General news

• Exam reforms boost private pupils in race for universities

  29-12-2018 23:59
  Tory education reforms are giving private school pupils a huge additional advantage in the hunt for university places and jobs by allowing them to sit easier GCSEs than the more rigorous exams that are being forced upon state schools, new official figures suggest.Data released in parliamentary answers, and research into the exams chosen by private schools, shows the extent to which the independent sector is still opting for less demanding, internationally-recognised GCSEs (IGCSEs), which state s
  
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• Absolutely Fabulous stars lead tributes to Dame June Whitfield

  29-12-2018 23:51
  The actress has died aged 93.
  
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• Man arrested over racist abuse at Edinburgh derby

  29-12-2018 23:49
  Police Scotland said a 65-year-old man was arrested after footage emerged of a fan apparently shouting abuse at Hearts defender Clevid Dikamona.
  
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• Absolutely Fabulous star Dame June Whitfield has died

  29-12-2018 23:48
  Actress Dame June Whitfield, best known for her role in the long-running sitcom Terry And June, has died at the age of 93.Dame June's career stretched back to the 1940s, including roles in the Carry On films, stage productions and TV hits.In 1992 she made her first appearance in Jennifer Saunders' sitcom Absolutely Fabulous playing Edina Monsoon's mother.
  
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• Border force vessels 'under review' amid migrant crisis - home secretary

  29-12-2018 23:42
  The home secretary says he will keep the number of Border Force vessels under close review, as migrants continue to cross the English Channel from France.Mr Javid, who cut short a family holiday to help deal with what he has described as a "major incident", is facing calls from MPs to send in the Royal Navy.In a statement released on Saturday evening, he said the situation in the Channel was of "grave concern, with people gambling their lives in reckless attempts to reach the UK in unsafe boats
  
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• Liam Fox says '50-50' chance Brexit may be stopped - paper

  29-12-2018 23:39
  Trade minister Liam Fox said there is a "50-50" chance that Brexit may be stopped if parliament rejects the government's divorce deal with the European Union next month."If we were not to vote for that, I'm not sure I would give it (Brexit) much more than 50-50," Fox, a leading supporter of leaving the EU, told the Sunday Times newspaper.With three months left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May's Brexit deal is floundering, opening up a range of possibilities from a
  
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• Veteran comic actress Dame June Whitfield has died aged 93

  29-12-2018 23:32
  The star of Terry And June ‘passed away peacefully’, her agent confirmed.
  
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• New maternity package ‘to make NHS best place in the world to give birth’

  29-12-2018 23:30
  Health Secretary Matt Hancock unveiled a major redesign of services for expectant mothers and babies.
  
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• Dame June Whitfield: From Carry On to Absolutely Fabulous

  29-12-2018 23:21
  She continued to be a regular face on British television, appearing in comedy series such Last Of The Summer Wine and The Green Green Grass.
  
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• Home Secretary promises more action to stop migrant boats

  29-12-2018 23:20
  Sajid Javid is cutting short his Christmas holiday to take personal control of the situation in the English Channel.
  
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• Call for action on cancer risk from processed meats like bacon and ham

  29-12-2018 23:00
  MPs have joined experts on food safety, health and nutrition to seek to raise awareness of the dangers of nitrites in food.
  
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• How boy spotted man who had fallen overboard

  29-12-2018 22:55
  An 11-year-old boy who spotted a fisherman who had fallen overboard has described the moment he saw him and alerted his father.
  
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• June Whitfield – a life in pictures

  29-12-2018 22:35
  Much loved comedy actor June Whitfield has died at the age of 93. Best known for her roles in Terry and June and Absolutely Fabulous, here we look back at her career that spanned seven decades Continue reading...
  
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• Russian station RT's chocolate Salisbury Cathedral Christmas gift slammed

  29-12-2018 22:29
  A Russian state-run TV station has been criticised for sending chocolate models of Salisbury Cathedral as a Christmas gift.The chocolate was sent to a number of people in the media and others in what RT said was to mark one of the "biggest news stories of the year".Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury in March.
  
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• Why are so many migrants coming from Iran?

  29-12-2018 22:10
  Why are so many migrants coming from Iran?
  
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• Obituary: June Whitfield

  29-12-2018 21:40 via bbc.co.uk
  Comic actress who was rarely off British TV screens.
  
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• Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal: Roberto Firmino hits hat-trick as Jurgen Klopp's side thrash Arsenal

  29-12-2018 21:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Roberto Firmino scores a hat-trick as Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the Premier League by thrashing Arsenal.
  
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• Sheffield Wednesday's Fernando Forestieri 'unaware of court case'

  29-12-2018 20:55 via bbc.co.uk
  Sheffield Wednesday FC striker Fernando Forestieri failed to attend a magistrates' court hearing.
  
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• One dead and 23 hurt in minibus crash in Scottish Borders

  29-12-2018 20:45 via bbc.co.uk
  Police declared a major incident after the bus overturned into a field in the Scottish Borders.
  
