Friday, November 05, 2010

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

First blood to the Coalition

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Ministers are prepared to up the stakes in their disputes with striking public-sector workers, after firefighters dramatically backed off from today's Bonfire Night walkout.

Post-2012 funding to rely on Lottery

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

The Olympics minister, Hugh Robertson, has promised there will be no drop in funding for elite athletes after the London 2012 Games.

Comedian fined for assault

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

The comedian who headbutted an audience member at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August has been fined £600 after he admitted assault.

Cameron to protest at jail for Nobel laureate

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

David Cameron will protest over the treatment of Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel peace laureate who is in jail in China, during his visit to the country next week. Although the trip is primarily intended to boost trade between Britain and China, the Prime Minister is promising not to shy away from human rights issues.

Osborne sets date for 2011 Budget

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

The Chancellor announced that he will present his 2011 Budget to Parliament on 23 March yesterday as he proposed changes to the way government spending is dished out.

Mongolia's spy chief: invited to Number 10, detained in Wandsworth

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

When Mongolia's spy chief stepped off an Aeroflot flight into Heathrow a few weeks ago, he expected a welcome befitting a foreign dignitary arriving for high-level talks with the British government on a new era of intelligence co-operation. After all, preparations for his visit had included an invitation to meet Downing Street's National Security Adviser.

'Careful with those wrinkles,' Countryfile presenter was told

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Former BBC presenter Miriam O'Reilly was warned "to be careful with those wrinkles when high definition comes in" nine months before she was dropped from Countryfile by the BBC, a tribunal heard yesterday. Ms O'Reilly, 53, is suing the broadcaster for sex and age discrimination after losing her job when the rural affairs show was moved to a prime-time slot.

'This isn't the Today programme...' BBC silenced by strike

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

A strike by journalists in protest at proposed changes to the BBC pension scheme is set to cripple the Corporation's news programming today with shows including Radio 4's Today and BBC2's Newsnight taken off the air.

UK to tighten security checks for packages sent by plane

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

A loophole which allowed airmailed packages to enter and leave Britain without being checked is to be closed as part of a tightening of security in the wake of the air cargo bomb plot.

Major museums blocked from using reserves totalling £285m

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Tens of millions of pounds held in the reserve accounts of Britain's major museums – much of it donated by private donations and bequests – is frozen by the Treasury, despite the arts being in the midst of the biggest funding crisis in a generation.

Cameron's business backers lobby against immigration cap

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Some of the companies whose bosses publicly endorsed the Coalition Government's deep public-spending cuts have been privately lobbying ministers to relax the proposed cap on immigration to the UK. Microsoft, Asda, BT and GlaxoSmithKline were among 35 firms whose chief executive or chairman issued a public declaration of support for George Osborne's strategy on the eve of his government spending cuts.

Wales loses virtual turf war with Caymans over '.cym' domain name

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Wales has had to put up with many things – having the English as neighbours for one – but now they have suffered the ignominy of being outranked by the Cayman Islands.

Guy Fawkes vs Diwali: Battle of Bonfire Night

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Bonfire Night celebrations are usually the only show in town on 5 November. This year, though, the burning Guys and flaring Roman Candles may have to fight a little harder for the public's attention, thanks to an alternative event which promises similarly spectacular pyrotechnics.

Thompson engulfed by BSkyB letter row

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

The BBC director-general, Mark Thompson, was summoned before the corporation's governing body to answer fears that he allowed himself to become caught up in a political row over the future of BSkyB.

Bonfire Night fire strike called off

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 11:30 AM PDT

A planned Bonfire Night strike by thousands of firefighters in a bitter row over new contracts was dramatically called off tonight just hours before it was due to start.

Man charged with murder of missing wife

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 10:54 AM PDT

A man was charged tonight with the murder of his millionairess wife as the search for her body continued, police said.

Corrupt officer 'helped gangster brother'

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 10:37 AM PDT

A corrupt police officer helped his drug gang "enforcer" brother by hiding a cache of weapons and intimidating witnesses, it can be reported today.

Man who strangled girlfriend faces life sentence

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 09:33 AM PDT

A killer who escaped from custody after strangling his girlfriend 16 years ago and raped two women while on the run in Spain is facing a life sentence today.

Hundreds of police 'could be forced to retire'

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 07:39 AM PDT

Hundreds of experienced officers could be lost as police chiefs "abuse" the system by taking advantage of a loophole which enables them to force officers to retire, the Police Federation said today.

Nursery culture blamed for sex abuse

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 07:30 AM PDT

Management of the nursery where paedophile Vanessa George sexually abused youngsters was severely criticised in an official report today.

Second night of rioting at young offenders unit

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 06:45 AM PDT

More than 50 inmates at a young offenders unit were involved in a second night of rioting last night, the Prison Service said today.

Security talks held over cargo bomb plot

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 06:19 AM PDT

Aviation industry leaders will meet Transport Secretary Philip Hammond later today to discuss security in the wake of the air cargo bomb plot.

7/7 officer cleared of defrauding Met police

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 06:15 AM PDT

The case against a counter terrorism officer accused of defrauding the Metropolitan police while investigating the July 7 bombings collapsed today after a judge ruled there was a lack of evidence against him.

Bez sought by police over allegedly breaching restraining order

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:18 AM PDT

Former Happy Mondays star Bez was being sought by police today over allegations he breached a restraining order by contacting his ex-girlfriend.

Police officer accused of assaulting arrested man

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 05:16 AM PDT

A police officer was accused today of assaulting a man he arrested after being called to a street fight.

George Osborne sets date for next Budget

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 03:47 AM PDT

The next Budget will be on 23 March next year, Chancellor George Osborne said today.

MPs' 'grave concerns' over efficiency savings

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 03:05 AM PDT

MPs today expressed "grave concerns" about the ability of Whitehall departments to deliver efficiency savings without cutting frontline services.

Tube services return to normal after strike

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 03:03 AM PDT

London Underground services returned to normal today after the latest strike by thousands of workers which disrupted the Tube system yesterday, causing travel misery for passengers.

Man due in court over car driven into nightclub crowd

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:50 AM PDT

A man was charged today in connection with an incident in which a car was driven into a group of revellers outside a nightclub.

Government hits back at Iran over 'UK terrorist arrests'

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:18 AM PDT

The Government today accused Iran of a "long line of slurs" amid claims four people with links to Britain had been arrested.

Ed Miliband attacks David Cameron over 'vanity staff'

Posted: 03 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

David Cameron has been mocked by Labour after he added two "vanity staff" – his personal photographer and personal film-maker – to the public payroll at the moment that the state sector faces heavy job losses.

Google escapes fine for breaking data laws

Posted: 03 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Google committed a "significant breach" of data protection laws when its Street View cars "mistakenly" collected people's email addresses and passwords over unsecured WiFi networks, the Information Commissioner has ruled. However, the company escaped a fine and was asked only to promise not to do it again.

posted by Greg Shaw at Friday, November 05, 2010