Political news

• Theresa May Urged To Appoint Advisory Panel On Grenfell Inquiry By MP David Lammy

  13-12-2017 23:10
  An MP has urged Theresa May to stop the Grenfell inquiry from “distant and unresponsive” by appointing a panel of people from the community to help its chair.Ahead a memorial to mark six months since the tragedy, Labour MP David Lammy added his voice to calls for the inquiry to be assisted by a panel of people from the community, after lawyers spent two days this week arguing over how survivors and families of those who died in the June 14 blaze, which killed 71 people, be heard
  
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• 'The Apprentice': Michaela Wain Hits Out At Lord Sugar's Advisor Claudine Collins Over 'Personal' Interview

  13-12-2017 23:00
  Fired ‘Apprentice’ candidate Michaela Wain has hit out at Lord Sugar’s advisor Claudine Collins for bringing her personal life up during her interview. Viewers of the BBC business-based reality show saw the contestant open up as the show hit its infamous interview round, but she has now claimed she tried to “break” her in scenes we didn’t see. Speaking to HuffPost UK following her exit on Wednesday (13 December), Michaela revealed she actually stood up to Clau
  
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• 'The Apprentice': Elizabeth McKenna Eyes 'This Morning' Presenting Role With Number One Fan Rylan Clark Neal

  13-12-2017 23:00
  She has been the stand-out star of this year’s ‘Apprentice’ and it seems we could be seeing more of Elizabeth McKenna, as she has designs on hosting ‘This Morning’ with Rylan Clark-Neal.The florist became one of three candidates to be fired during Wednesday’s semi-final of the BBC business show, but she’s already turning her attention to the future.After ‘This Morning’ showbiz reporter and stand-in host Rylan came out as a massive fan of Eliz
  
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• Nadine Dorries Rages At 'Treacherous' Tory MPs After Brexit Rebellion

  13-12-2017 22:34
  Nadine Dorries has launched an extraordinary attack on fellow Tory MPs who  voted against the Government on Brexit, arguing they should be deselected and “never allowed to stand as MPs again”.On Wednesday night, 309 MPs voted in favour of putting into law that MPs would get a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal agreed with Brussels.Just 305 MPs sided with the Government, giving the rebels victory and with it Theresa May’s first Parliamentary defeat as Prime Minister.Some 12
  
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• EU Withdrawal Bill: The 12 Tories Who Voted Against Theresa May On Brexit

  13-12-2017 21:29
  Twelve Tory MPs have received plaudits from across the political divide for voting against the Government in order to put into law that MPs would get a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal agreed with Brussels.Parliament has taken back control. The final Brexit deal will have to be approved by Parliament. Hats off to the Tory rebels who held firm and stuck to their principles. #EUWithdrawalBill#Amendment7— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) December 13, 2017Just 305 MPs sided with the Government, giv
  
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• Pro-EU rebels inflict Brexit defeat on Theresa May

  13-12-2017 21:13 via ft.com
  UK prime minister loses her first major legislative vote over plans to exit the EU
  
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• Facebook criticised for ‘not answering questions’ on Russia ads

  13-12-2017 20:27 via ft.com
  MP hits out at Zuckerberg over Moscow-linked accounts before Brexit vote
  
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• Analysis: Defeat On The EU Withdrawal Bill Is Embarrassing But Not Fatal For Theresa May

  13-12-2017 20:26
  On Monday, Theresa May seemed to have achieved the impossible and united both Brexit wings of her party behind her Brussels deal.Two days later, and that divisions are once again plain for all to see.Despite assurances from David Davis, and May herself, that MPs would get a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal agreed with the EU, Tory rebels were not convinced and tonight have shown that they are not afraid to inflict defeat on their own party.For May, this is a frustration, an embarrassment, but
  
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• Tory Rebels Defeat Theresa May On Key Part Of Brexit Withdrawal Bill

