Political news

• Theresa May seeks shift to vocational study in tuition fees review

  18-02-2018 23:59 via ft.com
  Prime minister to address growing financial burden of costs on students
  
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• Theresa May seeks shift to vocational study in tuition fee review

  18-02-2018 23:59 via ft.com
  Prime minister to address growing financial burden of costs on students
  
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• May talks up vocational courses ahead of fees review

  18-02-2018 23:59 via ft.com
  Bid to address growing financial burdens of course costs on students
  
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• May seeks shift to vocational study in tuition fee review

  18-02-2018 23:59 via ft.com
  Prime minister to address growing financial burden of costs on students
  
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• Poor Students Leave University With The Most Debt, Theresa May Admits

  18-02-2018 23:30
  Students from the poorest backgrounds are left with the highest levels of debt when they graduate, Theresa May is set to admit as she launches a review of university funding.The Prime Minister will use a speech on Monday to concede the UK has “one of the most expensive systems of university tuition in the world”, which leaves graduates saddled with thousands of pounds of debt.May will confirm the review will look into how students from the poorest backgrounds “receive maintenan
  
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• Baftas Winners List 2018: 'Three Billboards' Leads With Five Accolades

  18-02-2018 22:42
  On Sunday night, Hollywood’s biggest names mingled with the hottest British talent for the 71st Bafta Film Awards. ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ was the big winner on the night, taking home five prizes, including the highly-coveted Best Film accolade. Its lead star, Frances McDormand, also win Best Actress while Sam Rockwell beat his co-star, Woody Harrelson, to take away Best Supporting Actor. Other winners on the night included ‘Ge
  
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• Baftas Winners 2018: All The Actors And Films Who Triumphed At The Awards Ceremony

  18-02-2018 22:42
  On Sunday night, Hollywood’s biggest names mingled with the hottest British talent for the 71st Bafta Film Awards. With Joanna Lumley hosting for the first time, the evening kicked off with the award for Outstanding British Film.‘Get Out’ star Daniel Kaluuya was the first actor to take home a prize, winning the EE Rising Star Award, which was voted for by the public. Here are all the winners, in the order they were announced... Outstanding British Film: &lsq
  
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• Baftas 2018: Domestic Violence Activists 'Sisters Uncut' Storm The Red Carpet

  18-02-2018 22:13
  Campaigners have gate-crashed the red carpet ahead of the 2018 Baftas in protest at the Government’s domestic violence policies.‘Sisters Uncut’ said it was behind the protest that saw a group of women wearing T-shirts featuring the slogan ‘Time’s Up Theresa’ disrupt the start of the Royal Albert Hall event.Chanting “sisters united will never be defeated”, they took part in a sit-down protest over the Government’s Domestic Violence a
  
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• Looks We Love: Natalie Dormer's Sheer Bardot Dress At The Baftas 2018

  18-02-2018 21:45
  We love...Natalie Dormer wore a custom Alberta Ferretti off-the-shoulder gown with billowing sheer sleeves to the Bafta awards on Sunday 18 February. She also proudly sported a Time’s Up pin on the Bardot neckline.A post shared by aimeecroysdill (@aimeecroysdill) on Feb 18, 2018 at 12:21pm PSTWhy It Works:Bardot and cold shoulder styles have been dominating the high street for around three consecutive years now, but Dormer is here to teach us how something as simple as a sheer sleeve can u
  
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• Labour Activist Tony Greenstein Expelled From Party Over Antisemitism

  18-02-2018 21:37
  Labour activist Tony Greenstein has been expelled from the party over allegations of antisemitism.The Brighton-based member was suspended in 2016 and a disciplinary hearing into his conduct was delayed until January for health reasons. HuffPost UK understands the charges against him related to abusive online behaviour, including the use of the word “Zio”.A Labour spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that the party’s National Constitutional Committee had found him guilty on thr
  
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• Baftas 2018: The Duchess Of Cambridge Stands Out In Green Gown Amid Black Dress Protest

  18-02-2018 20:30
  The Duchess of Cambridge  stood out from the crowd in an olive green Jenny Packham gown at the 2018 Baftas.The majority of attendees wore black after a letter circulated inviting guests to do so in support of the Time’s Up initiative, which funds legal support for those who have been sexually harassed at work, and “to make a statement to show global solidarity and that the issue is not being forgotten, and to join hands with people across all industries who h
  
