Political news

• Amber Rudd resigns as home secretary after immigration scandal

  29-04-2018 23:51 via ft.com
  New evidence that department had operational targets for deporting illegal migrants
  
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• How home secretary was brought down by a simple question

  29-04-2018 23:42 via ft.com
  Rudd was hemmed in by succeeding PM Theresa May at a department that tried her liberalism
  
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• Amber Rudd Resignation Could Spell Danger For May - HuffPost Verdict

  29-04-2018 23:22
   K E Y   P O I N T SAmber Rudd has resigned as home secretary amid the Windrush scandal.The crisis has seen migrants who came to the UK after World War II and have a legal right to live here wrongly threatened with deportation by the Home Office.As pressure grew on Rudd, she claimed on Wednesday the Home Office did not have targets for the number of people who should be deported from the UK.On Thursday morning it was revealed immigration officials in her department had been given
  
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• Amber Rudd Resigns As Home Secretary For Misleading Parliament Amid Windrush Scandal

  29-04-2018 23:04
  Amber Rudd has resigned as Home Secretary after admitting she “inadvertently misled” MPs over targets for deporting illegal immigrants.Rudd telephoned Prime Minister Theresa May to tell her of the decision on Sunday evening.It came amid mounting pressure over her role in Home Office policies that led to some so-called Windrush generation migrants, many of whom have lived in the UK for decades, being threatened with being kicked out of the country.A Number 10 spokesman said:
  
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• Amber Rudd Resigns As Home Secretary After Windrush Scandal

  29-04-2018 23:04
  Amber Rudd has resigned as Home Secretary amid claims she misled Parliament over the Windrush scandal and targets for removing illegal migrants.Rudd telephoned Theresa May to tell her of the decision amid intensifying demands from Labour for her to quit.A No 10 spokesman said: “The prime minister has tonight accepted the resignation of the Home Secretary.”A Downing Street source told HuffPost UK Amber Rudd’s replacement would be announced on Monday.Rudd was thought to be p
  
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• Nearly 100 London councillors have links to property industry

  29-04-2018 23:00
  Almost one in 10 councillors work for consultancies involved in planning or construction firmsAlmost one in 10 councillors in London either work for property businesses or have received gifts or hospitality from them, a Guardian investigation into the depth of links between town halls and the property industry has revealed.Nearly 100 councillors in the capital work for property companies or lobbying and communications consultancies involved in planning, according to declarations of interest made
  
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• Labour to seek cap on interest payments and overdraft fees

  29-04-2018 23:00 via ft.com
  Shadow chancellor says move will help lower-paid break debt cycle
  
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• UK Academics To Discuss Whether Reporters In Syria Should Be Branded Criminals

  29-04-2018 22:00
  Two UK academics are due to speak at an event to discuss whether British journalists reporting from opposition-held areas in Syria should be prosecuted under the UK Terrorism Act.Professor Piers Robinson of the University of Sheffield, and Professor Tim Hayward of the University of Edinburgh, will appear at the Media on Trial event at Leeds City Museum next month.They will be speaking alongside, among others, a man who has described the Sandy Hook massacre as a “mass shooting hoax”.A
  
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• UK Academics To Discuss If Reporters In Syria Are Breaking Terrorism Laws

  29-04-2018 22:00
  Two UK academics are due to speak at an event to discuss whether British journalists reporting from opposition-held areas in Syria should be prosecuted under the UK Terrorism Act.Professor Piers Robinson of the University of Sheffield, and Professor Tim Hayward of the University of Edinburgh, will appear at the Media on Trial event at Leeds City Museum next month.They will be speaking alongside, among others, a man who has described the Sandy Hook massacre as a “mass shooting hoax”.A
  
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• UK Academics To Debate If Reporters In Syria Are Breaking Terrorism Laws

  29-04-2018 22:00
  Two UK academics are due to speak at an event to discuss whether British journalists reporting from opposition-held areas in Syria should be prosecuted under the UK Terrorism Act.Professor Piers Robinson of the University of Sheffield, and Professor Tim Hayward of the University of Edinburgh, will appear at the Media on Trial event at Leeds City Museum next month.They will be speaking alongside, among others, a man who has described the Sandy Hook massacre as a “mass shooting hoax”.A
  
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• 5 Politicians Who Resigned Over Far Less Than Amber Rudd's Windrush Scandal

  29-04-2018 20:56
  Amber Rudd is facing growing calls to resign over the escalating Windrush scandal after she was accused again on Sunday evening of not revealing how much she knew about her own department’s forced immigration targets.The Home Secretary has claimed she did not set, see or approve any targets for removals. Yet she wrote to the PM about these deportation targets. She tried to claim incompetence instead of wilfully misleading Parliament. That defence has now worn thin.https://t.co/YPih6xlmXY&m
  
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• Ex-Commons Speaker Michael Martin dies aged 72

  29-04-2018 20:50 via bbc.co.uk
  The former Labour MP, who was Speaker before John Bercow, died on Sunday morning after a short illness.
  
