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Joan Collins hits out at rude Rolling Stones

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:20:02 -0400

Joan Collins has blamed 'The Rolling Stones' for wrecking the British society. The 'The Bitch' star told the Sun that the wild behavior of the pop stars in the 1960s and 70s had led to a general loss of good manners from the society. "It was just accepted that you had to be rude and not really care about anybody except yourself," she said. The 80-year-old actress said that she thinks that a ...

EU regulators seek tax transparency from companies

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:40:01 -0400

The European Commission said Thursday that it is working on a proposal to require corporate giants with operations in the European Union to publicly report profits, taxes paid and subsidies received on a country-by-country basis. Representatives of the 27 member-states agreed to seek ways to prevent multinationals from avoiding their obligations by channeling profits through subsidiaries in ...

UK-based cleric inspired Woolwich suspect to behead Islam enemies

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:30:02 -0400

The suspects behind the Woolwich beheading of a British soldier were reportedly inspired by the preachings of cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed. According to a secret film, Bakri states that Islam's enemies are permitted to be decapitated under certain interpretations of the religion. The radical Muslim cleric has been banned form Britain for his extremist activities and his alleged links to the ...

Woolwich attacker was known to banned Islamist group

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:30:01 -0400

One of the two suspected terrorists, who hacked a man believed to be a British soldier to death on a busy London street on Wednesday, was known to a banned Islamist organization and security services. The Independent has learned that the terrorist was also known as Mujahid. Anjem Choudary, the former leader of the group, Al Muhajiroun, confirmed that he had known the man who was seen in video ...

Flintoff to return to cricket duty with yesteryear stars T20 clash with Oz

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:30:01 -0400

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff is set to make a comeback to cricket with two Twenty20 matches involving yesteryear English and Australian cricket stars, with the back-to-back Ashes series underway. Flintoff, who has been victorious in his one-bout boxing career, which he adopted following his retirement from cricket, will be back on more familiar territory and will join former Test ...

Former England skipper Illingworth says Fiery Fred Trueman better than Anderson

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:50:01 -0400

Former England captain Ray Illingworth has said that although bowling star James Anderson is the best swing bowler in the world now, but his former teammate and Yorkshire legend Fred Trueman was far better. Illingworth's statement comes on the backdrop of the second Test against New Zealand starting at Headingley, where Lancashire cricketer Anderson, on 305 wickets, is expected to cruise past ...

Terror Suspects Were Known to British Police

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:15:25 -0400

LONDON Senior British officials say the two men detained for the gruesome murder of an off-duty British soldier on a London street had been identified earlier by security teams investigating suspected Islamist extremists. The victim, a 25-year-old father named Lee Rigby who had served in Afghanistan, died at the scene. The two suspects were shot and wounded by police. Media reports ...

Pakistani umpire Rauf withdrawn from Champions Trophy

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:40:01 -0400

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Thursday withdrew Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf from next month's Champions Trophy in England and Wales after his name cropped up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal. ICC said it took the decision after media reports indicated that the 57-year-old umpire was under investigation by Mumbai Police. Rauf, who is an ICC Elite Panel umpire, has ...

Veteran Vettori set for positive Test comeback against England

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:01 -0400

All signs are pointing to veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori playing his first test for New Zealand after a gap of ten months. According to Kiwi fast bowler Neil Wagner, the return of 112-Test veteran Vettori to the first eleven is being seen within the team as massive. Wagner described Vettori as a seasoned and experienced campaigner and a player who brings a lot to the team. He said ...

London attack Hunt on for terror clues

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:30:01 -0400

A Londoner of Nigerian descent was identified Thursday as one of the two suspects who decapitated a British soldier. The terror strike prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to go into a huddle with top officials and the military put in place additional security measures. Michael Adebolajo, a 28-year-old Londoner of Nigerian descent, is one of the two suspects who hacked to death the British ...

London attack victim was a serving soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:50:02 -0400

British police confirmed Thursday the man killed in Southeast London was a "serving soldier". "We can confirm that the man who died in Woolwich yesterday (Wednesday) is a serving soldier. In line with the wishes of his family we will not be releasing his identity at this stage," London Metropolitan Police said in a short statement through twitter. The man was hacked to death by two attackers ...

Londoner of Nigerian descent suspect in terror attack

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:40:02 -0400

Michael Adebolajo, a 28-year-old Londoner of Nigerian descent, is one of the two suspects who hacked to death a British soldier in London, a media report said Thursday. The two terror suspects are being held under armed guard at hospitals in London and one of them has been named by Sky News sources as Adebolajo. The vicious attack on the soldier took place Wednesday in Woolwich, southeast ...

London attack British PM holds crisis meeting

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:10:01 -0400

British Prime Minister David Cameron Thursday chaired crisis talks following a terror attack here that left a soldier dead. The government and security officials are racing to respond to the killing of a British soldier, an act that shocked the country. Cameron held a meeting of the emergency response committee Cobra Thursday morning after coming back to London from France, reported Sky News. ...

UK mayor drives car through supermarkets front door

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:50:05 -0400

The town mayor of St Edmundsbury in Suffolk, accidentally drove his car through the front doors of his local supermarket on Tuesday - just five days after he was elected to his post. Terry Buckle, 73, had been trying to park in a disabled bay when his vehicle lurched forward, the movement set off sensors, which opened the automatic doors - allowing his car to enter Tesco store with only minor ...

Oz pace attack shaking in their boots after ominous English swing against Kiwis at Lords

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:30:04 -0400

Australia's much-vaunted pace attack had to sit up straight and take notice of England's prowess with the swing and seam bowling at the first day of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's. Although captain Michael Clarke does not want his team losing focus and getting too engaged in England's series with New Zealand, but Stuart Broad's ominous second-innings spell in the first Test against ...

Proteas back Steyn to be better than more skillful Anderson

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:02 -0400

South African cricketer Dale Steyn's Proteas team mates have backed him to better than England pacer James Anderson, despite England's bowling coach David Saker saying the latter is "more skillfull". Saker's remarks have agitated the cricket community, with Proteas Test skipper Graeme Smith and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher postingd tweets of disbelief, Sport 24 reports. Boucher said that while ...

ICC launches Champions Trophy website

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:50:01 -0400

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Thursday launched the official event website for the Champions Trophy, which will be held in England and Wales June 6-23. The site will be accessible at www.icc-cricket.com. The site will have short-form highlights from all tournament matches as well as exclusive behind-the-scene content. The official match centre will be informative and interactive, ...

Angela Merkel tops Forbes Most Powerful Women list for third successive year

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:20:02 -0400

German chancellor Angela Merkel has been named as the most powerful woman in the world for the third successive year by business magazine Forbes. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was ranked second with Melinda Gates, co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation in third. According to the Independent, the Queen, rankedat 40, is the oldest woman on the list and has dropped 12 places ...

Two arrested over Twitter comments about murder of soldier in Woolwich

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:06:44 -0400

Complaints were made to Avon and Somerset Police about remarks that appeared on the social networking website, which were of a racist or anti-religious nature. A 23-year-old and a 22-year-old, both from Bristol, were held under the Public Order Act on suspicion of inciting racial or religious hatred. Detective Inspector Ed Yaxley said: "On Wednesday evening, we were contacted by people ...

