General news

• MP quits Tories in House of Commons following Brexit plan defeat

  01-04-2019 23:53
  Nick Boles shocked the chamber with his announcement.
  
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• Factbox - Brexit in numbers: How did the parliament vote on Monday?

  01-04-2019 23:37
  British lawmakers grabbed control of the Brexit process for a second day on Monday in order to try to find a majority for an alternative way forward that could break the parliamentary deadlock over Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed deal.Calls on the government to ensure any Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration negotiated with the EU includes a commitment to negotiate a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union, and to enshrine this aim in law.The same proposal from Clarke l
  
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• Boles quits Conservative Party over Brexit

  01-04-2019 23:34
  Conservative lawmaker Nick Boles said on Monday he was resigning from Prime Minister Theresa May's governing party after his attempt to seek an alternative route forward to break the deadlock in parliament over Brexit was rejected.The proposal Boles put forward for a so-called Common Market 2.0, or enhanced Norway-style deal which would include membership of the EU's single market as well as a customs arrangement with the EU, lost by 282 votes to 261."I have given everything to an attempt to fin
  
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• May calls for cabinet showdown as MPs reject all Brexit options

  01-04-2019 23:26
  Theresa May will summon her warring cabinet to Downing Street for a five-hour showdown on Tuesday after parliament once again failed to coalesce behind any alternative to her rejected Brexit deal.Three options – a common market, a customs union and a second referendum – were all narrowly rejected in the process of indicative votes, prompting renewed talk of a swift general election.After Conservative MPs failed to support any option in sufficient numbers, there were immediate recrimi
  
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• Tory MP Nick Boles Quits Party After Failure To Strike Brexit Compromise

  01-04-2019 23:21
  Senior MP Nick Boles has quit the Conservative party because it "refuses tocompromise" on Brexit
  
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• MPs reject all Brexit options again

  01-04-2019 23:21 via bbc.co.uk
  None of the four Brexit options put forward by MPs gained a majority.
  
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• Northern Ireland's DUP voted against each alternative Brexit plan - spokesman

  01-04-2019 23:14
  DUBLIN (Reuters) - All 10 lawmakers from the Northern Irish party propping up British Prime Minister Theresa May's government voted against the four alternative Brexit options voted upon in parliament on Monday, a spokesman for the party said.
  
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• MPs Again Fail To Agree A Plan To Break The Brexit Deadlock

  01-04-2019 23:06
  More rows have broken out among MPs after parliament again failed to agree asingle proposal to break the Brexit deadlock for a second time
  
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• 12 arrests after climate change activists strip in Commons as MPs debate Brexit

  01-04-2019 22:38
  MPs were seen taking a glance up at the protest.
  
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• Sinn Fein leader apologises over ‘England Get Out of Ireland’ banner

  01-04-2019 22:31
  Mary Lou McDonald's actions were described as offensive and divisive by Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.
  
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• Wiggling buttocks enliven existential hell of Brexit debate

  01-04-2019 22:20
  Demonstrators protest in the public gallery in the House of Commons. Photograph: APThe people finally got to have their say on the government’s Brexit deal. In parliament no less. And what they had to say was that they wanted to take almost all their kit off and protest against climate change instead. Time management. They probably reckoned there was more chance of the world’s politicians agreeing on plans to save the planet than anyone coming up with a Brexit solution that the gover
  
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• Pentagon halts deliveries, activities linked to Turkey's F-35 capability

  01-04-2019 22:01
  The Pentagon has suspended deliveries and activities linked to Turkey's F-35 fighter jet operational capability, a spokesman said on Monday, unless Ankara gives up its commitment to take delivery of a Russian missile defense system.U.S. has repeatedly warned Turkey that the Russian S-400 system it aims to buy would compromise the security of the F-35 aircraft, which is made by Lockheed Martin.Ankara, which is a production partner in the making of the stealthy jet, has so far refused to back down
  
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• 'He died in her arms': Trainer cradles dying race horse after head-on crash with van

  01-04-2019 21:53
  Karen Mclintock knelt beside Rocky after his horse transporter had its side ripped off and flipped over during a collision with a van.The van had veered onto the wrong side of the road, said Graeme Scantlebury, who was transporting the horse last Wednesday.Posting on Facebook, Mr Scantlebury said he tried to avoid the van by driving off the road but "sadly, this was not good enough and the van still hit us at probably a combined speed of over 100mph".
  
