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US Senate unanimously votes to reinstate dress code
By Lisa Lambert BBC News The US Senate has voted to formally impose a dress code, unanimously rejecting a plan to allow lawmakers to wear casual clothing in the chamber. Last week Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ended enforcement of an informal and unwritten code requiring senators wear business attire on the floor. The change, widely…
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Magpie swooping: How polarising bird terrorises suburban Australia
By Tiffanie Turnbull BBC News, Sydney Don’t run. Travel in groups. Carry an umbrella and wear sunglasses on the back of your head. These are some of the ominous warnings issued in Australia each spring, as magpies and humans begin their annual turf war. Streets and parks become a battleground, as the birds – descending…
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Sycamore Gap: Boy, 16, arrested after Hadrian’s Wall tree felled
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the felling of one of the UK’s most well-known trees. The landmark at Sycamore Gap, beside Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, was cut down overnight. Northumberland National Park Authority officials believe the tree, known as Robin Hood’s Tree, was “deliberately felled”. Northumbria Police said the teenager had…
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Swiss glaciers record ‘catastrophic’ ice loss
By Imogen Foulkes BBC News, Geneva Switzerland’s glaciers have lost a further 4% of their volume this year – the second biggest loss ever – after last year’s record melt of 6%. The statistics come in the annual report of the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos), whose team of researchers have been monitoring 176 of…
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Gaza-Israel tensions spiral amid closures and clashes
By Yolande Knell in Jerusalem & Rushdi Abu Alouf in Gaza City BBC News In the dark after midnight, it was like rush hour in the northern Gaza Strip. Thousands of Palestinian workers had heard that Israel was to open its side of the Erez crossing at dawn after 12 days of closure in response…
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Haiti crisis: Can Kenyan police officers defeat the gangs?
By Gloria Aradi & Pascal Fletcher BBC News in Nairobi & BBC Monitoring in Miami Kenya has pledged to lead a multinational security force in Haiti in response to a plea from the Caribbean nation’s prime minister for help restoring order. Haiti has suffered from gang violence for decades but the current wave of brutality…
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From stage star to Dumbledore: Tributes paid to Sir Michael Gambon
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Sir Michael Gambon’s acting career spanned six decades. But, as we mentioned moments ago, he is best known for the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. Gambon only became the headmaster of wizarding school Hogwarts after the death of Richard Harris, who was Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter…
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Cher accused of hiring men to kidnap her son
By Alys Davies BBC News Cher has been accused of hiring men to kidnap her son from a hotel where he was staying with his wife last year. Court documents filed by Elijah Blue Allman’s wife, Marieangela King, allege that four men “removed” him from a New York hotel room on their anniversary in November…
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Obituary: Sir Michael Gambon, star of The Singing Detective and Harry Potter
Sir Michael Gambon was one of Britain’s most versatile performers. While he achieved success on both TV and in the cinema, it was the theatre that was his greatest love. He played many of the great Shakespearean parts, appeared on TV as Inspector Maigret and once auditioned for the role of James Bond. And he…
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Actor Sir Michael Gambon dies aged 82
The actor Sir Michael Gambon has died in hospital aged 82, his family say. He was best known for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films. Sir Michael also appeared in Fantastic Mr Fox, played French detective Maigret and starred in The Singing Detective. His widow and son said their…