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• Baftas Red Carpet Pictures 2018: See All The Photos Of The Stars Arriving At The Award Ceremony

  18-02-2018 20:27
  The stars of British film were out in force alongside their Hollywood contemporaries on Sunday (18 February) night, for the Baftas at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The annual event honours the most breathtaking films, performances and crew efforts from the past 12 months but before the ceremony got underway, there was the small matter of the red carpet. With legions of fans lining the steps up to the Royal Albert Hall, celebrities including Timothée Chalamet, Margot Robbie and Le
  
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• Driving Instructors Told They'll Be Struck Off For Sexual Relationships With Young Students

  18-02-2018 20:14
  Driving instructors who have relationships with their young students risk being struck off the official register.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it will treat sexual relationships between instructors and students under 18 as exploitation, even if consensual.Breaching a position of trust in this way could mean instructors are considered a high risk to learners, and are removed from the approved driving instructor (ADI) register.Today I asked the PM to consider adding driving i
  
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• Baftas 2018: Gemma Arterton Attends With 'Original Dagenham Girls' Gwen Davis And Eileen Pullen

  18-02-2018 20:00
  Gemma Arterton attended the Baftas with two very special guests on Sunday (18 February) night, arriving with Gwen Davis and Eileen Pullen. The two women were part of the group who fought for equal pay at the Ford’s Dagenham factory back in 1968 and their story has special significance for Gemma, who went on to star in the stage musical about their fight. The actress introduced Gwen and Eileen during an interview with Edith Bowman on the red carpet. “They’re amazi
  
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• Baftas 2018: Letitia Wright And Natalie Dormer Lead The Black Dress Protest On The Red Carpet

  18-02-2018 19:35
  Letitia Wright and Natalie Dormer led the stars making a powerful fashion statement in black dresses at the 2018 Baftas.After the black dress protest stormed the Golden Globes, Wright was among the 200 British actors who co-signed a letter of support of the Time’s Up initiative, which funds legal support for those who have been sexually harassed at work.The letter read: “As we approach the Baftas – our industry’s time for celebration and
  
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• Abusive 'Move Your Van' Note Left On Parked Ambulance In Stoke-On-Trent

  18-02-2018 19:27
  Police are investigating an abusive note left on an ambulance in which an irate resident said they “couldn’t give a shit” if the whole street had collapsed.The hand-written message was placed on an emergency vehicle in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, demanding that paramedics move on.West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic mentor Katie Tudor posted a picture of the note on Twitter, copying in Staffordshire Police’s main account.So upset to be sent this by one of our crews thi
  
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• Optimism Alone Won’t Solve Climate Crisis. It’s Time To Blend In Fear

  18-02-2018 19:22
  Climate crisis is a thoroughly depressing and often seemingly hopeless subject. So it’s no wonder conventional wisdom dictates we need to focus solely on optimistic messages if we’re to get people engaged. It’s why I’ve left summits like UN Goalkeepers and Davos feeling pumped that climate solutions are on the horizon. But when I take a step back, the inconvenient truth is that we’re still so very, very far away from cracking climate crisis.The tangible consequences
  
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• Chancellor abandons red box for stripped-back mini-budget

  18-02-2018 19:22 via ft.com
  Spring Statement will contain no spending increases or tax changes
  
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• Bare Arms On TV: Let's Judge Women On Their Ability, Not Their Appearance

  18-02-2018 19:06
  “I haven’t been naked in years,” declared 52-year-old Carrie Fisher in her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, “I haven’t been sleeveless in twenty!” Upper arms are one of those parts of the body many women don’t dare to bare after 40, and after the controversial comments about bare arms by former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell, women will be under even more scrutiny from the body-shamers.Bizarrely, Campbell aimed her remarks at female TV presenters w
  
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• Labour hints at no compensation for PFI investors

  18-02-2018 18:42 via ft.com
  John McDonnell says MPs will decide what, if any, money shareholders should get
  
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• Theresa May Won’t Win A Penalty Shoot-out With The EU By Treating Its Citizens Like A Political Football

