General news

• BBC Defends Laura Kuenssberg's Tweets About Father Who Confronted Boris Johnson

  18-09-2019 23:59
  The BBC has defended Laura Kuenssberg after the corporation's political editorfaced an online backlash over her tweets about an angry father of a sick babywho confronted Boris Johnson
  
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• In Pictures: Replica of moon lights up abbey ruins

  18-09-2019 23:54
  Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon features at Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire.
  
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• Boris Johnson to meet military chiefs in Number 10

  18-09-2019 23:30
  Mr Johnson also confirmed the next Nato leaders meeting will take place in Watford on December at the Grove hotel.
  
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• Boris Johnson 'glad' about new father's NHS confrontation

  18-09-2019 23:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Boris Johnson says an angry exchange with the father of a sick child is "part of my job".
  
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• Rees-Mogg denies attempt to mislead Queen over Parliament’s suspension

  18-09-2019 23:08
  Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'We don't plot, governments make decisions.'
  
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• Gareth Thomas: Are celebrity private lives no longer fair game?

  18-09-2019 22:22 via bbc.co.uk
  Newspapers are facing a public outcry and legal defeats for intruding on famous people's privacy.
  
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• Arlene Foster signals DUP shift on Northern Ireland border issue

  18-09-2019 22:18
  Party leader indicates Brexit deal could include bespoke solution for the region. The Democratic Unionist party leader, Arlene Foster, has signalled it is ready to do a Brexit deal, indicating for the first time a willingness to accept a bespoke solution for Northern Ireland. In a break with previous rhetoric where she has strongly opposed treating the region differently to the rest of the UK, Foster said the final deal would have to recognise Northern Ireland’s unique historical and geogr
  
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• The harsh reality of underfunding at my hospital? Swept away for Johnson visit

  18-09-2019 22:15
  Boris Johnson sits with staff at Whipps Cross hospital in Leytonstone, London Photograph: Yui Mok/AFP/Getty ImagesI was one of the doctors who met Boris Johnson today. This was a highly staged press event in a newly refurbished hospital ward at Whipps Cross hospital where the prime minister met a few select members of staff and patients. This event completely brushed over the harsh realities of this chronically underfunded, understaffed and poorly resourced hospital.The hospital is held together
  
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• Legal defence of prorogation crashes, burns and then fades into silence

  18-09-2019 21:30
  Boris Johnson’s counsel failed to explain why the Incredible Sulk had refused to explain his reasons. James Eadie must be a fundamentally decent man. He had watched Lord Keen seemingly crash and burn in the supreme court the previous day as he had fumbled and mumbled against the Scottish ruling that the government had acted unlawfully in proroguing parliament. He was anxious not to embarrass him further. So Eadie, representing the government, deliberately chose to make a virtue of his own
  
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• Press opportunity: Johnson's most awkward moments with hecklers (so far)

  18-09-2019 21:03
  Angry father’s challenge is latest in growing list of uncomfortable exchanges caught on camera. The Whipps Cross hospital incident is the latest in a series of awkward encounters for Boris Johnson as he tours the UK and Europe in anticipation of a likely early election. Rotherham On Friday the prime minister’s speech about regional devolution was interrupted by a charity worker who loudly heckled him about proroguing parliament. “Get back to parliament” shouted Ben Gilchr
  
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• Boris Johnson given two-week EU deadline for Irish backstop plan

  18-09-2019 20:44
  Ultimatum comes as sources say PM was ‘surprised’ by levels of checks on the border. Boris Johnson has been set a two-week deadline to table a plan for replacing the Irish backstop as further embarrassing details emerged of the prime minister’s chaotic visit to Luxembourg. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, and Finland’s prime minister, Antti Rinne, told reporters in Paris that they were both “concerned about what is happening in Britain”. “We ne
  
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• EU's Tusk, Johnson to discuss Brexit next week

  18-09-2019 20:27
  European Council President Donald Tusk and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson are due to hold bilateral talks on Brexit on the sidelines of a U.N. session in New York next week, according to an official with the bloc.Both are due to attend the United Nations General Assembly gathering though the exact timing of their bilateral meeting is yet to be confirmed.The EU has pushed back this week against Johnson's assertions that a new Brexit deal was in the making and warned Britain was heading fo
  
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• Luxembourg PM on news conference: 'I did not want to humiliate' Johnson

  18-09-2019 20:21 via bbc.co.uk
  In a BBC exclusive, Xavier Bettel says it was never his intention to humiliate Boris Johnson.
  
