Political news

• 'Marcella' Series 2 Episode 2 Review: The 8 Burning Questions It Left Us With

  26-02-2018 23:01
  If you thought Marcella’s return last week was dark, things just got a whole lot more sinister as ITV’s crime noir continued on Monday (26 February) night. While Marcella and her team appeared to be nowhere nearer cracking the case of murdered schoolboy Leo Priestley, viewers learned a lot more about the various strands of the story that were introduced last week. Some of these plotlines could obviously still turn out to be red herrings (anyone who watched the first series
  
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• Grand Canyon Helicopter Crash: Newlywed Ellie Udall Dies Four Days After Husband

  26-02-2018 22:44
  Honeymooner Ellie Udall has become the fifth Briton to die following a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon after failing to regain consciousness, the Foreign Office said.Her husband Jon Udall was also in the crash on February 10 and died four days ago.The 29-year-old was in a critical condition in University Medical Centre of Southern Nevada after the crash at the Arizona tourist attraction.Her family said: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of our daughter
  
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• Corbyn’s Brexit gamble risks alienating core supporters

  26-02-2018 22:21 via ft.com
  Labour leader senses opportunity to damage government with shift of position
  
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• Tories seek legal advice on vote after Jeremy Corbyn backs customs union

  26-02-2018 21:08 via theguardian.com
  Pro-Brexit MPs risk losing future vote on trade with EU after speech by Labour leaderConservative MPs have sought legal advice about the prospect of Theresa May losing a parliamentary vote on a post-Brexit customs union as Jeremy Corbyn made clear that it had now the support of Labour, the Guardian understands.The opposition leader attempted to outflank the Conservatives with the business community by promising to place such an arrangement firmly on the table in a speech on Monday that won the
  
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• Four Far-Right Plots Foiled In Past Year, Outgoing Anti-Terror Chief Says

  26-02-2018 20:48
  Four far-right plots and 10 Islamist-inspired schemes were thwarted last year, Britain’s leading anti-terror chief has confirmed.Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police’s outgoing head of counter-terrorism, told an audience in London that the plots were foiled by security services in 2017.Speaking two weeks before his retirement, Rowley said on Monday that the threat from far-right groups was “significant and concerning”.“It is important we make
  
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• Chris Grayling Branded 'Incompetent' As Department For Transport Spends £300m Over Budget

  26-02-2018 20:43
  Transport secretary Chris Grayling has been branded ‘incompetent’ after it emerged his department has spent more than £300 million over its annual budget.Ministers are expected to tell the Commons on Tuesday that 9% in additional spending had to be added to the Department for Transport budget to cover its costs this financial year - with the Treasury agreeing to stump up £60m to help meet shortfalls.It follows the collapse of the East Coast Mainline rail franchi
  
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• Prince Harry And Meghan Markle To Visit Birmingham

  26-02-2018 19:45
  Prince Harry and finance Meghan Markle will visit Birmingham next week as they continue a tour of Britain ahead of their wedding.The Royal couple will travel to the West Midlands city on Thursday 8th March - International Women’s Day.The pair will meet female students from local secondary schools during an event at the huge Millennium Point venue.They will learn how local charities and organisations are helping inspire the next generation of young women to pursue careers in Scien
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn’s welcome shift on the customs union

  26-02-2018 19:31 via ft.com
  The UK opposition party can now influence Conservative MPs on a more sensible Brexit
  
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• Madonna Complains To Manager Guy Oseary Over 'Songwriting Camps' As She Works On New Album

  26-02-2018 18:53
  It would seem Madonna isn’t exactly full of joy as she works on material for her new album.Madonna disclosed at the end of last year she was planning to release a new album in the near future - her first since 2015’s ‘Rebel Heart’.However, a revealing Instagram comment she posted on her manager Guy Oseary’s page seems to suggest she’s not loving the slog so far.On Friday (23 August), Guy shared a post to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Madonna’s
  
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• Corbyn’s Latest Brexit Position Betrays The Very Spirit Of Internationalism That He And Labour Claim To Hold So Dear

  26-02-2018 18:27
  In his landmark Brexit speech on Monday, Jeremy Corbyn announced that Labour would seek to keep Britain in a Customs Union with the EU after Brexit and, in doing so, be “internationalist”.Yet Corbyn’s latest position on Brexit betrays the very spirit of internationalism that he and Labour claim to hold so dear.In simple terms, remaining a member of any Customs Union would outsource our international trade policy to Brussels, despite no longer being part of the EU.The upside of
  