  13-12-2017 20:19
  Theresa May has been defeated on a key part of the Brexit process by her own MPs.This evening, 309 MPs voted in favour of putting into law that MPs would get a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal agreed with Brussels.Just 305 MPs sided with the Government, giving the rebels victory and with it, Theresa May’s first Parliamentary defeat as Prime Minister.MPs realised the Government had been defeated when the teller for those backing the amendment stood nearest the opposition benches - a
  
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• Grenfell Criminal Investigation Could Take Years, Met Commissioner Cressida Dick Says

  13-12-2017 19:50
  The police’s criminal investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire is likely to last until 2019 at the earliest and could even take several years to complete, the Metropolitan Police commissioner said on Wednesday.Cressida Dick said it will take a “considerable period of time” to go through the interviews and evidence the force has collected in the past six months.Relatives of the victims have told HuffPost UK that the most important thing was for police conduct a thorough i
  
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• Maybot's fawning reception from cabinet evaporates at PMQs

  13-12-2017 19:48
  The prime minister is just as hopeless and out of depth as her party originally suspectedWhat a difference a couple of days make. On Monday, Theresa May was given a fawning reception by her own benches in the Commons for deferring the tricky stuff and progressing the EU negotiations to the second phase. Despite the best efforts of David Davis to torpedo the preliminary agreement before it had even been ratified.Come prime minister’s questions, many on the Tory benches appeared to have had
  
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• Labour Delays Inquiry Into Alleged Misconduct By MP Kelvin Hopkins

  13-12-2017 19:22
  A Labour investigation into alleged sexual harassment by MP Kelvin Hopkins has been delayed to give the former Shadow Cabinet minister more time to defend himself.The 76-year-old leftwinger faces separate claims of inappropriate conduct towards a 27-year-old activist and towards fellow MP Kerry McCarthy.Party member Ava Etemadzadeh alleged that Hopkins sent her an inappropriate text and rubbed his crotch against her after a student event in 2014.Bristol East MP McCarthy was prompted by the case
  
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• Government Could Help Save 97 Million Lives By Supporting UN Health Goals, MPs Say

  13-12-2017 18:41
  The UK government could help save millions of lives across the world if it commits to a UN health strategy, MPs say.The G20 Health and Development Partnership met in Parliament for the first time this week to agree its strategy to push global health up on the G20 agenda, and convince governments and treasuries around the world to make global health a core economic issue.Diplomats from Argentina, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey and Japan met MPs, Foreign Office staff and Lords to assess
  
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• The Resistible Rise Of Far-Right Extremism

  13-12-2017 18:33
  Since the infamous retweeting of Britain First, the extreme far-right is dominating the news once again and we are now marking the anniversary that neo-Nazi organisation National Action was banned in the UK. Inevitably, they tried to circumvent the ban by rebranding themselves, so in last 12 months another two white supremacist groups have followed suit, Scottish Dawn and NS131.The ban (proscription) is a tough piece of legislation; it means these groups are officially designated terrorist organ
  
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• Remember The Children Whose Presents Will Be Placed Under Another Family’s Christmas Tree

  13-12-2017 18:33
  As you prepare for a jolly family Christmas, spare a thought for the children whose presents will be placed under another family’s tree. This year more than 65,000 children and young people in the UK will spend Christmas separated from their own families, living in foster care. While foster families will do everything they can to make it a special day, Christmas can be the most difficult time for looked after children, and for the people who care for them.It is the time of year when separa
  
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• US surrounds new London embassy with a moat

  13-12-2017 18:09 via ft.com
  Heavily defended yet delicate glass box is city’s first new moated building since medieval era
  
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• I Cannot Visualise Anything. I Close My Eyes And Only See Grey

  13-12-2017 18:05
  I first became aware of my ‘condition’ as a small child. I could not get to sleep, and my father or my sister would say, “Just close your eyes, and picture sheep jumping over a wall. Count the sheep. You’ll soon go to sleep”. I tried, but told them I couldn’t see anything when I closed my eyes, just a greyness. Nobody believed me. “Don’t be silly everybody can see pictures when they close their eyes”. This was news to me, and I decided not to
  
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• Looking forward

  13-12-2017 18:03 via bbc.co.uk
  Adam Fleming explains we learned from the EU parliament vote on the Brexit deal.
  
