General news

• CCTV shows Zara Aleena killer prowling streets following women

  14-12-2022 18:13 via bbc.co.uk
  Jordan McSweeney was caught on camera before attacking Zara Aleena in Ilford, east London, last year.
  
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• Moment Jordan McSweeney sentenced for Zara Aleena murder

  14-12-2022 18:07 via bbc.co.uk
  Jordan McSweeney had been convicted of murdering and sexually assaulting the 35-year-old law graduate.
  
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• China consulate clashes: Six Chinese officials removed from UK

  14-12-2022 15:18 via bbc.co.uk
  A pro-democracy demonstration turned violent outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester in October.
  
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• ‘We can’t afford not to’: a firefighter, paramedic, train driver and teacher on UK strikes – video

  14-12-2022 14:14
  “We can’t afford to strike, but we can’t afford not to strike,” firefighter Kasey from Leicestershire has told the Guardian.The wave of strikes sweeping the UK are reaching their peak this week, threatening to bring much of the country to a standstill as workers across the transport network, NHS, Royal Mail and civil service take industrial action in ongoing rows over pay and conditions.In the new year, strike ballots for firefighters and teachers will close, while junior
  
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• Is UK inflation going to keep falling?

  14-12-2022 14:13 via bbc.co.uk
  Inflation is likely to have peaked, but it will remain very high for months to come.
  
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• 'Ice pancakes' form on freezing Glasgow river

  14-12-2022 14:02 via bbc.co.uk
  Frozen discs were spotted in Glasgow's Linn Park during the current cold snap.
  
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• Channel rescue: at least three people dead after small boat capsizes trying to cross from France – latest updates

  14-12-2022 12:28
  Major search and rescue operation continues after HM Coastguard received reports of an incident at 3.40am on WednesdayAt least three people have died and 43 people have been rescued after trying to cross the Channel in freezing conditions overnight, according to reports.A member of a rescue team confirmed to Sky News that at least three people have died, as a major search and rescue operation continues off the coast of Kent. “Many” were rescued from the water, according to BBC report
  
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• Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow says Christmas ceasefire ‘not on agenda’; blasts heard in Kyiv city centre

  14-12-2022 12:24
  Kremlin spokesman says no offers of ceasefire have been made; air raid sirens sounded out across the capital early on WednesdayWhat we know on day 294 of the invasionThe Kyiv city administration says another drone has been shot down, bringing the total number of Shahed drones downed in this morning’s attacks to 11.In a post on Telegram, the administration said that air alerts were still in place. Continue reading...
  
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• Almost three-quarters of UK November property sales ‘below asking price’

  14-12-2022 12:18
  Report from estate agent body underlines that housing market is slowingThe vast majority of sellers had to discount their property to secure a sale last month, while rising rents are no longer the norm, according to research from an industry body.Almost three-quarters (72%) of property sales agreed in the UK were below the asking price in November, the report from NAEA Propertymark, a membership organisation for estate agents, said. Continue reading...
  
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• London fire brigade put into special measures over misogyny and racism

  14-12-2022 12:04
  Watchdog to monitor force closely after damning report revealed deep-seated behavioural problemsLondon fire brigade (LFB) has been placed into special measures by the chief fire inspector after a report revealing incidents of misogyny, racism and bullying.
  The watchdog moved the LFB into an enhanced level of monitoring on Wednesday, citing concerns about “culmulative evidence” from its last inspection and later of unacceptable behaviour within the brigade.His Majesty’s inspecto
  
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• The Waste Land: A Biography of a Poem by Matthew Hollis review – a classic laid bare

  14-12-2022 12:00
  This behind-the-scenes look at an epic poem depicts details of TS Eliot’s life and his reliance on Ezra Pound’s editorial inputA century ago, a man with a double life published one of the most celebrated, anthologised and dissected poems in English literature. TS Eliot spent six days a week at the offices of Lloyds bank and crammed the business of poetry and literary criticism into the evenings and Sundays. This allowed him to write The Waste Land, a densely allusive work that drew o
  