Eric Pickles Law couldnt have stopped murder of Woolwich soldier

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:06:43 -0400

The Government will examine what powers it requires following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby on the streets of London, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said ...

Children raised on diet of porn more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour warns report

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:06:42 -0400

Children who access pornography are more likely to have sex at a younger age and engage in "risky behaviours", a report by the Office of the Children's Commissioner has ...

Woolwich Terror Attack Moment Suspects Shot

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:04:51 -0400

Amid the soldier's death in Woolwich, the Met Police issued a statement setting out when they received the first emergency call - following claims it had taken them a long time to ...

UK may be three quarters of the way through debt purge - Fisher

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:01:13 -0400

CARDIFF (Reuters) - Britain may be as much as three quarters of the way through the process of working off the high debt levels which have weighed on the economy since the financial crisis, a top Bank of England policymaker said on Friday. ...

Video shows British police shooting soldiers suspected killers

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:55:55 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Dramatic video footage showing the moment when police shot the two men suspected of hacking to death a soldier in London was published on a British newspaper's website on Friday. The shaky, 10-second clip shows one of the men sprinting towards a police car with a knife in his hand before he is shot and tumbles to the ground. The second man appears to aim a gun at the ...

More use internet for care funding advice

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:49:20 -0400

The internet is a fast growing avenues for those seeking advice about the costs of elderly care, says Partnership, whose second annual care index compares attitudes towards the cost of long term ...

Dental insurers bringing a smile

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:49:19 -0400

Millions of people are still affected by poor oral health. Two in every three adults have visible dental plaque, and three in every ten suffer from regular dental ...

Guardian Viral Video Chart Jimmy Kimmel Eurovision and sad cats

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:24:04 -0400

This week's Viral Video Chart is guaranteed to give you a good cry - but we can offer you tears of laughter, as well as tears of sadness. We defy you to ...

Untapped markets are the key to unlocking social enterprise investment

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:23:52 -0400

Salisbury Plain, one of the MoD's training areas, is managed by the company Landmarc which is looking to 'buy social and local'. Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty ...

Guardian to launch new platform to streamline access to web content

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:23:51 -0400

In the past five years, the Guardian's monthly digital readership has grown from 20 million browsers to more than 80 million. Photograph: Graham Turner for the ...

Virgin Media signs up as 2014 Commonwealth Games sponsor

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:23:48 -0400

Virgin brand ambassadors, Mo Farah, left, and Usain Bolt are expected to front the company's Commonwealth Games ad campaign. Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty ...

Filmed The moment police shot the Woolwich suspects

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:19:39 -0400

Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment two terrorists were shot as they charged police officers called to the scene after a soldier was hacked to death in the street.The two men can be seen brandishing weapons in broad daylight as they confronted officers following the brutal killing of Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, in Woolwich.The footage, obtained by ...

Donations surge crashes Help For Heroes website

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:14:40 -0400

The charity Help For Heroes has been swamped with donations, leading to its website crashing after Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered while wearing one of its ...

Young lone wolves Brutal attack on British soldier opens new front in terrorism war

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:12:59 -0400

This image taken from video made available by The Sun newspaper shows what appears to be one of the attackers speaking to the camera after a brutal attack in broad daylight Wednesday, May 22, 2013 near a military barracks in London. The attack just a few blocks from the Royal Artillery Barracks in the Woolwich neighbourhood of London left one man dead and two suspects hospitalized after a ...

Muslim hardliners ID suspect seen after British soldier butchered in broad daylight

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:12:58 -0400

LONDON -- A man seen with bloody hands wielding a butcher knife after the killing of a British soldier on the streets of London was described as a convert to Islam who took part in demonstrations with a banned radical group, two Muslim hard-liners said Thursday.Police raided houses in connection with the brazen slaying of the off-duty soldier, identified as Lee Rigby, of the 2nd Battalion The ...

REFILE-Britains FTSE recovers after worst day in a year

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:10:33 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 3:10am EDT (Refiles to fix typo in third paragraph) LONDON May 24 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 gained on Friday, with central bankers offering some reassurance that stimulus will stay for a while yet, and some investors seeing value after the market's steepest fall in a year the previous day. The bluechip index was up 17.19 points, or 0.3 percent, at 6,713.98 by 0703 ...

Syria needs Britains help but it does not need our weapons

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:05:49 -0400

William Hague this week in the House of Commons, this policy is as follows. The government has not decided to send arms to the "good guys" among the rebels, but it wants the flexibility to do so and in the meantime it believes that not to renew the EU embargo would send a powerful signal to President Bashar al-Assad.Like many fallacies it is superficially attractive, especially when ...

Fear and anger in southeast London after murder of British soldier

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:04:09 -0400

On the streets of Woolwich in south-east London, a heavy police presence remains after the brutal murder of a British soldier in broad daylight on Wednesday. Locals fear the repercussions of the events for their communities as terrorism and Islamist extremism are back in the UK spotlight. Reactions range from fear to anger. ';As it is for the black community we are really, really angry ...

British police knew about London hacking death suspects

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:55:54 -0400

British law enforcement was under fire Friday after conceding it knew for almost a decade about the two men who allegedly butchered a British soldier. Prime ...

Mail Online scoops biggest ever digital day with Boston marathon bombing

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:32:11 -0400

Mail Online with its biggest ever digital day, attracting more than 9.5 million unique users.However, the bombing proved the 12th and 16th most popular web days in April ...

Dr. Arlene Hall named interim chancellor at PSU-Eberly

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:23:44 -0400

A former top administrator at Penn State-New Kensington will serve as interim chancellor of Penn State-Fayette, The Eberly Campus, the university announced on ...

Documents show Britain bugged King Edward VIII paid Franco brother

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:19:31 -0400

King Edward VIII before his abdication and paid key Spanish leaders to keep the country neutral. The documents also include a letter describing a long night Prime ...

Obama denounces deadly attack on British soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:53:54 -0400

US President Barack Obama on Thursday denounced the deadly attack on a British soldier in a London street a day ago. "I condemn in the strongest terms the appalling attack against a British service member in Woolwich on May 22," the president said in a statement. "The United States stands resolute with the United Kingdom, our ally and friend, against violent extremism and ...

Two more arrested by British police as London attack probe widens

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:40:27 -0400

British police arrested two more people on Thursday in a hunt for accomplices of two British men of Nigerian descent accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries.The two suspected killers, now under guard in hospitals, had been known to security services before Wednesday's daylight attack, security sources said. Another man and a woman, ...

London attack British press demands jailing of Islamist preacher

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:39:42 -0400

London: Britain's newspapers this morning paid tribute to the soldier brutally murdered in a suspected Islamist attack in London and demanded that the preacher suspected of radicalising suspect Michael Adebolajo be jailed.It was revealed on Thursday that the soldier, who had served in Afghanistan, was 25-year-old Lee Rigby, known as Riggers to his colleagues."Riggers...A True ...

