Political news

• 'Mary, Mel And Sue's Big Christmas Thank You' Has Viewers Longing For Old BBC 'Bake Off'

  24-12-2017 20:58
  There was a festive reunion for Mary Berry, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc on Christmas Eve, as they came together on TV for the first time since leaving ‘The Great British Bake Off’ last year.The trio delighted viewers as they held their ‘Big Christmas Thank You’, which saw them come together to throw a party for the residents of a deserving community in the Welsh valleys.However, the one-off show had fans feeling nostalgic about the BBC version of ‘Bake Off’,
  
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• Wagamama Restaurant Apologies After Threatening Disciplinary Action Over Christmas Sick Leave

  24-12-2017 19:04
  Wagamama has apologised after a manager told London staff they would face disciplinary action for calling in sick over the Christmas period.Unite the Union on Sunday posted a picture of a note left on a rota at the North Finchley branch that warned employees that it was the responsibility of ill staff to find colleagues to cover shifts.‘No calling in sick’, was written in bold lettering.The chain has since apolgised, explaining that the manager had feared team member shortages over t
  
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• Samaritans Volunteers Prepare For Around 10,000 Calls On Christmas Day

  24-12-2017 17:36
  Volunteers for the Samaritans have spoken of their experiences helping those in need over the festive season as they gear up for around 10,000 calls on Christmas Day.The charity is set to end a busy year by being on call for 123,000 hours over the Christmas period to listen to those having a tough time.Volunteer Arup Sen, 49, told the Press Association: “Last year there were some issues around money - with the adverts they’re being encouraged to spend both on Christmas presents, on f
  
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• Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's Husband Hopes For Boxing Day Birthday Release

  24-12-2017 16:27
  Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband is hopeful his wife will be released from an Iranian prison in time for her Boxing Day birthday.Richard Ratcliffe said he is waiting by the phone to be told the British-Iranian mother can return home.Speaking on BBC Radio 4′s Broadcasting House programme, he said: “She’s still in prison today, so best case is tomorrow.“It’s her birthday on Boxing Day so we were sort of hoping she’d be out for then.”Zaghari-Ratcli
  
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• Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'Eligible For Release From Iranian Jail Next Month', Report Claims

  24-12-2017 16:12
  Jailed British woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be eligible for early conditional release next month after completing a third of her sentence, an Iranian judiciary spokesman has said.Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi noted a law relating to conditional releases upon completion of a third of the term for sentences less than 10 years, according to the report by Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agencyZaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow the governm
  
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• UK Weather: White Christmas ‘Quite Likely’ For Some Parts Of The UK

  24-12-2017 16:02
  Dreams of a White Christmas could be realised for some, with rural Scotland having the highest chance of experiencing the enchanting event.A spokesman for the Met Office said: “It’s quite likely that parts of Scotland, particularly the southern uplands and possibly the central hills above a couple of hundred metres or so, will see some snow.“It is most likely to fall through the afternoon and in to the evening over Christmas Day.Most of us will not see a #WhiteChristmas but it
  
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• 'Call The Midwife' Star Jennifer Kirby On The Secrets Of The Show's Enduring Appeal

  24-12-2017 15:51
  Call The Midwife’s reach goes far further than you might imagine. With 9.2 million viewers, 2016′s Christmas episode was the most-watched show of the day and its most recent series regularly pulled in over 10 million.Jennifer Kirby - a relative newcomer to the show, having joined the cast earlier this year - was a fan of ‘Call The Midwife’ long before she stepped foot in Nonnatus House and credits its success to the fact “it touches so many people and it&r
  
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• Theresa May 'Set To Abandon Free Vote Pledge On Fox Hunting Ban', Report Claims

  24-12-2017 15:36
  Theresa May will reportedly abandon her Conservative general election manifesto pledge to give MPs a free vote on whether to overturn the fox hunting ban.According to the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister will in early 2018 announce plans to permanently drop the commitment to a House of Commons vote, in a move which would risk infuriating rural Tories.A Downing Street source described the report as “pure speculation”, but reiterated the Government’s position: “There is no
  
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• UK cabinet ministers 'concerned over Brexit campaign tax demands'

  24-12-2017 15:10 via theguardian.com
  Boris Johnson and Michael Gove reported to be critical of tax bills, while others deride complaints as ‘bungs’ for wealthy donorsSenior UK cabinet ministers have reportedly expressed concerns after prominent leave campaigners who donated large sums to the Brexit campaigns during the 2016 referendum recently received tax demands from HMRC.The demands from HMRC hinge on inheritance tax rules that require tax to be paid upfront on large gifts. Party political donations, as well as donat
  