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• Kensington & Chelsea to borrow £220m for housing after Grenfell

  26-02-2018 18:14 via ft.com
  Conservative-led RBKC to announce social housing initiative ahead of local elections
  
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• Labour's Position On The Gender Recognition Act Is A Huge Mistake - And Women Need To Be Able To Talk About It

  26-02-2018 18:08
  In the past few weeks I have been called trash, disgusting, despicable, f**ing scum, compared to a Nazi, a white supremacist, and a supporter of apartheid South Africa. I have had the insults ‘TERF’ (trans exclusionary radical feminist), transphobe and bigot aimed at me too many times to count.I am one of the women Labour Party members who recently put my name to a crowdfunder to raise money for a legal examination of whether Labour is abiding by the Equality Act 2010. Currently the
  
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• Mum Of 6.5 Stone Teenager Battling Anorexia Says She Is 'Living A Nightmare'

  26-02-2018 18:02
  The mum of a teenager whose battle with anorexia has left her too sick to be moved to a specialist unit says she is “living a nightmare”.Natalia Goodchild is 5ft 6ins tall and weighs just 6.5 stone - making her dangerously underweight.Her mum Kristen, of County Durham, says she has fought desperately to have her moved to an eating disorder treatment unit close to home, but the specialist care is hugely over-subscribed.The 14-year-old, who has been denied psychological help, is now su
  
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• Momentum's Jon Lansman Emerges As Possible Successor To Iain McNicol Labour General Secretary Appointment Fast-Tracked To Three Weeks

  26-02-2018 17:49
  Momentum founder Jon Lansman has emerged as a surprise possible contender for the post of Labour general secretary, HuffPost has learned.Lansman was expected to announces his intentions on Monday just hours after the party decided the appointment process would be fast-tracked in just three weeks.The leftwing veteran was being urged to run following claims that Unite official Jennie Formby was being ‘railroaded’ through as the favoured candidate of key allies of Jeremy Corbyn.Formby i
  
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• Momentum's Jon Lansman Emerges As Possible Successor To Iain McNicol As Labour General Secretary

  26-02-2018 17:49
  Momentum founder Jon Lansman has emerged as a surprise possible contender for the post of Labour general secretary, HuffPost has learned.Lansman was expected to announce his intentions on Monday just hours after the party decided the appointment process would be fast-tracked and completed in just three weeks flat.The leftwing veteran was being urged to run following claims that Unite official Jennie Formby was being ‘railroaded’ through as the favoured candidate of key allies of Jere
  
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• Labour General Secretary Appointment Fast-Tracked To Three Weeks As Corbyn Allies Back Unite’s Jennie Formby

  26-02-2018 17:49
  The appointment of Labour’s next general secretary is to be fast-tracked in just three weeks amid claims that a Unite official is the favoured choice of key allies of Jeremy Corbyn.The party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) officers group decided on Monday that the successor to Iain McNicol will be chosen by March 20, HuffPost has learned.The rapid timetable, which was unusually approved without a final sign-off by the full NEC, marks a break with the previous appointment
  
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• Parents Support Traffic Restrictions Around Schools To Tackle Air Pollution

  26-02-2018 17:41
  More than half of British parents would support the development of ‘traffic exclusion zones’ around schools, to help tackle the problem of air pollution a YouGov poll has found. Cars would be diverted away from these zones during peak times of the day.The survey, carried out for environmental law organisation ClientEarth, also found that 63% of parents supported a ban on building any new schools in highly polluted areas.The majority of parents (70%) supported the idea of the governme
  
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• Star Power: Does Politics Need Celebrities To Engage With Young People?

