Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

Miliband keeps the champagne on ice as PM faces wrath of Tory right

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

David Cameron faced the fury of the Tory Right as it blamed his "half-hearted" campaign for the collapse in the party's vote in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.

Minor British Institutions: High-visibility clothing

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

What event of any note in this country, from business enterprise to civil unrest, is complete without numbers of people wearing high-visibility clothing?

Prepare for fuel shortages: union warns of blockades

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Anger over soaring fuel costs and industrial action by tanker drivers threaten to bring widescale disruption to supplies of petrol next month.

Westminster's biggest hate figure?

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

The Speaker of the House has given us a complex display of virtue, vice and human flaws – along with an unconventional wife with a colourful past and an intensely political present.

Up to 50 left bus before explosion

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Up to 50 people disembarked from an overcrowded London bus moments before a devastating explosion tore through it on 7 July 2005, the inquest into the terrorist attacks has heard.

Boy, 14, held over petrol bomb

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

A boy of 14 was arrested yesterday over the throwing of a petrol bomb at a student protest.

Sheridan's wife to stand for election

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

The wife of convicted perjurer Tommy Sheridan is reportedly ready to take up his socialist mantle in the Scottish Parliament.

IT boss jailed for Nectar card fraud

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

A Sainsbury's IT manager who stole millions of Nectar points after finding a "loophole" in the system was jailed for 20 months at the Old Bailey yesterday.

Prosecutors step in to review Met evidence in phone-hacking scandal

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Prosecutors are to re-examine all the evidence amassed by Scotland Yard during its investigation into the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World.

Minister promises new checks on elderly care

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

The ordeal faced by the grandmother of the Independent columnist Johann Hari as she was shunted between residential homes over 10 years was condemned as appalling last night by the Care Services minister.

Locals cheesed off at festival plan

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

A community is up in arms that its annual cheese-rolling day risks being turned into a "cheap commercial event".

Detained patient wins right to claim damages

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

A mental health patient unlawfully detained in a psychiatric hospital won the right to claim damages yesterday under human rights laws.

Yorkshire Ripper loses appeal bid

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe lost a challenge yesterday against an order that he can never be released.

Village People: What's in a name? The enigma of the Tories called Tim

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

It is bizarre but true that never in the long history of the Labour Party has there ever been a Labour MP called Tim. There have been MPs who get within a letter's breadth – a few Toms, a Tam and a Timms – but never an actual Tim, or Timothy.

Female circumcision doctor fails in plea

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 09:52 AM PST

A shamed 81-year-old doctor who was struck off nearly 20 years ago for agreeing to perform a female circumcision failed in his bid to be restored to the medical register today.

Pete Doherty misses drugs charge court date

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 09:28 AM PST

Rock star Pete Doherty failed to appear in court today to face a charge of possessing cocaine.

14-year-old boy held in petrol bomb probe

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 09:10 AM PST

Police today arrested a 14-year-old boy over the throwing of a petrol bomb during a student protest.

Firefighters' union backs new shifts deal

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 09:08 AM PST

Firefighters' union leaders today endorsed a deal aimed at ending a bitter dispute over shift times in London.

Watchdog to probe undercover PC case

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 08:48 AM PST

Independent officials will examine whether police tried to cover up the role of an undercover colleague who infiltrated a group of environmental activists.

Tour firm must pay over holiday bug

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 08:46 AM PST

A judge today handed a landmark victory to 49 holidaymakers who contracted serious illnesses at a Majorcan hotel after ruling that one of the biggest tour operators in the UK failed to protect their health and safety, lawyers for the holidaymakers said.

Phone hacking files to be re-examined

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 08:29 AM PST

Prosecutors are to conduct a "comprehensive assessment" of all material collected by Scotland Yard linked to the phone hacking scandal.

Nurse who hit patient can carry on working

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 08:10 AM PST

A nurse who hit a vulnerable patient weeks before his death has been cleared to carry on working after a tribunal found she was simply trying to illustrate why his behaviour was inappropriate.

Civil Service redundancy changes challenged

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 07:38 AM PST

The Government is to face a legal challenge over changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme after a huge rejection by members of the biggest Whitehall trade union, it was announced today.

'Lucky' Tube passenger caught in second 7/7 blast

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 06:26 AM PST

A woman who narrowly escaped one of the 7/7 bombings received a text from her boyfriend saying she had been lucky moments before she was caught in a second blast, an inquest heard today.

By-election sends a clear message, says Miliband

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 05:30 AM PST

Voters have sent a "very clear message" to the coalition, Ed Miliband said today as the Conservative-Liberal Democrat alliance suffered a bloody nose in their first by-election test.

Man admits West End shop bomb hoax

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 05:05 AM PST

A man pleaded guilty today to entering a store in London's West End and threatening to blow himself up.

Yorkshire Ripper's crimes 'extreme horror'

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:51 AM PST

The notorious crimes committed by Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe - who is never to be released - were described as being at the "extreme end of horror" by top judges today.

Nine in court on bomb plot charges

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:34 AM PST

Members of a right-wing organisation packed the public gallery of the Old Bailey today as a group of men were remanded in connection with a bombing plot.

Nursery worker in court on child rape charge

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:10 AM PST

A 20-year-old nursery worker appeared in court today charged with raping a child.

Alleged killers 'hiding in honeymooners' room'

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 03:58 AM PST

The alleged killers of honeymooner Michaela McAreavey were hiding in her room when the unsuspecting teacher walked in and lunged at her only when she had closed the door.

Gail Sheridan 'to stand for Scottish parliament'

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 03:10 AM PST

The wife of convicted perjurer Tommy Sheridan is reportedly ready to take up his socialist mantle in the Scottish Parliament.

Mayor slams 'pointless' strikes as Tube disruption looms

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 12:10 AM PST

The threat of fresh travel disruption caused by industrial action in London escalated today as the capital's Mayor called for an end to "pointless" strikes.

Keeper of Alastair Campbell's 'news grid' leaves No 10

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Paul Brown, the quietly spoken civil servant who has compiled Downing Street's famous "news grid" for more than 12 years is to retire this year – a loss that insiders say will put a huge hole in the Government's publicity machine.

posted by Greg Shaw at Saturday, January 15, 2011