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• Meghan Markle's Strathberry Leather Bag Is Being Auctioned For Charity

  13-12-2017 17:49
  The nano tote Meghan Markle wore to the Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair is up for auction.When Markle stepped out in Nottingham with Prince Harry on 1 December, her adorable burgundy Strathberry bag sold out within 11 minutes of being spotted on her arm.Now, one lucky fan will have the chance to own one just like the future royal, while also making a (sizable) donation to charity.  The British brand is using the last example of this bag n their possession t
  
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• How To Help The Homeless At Christmas

  13-12-2017 17:46
  As temperatures plunge to record lows and with snow still fresh on ground, rough sleepers are at risk far more than during the rest of the year.The freezing weather leaves those who have nowhere warm to stay at best extremely uncomfortable, and at worst in a genuinely life-threatening situation, at risk from exposure and hypothermia.Rough sleepers HuffPost UK spoke to this week during the sub-zero temperatures said they knew of somebody who had died as a result of extreme weather conditions.Ther
  
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• Why Your Success At School Isn’t Always Determined By An Ofsted Rating

  13-12-2017 17:44
  Most of my teens were spent at a school placed in ‘special measures’. It was pretty rough around the edges: fights on the tennis courts were a weekly affair, kids smoked in the toilets and disruptive behaviour was the norm.I spent five years at that school and, while it was far from perfect, I’d say those years really moulded the person I am today. I grew up and worked alongside people from all walks of life and all backgrounds, most of the teachers seemed to be passionate abou
  
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• Tulse Hill Hit And Run: Two Drivers Traced After Woman Was Run Over By 4 Vehicles

  13-12-2017 17:38
  Two of the four drivers involved in a fatal hit and run have been traced, police say.On Monday a 29-year-old woman died after being struck by two lorries and two cars as she crossed the road at a pedestrian crossing in Tulse Hill, south London.The victim, who was from Wandsworth, was first struck by an HGV and was subsequently hit by a second lorry and two cars, with no drivers stopping at the scene.The 49-year-old driver of the first lorry involved in the collision has since been traced and int
  
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• Hatchimals Manufacturer Investigating Claims Bath Bombs Gave A Girl Chemical Burns

  13-12-2017 17:24
  The manufacturer of Hatchimals, the toy ranked one of the most popular items on children’s Christmas lists for 2017, is investigating claims a spin-off product is giving children chemical burns.Mum, Jennifer Renee posted on her Facebook page to warn other families, after her daughter suffered a “chemical reaction” from spending only seconds in the bath with a Hatchimals bath bomb.Her doctor said it was not an allergic reaction but a superficial burn to
  
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• Surprise! Black Women Are Political Actors

  13-12-2017 16:59
  In the run up to the 2016 general election, Americans were fed a steady diet of stories of white economic anxiety and resentment. White people were angry. Their jobs had disappeared overseas, real wages had stagnated and they felt under siege at home by fast changing demographic shifts that would see them become a minority in the not too distant future. This trope about white rage and economic precarity became the explanation for most of what we witnessed in a bad tempered election and in the fi
  
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• It's Christmas Quiz Time! Test Your Knowledge Of Festive Favourites From Mariah Carey, Band Aid And More...

