Political news

• Labour suspends Kelvin Hopkins MP over sexual misconduct claim

  02-11-2017 23:54 via theguardian.com
  Party launches investigation into claims, which Guardian understands were brought to then-chief whip’s attention two years ago, following fresh evidenceLabour MP Kelvin Hopkins has been suspended from the party after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him.The claims, said to include inappropriate text messages, were first brought to the attention of Labour’s then-chief whip Rosie Winterton two years ago, the Guardian understands. The decision to suspend Hopkins has co
  
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• May lauds UK role in creation of Israel at Balfour centenary dinner

  02-11-2017 23:46 via theguardian.com
  PM reiterates commitment to two-state solution at event commemorating letter pledging British backing for a Jewish nation in PalestineTheresa May has said that Britain is “proud of our pioneering role in the creation of the state of Israel” at a gala dinner in London to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration.The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and a host of dignitaries attended a dinner on Thursday evening to celebrate the Balfour declaration of 1917
  
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• Michael Fallon Quit 'After Making Lewd Comments To Andrea Leadsom'

  02-11-2017 23:41
  Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit after being accused of making lewd comments to Andrea Leadsom, it has been reported,The shamed former Defence Secretary resigned from his post on Wednesday, admitting that his behaviour had “fallen short” in the past.The Sun reports he told Leader of the House of Commons Leadsom, who complained of cold hands: “I know where you can put them to warm them up.”It is said Leadsom, who challenged Theresa May for the leadership in 2016, accu
  
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• Gavin Williamson packs Instagram feed with Partridge-esque pictures

  02-11-2017 23:28 via theguardian.com
  Users poke fun at new defence secretary over account that eschews glamorous pictures for Land Rovers, constituency shots and his pet tarantula, CronosIn the popular consciousness, the photo-sharing site Instagram is sometimes seen as the place to flaunt your glamorous lifestyle. Not if you are Gavin Williamson.The new defence secretary has a decidedly more prosaic approach to the app, often featuring animals, vehicles, constituency shots and a way with captions that veers decidedly towards the v
  
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• MPs told of school rape and sexual harassment

  02-11-2017 23:23 via bbc.co.uk
  Maria Miller tells MPs a mother told her that her six-year-old daughter was raped by a classmate.
  
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• Labour suspends veteran MP Kelvin Hopkins

  02-11-2017 23:01
  UK opposition party launches investigation into unspecified allegations
  
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• 3 Bits Of Bad News Ministers Buried During The Westminster Sex Pest Scandal

  02-11-2017 22:31
  Everyone has been reading about the Westminster sex pest scandal - so the Government seized the opportunity to sneak out three bits of bad news, it has emerged.Sir Michael Fallon resigned as Defence Secretary on Wednesday evening, saying his behaviour had “fallen short” in the past.And as allegations continued to swirl about sexual harassment in politics, the Tory MP was quickly replaced by Gavin Williamson, leading to huge amounts of speculation about the former chief whip’s a
  
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• Prisoner voting changes 'will affect up to 100 inmates'

  02-11-2017 22:08 via bbc.co.uk
  About 100 day-release prisoners at any one time will be affected by plans to ease the ban on voting.
  
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• Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins Suspended By Party Over 'Allegations Received'

  02-11-2017 22:00
  Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins has been suspended from the party “on the basis of allegations received”, a spokesman said.Withdrawing the party whip from the veteran MP for Luton North comes as Westminster is engulfed by the fall-out from the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal, which yesterday saw Defence Secretary Michael Fallon quit.The Labour Party did not specify what the allegations were concerned with. A spokesperson said: “On the basis of allegations received by the Labour Part
  
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• Analysis: 'Spider-Man' Gavin Williamson Faces Tory Web Of Intrigue Over Shock Promotion

  02-11-2017 22:00
  Within seconds of Gavin Williamson’s appointment as the new Defence Secretary, the reaction among Tory MPs and ministers was a mix of blind fury and bafflement.Theresa May’s decision to promote her Chief Whip to replace Sir Michael Fallon was seen by several backbenchers in the Commons Tea Room as “House of Cards gone mad”.The reference was to the fictional TV series, first aired in the 1990s in the UK but given a Hollywood update for Netflix, that centred on classic poli
  
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• Speaker forces Tories to publish sexual harassment policies

