Political news

• Will The Missile Strike On Syria Lead To World War Three? Everything You Need To Know

  13-04-2018 22:53
  Britain, America and France have struck the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack on Syrian civilians last weekend, despite the situation developing into a volatile standoff between the West and Russia.They attacked despite Russia seeking to protect Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose regime it has fought to prop up.After a series of increasingly bombastic claims, the Kremlin said on Friday it has proof the UK was “directly involved i
  
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• Will A Missile Strike On Syria Lead To World War Three? Everything You Need To Know

  13-04-2018 22:53
  A suspected chemical attack on Syrian civilians last weekend - which Russia insists Britain was involved in staging and directing - has developed into a volatile standoff between the West and Russia.Britain, the US and France seem poised to attack but Russia has sought to protect Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose regime it has fought to prop up.After a series of increasingly bombastic claims, the Kremlin said on Friday it has proof the UK was “directly involved in organising this
  
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• Salisbury poisoning: Russia 'targeted' Yulia Skripal email

  13-04-2018 22:12 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK claims for the first time to have specific evidence the Russians were interested in the Skripals.
  
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• PM among cabinet members earning money as landlords

  13-04-2018 21:32
  Exclusive: senior politicians such as Theresa May and Boris Johnson make thousands of pounds a year renting propertyNine cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are making more than £10,000 a year by acting as landlords, a Guardian analysis has found.Following Jeremy Hunt’s failure to declare the purchase of seven luxury flats that he subsequently rented out, an analysis of the parliamentary register of MPs’ interests shows eight other members of the cabinet own proper
  
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• Google ordered to remove UK conviction from search results

  13-04-2018 19:53 via ft.com
  High Court rules remorseful businessman has right to be forgotten
  
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• Spanish Woman Dragged By Hair In 'Racially-Motivated' Night Tube Attack

  13-04-2018 19:36
  Police are appealing for witnesses after a “vicious and racially-motivated” attack in which two people pulled the hair of a Spanish women travelling on London’s night tube.Detectives from British Transport Police say the 24-year-old victim was talking to friends in her native tongue when she was approached by the assailants on the Central Line.The two women began shouting at her “saying she should be talking English when in England,” according to police.They th
  
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• Vote Leave broke spending limits on industrial scale, says former staffer

  13-04-2018 19:19
  Mark Gettleson is third whistleblower to come forward to make claim over EU referendum spendingA former Vote Leave staffer has become the third whistleblower to publicly accuse the EU referendum campaign of exceeding spending limits “on an industrial scale”.In written evidence to the Electoral Commission seen by the Guardian, Mark Gettleson, a communications consultant, claims two of Theresa May’s political advisers were among the senior directors at Vote Leave involved in assi
  
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• Public spending rise depends on extra growth, says Truss

  13-04-2018 18:43 via ft.com
  Treasury minister rules out relaxation of government’s purse strings
  
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• The BBC's Rivers Of Blood Programme Will Be A Rigorous Analysis, Not An Endorsement

  13-04-2018 18:35
  You may have seen some of the commentary on the upcoming Archive on 4 programme (broadcast on Saturday) in which we examine one of the most controversial speeches in modern British politics.The Rivers of Blood speech was given by Enoch Powell and delivered to local Conservative Party members in Birmingham days ahead of the second reading of the 1968 Race Relations Bill. Powell was subsequently sacked from the Shadow Cabinet.Only short segments of the original speech were reco
  
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• Third Vote Leave whistleblower revealed

  13-04-2018 18:24 via bbc.co.uk
  Lawyers publish material from an ex-Vote Leave staff member suggesting it broke spending rules.
  