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• Include biodegradable plastic in UK single-use cutlery ban, say campaigners

  14-12-2022 12:00
  Campaign group says many bioplastics are damaging and they should not be excluded from any banCampaigners have urged the UK environment secretary not to exclude biodegradable plastic from a ban on single-use cups, plates and cutlery.Thérèse Coffey is expected to announce a ban on single-use plastic items such as cutlery and stirrers in the coming weeks, according to the Financial Times. Campaigners have condemned the suggestion that she would allow so-called biodegradable plastic s
  
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• Morocco football fans: share your expectations before the World Cup semi-final against France

  14-12-2022 11:59
  We’re keen to hear from Morocco fans about the semi-final and their experience of the World Cup so farIf you are fan of the sensational Morocco football team, we’d like to hear how you are feeling before tonight’s semi-final against France.We’re interested to hear what fans’ expectations are, where you’ll be watching the match and how you have experienced this World Cup so far. What has the atmosphere been like during this tournament, whether you’ve been
  
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• The Spin | The best of frenemies? Why the South Africa v Australia rivalry is so spicy

  14-12-2022 11:55
  As a South African, I believe our cricketing rivalry with Australia is not rooted in our differences but in the way we’re so similarWhat is it that provokes the enmity from South Africa cricket fans towards Australia? Is it the over-sized stadiums, those totems to their debauchery? Their five World Cup wins in the men’s game? The fact that they can call cricket their national sport? The mythology of the Baggy Green? That they can’t pronounce Marnus Labuschagne’s surname c
  
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• Channel rescue: several people feared dead after small boat capsizes trying to cross from France – latest updates

  14-12-2022 11:41
  Major search and rescue operation continues after HM Coastguard received reports of an incident at 3.40am on WednesdayAt least three people have died and 43 people have been rescued after trying to cross the Channel in freezing conditions overnight, according to reports.A member of a rescue team confirmed to Sky News that at least three people have died, as a major search and rescue operation continues off the coast of Kent. “Many” were rescued from the water, according to BBC report
  
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• Didier Deschamps has to beat another disciple to reach the World Cup final | Adam White

  14-12-2022 11:30
  Deschamps’ last two opponents – Gareth Southgate and Walid Regragui – are heavily influenced by France’s low-risk styleBy Adam White for Get French Football NewsOf the many unexpected trends at this World Cup, Didier Deschamps’ growing status as international football’s ideological spearhead may be the most surprising. The France coach may lack the revolutionary ideas of the managers who have moved the sport forward in recent times, but his ever-effective phil
  
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• Strep A symptoms: What you need to know, in a minute

  14-12-2022 11:26 via bbc.co.uk
  If you're worried, the BBC's health reporter Laura Foster has some information to help.
  
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• Channel rescue: people feared dead after migrant boat incident off Kent coast – latest updates

  14-12-2022 11:07
  HM Coastguard received reports of an incident at 3.40am on Wednesday and air ambulance also deployedAnyone making this journey in these temperatures shows “just how desperate people are”, said Alex Fraser, the British Red Cross director of refugee support.“Nobody puts their life at risk like this unless they feel they have no other option, and until we have more accessible safe routes for people to claim asylum, there is a danger we may see more such incidents,” said Fras
  
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• The 50 best albums of 2022: No 8 – Wet Leg: Wet Leg

  14-12-2022 11:00
  The year’s buzziest duo picked apart millennial malaise – and the desire to delay adulthood – with smart gags and catchy choruses on the year’s breakout guitar albumThe 50 best albums of 2022The best songs of 2022More of the best culture of 2022Wet Leg seemed to come out of nowhere. Silly name. Lyrical double (and single) entendres. A Domino record deal off the back of a couple of tracks on SoundCloud. Within weeks, their June 2021 debut single Chaise Longue had flung the
  
