Political news

• Theresa May faces first Brexit bill defeat, say Commons rebels

  09-12-2017 22:30
  Leading Tories join bid to help force ‘meaningful vote’ on final deal before ministers formally enact Britain’s departure from EUTheresa May is facing her first Commons defeat on her Brexit bill within days, amid a last-minute plea to pro-European Tories to force a “truly meaningful vote” on Britain’s final EU deal.Leading Tory rebels believe they have a real chance of securing the measure, with party whips also said to be worried that they cannot prevent an e
  
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• Global powers lobby to stop special Brexit deal for UK

  09-12-2017 22:30
  European Union gets tough with Theresa May over trade deal, as officials insist bespoke arrangement more favourable to Britain is out of the questionTheresa May’s hopes of securing a unique post-Brexit trade deal with the EU were under threat on Saturday night as Brussels said it was coming under international pressure to deny Britain special treatment.After a week that saw May reach a deal with the EU that will allow Brexit talks to move forward on to future trade relations, EU officials
  
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• Met Office Issues Weather Alerts As Snow Could 'Cut Off' Some Areas

  09-12-2017 22:12
  Further weather warnings are in place for snow around the UK, with the Met Office warning that some people could be “cut off” by the drifts.Amber “be prepared” warnings are in place for snow for the east and west Midlands, East of England, London and the South East, North West England, Wales and Yorkshire and the Humber.These are in place between 4am and 6pm on Sunday.A number of warnings are in force across the UK including strong winds for southern areas on Sunday - gus
  
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• Iraq Declares Victory Over Islamic State But Theresa May Warns Fight Isn't Over

  09-12-2017 21:23
  Iraq’s prime minister has declared victory in the fight against the so-called Islamic State - but Theresa May has warned the extremist group is “not yet defeated”.Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over IS on Saturday after Iraqi forces drove its last remnants from the country, three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory, Reuters reported.The announcement comes two days after the Russian military announced the defeat of the militant
  
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• Starving Polar Bear Captured On Camera In Heartbreaking Footage

  09-12-2017 20:00
  Heartbreaking footage has emerged of an emaciated polar bear in Canada’s Arctic.The video, captured by conservation group Sea Legacy on Baffin Island, was shared by photographer Paul Nicklen.The animal can be seen struggling to walk and foraging in vain in a metal drum for food.He explained: “This is what starvation looks like. The muscles atrophy. No energy. It’s a slow, painful death.“When scientists say polar bears will be extinct in the next 100 years, I think of the
  
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• A second referendum is in the Tory party’s interests

  09-12-2017 19:00 via ft.com
  Voters need to endorse a deal or the government will be punished in a general election
  
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• Boris Johnson holds ‘frank’ talks in Iran over jailed Briton

  09-12-2017 18:17 via ft.com
  Tehran criticises western ‘passivity’ over Trump’s opposition to nuclear deal
  
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• Metropolitan Police Appeal For Information After Man Subjected To 50-Hour Kidnap Ordeal

  09-12-2017 17:18
  A man was subjected to a 50 hour kidnap ordeal, during which he was physically abused, stripped naked, tied up and threatened with knives and a gun.The Metropolitan Police are appealing for information following the horrifying ordeal which began at around 2pm on Monday 4 December.The 24-year-old was approached in South London by two acquaintances, who lured him to a house in in the Thornton Heath area.There, a group of armed men was waiting and he was taken hostage.The man subjected to what poli
  
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• Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Boris Johnson Tells Iranians Of 'Grave Concerns' Over Imprisoned British Woman

  09-12-2017 16:54
  Boris Johnson and his Iranian counterpart spoke “frankly” about imprisoned Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the foreign secretary has said.Johnson is seeking the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and arrived in Tehran on Saturday to hold top-level talks with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year sentence over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Tehran government, having been arrested in 2016 during a holiday vi
  
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• Stephen Hawking Joins Doctors Bringing Legal Action Against Jeremy Hunt