  13-12-2017 16:58
  The Christmas season is truly upon us. Starbucks has broken out its red cups, people around the country are shaking their heads at their local shopping centre’s decorative efforts and Mariah Carey is getting ready to treat herself to a new pair of shoes when those ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ royalties start rolling in once again.Yes, everywhere we go, we’re starting to hear our favourite festive tunes, from ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ to &lsquo
  
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• Salford House Fire: Fourth Child Dies In Hospital As Two Are Charged With Murder

  13-12-2017 16:48
  A three-year-old girl who was left fighting for her life after a house fire in Manchester has died. Lia Pearson passed away in hospital on Wednesday after the blaze in the early hours of Monday morning, which claimed the lives of her siblings Demi, 15, Brandon, 8 and Lacie, 7. Their mother Michelle Pearson is critically ill in hospital. Before Lia’s death was announced, Zac Bolland, 23, and Courtney Brierley, 20, both of Worsley, Salford, were each charged with three counts of mu
  
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• How Looking Out For Guy Friends On A Night Out Could Save Lives

  13-12-2017 16:37
  It’s a well known thing that if you’re female, you should share a cab after a night out or text your mates when you’re home to let them know you’re safe. Unfortunately the same care isn’t taken to ensure guys get home okay - and this needs to change.A sobering new report from the University of Portsmouth has revealed that men are more likely to go missing on a night out and be found dead in December than at any other time of the year.The reports comes after the BBC
  
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• Louis Walsh Talks Westlife Reunion, And Why Brian McFadden Won't Be Back

  13-12-2017 16:23
  Westlife manager Louis Walsh has confirmed the boyband will be reuniting in the new year, without one of its original members.Brian McFadden (aka. The Artist Formerly Known As Bryan McFadden) will not be involved in the reunion tour, despite having expressed an interest in reforming with his former bandmates as recently as last year.Louis told The Sun: “It will be the Fab Four. Totally. The four of them just see them themselves as Westlife.”He added that there was no room for changin
  
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• Zehra Allibhai: The Instagram Star Inspiring Muslim Women Online To Start Their Fitness Journeys

  13-12-2017 16:14
  Despite there being tonnes of Instagram-famous fitness stars, it can sometimes feel as if the online space lacks diversity when it comes to fitspiration. When personal trainer Zehra Allibhai, 35, from Canada, started her account in 2014 with a mission to share workouts and nutrition tips for new mums, she had no idea she’d become a role model for muslim women online.As Allibhai’s following grew, she became one of very few visible hijabi women int the fitness scene on Instagram.&
  
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• Zehra Allibhai: The Fitness Star Inspiring Muslim Women Online To Start Their Fitness Journeys

  13-12-2017 16:14
  Despite there being tonnes of Instagram-famous fitness stars, it can sometimes feel as if the online space lacks diversity when it comes to fitspiration. When personal trainer Zehra Allibhai, 35, from Canada, started her account in 2014 with a mission to share workouts and nutrition tips for new mums, she had no idea she’d become a role model for muslim women online.As Allibhai’s following grew, she became one of very few visible hijabi women int the fitness scene on Instagram.&
  
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• The World Generated 4,500 Eiffel Towers' Worth Of Electronic Waste Last Year

  13-12-2017 16:02
  The world produced 44.7 million metric tons of electronic waste in 2016, according to a new United Nations report. To put that in perspective, that’s equivalent to the weight of 4,500 Eiffel Towers. Laid out in a line, the waste would stretch from New York to Bangkok and back ―28,160km.Global e-waste ― discarded electronic and electrical goods such as mobile phones, laptops, televisions, refrigerators and electrical toys – rose 8 percent from
  
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• Der Spiegel Put Audio Recording Of Morrissey Interview Online After Singer Denies Supporting Kevin Spacey

  13-12-2017 15:53
  A recording of the interview Morrissey gave to German newspaper Der Spiegel has been made public by the publication.The former Smiths frontman hit the headlines last month when the interview, in which he gave his opinions on the sexual harassment allegations sweeping through Hollywood, was published, He also said Kevin Spacey had been “unnecessarily attacked” after he was accused of sexual misconduct towards actor Anthony Rapp when he was just 14 years old.Der Spiegel took
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Slams Theresa May Over 'National Disgrace' Of Homelessness