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• No plan to protect single market under no-deal Brexit, says Coveney

  01-04-2019 21:49
  Ireland's foreign affairs minister said it was not too late to create a plan to protect the peace process on the island of Ireland.
  
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• Arsenal v Newcastle United: Premier League – live!

  01-04-2019 21:46
  Premier League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off10 talking points from the weekend’s top-flight action
  And feel free to email Jacob or tweet @JacobSteinberg 8.46pm BST 45 min+1: Arsenal mount one last attack, Ramsey slipping a pass through to Ozil. The German’s forced wide and he turns the ball back to Kolasinac. It ends up with Lacazette, who swivels and rams a shot past Dubravka - who’s grateful to see Ritchie save him with a heroic header off the line! What a clearance! Arse
  
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• Jordan Pickford: Everton investigate after video allegedly shows England keeper in street brawl

  01-04-2019 21:40
  Everton have launched an investigation after reports England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was involved in a street brawl.A video posted on social media allegedly shows the England player in the middle of a late night scuffle in Sunderland.It was captured hours after the 25-year-old had watched his former club Sunderland lose to Portsmouth on penalties in the Checkatrade Trophy final.
  
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• Grand National to feature two female jockeys with Blackmore set to join Kelly

  01-04-2019 21:37
  • Rachael Blackmore expected to ride Valseur Lido
  • Blackmore had a first tilt at the National last yearRachael Blackmore is expected to be aboard Valseur Lido in Saturday’s Grand National, making two female jockeys now set to take part in the famous Aintree marathon. Blackmore, who is currently second in the race to be champion jockey in Ireland, will join Lizzie Kelly in the race, Kelly having already been booked to partner Tea For Two. No woman rider has won the National, thou
  
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• 'Desperate mood' in No 10 as insiders considered snap election

  01-04-2019 21:35
  Theresa May’s advisers discussed going to the country as least worst Brexit optionInside the No 10 bunker, advisers hurriedly backed away on Monday from an idea floated less than three days previously – that a snap general election fronted by Theresa May remained a genuine possibility.With the Conservatives plunging below Labour in the polls this weekend and the party’s split over Europe looking increasingly irreconcilable, no one now wants to admit responsibility for that brig
  
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• 'Desperate mood' in No 10 as insiders considered snap election

  01-04-2019 21:35
  The prime minister, Theresa May, at 10 Downing Street with her chief of staff, Gavin Barwell. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/GettyInside the No 10 bunker, advisers hurriedly backed away on Monday from an idea floated less than three days previously – that a snap general election fronted by Theresa May remained a possibility. With the Conservatives plunging below Labour in the polls this weekend and the party’s split over Europe looking increasingly irreconcilable, no one now wants to ad
  
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• Online ‘global baby shower’ raises thousands for Meghan and Harry’s charities

  01-04-2019 21:33
  Donations have been pouring in for three charities backed by the royal couple.
  
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• Can marijuana help end the opioids crisis?

  01-04-2019 21:30
  In states where medical marijuana is legal, doctors write fewer opioid prescriptions and patients consume lower doses Legalization opponents call marijuana a “gateway drug” that leads users to more dangerous substances. But could it also be an “exit drug” that helps ease the opioids crisis?The data is scarce, but the anecdotes are plentiful. Continue reading...
  
