The Independent - UK RSS Feed

---

• Exclusive: The world's most wanted house guest
• Protest at Royal Mail privatisation
• Forensics service shut and courts are closed
• Celebrities flock to see free speech 'go on trial'
• Student protests may be banned altogether if violence continues
• Osborne embarrassed by calls to draw up a 'Plan B'
• Lords sound alarm over university 'privatisation' – but fees plan survives
• WikiLeaks head bailed, but spends another night in solitary confinement
• 'A train crash': the NHS's verdict on the Coalition's health reforms
• Convicted judge's four-letter tirade
• Trillions of sums, but we can't predict a white Christmas
• Wikileaks' Julian Assange remains locked up until Swedish appeal
• Fireman admits causing death with sirens
• Senior 7/7 officer 'was never formally debriefed'
• Power station protesters guilty
• Convicted judge swears and walks out of court
• More than 180 arrests over fees protests
• Forensic science service to be wound up
• Royal wedding row after union criticism
• Record surge in food and clothing costs drives up inflation
• House prices fall as buyers lose interest
• Arctic blast brings prospect of white Christmas
• Murdered woman killed by heavy blade
• First subsidised electric cars announced
• Controversial US preacher will not attend EDL demo

Exclusive: The world's most wanted house guest Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST For the past fortnight, Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, has been at the centre of a global firestorm. Wanted by Interpol, by the Swedish police, even, briefly, by Scotland Yard, he has been called a terrorist and a revolutionary. Several leading American politicians and commentators have called for him to be killed, while Russia and China have also been loud in their condemnation. Yesterday, Assange appeared at City of Westminster magistrates' court to fight extradition to Sweden on sex charges that he says are politically motivated. He was granted bail – subject to an appeal by Swedish prosecutors that could see him spend a further 48 hours in custody – on condition that he provides a security of £200,000 to the court, with a further £40,000 guaranteed in two sureties of £20,000 each – and that he spends between now and 11 January as the house guest of Captain Vaughan Smith, a former Grenadier Guard and founder of the journalists' Frontline Club.

Protest at Royal Mail privatisation Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST Politicians, trade unions and business leaders will join hundreds of postal workers at a rally in Westminster today to protest against the Government's plans to privatise Royal Mail.

Forensics service shut and courts are closed Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST The forensic Science Service is to close and dozens of towns across England and Wales will lose their magistrates' courts as part of the latest round of cuts announced by the Government.

Celebrities flock to see free speech 'go on trial' Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST The diminutive figure of Bianca Jagger pushed her way through the scrum as a man with a megaphone repeated "Exposing war crimes is no crime" and hundreds gathered outside City of Westminster magistrates' court chanted back "Free Julian now". It was, banners proclaimed, "Democracy on trial".

Student protests may be banned altogether if violence continues Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST Scotland Yard will consider asking the Home Secretary to ban further student marches should the levels of violence which have marred the recent protests continue, Britain's most senior police officer said yesterday.

Osborne embarrassed by calls to draw up a 'Plan B' Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST Senior officials have called for contingency plans to be drawn up in case the Government's economic strategy is blown off course by the crisis in the eurozone, it emerged yesterday.

Lords sound alarm over university 'privatisation' – but fees plan survives Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST Plans to raise student tuition fees to up to £9,000 a year cleared Parliament last night after a heated House of Lords debate in which ministers were accused of destroying universities with swingeing cuts.

WikiLeaks head bailed, but spends another night in solitary confinement Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was granted bail on a £200,000 cash surety yesterday at the end of a hearing in which high-profile figures queued to offer financial guarantees for his freedom and protesters outside the central London court building howled their anger against his "grotesque" detention.

'A train crash': the NHS's verdict on the Coalition's health reforms Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST Senior figures from across the health service have warned ministers that the NHS faces a "train crash" and could "implode" over the pace of the Government's reform plans.

Convicted judge's four-letter tirade Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST A crown court judge stormed out of Carlisle magistrates' court yesterday after being convicted of failing to keep her German shepherd dog under control.

Trillions of sums, but we can't predict a white Christmas Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST When it comes to dreaming of a white Christmas, don't believe all you read in the papers – such as the assertion, prominent yesterday, that it's certain to happen. It might, say the latest forecasts. They also predict the return of the "big freeze" today, which may or may not last as long as a month. But the truth is that modern weather forecasting is all down to sums – and to forecast accurately a weather event 10 days away is simply too big a sum to carry out. Even for the brightest mathematical prodigy.

Wikileaks' Julian Assange remains locked up until Swedish appeal Posted: 14 Dec 2010 10:32 AM PST WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange remains in custody tonight after Swedish prosecutors appealed against a decision to grant him bail.

Fireman admits causing death with sirens Posted: 14 Dec 2010 08:48 AM PST A fireman has admitted causing the death of a farmer who was crushed to death by his herd of cows after they were startled by fire engine sirens.

Senior 7/7 officer 'was never formally debriefed' Posted: 14 Dec 2010 08:20 AM PST A senior police officer who took charge on one of the bombed 7/7 trains today told an inquest he never had a formal debrief following Britain's worst terror atrocity.

Power station protesters guilty Posted: 14 Dec 2010 06:48 AM PST A group of 20 climate change activists who planned to shut down the UK's second largest power station were convicted today of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass.

Convicted judge swears and walks out of court Posted: 14 Dec 2010 06:20 AM PST A judge swore and stormed out of court today when she was convicted of failing to control her dangerous dog.

More than 180 arrests over fees protests Posted: 14 Dec 2010 05:37 AM PST More than 180 people have been arrested by police investigating rioting during the series of protests against rising student tuition fees.

Forensic science service to be wound up Posted: 14 Dec 2010 03:57 AM PST The Forensic Science Service is to be wound up, the Government said today.

Royal wedding row after union criticism Posted: 14 Dec 2010 03:34 AM PST A union leader attacked the Government today over the announcement of a bank holiday for next year's royal wedding after an official business website made clear there was no statutory right to an extra holiday.

Record surge in food and clothing costs drives up inflation Posted: 14 Dec 2010 01:42 AM PST A record surge in both food and clothing costs drove up the rate of inflation in November, official figures revealed today.

House prices fall as buyers lose interest Posted: 14 Dec 2010 01:09 AM PST Property prices fell again last month as interest from buyers plunged for the sixth month in a row, research indicated today.

Arctic blast brings prospect of white Christmas Posted: 14 Dec 2010 01:05 AM PST The prospect of a white Christmas has become more likely as Britons prepare for another Arctic blast to hit the UK this week.

Murdered woman killed by heavy blade Posted: 14 Dec 2010 01:02 AM PST A woman who was murdered with her son died from "multiple head injuries consistent with a heavy bladed instrument", a post-mortem examination revealed today.

First subsidised electric cars announced Posted: 14 Dec 2010 12:58 AM PST The Government today announced the first nine electric cars for which drivers will be eligible for a 25% Whitehall-paid grant.

Controversial US preacher will not attend EDL demo Posted: 14 Dec 2010 12:55 AM PST Controversial American preacher Pastor Terry Jones will not attend an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration in Britain, the far-right group said.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Independent - UK RSS Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610