  02-11-2017 21:49 via theguardian.com
  Westminster sleaze allegations prompt Labour to suspend MP Kelvin Hopkins, following resignation of Michael Fallon and investigation of other ministersJohn Bercow has written to the party leaders to demand to see their policies for handling sexual harassment allegations, in a move that will force the Conservatives to make their process public.The Speaker sent a letter to Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and other party leaders asking them to formally publish their policies so that they can be displaye
  
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• Kelvin Hopkins Suspended By Labour Party Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations

  02-11-2017 21:44
  Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins has been suspended from the party ahead of allegations of sexual harassment emerging in a national newspaper.The Telegraph revealed the veteran MP for Luton North and former membet of Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench has been accused of sending “inappropriate” text messages and rubbing himself up against a young woman after a political event.Hopkins did not respond to the allegations when approached by the newspaper, it said. The claims made by Ava Etemadzade
  
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• Steve Bell on Gavin Williamson becoming new defence secretary – cartoon

  02-11-2017 21:38 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
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• If Fallon-style scandal drives our politics, Theresa May cannot survive | Martin Kettle

  02-11-2017 21:16 via theguardian.com
  The former defence secretary’s exit sets a perilous benchmark for a shaky government that can’t afford to lose more ministersIn one of his many invaluable books on British politics, the great Sir David Butler – 93 last month and still following politics like a hawk – lists every significant ministerial resignation from British governments since the end of the Victorian era, along with a note of the reason for the minister’s departure. The roll call marks some o
  
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• 5 Things 'Idiotic' Donald Trump Seems To Not Understand About Guantanamo Bay

  02-11-2017 21:05
  Donald Trump has abandoned his idea to send the man suspected of killing eight people in Tuesday’s terror attack in New York to Guantanamo Bay after he was described as “idiotic” by a leading civil rights group.In tweets posted on Thursday, the President backtracked on earlier remarks made to reporters in which he said he would “certainly consider” sending Sayfullo Saipov to the infamous detention centre on the island of Cuba.But Trump’s apparent support for G
  
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• The Guardian view on the state of the government: on the ropes | Editorial

  02-11-2017 20:41 via theguardian.com
  Theresa May is surviving hand to mouth, her authority ebbing away. Parliament must take control of BrexitTheresa May’s government, fragile for the past six months, has reached a new pitch of uncertainty. Beset by allegations of sexual harassment, wrestling with economic uncertainty; on Brexit, unable to show a coherent plan for the biggest challenge faced by any government since the war, the prime minister seems punch-drunk. Without a reliable parliamentary majority, her government is redu
  
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• One-Third Of Councils Close Contraceptive Care Services After Spending Cuts

  02-11-2017 20:14
  Around one-third of councils in England have been forced to cut services delivering contraceptive care as a result of cuts to public funding.Figures compiled via Freedom of Information requests by the Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) show 53 of 152 councils have closed some services provided by clinics, forcing women to travel further to get help.When asked about plans for the current year, eight further councils confirmed cuts to local services. Of the 51 councils that provided year-on-yea
  
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• London council builds housing with religion-friendly features

  02-11-2017 20:10 via theguardian.com
  Hackney caters for ultra-Orthodox Jewish community with lifts that do not need manual operation and open balconiesA London council is to build housing with religiously compliant features designed to appeal to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, in what is thought to be a first for a local authority.Hackney council’s development, Tower Court in Stamford Hill, north-east London, will include lifts which do not require manual operation on Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath; open balconies to accomm
  
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• What’s the modern purpose of the welfare state? | Letters

  02-11-2017 19:59 via theguardian.com
  Was it conceived as a necessary bulwark to a moribund, failing capitalism, or is it an active creator of destitution, or something to be cherished? Guardian readers discussComforting as it may be to think otherwise, the welfare state was not conceived as a gesture of munificent goodwill to the indigent, or even as a system from which we all benefit, but as a necessary bulwark to a moribund, failing capitalism (The ‘welfare state’ should be something to be proud of, 1 November). It wa
  
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• May’s critics sense whiff of decay over battle to bolster cabinet

  02-11-2017 19:57
  Downing St effort to keep pace with Westminster rumours is reminiscent of Major era
  
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• PM can ill afford sexual misconduct scandal but even less can she afford to botch it

  02-11-2017 19:44 via theguardian.com
  Growing row comes at delicate moment for Theresa May, who is being buffeted by realities of having to govern without steady majorityTheresa May moved quickly on Thursday to fill the hole in her cabinet left by the departure of Sir Michael Fallon as defence secretary over the Westminster sleaze scandal. But the noisy backlash from her own backbenchers underlined how fragile her authority has become.Chief whips are rarely popular, but Gavin Williamson’s rapid promotion from May’s enfor
  
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• Home Office monitoring of missing foreign offenders criticised

  02-11-2017 19:39 via bbc.co.uk
  A watchdog says there is "poor communication" between Home Office units that monitor foreigners.
  