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• Alex Hales: ‘It takes 10 seconds to get an image, 10 years to undo it’

  01-04-2019 21:30
  Nottinghamshire opener regrets conduct on a night out in Bristol with Ben Stokes and remains desperate to play a part in what he describes as the biggest year in English cricket historyIt is media day at a sun‑drenched Trent Bridge and after Nottinghamshire’s players pose for various photographs, larking around as they do so during a spring ritual that precedes another county season, Alex Hales sits down in front of the old pavilion for a chat.The England batsman may hail from south
  
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• Soft Brexiters hope 'Brexit fatigue' could sway Tory MPs

  01-04-2019 21:28
  Conservative MP Nick Boles led negotiations with the Scottish National party and Labour. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/AFP/Getty ImagesSupporters of a soft Brexit believe that “Brexit fatigue” could eventually convince a significant number of Conservative MPs to compromise on either a softer exit deal or a referendum, if either could secure a majority in parliament.Days of intensive horse-trading in parliament saw the Labour frontbench and the Scottish National party convinced to back a
  
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• MPs vote on alternatives to Theresa May’s EU withdrawal deal

  01-04-2019 21:26
  The Prime Minister is coming under intense pressure not to give in to demands for a 'softer' Brexit.
  
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• US woman kidnapped in Afghanistan tells court how she escaped ex-husband

  01-04-2019 21:18
  Caitlan Coleman testified Joshua Boyle said she could only leave the bedroom with his permission, reminding her of their captivityAn American woman who spent five years with her family as hostages in Afghanistan has described in court how she escaped from her former husband’s alleged abuse after they returned to Canada.Caitlan Coleman told a packed Ottawa courtroom that on the night of her escape she put on several pairs of socks to prepare for a “dangerously cold” Ottawa winte
  
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• Up to 200 Conservative MPs call for 'managed' no-deal Brexit - ITV's Peston

  01-04-2019 21:10
  A junior minister in Prime Minister Theresa May's government is said to have collected 200 signatures from Conservative lawmakers for a letter calling for a 'managed' no-deal Brexit, ITV's Political Editor Robert Peston said."DExEU minister Chris Heaton-Harris... is said by several of his colleagues to have collected 200 Tory MP signatories on an old-fashioned paper letter... calling for what is frequently described as a "managed" no deal," Peston said.
  
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• Gareth Southgate the statesman can inspire golfers and politicians alike | Kevin Mitchell

  01-04-2019 21:00
  The England manager leads and supports his players with few words and integrity – virtues that are lacking elsewhere, from the golf course to WestminsterEveryone loves Matt “Kooch” Kuchar, right? The American golfer has cherry‑cheeked and boy-smiled his way around the great courses of the world for years, the affectionate hooting of his fans a harmless counterpoint to the sometimes po-faced mien of the sport.Except “Kooch” is no innocent schoolboy. He is 40 ye
  
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• Archaeologists discover 'exceptional' site at Lake Titicaca

  01-04-2019 21:00
  Underwater haul of Tiwanaku ceremonial relics is unprecedented, say academicsAn ancient ceremonial site described as exceptional has been discovered in the Andes by marine archaeologists, who recovered ritual offerings and the remains of slaughtered animals from a reef in the middle of Lake Titicaca.The remarkable haul points to a history of highly charged ceremonies in which the elite of the region’s Tiwanaku state boated out to the reef and sacrificed young llamas, seemingly decorated fo
  
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• New York becomes first city in US to approve congestion pricing

  01-04-2019 20:53
  Plan expected to raise $15bn for city transportation authority, which is struggling to modernize old subway infrastructure New York City will be the first in the US to impose congestion pricing, charging drivers to enter the most crowded parts of Manhattan. Related: New York City subway and bus services have entered 'death spiral', experts sayContinue reading...
  
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• Explained: The Alternative Brexit Plans MPs Are Voting On Tonight

  01-04-2019 20:51
  MPs are set to take part in another round of historic votes on alternatives toTheresa May's Brexit plan
  
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• 'He took my job': Ian Holloway hits out after Steve McClaren is sacked by QPR

  01-04-2019 20:47
  ‘What goes around comes around’ says McClaren’s predecessorMcClaren sacked after just one league win since Boxing DayQueens Park Rangers have sacked manager Steve McClaren after a dismal run of form dropped them to 17th in the Championship – but their former manager, Ian Holloway, says he has no sympathy for the man who replaced him at Loftus Road.“He took my job,” Holloway told talkSPORT. “I still had another year left at the club. I’m still being
  
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• This is no time for a compromise with Brexiters: there is no middle way | Polly Toynbee

