Monday, January 24, 2011

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

Hacking: Call to investigate police

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

David Cameron's hopes of limiting the political damage from the telephone hacking affair suffered a setback yesterday as ministers were urged to order an independent inquiry into the actions of the Metropolitan Police.

Balls under fire for 'soft touch' with the banks

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Ed Balls fended off criticism of his record from Labour colleagues and Conservative and Liberal Democrat opponents yesterday as he tried to clear the ground for a full-scale attack on the Coalition Government.

Coalition left exposed over bonuses after talks collapse

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Talks between the Government and Britain's biggest banks over bonuses and lending levels are in disarray, ending hopes of an announcement that had been expected today.

Doorstep lenders 'make money out of misery'

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

It charges an equivalent annual interest rate of 400 per cent for a £200 loan, pays its executives salaries that some of its own shareholders think are excessive, and has been found by watchdogs to have made millions of pounds in excess profits: welcome to the world of Provident Financial – for many people the only method of obtaining credit now that banks have stopped lending to millions of Britons.

Claims of second bodyguard affair

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Alan Johnson's former police bodyguard, suspended over an alleged affair with the former shadow chancellor's wife, will be investigated over claims of a second relationship, with the politician's personal assistant.

Neighbour in court charged with murdering Joanna Yeates

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Vincent Tabak, the Dutch neighbour of Joanna Yeates, will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court this morning charged with murdering the 25-year-old architect, who went missing on 17 December and whose body was found on Christmas Day.

Cornwall in January: pure surfing paradise

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Nobody could accuse this lone surfer of being a fair-weather sportsman as he braved winter waves averaging 7C (before the chill factor) at Polzeath in Cornwall.

'Return Wallace letter to Scotland'

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

A letter said to have been taken from the Scots hero William Wallace when he was captured by English forces should be returned to Scotland, historians have said.

Slowest download area named

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

The street with the slowest broadband speed in the country has been uncovered. It turns out that patience is a much-needed virtue for residents of Railway Hill in Canterbury, Kent. Their average download speed is 0.13Mb, which means that downloading a film would take about 48 hours.

Four workmen killed in accident

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating after four workmen were killed in an accident while working on foundations for an offshore project.

Phone's glow helps mountain rescuers

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

The glow of a mobile phone helped rescuers find a father and son lost at night in Snowdonia. The pair, 55 and 19, from Anglesey, had left their torches in the car when they set out to climb the Idwal Slabs.

Irish government in chaos as Greens quit coalition

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 07:58 AM PST

The Irish government was plunged into chaos today as the junior coalition Green Party pulled out over the dramatic resignation of Taoiseach Brian Cowen as leader of the ruling Fianna Fail party.

Harman: Police must investigate phone-hacking allegations

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 04:02 AM PST

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said today that the police must investigate allegations of phone-hacking by journalists, amid reports that Gordon Brown may have been among the victims.

Labour to 'pull together' after Johnson departure

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 03:57 AM PST

Labour's shadow cabinet will "pull together" and leave behind the problems of the past following Alan Johnson's decision to quit frontline politics, Douglas Alexander has said.

Government set to outline reforms of control orders

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 03:51 AM PST

Controversial plans to reform the system of control orders for suspected terrorists will be outlined by Home Secretary Theresa May this week.

Clegg: Lib Dems will fight next general election as independent party

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 03:05 AM PST

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today insisted that the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives would fight the next general election as separate parties.

Woman attacked with meat cleaver

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 02:02 AM PST

A woman who offered a lift to a lost man was subjected to a brutal attack with a meat cleaver, police said.

Celebrities voice forest privatisation fears

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 01:08 AM PST

Famous names ranging from Annie Lennox and Dame Judi Dench to the Archbishop of Canterbury have implored the Government not to sell off the country's publicly-owned forests.

Man charged with teenage boy's murder

Posted: 23 Jan 2011 12:49 AM PST

A man will appear in court tomorrow charged with the murder of a teenage schoolboy who was stabbed to death, police said.

posted by Greg Shaw at Monday, January 24, 2011