  09-12-2017 15:54
  Stephen Hawking is joining a group of doctors to bring legal action against Jeremy Hunt over the NHS privatisationThe renowned professor said in a Facebook post that he would be joining Dr Colin Hutchinson, Professor Allyson Pollock, Professor Sue Richards and Dr Graham Winyard to bring the action against the health secretary regarding the introduction of accountable care organisations (ACOs).ACOs are private companies being introduced with the aim of helping different parts of the NHS work
  
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• Congressman Steve King Condemned For Saying 'Diversity' Makes America Worse

  09-12-2017 15:25
  An American congressman has has sparked outrage by condemning “diversity”.Republican Steve King - who has previously lauded white nationalism - tweeted that “diversity is not our strength” on Friday, citing Hungary’s hardline Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who reportedly stated that “mixing cultures will not lead to a higher quality of life but a lower one.”Diversity is not our strength. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, &ldqu
  
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• 'Strictly Come Dancing' Bosses Dismiss Claims Karen Clifton's Days On The Show Are Numbered

  09-12-2017 13:58
  A ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ spokesperson has shot down rumours that professional dancer Karen Clifton is to be ditched next year, after hitting a rough patch with husband and co-star Kevin.On Saturday (9 December), The Sun reported that if Karen and Kevin were to split up, bosses already know where their loyalties would lie, with the former potentially being up for the chop.However, a representative for the show has now branded these rumours “nonsense” insisting that Karen&
  
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• 'Striclty Come Dancing': Ore Oduba Blasts 'Shameful' Press Treatment Of Alexandra Burke

  09-12-2017 13:58
  Reigning ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ champion Ore Oduba has hit out at the press’s “shameful” treatment of Alexandra Burke.The BBC sports presenter felt like he “had to say something” in the week that Alexandra admitted the negative press she has received has been affecting her mentally.Posting a statement on Twitter, Ore wrote: “I genuinely cannot believe some of the articles, comments and messages I’ve read, targeting certain members of this ye
  
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• Brexit: Michael Gove says UK voters can change final deal

  09-12-2017 13:23 via bbc.co.uk
  People who "dislike the arrangement" can change it at the ballot box, says the environment secretary.
  
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• Christmas TV 2017: The 40 Festive Shows You Won't Want To Miss On The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 And Channel 5 This Year

  09-12-2017 13:06
  One of the best things about Christmas (aside from the presents, the food and all the mulled wine) is settling down in front of the box to enjoy a plethora of festive entertainment.  And with the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 having now released their Yuletide schedules, we can finally get down to the serious business of planning which shows we’re going to tune into live, and those we’re going to save until we’ve come out of our turkey-endued comas. There&rsq
  
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• Christmas

  09-12-2017 13:06
  One of the best things about Christmas (aside from the presents, the food and all the mulled wine) is settling down in front of the box to enjoy a plethora of festive entertainment. And with the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 having now released their Yuletide schedules, we can finally get down to the serious business of planning which shows we’re going to tune into live, and those we’re going to save until we’ve come out of our turkey-endued comas.There’s Christm
  
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• Andrea Leadsom 'Embarrassed' By Behaviour In Parliament Sex Harassment Scandal Exposed

  09-12-2017 12:42
  Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom has said she feels “embarrassed” for people whose bad behaviour has been exposed by a wave of parliamentary sleaze allegations.Leadsom said she was working on a cross-party drive to change the culture at Westminster.The Cabinet minister refused to be drawn on reports that allegations she made about comments from Sir Michael Fallon played a role in his resignation as Defence Secretary, the Press Association reports.Leadsom told BBC Radio 4’s Today p
  
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• Saturday's Brexit Deal Front Pages Range From Jubilant Celebration To Intense Despair

  09-12-2017 11:28
  The UK papers have digested Friday’s Brexit divorce deal news and Saturday’s front pages have delivered their verdicts.While the side each backed in the EU referendum is a clear predictor of their stance, their reactions span an incredibly wide spectrum of emotions.HuffPost UK has ranked them on a scale of ‘jubilant celebration’ to ‘intense despair’ with an extra special category for the Daily Mail.JUBILIANT CELEBRATION‘REJOICE!’ may look like it w
  
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• Brexit: What still needs to be worked out?

