All news by author James Smith

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Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh dies aged 92
Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement
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Incredible images reveal underground bunker hidden in plain sight for 70 years
Images of a bunker that was camouflaged for more than 70 years have been released as it goes up for auction.
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Pope Francis opens ‘holy door’ at one of largest prisons in Italy
Pontiff opens sacred portal at Rebibbia jail outside Rome to show ‘hope does not disappoint’
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Azerbaijan Airlines pilot’s chilling final five words revealed before crash that killed 38
The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane is suspected to have been wrongly targeted as a suspected Ukrainian drone by a surface-to-air missile shot from Chechnya
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King Charles shares heartfelt Christmas message, praising ’selfless’ cancer doctors and nurses
King Charles has used his Christmas Day address to pay tribute to hospital staff who provided ‘strength, care and comfort’ during his cancer treatment.
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sued by former assistant claiming star forced her to clean up after ‘Wild King Night’ parties
Sean “Diddy” Combs is being sued by a former assistant over claims the star instructed him to clear up after parties the star referred to as “Wild King Nights”.
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Ministers urged not to allow Assad’s British wife to return to the UK after reports she is unhappy with life in Moscow
Ministers have been urged not to let the British wife of deposed Syrian despot Bashar Al-Assad come back to the UK amid reports she has become unhappy with life in Russia.
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Mauritius delays Chagos Islands deal over Diego Garcia lease terms
UK government accused of ‘nitpicking about compensation’ after being told to pay more to retain military base
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Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev hosts a lavish wedding for the second time, now for his daughter
Russian oligarch and patron of the so-called "orthodox" movement, Konstantin Malofeev, hosted a lavish wedding for his daughter Natalia at the exclusive Bvlgari Resort Dubai hotel.
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Car industry consulted on 2030 ban of petrol and diesel vehicles
The UK motor industry is being consulted over how the phasing-out of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 will work, the government has announced.
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How the Solomon Islands’ donor-funded water plant turned into a costly failure
A decade ago, torrential rains flooded Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands, overwhelming its decrepit water treatment system. Over a dozen people were killed and thousands more stricken with diarrheal disease.
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Ministry of Defence reveals one fifth of British armed forces are ’unfit to fight’
Nearly a fifth of the armed forces are unfit to fight without any restrictions, the Ministry of Defence has said.
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Pilot killed in Fife Airport plane crash as police respond to the incident
A plane crashed just moments after take off from a Scottish airport this morning.
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Shops catch fire after car allegedly crashes into supermarket and oil is poured over it
People have been urged to avoid an area of Birmingham where emergency services are tackling a “significant fire”.
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The regime’s minority stakeholders: Key Putin oligarchs still profiting from trade with Europe despite sanctions
Companies partly owned by billionaires closely linked to Vladimir Putin continue exporting their products to Western markets without interruption.
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Court approves construction of ’the Slab’ office block on London’s South Bank
Judge dismisses challenge that argued development failed to provide housing and could damage London landmarks
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Metropolitan Police apologizes to black community leader detained by officer using excessive force
Jason Matthews was searched by PC Connor Jones who had faced three misconduct proceedings in two years
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Two-year-old boy killed by falling fireplace while dancing to Cocomelon TV show
A two-year-old boy died when a TV and marble fireplace toppled over and struck his head while he danced along to Cocomelon, an inquest has heard.
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Man arrested after woman in her 40s found stabbed to death in her home
A man has been arrested after a woman was found with fatal stab wounds at a south west London address.
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Knife attack at Zagreb school leaves at least one child dead and several seriously injured
Local media reports have said the attacker stabbed and killed a child and injured several people at a school in the Croatian capital Zagreb - children have been evacuated
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Thames Water fined £18m by Ofwat for breaking shareholder payment rules
It’s hoped that the penalty will act as a "clear warning" to the whole water sector, regulator Ofwat said.
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Teenagers who murdered Max Dixon and Mason Rist in Bristol sentenced to life imprisonment
The trial heard how the teen murderers wrongly believed their victims were behind an attack on a house earlier in the evening. Max and Mason were chased and attacked with weapons, including machetes, a bat, and a sword.
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Google Maps car snaps vital clue in Spanish missing person case
Image of man leaning into boot of a car on a street in northern Spain helps lead police to make two arrests
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PM says taxpayers cannot afford Waspi compensation
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the decision to reject compensation for women hit by changes to the state pension age, arguing that the taxpayer "simply can’t afford the tens of billions of pounds" in payments.
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Prince Andrew’s ’opaque’ finances spark calls for a register of royal interests
Claims of refused FOI requests into Duke of York’s business dealings come as controversy over alleged Chinese spy continues