  26-02-2018 17:39
  Early last week, Jennifer Lawrence announced she was considering taking a year off from acting as she’ll be “trying to get people engaged politically”.So, as J-Law joins the list of the rich and famous planning to swap acting for activism, the question we must ask is do young people need Hollywood’s elite to make being politically active an attractive prospect?Here in the UK, it could be argued that celebrity involvement in politics is viewed negatively – just look
  
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• Let's Send Out A Clear Message That Domestic Abuse Is Unacceptable

  26-02-2018 17:33
  For far too long, domestic abuse has been hidden behind closed doors and side-lined as a private matter. Last week, the Sentencing Council announced their new guidelines for sentencing domestic abuse offences and took a major step forward to redress this issue. The new guidelines have recognised for the first time that domestic abuse offences must be treated as ‘particularly serious’ within our criminal justice system.Together with survivors, we have long been calling for sentencing
  
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• Theresa May’s Brexit baskets are full of holes

  26-02-2018 17:24 via ft.com
  Leavers cherish the legal fact of sovereignty but not the practical exercise of it
  
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• The Moment I Knew My Child Was Trans

  26-02-2018 17:24
  It’s 6am on a Saturday morning as I write this. I’ve been awake for hours, worried about the latest impact of a targeted campaign of hate directed at my child and those like her. Thinking about whether I can do anything to stem the tide.I don’t have long. Soon the kids will be tearing down the stairs, asking for TV, porridge, a game. When the interruption comes, I’ll be glad of it. I’ve been asked by Susie Green, CEO of Mermaids, to take a look at a document that ha
  
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• How To Deal With School Snow Closures

  26-02-2018 17:10
  For kids, having a snow day is often a highlight of the school year. But sadly for parents, we have to think about childcare, time off work and what we’re going to do with the day.A blast of freezing weather from Russia, nicknamed the “Beast from the East”, has prompted the Met Office to issue a series of yellow and amber weather warnings for snow.Most schools remained open on Monday 26 February - although a handful closed due to hea
  
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• How To Cope With School Snow Closures

  26-02-2018 17:10
  For kids, having a snow day is often a highlight of the school year. But sadly for parents, we have to think about childcare, time off work and what we’re going to do with the day.A blast of freezing weather from Russia, nicknamed the “Beast from the East”, has prompted the Met Office to issue a series of yellow and amber weather warnings for snow.Most schools remained open on Monday 26 February - although a handful closed due to hea
  
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• Greater Anglia, Southeastern And Southern Warn Commuters To Get Home Early Amid Snow Cancellations

  26-02-2018 17:10
  Commuters could be facing a battle to reach their homes this evening after a number of rail operators announced they were reducing and even cancelling some services amid the snow.The blast of freezing weather from Russia – nicknamed ‘the Beast from the East’ - has not yet caused major disruptions on any train lines, but many providers are choosing to be safe rather than sorry, with travellers being advised to travel as early as possible on Monday evening. Here’s how
  
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• Here’s How Labour’s Brexit Position Could Bring Down Theresa May

  26-02-2018 17:09
  Jeremy Corbyn has announced Labour wants the UK to be part of a “comprehensive” customs union with the EU after Brexit.That position is a marked difference to the Government’s view, repeated by the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman this morning: “The Government will not be joining a customs union. We want to have the freedom to sign our own trade deals and to reach out into the world.”Yet with Theresa May only having a Commons majority thanks to the support
  
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• What happens if there is no Brexit withdrawal agreement

  26-02-2018 17:08 via ft.com
  Failure in this area would mean the UK facing yet more difficult decisions
  
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• Leicester Explosion Death Toll Rises To Five As Search Operation Is Suspended

  26-02-2018 16:43
  The death toll from the house explosion in Leicester has risen to five and rescue work has been temporarily suspended due to the structural integrity of a neighbouring building, police have said.Five other people were taken to hospital, one in a critical condition, Leicestershire Police said.Officers believe there may still be people unaccounted for but emergency crews have had to temporarily halt a search and rescue operation at the site on Hinckley Road because of the “structural integri
  
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• Happiness Levels Have Increased In The UK - And It's Driven By People In England

  26-02-2018 16:30
  Levels of happiness have improved in the UK, with people in England driving the change between 2016-17.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in the year ending September 2017, there continued to be slight improvements in the UK for average ratings of life satisfaction, worthwhile and happiness.When the ONS began measuring happiness in 2011, the average happiness score was 7.29. However in 2017 it had risen to 7.52. England was the only UK country with any changes in average reported
  
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• Corbyn’s customs union plan — what it might mean

  26-02-2018 15:58 via ft.com
  Labour leader’s new Brexit stance could shape UK policy but contains competing ideas
  
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• This Is What It Will Be Like To Travel In Virgin’s 700mph Hyperloop Train

