News

Boris Johnson to ask MPs to back election on 12 December PM to table motion for early poll as he abandons ‘do or die’ pledge to leave EU by 31 OctoberBoris Johnson has abandoned his “do or die” pledge to leave the EU by 31 October and will ask MPs next week to back a pre-Christmas general election.The prime minister has written to Jeremy Corbyn saying he will give parliament one last opportunity to scrutinise his withdrawal agreement bill and “get Brexit done” by 6 November. Continue reading... Go to Source

Most voters believe violence against MPs 'is price worth paying' over Brexit Research finds majority of both leave and remain voters feel violence worth it to get outcome they supportA majority of voters in England, Wales and Scotland believe that violence against MPs is a “price worth paying” in order to get their way on Brexit, an academic survey has found.The poll from Cardiff University and the University of Edinburgh asked respondents what they would be willing to see happen in order to leave or remain within the European Union. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police bring parents to visit Essex lorry deaths suspect Couple from Northern Ireland flown over to see Mo Robinson, Guardian understandsEssex lorry deaths: all 39 victims were Chinese nationalsThe parents of a man arrested over the deaths of 39 people found in a refrigerated lorry have been brought by police to England from their home in Northern Ireland to see him, the Guardian understands.Mo Robinson, 25, a self-employed haulier from County Armagh, was detained after the bodies of 31 men and eight women were discovered in the vehicle on an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, on Wednesday. Continue reading... Go to Source

JK Rowling urges students not to volunteer at orphanages Author highlights evidence suggesting that ‘orphanage tourism’ drives families apart and makes children vulnerable to abuseJK Rowling has called on students around the world not to volunteer at orphanages, pointing to emerging evidence that “orphanage tourism” drives family separation and child trafficking.Speaking at the One Young World summit in London, the global forum for young leaders, the Harry Potter author and founder and president of children’s charity Lumos, said orphanages do “irreparable harm” and “perpetuate the abuse” of children and communities. Continue reading... Go to Source

Man charged over murders at party in Milton Keynes Charlie Chandler, 21, charged with murder of two 17-year-old boys and attempted murderA man has been charged with the murder of two 17-year-old boys and the attempted murder of two other males at a birthday party at a house in Milton Keynes.Charlie Chandler, 21, from Bletchley, was charged on Thursday in relation to the attacks on Saturday night. Continue reading... Go to Source

Essex lorry deaths: all 39 victims were Chinese nationals Police say 31 men and eight women were found in trailer, as details of its journey emergeThe 39 people found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex were Chinese nationals, police have confirmed.The victims, discovered in a refrigerated trailer in Grays on Wednesday, were eight women and 31 men, Essex police added. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit: Swinson urges Corbyn to back second referendum amid wait for EU extension decision - live news Rolling updates of today’s political developments, including the Queen’s speech vote, division over a possible election and EU debate over Brexit extensionFull story: Cabinet split over pre-Christmas electionCorbyn urged to resist election callsAnalysis: Labour reluctance goes beyond no-deal fears 1.06pm BST• Boris Johnson’s cabinet is divided over how to proceed with Brexit, as the prime minister faces the stark choice of pressing ahead with his deal or gambling his premiership on a pre-Christmas general election.After an inconclusive meeting with Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday morning in an attempt to agree an acceptable timetable for parliament to consider the bill, the prime mini...

Nusrat Jahan Rafi: 16 sentenced to death over Bangladesh murder Student set on fire after refusing to withdraw sexual harassment claim against headteacherSixteen Bangladeshis have been sentenced to death for the murder of a 19-year-old student, Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who was burned to death in April after complaining of being sexually harassed by her school principal.Among those found guilty were former members of the school’s administration, teachers and pupils – 12 of the 16 having confessed to participating in the killing in which Rafi was lured on to the school’s roof, doused in paraffin and set alight. Continue reading... Go to Source

Meet Adrenaline: Asterix gets first female hero in 60-year history Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter, released on Thursday, stars a rebellious teenage Gaul who keeps Asterix and Obelix on their toesAsterix, the indomitable pint-sized Gaul forever outfoxing the Romans, is taking a step back for a female hero for the first time in the beloved comic’s 60-year history.In a move to update the books, which have been entertaining readers since 1959 and spawned multiple movie spinoffs, the action in Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter revolves around Adrenaline, the teenage daughter of famous Gaulish king Vercingetorix. Continue reading... Go to Source

Franco's remains exhumed and flown to cemetery near Madrid Spanish dictator’s body moved from tomb in the Valley of the Fallen to lie alongside his wifeSpain exhumes Franco’s remains – in picturesThe body of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco has been exhumed from the tomb in the Valley of the Fallen where it has lain since his death in 1975 and is being taken by helicopter to lie alongside that of his wife in a cemetery near Madrid.Shortly after 10.30am local time (0930 BST) on Thursday, the Spanish government announced the operation to move his body was under way. Continue reading... Go to Source