Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

WikiLeaks founder Assange in new bail bid

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 10:59 PM PST

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will make a fresh appeal to be granted bail when he returns to court today.

Efficiency savings will test NHS 'to the limit'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 10:59 PM PST

The NHS and social services will be tested "to the limit" by the Government's efficiency saving requirements over the next four years, ministers were warned today.

Police braced for more student protests over fees

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 10:59 PM PST

Police and Parliament were today braced for further student protests as the House of Lords debates the Government's controversial plans to hike university tuition fees to as much as £9,000.

'Prepare for all-out cyber war'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Whitehall is preparing for a crippling attack on government websites as evidence mounts that the backlash against the arrest of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is rapidly growing into a mass movement that aims to cause widespread disruption on the internet.

Footage shows protester dragged from wheelchair

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The Metropolitan Police has referred to its internal directorate of professional standards an incident in which officers dragged a protester from his wheelchair and pulled him across a street, after footage of the event emerged online.

Poor areas hit hardest in cuts to council funds

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The biggest cuts to police and local councils "in living memory" were yesterday unveiled by ministers with some parts of the country losing almost 10 per cent of their budget in a single year.

How Luton became the epicentre of the global clash of civilisations

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The sight of police officers standing guard outside the terraced home of Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly yesterday afternoon revived unwelcome memories for Luton.

Arctic front set to send temperatures plummeting

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Another arctic blast will bring more snow and bitterly cold temperatures to the UK this week, forecasters have warned. Temperatures will also fall as low as minus 10C (14F), with bitter winds sweeping across Britain from the north.

Too cold for frozen food? Ice halts Tesco deliveries

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Major supermarkets and retailers halted all online orders in parts of the country yesterday as they tried to cope with the chaos caused by the bad weather with more bleak conditions forecast for this week.

Labour's new Alastair Campbell

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Tom Baldwin, a senior journalist on The Times newspaper, is set to become Ed Miliband's chief communications adviser.

Independent Appeal: It's not just dad who gets a sentence

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Louise was a model child, polite, diligent, well-behaved – she even kept her bedroom tidy. But all that changed, when, aged 11, her father was sentenced to four years in prison for drug dealing.

Let the unemployed pick fruit, says Tory councillor

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

A senior Conservative councillor provoked anger after he suggested jobless Northerners should travel south to pick fruit.

Tube strike set for Boxing Day

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

London Underground (LU) drivers have voted massively in favour of striking on Boxing Day in a row over pay. The Aslef union is claiming triple pay and a day off in lieu for its members working on 26 December, saying LU is refusing to offer any extra pay.

UK 'developed case on McCanns'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

British police are alleged to have helped "develop" evidence against the parents of Madeleine McCann as they were investigated by Portuguese authorities looking into their daughter's disappearance, according to cables published by WikiLeaks.

Day out for the subterranean homesick reds

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Once they were famous for being trapped for a very long time in a deep, dark space. Now, it seems, they are everywhere – including the VIP stand at Old Trafford, watching last night's top of the table clash between Manchester United and Arsenal.

Miliband appeals to disaffected Lib Dems to join in policy review

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Ed Miliband tried to widen the divide inside the Liberal Democrats yesterday by inviting disaffected members to play an important role in Labour's root-and-branch review of its policies. The Labour leader sought to exploit the tensions inside Nick Clegg's party after the Government's decision to raise university tuition fees, saying that Liberal Democrats could work closely with Labour without leaving their own party.

Local councils 'face average 4.4% cut'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 09:48 AM PST

Town halls in England will face no more than an 8.9% reduction in their spending power next year, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said today

Murder accused mother 'tried to protect children'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 09:15 AM PST

A woman accused of murdering her two children in a Spanish hotel room today choked back tears as she told a court she tried to "protect" her children from social services.

Police believe 'organised thugs' infiltrated fees protest

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 08:52 AM PST

Police believe that crowds of students protesting about tuition fees last week were infiltrated by "organised groups of hardcore activists and street gangs bent on violence", Home Secretary Theresa May said today.

Rail disputes threaten Christmas disruption

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 08:14 AM PST

A series of rail disputes erupted today, threatening disruption to passengers over Christmas and leading to a fresh row over fare increases.

Mother and son 'hacked to death with axe'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 08:12 AM PST

A mother and son were hacked to death in their own home by a man neighbours said was wielding an axe.

7/7 doctor 'injured in Tube incident days earlier'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:55 AM PST

A doctor went into the London Underground after the 7/7 bombings despite suffering an electric shock at the same station eight days earlier, the inquest into the attacks heard today.

Hotel owners 'set up' by gay couple who sued

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:33 AM PST

A gay couple suing the Christian owners of a seaside hotel may have booked a double room as a "set-up", a court heard today.

Stockholm bomber was confronted by mosque leaders

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:24 AM PST

The Stockholm bomber was thrown out of a mosque for preaching about suicide bombings and attempting to recruit extremists, religious leaders said today.

Second-trial killer gets life

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:12 AM PST

The first person to face a murder retrial following the discovery of new forensic evidence was today jailed for life.

Section of Tube to close

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 06:23 AM PST

A section of the Tube will shut for a month next summer, it was announced today.

Councils told by Government to do 'more with less'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:23 AM PST

Local councils must continue to provide "reasonable" services to the public despite swingeing cuts in central government funding, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles warned today.

Miliband appeals to Lib Dems to work with Labour

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:06 AM PST

Labour leader Ed Miliband today appealed to disenchanted Liberal Democrats to work with him against the coalition Government.

Gascoigne drink driving trial adjourned

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 04:00 AM PST

A drink-drive case involving former England football star Paul Gascoigne was adjourned for the fourth time today after civilian witnesses were unable to attend court.

Freebies unwrapped: The 'celebrity gifting lounge'

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 03:36 AM PST

While most of us will be looking to wind down on the present front after Christmas, for celebrities the season of giving will have only just begun. Early next year at Britain's awards ceremonies, stars won't be looking to just pick up gongs, they will also be hoping to bag a few freebies before the event has even started.

£20m push to get mail through severe weather

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 02:56 AM PST

Royal Mail is spending £20 million on extra measures to handle the severe weather as it deals with the busiest posting day of the year, it was announced today.

Carroll assault charge dropped

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 02:55 AM PST

Newcastle said today they were "pleased" that an assault charge against England striker Andy Carroll has been dropped.

Gerry Adams denies WikiLeaks allegations

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 01:44 AM PST

Gerry Adams has denied claims on WikiLeaks that he was an IRA leader and had advance knowledge of the infamous Northern Bank raid.

Business calls to delay changes to retirement age

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 01:06 AM PST

Business leaders today urged the Government to delay planned changes to the retirement age, warning that firms faced "huge uncertainty" and greater risk of tribunal claims if they went ahead.

British household debts reach a record high

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 12:59 AM PST

More than half of households are struggling to repay credit cards and loans, a Bank of England survey suggested today.

Day of protest over axing of education grant

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 12:40 AM PST

Students, staff and trade unions will hold a day of action today in protest at government plans to axe a grant for the poorest teenagers.

Britain braced for snow and plunging temperatures

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 11:01 PM PST

Another arctic blast will bring more snow and bitterly cold temperatures to the UK this week, forecasters have warned.

posted by Greg Shaw at Tuesday, December 14, 2010