  26-02-2018 15:16
  Virgin Hyperloop One and Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority have unveiled a stunning concept of the pod that could end up carrying passengers at speeds of up to 700mph.The pods, boasting luxurious and spacious interiors look more like the business class cabin on a 747 than your average city standard commuter train.Hyperloop has slowly but steadily been progressing from an idea in Elon Musk’s head to real, working alternative to the trains we use today.Virgin Hyperloop One is just o
  
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• Reasons For The UCU Strike, Explained

  26-02-2018 15:11
  As most people are aware: the UCU are currently on strike, meaning that 61 universities across the country will be going on strike for a period of 14 days. Many students are very confused and annoyed at the timing of the strike action, so I decided to speak to a couple of my lecturers at the University of Liverpool to find out more about the specific reasons for the strike and make people aware of the importance of standing in solidarity with the lecturers who are striking. Due to the overwhelmi
  
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• Hot Soup And Solidarity - A Story From The University Strike Picket Line

  26-02-2018 15:10
  Though I’ve been a trade unionist all my working life, I’ve never been on strike before. On the picket line yesterday, something happened that made us feel a part of something much bigger, a movement across professions and trades with a proud history that spans decades. Something that warmed the heart in more ways than one. It reminded us that we are striking for something much larger than the current dispute and the way our pensions will be decimated; nothing less than the future of
  
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• Ill, Angry And Ignored – Yet The North Can Solve The UK's Productivity Problem

  26-02-2018 15:07
  The North is ill, angry and ignored. Its scream for action among the neglected voters across the region, demonstrated by the EU referendum result, has once again been pushed under the carpet as party politics instead looks inward. Meanwhile the country suffers as the North becomes less-healthy, less-educated, more disconnected, less productive - and left behind from the rest of the UK. This is an outrageous state of affairs and goes against everything we know about how to grow a successful count
  
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• Escalating Hunger In The South East

  26-02-2018 15:05
  Foodbanks are a lifeline to those in need across the South East but, at the same time, they continue to be a stain on the government’s record on poverty and inequality. My new report finds that, in just the last four years, Conservative ministers have overseen at least a 20% rise in foodbank dependency in my constituency alone.Across the UK, foodbank dependency has soared by at least 65% in the last four years. We have even seen reports of nurses being forced to rely on foodbanks as the re
  
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• For Everyone, Forever: Electronic Ethics In A Blockchain World

  26-02-2018 14:59
  It is perhaps surprising that such a new and innovative technology as Blockchain can make you ask many old and difficult questions. It is now beyond doubt that the potential for Blockchain is enormous, but one thing is still fiercely contested: is it ethical?The power of Blockchain lies in its distributed nature. Shared across hundreds of thousands of systems, this digital ledger has no central repository. It exists everywhere and nowhere, which is why it is a problem for our more traditional in
  
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• Note Left On Ambulance Thanks Emergency Services For Saving Lives

  26-02-2018 14:37
  A paramedic has publicly thanked a kind stranger who left a note on his ambulance thanking the emergency service team for “saving lives day in, day out”.The note, which urged the ambulance driver to block the street or parking space if needed, was discovered by advanced paramedic Vinny Romano in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire.It reads: “Without people like you, we would not know what to do! So thank you! Really, thank you.“You, along with the other emergency services, truly ar
  
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• Hot Cross Bun Prices Set To Soar Ahead Of Easter

  26-02-2018 14:31
  Hot cross bun purists may need to embrace chocolate chip alternatives this Easter as the price of traditional raisin buns is set to soar.According to food trade magazine The Grocer, crop shortages have caused the wholesale cost of dried fruit to rocket, which will have a knock-on effect on our beloved hot cross buns by the time Easter Sunday comes around. Production of raisins in California has steadily decreased in recent years, with a growing number of farmers switching to more profitable
  
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• BBC Breakfast Presenter Steph McGovern Clarifies Comments On Class And ‘Posh’ BBC Stars Earning More

  26-02-2018 14:21
  Steph McGovern has clarified her comments on the BBC pay gap, after stating that she thinks it’s “not as simple as a gender issue, it’s partly down to class”.In an interview published over the weekend, she was quoted as telling the Sunday Times: “There are a lot of women who do a similar job to me who are paid a hell of a lot more... who are a lot posher than me.”Steph’s comments soon became the focus of numerous debates online and after tweeti
  
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• UK Cyber Attack Threat Could Get Worse Post-Brexit, Experts Warn