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• Arlene Foster calls for ‘sensible’ Brexit deal

  18-09-2019 20:16
  The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party is in Dublin to give a speech to members of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
  
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• 'It has got worse': Boris Johnson 'hamstrung' by rift with Sajid Javid

  18-09-2019 20:14
  Sajid Javid says he has a ‘fantastic’ relationship with Boris Johnson. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/AFP/Getty ImagesThe rift between Boris Johnson’s team and Sajid Javid is widening, government sources have said, with growing concerns in Whitehall that disagreements are harming the effectiveness of the Downing Street operation.Two government sources said there was frustration in No 10 and other departments that the chancellor was trying to water down big spending announcements Bo
  
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• Spider-Man type restraint touted for use by UK police causes alarm

  18-09-2019 20:01
  Gadget entangles suspects in fibre and billed by US maker as painless alternative to Taser. A Spider-Man-like gadget that brings suspects to a halt by entangling them in cord fired from a hand-held device could be adapted for use by UK police. The US-made BolaWrap 100 restraint, which is being demonstrated to forces in the UK this week, is billed as an alternative in some situations to the Taser stun gun. According to the makers, Wrap Technologies, its effect is similar to putting a suspect in h
  
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• BBC apologises to Duke of Sussex for showing image branding him ‘race traitor’

  18-09-2019 19:51
  The corporation said sorry for failing to warn the royal before publishing the neo-Nazi content.
  
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• Jodie Chesney Murder Suspect Refused To Help Police, Court Hears

  18-09-2019 19:50
  A young man claimed to be "deeply saddened" at the death of teenager JodieChesney as he refused to help police, a court has heard
  
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• Northern Ireland's DUP sees Brexit deal if both sides 'flexible'

  18-09-2019 19:42
  The Northern Ireland party whose support is crucial to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government said on Wednesday it believed a deal could be secured for an orderly British exit from the European Union if flexibility is shown by all sides.In a speech in Dublin, Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster said that a "refit" of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord would represent an important step forward."We believe, with flexibility on all sides, that solutions can be found that will not on
  
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• Babies’ gut bacteria affected by delivery method, study finds

  18-09-2019 19:32
  Scientists found that while vaginally born babies got most of their gut bacteria - microbiome - from their mother, babies born via caesarean did not.
  
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• Saudi says Iranian sponsorship of attack undeniable, displays arms

  18-09-2019 19:20
  RIYADH/DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Wednesday displayed remnants of what it described as Iranian drones and cruise missiles used in an attack on Saudi oil facilities, saying they were "undeniable" evidence of Iranian aggression. A total of 25 drones and missiles were launched at two oil plants in last weekend's strikes, including Iranian Delta Wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and "Ya Ali" cruise missiles, Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said. "The attack was launched fr
  
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• The Labour party’s Brexit stance is the grownup thing to do

  18-09-2019 19:13
  Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, Judith Daniels and Jon Griffith support Jeremy Corbyn’s approach, while other readers disagree – including Nick Wakeling, his Lib Dem opponent in Islington North. It was a joy to read Polly Toynbee’s article ( Swinson’s move to revoke hands Labour a golden opportunity, Journal, 17 September). With the Lib Dems and Tories adopting extreme Brexit positions, Labour is indeed the “thoughtful” party. Some of us have known this
  
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• Former friend of paedophile Vanessa George begs her to name victims

  18-09-2019 19:13
  The release from prison of the 49-year-old after 10 years has been branded a 'dark day for British justice'.
  
