General news

• Sturgeon officially opens Scottish Government hub in France

  18-02-2019 23:38
  The First Minister described the relationship between the two nations as 'one of the oldest in the world'.
  
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• Political opponents quick to condemn McDonald over police chief remarks

  18-02-2019 23:10
  The party president said she did not have confidence in any of the current senior PSNI command team to succeed Mr Hamilton.
  
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• From Bombshell Emails To An '80s Throwback: How Labour's Dramatic Split Unfolded

  18-02-2019 22:50
  One of Westminster's most dramatic days since the Brexit referendum began insilence
  
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• UK surgeons hail 'world first' op to tackle leading cause of sight loss - ITV News

  18-02-2019 22:26 via itv.com
  UK surgeons hail 'world first' op to tackle leading cause of sight loss  ITV NewsGene therapy first to 'halt' most common cause of blindness  BBC NewsScientists launch first attempt to halt most common cause of age-related blindness with gene therapy  Daily MailUK surgeons hail ‘world first’ op to tackle leading cause of sight loss  AOL UKBritish woman is first in the world to undergo gene therapy for most common form of blindness  Te
  
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• Louella Fletcher-Michie had '90% chance of surviving overdose' with early care, court hears

  18-02-2019 22:19
  The daughter of a soap star who died of a drugs overdose at a music festival had a "very good chance" of surviving with early medical treatment, a court has heard.Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24, whose father John Michie has starred in Coronation Street and Holby City, died after taking the Class A drug 2-CP at Bestival in Dorset in September 2017.Ms Fletcher-Michie's death was the first to be recorded as being caused by 2-CP, Winchester Crown Court heard.
  
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• More EU-UK Brexit talks set after Cox sets out backstop changes

  18-02-2019 22:03
  Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said on Monday he would hold more talks with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier at mid-week after British Attorney General Geoffrey Cox sets out proposed amendments to the tricky Irish border backstop."We had a positive meeting," Barclay told reporters after he and Cox met with Barnier in Brussels on Monday.Barclay said the two sides discussed the proposed Malthouse Compromise under which eurosceptic and pro-EU factions in British Prime Minister Theresa May's div
  
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• Watson tells Corbyn he must change direction to stop Labour splitting

  18-02-2019 21:55
  Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, has told Jeremy Corbyn that he must change direction or face a worsening Labour split after seven MPs quit to form a new movement in the party’s biggest schism in nearly 40 years.Watson’s emotional intervention came as a number of Labour MPs were poised to follow the founders of the new Independent Group – and after reports on Monday night that some Conservatives were also ready to defect.Saying that he sometimes “no longer recogn
  
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• UK surgeons hail ‘world first’ op to tackle leading cause of sight loss

  18-02-2019 21:51
  An 80-year-old woman has undergone pioneering gene therapy treatment.
  
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• Third of students feel anxious or depressed due to "appalling" housing conditions

  18-02-2019 21:49
  More than a third of students have reported feeling anxious or depressed due to "appalling" living conditions and "exploitative" landlords, according to a survey.One in five students have to deal with pests in their rented accommodation and nearly half are living with damp and mould growing in their homes, according to a report by the National Union of Students (NUS).A student from Bournemouth University, who asked not to be named, said that part of a wall in her bathroom collapsed due to excess
  
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• Leeds United fined £200k for spying on Derby County training session

  18-02-2019 21:38
  Leeds United have been fined £200,000 for spying on Derby Country during a training session.The Championship promotion hopefuls were investigated after manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted sending someone to spy on Derby in training before the two teams played each other last month.The English Football League (EFL), which imposed the fine, said in a statement: "As a consequence the club has been fined £200,000 (inclusive of a contribution to costs) and received a formal reprimand and warn
  
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• McDonald calls for ‘compassionate’ approach to the past

  18-02-2019 21:20
  The Sinn Fein leader said the party should acknowledge all suffering during the Northern Ireland conflict and provide a space to remember.
  
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• Auctioneer strikes gold with ancient coin hidden in secret drawer

  18-02-2019 21:15
  A 14th century gold coin found inside a wooden bureau is expected to fetch up to £3,000 at auction.
  
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• UK Weather: Britain Could Enjoy The Hottest February Day On Record This Week

  18-02-2019 21:10
  Most of the UK will enjoy warm, sunny weather this weekend as temperatures areset to rise to near record levels for February, the Met Office has said
  
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• Four cabinet ministers urge UK's May to stop using no-deal Brexit threat in talks - report

  18-02-2019 20:36
  (Reuters) - Four of British Prime Minister Theresa May's senior ministers have urged her to stop using the threat of a no-deal Brexit in divorce negotiations with the European Union, the Guardian newspaper reported on Monday.
  