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• Amber Rudd wrote letter to Theresa May outlining deportation targets

  29-04-2018 20:45 via ft.com
  Labour says leaked document is proof that home secretary knew about removal targets
  
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• David Davis downplays reports he might quit over Brexit civil servant

  29-04-2018 20:38
  Minister seeks to defuse row after backlash to claims he wanted Oliver Robbins sidelinedBrexit secretary David Davis has sought to defuse tensions with No 10 by playing down reports that he might resign unless Theresa May sidelines Whitehall’s top civil servant working on Britain’s exit from the EU.
  After unexpected interventions from the cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood and May’s close aide Gavin Barwell defending Oliver Robbins, an aide to Davis said on Sunday evening that no
  
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• Tories Accused Of 'Shameless Cover Up' Over Amber Rudd Immigration Target Claims

  29-04-2018 20:19
  Labour has stepped up the pressure on Amber Rudd to resign amid a dispute over whether she knew the Home Office had targets for the number of people who should be deported.The home secretary has claimed she “wasn’t aware of specific removal targets” set by her department.She also told the Commons Home Affairs Committee last week: “We don’t have targets for removals.”But on Sunday morning, Brandon Lewis, the former immigration minister, admitted he had spoken t
  
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• Obituary: Michael Martin

  29-04-2018 20:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Lord Martin symbolised for many in Labour the opportunities their party offered to working class people.
  
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• Eurosceptics fear ‘bonkers’ post-Brexit customs union plan

  29-04-2018 19:10 via ft.com
  Tory MPs fret unworkable deal could result in UK remaining by default
  
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• MPs call for crackdown on Russian oligarchs using City to avoid sanctions

  29-04-2018 18:39
  Government urged to impose tough measures following controversial London flotation of Oleg Deripaska’s En+ groupLabour has called on ministers to toughen the scrutiny and regulation of City flotations as a matter of urgency following the controversial $7bn (£5bn) London flotation of En+, a Russian metals group controlled by oligarch Oleg Deripaska.The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, called on the chancellor, Philip Hammond, to introduce serious measures against oligarchs and consi
  
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• Sadiq Khan adds to pressure on Amber Rudd to quit

  29-04-2018 18:34 via ft.com
  Labour says immigration row will factor in this week’s local elections
  
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• Has The International Community Really Done All It Can For Bangladesh And The Rohingya?

  29-04-2018 18:34
  Today, nearly one million Rohingya refugees have fled across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh. These people have fled unspeakable levels of violence, decades of persecution and arrived with virtually nothing. While international attention is focused on conditions in Bangladesh, conditions in Myanmar continue to force people to flee and undermine hopes of safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya to their own country.The Rohingya crisis is on an enormous scale. The speed and number of refu
  
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• Pro-Ana Content: Part Of Our Online Body-Image Problem

  29-04-2018 18:31
  Even in the darkest periods of my journey through anorexia, I was lucky that pro-anorexia (or “pro-ana”) content never played a significant role in my illness. Pro-ana takes many forms - ranging from images of emaciated bodies to tips about how to lose weight rapidly irrespective of the risks that might be involved. Key to the danger posed by pro-ana is that way in which certain ideals relating to weight and shape are actively promoted, as well as the dangerous methods that can be us
  
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• Are We Really Doing Our Children A Favour By Shielding Them From The World?