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• Sir Cliff Richard Breaks Down As He Gives Evidence In BBC Court Battle

  13-04-2018 18:20
  Sir Cliff Richard broke down in court today (13 April) as he told of how his name had been “smeared” all over the world following BBC coverage of a police raid on his home.The singer choked up as he listed a number of countries where he claims his reputation was damaged, while giving evidence in the High Court case against the broadcaster. The 77-year-old singer has taken legal action over BBC coverage of the police search at his partment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 201
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Says France Should Present Proof Syrian Regime Was Behind Chemical Attack

  13-04-2018 17:58
  Jeremy Corbyn has called for any proof that the Syrian regime was behind the suspected chemical attack in Douma to be made public.But the Labour leader warned on Friday afternoon that any Western military strikes against Bashar al-Assad would cause “chaos” and escalate the war.Theresa May spoke to Donald Trump on Thursday night and agreed the use of chemical weapons in Syria must not go unchallenged.The prime minister has secured the support of her cabinet for action against Assad.Fr
  
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• Expats’ rights after Brexit | Letters

  13-04-2018 17:25
  David Edwards says that Brits living in Estonia feel abandoned by the May government. It’s the same for non-UK EU residents of Britain, says Olivier SykesLisa O’Carroll reports on British nationals grilling the British ambassador in France (12 April). We had a similar meeting in Estonia last year. Although the atmosphere was a little less hostile than the French meeting appears to have been, the same themes emerged: the ambassador and officials had few answers to our questions, and a
  
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• I Spent Years Hiding My Depression - Talking About It Helped Me Get Better

  13-04-2018 17:21
  Just last week I was asked to host a morning on mental health at BBC Radio Sheffield for their Heads Up Mental Health Awareness week. It was only after the event as I drove home that I realised that the event I had just hosted was another milestone achieved. The morning was to show a film “Hidden” that I’d made about my own mental health issues.From the moment that my brother survived his first suicide attempt when I was seventeen, I have been trapped. There were three of us, y
  
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• Man Jailed For Assaulting Girlfriend Now Has To Tell Police When He Has Sex With Someone New

  13-04-2018 17:16
  A man who threatened to kill his girlfriend with a knife will now have to tell police when he sleeps with anoother in a bid to protect his future partners. For the next seven years, 35-year-old Dean Purcell from Hackney, London must give officers contact details for any woman he has sex with three times.The order comes after Purcell was sentenced to 12 months behind bars in March after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm and two counts of battery.According to police, Purcell’s forme
  
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• Why It's Categorically Untrue To Say Theresa May Can Take Military Action In Syria Without Parliament

  13-04-2018 17:15
  On Wednesday night, I was shocked to hear the audience of The World Tonight informed that ‘there is no constitutional requirement for the Government to seek parliamentary approval [for UK military action in Syria], there is nothing in the constitution…’ This (fallacious) observation concluded a day of political manoeuvring and frenzied commentary provoked by US President Trump’s priapic tweet about missiles ‘coming nice and new and “smart”’. And p
  
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• Why It's Categorically Untrue That The Constitution Allows Theresa May To Bypass Parliament On Syria

  13-04-2018 17:15
  On Wednesday night, I was shocked to hear the audience of The World Tonight informed that ‘there is no constitutional requirement for the Government to seek parliamentary approval [for UK military action in Syria], there is nothing in the constitution…’ This (fallacious) observation concluded a day of political manoeuvring and frenzied commentary provoked by US President Trump’s priapic tweet about missiles ‘coming nice and new and “smart”’. And p
  
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• Week in Review: Labour builds an election-winning platform

  13-04-2018 17:06
  
  Labour is having a dreadful time. But don't rule them out yet.
  
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• Police Officers Saved Me And My Family's Lives - Their Stations Need Saving Too

  13-04-2018 17:00
  In 2014 I was attacked by four men who forced their way into our family home in Wimbledon one evening. Thankfully I was saved by the bravery of officers from my local police station, who arrived within eight minutes of my eldest daughter dialling 999, and rescued me from what could otherwise have quite possibly been a murderous assault, that left me with extensive injuries and permanent double vision.  Last year the Mayor of London confirmed his decision to close the Wimbledon police s
  
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• Data behind Dominic Raab claim migration pushed up house prices

  13-04-2018 16:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Government publishes data behind minister's claim immigration has pushed up house prices by a fifth.
  