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• Damian Green: Kate Maltby Considering Legal Action After Text Messages Leaked

  24-12-2017 15:10
  The woman whose allegations sparked the inquiry leading to Damian Green’s sacking is considering legal action or complaining to the press regulator after “inaccurate” text messages between her and the former cabinet minister were leaked.Kate Maltby said she has been “forced to consider all recourse” after the Mail on Sunday published messages between her and Green, sent after the Conservative MP had allegedly acted inappropriately towards her.In a series of tweets,
  
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• Vice Admits ‘Boy’s Club’ Culture Allowed Sexual Harassment To Flourish

  24-12-2017 14:44
  Vice Media has issued an apology, admitting the media company had allowed a “boy’s club” atmosphere including sexual harassment to flourish.Vice Chief Executive Officer Shane Smith and co-founder Suroosh Alvi released a statement after the New York Times published a story outlining four settlements by the company involving allegations of sexual harassment or defamation against Vice employees. The newspaper also reported that more than two dozen women had experienced o
  
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• Brexit: EU Nationals Should Pay £10 For UK Visa, Report Suggests

  24-12-2017 14:33
  European Union nationals should be charged £10 for a visa to enter Britain after Brexit, a report backed by an influential group of Leave-backing Tory MPs recommends.It calls for the UK to introduce a visa waiver system, similar to the United States’ ESTA, to raise £150 million a year to boost the budget for investing in a high-tech border after Brexit.The report, authored by Tory MP Craig Mackinlay and backed by the Brexiteer European Research Group, suggests the system would
  
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• Two Dead In M40 Crash In Oxfordshire

  24-12-2017 12:56
  Two men have died after a multi-vehicle crash on the M40 that left another with serious leg injuries.Police and paramedics were called to the M40 northbound in Oxfordshire, between junctions 10 and 11, at just before 11.40pm on Saturday.Thames Valley Police said a 60-year-old man from Oxfordshire and a 29-year-old man from Warwickshire died as a result of the collision.Both crews from Bicester plus @firebanbury and Kidlington working with @SCAS999@tvprp@HighwaysSEAST at #M40 J10-11 incident sinc
  
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• London Zoo Fire: ZSL Reopens On Christmas Eve After Blaze That Killed Aardvark

  24-12-2017 12:27
  ZSL London Zoo reopened on Christmas Eve after a blaze which killed an aardvark.The zoo has confirmed the death of nine-year-old Misha the aardvark and said four meerkats who shared an enclosure with her are presumed dead.The fire broke out at approximately 6am on Saturday in the Animal Adventure section of the zoo, and spread to an adjacent shop.Dominic Jermey, director general for ZSL, said: “We are absolutely devastated that Misha has passed away.“We had our vet team on site immed
  
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• Army halts plans to ditch 'Be the Best' slogan

  24-12-2017 12:20 via bbc.co.uk
  The 'Be the Best' slogan and crest depicting crossed swords, a crown and a lion, will stay.
  
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• Leaders Urge Pride In Christian Heritage And Compassion To Others In Christmas Messages

  24-12-2017 11:52
  Theresa May has urged Britons to take pride in the country’s Christian heritage at Christmas because it gives everyone the confidence to practice their religion “free from question or fear”.In her Christmas message, the Prime Minister also paid tribute to the “heroes” in the emergency services who responded to the Grenfell Tower fire and “abhorrent” terror attacks in Manchester and London.Unlike last year, May makes no mention of Brexit, but calls on Bri
  
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• North Korea Describes UN Sanctions As ‘An Act Of War’

  24-12-2017 11:37
  North Korea has described the latest UN sanctions against it as an “act of war” and tantamount to a complete economic blockade against it.The country’s foreign ministry made its announcement on Sunday and threatened to punish those who supported the measure.The UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil and its earni
  
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• ‘Celebrity Big Brother’: Rachel Johnson Is First Housemate Confirmed For New Series

  24-12-2017 11:30
  Rachel Johnson has been confirmed as the first housemate to enter the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house when the show returns in January.The journalist - and sister of Foreign Secretary Boris - will join an all-female house when the new series kicks off on 2 January on Channel 5.It’s the second relative of Boris to feature in a reality series in the last few months after his father, Stanley Johnson, took part in this year’s ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of H
  