Scotland-England split Some Scots say take the pound leave the crown

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:22:43 -0400

Scotland will vote in 2014 whether to split off from England and the rest of the United Kingdom. Scottish nationalists argue that Scotland would be better off ...

Britains press demands Islamists jailing

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:24:19 -0400

BRITAIN'S newspapers have paid tribute to the soldier brutally murdered in a suspected Islamist attack in London and demanded the preacher suspected of radicalising suspect Michael Adebolajo be jailed. It was revealed on Thursday that the soldier, who had served in Afghanistan, was 25-year-old Lee Rigby, known as Riggers to his colleagues. "Riggers ... A True Warrior" said the ...

British intelligence under spotlight over Nigerian hacking suspects

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:49:41 -0400

(46 mins ago) Police in Britain made two further arrests yesterday and raided houses across London following the brutal murder of a serving soldier who survived a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Prime Minister David Cameron appealed for calm after 25-year-old Lee Rigby was butchered outside a London army barracks on Wednesday, while an extra 1,200 officers were deployed on the capital's ...

Cabinet office to fly rainbow flag during Pride week

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:43:10 -0400

Francis Maude is to show the government's commitment to the equality agenda by allowing the rainbow flag to be flown from the cabinet office in Whitehall during Pride week next month.David Cameron has faced criticism for attempting to distance the Tory leadership ...

Human safaris Blow to Andamans

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:28:11 -0400

Survival International's call for a tourism boycott of the islands until 'human safaris' are stopped. The organization is asking nearly 200,000 tourists who visiting the islands every year to stay away - until tourists are banned from the road through the Jarawa forest and an alternative sea route set. Survival's director Stephen Corry said on Thursday, "In ...

Strong indications SE London attack by terrorists British

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:05:53 -0400

British Prime Minister David Cameron said there are strong indications that the attack in southeast London that killed one man is a terrorist incident, during a press conference in Paris on Wednesday."It is the most appalling crime. The police are urgently seeking all facts about this case. There are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident," Cameron said at a press conference ...

Good Turnout For British Forces Brunei Open Day

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:05 -0400

Seria - Hundreds of people, especially children, flocked the British Forces Brunei (BFB) Open Day held at the British Garrison Sports Complex in Seria. The Commander and all members of British Forces Brunei welcomed the public and invited guests to the open day to the music of members of the British marching band. Invited guests were escorted by high ranking officers from British Forces Brunei ...

Daniel Vettori left out of New Zealand side for second England Test

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:00:23 -0400

England Daniel Vettori's hopes of making a return to Test cricket in New Zealand's series finale with England in Leeds ultimately came to nothing after he was ruled out on Thursday.Former captain Vettori has not played a Test for nearly a year, mainly because of Achilles trouble, and was only originally selected for the one-day leg of this tour.But a calf injury suffered by his fellow ...

TV Soap Characters Promoting Bad Health

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:59 -0400

Leading characters in TV soaps are promoting unhealthy lifestyles with too much drinking, a poor diet and an almost total lack of exercise, according to an academic study. Several actors are portrayed drinking alcohol in at least a third of the scenes they appear in, while others are shown eating chips, cake and fry-ups. The two-week study by Liverpool John Moores University Business School ...

London killers are Britons of Nigerian origin

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:19 -0400

LONDON: Britain experienced a communal backlash against Muslims within 24 hours of a young, serving soldier being butchered with "stone age savagery" ...

Victim was Manchester United fan father of 2-yr-old kid

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:18 -0400

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers . Father of two-year-old Jack, Britain's ministry of defence called him "a real character, always smiling". Drummer Rigby, 'Riggers' to his friends, was born in July 1987 in Crumpsall, Manchester, and was a ...

UK mosques attacked in backlash of Woolwich beheading

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:17 -0400

LONDON: Britain experienced a communal backlash against Muslims within 24 hours of a young, serving soldier being butchered with "stone age savagery" ...

2 travel companies drop Andaman tour to protest against human safaris

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:16 -0400

LONDON: Two global travel agencies have withdrawn tours to India's Andaman and Nicobar islands as a protest against the degrading "human safaris" to see the Jarawa tribe. Travelpickr, a global company based in Canada and India, and Spanish company Orixa Viatges have become the first operators to withdraw following UK based Survival International's call for a tourism boycott of ...

Muslim Britain a community viewed through prisms of security and paranoia

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:56:35 -0400

Calling for war on the streets of Britain, Michael Olumide Adebolajo, born in East London to Nigerian parents, told a passer-by: "We apologise that women had to see this today but in our lands our women have to see the ...

Extremist group’s teachings changed lives of British Muslims

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:56:31 -0400

It has been known by a myriad of names, but the reach of the banned Islamic organisation al-Muhajiroun has changed the lives utterly of a generation of young British ...

Woolwich attack Full list of todays coverage

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:56:18 -0400

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, the mother-of-two hailed as a hero for confronting Woolwich attackers, thought: 'better me than a ...

The Lede British Attack Suspect Followed Fringe Preacher Once Considered a Laughing Stock

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:48:30 -0400

calmly spoke to witnesses as he waited for the police to arrive, has been identified as Michael Adebolajo, a Briton of Nigerian heritage who converted to Islam about a decade ago. Two former leaders of al-Muhijaroun, an extremist group with a small following that was banned in Britain after terrorist attacks in London in 2005, told reporters on Thursday that the suspect was part of their circle. ...

Lord Black the Tory peer at the heart of medias biggest battle

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:46:22 -0400

Those who might think that the era of the press baron is over haven't heard of Lord Black. He may not be a household name but the Conservative peer, director of the company behind the Daily Telegraph and consummate insider is ...

Toilet Strike Bono Richard Branson Olivia Wilde Not Using Bathroom Until Water Crisis Solved

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:46:18 -0400

attitude. Bono, Richard Branson and Olivia Wilde have joined Matt Damon in his jokey pledge to not go to the bathroom until the world water crisis is solved. And they've invited us all to achieve stardom by saying no to nature's ...

Declassified files reveal British spies in U.S. during WWII

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:34:21 -0400

LONDON - Britain's World War II spying on U.S. isolationist groups and its propaganda efforts against them were revealed in secret archives published for the first time Thursday. The declassified documents at the National Archives in London show how Winston Churchill was sent a report on a 1940 private phone call between President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Secretary of State Cordell Hull, and ...

Britain Knew of 2 Suspects In Killing of Soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:28:35 -0400

LONDON ...

Woolwich attack video Firearms experts view on extraordinary Daily Mirror footage

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:27 -0400

I have never seen or even heard of a scenario where two suspects attack a victim and then remain on the scene waiting for the police to ...

Woolwich attack The three extraordinarily brave angels who faced up to Lee Rigby’s brutal killers

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:27 -0400

revulsion of the Woolwich terror attack , millions around the world have marvelled at the extraordinary bravery of three ordinary women.Dubbed the "Angels of Woolwich", the trio faced up to Lee Rigby's brutal killers with little thought for their own safety.TV footage shows two of them fearlessly tending the already-dead soldier's body, just yards from knife and meat ...