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• Brexit Briefing: Show Us Your Workings Out

  02-11-2017 19:35
  “The implication is quite clear: there’s something in them that’s not to be disclosed because it might actually prick this golden bubble, this balloon of the promised land of Brexit.” So said pro-EU Tory MP Anna Soubry on Wednesday, as she joined the chorus of voices calling on the Government to release its economic assessment of Brexit.The Government has been refusing to release the dossier, said to run to 5,000 pages, claiming it will hurt the UK’s position in the
  
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• BBC's ​Laura Kuenssberg: critics are trying to silence me

  02-11-2017 19:09 via theguardian.com
  Political editor speaks for first time about abuse and criticism she has received at meetings and in the media The BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, said the abuse and threats she faced were meant to try to silence her, as she spoke out for the first time about the subject since she was assigned a bodyguard during the Labour party conference.Kuenssberg has been subjected to hisses and boos at Labour and Ukip press conferences this year and received criticism from Conservative suppo
  
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• Britain has to offer more money for a smooth Brexit

  02-11-2017 18:48
  Even a one-off payment of €60bn would be only 2.5 per cent of UK GDP
  
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• Changes To Controversial PIP Assessments Set To Increase Benefits For 10,000 Disabled People

  02-11-2017 18:36
  Thousands of disabled people will receive hundreds of pounds more in benefits each month after the Government was forced to backtrack on controversial reforms.Following a high-level legal ruling in March, ministers have rewritten rules judging Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants’ ability to carry out unsupervised daily tasks safely.The Department for Work and Pensions will be going through all existing cases to identify anyone entitled to a higher rate of PIP as a result of
  
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• Brexit means? British grass for British sheep | John Crace

  02-11-2017 18:36 via theguardian.com
  Ovine demeanours as elusive exit research, now billed as just a few jottings, remains concealed and stumps the wolfish StarmerOh, those 58 sectoral analyses of the impact of leaving the EU! The face of Brexit minister Robin Walker tried to reassemble itself as a picture of innocence and surprise. If only Keir Starmer could have made it clear he was referring to those 58 sectoral analyses and not the other 58 sectoral analyses, then everyone could have saved themselves the hassle of a three-hour
  
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• What the Brexit impact papers may – or may not – reveal

  02-11-2017 18:28 via theguardian.com
  Following Labour’s Commons victory, the UK government will have to decide how much ‘excruciating detail’ it is prepared to revealBlack marker in hand, Whitehall officials will soon be hunched over a series of internal reports about the economic effects of Brexit to decide which bits can be released in response to pressure from parliament. Whether this controversial advice survives the process of redaction intact or not though, much can already be deduced about its content.The B
  
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• Labour MP Chris Elmore Reveals He Was Attacked And Hospitalised By School Bullies

  02-11-2017 18:27
  A Labour MP has revealed he was attacked and hospitalised as a teenager by a gang who believed he was gay.During a debate on violence and harassment in schools, Chris Elmore told the Commons he was set upon aged 17 and had to undergo surgery.The brutal attack, which he said happened in a friend’s house, came after several years of bullying which led to him being treated for repeated “mental breakdowns”.“I know all too well the horrors of being attacked, which I was for su
  
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• Why Emotional Support Is Essential In Rohingya Camps

  02-11-2017 18:23
  With reports emerging on the increasing number of Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar - including more than 20,000 unaccompanied children - their needs and the trauma they have experienced is beyond comprehension. Emotional support as well as basic rations must be scaled up for all survivors.
  Survivors like Taslima, for example, who ran barefoot and terrified from Myanmar after seeing her father shot dead in front of her. She is just 10-years-old.Taslima. Credit: Noor Alam/ActionAid
  Now, Taslima is
  
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• ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ Premiere Live Stream: Watch Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Daisy Ridley And The Cast Arrive

  02-11-2017 18:15
  ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ is finally set to arrive in cinemas, but before we can see it, it’s time for the film’s A-list cast to hit the red carpet at its world premiere. Sir Kenneth Branagh’s hotly-anticipated film will get its debut airing at the Royal Albert Hall, with its stars - including *deep breath* Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Penelope Cruz, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench and Michelle Pfeiffer - all hitting the red carpet first. Willem Dafo
  