  09-12-2017 11:18 via bbc.co.uk
  As the first phase of talks come to an end, what's been agreed and what is still to come?
  
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• Brexit Divorce Deal Front Pages Range From Jubilant Celebration To Intense Despair

  09-12-2017 11:06
  The papers have digested Friday’s Brexit divorce deal news and Saturday’s front pages deliver their verdicts.HuffPost UK has ranked them on a scale of ‘jubilant celebration’ to ‘intense despair’.While the side each backed in the EU referendum is a clear predictor of their stance, their reactions span an incredibly wide spectrum of emotions and there’s no prizes for guessing which end of the spectrum the Daily Mail is on.JUBILIANT CELEBRATION‘REJOIC
  
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• Theresa May's Historic Brexit Deal Should Be Welcomed Whether You Back Leave Or Remain

  09-12-2017 10:57
  A lot has been written about Brexit negotiations over the past weeks and months but in the early hours of Friday morning our Prime Minister Theresa May secured a historic deal for Britain. A deal that is good for our citizens, for taxpayers and for all parts of the United Kingdom and a deal that allows us to move on to vital negotiations about our future relationship with Europe.Theresa May promised she would secure the rights of EU citizens living here and UK citizens living abroad. She promise
  
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• More Snow Forecast As Temperatures Plummet And Weather Warnings Remain In Place

  09-12-2017 10:31
  Weather warnings are still in place for large parts of the country with more snow forecast and temperatures expected to plummet.Freezing temperatures which caused problems for commuters on Friday are likely to continue, forecasters say, after snow dumps arrived in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and parts of the Midlands. A yellow warning for snow and ice remains in place for these areas until 6pm on Saturday with Highland areas expected to experience 2-5 cm of snow, the Press Association
  
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• Cape Town Sevens: Who Can Stop Hosts South Africa?

  09-12-2017 10:11
  South Africa, the reigning HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions, opened their new season last weekend by storming to victory in the Dubai desert. The second stop is in Cape Town this weekend, and the Blitzboks are strong favourites to chalk up another maximum 22 points. Can anyone stop them?In fact, South Africa don’t have a fantastic record on home turf: of the 18 previous tournaments the hosts have won just four times. However, when one considers the proud rugby nation’s recent
  
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• Michael Gove Says 'The British People' Can Change Brexit Deal Government Negotiates

  09-12-2017 09:50
  “The British people” will be “in control” of Brexit and able to change the deal the government negotiates, Michael Gove has said.The environment secretary, one of the most prominent Brexiteers in the Cabinet, said the deal could be changed by a future government if voters did not like it.He was speaking ahead of a reported showdown meeting where Theresa May and her ministers will discuss Brexit’s “end state”.On Friday, Gove praised May after she sec
  
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• Syrian Refugee Children Face Hidden Mental Health Crisis

  09-12-2017 08:02
  Fleeing the horrors of war, thousands of Syrian children have lost their innocence to violence, sexual abuse, grief and pain. So, when they reach a place safe from the threats of conflict, the battle for their mental health is often just beginning. Refugee children as young as 12, some of whom may have witnessed the slaughter of a relative at the hands of so-called Islamic State or their friend choked to death by a chlorine bomb, are perhaps unsurprisingly turning to self-harm and
  
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• May’s Brexit breakthrough

  09-12-2017 05:30 via ft.com
  How did Theresa May unlock the stalled negotiations with the EU? What is in the divorce settlement?
  
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• Students fear they are being milked for cash by UK universities

  09-12-2017 05:00 via ft.com
  Soaring vice-chancellor pay and mounting undergraduate debt stir doubt on value for money
  
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• What happens now?

  09-12-2017 03:00 via bbc.co.uk
  With phase one ready to be signed off, here's a look the challenges ahead.
  
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