  18-02-2018 18:29
  Theresa May has faced heavy criticism at home and in Europe for her handling of Brexit talks. From the start, her government was accused of treating EU citizens like a bargaining chip to win new trade deals. There’s good reason why this has stuck.May has introduced so many red lines and conditions on EU negotiations it’s little surprise they have not progressed much. We know far more what Brexit is not than what it means. For example, the Prime Minister has vetoed staying in the sing
  
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• Back Off Tom Daley: Gay Parents Are Just As Good As Straight Ones

  18-02-2018 18:00
  I don’t know about you, but my belly is full from yet another display of our ‘tolerant generation’ in action. In case, you can’t tell, I’m being totally facetious; the reaction to the Valentine’s Day announcement that Tom Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black are expecting their first child was anything but ‘tolerant’.As was all too predictable, swathes of the red-faced reactionary media flocked to their keyboards to espouse their concerns over ever
  
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• Back Off Of Tom Daley: Gay Parents Are Just As Good As Straight Ones

  18-02-2018 18:00
  I don’t know about you, but my belly is full from yet another display of our ‘tolerant generation’ in action. In case, you can’t tell, I’m being totally facetious; the reaction to the Valentine’s Day announcement that Tom Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black are expecting their first child was anything but ‘tolerant’.As was all too predictable, swathes of the red-faced reactionary media flocked to their keyboards to espouse their concerns over ever
  
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• John McDonnell is right: Britain can easily nationalise water

  18-02-2018 17:40 via ft.com
  Real question is whether ownership changes would improve the utilities
  
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• Old £10 Note Cut-Off Date Is Fast Approaching - Here's What You Need To Know

  18-02-2018 17:36
  If you’ve got any old £10 notes, it’s time to get spending, as you now have less than two weeks until they cease to be legal tender.The Bank of England said around £2.1bn worth of old £10 notes need to be spent or exchanged before the cut-off date, according to the BBC.When is the old £10 note being taken out of circulation?The old note, featuring naturalist Charles Darwin, will cease to be legal tender from 2 March 2017.Does this mean I can’t spend the
  
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• Ministers warned on subsidy risk to offshore wind power projects

  18-02-2018 17:33 via ft.com
  At least 2 proposed floating farms under threat unless scheme extended
  
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• Brendan Cox resigns from charities amid sexual assault claims

  18-02-2018 17:11 via theguardian.com
  Husband of murdered MP denies allegations but admits ‘mistakes’ while at Save the ChildrenThe husband of the murdered MP Jo Cox has resigned from the two charities he set up in her memory after being publicly accused of sexual assault. Brendan Cox has stepped down from his posts at More in Common and the Jo Cox Foundation after allegations, printed in the Mail on Sunday, that he had assaulted a woman in her 30s at Harvard University in 2015. Police filed her complaint as assault and
  
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• Gerard Batten Defends Describing Islam As A 'Death Cult'

  18-02-2018 16:45
  Ukip’s acting leader has defended labelling Islam a “death cult”.Gerard Batten, who took the reins of the chaos-stricken party after Henry Bolton was ousted as leader on Saturday, claimed that a “significant minority” of Muslims are extremists who want to be martyred and insisted Islam “glorifies death”.The London MEP said Muslims migrating to the UK should reject the “dark age ideologies which many of them bring with them” through a literali
  
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• Labour 'control freakery' claims rejected

  18-02-2018 15:33 via bbc.co.uk
  A party row broke out after an internal election was cancelled.
  
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• Ukip's Gerard Batten reiterates his belief that Islam is a 'death cult'

  18-02-2018 15:31 via theguardian.com
  Interim leader says Muslims should sign a document renouncing parts of the Qur’anUkip’s interim leader, Gerard Batten, has reiterated his belief that Islam is a “death cult” and called for Muslims to be asked to sign a document renouncing parts of the Qur’an, in remarks that risk pushing the beleaguered party even further from the mainstream.Batten, an MEP for London, took over as party head on Saturday after Henry Bolton was removed at an emergency general meeting
  
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• Sunday Shows Round Up: Tuition Fees, Charity Abuse and 'Boris Johnson Is A Joke'