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• Channel migrants: Minister defends handling of 'crisis'

  29-12-2018 20:45 via bbc.co.uk
  Caroline Nokes insists the government is taking control amid a rise in people crossing the Channel.
  
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• Boy tells how he spotted fisherman Nathan Rogers who clung to net after falling overboard

  29-12-2018 20:26
  Louis Matisse Nicholls, who was picking up litter on the beach, spotted Nathan Rogers in the water after his boat crashed into Nelwyn's South Pier in Cornwall.Mr Rogers had been dragged five miles (8km) behind his boat before falling into the sea.Penlee RNLI was alerted after Louis saw him in the water and told his father Philip to dial 999.
  
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• Ultima Thule: NASA probe will reach tiny world at edge of solar system on New Year’s Day - RT

  29-12-2018 19:54 via rt.com
  Ultima Thule: NASA probe will reach tiny world at edge of solar system on New Year’s Day  RTNew Horizons closing in for historic flyby of Ultima Thule  Astronomy Now OnlineNASA Spacecraft to reach mysterious FROZEN planet on New Year’s day - 4bn miles from Sun  Express.co.ukNASA New Horizons zooms in on distant rock after switch to encounter mode  FirstpostHow to Watch New Horizons' Ultima Thule Flyby on New Year's Day: A Webcast Guide &nb
  
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• Most of UK to be treated to dry New Year’s Eve

  29-12-2018 19:50
  Simon Partridge, forecaster at the national weather service, said the outlook for Monday is overall, ‘not too bad’.
  
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• Passenger dies and 23 in hospital after bus overturns

  29-12-2018 19:39
  The single-vehicle crash happened on the A6089, between Carfraemill and Gordon in the Scottish Borders at around 10.50am on Saturday.
  
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• New Year's Revellers Warned Over 'Toxic' Cheap Vodka That Could Turn People Blind

  29-12-2018 19:24
  New Year's Eve partygoers have been warned over "toxic" fake spirits that
  
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• One dead after minibus with 23 on board overturns in Scottish Borders

  29-12-2018 19:18
  The private minibus, which was travelling from Newtongrange to Kelso, was carrying 23 adult passengers as well as the driver.The injured are being treated at Borders General Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow.Police said the crash was declared a major incident with the Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, NHS Scotland and Scottish Borders Council involved.
  
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• Gatwick drone inquiry: 93 'credible sightings'

  29-12-2018 19:02
  "Numerous instances" of illegal drone activity at Gatwick led to the airport being shut in the run-up to Christmas and it was not a police drone, according to Sussex's top officer.Chief constable Giles York appeared to try to clarify earlier comments in which he said some of the drones spotted near the hub during the festive disruption may have belonged to police.Officers are looking into "relevant sightings" by 115 witnesses, including 93 from "credible witnesses" such as a pilot, airport staff
  
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• Cross-party move to stop the clock on hard Brexit

  29-12-2018 19:00
  Senior Tory and Labour MPs are planning to force the government to delay Brexit by several months to avoid a no-deal outcome if Theresa May fails to get her deal through parliament in January, the Observer has been told.Cross-party talks have been under way for several weeks to ensure the 29 March date is put back – probably until July at the latest – if the government does not push for a delay itself.It is also understood that cabinet ministers have discussed the option of a delay w
  
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• Computer virus hampers San Diego Union-Tribune's Saturday delivery - 10News

  29-12-2018 18:57 via 10news.com
  Computer virus hampers San Diego Union-Tribune's Saturday delivery  10NewsCyber-attack disrupts distribution of multiple US newspapers  BBC NewsCyber-attack disrupts printing of major US newspapers  The GuardianNewspaper plant virus halts Los Angeles Times deliveries  Daily MailSuspected malware attack hits several major newspapers  Boston 25 NewsView full coverage on Google News
  
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• Starlings form bird-shaped murmuration at Attenborough

  29-12-2018 18:47 via bbc.co.uk
  Birdwatchers enjoyed the "real spectacle" at the Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire.
  
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• Gatwick drones: Sussex Police 'sorry' for arrested couple

  29-12-2018 18:44 via bbc.co.uk
  Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk were arrested and released without charge over the Gatwick Airport drone chaos.
  
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• In pictures: Take to the skies with the RAF’s highlights of 2018

  29-12-2018 18:39
  The MoD has released thrilling images detailing the air force’s most memorable moments of the year.
  
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• AdDuplex: The October 2018 Update Is Now on 6.6% of Windows 10 PCs - BleepingComputer

  29-12-2018 18:21 via bleepingcomputer.com
  AdDuplex: The October 2018 Update Is Now on 6.6% of Windows 10 PCs  BleepingComputerWindows 10 Upgrade Assistant may be making a comeback soon  MSPoweruserMicrosoft could force Windows 10 update onto users  MyBroadbandTNW’s favorite apps for Windows users in 2018  The Next WebMicrosoft is now actively pushing the Windows 10 October update  Notebookcheck.netView full coverage on Google News
  
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• Irish gold broker sees jump in demand over hard Brexit fears

  29-12-2018 18:05
  Merrion Vaults in Dublin said the influx of customers from Northern Ireland has grown by some 70% over the last five months.
  