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• George Michael’s Family Share Poignant Message On Eve Of The First Anniversary Of Singer’s Death

  24-12-2017 11:01
  George Michael’s family have urged fans of the singer to tell their loved ones what they mean to them on the eve of the first anniversary of his death.The ‘Careless Whisper’ singer was found dead at his home in Goring-in-Thames, Oxfordshire, by boyfriend Fadi Fawaz on Christmas Day last year.One year on, George’s sisters Melanie and Yioda and their dad Jack said in a statement: “This Christmas will be hard without him, but we know that we are not alone in our mourni
  
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• Together We Can Keep More Syrian Children Safe, Happy And Warm This Winter

  24-12-2017 10:31
  Syria is one of the most dangerous places to be a child.This statement may not mean much to you and it may even, quite understandably, be overlooked by most, as headline after headline continue to tell us that we are now in the midst of an ever-growing number of humanitarian crises taking place across the world.But it does mean something. It means everything. It means something must be done. 
  As we prepare for Christmas and the New Year with our loved ones, millions of vulnerable children w
  
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• Rachel Johnson to take part in Celeb Big Brother

  24-12-2017 10:00 via bbc.co.uk
  Journalist Rachel Johnson, who is the sister of Boris Johnson, will take part in the first all female Celeb Big Brother.
  
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• If A Middle-Aged Oriental Gay Female Can Make It All The Way To The GBBO Tent, Then What’s Stopping You?

  24-12-2017 09:51
  It is mid-December 2016 and in a moment of madness (or clarity), I quit my job – I won’t bore you with the minutiae of the events that lead to my departure, but at my leaving party I had to give a speech. I apologised to my friends for not being strong enough to stay and said I am tearful at leaving them a man down. I said my goodbyes and my boss hugged me and whispered “you are stronger than you think, because you CHOSE to go”.Within a week of leaving, I am happier than
  
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• Leon Bernicoff Dead: Wife June Leads Tributes As 'Gogglebox' Stars Past And Present Remember 'Show's Grandad'

  24-12-2017 09:47
  ‘Gogglebox’ star June Bernicoff has led the tributes to her husband Leon Bernicoff, following his death on Saturday.The sad news was announced on Channel 4’s Twitter account, stating that the 83-year-old died in hospital after a short period of illness.His wife June, who along with Leon was one of the original ‘Gogglebox’ stars, took to Twitter on Saturday to thank fans for their messages.She wrote: “Thank you folks for all your wonderful messages. Leon would
  
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• UK's Christian heritage stressed in PM's Christmas message

  24-12-2017 09:14 via bbc.co.uk
  In their Christmas messages the prime minister and the Labour leader praise those who help others.
  
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• Chief executives are hard to embarrass: rules on pay must get even tougher

  24-12-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  The government needs to make it mandatory not just for public companies to publish pay data, but private ones tooTheresa May has attacked excessive boardroom pay as the “unacceptable face of capitalism”. The prime minister said in the summer that too many firms fell “short of the high standards we expect of them” when they ignored the concerns of their shareholders by awarding pay rises to bosses that far outstrip the company’s performance.Employers were also guilty
  
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• The press’s war on Kate Maltby risks a Leveson revival

  24-12-2017 07:59 via theguardian.com
  In the aftermath of Damian Green’s resignation, there is close focus on the role of the police. But the media has many questions to answer tooKate Maltby was accused of “immense narcissism” and of “demeaning” other women who had “legitimate complaints” when she wrote about being propositioned by a cabinet minister, as well as being a disappointment to her family and a “very pushy lady”.The fallout from the forced resignation of that mini
  
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• Ups and downs

  24-12-2017 02:15 via bbc.co.uk
  It was a rollercoaster year in British politics - here's how the opinion polls reflected it.
  
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• A Britain of common values was always a myth. By arguing, we shape ourselves | Kenan Malik

  24-12-2017 01:05 via theguardian.com
  The heated row over UK passports has been more about symbolism than ideas – typical of our timesWhat links the results of the Catalonia elections last week with the row in Britain over the proposed new blue passport? The one is the latest expression of the polarised character of electorates, the other of the way that the most arbitrary, irrelevant issues can become the focus of intense political controversy. Neither polarisation nor conflicts over arbitrary issues is new. But both have bec
  
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