  01-04-2019 20:41
  A customs union is no better than a hard Brexit, and it’s a delusion that peace will break out if MPs are lured into the trap“Believe in Britain”, say leavers’ posters outside parliament. What sort of belief, as things fall apart? While Brexit voting consumed Westminster last Friday, another austerity tragedy slipped by unnoticed. In Hastings the doors shut for the last time on a day centre that was life support, comfort and company for 60 old people. I met Rose, Mary and
  
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• The Guardian view on school exclusions: the wrong answer | Editorial

  01-04-2019 20:38
  A steep rise in the number of primary-age children in pupil referral units is proof that inclusion needs a boost – and new resourcesIt has taken a few years, but awareness of the rising number of pupils being excluded from English schools has grown to the point where the problem has become impossible to ignore. In the process, observers have become wiser to the methods used by schools seeking to expel awkward children without resorting to the formal last resort of permanent exclusion. Ofst
  
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• Saudi oil company named world's most profitable business

  01-04-2019 20:35
  State-owned Saudi Aramco makes profits of £84.7bn last year, beating Apple and ExxonSaudi Arabia’s state oil company has emerged as the most profitable business in the world, racking up profits of $111.1bn (£84.7bn) in 2018 to overtake Apple.According to a rare glimpse into its finances contained in a bond-offering document, Saudi Aramco made the profit on revenues of $355.9bn last year, as it produced 10.3m barrels per day of crude oil. Continue reading...
  
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• Protesters strip off in House of Commons during Brexit debate

  01-04-2019 20:34
  A group of protesters have been arrested after stripping off in the House of Commons as MPs debated Brexit."We are walking dangerously close to irreversible climate collapse - this is what it has come to," the group said.
  
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• Martin Rowson on the next steps of Brexit – cartoon

  01-04-2019 20:34
  Continue reading...
  
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• Leicester good enough to escape relegation battle, says Mike Ford

  01-04-2019 20:30
  • Former England defence coach hired as consultant
  • Leicester five points off bottom after dismal seasonLeicester’s new consultant, Mike Ford, believes the team have the talent and desire to escape the relegation scrap. The former England and Ireland defence coach has been hired for the remaining five matches of the season and following a run of eight defeats in 11 games that have dropped Leicester to 10th, five points above the bottom club, Newcastle, their opponents in the nor
  
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• Labour says it will back three alternative Brexit options on Monday

  01-04-2019 20:30
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party will vote in favour of three alternative Brexit options in parliament on Monday, including a proposal for a customs union and one for a confirmatory referendum on any deal, its Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said.
  
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• Everton investigating after Jordan Pickford allegedly involved in fracas

  01-04-2019 20:19
  • Silva had said player needed to improve ‘emotional balance’
  • Club have opened an internal investigation into eventsEverton are investigating an alleged incident involving England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during a night out in Sunderland on Sunday.Pickford was back in his home city on a day off following Everton’s victory at West Ham United on Saturday when he allegedly became involved in a fracas with a member of the public. The incident was filmed on a camera ph
  
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• Stephen Moore: legal file on Trump Fed pick sealed after contempt revelations

  01-04-2019 20:13
  Legal filing on Moore’s divorce was sealed by a court order on Monday in response to a request from his ex-wifeLegal filings detailing how Stephen Moore, Donald Trump’s pick for a Federal Reserve board seat, was found in contempt of court have been hidden from the public following a report by the Guardian.The entire file on Moore’s divorce was sealed by a court order on Monday in response to a request from Moore’s ex-wife, according to a clerk at Fairfax county circuit co
  
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• Electoral Commission says new Vote Leave investigation 'not in public interest'

  01-04-2019 20:11
  Regulator’s position is ‘profound misstatement of law’, says barrister Jolyon MaughamThe Electoral Commission believed it would “not be in the public interest” to investigate whether Vote Leave committed a second breach of referendum spending laws, according to the website OpenDemocracy.Last week Vote Leave dropped its appeal against a £61,000 fine for breaking the EU referendum spending limit by donating hundreds of thousands of pounds to the pro-Brexit activ
  
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• Bob Higgins 'sexually assaulted youth player hundreds of times'