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• Back with a bang: Japanese fireworks from the 1800s – in pictures

  29-12-2018 18:00
  The Japanese word for fireworks, hanabi, means “fire flowers”, which seems particularly fitting when you look at these illustrations from the late 1800s of Japanese fireworks bursting into life. Taken from catalogues published by the British company CR Brock and Co (now Brocks Fireworks), they advertised the wares of Hirayama Fireworks and Yokoi Fireworks and have recently been digitised and put online by the Yokohama city library. The founder of Hirayama, Jinta Hirayama, was among t
  
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• A6089: Minibus Crash Leaves One Dead, 23 Injured In Scottish Borders

  29-12-2018 17:38
  One man has died and 23 people have been taken to hospital after a bus
  
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• Queen lobbied for replacement Royal Yacht Britannia, archive files show

  29-12-2018 17:28
  Buckingham Palace officials were worried about the representations to Whitehall being made public.
  
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• One dead after minibus with 23 on board overturns on Scottish borders

  29-12-2018 17:28
  One man has died and 23 people have been taken to hospital after a minibus overturned in the Scottish Borders
  
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• Home Secretary cuts short break to deal with migrant situation

  29-12-2018 17:25
  Sajid Javid has declared the problem of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats a ‘major incident’.
  
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• Capt Lou Rudd is first Briton to cross Antarctic unaided

  29-12-2018 17:18 via bbc.co.uk
  A British Army officer has become the second person ever to trek unaided across Antarctica.
  
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• Sajid Javid cuts holiday short to tackle Channel migrant crossings

  29-12-2018 17:13
  Migrants aboard a rubber boat after being intercepted by the French authorities off the port of Calais on 25 December 2018.The home secretary, Sajid Javid, is cutting short a family holiday to deal with the growing number of migrants trying to cross the Channel by boat, the immigration minister, Caroline Nokes, has said.Javid has faced calls to deploy Royal Navy vessels after he declared the surge in people attempting to cross the channel by boat a “major incident” on Friday.
  
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• Teenager stabbed in brawl near pub

  29-12-2018 17:04
  The 16-year-old victim was taken to Wishaw General Hospital and later released after treatment.
  
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• 'Town of culture' award would boost arts and investment

  29-12-2018 17:00
  Yvette Cooper wants to emulate the city of culture award for the UK’s smaller urban areas.As you know, the city of culture is not just a title but a huge opportunity.The UK city of culture award has served as a catalyst for social and economic regeneration in the cities that have been awarded with the title, and shortlisted cities have similarly benefited from the bidding process which publicises the best of local culture.
  
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• Fernando Forestieri did not know he was due in court, Sheffield Wednesday says

  29-12-2018 16:30
  An arrest warrant was issued after the striker failed to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.
  
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• First British explorer successfully crosses Antarctica solo

  29-12-2018 16:05
  Captain Louis Rudd has become the first British explorer to complete an unassisted journey across the continent of Antarctica.Capt Rudd, 49, is only the second person in history to complete a journey once thought impossible, finishing his expedition just a few days after American Colin O'Brady, 33.The pair were both in the running to be the first to traverse Antarctica without receiving resupplies or being powered forward by the wind.
  
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• World Rugby chairman Beaumont knighted in UK honours list

  29-12-2018 15:50
  World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has been recognised in the British New Year's Honours list with the former England captain given a knighthood for his services to the sport.Beaumont joins former England cricket captain Alastair Cook in receiving a knighthood, while Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, England soccer coach Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane were also recognised.
  
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• Home Secretary Sajid Javid cuts holiday short to deal with Channel migrants

  29-12-2018 15:35
  The home secretary is cutting short a family holiday to deal with the rising number of migrants trying to cross the English Channel by boat.Sajid Javid is facing calls to send in the Royal Navy after he declared the situation in the world's busiest shipping lane a "major incident".Mr Javid announced he was seeking an urgent call with his French counterpart, after holding talks with Border Force officials and the National Crime Agency, to address the problem following a spate of attempts by migra
  
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• Emergency services called as minibus overturns in Borders

  29-12-2018 15:34
  It is not yet known if there are any casualties at the scene on the A6089.
  
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• New Year Honours 2019: Domestic abuse victim's dad appointed MBE

  29-12-2018 15:25 via bbc.co.uk
  John Clough fought to change the law after his daughter Jane was murdered by her bailed ex-partner.
  
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• Pranksters remove giant Santa hat from Angel of the North sculpture

  29-12-2018 15:23
  Pranksters have climbed up the Angel of the North to remove the Father Christmas hat which they had placed on the sculpture on Christmas Eve.The stunt was the group's seventh attempt at placing the hat on the sculpture, with previous efforts hit by problems including bad weather and a broken-down car.
  
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