  13-12-2017 15:52
  Jeremy Corbyn has slammed the government over its record on homelessness and rough sleeping.The Labour leader said rates have risen every year since 2010 - with more than 120,000 children living in temporary accommodation - branding the situation a “national disgrace”.He used Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday as a chance to ask Theresa May whether she would pledge to ensure homelessness falls next year.“It is too late for this Christmas, but will the prime minister
  
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• 10 Ways Toni & Guy Floored Us With Their Incredibly Iconic Creations

  13-12-2017 15:52
  News of Toni and Guy’s co-founder Giuseppe ‘Toni’ Mascalo’s death was shared with fans by his family on 12 December. Mascalo founded the hairdressing company, along with his brother Gaetano, otherwise known as Guy, in 1963 - a time when London was rebuilding itself as one of Europe’s leaders in music, art and, of course, style.  The brothers soon became the go-to stylists in the world of high-end hairdressing for catwalk shows and magazine spread
  
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• Seven Reasons I Refuse To Let Stigma Make Me Feel Ashamed

  13-12-2017 15:48
  Living with a mental illness is hard enough as it is without all the extra baggage that stigma would heap on top of you. When going through a period of depression, or anxiety stigma would have you believe that you must be weak. A failure. Unable to handle what is thrown at you whilst others can. There is stigma attached to taking medication, seeing a therapist, being ‘too’ open about your feelings or from just suffering from it in the first place.Here are 7 reasons that I refuse to l
  
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• Football: A New Tragedy

  13-12-2017 15:48
  The financial inflation of modern sport has taken a toll on widespread attitudes towards it. Numerically, sport remains the world’s most popular entertainment method. However, as transfer fees and salaries get progressively astronomical, the looming notion that athletes do not deserve such reward for partaking in what is ‘just a game’ has cast a shadow on the way sport is viewed in modern society. Sport - despite its enduring popularity – has always been seen as a lesser
  
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• The Death Of Masculinity

  13-12-2017 15:26
  It is safe to say that femininity in its many forms has changed a lot over the past few decades. I think it’s also safe to say that aside from a few adamant keyboard warriors, this has generally been considered to be a great thing. The very fact that we’re now so enraged by the thought of having to wear skirts and heels at work shows how far we’ve come. Not too long before that, office-wear wouldn’t have been an issue, because we simply wouldn’t have been in the off
  
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• Royal Ramblings: The Who's Jew of Wrestling III

  13-12-2017 15:20
  ‘Tis the season to be jolly and many wrestling fans will be looking forward to the annual Raw and Smackdown Xmas specials. Christmas this year falls just after the Jewish festival of Chanukah and as Adam Sandler has explained in his infamous song, its nice to do something for the Jewish kids at this time of year and so, as we have done before (in part one and part two), we’re offering our who’s Jew of the wrestling world!Of course, with this being our third outing, we’ve
  
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• Royal Ramblings Meets Rosemary

  13-12-2017 14:52
  Creative, athletic, dynamic, death-defying, irrepressible, indefatigable, impressive and lets not forget very, very frightening! Holly Letkeman aka Rosemary encapsulates the entertainment greatness that so many of us loved about wrestling when we were hooked as young people. We plucked up the courage to talk to Rosemary about her Canadian roots, her work at Impact and her thoughts on Decay. Read on and make sure to see her on Impact on Spike in the UK at 9pm on Fridays!Johnny Impact and Taya Val
  
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• What Primary School Children Need To Know About Fast Fashion

  13-12-2017 14:48
  The fashion industry has a major impact on the environment from its carbon footprint to pollution caused by manufacture and environmental damage caused by disposal of clothing in landfill.According to Greenpeace, over two billion pairs of jeans are produced each year with a typical pair taking 7,000 litres of water to produce. It is estimated that around 400billion square meters of textiles are produced each year, of which 60billion square meters will become factory waste. Only a quarter of this
  
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• The 2017 Christmas Fashion And Beauty Gift Guide For People Who Want To Give Sustainably