  18-02-2018 15:30
  University fundingIt was seen as one of Labour’s trump cards in the 2017 election, and today the Conservatives tried wrestle back control of the tuition fee debate by announcing a review of university finance.In an interview with Andrew Marr, Education Secretary Damian Hinds repeated his suggestion made in the Sunday Times that courses that cost less to run could have lower tuition fees. He quashed any notion that fees would be abandoned all together."We think it is right that if you benef
  
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• Brexit Causing A 'Non-Violent Civil War' But It Can Be Stopped, Says Sir Vince Cable

  18-02-2018 13:59
  Sir Vince Cable says the Lib Dem policy of holding a referendum on the final Brexit deal is now “much more appealing” to voters, despite the party not getting “any traction” with that message at the snap general election last year.It is six months since the 74-year-old was elected as Lib Dem leader, 30 years since his party was founded and one year until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union.Cable is speaking to HuffPost UK on Valentines Day - before meeti
  
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• Kylie Minogue Opens Up About 'Nervous Breakdown' Following Joshua Sasse Split

  18-02-2018 13:11
  Kylie Minogue has revealed she had a “nervous breakdown” following her break-up from ex-fiancé Joshua Sasse.In February last year, Kylie announced that she and Joshua had gone their separate ways a year after first going public with their engagement, and she’s now opened up about the difficulties she faced in the aftermath.Speaking to the Sunday Times, Kylie claimed she was left “broken” by the split, explaining: “I just wanted to stop. I knew I needed
  
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• Homeless Man Who Died Outside Parliament 'Had Been Deported Twice From UK'

  18-02-2018 12:52
  A homeless Portuguese national who died outside Parliament had been deported from the UK twice, it has been reported.The man, who has not yet been officially named, was deported in 2014 and 2016, the Ministry of Portuguese Communities Abroad told Portuguese daily Expresso, according to the Mail.Local media also reported that the first deportation took place after the man served prison time for sexually abusing a child.The man in his 40s, who is believed to have been a former model, was a regular
  
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• Tory Tuition Fee Plans Will Hurt Social Mobility, Warns Justine Greening

  18-02-2018 12:51
  Tory plans to make some university courses cheaper could have a serious impact on social mobility, former Education Secretary Justine Greening has warned her successor.Greening, who was sacked as Education Secretary in the January reshuffle, claimed cutting the cost of humanities and social science subjects could deter students from poorer backgrounds signing up for more expensive science and engineering courses.Her comments came after her successor in the job, Damian Hinds, said there could be
  
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• 12 Times Baftas 2018 Host Joanna Lumley Cemented Her Place As A National Treasure

  18-02-2018 12:23
  We don’t know about you, but as soon as Joanna Lumley was announced as the replacement for Stephen Fry as host of this year’s Baftas, it was a dead cert that we’d be tuning in.Now into her sixth decade in the entertainment industry, there’s no question that Joanna is a bona fide National Treasure.Here’s 12 times she cemented her place in the nation’s hearts... 1. James BondOne of Joanna’s first on-screen roles was as the imaginatively titled En
  
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• Emma Watson Donates £1 Million As British Stars Back 'Time's Up' Ahead Of Baftas

  18-02-2018 12:17
  Emma Watson has donated £1 million to The Justice And Equality Fund, which aims to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace.As well as her donation, Emma is one of around 200 British actresses who have co-signed a letter of support for the Time’s Up movement, ahead of tonight’s (18 February) Baftas, where all attendees will wear black outfits in solidarity with victims of sexual abuse and harassment.She told the Observer: “It’s easy to dismiss harassment and abuse
  
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• 'Everything depends on the UK red lines'

  18-02-2018 11:55 via bbc.co.uk
  The European Parliament's Brexit negotiator says talks are dependent on the red lines set down by the government.
  