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• Sajid Javid warns EU counterparts of joint policing 'disruption'

  18-02-2019 20:34
  Home Secretary Sajid Javid urged EU counterparts to prepare for disruption to joint policing in case of a no-deal Brexit.The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has urged his EU counterparts to prepare for the eventuality that current joint policing systems could discontinue on 30 March because of a no-deal Brexit.The EU and the UK have produced similar contingency plans for no-deal arrangements but Javid has now written to member states appealing for them to “minimise operational disruption&rdqu
  
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• As Honda Prepares To Close Its Swindon Factory, Here's A Rundown Of A Dreadful Few Months For British Industry

  18-02-2019 20:18
  Reports that Honda is set to close its Swindon plant in 2022 - putting 3,500jobs at risk - has ignited a huge debate about the reasons behind thedecision
  
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• Stoke City star Saido Berahino arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in London's West End

  18-02-2019 20:15
  Former England Under-21 star Saido Berahino has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.The Stoke City striker, 25, was detained in London's West End after reports of a "disturbance" in Great Russell Street at about 3am on Monday.The Metropolitan Police said: "When officers arrived on scene a car was seen to drive away at speed.
  
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• Alesha MacPhail: Murder suspect's phone searched 'how do police find DNA', court hears

  18-02-2019 20:14
  A phone belonging to the teenager accused of killing six-year-old Alesha MacPhail was used to search "how do police find DNA", a court has heard.The handset was also used a minute later to access an article from the "Howstuffworks" site entitled "collecting DNA evidence", the jury was told.Cyber crime investigator Peter Benson told the High Court in Glasgow he had forensically extracted information from the accused's iPhone 6.
  
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• Warm weekend weather could break February records

  18-02-2019 20:01
  Temperatures could be as high as 18C on Saturday in some places, and most will see a lot of sunshine.
  
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• Minister sings from Bedknobs And Broomsticks to sum up Stormont talks

  18-02-2019 19:48
  A Tory frontbencher earns a rare round of applause in the House of Lords for his rendition of an Angela Lansbury number from the film.
  
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• Honda workers ‘devastated’ as Swindon plant faces axe

  18-02-2019 19:41
  The closure, and the loss of more than 3,000 jobs, is expected to be confirmed by the business on Tuesday.
  
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• Britain's Brexit secretary to meet with EU's Barnier again mid-week

  18-02-2019 19:31
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said he had a positive meeting with the European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday and would meet him again later in the week.
  
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• Cabinet ministers tell May: stop using no-deal threat to negotiate

  18-02-2019 19:29
  Theresa May met the four ministers - described as loyalists - on Monday.Four cabinet ministers have demanded the prime minister stop using the threat of no deal as a negotiating tactic, telling Theresa May that businesses and manufacturers now needed to be given certainty.The demand was made in a meeting with the prime minister on Monday by the justice secretary, David Gauke, the work and pensions secretary, Amber Rudd, the business secretary, Greg Clark, and the Scottish secretary, David Mundel
  
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• Seven MPs quit Labour in move to shake up Britain’s ‘broken’ politics

  18-02-2019 19:27
  The group of seven hit out at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of Labour as they announced their plan to form The Independent Group.
  
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• Sinn Fein leader voices concern over appointment of next PSNI chief constable

  18-02-2019 18:56
  Mrs McDonald said the PSNI had 'zero credibility' in its handling of cases linked to the legacy of the Troubles.
  
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• IS teen bride Shamima Begum warned of 'consequences' by Sajid Javid

  18-02-2019 18:52
  Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum of "consequences" as she attempts to return to Britain.The 19-year-old, who has just given birth to a baby boy in a Syrian refugee camp, wants to return to the UK having fled to join the terror group in 2015.Answering an urgent question in the House of Commons, Mr Javid admitted the UK could not prevent the return of British citizens, as international law does not allow governments to make people stateless.
  
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• Dozens of migrants rescued from boat off Dover coast

  18-02-2019 18:51
  Dozens of migrants have been rescued from a small boat off the Dover coast.
  
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• Questions about the launch of the new Independent Group of MPs

  18-02-2019 18:49
  The future is uncertain for the seven MPs who quit Jeremy Corbyn's Labour.
  
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• Paul Flynn obituary

  18-02-2019 18:48
  Paul Flynn was an ardent republican.In 1996, he proposed a private member’s bill for a referendum to abolish the monarchy.In many respects the Labour MP Paul Flynn, who has died aged 84 after nearly 32 years in the House of Commons, was the quintessential backbencher of his generation.
  
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• Border Force intercept boat with 34 men, women and children on board in Channel

  18-02-2019 18:46
  Two Border Force cutters and a coastal patrol vessel intercepted the small rigid-hulled inflatable boat at around 6.30am on Monday.
  
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• Gibraltar insists Spanish warship ‘incursion’ was challenge to sovereignty

  18-02-2019 18:45
  Downing Street said Gibraltar's sovereignty was not in doubt during the incident.
  
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• Car manufacturing industry faces fresh blow with loss of Honda plant

  18-02-2019 18:33
  More than 3,000 jobs are under threat at the Japanese firm's base in Swindon, Wiltshire.
  