  26-02-2018 14:01
  The UK’s cyber attack threat could worsen post-Brexit, experts have warned.A report produced by academic group The UK In A Changing Europe examines how Britain’s national security, international influence and control may look after March 2019, once outside the European Union. Launched on Monday by foreign affairs select committee chair Tom Tugendhat, it reveals the UK’s ability to counteract cyber attacks is partly dependent on data exchanges with EU companies.The exchange
  
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• Britain, the EU and post-Brexit regulation

  26-02-2018 14:00 via ft.com
  UK’s hopes for mutual recognition agreements reflect wishful thinking
  
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• A Woman's Worth Should Not Be Measured By How Much She Weighs In Kilograms

  26-02-2018 13:58
  Today is my 32nd birthday.This is the best birthday I’ve ever had because I’ve woken up to thousands of women sending me pictures and messages about the things they love about their lives, and the things they have done that they are most proud of. This has been going on for days now.I was scrolling through “explore” on Instagram (always a certified minefield for one’s self esteem) and came across this disastrously damaging picture.I couldn’t believe what I was
  
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• Finally, some Brexit decisiveness

  26-02-2018 13:35 via ft.com
  Labour’s constructive embrace of a customs union
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Asked To 'Hurry Up And Be Our Prime Minister' In Coventry

  26-02-2018 13:33
  As press conference questions go, it was not exactly the most difficult to field.Jeremy Corbyn was grilled by reporters about the specifics of his Brexit policy on Monday having confirmed Labour wanted the UK to strike a customs union deal with the EU.Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, who was chairing the press conference, struck gold when she asked for a non-journalist to ask a question.A woman in the audience asked Corbyn simply: “I want to say, please will you hur
  
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• Pro-EU Tory faction to join Labour on Brexit in threat to May

  26-02-2018 13:32 via ft.com
  Europhiles refuse to budge after Corbyn unveils plan to stay in customs union
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn seeks customs union with EU after Brexit

  26-02-2018 13:32 via ft.com
  Labour party leader says new trade deals with US or China could drag down the UK
  
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• Labour's new Brexit policy: Choose your own adventure

  26-02-2018 13:26
  
  The Brexit policy Corbyn is pursuing is either very cynical or highly strategic - you decide
  
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• 'Black Panther' Sequel Ideas Flood Twitter, As Fans Call For Another Film

  26-02-2018 13:22
  ‘Black Panther’ has only just hit cinemas, but attention has already turned to a potential sequel, with fans hotly anticipating a follow-up to the record-breaking film. While nothing has yet been confirmed, Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige, has told Variety he “absolutely” wants to do another film. And if he’s stuck for ideas, fans have already got that covered, as they have flooded social media with potential plot lines, characters and concepts.
  
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• Latte Levy: Starbucks To Introduce A Disposable Coffee Cup Charge

  26-02-2018 13:04
  Starbucks has become the first coffee chain to introduce a ‘latte levy’, which charges customers 5p for the use of a takeaway cup.Customers will continue to receive a 25p discount for using a reusable coffee cup, but the coffee giant has gone beyond rewards to push for further change. This means eco-friendly coffee drinkers who use a reusable cup will save themselves 30p on each coffee.The trial scheme, starting today (Monday), will run across 35 London stores, testing whether custom
  
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• What IS Labour's Brexit Policy Now? - HuffPost Verdict

  26-02-2018 13:02
  B I G  P I C T U R E Jeremy Corbyn has sought to clarify Labour’s position on Brexit. The party now supports keeping the UK in a customs union with the EU. It does not support single market membership, which includes the free movement of people from the EU. And while Labour does not currently back holding a referendum on the eventual deal, it remains “open” to the idea. The Labour leader confirmed his position in a speech on Monday, the main points of which are: 
  
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• Sridevi Kapoor Dead: Bollywood Actress Died Of 'Accidental Drowning'

  26-02-2018 12:59
  Legendary Bollywood star Sridevi Kapoor’s cause of death has been confirmed as “accidental drowning”, following an official investigation.The Indian actress - known by the monolith Sridevi - died on Saturday night (24 February) at the age of 54, in Dubai, where she and her family had been invited to a family wedding.Initial reports suggested she’d died following a cardiac arrest, though Dubai Police released forensic results to her family and the Indian consulate on Monda
  
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