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• ‘Forgive me, Father, for I am in the mood to sin’: how the ‘hot priest calendar’ became a publishing hit

  14-12-2022 11:00
  If cassocks, dog collars and muscular Christianity are your thing, you’ll love the ‘calendario Romano’, now approaching its second decadeIf you’ve been to Rome, there’s a high chance you returned home with a slab of guanciale, two Fabriano notebooks and a copy of the hot priest calendar in your luggage.The hot priest calendar is not its official name but, over the past two decades, the moniker has stuck (for reasons clear to anyone who’s seen it). Next year ma
  
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• As food shortages hit locked-down Shanghai, the gift of two carrots and a potato was pure luxury | Jennifer Pak

  14-12-2022 11:00
  Severe Covid measures in China this year meant millions of us had to rely on handouts and bartering to get fedWhat was the image on your phone that defined 2022? Writers give their perspectivesOn day 32 of Shanghai’s lockdown this year, I somehow managed to buy fruit in bulk. I shared some grapes and kiwis with a friend. She insisted I take something in exchange from her dwindling food stash. So I grabbed a potato that had sprouted and two slightly wrinkled carrots. What a relief.Shanghai&
  
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• 2,800 still without power in Shetland as cold blast bites UK

  14-12-2022 10:59
  Britain continues to struggle in freezing conditions, with power on Scottish islands not expected to be fully restored until end of weekThousands have been without power in Shetland for a second night as Britain’s infrastructure continues to struggle with sub-zero temperatures.The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and ice to Friday in northern Scotland and north-east England. Continue reading...
  
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• A feted restaurateur, a senior doctor: Sunak’s cruel plan would have deported both | Enver Solomon

  14-12-2022 10:52
  The prime minister wants to eject all who arrive ‘illegally’ without even giving them a hearing. That’s inhumaneWhen you consider Rishi Sunak’s latest plans to tackle channel crossings, think of Imad.Because Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in central London has received a lot of critic accolades of late, not least for the “cheerful brightness that suffuses his food”. Yet Imad Alarnab’s story is one of survival, of his perilous, irregular journey from war-tor
  
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• Boris Johnson joins Tory calls to leave European convention on human rights to remove asylum seekers – UK politics live

  14-12-2022 10:43
  Latest updates: Rishi Sunak refuses to say whether he will withdraw UK from deal as MP proposes bill to remove asylum seekersPeople who tried to cross the Channel in freezing conditions overnight are feared to have died, with a major search and rescue operation under way for a small boat off the coast of Kent, my colleage Emily Dugan reports. Geneva Abdul has all the latest updates, including political reaction, on a separate live blog.Good morning. As the old saying goes, “there’s n
  
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• World Cup 2022: reaction to Messi’s magic and buildup to France v Morocco semi-final – live

  14-12-2022 10:14
  All the latest news and reaction before the second semi-finalGet in touch: you can contact Martin here with your thoughtsIf you need your inner football nerd needs scratching, then have no fear, because the Knowledge is here with the answer to questions like “Which team won the World Cup with the longest pre-tournament odds?”, “Who are the top-ranked club side globally to not have any World Cup players in Qatar?”, “Which footballer has turned the least successful pl
  
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• Russia-Ukraine war live: blasts heard in Kyiv city centre; mayor says 10 Iran-made drones shot down

  14-12-2022 10:14
  Vitali Klitschko says Shahed drones were shot down in the Kyiv region as air raid sirens sounded out across the capital early on WednesdayWhat we know on day 294 of the invasionThe Kyiv city administration says another drone has been shot down, bringing the total number of Shahed drones downed in this morning’s attacks to 11.In a post on Telegram, the administration said that air alerts were still in place. Continue reading...
  
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• Elon Musk loses title of world’s richest person to Bernard Arnault

  14-12-2022 10:08
  Loss of top spot to LVMH chief executive comes after Tesla shares more than halve in valueElon Musk has lost his crown as the world’s richest person, after further falls in the value of shares in his electric car company Tesla.Forbes and Bloomberg, which track the wealth of billionaires, reported that Musk had lost the top spot to France’s Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of the luxury group LVMH. Continue reading...
  