  01-04-2019 19:59
  Ex-Southampton FC coach is accused of carrying out 25-year campaign of sexual abuse against boys as young as 11A former youth footballer has told a jury that the ex-Southampton FC coach Bob Higgins sexually assaulted him hundreds of times starting when he was only 13.The player, who can only be identified as complainant X, said he feared that if he resisted, his chances of becoming a professional would be ruined and he was too embarrassed to confide to anyone what was happening. Continue reading
  
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• The FCA’s supervision of LC&F is finally being investigated. About time too

  01-04-2019 19:56
  Even within a muddled system, shouldn’t the City watchdog have woken up to the collapsed bond firm’s woes earlier?The London Capital & Finance scandal, in which the now infamous investment firm collapsed owing £236m to 11,000 people, may be one of the worst regulatory failures on the watch of the Financial Conduct Authority, the body established in 2013 to do better than its derided predecessor. Now an independent investigation will be launched. About time too.The first hal
  
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• British parliament weighs forcing May into a softer Brexit

  01-04-2019 19:55
  Lawmakers sought to break a stalemate over Britain's departure from the European Union on Monday by trying to force Prime Minister Theresa May to pursue much closer economic ties than the deal she negotiated envisages.After a tumultuous few weeks in which May's divorce strategy was rejected by lawmakers for a third time, despite her offer to quit if it passed, the future direction of Brexit remains mired in confusion and acrimony.Three days after the date on which Britain was originally due to l
  
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• Semi-naked climate protesters disrupt Brexit debate

  01-04-2019 19:46
  Activists spent almost 20 minutes with their hands glued to the public gallery and buttocks facing the chamberFollow the day’s political developments - live updatesSemi-naked climate change protesters interrupted a House of Commons Brexit debate and glued their hands to the glass of the public gallery, spending almost 20 minutes with their buttocks facing the chamber.MPs attempted to continue the debate during the peaceful protest by 11 activists from Extinction Rebellion, though several m
  
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• City watchdog told to review London Capital & Finance collapse

  01-04-2019 19:34
  Government orders FCA inquiry into £236m scandal surrounding investment firmThe City watchdog has been ordered by the government to launch an independent review of how it handled the collapse of London Capital & Finance, the investment firm at the centre of a growing £236m financial scandal.LC&F sold £236m worth of bonds which promised returns of 6.5% to 8% a year, but the company has collapsed with more than 11,000 investors expected to receive little more than a fifth
  
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• Swedish police officer apprehends fugitive while visiting sauna

  01-04-2019 19:33
  Off-duty officer recognised and arrested violent drug dealer despite the fact both men were nakedAn off-duty Swedish police officer successfully arrested a violent fugitive drug dealer while both men were naked in a Stockholm sauna, public broadcaster SVT has reported.The unnamed officer had just sat down when he spotted the wanted man, who had been on the run since receiving a prison sentence for assorted drugs offences and aggravated assault against a public official. Continue reading...
  
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• UK lawmakers discuss halting Brexit after petition hits 6 million

  01-04-2019 19:29
  British lawmakers debated halting Brexit on Monday after a record six million people signed a petition to revoke the process that set Britain on course to leave the European Union.Britons voted to leave the European Union by 52 percent to 48 percent in 2016, and the following year British Prime Minister Theresa May gave notice of the intent to leave the bloc on March 29, 2019 under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.The online petition to revoke Article 50 took off after a speech when May said
  
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• EasyJet warns of softer demand amid Brexit uncertainty

  01-04-2019 19:27
  The budget airline expects a pre-tax loss for the six months to March 31 of £275 million.
  
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• Poorer than George Clooney? How you spend your money still sends a message | Frances Ryan

  01-04-2019 19:26
  When Brunei announced the death penalty for gay sex, the actor and Elton John called for a boycott of the sultanate’s luxury hotels. The rest of us should take noteElton John has joined George Clooney in calling for a boycott of nine Brunei-owned luxury hotels – including the Dorchester, London and the Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles – over the sultanate’s new anti-LGBT laws.The law is horrific – Brunei is due to impose death by stoning as a punishment for gay se
  
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