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• Caesarean babies have different gut bacteria, microbiome study finds

  18-09-2019 19:13
  C-section babies pick up more hospital bacteria than those born vaginally, research shows. Babies born by caesarean section have different gut bacteria to those delivered vaginally, the most comprehensive study to date on the baby microbiome has found. The study showed that babies born vaginally pick up most of their initial dose of bacteria from their mother, while C-section babies have more bugs linked to hospital environments, including strains that demonstrate antimicrobial resistance. The f
  
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• Moving children far away from home in a privatised care system

  18-09-2019 19:12
  ‘What young, vulnerable people need to get back on track is good people around them, a decent place to live and a purpose in life.’ Photograph: Sami Suni/Getty ImagesYour report on vulnerable children being sent to care homes hundreds of miles away from where they live (Councils ‘unwittingly helping drug gangs recruit children’, 17 September) makes for uncomfortable reading. More than a third of children are being placed out of their local authority area, and these childr
  
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• Boris Johnson’s Brexit machinations and the UK’s constitutional law

  18-09-2019 19:12
  Parliament must close a loophole Johnson could use, writes Max Weaver. He could be in breach of our constitutional requirements, writes Ian Loveland. And it’s all part of the plan, says Yvonne Singer. The prime minister intends to reject any extension of the article 50 period offered by the EU ( Report, 16 September). Were he to do so, he would nevertheless be bound by European Union (Withdrawal) (No 2) Act 2019 to seek, by 19 October, an extension until 31 January 2020. By fundamental con
  
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• Man jailed for stealing 7,000 books from Scottish universities

  18-09-2019 19:10
  Darren Barr also faces assets seizure under legislation normally used for drug gangs. A prolific book thief has been jailed for 25 months after he stole more than 7,000 books from three universities in Edinburgh, before selling them online. Darren Barr, 28, from Kinross in Perthshire, is believed to have made more than £30,000 by selling the textbooks through the online book markets WeBuyBooks, Ziffit and Zapper. During an 11-month crime spree from October 2017, Barr is believed to have st
  
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• Murder victim found on rooftop named by police

  18-09-2019 19:05
  Detectives have released a 53-year-old suspect on bail.
  
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• Woman, 80, cleared of murdering terminally ill husband in suicide pact

  18-09-2019 19:00
  Case of Staffordshire couple reignites calls for changes in law on assisted dying. An 80-year-old woman who gave her terminally ill husband a fatal dose of medicine so he could end his life has been cleared of murder, triggering calls for a change in the law on assisted dying. Mavis Eccleston and her 81-year-old husband, Dennis, formed a pact to end their lives together, Stafford crown court heard. She said she gave him the medicine, which he took himself, kissed him and pulled a cover over him.
  
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• Galway’s European Capital of Culture year ‘could not be more timely’

  18-09-2019 19:00
  The programme launch was celebrated with an extravaganza of festivities in Galway on Wednesday evening.
  
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• Harry Potter fans invited to bid for Hogwarts acceptance letter

  18-09-2019 18:56
  Some 900 items will be available for film fanatics to buy over two days.
  
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• Trump and Johnson discuss need for ‘united’ response over Saudi oil attack

  18-09-2019 18:43
  The Saudi authorities said the attacks on Saturday were 'unquestionably' sponsored by Iran - a claim denied by Tehran.
  
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• Supreme Court Prorogation: Here's What Happened On Day Two Of The Hearing

  18-09-2019 18:35
  Everyone loves a courtroom drama - and the Supreme Court has *delivered* thisweek
  
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• Fast food giants move to cut plastic toy waste

  18-09-2019 18:20
  Burger King and McDonald's have separately announced moves to cut their use of the toys following increasing consumer pressure.
  
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• Hard Brexit would put officers' lives at risk, says Northern Ireland police chief

  18-09-2019 18:08
  Simon Byrne: ‘History shows us that far more police officers and 20,000 soldiers could not protect the border, so I doubt we are going to do it now.’ Photograph: Liam McBurney/PANorthern Ireland’s chief constable has said his police officers could be killed if they had to patrol border checkpoints in the event of a hard Brexit.Simon Byrne told the Guardian he opposed officers having to patrol checkpoints on a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic and said of
  
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• How to remove spiders humanely as autumn brings influx of arachnids

  18-09-2019 18:00
  Invertebrate keepers at London Zoo stress that you shouldn't kill spiders in your house, as they reduce the number of insect pests.
  