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• MP Christian Wakeford to apologise for asylum seeker comments

  14-12-2022 10:06
  Exclusive: Ex-Tory who defected to Labour says constituents opened his eyes to hardship faced by claimantsChristian Wakeford will apologise on Wednesday for previously claiming asylum seekers “have a shopping trolley as to what they want as economic migrants” when he was a Conservative MP.The MP for Bury South dramatically crossed the floor to Labour earlier this year, criticising the Tory government’s policies for only worsening his constituents struggles . He says two of his
  
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• UK inflation eases slightly to 10.7%, but no sign of end to cost of living crisis – business live

  14-12-2022 10:05
  Inflation falls back from 41-year high as motor fuels price rises slow, but costs rise faster in restaurants, hotels, cafes and pubs.Full Story: UK inflation eases to 10.7% as annual rate of price increases slows
  The Unite union are urging ministers, and bosses, to agree to pay rises to help workers though the cost of living crisis.Unite general secretary Sharon Graham warns that workers are facing a ‘bleak midwinter’, as families pay the price of soaring inflation:“Although th
  
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• The Amazing Maurice review – rodent crime caper is a riot of silliness

  14-12-2022 10:00
  A stellar cast have a lot of fun hamming it up in this adaptation of a Terry Pratchett novel about a bunch of scamming rats who come unstuck on a con gone wrongThe rodent in charge of the rescue mission explains that picking up the scent of their missing comrade was easy: “He was widdling all the way.” Just one of the many hilarious lines in this family animation adapted from the Terry Pratchett children’s novel about a crew of scam artist rodents. My favourite moment involves
  
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• Baker Mayfield and the intriguing fallout from the 2018 NFL draft

  14-12-2022 10:00
  Four quarterbacks went in the top 10 of the 2018 draft. Their varied fortunes have illustrated the difficulties of building the foundations for successFour quarterbacks were among the first 10 players selected in the 2018 NFL draft. Lamar Jackson, who went 32nd to the Baltimore Ravens, made it five first-round QBs, the second-most ever. The New York Times called it a “quarterback frenzy” in the next day’s paper.Of the four quarterbacks who went in the top 10 – expected to
  
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• 1000 Coils of Fear by Olivia Wenzel review – an energetic debut

  14-12-2022 10:00
  This self-interrogating first novel explores the vertiginous experience of living in contemporary Germany as a queer woman of colourAt the midpoint of Olivia Wenzel’s zesty debut, the unnamed German-Angolan narrator is labouring through an almighty hangover. While “everything’s spinning and I puke bile onto my toes”, she mournfully “wishes I had a close-fitting wooden helmet to keep my thoughts together, there is no order anywhere”.Disorder informs the shape a
  
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• People feared dead as UK Coastguard responds to small boat incident in Channel

  14-12-2022 09:52
  Major search and rescue operation under way after incident off Kent coastA major search and rescue operation is under way off the coast of Kent following an incident involving a small boat.Some onboard are feared to have died after HM Coastguard received reports of an incident at about 3.40am on Wednesday, according to the BBC. An air ambulance was part of the rescue mission. Continue reading...
  
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• Lionel Messi: Argentina captain "very happy" his last World Cup game will be a final - Sky Sports

  14-12-2022 09:48 via news.google.com
  Lionel Messi: Argentina captain "very happy" his last World Cup game will be a final  Sky SportsWorld Cup 2022: 'Lionel Messi on brink of making Qatar tournament his'  BBCArgentina 3-0 Croatia: World Cup 2022 semi-final – as it happened  The GuardianArgentina vs Croatia Predictions: World Cup Semifinals Odds & Best Bets  Goal.comArgentina fans provide the soul shiny new stadiums have lacked at World Cup  The TimesView Full coverage on G
  
