-10-2018 19:34
  Compared to Harry and Meghan's shindig back in May, it was calmer in Windsor when Eugenie married Jack - a little subdued perhaps, and certainly windier.Eugenie's nuptials were "well-mannered", a member of the choir said - unlike Prince Harry's, which had been "bonkers".For royal watchers and royal fans, however, Eugenie's day was no less special.
  
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• Martin Rowson on the DUP and extending the Brexit transition – cartoon

  12-10-2018 19:30 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
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• Revealed: secret Brexit plans for transition extension to appease DUP

  12-10-2018 19:28
  Arlene Foster (R) has told Theresa May (L) the DUP will not accept any Brexit deal which treats Northern Ireland differently to the rest of the UK.Secret plans to allow an extension of the transition period in the Brexit withdrawal agreement could result in the UK living under all EU rules well beyond the 21 months so far negotiated, the Guardian can reveal.The expected offer of an extension is designed to convince Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist party, that the “backs
  
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• Oxfam criticises World Bank for backing deregulated labour markets

  12-10-2018 19:28 via theguardian.com
  World Development Report dismisses concern about growing income inequality, say criticsAid charities and trade unions have denounced a World Bank report that advises some of the poorest countries in the world to accept the demands of multinational corporations to hire and fire workers and remove laws protecting workers’ rights.Oxfam said the report’s main message was that governments should abandon labour market regulation and rely instead on low levels of welfare to prevent workers
  
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• Lincoln man admits sending 'Punish a Muslim Day' letters

  12-10-2018 19:28 via bbc.co.uk
  David Parnham admits sending the letters to mosques, the Queen, David Cameron and Theresa May.
  
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• Exclusive - Key EU lawmaker's plan to rein in online marketplaces a threat to Amazon

  12-10-2018 19:26
  Amazoncould face a threat other than just EU antitrust scrutiny after a key EU lawmaker announced proposals aimed at curbing online marketplaces' use of merchants' data to boost sales of own brand products.Seeking to ensure a level playing field between tech giants such as Google , Amazon and Appleand traditional businesses, the European Commission in April outlined draft rules to prevent unfair business practices.European Parliament lawmakers, whose approval is needed to ensure the proposal bec
  
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• Patisserie Valerie chairman pumps in £20m to stave off collapse

  12-10-2018 19:22 via theguardian.com
  Rescue plan emerges after finance director Chris Marsh arrested on suspicion of fraudThe multi-millionaire chairman of Patisserie Valerie is pumping £20m of his own cash into the stricken cake and cafe chain to keep it in business after “fraudulent activity” was uncovered that left the business teetering on the brink.Details of the proposed emergency rescue plan came hours after it emerged that the finance director of Patisserie Holdings, which has over 200 cafes and nearly 3,0
  
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• UK would be excluded from EU's emissions trading system in no-deal Brexit

  12-10-2018 19:19
  Britain will be excluded from the European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS), a mechanism for helping to limit the impact of climate change, if the country leaves the bloc in March 2019 without a deal, the government said on Friday.In one paper, it said that in a no-deal scenario, the country would next year switch to meeting its carbon pricing commitments via a tax system."The UK will be excluded from participating in the (ETS) in a ‘no deal’ scenario," it said.
  
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• Island paradises, Indian caves and Interrail: the best destinations for new solo travellers

  12-10-2018 19:18 via theguardian.com
  With solo travel up by a third since 2001, we are warming to the idea of a trip away without compromise or arguments. Here are some places that guarantee a good welcomeThe first time I travelled alone was to Amsterdam in my teens. It was a formative experience. I found myself exploring a city in a way I had never done before; without compromise. This, it turns out, is one of the reasons why a growing number of people are opting for a holiday alone.: According to the Association of British Travel
  
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• Universal credit? If Iain Duncan Smith is an architect of anything, it’s misery | Marina Hyde

  12-10-2018 19:11 via theguardian.com
  Only a dangerous politician favours simple fixes to complex problems – they have a way of causing hardship to millionsIf you were looking for the most wantonly sarcastic epithet in British politics, you might well alight on “Iain Duncan Smith, the architect of universal credit”. It’s basically impossible to say out loud without putting “architect” in air quotes. I know we shouldn’t underestimate the determination of a quiet man. But when people say, &ldq
  
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• The Guardian view on universal credit: human cost and political price | Editorial

  12-10-2018 19:07 via theguardian.com
  The benefits reform was savaged by the public spending watchdog this summer for failing to deliver savings and leaving thousands in hardship. Now political opposition is growingWarnings on successive days this week by two former prime ministers, Gordon Brown and Sir John Major, that universal credit could prove as unpopular as the poll tax, have pushed the government’s continuing struggle with benefit reform back up the agenda. A crunch moment is expected soon, with new regulations due to
  
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• Ireland 'cannot accept' Brexit backstop time limit, Republic's deputy PM says

  12-10-2018 19:05
  Ireland's deputy prime minister has warned the UK government his country "can't accept a time limit" on a Brexit backstop agreement aimed at preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland.Simon Coveney, who is also Ireland's foreign minister, directly contradicted UK Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab's stance on a key part of the UK's withdrawal agreement.As part of a divorce deal, the UK and EU are seeking a fallback agreement to avert a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern I
  
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• Two Thirds Of Landlords With Tenants On Universal Credit Are Owed Rent Arrears, New Study Shows

  12-10-2018 19:00
  Nearly two thirds of landlords with tenants receiving Universal Credit are
  
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• 'Huge concentrations' of toxins found in Grenfell soil, study finds