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• CBeebies Creates Slow TV 'Daydream' To Help Kids Wind Down

  13-04-2018 16:37
  CBeebies has launched an online video to help kids wind down, which shows children walking through a forest, playing with bubbles and splashing in puddles. However there is some debate over whether screen time is the best way of getting kids to relax. The ‘slow TV’ show is called ‘Daydreams’ and encourages kids to “take the time to notice the beauty in the world” by watching the earth’s elements: water, wind and light. It combines long, slow mo
  
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• I'm A Second Generation Migrant And I Don't Want To Stop The BBC's Enoch Powell Reading - We Must Not Pretend It Never Existed

  13-04-2018 16:26
  Day to day, I forget that I have brown skin. Yesterday, the BBC reminded me of my ethnic background with its insensitive marketing of a show about Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. However, that doesn’t mean that I wish to ban it. Get me, a Muslim that doesn’t want to ban something just because it hurts her feelings! How awfully, uhm, British! My Indian grandma never really settled in Pakistan; it wasn’t her home and she persuaded my granddad to mo
  
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• Instagram Will Soon Let You Download All Your Personal Data

  13-04-2018 16:16
  Instagram has confirmed that it will soon unveil a feature that allows you to download all your personal information on the app including every photo you’ve uploaded.The feature is being implemented ahead of the GDPR data privacy law that will enforce new, greater controls for users over their data online.In a statement to TechCrunch the spokesperson said: “We are building a new data portability tool. You’ll soon be able to download a copy of what you’ve shared on Instagr
  
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• ASOS Sent This Guy The Wrong Order But It's Actually Perfect

  13-04-2018 16:15
  When Dylan Evans ordered a black pair of jeans some sunglasses from Asos, he did not expect that the package that arrived would have such a transformative effect on his look. A red off-the-shoulder tiered lace dress incorrectly made its way to Evans, and may we say, it fit the radio presenter like a glove. It was fabulous.Ayy @ASOS (I might be wrong) but, I’m pretty sure you’ve sent me the wrong order... pic.twitter.com/mFRTi3yg6T— DYLAN EVANS (@MrDylanEvans) April 11, 201
  
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• Arctic Monkeys Tickets Selling Out Has Brought Out The Best And Worst In People

  13-04-2018 16:11
  The struggle to purchase tickets is one music fans know all too well. On Friday (13 April) morning, it was time for Arctic Monkeys fans to experience the hell of breaking the refresh key, speed-typing credit card numbers and raiding the savings account in the hope of catching the band live later this year. The upcoming tour will support their sixth album,‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’, and the fact the record isn’t even out yet did not stop every sales website in the UK
  
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• Kassem Eid Was Gassed In Syria In 2013 – This Is What He Wants The West To Do Now

  13-04-2018 16:05
  Donald Trump has written explosive tweets, Russian diplomats have issued stark military warnings, and European leaders have urged caution. But as the row over the use of chemical weapons in Syria escalates, one set of voices risks being drowned out: that of ordinary Syrians themselves. For Kassem Eid, a 32-year-old who was until 2013 a resident of Moadhamiyeh, a suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, the next step is simple. A victim of the chemical weapons the Syrian army has de
  
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• I Wouldn’t Be At Oxford If My Parents Couldn’t Afford My Bus Pass, Which Is Why Labour’s New Policy is Crucial

  13-04-2018 16:04
  At the end of Year 11, I got a proper say in my education for the first time. For me, the choice was pretty simple: my local sixth form, which offered a small range of A-Levels; or the big FE College, 40 minutes down the road. The local sixth form didn’t offer the course I wanted so it seemed obvious where I would go. Luckily for me, my parents could fork out the £515 for an annual bus pass - I didn’t have to think about it.For many of my peers, it wasn’t so simple.That&r
  
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• Russian spies targeted Yulia Skripal’s email account, UK says

  13-04-2018 15:12 via ft.com
  Dossier reveals Moscow’s interest in the Skripals dates back at least five years
  
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• Self-Tinting Contact Lenses Are Now A Real Thing

  13-04-2018 14:58
  Self-tinting contact lenses are about to become a real thing that you can buy with real money.Johnson & Johnson have been developing the new state-of-the-art contact lenses for the last few years and have finally created a contact lens that can darken almost instantly upon contact with direct sunlight.Taking almost a decade to develop these photochromatic lenses can be reused for up to two weeks.While it’s not clear which technology the company has employed it’s likely that due t
  
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• Criticality Not Commemoration: The BBC's Bewildering Decision To Air The 'Rivers Of Blood' Speech