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• Solihull tragedy - latest: Tearful police pay tribute to boys as six-year-old fights for life - The Independent

  14-12-2022 09:45 via news.google.com
  Solihull tragedy - latest: Tearful police pay tribute to boys as six-year-old fights for life  The IndependentSolihull lake deaths: School children in shock over tragedy  Sky NewsUnimaginable pain over boys' Solihull lake deaths - aunt  BBCKingshurst Santa sleigh event cancelled as community mourns Babbs Mill lake tragedy  Birmingham LiveTearful police pay silent tribute to boys who died in ice-covered lake tragedy  Evening StandardView Full cove
  
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• People feared dead after migrant boat incident - BBC

  14-12-2022 09:44 via news.google.com
  People feared dead after migrant boat incident  BBCRescue under way in English Channel following major incident involving small boat  Sky NewsAt least three migrants feared dead after boat capsizes in freezing Channel overnight  The TelegraphDover RNLI Crew Assist Dutch Passenger Vessel in Distress in the English Channel  rnli.orgPeople feared dead as UK Coastguard responds to small boat incident in Channel  The GuardianView Full coverage on Goog
  
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• Ten Hag unsure when Jadon Sancho will make Manchester United return

  14-12-2022 09:40
  Manager refers to ‘physical but also mental’ issues for forwardSancho working away from squad with a coach in NetherlandsErik ten Hag does not know when Jadon Sancho will return to action with Manchester United, saying there are “physical but also mental” issues to deal with.The forward started the season well with three goals before the international break in September, but has not played since United’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea on 22 October. Ten Hag said he had seen a
  
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• UK inflation eases to 10.7% as annual rate of price increases slows - The Guardian

  14-12-2022 09:38 via news.google.com
  UK inflation eases to 10.7% as annual rate of price increases slows  The GuardianInflation rate eases but prices still rising at 10.7%  BBCECB monetary transmission: One size currently fits all  ING ThinkKeep up pace on rate rises, Bank urged  The TimesPrice rises slow as petrol falls from record highs  BBCView Full coverage on Google News
  
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• ‘I don’t like to dwell on the dark side’: Jane Horrocks on life on her own, family and first love, Ian Dury - The Guardian

  14-12-2022 09:17 via news.google.com
  ‘I don’t like to dwell on the dark side’: Jane Horrocks on life on her own, family and first love, Ian Dury  The Guardian
  
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• Where’s Labour’s fervour? Can you imagine a crowd chanting ‘Oh Keir Starmer’? | Andrew Fisher

  14-12-2022 09:00
  The polls may look good for the party, but those who saw real excitement in the Corbyn years know something is missingAndrew Fisher was the Labour party’s executive director of policy from 2016 to 2019In the midst of the deepest fall in living standards on record and at the foothills of what the Bank of England forecasts will be a prolonged recession, people want to know of politicians: “Which side are you on?”Labour may be about 20 points ahead in the polls but far from riding
  
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• ‘Everyone calls to say how marvellous I am’ – Matt Hancock’s Pandemic Diaries, digested by John Crace

  14-12-2022 09:00
  From the affair with Gina to the feud with Dom, our parliamentary sketchwriter boils down the former health minister’s memoirJanuary 2020: I scan the New Year’s Day edition of the Times. On page 37 there is a news in brief about a virus in China. I sense this is going to become a global pandemic with the loss of millions of lives. Try to impress on PM there is not a moment to waste but he is more interested in having a lie-in. Decide that I will begin writing a diary in 2022 so that
  
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• UN to investigate use of ‘parental alienation’ tactic in custody cases

  14-12-2022 08:45
  Fears an increase in allegations, particularly against mothers, of deliberately alienating a child against the other parent in domestic abuse cases may put victims at further riskThe UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls is to investigate how family courts around the world approach “parental alienation” (PA) and how this may lead to the double victimisation of those who have suffered domestic abuse.There is no single agreed definition of parental alienation but a
  