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• I Remember The First Time A Man Stared At My Breasts

  02-11-2017 18:11
  I remember my first time.I was in the science lab at school asking a male teacher a question, when I noticed his eyes momentarily flicked down to look at my breasts.It was a split second, and immediately afterwards his eyes met mine again.Initially I was taken aback, but I didn’t dare let on. There was no break in conversation and we continued talking about the task at hand. I guess I went on autopilot, while I slowly realised what had just happened.I was probably around 14. I was an &lsqu
  
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• The UK's race to get its own nuclear inspectors

  02-11-2017 18:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Highly-specialised staff are needed to take over from European nuclear regulators after Brexit.
  
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• Understanding Populism And The Far Right In The European Elections

  02-11-2017 18:00
  2017 has been a year of many European elections, and they just keep on coming. A week ago it was the Czech Republic and the week before that Austria. How to make sense of these constant developments? This article has compiled a non-exhaustive list of suggestions.Not everyone is a populistIt has become commonplace to refer to every slightly eccentric politician from a small country as the new "European Trump". While the Dutch Geert Wilders at least had the funny hair to qualify, calling the billi
  
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• UK interest rates rise for first time in 10 years

  02-11-2017 18:00 via bbc.co.uk
  Savers set to gain from the rise in rates to 0.5%, but mortgage costs will increase for some borrowers.
  
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• Liz Saville-Roberts: Serious Steps Needed To Stop Expenses-Style Sexual Harassment Scandal

  02-11-2017 17:59
  The Westminster leader of Plaid Cymru says serious steps must be taken by all parties to prevent an expenses-style scandal in the wake of a raft of sexual assault allegations.Liz Saville-Roberts will meet the prime minister on Monday, alongside other party leaders, to discuss what can be done to change the culture in Parliament after countless women came forward to share their experiences, ranging from sexual harassment to rape.Among them was a member of MPs’ staff, who said she had been p
  
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• Are the Tories reliving the John Major years? No. It’s much worse than that | Ian Birrell

  02-11-2017 17:54 via theguardian.com
  Their leader is weaker, their party more ruinously at war – and they’re facing a more profound morality scandal. The nineties seem halcyon in comparisonIt was a candid tweet from a Conservative MP as the sex abuse scandal sent shock waves through Westminster. “Feels increasingly like 92-97 parliament,” wrote Gary Streeter, who served as a minister under John Major. “No majority, no money, ripping ourselves apart over EU. That lasted 5 years. Oh dear.” Related:
  
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• Sexism And Sexual Abuse - My Guilt As A Consumer PR

  02-11-2017 17:51
  With everything that has been occurring over the past months following the revelations about Harvey Weinstein and suchlike, I have given a lot of thought as to my own conduct. I would like to think that my behavior towards women has, for the most part, been acceptable, though I'm not naïve enough to think that over my 47 years I haven't said or done things that were not as they should have been. Any man who thinks they are perfect where things of this nature are concerned is either in denia
  
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• Why We Need Culture At A Time Like This

  02-11-2017 17:49
  In the fast paced, ever changing, complex modern world we live in today, what is the point of culture?We are in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution, our lives are run by algorithms, we work for apps instead of people and every day we get more and more baffled by fake news. So how can sitting in a theatre for two hours watching a play offer something useful or relevant?Well, it is relevant because culture is all about human connection. Sitting in a theatre, with your phone switched off
  
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• The USA's First Mardi Gras

  02-11-2017 17:49
  'Let's rock 'n' roll!', the policewoman yelled to the crowd. Not a phrase you expect to hear from a policewoman but this one was in Mobile, Alabama, and getting people fired up for a Mardi Gras parade. The cops, some wearing beads or flowers, were roaring their bikes up and down, making sure the streets were clear, the vendors and their carts were out of the way, and the crowds all safely behind barriers.
  Getting Ready to Rock 'n' Roll
  From where I was standing, opposite the Battle House Hotel o
  
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• Location, Location, Location: It Does Matter Where EU Institutions Are Based

  02-11-2017 17:49
  The London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA) will have to be relocated before the UK leaves the EU. Where they end up going will reveal a lot about European politics.First, there is simple question of geographic balance. EU institutions are located disproportionately in Francophone Western Europe. Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg host the most important institutions, from the Court of Justice, the Parliament, Commission, Presidency and Council of M
  
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• Changing The Face Of Conservative Party Politics