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• British Airways plane repainted in retro livery for 100th anniversary

  18-02-2019 18:30
  The aircraft was stripped of its contemporary design and repainted at Dublin Airport.
  
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• Views sought on improving disabled access to sanitary facilities

  18-02-2019 18:28
  The Scottish Government consultation will ask whether there should be a change to building standards that boost the number of facilties available.
  
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• Shamima Begum warned: 'If you back terror, there must be consequences'

  18-02-2019 18:24
  Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum of "consequences" as she bids to return to Britain.The 19-year-old, who has just given birth to a baby boy in a Syrian refugee camp, wants to return to the UK having fled to join the terror group in 2015.Answering an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Javid admitted the UK could not prevent the return of British citizens, as international law does not allow governments to make people stateless.
  
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• Honda to close Swindon plant

  18-02-2019 18:16
  The firm was the first major Japanese company to get involved in large scale manufacturing in the UK in 1980.
  
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• Stormzy and George Ezra among TRNSMT festival headline acts

  18-02-2019 18:15
  Catfish and The Bottlemen will also appear at Glasgow Green in July, with Gerry Cinammon and Snow Patrol also on the main stage.
  
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• Factbox - UK car production: Who builds what and where?

  18-02-2019 18:15
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's overwhelmingly foreign-owned car industry built 1.52 million cars last year, a decline of 9 percent on the year before, with output forecast to drop further in 2019.
  
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• Man convicted of murdering child killer

  18-02-2019 18:01
  Ieuan Harley stabbed David Gaut more than 150 times after luring him to his neighbour's flat.
  
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• European stocks hold onto four-month highs on trade talks hopes

  18-02-2019 17:56
  European stocks hovered around their highest level in four months on Monday as hopes of progress in U.S.-China trade talks kept sentiment afloat while Wall Street was closed for a bank holiday.French car parts maker Faurecia climbed 1.3 percent after saying it hoped to outperform the market this year and reported margin expansion, though it warned of negative auto production growth in general.Faurecia's gain bucked the trend in the autos sector which fell 0.3 percent, lagging the market after da
  
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• From 262 To 248: Labour Has Lost 14 MPs Since The 2017 General Election

  18-02-2019 17:55
  But they are not the only MPs the opposition benches have lost in the last 20months
  
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• Murder accused’s phone used to google ‘how do police find DNA’, court hears

  18-02-2019 17:53
  A 16-year-old boy is on trial accused of the abduction, rape and murder of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail on the Isle of Bute last July.
  
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• Majority of flybmi staff laid off after airline’s collapse

  18-02-2019 17:49
  Hundreds of passengers were left stranded when the firm stopped trading on Saturday
  
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• Tom Watson urges colleagues not to call resigning MPs traitors

  18-02-2019 17:45
  Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, has said his party faces an even more severe split if it denounces the seven MPs who quit as traitors instead of addressing the reasons for their departure.In an emotional statement, Watson said he sometimes “no longer recognises” his own party, as he called on colleagues not to adopt the language of betrayal towards the seven who resigned on Monday.Berger was joined by Chuka Umunna, Ann Coffey, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes and Gavin Sh
  
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• London Zoo releases stunning X-ray pictures of animals

  18-02-2019 17:44
  Striking X-ray images of animals at London Zoo have been released.The pictures were taken while routine health checks were carried out on the zoo's 18,000 animals - and include scans of snakes and armadillos.ZSL London Zoo veterinary nurse Heather MacIntosh said: "We can tell so much about an animal's health from looking at an X-ray - from the strength of their bones to how healthy their heart is.
  
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• Woman, 73, robbed of clothing and jewellery while out walking

  18-02-2019 17:39
  Her wedding and engagement rings are among the stolen items, police said.
  
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• The first step for Labour's exiles: bring 29 more with them

  18-02-2019 17:39
  As of Monday, the group are independents with no special status in the House of Commons.In the short term the group has one central task – to convince 29 more disgruntled MPs from any party colour to join their group.If they do not materialise, the group will find it hard to maintain momentum.
  
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• Angela Smith apologises for 'funny tinge' remark

  18-02-2019 17:39
  The MP Angela Smith has apologised for having “misspoke” after she appeared to refer to people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds as having a “funny tinge”.In a discussion on the extent of racism in the UK on BBC2’s Politics Live show, Smith – who on Monday left Labour to help found a new independent grouping in parliament – said society needed to address the important debate rather than run away from it.Ash Sarkar, the political commentat
  
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• British Airways repaints plane with retro design not seen for 40 years

  18-02-2019 17:32
  Flight enthusiasts were in for a treat on Monday as British Airways unveiled a plane which had been repainted with its original retro design.The Boeing 747 arrived at Heathrow airport featuring British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) livery - which had not been used in over 40 years.The livery was originally used between 1964 and 1974, when the airline operated as BOAC.
  
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• MP apologises for black people comment made in TV interview

  18-02-2019 17:30
  Angela Smith, who quit the Labour Party to join the new Independent Group, said she 'misspoke'.
  
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