Woolwich attack 24 hours after the butchering Quiet defiance in the face of such bitter evil

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:27 -0400

butchering, Woolwich attempted to hide its pain under a blanket of normality.If you could tear your eyes away from the deserted South London streets behind the police cordon where a soldier's blood was being washed away by heavy rain showers, and from the rows of the media vans, a reeling community made a decent go at getting through another lunchtime.People, shocked to the core the day ...

Britain turning into gangmasters paradise due to failure to enforce minimum wage warns Labour

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:26 -0400

The Government is turning Britain into a "gangmasters' paradise" by failing to enforce the minimum wage, new figures reveal.Only two bosses have been taken to court for paying below the legal limit, 6.19 an hour, in the past three years.And just three have been referred to prosecutors.Workplace inspections have halved from 3,643 in Labour's last 12 months in power to just ...

Woolwich attackers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were known to M15

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:26 -0400

The two killers who beheaded the soldier in a Woolwich street had cropped up in "several investigations" by the security services in recent ...

Immigration to Britain fell by more than a third last year but Labour says figures distorted

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:25 -0400

Immigration to Britain fell more than a third last year, according to official figures released yesterday.Net migration plummeted from 242,000 in 2011 to 153,000, the Office for National Statistics revealed.Around 500,000 people arrived here, down from 581,000. Meanwhile, the number leaving increased from 339,000 to 347,000.Immigration Minister Mark Harper said it showed the Government's ...

Batman-obsessed bodybuilder attacked stranger with axe then wrote Joker-style Facebook update

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:25 -0400

A Batman-obsessed bodybuilder attacked a total stranger with an axe - then posted a chilling online message in the style of The Joker.Just moments after psychotic Dale Pipe left his victim lying in a pool of blood, he used his mobile to write on Facebook: "Why so serious? Hahahahaha."In movie the Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's maniacal Joker uses the words repeatedly before knifing an ...

Steven Rudderham Dad falsely accused of being paedophile on Facebook found hanged

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:24 -0400

A dad found hanged in a cemetery was driven to suicide after he was falsely accused on Facebook of being a paedophile, his family claim.Steven Rudderham, 48, was traumatised when his name, address and photograph were published online, with a message calling him a "dirty perv".Within 15 minutes, the message had been shared hundreds of times and he received death threats via the social ...

No Facebook Phone For The United Kingdom

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:53:30 -0400

Facebook Home in action (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife) UK network EE have confirmed that the HTC First, the so-called Facebook Phone, will not be sold in the UK ...

Royal Mail chief set for 500000 sterling bonus - Sky News

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:38:38 -0400

(Reuters) - The chief executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, who is responsible for leading a turnaround of the business, is set to receive an annual bonus worth nearly 500,000 pounds, as the company readies itself for a stock market listing ...

Phone-hacking victims reject newspapers charter proposal

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:44 -0400

Maria Miller , urging her to reject the royal charter proposed by the press industry, saying that it is unacceptable for "those responsible for the damage to our lives and the lives of others [to] seek to shrug off responsibility and once again write their own rulebook".Miller is holding a consultation on whether the press industry's royal charter should be considered formally ...

Protect children from internet pornography report demands

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:38 -0400

The children's commissioner for England found that a significant number of children have access to sexually explicit images. Photo: Robin ...

Rochdale child sex abuse case council apologises for failings

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:36 -0400

Rochdale borough council has apologised for letting down victims of child sexual exploitation after a damning report laid bare a catalogue of failures and a culture of complacency within the authority that allowed paedophile gangs to prey on the area's most vulnerable ...

Council tax benefit cuts leading to more bailiff visits for poor households

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:34 -0400

tax benefit was axed in April 2013 and replaced by a localised scheme, council tax support. The new scheme has 10% less government funding than the old, national scheme, and has meant some councils have started to make savings by reducing the number of people entitled to the benefit, or have cut the amount of benefit people receive.Council tax collection is already a lucrative business for ...

Carbon monoxide killed mother and daughter on Lake Windermere boat

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:33 -0400

Lauren Thornton (L) and her mother, Kelly Webster, both died after being poisoned by carbon monoxide fumes on a motor cruiser on Lake Windermere. Photograph: Cumbria ...

Permanent blood donation clinics may be more effective than mobile units

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:31 -0400

iPod docks, attracting a new cohort of younger donors, experts have said.As the blood service for England and north Wales examines whether it should reduce the minimum time between donations, a senior official has also questioned whether the sending of mobile units to rural areas always represents value for money.Lorna Williamson ...

British fraud suspect found hanged in French jail

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:30 -0400

A Briton arrested on suspicion of organised fraud has been found hanged in a French jail. John Steele, 38, was found by prison guards hanging in his cell on Tuesday, four days after he was remanded in custody.Steele, who had lived near Paris for some years, was believed to be behind a scheme which took more than 1 million in loans from French banks.A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are ...

New travel assistance service bridges language barrier

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:25:39 -0400

i-interpret4u is a new travel assistance service for tourists and business travellers. It offers a solution for dealing with language barriers that could lead to an insurance ...

Many do not know how to fund later life costs

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:25:38 -0400

A survey from NS&I says that 31% of adults do not know how they will finance their needs in later life, including such eventualities as long-term illness, nursing home or care fees and care of others including partners, parents and ...

General Medical launches accident insurance for amateur sports

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:25:38 -0400

Having a sports injury that prohibits your participation is bad enough, but sometimes there can be repercussions beyond sport such as loss of ...

Photos Britain’s Newly Renovated Cliveden House Site of the Infamous Profumo Affair

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:51:54 -0400

n June 1963, the Profumo Affair--Britain's most infamous political sex scandal--exploded. Fifty years later, as Andrew Lloyd Webber preps a musical based on the sordid saga, Cliveden House, the stately home turned hotel where the affair began, has been handsomely spruced up. Just outside London, Cliveden was begun in 1666 by the second Duke of Buckingham and rebuilt following a disastrous ...

Suspects journey from schoolboy football to phonejacking and jihad

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:41:37 -0400

London in an attempt to remove him from the influence of a gang.But Michael Adebolajo returned to the capital to go to university and it was while he was a student that he appears to have set foot on the path that took him from being a schoolboy to an alleged extremist intent on jihad. His tutor, it is claimed, was Omar Bakri Mohammed, leader of the now banned al-Muhajiroun."He was on our ...

Hugh Muirs diary Buckles has bolted but still the millions roll in for G4S

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:41:33 -0400

G4S's chief executive Nick Buckles is stepping down, while the company continues to win government contracts. Photograph: Ben ...

Obama Vows to Work with Britain on Syria

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:37:58 -0400

President Obama vowed Monday to work with Britain to pressure the Syrian government to end its bloody civil war, calling the violence there appalling. With Prime Minister David Cameron at his side, Obama said the two allies would work to strengthen moderate opposition against the hardline regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The two also discussed the Mideast peace process and a possible ...