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• British fugitive fraudster jailed after 15 years on the run

  18-09-2019 17:53
  A British fraudster has been sentenced to nine years in jail and ordered to pay 900,000 pounds after spending 15 years on the run, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said on Wednesday.Christopher Woodhead, a 66-year-old former company director of chemical paint companies, used fictitious invoices, loans and cash transfers to extract nearly 450,000 pounds, which he spent on gambling debts, holidays, maintenance payments to his ex-wife, property and cars, the SFO said.
  
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• Sinn Fein voices opposition to Stormont veto on Irish backstop

  18-09-2019 17:41
  Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Fein does not support a Stormont veto because 'a backstop that can be vetoed is not a backstop'.
  
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• Anger as Plymouth nursery abuser is released from prison

  18-09-2019 17:40
  Vanessa George was jailed indefinitely in 2009 for abusing toddlers at Little Ted’s nursery in Plymouth. Photograph: Devon and Cornwall police/PAThe release of the paedophile nursery worker Vanessa George has provoked anger and sadness among parents of children she was supposed to care for.One mother of a child who attended the Little Ted’s Nursery in Plymouth wrote an open letter to George describing her son’s ongoing trauma and her own feelings of guilt and shame that she put
  
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• Burger King removing plastic toys from children’s meals in UK

  18-09-2019 17:36
  The fast food giant said the move would save an estimated 320 tonnes of plastic waste annually.
  
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• Planned strike by British Airways pilots called off

  18-09-2019 17:23
  Balpa said it was now time for a period of reflection.
  
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• No-deal Brexit warning of significant disruption to farming and tourism

  18-09-2019 17:15
  If the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, produce coming from Northern Ireland to the Republic may be subject to tariffs.
  
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• Instagram announces new restrictions on diet and cosmetic surgery content

  18-09-2019 17:15
  The social media platform said it will restrict or remove certain posts which encourage people to buy weight-loss products or cosmetic surgery.
  
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• Family calls for new laws after pensioner cleared of ‘mercy killing’

  18-09-2019 17:05
  Jurors rejected allegations that Dennis Eccleston did not know he was taking an overdose.
  
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• Rates set to remain unchanged in final MPC meeting before Brexit deadline

  18-09-2019 17:04
  The Monetary Policy Committee decision comes amid mounting political chaos over Brexit.
  
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• MPs ask whether BoE governor appointment delayed

  18-09-2019 17:03
  Senior British legislators wrote to finance minister Sajid Javid on Wednesday to ask if the appointment of a successor to Bank of England Governor Mark Carney was being delayed and whether Carney would be asked to stay longer.The Financial Times reported earlier on Wednesday that the appointment of a successor to Carney - who is due to step down on Jan. 31 - may be deferred until after a possible election later this year.Parliament's Treasury Committee typically holds a public hearing into senio
  
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• Sir Jim Ratcliffe: The man behind the new 4x4 factory in Bridgend

  18-09-2019 17:01 via bbc.co.uk
  He is rejuvenating the old Ford plant with a new off-road vehicle, but who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe?
  
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• New Ineos 4×4 to create hundreds of jobs at Bridgend

  18-09-2019 17:00
  The Grenadier vehicle will be built next to the Ford engine plant, which is closing with the loss of 1,700 jobs.
  
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• 'The NHS has been destroyed': Boris Johnson confronted by father of sick child

  18-09-2019 17:00
  Man accuses PM of visiting Whipps Cross hospital in London for press opportunity. Boris Johnson has been confronted by an angry father at a hospital who told him his baby daughter had nearly died because the ward on which she was treated was “not safe for children” after years of austerity. Omar Salem came face to face with the prime minister on the Acorn children’s ward of Whipps Cross university hospital in north-east London as embarrassed NHS bosses looked on. In a two-minut
  
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• 'The NHS has been destroyed': Boris Johnson confronted by father of sick child

  18-09-2019 17:00
  Boris Johnson has been confronted by an angry father at a hospital who told him his baby daughter had nearly died because the ward on which she was treated was “not safe for children” after years of austerity.Omar Salem came face to face with the prime minister on the Acorn children’s ward of Whipps Cross university hospital in north-east London as embarrassed NHS bosses looked on.In a two-minute tirade, Salem said the care given to his seven-day-old daughter was “not acc
  
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