  02-11-2017 17:49
  I'm more aware than most that politics and political allegiances are changing. If it weren't for a huge shift in people's voting habits I wouldn't be here in Parliament, having won for the first time ever in the former Labour stronghold of Mansfield. One other clear shift in voting patterns in 2017 was a move away from voting Conservative amongst younger people, right up to their mid-40s in varying degrees.It's with that issue in mind that I've put together a group within Parliament of our young
  
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• Gavin Williamson's appointment as defence secretary triggers backlash - as it happened

  02-11-2017 17:46 via theguardian.com
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments, including Theresa May appointing a new defence secretary to replace Michael FallonLunchtime summaryAfternoon summary 4.35pm GMTAs I indicated to you, once the material has been provided to the committee I would be very happy to discuss with you any particular concerns you may have about publication of parts of the material so that the committee can take these into account in making its decision on release. I note the leader of the House
  
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• Interest Rates Rise For First Time In 10 Years. Here’s What It Will Cost You

  02-11-2017 17:45
  Experts predict the beginning of the end of ‘uber-cheap’ mortgages
  Warning higher repayments could lead the poorest into debt cycle
  Better deals expected for savings accounts - at some banks
  The first interest rate rise in a decade is set to hit millions of homeowners to the tune of hundreds of pounds a year, experts have said.Thursday’s decision to raise the record-low rate - which anchors mortgages and savings accounts and governs the cost o
  
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• Lawyer says Foreign Office told her to ignore EU corruption evidence

  02-11-2017 17:42 via theguardian.com
  Maria Bamieh alleges FCO would not examine claims of collusion between Eulex officials and suspected criminals in KosovoForeign Office (FCO) diplomats wanted a whistleblower to “turn a blind eye” to evidence of corruption at the European Union’s biggest foreign mission, according to documents placed before a tribunal on Monday.Maria Bamieh, a London-based lawyer, said FCO officials declined to take any steps to corroborate her claims of collusion between EU officials and suspec
  
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• ASOS Has Introduced A 'Try Before You Buy' Feature Via Its App

  02-11-2017 17:39
  ASOS is now allowing customers to try on the items of their choice before purchasing.The new feature, only available through the online store’s app, will let customers order items they like the look of to try in the comfort of their home, without any money leaving their bank account.Once you decide what you want to keep, you have 30 days to pay for the ones you do like, (with no interest or fees) and you can return the ones you don’t.The service launched on the morning of 2 Octo
  
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• How To Get Your Baby To Go To Sleep

  02-11-2017 17:23
  Have you almost passed out doing Pantley or cried yourself out following Ford?Are you too damn tired to try another stupid sleep solution that probably won't work anyway? Then help is at hand!After two babies and years of sleep deprivation I finally stumbled across a stress free technique.The nine-step G.O.T.O.S.L.E.E.P not only worked for my babies but as it is designed for the extremely exhausted, it is completely stress-free!G. Get yourself ready for bed before you start your baby's bedtime r
  
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• A Terrifying Flying Predator The Size Of A Plane Has Been Discovered

  02-11-2017 17:19
  Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s potentially one of the largest flying reptiles to have ever graced our planet, with a wingspan measuring over 36 feet (or 11 metres).Paleontologists at the University of Tokyo first discovered hints of this animal when they dug up eight-inch bone fragments in Mongolia in 2006, but have since spent a decade trying to decipher exactly what it is they were looking at.Now though they have revealed that it is in fact evidence of the largest pterosaur ever t
  
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• Peyronie's Disease: Symptoms And Treatment For The Curved Penis Condition Explained

  02-11-2017 17:12
  Men who have Peyronie’s disease - where the penis curves dramatically - could have an increased risk of developing cancer, according to a new study.The study of 1.5 million men by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, suggested men with the condition have a 40% increased risk of developing testicular cancer, a 40% increased risk of developing stomach cancer and a 29% increased risk of developing skin cancer (melanoma), according to The Telegraph.But Dr Helen Webbe
  
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• A Cry In The Cybersecurity Wilderness

  02-11-2017 17:08
  I have spent the last decade talking about problems. I suppose the reason is because it seems to have gotten me a lot of attention. It wasn't like that at first, but it eventually turned out that way.Let me explain...Back in 2007 I decided that security was going to be my full-time job. I suppose what drew me to this was the explosion in connectivity, and having to spend a lot of my time, as a CIO, figuring out how to defend ourselves against attacks from all over the world. 
  
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