The far right BNP and EDL mobilise as mainstream leaders strive to contain backlash

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:32:21 -0400

David Cameron was among the politicians and community leaders who spoke out to describe the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby as a "betrayal of Islam" as much as it was an attack on the British way of life. But the shocking brutality of the soldier's death has been seized upon by far-right groups as justification for their anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views. Those hoping to stoke ...

The family A strict and loving upbringing – but then the teenage Michael Adebolajo went off the rails

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:32:20 -0400

Every Sunday Michael Adebolajo's mother Tana would don traditional West African dress and depart from her neat semi in London's Essex suburbs to attend church with her ...

The community I dont want to stay out late. You dont know what will happen

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:32:19 -0400

Emily Dugan is social affairs correspondent for The Independent, i and Independent on Sunday, covering Sarah Cassidy's maternity leave. She was previously a news reporter for The Independent on Sunday. Her investigations into human trafficking have twice been awarded Best Investigative Article at the Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards and her human rights journalism was shortlisted for the Gaby ...

The response Powers to monitor internet use back on Cabinets agenda

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:32:18 -0400

The Woolwich murder will be used by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, to revive plans for a "snooper's charter", allowing police and security services to monitor internet use, Conservative sources indicated ...

Steve Bell on David Camerons response to the Woolwich killing – cartoon

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:23:08 -0400

Woolwich attack highlights power of mobile technology as a news source Breaking news is no longer the preserve of established broadcasters, thanks to the camera phone and social media, ...

Woolwich attack MI5 knew of men suspected of killing Lee Rigby

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:23:04 -0400

o Security service assessed suspects but did not investigateo Victim Lee Rigby had served in the army for seven yearso Police raid homes in London and Lincolnshireo Extremist cleric says he tutored ...

British Ministry of Defense pays tribute to loving father killed in UK terror attack

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:22:49 -0400

This undated image released May 23, 2013, by the British Ministry of Defense, shows Drummer Lee Rigby, known as Riggers to his friends, who is identified by the MOD as the serving member of the armed forces who was attacked and killed by two men in the Woolwich area of London on ...

FWC capture and release 620-pound black bear | Video

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:22:15 -0400

A 620-pound bear, the largest Florida black bear ever captured, was trapped in Lake County and then released Thursday, May 23, 2013. The bear is seen in a video still at its ...

The United States and Britain on Monday pledged to forge ahead with diplomatic e…

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:14:48 -0400

WASHINGTON (AFP) The United States and Britain stepped up pressure on Russia over Syria, but President Barack Obama warned old suspicions could trample new "common ground" on the crisis. Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron sought to build momentum behind a new US-Russia sponsored conference on Syria, now expected to take place in June, as they met at the White House. ...

Soil Atlas of Africa created to help farmers land managers

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:12:25 -0400

International experts say they've created a Soil Atlas of Africa to help farmers, land managers and policymakers understand soil's diversity and importance. Despite its importance, most people in Africa lack knowledge about soil, partly because most information tends to be limited to publications read only by scientists, said researchers at the at the land resource management unit of ...

Archaeologists in Mexico discover thousands of ancient cave paintings

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:12:25 -0400

Archaeologists are reporting the discovery of nearly 5,000 cave paintings at 11 different sites in Mexico, likely created by early hunter-gatherers. The red, white, black and yellow images discovered near Burgos in eastern central Mexico depict humans engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering, and animals such as deer, lizards and centipedes. The paintings are as yet undated but archaeologists ...

News Analysis British Leader David Cameron Faces Rebellion in His Party

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:35:24 -0400

LONDON ...

Four Arrested After British Soldier Hacked To Death In London

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:32:24 -0400

The two men charged with killing a British soldier in south London on Wednesday were apparently on a government watch list, raising questions about why authorities were unable to prevent the ...

Woolwich attack Watch shocking video of terrorists charging at police car to try to kill WPC

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:31:26 -0400

The footage obtained by the Daily Mirror reveals how, after beheading the soldier, they hatched a plot to ambush and murder the first police officers to come to his ...

Woolwich attack highlights power of mobile technology as a news source

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:38 -0400

Mobile technology enables the public to witness events such as the Woolwich killing with the filter of time and geography removed. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty ...

Woolwich killing a life lost – and more

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:36 -0400

Woolwich attack was something pretty exceptional, an extraordinarily foul deed for which there are few, if any, precise precedents. The victim was unknown to his killers except as a soldier. That much is familiar from Northern Ireland. But what followed was something even the IRA would never do. The killers ran him down and carved him up in full view of onlookers. They were willing, even eager, ...

Letters Orwellian changes to legal aid provision

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:23 -0400

Chris Grayling is disinterested in any contribution from the profession. It is beyond doubt that the tendering out of legal aid to private business will herald a decline in standards in a legal system that has been a model of justice for centuries. There is no provision whatsoever in the proposals to ensure standards are maintained when individuals are unable to choose their representation. Once ...

NH Boy’s 500 Pound Calf On The Lam

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:21:46 -0400

EPPING, N.H. (CBS) — For months, a New Hampshire boy saved his pennies to buy a calf but before the animal was even inside the fence at his family’s home, it ran ...

History of the far right in Britain

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:18:35 -0400

English Defence League (EDL), which took to the streets of Woolwich after Wednesday's atrocity, has had a short but violent history and is led by a second-generation ...

Muslim reaction Outrage sorrow and frustration of Muslims forced to condemn atrocity

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:15:14 -0400

British Muslims emphatically condemned the actions of the Woolwich killers, as thousands used social media to express their outrage and ...

Letters Uniting to help Ed Miliband transform Britain

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:09:19 -0400

o Perhaps Progress should be flattered by Len McCluskey's ongoing attention, but perspective is required. We understand it is daunting, difficult and time-consuming for people putting themselves forward for parliamentary selection, particularly when they don't come from the political class of advisers or full-time union officials. That is why our work around selections, overseen by our ...

Government ready to hit football with bill to push through reforms

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:09:12 -0400

The government has issued a stark final warning to football, making it clear that it is already drawing up legislation in an effort to force the game into long overdue reforms, including becoming more diverse and involving fans in the running of clubs.In a letter to the culture, media and sport select committee, which published its initial report on the game's governance failings in July ...

A look at weekend Thoroughbred racing

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:58:28 -0400

The Memorial Day weekend kicks off summer and, with no Triple Crown hopes to extend the spring, also kicks off a "second season" of racing. There are important turf races at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, Hollywood Park and Arlington Park. Some of the nation's top steeds will be on display in the Grade I Met Mile at Belmont. Fillies and mares are in action from coast to coast and ...

British soldier killed in brutal attack identified

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:24:36 -0400

A framed picture of Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who was killed yesterday, lays with flowers outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23, 2013 in London, England. (Dan Kitwood, Getty ...

Rolf Harris bailed again over historic sexual offence claims

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:55 -0400

Rolf Harris has been bailed again over allegations of historic sexual offences.The TV entertainer, who is being investigated by detectives from Operation Yewtree, was told told he must answer bail again in August.Mr Harris, 83, did not have to attend a police station today, a Met Police spokesman said.A woman who answered the intercom at his gated home in Bray, Berkshire, said the star had ...