  13-04-2018 14:53
  The decision by the BBC to air Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in full in commemoration of its 50th anniversary is nothing less than bewildering.Widely acknowledged as one of the most provocative and racist public speeches in recent British history, the BBC has previewed the airing by praising the ’amazing production job’ done on the programme and the ‘significance of the speech’; both at the expense of any public recognition of the toxic effect
  
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• Meet The Entrepreneur Taking Hundreds Of Bras From London To Edinburgh To Help Women In Africa

  13-04-2018 14:51
  “There’s a rather huge pile of bras in my spare room,” explains Emma Sinclair, a tech entrepreneur from London who is travelling 400 miles to Edinburgh on Friday to hand-deliver more than one hundred of the items to a local charity.Sinclair will be joined on the unusual trip by two friends Loose Women’s Stacey Soloman and journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter. Their destination? Smalls For All, an Edinburgh-based charity that distributes underwear to women and girls i
  
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• Business feels a little brighter on Brexit

  13-04-2018 14:42 via ft.com
  Bosses’ concerns about disorderly EU withdrawal wane but fears for UK economy persist
  
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• Integrity Of Democratic Process Under Threat Due To Overworked Election Staff, Labour Warns

  13-04-2018 14:38
  The revelation that election staff in London worked 26,000 hours overtime during the 2017 snap general election prove there is an “impending crisis” in Britain’s democratic process, Labour has warned.Statistics collected by the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) showed on average permanently-employed staff members worked 155 hours overtime during the three month period.Theresa May’s decision to call an election for June 8 meant local authority election staff ha
  
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• Russia is greater threat to peace than US - Abbott

  13-04-2018 14:31 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour's Diane Abbott says Russia is a greater threat to world peace than the United States "at this point".
  
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• China's Facial Recognition Technology Spots Suspect In Huge Festival Crowd

  13-04-2018 14:20
  Chinese authorities have arrested a man after the country’s advanced facial recognition technology spotted him within a gig crowd of around 50,000 people.According to the South China Morning Post the man was detained last week in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.The country has one of the most advanced surveillance systems in the world and utilises a massive network of cameras located around cities, on police vehicles and even on headsets worn by police officers.According to sources which spoke
  
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• Political lessons from Telford’s sex abuse scandal

  13-04-2018 14:18 via ft.com
  Were it not for a fearless MP, girls in the town would still have nowhere to turn
  
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• Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Wedding Photographer: What We Can Expect From Alexi Lubomirski

  13-04-2018 14:10
  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen Alexi Lubomirski to be their official wedding photographer, who will snap them at Windsor Castle following the ceremony at St George’s Chapel on Saturday 19 May.Lubomirski previously photographed Harry and Meghan last year at Frogmore House, Windsor, to mark their engagement. “I could not be more thrilled or honoured to photograph this historic occasion,” he said. “It brings me such joy to be able to witness again, the
  
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• Russia Spied On Poisoned Double Agent Sergei Skripal And Daughter Yulia 'For 5 Years', Letter Reveals

  13-04-2018 14:03
  Yulia Skripal’s emails targeted by Russian military intelligence back in 2013Russian Embassy publishing its own report on the attack Russian ambassador accuses Britain of destroying evidence linked to attackRussian intelligence agencies have been spying on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter for at least five years, Britain has said in the latest twist in the Salisbury nerve agent attack.National Security Adviser Sir Mark Sedwill said cyber specialists from t
  
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• Russia Spied On Poisoned Double Agent Sergei Skripal And Daughter Julia 'For 5 Years', Letter Reveals

  13-04-2018 14:03
  Russian intelligence agencies have been spying on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter for at least five years, National Security Adviser Sir Mark Sedwill has said in a letter to Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.Yulia Skripal, 33, who was found critically ill alongside her 66-year-old father on a bench in Salisbury, was discharged from hospital in Wiltshire this week. The UK government has said that its analysis by military experts at Porton Down showed they were
  
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• UK: Email hacks add to evidence of Russian role in Skripal poisoning

  13-04-2018 14:01 via ft.com
  National security adviser outlines findings in letter to Nato chief Stoltenberg
  
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• ‘Pose’ Trailer: Watch The First Teaser For Ryan Murphy’s Next Big TV Show