  29-04-2018 18:28
  IT’S EASY TO FORGET THE POWER THAT WE HAVE. For our kids, when they are young, we are the entire world. A mindbogglingly important role. It worries me if I think about it too much. In their eyes we, as parents, have almost superhuman abilities. The power to make everything ‘OK’ is our most potent gift.Of course, as adults, we understand that this ability is illusory. Maintaining the myth that there’s order and method to life, that there’s no problem that mummy
  
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• Amber Rudd letter to PM reveals 'ambitious but deliverable' removals target

  29-04-2018 18:00
  Exclusive: denials she was aware of deportation targets at odds with January 2017 letter now published in fullSajid Javid is new home secretary after Amber Rudd resigns – politics liveThe private letter from Amber Rudd to Downing Street in which she sets an “ambitious but deliverable” target for an increase in the enforced deportation of immigrants has been published by the Guardian in full for the first time.
  The letter, signed by the home secretary in January last year, state
  
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• Sainsbury's And Asda Merger 'Must Be Investigated' By Competition Watchdog, Vince Cable Warns

  29-04-2018 17:20
  The competition watchdog is being urged by politicians to investigate the possible merger of Sainsbury’s and Asda amid concerns over consumer choice. The creation of a supermarket giant as part of a £10 billion deal, which could be announced as soon as Monday, would give the new combined company control of just under 30% of the UK grocery sector and stun rivals including Tesco and Morrisons. The possible merger has also raised fears over the impact it may have on jobs.Liber
  
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• Sir Vince Cable: Governments assume public are 'pretty bigoted'

  29-04-2018 16:58 via bbc.co.uk
  The Lib Dem leader claims he tried to rein in Theresa May's "hostile environment" for illegal migrants.
  
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• Lord Dubs tables Brexit bill amendment to give young refugees sanctuary

  29-04-2018 16:04
  Amendment includes provision for unaccompanied minors stranded on the continent who have family in the UKRefugee campaigner Lord Dubs has tabled a Brexit bill amendment to force the government to continue to give refugee children sanctuary post-Brexit.
  Dubs has tabled an amendment to the European Union (withdrawal) bill that will include a specific provision for unaccompanied refugee minors stranded on the continent who have family in the UK already. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Build more houses!’: the radical 1968 posters that are no less relevant today

  29-04-2018 16:00
  The Poster Workshop was a facility used by activists in the late 1960s. A new book about it shows that while the left can now campaign more easily, the issues are sadly all too similarIt was an era with echoes of our own: a burgeoning radical left that particularly inspired the young; a time of political tumult, with anger over domestic injustices such as housing as well as a bloody foreign policy. The late 1960s saw the fag-end of the second majority Labour government, one that had disillusione
  
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• Donald Trump Decries 'Lousy' And 'Horrible' Embassy In London.

  29-04-2018 15:40
  Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the new US embassy in Nine Elms, London, saying it is in a “lousy” and “horrible” location and a bad deal.The US president, who is visiting the UK on July 13, lashed out again at the move from Grosvenor Square in the centre of the capital to a new location south of the Thames.Speaking at a rally in Michigan, he said: “In the UK, in London, we had the best site in all of London. The best site. Well, some genius said, we&rsquo
  
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• Sarah Sanders Got Roasted So Hard Last Night People Are Actually Feeling Sorry For Her

  29-04-2018 15:10
  The annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner has always been an opportunity for some no-holds barred gags at the expense of the President.But with Donald Trump once again refusing to attend it was instead Press Secretary Sarah Sanders who bore the brunt of a particularly savage roasting this year.Comedian Michelle Wolf pulled no punches and didn’t let the President off the hook, introducing her speech with: “Like a porn star says when she’s about to have sex with Trump,
  
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• McDonnell hits back at claims Russian bots helped Labour in 2017 election

  29-04-2018 14:54
  Shadow chancellor compares ‘farcical’ Sunday Times story to smears against Kinnock in 1992John McDonnell has compared claims by the Sunday Times that Russian Twitter bots tried to win the general election for Labour to “smears” against Neil Kinnock before the 1992 general election.
  The shadow chancellor said the story was “ludicrous” and criticised the “Conservative-supporting” newspaper for running past stories linking Labour to Russia in an effor
  
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• More Than 200 MPs Call For Windrush Promises To Become Law

  29-04-2018 14:06
  More than 200 MPs have written to Theresa May urging her to enshrine promises made to Windrush generation migrants in law.The letter, which is predominately backed by Labour MPs, also accuses Amber Rudd of making up immigration policy “on the hoof” in a bid to overcome the scandal.The Home Secretary is facing a barrage of calls to resign, with critics blasting her handling of the Windrush row and apparently being unaware of the Home Office’s use of targets for removing illegal
  
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• Michael Martin, Former Commons Speaker, Dies Aged 72