April Jones murder trial Mark Bridger denies hes a paedophile despite child porn on computer

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:55 -0400

The man accused of murdering April Jones today insisted he was not a paedophile, despite the "library" of child porn found on his computer.Mark Bridger, 47, was asked five times in court if he had viewed the sick images before he admitted he had but insisted the photos were to check on the development of his children.He said he made a typing error when he searched for "naked ...

Worcestershire nursery child abuse probe Five men arrested over toddlers sex assault claims

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:43 -0400

Police today raided three nurseries and arrested five male staff over claims of a sex assault on a toddler. Officers swooped on the private nurseries after the child told their mother they were attacked at playgroup last week. Det Supt Kevin Purcell said the allegation was being taken "extremely seriously" but reassured parents there was no evidence of a child sex ring. He said the ...

800000 Nissan Micras recalled over fears steering wheels could come off

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:43 -0400

Nissan is recalling 133,000 Micras in Britain because their steering wheels could come off. Micras made in Sunderland between December 2002 and May 2006 are part of a global recall of 841,000 Micras, 576,00 of which were built on Wearside. A spokesman for the Japanese car giant said: "There is a very, very small risk that models require attention but safety is our upmost priority." ...

Woolwich attack victim Lee Rigbys family pay tribute All he wanted to do was be in Army

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:42 -0400

Lee Rigby had dreamed of being a soldier since he was a young boy.Now his "unimaginable" murder in a London street in broad daylight yards from a primary school has left his two-year-old boy without a dad.Tonight Drummer Rigby's family issued the following tribute: "Lee was lovely. "He would do anything for anybody, he always looked after his sisters and always protected ...

Oldest man to climb Everest Japanese mountaineer breaks record aged 80

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:41 -0400

A former extreme skier today became the oldest person to climb Mount Everest - at the age of 80. Japanese Yuichiro Miura also conquered the 29,028ft peak at 70 and 75. But his record may not last, his old rival Min Bahadur Sherchan, 81, is hot on his heels. In a phone call to daughter Emili from the summit, Yuichiro said: "I made it! "I never imagined I could make it to the top of ...

Queen catches bus in Cambridge and ends up 15 minutes late for event

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:41 -0400

The Queen shows she's just like the rest of us - by turning up late for an event after taking a bus. Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Cambridge by scheduled train today before boarding the single decker to travel though the city. Locals were delighted at the royal gesture - but the magic didn't rub off on public transport timekeeping. The monarch arrived 15 minutes ...

Lee Rigby an ordinary soldier who died in extraordinary circumstances

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:13:18 -0400

A picture of Drummer Lee Rigby is displayed with flowers left by mourners outside an army barracks near the scene of his killing in Woolwich. Photograph: Toby ...

Letters Woolwich UK foreign policy and integration

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:13:13 -0400

Islam - have brought further opprobrium to practising Muslims. This terrible scourge of child abuse and terrorism within some strains of British Islam is sadly reflective of the broader incapacity of the Muslim community to fully integrate with the general mainstream. British Muslims must disassociate themselves from all variants of imported religious fundamentalism so that far-right ...

Jeremy Hunts blundering blaming of GPs makes for bad politics | Polly Toynbee

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:13:12 -0400

Jeremy Hunt, the secretary of state for health: his 'attempt to blame the GP contract is, even by his standards, an eye-watering, breathtaking economy with the truth'. Photograph: Stefan ...

Country diary Allendale Northumberland Hedgehogs have everything they need in this garden

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:13:03 -0400

Honesty is flowering all around the dark pile of leaves. Hellebores, fading from burgundy to antique pink, are creating a screen. Under the leaves a hedgehog is sleeping out the daytime, here in the same place that it spent the winter. This is its hibernaculum made from leaves that I heaped on this border last autumn. Perhaps thanks to my feeding it in November, it has survived the lengthy ...

High street blight are pound shops better than empty shops

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:13:02 -0400

The north-west of England has the highest number of empty shop units in the UK, and as big retailers leave our town centres, the kind of businesses that thrive in hard times are moving in.Town centres across the region are becoming swamped with payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pound shops. As our high streets become increasingly geared towards making money from people who don't have any, ...

Man hacked to death in London attack an eye for an eye says suspect

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:06:04 -0400

London military barracks and one then went on video to explain the crime - shouting political statements, gesturing with bloodied hands and waving a meat cleaver. Soon after, arriving police shot and wounded the unidentified assailants and took them into custody. The brutal daylight attack galvanized this city and raised fears that terrorism had returned to London. Authorities did not identify ...

Titanic struggle to prove violin’s authenticity resolved

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:03:18 -0400

The violin thought to have been played by the band leader on the Titanic as the ship sank has been declared genuine following a computerised scan at a ...

Woolwich attack police seeking source of suspects extremism

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:42 -0400

Among the questions for counter-terrorism officials after the Woolwich attacks is how the alleged attackers became radicalised to the point where they decided to carry out violence on Britain's streets.Part of that radicalisation can be tracked to extremist groups such as the now-banned al-Muhijaroun. Its former UK head, Omar Bakri Mohammad told the Guardian that he had known Michael Olumide ...

David Blunkett We are living in a climate of very nasty and angry politics

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:38 -0400

David Blunkett said he believed that the perpetrators of the Woolwich incident were not part of the al-Qaida network. Photograph: Martin Argles for the ...

Nursery reforms could cut childcare costs by 28 DfE calculates

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:36 -0400

children to staff in nurseries.Government plans are currently stalled due to a disagreement within the coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.The new calculations released by the Department for Education under a freedom of information request said parent costs could be cut from 4 an hour to 3.49 an hour (a 12% cut) while teacher salaries could go up. Alternatively, if the ...

As temperatures plummet government unveils heatwave advice

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:35 -0400

With Britain enduring hailstones, temperatures below 10C and records revealing the UK's "worst" spring for 30 years, Public Health England has, with impeccable timing and without irony, published its heatwave strategy for 2013.The report, published annually since 2004, possibly takes the precautionary principle to an unattained level.The first chapter of the 46-page strategy asks ...

Jeremy Hunt proposes a rewriting of GPs’ contracts - video

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:34 -0400

Jeremy Hunt discusses proposals to rewrite GPs' contracts on Thursday in a speech at the King's Fund in London. The health secretary claims GPs are not rewarded for putting patients first, but instead they are rewarded for ticking biomedical boxes. Hunt wants GPs to be championed for their patients' care and hopes his new plans will lead to 'bold experimentation with ...

HSBC faces court threat as deal on money laundering charges stalls

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:33 -0400

HSBC 's controversial $1.9bn (1.6bn) settlement deal with the US authorities over money laundering charges has stalled after a row between the justice department and the judge overseeing the case.The deal - known as a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) - meant HSBC was exempt from prosecution and triggered a storm of criticism. Judge John Gleeson is now believed to be considering rejecting ...