  13-12-2017 14:47
  Festive fact: the amount of wrapping paper thrown away at Christmas in the UK alone, would stretch to the moon, according to research by Wrap.Luckily for eco-conscious fashion and beauty fans an increasing amount of brands are coming up with new ways to reduce their environmental impact, to lessen the impact of our consumerism at this time of year.We’ve rounded up a selection of sustainable goodies that will please your most stylish friends:Spice Of Life body scrub from Ange
  
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• Age

  13-12-2017 14:47
  Remember that feeling of counting down the days to your next birthday as child? How that three quarters at the end of ‘8 and three quarters’ meant so much?. If you’ve got siblings, the age difference can feel like the defining factor in access to late nights, not tidying your room and other “grown up things”. But at some point there’s a change where we become a bit more vague about our age. The number that we were once so proud of defining us at the start, the
  
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• The pressure mounts on David Davis 

  13-12-2017 14:31 via ft.com
  Mood turns sour again, with Brexit secretary engaged in arguments at home and abroad
  
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• PMQs: Theresa May Denies Philip Hammond Claimed Disabled Workers Were Lowering Productivity

  13-12-2017 14:22
  Theresa May has denied Philip Hammond claimed an increase in disabled workers was responsible for lower UK productivity rates.The chancellor was heavily criticised last week after he told the Commons Treasury select committee: ”“It is almost certainly the case that by increasing participation in the workforce, including far higher levels of participation by marginal groups and very high levels of engagement in the workforce, for example of disabled people - something we should be ext
  
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• Why Care About Farm Animal Welfare?

  13-12-2017 14:21
  It’s simple. Nearly one billion animals are farmed every year in the UK for food - that’s a staggering 56 times more farm animals than there are pet cats and dogs!But sadly many of these animals are kept in conditions which the majority of us probably don’t think are good enough.Take chickens, for example.Most of them have more space in the roasting tin than when they’re alive.They can be kept tightly packed together in barns with no natural light and are bred to grow so
  
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• How To Make Salt Dough Decorations: Recipe And Ideas For Christmas

  13-12-2017 14:20
  Getting crafty with kids isn’t always an easy task, but thankfully this festive creation is really simple to do. Salt dough tree decorations are easy to make with your children and require very little preparation or ingredients.To prove that, we filmed three kids - Archie, eight, Maisie, six, and Charlie, three, from London, - during a Christmas crafternoon at their house.The video gives you a visual guide of all the steps it takes to make the tree decorations.You will need:1 cup
  
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• Research With Larvae Could Save The Barrier Reef

  13-12-2017 14:19
  The Great Barrier Reef is one of nature’s most beautiful creations.But away from the golden shoreline under water our modern world is making it harder for the coral to survive.Now, if the scientists get it right, there is new hope that it might be saved for future generations.
  
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• Suicidal Depression And Anxiety: The Road To Self-Destruction

  13-12-2017 14:18
  The 8th November 2017 was the day I decided to kill myself.Being 40 and having suffered from depression and anxiety since I was about 10, it was a decision that certainly wasn’t made in haste. I’d had 30 years of periodic, often debilitating bouts of dark days and crippling panic attacks.When it first started I had no idea what depression was, I just suddenly felt sad all the time for no reason. In the beginning these sad spells didn’t last very long, so I didn’t really c
  
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• Theresa May Accuses Tory Rebels Of Damaging 'Smooth And Orderly' Brexit Ahead Of Crunch Vote

  13-12-2017 14:17
  Ahead of the vote on #Brexit amendments, @Anna_Soubry says “PM and I have many things in common, including if I may say, being proud of being called bloody difficult women” before speaking of Dominic Grieve “who is not in that category for many, many reasons”#pmqspic.twitter.com/DsUE6caU38— BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) December 13, 2017Theresa May has accused rebel Tory MPs of attempting to prevent a “smooth and orderly”
  
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• 130 English schools fail to gain ‘good’ rating in 10 years

  13-12-2017 14:08 via ft.com
  Ofsted chief reveals ‘intractable’ problems blocking improvements
  
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