  29-04-2018 14:06
  Lord Martin of Springburn, former speaker of the House of Commons, has died, his family said.The 72-year-old died on Sunday morning after a short illness, his son Paul Martin confirmed.He said: “He passed away early this morning after a period of short illness.“He passed away peacefully with his family.“We would be grateful for our privacy to be respected at this difficult time.”Michael Martin – latterly Lord Martin of Springburn after the Glasgow constituency he re
  
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• Sunday Shows Round-Up: When Is A Target Not A Target? When It's An Overall Target

  29-04-2018 13:58
  Brandon Lewis, the Conservative Party chairman, had an interesting new defence of Amber Rudd this morning. The former immigration minister claimed that the home secretary was aware of the “overall target” to increase deportations, but not of the specific “internal targets” she had denied existed. Got that? Labour claim Lewis has inadvertently stitched his old boss up.Also on the Sunday shows today, John McDonnell said reports Russian Twitter bots backed Labour at the gene
  
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• Michael Martin, former Speaker of the Commons, dies aged 72

  29-04-2018 13:50
  Tributes paid to former Labour MP who served as Speaker from 2000 to 2009Tributes have been paid to Michael Martin, a former Speaker of the House of Commons who died on Sunday after a short illness.His son Paul said: “He passed away peacefully with his family. We would be grateful for our privacy to be respected at this difficult time.”Continue reading...
  
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• Newport Hit-And-Run: Man, 18, Arrested After Four People Injured

  29-04-2018 12:37
  An 18-year-old man has been arrested after four people were taken to hospital following a hit-and-run in Newport, south east Wales, on Sunday morning.The man was arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving after a blue Ford C-Max collided with three women and a man in Cambrian Road at about 5.30am.Gwent Police said that two women involved in the crash received “potentially life changing injuries”.Following the incident, the driver made off in the direction of Ma
  
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• Newport Hit-And-Run Leaves Four People In Hospital

  29-04-2018 12:37
  Four people have been taken to hospital following a hit-and-run in Newport, south east Wales, on Sunday morning, police have said.A blue Ford C-Max collided with three women and a man in Cambrian Road at about 5.30am.Gwent Police said that two women involved in the crash received “potentially life changing injuries”.Following the incident, the driver, described as a black man aged between 20 and 30, made off in the direction of Maindee.The vehicle was later found burnt out on Ma
  
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• 'Coronation Street': Shayne Ward Says He 'Bawled Like A Baby' Filming One Of Soap's 'Most Shocking Exits'

  29-04-2018 12:32
  Shayne Ward has admitted he had a difficult time filming his final ‘Coronation Street’ scenes, claiming he had “a bit of a breakdown” on set.The former ‘X Factor’ champion announced at the tail-end of last year that he would be bowing out of the soap, three years after first appearing on screen as Aidan Connor.He has now discussed his final moments on the ‘Corrie’ set, revealing it wasn’t easy for him to say goodbye to the soap or his charact
  
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• England voter ID trial 'a solution in search of a problem'

  29-04-2018 12:21
  Minister says new requirements counter ‘perception’ of electoral fraud as data shows problem is minimalNone of the five English boroughs taking part in a controversial trial of compulsory voter ID in local elections on Thursday has experienced a single instance of polling station impersonation in the past decade.
  Four boroughs told the Guardian they had no record of any offences, while one had a single allegation in 2006, which was dealt with by a police caution.Continue reading...
  
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• Amber Rudd Knew About 'Overall Ambition' To Deport More People, Says Brandon Lewis

  29-04-2018 12:03
  "So the defence of the Home Secretary - it is an ambition, not a target?" asks @AndrewMarr9"Well actually there is a big difference between the two things." replies @BrandonLewis#marrpic.twitter.com/OGIdFW0LLW— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 29, 2018Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis has said he did tell Amber Rudd about the “overall ambition” to increase the number of people deported from the UK.But defending the home secretary, the former immigration minister s
  
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• UK must 'resolve contradictions' in border policy

  29-04-2018 11:59 via bbc.co.uk
  Michel Barnier says the time has come for the UK to "resolve the contradictions" in its Irish border policy.
  
