General news

• Universal Credit agents encouraged to use 'deflection script' to get claimants 'off phone'

  25-10-2018 23:43
  Universal Credit agents were encouraged to use a "deflection script" in order to get claimants "off the phone as quickly as possible," a former case manager has claimed.Bayard Tarpley, a former employee at the Department for Work and Pensions, said agents manning the phones were told by senior managers to direct claimants to their online account as much as possible, even if the problem could be solved during the call.The claims come as the Public Accounts Committee, parliament's most influential
  
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• 'IRRESONSIBLE!' Terrifying new craze revealed as children lie in front of TRAM

  25-10-2018 23:37 via feedproxy.google.com
  A SHOCKING video showing three young people lying on rail tracks as a tram approaches them in Nottingham has sparked fears the death-defying stunt could be the latest in a series of life-risking crazes.
  
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• Universal Credit 'Ditches Fast-Track Claims For The Terminally Ill'

  25-10-2018 23:36
  Terminally ill people moved onto Universal Credit are continuing to suffer
  
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• 'May has to GO' Carole Malone's strong call for NEW leadership as she DESTROYS PM efforts

  25-10-2018 23:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  CAROLE Malone launched a scathing attack against Theresa May blaming the Prime Minister's Brexit efforts for the "crippling dysfunction of Downing Street" as she called for a new leader.
  
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• In Video: Emmeline Pankhurst statue undergoes bronze ‘pour’

  25-10-2018 23:35
  The statue will be unveiled in Manchester on December 14.
  
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• Stephen Fry and Judy Dench among entertainers at Charles’s birthday gala

  25-10-2018 23:32
  The Buckingham Palace event recognised the Prince of Wales’s support for the arts.
  
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• Universal Credit explained

  25-10-2018 23:10
  Universal Credit explained
  
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• Young People Could Lose More Than £100,000 Because Of No-Deal Brexit, Report Claims

  25-10-2018 23:00
  Young people could lose up to £108,000 by 2050 if there is a no-deal Brexit,
  
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• Developers hog land for record 130,000 homes, analysis reveals

  25-10-2018 23:00
  New powers are needed to end land banking, Labour says, because of the record gap between planning permission granted and the number of homes built.The record gap between planning permissions granted and new homes being built has led to calls for tough new penalties to be enforced against developers that sit on land rather than build.Earlier this year, it was reported that Labour was considering forcing landowners to give up sites for a fraction of their value in an effort to slash the cost of c
  
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• Former Chancellor TRASHES calls for second Brexit vote with PASSIONATE speech against EU

  25-10-2018 22:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  LORD Lamont took aim at supporters of a new Brexit referendum in a passionate speech attacking the European Union for the proclivity to influence member states to second-guess their votes.
  
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• Lord Hain defends decision to ‘out’ Philip Green over abuse allegations

  25-10-2018 22:15
  The Labour peer said he had received ‘overwhelming support – particularly from women’ after naming the retail tycoon in Parliament.
  
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• Fianna Fail announces first candidate to stand in a Northern Ireland election

  25-10-2018 22:09
  Sorcha McAnespy will run as a Fianna Fail candidate in next year’s local council elections.
  
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• Teenager killed outside party was shot, not stabbed – police

  25-10-2018 21:39
  Ethan Nedd-Bruce, 18, was reportedly seen arguing with several men before he was shot.
  
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• Harry and Meghan to see traditional Tongan handicrafts

  25-10-2018 21:06
  The Sussexes will also dedicate two forest reserves to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
  
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• Health secretary urges tech firms to enforce minimum age rules

  25-10-2018 21:00
  The government is to produce the first official guidelines on the maximum amount of time young people should spend on social media.Social media use has contributed to the rise in self-harm among teenage girls, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said, accusing big tech firms of doing nothing to enforce minimum age rules.Hancock, a keen user of social media who created his own app for constituents, has repeatedly warned of the dangers posed to teenagers by the influence of some sites and has
  
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• Tory MP warns 'no-deal' Brexit contingency plan would turn Kent into 'parking lot of England'

  25-10-2018 20:50
  A top Conservative MP has warned the government against turning Kent into the "parking lot of England" in the event of a "no-deal" Brexit.Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge and Malling, said a proposal to use the M26 as a "lorry park" would "fundamentally change the lives" of those who live and work in the county.Highways England said that as part of "wider resilience planning", the Department for Transport had asked it to "develop plans to utilise the M26 to hold heavy goods vehicles, should furth
  
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• Prepare for 'people's vote' rather than no deal, Cable tells Barnier

  25-10-2018 20:45
  Vince Cable said he would play down the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Vince Cable, urged Michel Barnier to stop talking up a no-deal Brexit and instead make contingency plans for a second referendum after the EU’s chief negotiator admitted that a parliamentary impasse in the UK was standing in the way of a deal.Cable said the government and Brussels had up until now been emphasising the danger of the UK crashing out in order to sell a “bad d
  