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• Medical Cannabis Licence Urged For Six-Year-Old With Rare Form Of Epilepsy

  18-02-2018 11:42
  A little boy who suffers from a rare form of childhood epilepsy should be given a medical cannabis licence to help control his condition, MPs have said.Alfie Dingley’s epilepsy, PCDH19, triggers multiple serious seizures – at one point he had 3,000 seizures and 48 hospital visits in a year.Last September, the now-six-year-old travelled to the Netherlands where he was prescribed a cannabis-based medication prescribed by a paediatric neurologist, and saw the number of seizures he suffe
  
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• Timothée Chalamet Discusses How Lack Of 'Self-Identity' Affects His Mental Health

  18-02-2018 11:17
  ‘Call Me By Your Name’ actor Timothée Chalamet has spoken candidly about how he feels growing up with mixed heritage has affected his sense of “self-identity” and mental health.Timothée is currently up for the Rising Star award at this year’s Baftas, and spoke on a panel with his fellow nominees over the weekend.During the panel discussion, he discussed dividing his younger years between America and France, explaining (via Metro): “In the context
  
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• Rent-a-church spire plan to boost mobile phone coverage

  18-02-2018 10:41 via bbc.co.uk
  The government invites churches to let their spires be rented to improve the UK's mobile coverage.
  
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• MPs seek cut in high interest rates on student loans

  18-02-2018 10:39 via ft.com
  Government urged to consider reintroduction of grants for low income families
  
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• MPs call for cut in high interest rates on student loans

  18-02-2018 10:39 via ft.com
  Government urged to consider reintroduction of grants for low income families
  
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• Jamie Foxx Abruptly Ends Interview Over Katie Holmes Question

  18-02-2018 10:36
  It would appear that Jamie Foxx is still in no mood to discuss his relationship with Katie Holmes, bringing a live interview to a halt when their romance was brought up.Earlier this week, the Oscar-winning actor and singer was interviewed by ESPN presenter Michael Smith, ahead of a charity basketball game he was competing in.Jamie said of the game: “I’m always prepared, man. It’s a ready-made thing. All you have to do is add water.”Changing the subject quite drastically,
  
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• How To Backup Your iPhone To iCloud

  18-02-2018 10:00
  If your iPhone is stolen or gets broken, it can be pretty stressful – and even worse if you realise that the last time you backed your phone up to your laptop was weeks ago.There is a solution to this, and that’s iCloud. This is Apple’s rather nifty service that can keep a copy of all your photos, iMessages and even your WhatsApp messages safely stored out of harms reach.Rather than having to physically plug your phone into a laptop or computer every time you want to backu
  
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• Assassin's Creed Discovery Tour: Turning A Video Game Into A History Lesson

  18-02-2018 10:00
  For over a decade, the hugely-successful Assassin’s Creed video games have managed to convince us that history can be and is, fun.While their plots have always verged on the fantastical, throughout every era of history the developers have applied an almost monastic level of attention to detail in recreating these time periods.When set during the French Revolution, the game’s developers went to great lengths to make sure that every brick, every piece of stained glass housed within the
  
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• Brendan Cox Quits Charity Roles After Sexual Assault Allegations Resurface

  18-02-2018 09:51
  The husband of murdered MP Jo Cox has quit two charities set up in her memory after sexual assault allegations from his past resurfaced.Brendan Cox denied preying on two women while he was married to the late politician, but accepted “inappropriate” behaviour, saying: “I made mistakes and behaved in a way that caused some women hurt and offence.”Tweeting on Saturday night, Cox said:Last week I decided to step down from my public roles to face up to mistakes I made several
  
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• Christopher Nolan Won't Be Director Of Next 'James Bond' Film

  18-02-2018 09:46
  Film director Christopher Nolan has addressed the ongoing speculation that he will direct the next instalment in the ‘James Bond’ franchise.Since previous director Sam Mendes announced he would not be returning to the action franchise, there’s been much speculation about who would be taking over, with Christopher’s name repeatedly cropping up.However, in an interview with BBC Radio 4 show ‘Desert Island Discs’, he put the rumours to bed once and for all.He tol
  
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• 'Marcella' Series 1 Ending Explained, As Anna Friel Reprises Role For New Episodes

  18-02-2018 09:05
  Anna Friel is back as disturbed detective Marcella Backland, as crime noir ‘Marcella’ returns for a second series on Monday (19 February).The first run proved to be a massive hit for ITV in 2016, but nearly two years on from its conclusion, you’d be forgiven for not quite remembering how it all ended.Luckily for you, we’ve got that covered.The series focused on an 11-year-old case of a serial killer who had suddenly become active again.After returning to the murder s
  
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