Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

So this is Christmas

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

National embarrassment deepened to abject humiliation last night as more than half a million Christmas travellers remained stranded in the UK. Major arterial roads and the Channel Rail Link ground to a standstill, unable to cope with drifting snow, black ice and "refugees" from Heathrow.

Picture of the Day: Poetry of a frozen morning

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

It is usually sparkling, not to say enchanting, but here the transforming power of frost has taken on a sinister edge: instead of a sugar coating, we have the cobwebs of nightmares.

Landmark ruling allows tweeting from court – for now

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The Lord Chief Justice has given the public the right to report from inside courtrooms using Twitter, texts and email.

English Defence League backers revealed

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The names and addresses of hundreds of supporters of the English Defence League have been published online. The hackers, operating under the name "TeaMp0isoN", are almost certainly British Pakistanis – TeaMp0isoN has previously claimed responsibility for hacks on Indian politicians' websites.

Arrested terror suspects 'were targeting shoppers'

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

A dozen men, mostly Britons of Bangladeshi origin, were arrested yesterday in connection with an alleged plot to carry out synchronised bombings in British cities.

Cable threatens to 'bring down the Government'

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The Liberal Democrat minister Vince Cable faced acute embarrassment last night after privately suggesting he could "bring down" the Coalition Government by quitting the Cabinet.

Fears of Tory rebellion over high-speed rail

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Ministers announced a series of changes yesterday to plans for a £12bn high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham in an effort to avert a Conservative rebellion against the scheme.

Red phone boxes could be saved

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Britain's red telephone boxes could be given a new lease of life as cash machines. Payphone use has halved in the last two years and many have been sold off or decommissioned, but BT is now looking at saving many of them by using them as ATMs. At least two have already been installed.

Union leaders warn David Cameron over cuts

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 10:12 AM PST

Trade union leaders warned David Cameron today that the Coalition Government's deep spending cuts would be damaging, dangerous and would hit the poor hardest.

12 held in anti-terror swoop

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 10:02 AM PST

A dozen men, most of them Britons of Bangladeshi origin, were arrested today in connection with an alleged plot to carry out synchonised bombings in a number of British cities.

Harry Potter star 'beaten after meeting non-Muslim man'

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 09:56 AM PST

A Harry Potter star was beaten, called a "slag" and threatened with death after she met a young man who was not a Muslim, a court heard today.

£33bn high-speed rail plans unveiled

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 09:51 AM PST

Plans for a £33 billion high-speed rail (HSR) network from London to Birmingham and on to northern England were unveiled today by the Government.

Woman and her two children found dead at home

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 09:49 AM PST

A woman is believed to have killed two of her children before taking her own life.

Court clears officer who pocketed drugs raid cash

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 09:47 AM PST

A police officer who "panicked" during a drugs raid and pocketed bundles of cash was cleared of misconduct today.

Video: Dog rescued after falling through ice

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 09:09 AM PST

Firemen in Essex have pulled a boxer dog from icy water and issued a warning to all dog owners after it fell through the ice.

Rail workers to strike on Bank holidays

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 08:20 AM PST

Workers at Northern Rail are to strike on December 27 and 28 in a row over Bank Holiday pay, it was announced today.

Open verdict in Newton inquest

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 07:20 AM PST

Drugs and steroids may have impaired the judgment of rugby league star Terry Newton when he hanged himself, an inquest heard today.

Travel: The nightmare before Christmas

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 07:18 AM PST

Midwinter misery continued for travellers today, with road and rail journeys disrupted and delays and cancellations continuing at the UK's biggest airport.

Stabbed policeman to make full recovery

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 06:04 AM PST

A probationary officer whose neck was slashed by a man with a craft knife in a busy shopping street will make a "full recovery".

Six Tommy Sheridan perjury trial allegations dropped

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 05:58 AM PST

Six allegations of perjury against former Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) MSP Tommy Sheridan were dropped today as the trial entered its closing stages.

Virtual court scheme too expensive, says report

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 05:54 AM PST

Rolling out virtual courts would cost more than it would save, a report found today.

Fire control centre plan scrapped

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 05:44 AM PST

A multimillion-pound scheme to replace 46 fire control centres in England with nine new sites is to be scrapped, the Government announced today.

Capital spending on science cut by 40%

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 05:39 AM PST

Severe cuts in capital funding for the seven bodies which distribute taxpayers' money to scientists will create "particularly significant challenges", their representative council said today.

Twitter to be allowed in courts

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 03:40 AM PST

Twitter can be used in courts but users will need the judge's permission first and this could be refused in criminal trials, the country's top judge said today.

Warning over Boxing Day Tube strike plan

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 03:21 AM PST

Business leaders today warned that a planned strike by London Underground drivers on Boxing Day could be a "major blow" for retailers on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Government details review of 'confused' gun laws

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 12:01 AM PST

Criminals who receive suspended jail terms should be stripped of any gun licences they hold, MPs reviewing firearms law said today.

Cuts to council funding 'deeper in poorest areas'

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 12:01 AM PST

Official figures show cuts to local council funding are on average four times deeper in the poorest areas of the country than the best off, Labour said today.

Snow in the UK: Your winter 2010 pictures

Posted: 19 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

It's wonderful when snow blankets the UK, muffling the country and making even the dullest landmarks beautiful.

Economy feels chill as UK grinds to a halt

Posted: 19 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

The economic impact of the freezing winter will deepen this week as Britain prepares for more travel gridlock, and millions of workers, travellers and shoppers were expected to stay at home in the run-up to Christmas rather than brave the icy conditions.

posted by Greg Shaw at Tuesday, December 21, 2010