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• Freddie Flintoff airlifted to hospital following car crash while filming Top Gear show, England cricket... - talkSPORT

  14-12-2022 08:41 via news.google.com
  Freddie Flintoff airlifted to hospital following car crash while filming Top Gear show, England cricket...  talkSPORTView Full coverage on Google News
  
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• Which team won the World Cup with the longest pre-tournament odds? | The Knowledge

  14-12-2022 08:30
  Plus: big clubs with no players in Qatar, pundits who played at a low level and what happens to World Cup matchballs?Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU“Morocco were 200-1 to win the World Cup at the start of the tournament,” writes Craig Hinton. “To date, which eventual winner had the highest odds at the start of the tournament? And how often do the pre-tournament favourites win.”We’ve only been able to find UK odds for every World Cup since 1966, so t
  
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• ‘Expectation had to be raised’: the making of World Cup heroes Morocco

  14-12-2022 08:30
  Welsh coach Osian Roberts and investment in talent centres and scouting have helped the country to make history in QatarFor Osian Roberts it was too good an offer to turn down. When the coach once described as the most influential man in Welsh football was invited to Rabat in the summer of 2019 to meet Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, he was whisked off on a tour of the Complexe Mohammed VI Maamoura – the state-of-the-art national training centre that
  
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• Bad Data by Georgina Sturge review – figures of derision

  14-12-2022 08:30
  A parliamentary statistician lays bare the use and abuse of numbers in public life When is a £50bn fiscal black hole not a £50bn fiscal black hole? More often than you might think, according to a new book about government data that will leave readers with renewed cynicism about every statistic that comes out of a politician’s mouth.Its author, Georgina Sturge, is a statistician at the House of Commons library. She has not set out here to expose attempts by rogue actors to bambo
  
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• Ukraine war: Explosions in central Kyiv amid air raid warning - BBC

  14-12-2022 08:28 via news.google.com
  Ukraine war: Explosions in central Kyiv amid air raid warning  BBCUkraine war latest: Kyiv wakes to blasts booming through city  The TelegraphUkraine forces shoot down drones as Kyiv hit by multiple explosions  The GuardianExplosions heard in Ukrainian capital, emergency teams deployed  Al Jazeera EnglishFresh Russian Drone Attack Targets Kyiv As Fighting Rages In Eastern Ukraine  Radio Free Europe / Radio LibertyView Full coverage on Google News
  
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• Haiti faces famine – but its troubles are rooted in a brutal colonial past | Kenneth Mohammed

  14-12-2022 08:15
  The Caribbean country has been blighted by colonial exploitation, natural disasters and violent gangs – now a food crisis looms. What can be done to fix Haiti?“Toussaint was a mighty man and to make matters worse he was black / Black and back in the days when black men knew their place was in the back / But this rebel he walked through Napoleon who thought it wasn’t very nice / And so today my brothers in Haiti, they still pay the price / Haiti, I’m sorry, we misunderstoo
  
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• ‘Road sleeping’ deaths soar in Tokyo as socialising returns to pre-Covid levels

  14-12-2022 08:14
  Authorities concerned that death toll from people being hit by cars while sleeping on roads will increase further as end-of-year party season beginsThe end of Covid-19 restrictions on Japan’s nighttime economy has brought more people out on to the streets of Tokyo – but it could also be contributing to a spate of deaths among people who are struck by cars as they sleep on the road.The number of deaths among people who sleep where they drop on the capital’s roads has nearly doub
  
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• UK inflation eases to 10.7% as annual rate of price increases slows

  14-12-2022 08:01
  Drop in consumer prices index had been forecast but costs continue to rise, adding to pressure on ministers to raise payBusiness live updates: UK inflation ‘eases slightly’ to 10.7%UK inflation declined at the sharpest rate in 16 months to 10.7% in November as the momentum behind the rising cost of clothing and petrol began to ease amid growing fears of a long recession.The drop in the consumer prices index figure was slightly bigger than expected by most City analysts, who forecast
  
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