UK

February 2020

Controversial Downing Street aide ‘jumped before he was pushed’

A controversial Downing Street adviser “jumped before he was pushed”, a minister has said, after a slew of “reprehensible” past comments fuelled a political firestorm across party lines.

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Coronavirus: UK couple on stricken cruise ship worry they have tested positive

A British couple on board a coronavirus-hit cruise ship are worried they have tested positive for the virus.

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Driving test change to boost accessibility

Video clips are to replace written scenarios in UK driving theory tests to make them more accessible.

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High levels of flooding leave parts of UK in ‘uncharted territory’

Areas of the UK are in “uncharted territory” after record levels of flooding, with more heavy rain forecast for later in the week.

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35,000 jobs to go at HSBC as profit plummets by a third

The boss of HSBC has announced the bank’s biggest change in years, as it prepares to reduce its headcount by approximately 35,000 jobs around the world.

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FCO ‘working to organise’ flight home for Britons on coronavirus cruise ship

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is “working to organise” a flight back to the UK for British nationals on board a cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Japan due to coronavirus fears.

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Sadiq Khan: Let Londoners keep EU citizenship

Londoners who are heartbroken over Brexit should be allowed to keep their EU citizenship, Sadiq Khan suggests.

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Prince of Wales to meet Shakespeare theatre costume-makers on Warwickshire visit

The Prince of Wales will be meeting some of the skilled costume and prop-makers from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) as part of a visit to Warwickshire.

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Unionists less keen on Sinn Fein in Commons than republicans

Unionists are more opposed than nationalists to Sinn Fein MPs taking their seats at Westminster, according to the study.

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What the papers say – February 18

Headlines on Tuesday’s front pages include the TV licence fee, the late Caroline Flack and the weather.

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Stranded Britons waiting to be flown home from coronavirus-hit cruise ship

More than 70 British nationals stranded on a coronavirus-hit cruise ship are waiting to find out if they will be evacuated after the Government indicated they could be flown home.

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Flood warnings remain in place with more rain to come

Severe flood warnings remain in place in the wake of Storm Dennis, with more rain expected to fall later this week.

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Broadcaster Ray Mears visits orphaned and injured koalas

British woodsman Ray Mears has travelled to Kangaroo Island in south Australia to visit koalas orphaned by the devastating bushfires.

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New IRA plans under-car bomb attack on Sinn Fein members – O’Neill

The New IRA is planning an under car bomb attack on a Sinn Fein member, the party’s vice president has warned.

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Fine Gael preparing to go into opposition, says Varadkar

Leo Varadkar has said his party is preparing to go into opposition in the new Dail.

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Hundreds injured at Amazon warehouses, figures show

Hundreds of people have been seriously injured at Amazon’s UK warehouses over the last three years, new figures have revealed, adding to questions over the company’s safety record.

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I’m going to miss you: Love Island narrator pays tribute to Caroline Flack

Love Island narrator Iain Stirling remembered Caroline Flack’s “passion, warmth and infectious enthusiasm” as the show paid tribute to her on Monday.

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Labour’s Nandy says she would vote to scrap monarchy in a referendum

Labour leadership contender Lisa Nandy has said she would vote to scrap the monarchy in any future referendum on the royal family.

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Homes evacuated in Monmouth after severe flood warning issued

Homes have been evacuated in Monmouth after a severe flood warning for the River Wye was declared.

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Downing Street adviser resigns amid criticism over eugenics comments

A Downing Street adviser who once suggested enforcing the uptake of contraception to stop unplanned pregnancies “creating a permanent underclass” has quit his post.

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Video

Northern Ireland legend Harry Gregg to be laid to rest on Friday

The funeral of Northern Ireland and Manchester United football legend Harry Gregg OBE will take place in Coleraine on Friday.

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Man jailed for raping and murdering promising sports therapy student

A 19-year-old man has admitted raping and murdering a promising student who gave him a place to stay when he was too drunk to go home.

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Earl of Snowdon and wife agree to divorce

The Earl of Snowdon, the son of the late Princess Margaret, and his wife the Countess of Snowdon have “amicably agreed” that their marriage has come to an end and will divorce, a spokesman for the couple has said.

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Woman swept away by floodwater is found dead

A woman who was swept away by floodwater during torrential rain from Storm Dennis has been found dead.

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Council chief: Recovery from ‘unprecedented’ flooding to cost millions

It will cost millions of pounds to repair the damage caused to the Welsh Valleys by Storm Dennis, according to a council leader.

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ITV say ‘door was open’ for Caroline Flack return as Aftersun is cancelled

ITV has said the “door was open” for Caroline Flack to return to Love Island and that its production team “continued to offer her support” in the months before her death.

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UK visas extended for Chinese nationals amid coronavirus outbreak

Chinese nationals in the UK whose visas are about to expire will have their stay extended amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Government has announced.

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UK must be able to set own laws, chief Brexit negotiator insists

The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator has insisted that Britain must be able to set laws that suit itself when the country fully breaks away from the EU.

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World sees growing move towards net zero emissions goals – analysis

Almost half the world’s economic output is generated in areas where there are now moves to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, analysis suggests.

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Coroner issues recommendations after death of baby Harry at under-fire NHS trust

A coroner has published a list of 19 recommendations following the death of baby Harry Richford at an under-fire NHS trust.