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• 'Strictly Come Dancing' Professional Karen Clifton 'Hasn't Given Up' On Marriage To Kevin

  29-04-2018 11:50
  Karen Clifton has said that she “hasn’t given up” on her relationship with husband and fellow ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pro Kevin Clifton.Earlier this year, as speculation mounted about their marriage, Karen and Kevin confirmed that they were seeking a divorce, three years after tying the knot.However, in a fresh interview with the Daily Mail, Karen insisted that she hasn’t written off the possibility of a future reconciliation.She said: “It’s import
  
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• 'Coronation Street' Bosses Insist Georgia May Foote Wasn't Sacked For Refusing Islam Storyline

  29-04-2018 11:14
  ‘Coronation Street’ bosses have hit back at reports that Georgia May Foote was sacked from the soap after refusing to appear in a storyline that would see her character convert to Islam.A representative for the ITV soap has rubbished the claims - made by former co-star Marc Anwar, who was famously sacked after a string of offensive tweets - telling Metro: “Georgia never refused to do any storyline during her time on the show.”During an interview with The Sun, former &lsqu
  
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• Cartoon: Bank of England seeks new governor

  29-04-2018 11:00 via ft.com
  Starting gun prepped in race to replace Mark Carney at UK central bank
  
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• Carwyn Jones: I've got nothing to hide over Carl Sargeant death

  29-04-2018 10:55
  Wales’s first minister on the ‘dark time’ since his colleague’s suicide and why now is the right time to stand downThe Welsh first minister, Carwyn Jones, has said his decision to stand down was not prompted by the suicide of Carl Sargeant four days after he sacked him as a minister but had been planned before his colleague’s death. Giving his first round of interviews since announcing he plans to leave his post in December, Jones told the Guardian he made the decis
  
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• Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery Is The Magical Mobile Game Your Always Wanted

  29-04-2018 10:53
  Game of Phones: Every week I’ll pick a new game for iOS or Android that’s perfect for long journeys, the commute or just when you want to switch off from the outside world.Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery is one of the first major games based on JK Rowling’s magical world designed specifically for iPhone and Android and it’s a lot of fun.The game effectively puts you in the role of a new student who’s just got their letter from Hogwarts and is about to embark of t
  
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• North Korea ‘To Close Nuclear Site’ In May - And Invite Foreign Observers To Witness It

  29-04-2018 10:51
  North Korea’s nuclear test site will shut in May and reveal the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, South Korea’s presidential office has said.On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.Seoul said Kim has said Donald Trump will get to know he is “not a person” to aim
  
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• Scarlett Moffatt Dismisses 'Ludicrous' Ant McPartlin Dating Rumours

  29-04-2018 10:37
  Scarlett Moffatt has laughed off rumours that she and fellow presenter Ant McPartlin have ever been romantically involved.Back in January, severalmediaoutlets ran stories based around tweets from fans, pondering whether Scarlett and newly-single Ant could be more than friends and colleagues, after the two were photographed together during the National Television Awards.While Ant’s representative blasted the rumours as “bullshit” at the time, Scarlett has now had her say, insist
  
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• Kanye West's Next Album To Feature Surgeon Who Performed Mother's Final Surgery On The Cover

  29-04-2018 10:10
  Kanye West has revealed plans for his upcoming album to feature a photo of the surgeon who performed his mother’s fatal cosmetic procedure on its cover.For the past week, Kanye has been making headlines with his tweets, whether they’re about his support for Donald Trump or… well, yeah mostly about his support for Donald Trump, actually.But between pledging his support for Trump, Kanye has also been encouraging his followers to put their differences aside and “love”
  
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• Caroline Flack Engaged To Andrew Brady After Three Months Of Dating

  29-04-2018 09:42
  Caroline Flack has announced her engagement to reality TV star Andrew Brady.The ‘Love Island’ host shared the happy news in a post on her Instagram page on Saturday (28 April), revealing that she and Andrew were planning to tie the knot after roughly three months of dating.Sharing a photo of her ring, an excited Caroline wrote: “He’s put it on my finger and it won’t come off ... so I’ve said yes.”She also captioned the image “#chooselove”, a
  
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• 97,000 People Have This Operation Each Year – Here’s What Happens When It Goes Wrong

  29-04-2018 09:30
  “I feel like I’m a burden to my family. The whole thing’s absolutely disgusting. It’s horrible. I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody, I really wouldn’t.”In August 2017, Sarah Bookham was rushed into the intensive care unit at Great Western Hospital in Swindon. Bookham, 48, had recently undergone a hernia mesh operation and was recovering at home when her stomach ruptured - even now, she is trying to understand what led to that incident. She s
  
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