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• Millennials may lose up to £108k over 30 years with no-deal Brexit

  25-10-2018 20:34
  A no-deal Brexit could cost young people as much as £108,000 in lost earnings by 2050 (more than £3,000 a year).Young people will be financial losers under all Brexit outcomes facing losses of up to £108,000 over their lifetime under the worst-case no-deal scenario, according to a report which also included a warning from former prime minister John Major about the deep implications for millennials.The report, commissioned by the campaign group Our Future, Our Choice, projected
  
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• Bank of England tells banks to build Brexit cash cushions by March

  25-10-2018 20:34
  Banks in Britain must hold enough cash to withstand any disorderly Brexit hitting financial markets next March, Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods said on Thursday.Woods said he was making sure that Britain's departure from the European Union is as smooth as possible for markets, even if there is no exit deal between London and Brussels."Just in case things go badly we have been working with firms to ensure they have in place liquidity sufficient to accommodate a severe dislocation in fin
  
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• Megyn Kelly's future at NBC uncertain after blackface remarks

  25-10-2018 20:32
  Megyn Kelly apologises to viewers a day after she defended the use of blackface for Halloween costumes.Viewers tuning into the NBC morning show Megyn Kelly Today on Thursday morning were greeted by Megyn Kelly from two months ago.Following a row over defending wearing blackface, Kelly has been removed from her namesake talkshow for at least the remainder of the week, with NBC saying in a statement that “given the circumstances” they will air repeats in her time slot.
  
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• Tram-train collides with lorry on first day of service

  25-10-2018 20:30
  Four passengers suffered minor injuries in the incident involving a Supertram and a flatbed truck in Sheffield.
  
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• UK opposition figures tell Barnier of ‘cross-party resistance’ to Tory Brexit

  25-10-2018 20:23
  The EU’s chief negotiator was told that supporters of a second referendum now make up “the biggest and most cohesive bloc” in Westminster.
  
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• Tories raise concerns about ‘botched’ Disclosure Scotland IT system

  25-10-2018 20:22
  Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr is calling for reassurances that the new system can be implemented successfully.
  
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• 'Ireland is just an EU COLONY!' Border resident CONDEMNS Dublin bowing to bloc demands

  25-10-2018 20:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  IRISH border resident Colm Laighneach blasted the Irish Government for relinquishing power to the European Union "empire" as Brexit negotiations remain deadlocked because of the Irish border issue.
  
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• Kelly Mayhew death: Judge orders Donna Francis to face US trial over 'botched bum injections'

  25-10-2018 20:07
  Donna Francis, a mother-of-one from Essex, is wanted for allegedly injecting liquid silicone into Kelly Mayhew's bottom in the basement of her house in Queens, New York, in May 2015.Announcing his decision, district judge Robin McPhee told Westminster Magistrates' Court the severity of the offence meant the UK should honour the extradition treaty but Home Secretary Sajid Javid will have the final say.Ms Mayhew, a 34 year-old freelance television producer, started "gurgling" and struggling to bre
  
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• Philip Green denies wrongdoing after being named as boss in gagging clause row

  25-10-2018 20:01
  The Arcadia chairman was identified in Parliament as the businessman behind an injunction barring the publication of claims of sexism and racism.
  
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• Celtic Connections 2019 programme launched

  25-10-2018 20:00
  The festival is expected to grow from last year, which saw around 2,300 artists perform.
  
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• In Video: Pumpkin fun as halloween comes early at London Zoo

  25-10-2018 19:59
  Halloween has come early at the zoo.
  
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• Women speak of ‘excitement’ at frontline opportunities

  25-10-2018 19:53
  Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced all roles in the military were now open to women.
  
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• Parliament Facing ‘Mad Scramble’ To Get Brexit Legislation Ready In Time For UK’s Exit From EU

  25-10-2018 19:53
  Parliament is facing a "mad scramble" to pass Brexit legislation as Theresa
  
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• Sir Philip Green denies 'unlawful sexual or racist behaviour'

  25-10-2018 19:51
  Topshop owner Sir Philip Green has said he "categorically and wholly denies" allegations of "unlawful sexual or racist behaviour".In a statement released after he was named in parliament as the businessman behind an injunction against the Daily Telegraph, he said: "I am not commenting on anything that has happened in court or was said in Parliament today."To the extent that it is suggested that I have been guilty of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour, I categorically and wholly deny these alleg
  
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• Women will be able to join SAS, Defence Secretary announces

  25-10-2018 19:49
  Gavin Williamson said all roles within the military will now be open for women to join, including Special Forces and the Royal Marines.
  