  13-04-2018 13:51
  Ryan Murphy, the creator of ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’, has revealed the trailer for his next big project, ‘Pose’. The series is set in 1980s New York and the trailer reveals that the drama will tell its story with a documentary-style format.Prior to its premiere, ‘Pose’ made history with the decision to cast five transgender actors - Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, model Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross - in lead roles
  
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• UK Weather Forecasters Predict A Wet Weekend With Some Saturday Sunshine

  13-04-2018 13:31
  Weather watchers take note – there is going to be a short, sharp, thunder-clapping finale before we get down to the business of (albeit intermittent) sunshine.A yellow severe weather warning for rain in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset has been issued between 2-9pm on Friday, with the Met Office cautioning there is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded and that the same conditions could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Up to 40mm of rain could fa
  
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• Russia says Syrian 'chemical attack' was staged

  13-04-2018 13:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov says he has "irrefutable evidence" to disprove the allegations.
  
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• Teens Arrested Over Death Of Girl, 14, Found In Wolverhampton

  13-04-2018 13:09
  Two boys aged 16 and 17 have been arrested by detectives  investigating the death of a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in West Park, Wolverhampton, on Thursday. West Midlands Police said the boys were arrested on suspicion of murdering the girl,  who died from blunt force trauma to her head.The victim, who had been reported missing the day before, has not yet been formally identified, but her family have been located and are being supported by specialist officers.Detective C
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn: May waiting for Trump instructions on Syria

  13-04-2018 13:05 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour leader speaks out after ministers agree chemical weapon use in Douma must not "go unchallenged".
  
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• Momentum's Laura Parker: 'Deeply Dispiriting' Anti-Semitism Row 'Not Our Greatest Moment'

  13-04-2018 13:01
  “Does what we want to do outlive the leader? Yes I think so,” Laura Parker says. “Because let’s imagine Jeremy does two terms as prime minister. At some point he’s going to be allowed to go and tend to his allotment.”Momentum’s national organiser is celebrating the grassroots leftwing campaign group hitting 40,000 members - an activist base larger than the Green Party or Ukip.But with Jeremy Corbyn secure as leader and his allies in control of the party
  
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• Momentum's Laura Parker: 'Deeply Dispiriting' Anti-Semitism Row 'Not Labour's Greatest Moment'

  13-04-2018 13:01
  “Does what we want to do outlive the leader? Yes I think so,” Laura Parker says. “Because let’s imagine Jeremy does two terms as prime minister. At some point he’s going to be allowed to go and tend to his allotment.”Momentum’s national organiser is celebrating the grassroots leftwing campaign group hitting 40,000 members - an activist base larger than the Green Party or Ukip.But with Jeremy Corbyn secure as leader and his allies in control of the party
  
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• Kylie Minogue’s Face Says It All When She’s Asked About Turning 50 (Again) In Awkward ‘BBC Breakfast’ Interview

  13-04-2018 12:55
  Kylie Minogue turns 50 next month.We know this because it has literally been brought up in every single interview the singer has done to promote her latest album ‘Golden’.However, it seems the princess of pop has, quite rightly, finally had enough of being asked about her milestone birthday, as Naga Munchetty found out when Kylie sat down for a chat with her and Charlie Stayt on ‘BBC Breakfast’ on Friday.HUFFPOST VERDICT: Kylie tries on country for size - and it fitsAfter
  
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• Tom Daley Highlights Commonwealth Countries’ LGBT Laws After Gold Medal Win

  13-04-2018 12:40
  Tom Daley has called for Commonwealth countries to decriminalise homosexuality after winning gold at the games. Tom and his diving partner Dan Goodfellow won the synchronised 10m platform competition at the Gold Coast tournament, and in the wake of the victory, Tom took the chance to highlight the “37 of the competing nations criminalise being LGBT+”.“I feel so lucky to be able to be openly who I am without worry,” he wrote on Twitter. “I hope one day every athlete
  
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• BAFTA Games Awards: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Wins Big

  13-04-2018 12:40
  Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, an action-adventure game which focuses on the lead character’s battle with psychosis, has swept the board at the 2018 BAFTA Video Games awards winning five in total.The game, created by the small UK-based developer Ninja Theory, sees the lead character Senua battle through the otherworldly realms of Norse and Celctic mythology in order to save the soul of her dead lover from the goddess Hela.Throughout the game Senua is plagued by voices which she b
  
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