  12-10-2018 19:00 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Public Health England has not acted on early findings of report warning of potential carcinogensToxins that may have long-term health implications for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, and thousands of people who live and work nearby, have been identified in the preliminary findings of a study led by one of the world’s leading toxicology experts, the Guardian can reveal.Early results of the study by Prof Anna Stec prompted her to privately urge Public Health England (PHE
  
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• 'Huge concentrations' of toxins found in Grenfell soil, study finds

  12-10-2018 19:00
  High levels of hydrogen cyanide were also present in the soil around the Grenfell Tower site in west London, the analysis by Prof Anna Stec revealed.Toxins that may have long-term health implications for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, and thousands of people who live and work nearby, have been identified in the preliminary findings of a study led by one of the world’s leading toxicology experts, the Guardian can reveal.Early results of the study by Prof Anna Stec prompted her to
  
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• Porgy and Bess review – you can almost hear the heat

  12-10-2018 18:57 via theguardian.com
  Coliseum, London
  James Robinson’s staging is timeless but wholehearted and handsome. If you’re going to stage Gershwin’s opera, this is how to do it. It’s not a woman that’s a sometime thing; it’s Porgy and Bess itself. If ever an opera was a period piece, rooted firmly in the times and places of both its composition and its original setting, it’s this 1935 work by a New York composer about a poor black fishing community in 1920s South Carolina. The tune
  
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• Investments are protected and for now Cristiano Ronaldo is too big to fail | Barney Ronay

  12-10-2018 18:48 via theguardian.com
  Juve’s response to the Ronaldo rape allegations was to call him ‘a great champion’ but the important thing is to judge on factsAs the Uefa Nations League weekender rolls on from Friday into Tuesday it is hard not to luxuriate a little in the glow of international football, to feel fuzzy and loved-up still from that sun-bleached World Cup. The Nations League has been criticised for its fiddly nature but whatever the background noise there is an undying grandeur to these games. N
  
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• Westminster attacker was lawfully killed, inquest jury decides

  12-10-2018 18:44 via bbc.co.uk
  Khalid Masood was shot dead by a minister's bodyguard after killing five people, including a police officer.
  
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• May struggles to sell at home Brexit deal emerging with EU

  12-10-2018 18:42
  British Prime Minister Theresa May struggled on Friday to find consensus on a Brexit plan that would be acceptable to her ministers, her divided Conservative Party and the Northern Irish lawmakers who prop up her minority government.Brexit negotiations with the European Union have accelerated and become more positive over the past week, though significant hurdles remain, finance minister Philip Hammond said.With less than six months to go until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU, its most
  
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• Met police hit back at criticism of ex-chief over Westminster attack

  12-10-2018 18:33
  Sir Craig Mackey was accused of cowardice over his response as acting Met commissioner to the attack.The Metropolitan police have condemned criticism of the force’s deputy commissioner for remaining in his car while Khalid Masood stabbed an unarmed police officer to death during the Westminster Bridge attack.Sir Craig Mackey, then the acting Met commissioner, was being driven out of the Palace of Westminster during the incident on 22 March last year.
  
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• From rail safety to Spotify access: the key no-deal Brexit notices

  12-10-2018 18:33
  Eurostar travel between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam could be disrupted in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to one of the 76 notices that have been published about potential issues arising if the UK crashes out of the EU.The government said it would have to negotiate new arrangements with individual countries to keep trains heading to the continent.It will also be up to passengers to ensure their insurance and ticket terms cover them in the event of a claim over delays to Eurost
  
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• 'I'm afraid a child will die': life at the sharp end of council cuts

  12-10-2018 18:30 via theguardian.com
  Withdrawal of early intervention services in Somerset reflects mounting national emergency
  In July last year, Frances and her two children walked out of their family home in south Somerset. Over the previous few years, her husband had been repeatedly violent towards her, and cruel and aggressive to her eldest daughter. The arrival of a new baby seemed to only make things worse. “He would lock my daughter out in the rain; he called our baby the ‘c’ word,” she says. “
  
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• Brexit: Eurostar services 'could be disrupted by no-deal'

  12-10-2018 18:27 via bbc.co.uk
  Electricity supplies to Northern Ireland and horse travel could also be affected, the UK says.
  
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• Princess Eugenie: The view from the royal wedding crowds

  12-10-2018 18:26 via bbc.co.uk
  It was inevitable there would be comparisons with this year's other royal wedding in Windsor.
  
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• Third death in autism school minibus M4 crash

  12-10-2018 18:25 via bbc.co.uk
  Three members of staff from the school died in the crash between a minibus and a lorry on the M4.
  
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• 'It's just devastation': Florida city begins cleaning up Michael's mess

  12-10-2018 18:23 via theguardian.com
  Marianna, the ‘city of southern charm’, saw Hurricane Michael pass directly through, leaving behind shredded bricks and a matted mess of tangled cablesThere’s an unmistakable scent of barbecue and pine down Kelson Avenue in Marianna, Florida, and the faint hum and buzz of generators and chainsaws all around. On the corner, residents of an apartment complex have pooled the remaining meat in their fridge and freezers to cook.“Your food is gonna go bad so we might as well co
  
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• Andrew Brunson: Turkey releases US pastor after two years in prison

  12-10-2018 18:18 via theguardian.com
  Turkish court ordered release of Brunson, who had been held on terrorism charges related to the failed 2016 military coupThe American pastor at the centre of a bitter diplomatic rift between Washington DC and Ankara is flying back to the US after a Turkish court ordered his release following two years in detention.Witnesses in the courtroom in the western town of Izmir said Andrew Brunson wept as the decision was announced on Friday. Continue reading...
  
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