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• White poppy: How is it different from the red remembrance symbol?

  25-10-2018 19:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Red, white or purple: does it matter what colour marks Remembrance Day?
  
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• 'Human Spider' Alain Robert arrested after climbing 754ft Heron Tower in City of London

  25-10-2018 19:42
  "Human Spider" Alain Robert has been arrested after he climbed the 754ft (230m) Heron Tower in the City of London.Mr Robert, whose previous death-defying climbs include the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Empire State Building in New York, said before setting off that he was likely to be arrested following the feat.Mr Robert, who is a grandfather, uses chalk to improve the friction between his skin and the building but also tapes his fingers and wears wafer-thin glov
  
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• ‘Constructive’ talks held after equal pay strike

  25-10-2018 19:39
  Hundreds of Glasgow schools were closed and care services affected when more than 8,000 members of the Unison and GMB unions walked out on Tuesday.
  
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• A Short History Of The UK Race Relations Acts

  25-10-2018 19:31
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• Family of student who died after alcohol-fuelled initiation criticise university

  25-10-2018 19:24
  Ed Farmer, 20, died in December 2016 due to the toxic effects of excessive drinking, an inquest ruled.
  
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• Police in Blackpool identify David Schwimmer lookalike suspect

  25-10-2018 19:18
  Police in Blackpool had posted an appeal on Facebook asking for witnesses to identify a suspect pictured leaving a restaurant.
  
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• Peace breaks out on Tory benches, but Raab remains battle-ready

  25-10-2018 19:14
  Dominic Raab warned MPs that the risk of a no-deal Brexit would be increased if Brussels engages in a ‘deliberately intransigent’ approach.In the early months of the negotiations, Brexit questions used to be one of the best-attended events in the parliamentary calendar as MPs of all parties piled into the chamber to make their voices heard on the key issue of the parliament.You’d never have guessed the Conservatives are at war with themselves and the country over Brexit.
  
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• Plight Of Elderly Woman Racially Abused On Ryanair Flight To Be Raised In Parliament

  25-10-2018 19:13
  The Ryanair racism incident will be raised in Parliament next week to draw
  
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• Topshop boss Sir Philip Green named as businessman behind newspaper injunction

  25-10-2018 19:06
  Topshop owner Sir Philip Green has been named as the businessman behind an injunction against a national newspaper.Speaking in the House of Lords on Thursday, Labour peer Lord Hain used parliamentary privilege to name Sir Philip.
  
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• Swinney announces independent review of P1 testing

  25-10-2018 19:04
  The Education Secretary said the review of standardised national assessments for four- and five-year-olds would be ‘evidence-based’.
  
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• Attacks on media in the east and west

  25-10-2018 19:04
  There are similarities in the political responses to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the execution of the Observer journalist Farzad Bazoft by Iraq.Donald Trump’s comments about refusing to jeopardise US arms deals with Saudi Arabia are an echo of Margaret Thatcher’s statement that her government would not act against British interests with Saddam Hussein, and the attitude that Bazoft probably was spying for Israel then is similar to the smears that Khashoggi had links to the Musli
  
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• Man, 102, airlifted to hospital after becoming trapped on roof for three nights

  25-10-2018 18:50
  A friend raised the alarm after noticing milk bottles building up outside his home.
  
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• Ryanair in preliminary deal with Belgian unions to try to avoid strike

  25-10-2018 18:48
  Ryanairsigned an agreement on Thursday with Belgian cabin crew and pilots to apply local law to their contracts from next year, part of a series of deals aimed at averting further strikes at the airline.The unions will meet with the Irish company four more times before the end of the year to negotiate agreements on working conditions, including salaries, and may strike again if progress is not made, CNE union representative Yves Lambot said.Ryanair has reached similar agreements over the last we
  
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• Disquiet over gun shop near school understandable, says Sturgeon

  25-10-2018 18:41
  Labour MSP Daniel Johnson said an ‘apparent loophole’ in the law should be addressed.
  
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• Tram collides with lorry in Sheffield

  25-10-2018 18:38
  The incident happened just hours after the official opening of the UK’s first tram-train service between the city and Rotherham.
  
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• Scottish Government preparing for a no-deal scenario, says Mike Russell

  25-10-2018 18:37
  The Scottish Constitutional Relations Secretary said that it appears the UK Government has no plan in place for securing a Brexit deal.
  
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• Britain First leader charged with offences linked to anti-immigration posters

  25-10-2018 18:37
  Paul Golding is charged with four counts related to literature distributed ahead of a Britain First rally in Co Antrim
  
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• Women Can Now Apply For Any Role In The Military - Including The Special Forces

  25-10-2018 18:36
  Women will now be able to apply for any position in the military including the
  
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