GPs threaten to quit commissioning to concentrate on patients

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:32 -0400

NHS organisations that control 65bn of treatment budgets, to help their surgeries cope with the sharply rising workloads, medical leaders are warning.A few GPs have already pulled out of involvement with their local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) because they could not spend enough time with patients while also helping run the groups. The growing demand for GP services is also making others ...

Jonathan condemns terror attack in Britain

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:53:05 -0400

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock at the terrorist attack and killing of a British soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the Woolwich area of London, United Kingdom. In a statement by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President(Media and Publicity) said Jonathan conveyed his condolence to the British Prime Minister David Cameron ...

Free Pussy Riot Sir Paul McCartney in plea to Russia to release punk band members

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:48 -0400

Sir Paul McCartney has pleaded for the release of Russian all-girl punk band Pussy Riot after one of its jailed members went on hunger strike. The former Beatle has written letters to Russian authorities in support of imprisoned anti-Kremlin activists Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. Alyokhina, 24, said she would begin a hunger strike after being denied access to her own parole ...

Arsonist admits killing paedophile Andrew Heath in firebomb attack

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:48 -0400

An arsonist admitted killing a convicted paedophile in an horrific firebomb attack on his home. Serial child abuser Andrew Heath, 52, was found dead inside his burned-out flat in December 2011. At the time of his death police said they were treating the blaze in Worcester as a possible vigilante attack. Mr Heath had five convictions for gross indecency and indecent assault against boys aged 14 ...

Genson Courtney murder Two killers jailed for minimum 31 years for cold-blooded execution

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:47 -0400

Two killers who carried out the "cold-blooded execution" of gangland celebrity Dave Courtney's stepson were each jailed for a minimum of 31 years today. David Pinto, 33, shot his nephew Genson Courtney, 22, in the eye at point-blank range over a family feud. Pinto and getaway driver Robert Bleach, 46, both of Greenwich, south-east London, were found guilty of murder at the Old ...

Joan Collins at 80 The Dynasty icons life in pictures from starlet to siren

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:46 -0400

screen and stage goddess Joan Collins .From child actress to model, Hollywood starlet, iconic soap star and later general all round Brit-legend, Joan Collins has entertained and delighted millions of fans around the world for more than six decades.To celebrate her landmark ...

Woolwich soldier Lee Rigbys death shocked and saddened community as tributes paid to loving father

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:46 -0400

"senseless" murder of soldier Lee Rigby has left the entire defence community "shocked and saddened", Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said tonight.Drummer Rigby, 25, was named as the victim hacked to death and beheaded by two Islamic extremists in Woolwich yesterday.Mr Hammond said: "I am shocked by the brutality of this cold-blooded murder of a serviceman on the streets ...

Boston bomber DID kill his “only American friend” in triple murder spree pal admits

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:45 -0400

Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev DID kill his "only American friend" in a triple murder, a pal of the dead terrorist confirmed.Ibragim Todashev confessed they had carried out the gruesome execution of the three men when he was questioned by the FBI yesterday.But as Todashev was "about to sign a statement" the Chechen immigrant pulled out a knife and stabbed his interviewer ...

Unhappy Mondays Its the day of the week when muggers steal the most phones

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:57:33 -0400

It is the most miserable day of the week, a return to reality from the elation of the weekend. To compound Monday's reputation problem, new figures indicate it is also the day when people are most likely to have their mobile phone stolen - with skint thieves who have spent their funds over the weekend to ...

Don’t forget about my rights says Julian Assange ‘sex victim’

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:57:31 -0400

A lawyer for one of the women who have accused Julian Assange of sex crimes has called for more pressure to be placed on Ecuador to allow the WikiLeaks founder to face Swedish ...

GP leaders clash with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over AE crisis

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:57:25 -0400

Jeremy Laurance is Health Editor of The Independent and the i and has covered the specialism for more than 20 years. He thinks the harm medicine does is under-appreciated, the harm it prevents over-rated, and that cycling works better than most drugs. He was named Specialist Journalist of the Year in the 2011 British Press ...

Attacks on Muslims spike after Woolwich killing

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:56 -0400

Tell Mama hotline for recording Islamaphobic crimes and incidents recorded 38 incidents overnight on Wednesday, including attacks on three mosques, with more reported on Thursday.The Metropolitan police put 1,200 more officers on the street on Thursday, with extra patrols deployed to mosques and religious sites as far-right groups reacted to the tragedy.The Tell Mama co-ordinator Fiyaz Mughal, ...

Woolwich attack This echo chamber of mass hysteria only aids terrorists | Simon Jenkins

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:47 -0400

said David Cameron after the Woolwich murder on Wednesday . He then buckled. Everyone buckled. The home secretary buckled, the defence secretary buckled, the communities secretary buckled, the mayor of London buckled, the chief of police buckled, the press buckled, the BBC summoned its senior editors and they buckled. Everyone buckled.The first question in any war - terrorism is allegedly a war - ...

Halfords eyes three-year turnaround but investors take fright

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:37 -0400

Halfords ' chief executive has outlined a three-year turnaround plan for the struggling bicycles and car parts chain, but it will come at a cost to investors, who have seen the dividend cut by 35%.Matt Davies has set a sales target of 1bn by 2016, but said that profits would remain flat for at least two years as the chain invests 100m in staff training, store revamps and a better online ...

Hezbollah should be labeled a terrorist group say France Britain Germany

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:36 -0400

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Hezbollah should be labeled a terrorist group by the European Union, France, Britain and Germany said Wednesday. The Lebanese militant group ...

Tescos Fresh Easy boss awarded liquidation damages

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:35 -0400

Tesco 's failed US chain Fresh & Easy has received a 1.7m payoff despite the business being shut down after repeated losses.Tim Mason, who departed in December after 30 years at the group, was awarded "liquidation damages" equivalent to his annual salary plus a sum equal to his average bonus over the past two years.Tesco announced last month it would exit the US after racking ...

Booker sees boost from horsemeat scandal

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:34 -0400

horsemeat scandal as more caterers have turned away from processed meats and started making meals from scratch, according to the company. Chief executive Charles Wilson said: "We are the biggest meat supplier to the catering industry in the country and since the scandal we have seen quite a lot of the caterers turning back to making their own burgers and lasagnes. So, we've moved from ...

Halfords investors face uphill climb until 2016

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:33 -0400

Matt Davies' revamp plan - Getting into Gear 2016 - is honest about the time required for a turnaround and investors must accept there are no quick ...

Tensions high in London as details emerge of Woolwich attack on British soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:56:32 -0400

British Prime Minister Cameron described the brazen killing in Woolwich as a "betrayal of Islam," while far-right extremists demanding justice battled police in ...

British police arrest two more over soldiers slaying

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:54:09 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - British police arrested two more people on Thursday in a hunt for accomplices of two British men of Nigerian descent accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries. The two suspected killers, now under guard in hospitals, had been known to security services before Wednesday's daylight attack, security sources said. Another ...

Two more arrested in case of murdered British soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:59 -0400

Drummer Lee Rigby (25) from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who was named today as the soldier hacked to death in Woolwich yesterday. Photograph: police handout/PA ...

Andy McSmiths Diary Woolwich Twitter witness Boya Dee refuses to sell story

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:50 -0400

Andy McSmith is a senior reporter at The Independent. He has vast experience in political journalism and has also appeared on documentaries for BBC Radio ...

No 10’s new energy adviser is a former British Gas lobbyist

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:47 -0400

Tara Singh, whose previous role as public affairs manager at British-Gas owner Centrica involved frequent contact with the Conservative Party, took up her newly-created role at Number 10 this week.She is responsible for briefing the prime minister on a day-to-day basis on issues relating to energy and climate change.This is a crucial role as the government works furiously to complete the Energy ...

Leading headteacher Michael Gove chickening out on return of grammar schools

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:47 -0400

One of the country's leading headteachers is to accuse Education Secretary Michael Gove of "chickening out" of bringing back a return to grammar ...

Letters British Muslims condemn horror in Woolwich

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:47 -0400

The blood of the innocent shed in Woolwich calls for a high-level inquiry into how the Koran is being interpreted and taught in British mosques and madrassahs, and the links most of our mosques have with Saudi Arabia and ...

National archives reveal MI5 bugged Edward VIII’s phone calls

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:44 -0400

Cahal Milmo is the chief reporter of The Independent and has been with the paper since 2000. He was born in London and previously worked at the Press Association news agency. He has reported on assignment at home and abroad, including Rwanda, Sudan and Burkina Faso, the phone hacking scandal and the London Olympics. In his spare time he is a keen runner and cyclist, and keeps an ...

British terror Mom kept soldier’s bloodied attacker talking

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:45:44 -0400

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, a cub scout leader and mother of two, jumped off the bus to help the dying soldier, then kept one of the murder suspects talking so he wouldn’t hurt anyone else. — ...

Conservation agency approved cull of endangered birds documents show

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:46 -0400

birds have been shot, trapped and poisoned on one of England's largest shooting estates with the approval of the government agency responsible for protecting the species, a Guardian investigation has found.The government has licensed an annual cull ...

Blue is the Warmest Colour installed as frontrunner for Palme dOr

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:39 -0400

A hail of enthusiastic tweets followed the Cannes premiere of Blue is the Warmest Colour - elevating it to the status of the critics' favourite of the festival, and not a moment too long at three hours.It also happens to contain the lengthiest, most intimate and most graphic lesbian sex scenes in mainstream cinema history. Praised for its tenderness and intensity, it has been hailed as a ...

Net migration to the UK down 89000 in a year

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:38 -0400

Since 2011, net migration has been on the decline due to falling numbers of immigrants. What are the other key trends behind these often controversial statistics? ...

David Cameron honours woman who kept Woolwich suspect talking

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:36 -0400

London , sitting on the bottom deck of a bus bound for Victoria coach station as it passed along John Wilson street in Woolwich, south-east London.When she looked through the window and spotted someone lying in the road near a crashed car, she decided to leave the bus and see if she could offer first aid. She could not have known that she was walking into a terrorist attack, nor that her ...

Cannes comes down to earth with depression-era movie Nebraska

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:34 -0400

Link to video: Nebraska: 'What it lacks in voltage it makes up in warmth' - Cannes video review This year at Cannes, film after film has delved into the world of the wealthy. The Great Gatsby's lavish parties have been rivalled by only the madly superficial Roman fiesta that begins Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty. Meanwhile their glittering possessions are filched in ...

Lifeboat volunteer awarded gallantry medal for dramatic Fife coast rescue

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:32 -0400

A lifeboat volunteer has been awarded a gallantry medal for his role in a dramatic sea rescue that saved the lives of two men.Barry Gourlay, 30, and two colleagues battled three-metre waves in complete darkness to get to a boat which had run aground in poor conditions off the Fife coast last year.Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) bosses said his expert seamanship undoubtedly saved the ...

George Osborne puts his pride before the national interest | Ed Balls

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:28 -0400

Link to video: George Osborne: GDP figures show we are 'making progress' The International Monetary Fund is not usually known for racy language and dramatic press releases. When IMF chiefs come to national capitals, diplomacy is normally the order of the day. So no one should be surprised that in London this week there was no public repeat of the IMF's previous comments that ...

ENRC fears data loss from hacking and stolen laptop

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:19 -0400

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation , warned on Thursday that it may have lost internal data as a result of computer hacking and the theft of a laptop.The problems add to a complicated picture for ENRC, a London-based but Kazakh-facing producer of minerals from iron ore to coal, which received an indicative takeover offer last week but is also the subject of an investigation by the Serious ...

Insight In attackers argot Londoners shocked to hear one of their own

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:35:24 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - In the lurid scene of the red-handed knifeman describing his motives for hacking to death a British soldier in broad daylight, perhaps the most chilling aspect for Londoners was the man's unmistakably familiar ...

Obama condemns attack on British service member

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:33:48 -0400

Barack Obama said on Thursday he condemned "in the strongest terms" the attack in London on a British service member. "The United States stands resolute with the United Kingdom, our ally and friend, against violent extremism and terror," he said in a statement. (Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Eric Walsh) (This story has been refiled to correct ...

Soldier killed in Woolwich attack identified as veteran of Afghanistan

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:24:55 -0400

Afghanistan . Army officials said Lee Rigby, 25, nicknamed Riggers, was married with a 2-year-old son, The Guardian reported. He enlisted in 2006 and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. Rigby, apparently targeted because he was wearing a T-shirt for the soldiers' charity Help for Heroes, was hacked to death Wednesday outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in the Woolwich district of London. ...

Obama condemns killing of British soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:20:35 -0400

US President Barack Obama has condemned the killing of a British soldier in London by two suspected Islamic extremists as "appalling" and "horrific". "The United States stands resolute with the United Kingdom, our ally and friend, against violent extremism and terror," Obama said in a written statement on Thursday. "There can be absolutely no justification for such ...

England in good hands with Root and Compton says Cook

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:45:38 -0400

LEEDS, England (Reuters) - England have emerged from a "changing of the guard" with their batting line-up and captain Alastair Cook has backed the likes of Joe Root and Nick Compton to make their names in the test ...

British Ministers Call For Mass Government Snooping In Wake Of Woolwich Attack

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:45:12 -0400

Following the brutal murder of a young soldier in London, British politicians have called for the resurrection of a bill that was shelved last month that would see the creation of a dragnet surveillance database, allowing police and intelligence agencies to effectively monitor the communications of everyone in the country. The so-called "snoopers' charter", a proposed database of ...

London beheading Attacker is British citizen

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:42:58 -0400

London, May 23 : British authorities have established that one of the accused in the killing of a serving British soldier in London is a British citizen of Nigerian descent, reports said on ...

Harlow fire deaths Teenager arrested over house blaze which killed mum and five children

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:42:18 -0400

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a house fire which killed a mother and her five children.Sabah Usmani, 44, died in a horrific house blaze alongside her daughter Hira, 12, and sons Muneeb, nine, and Rayyan, six.Son Sohaib, 11, and daughter Maheen, three, sadly died of their injuries at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.Dr Usmani's husband Abdul Shakoor, a ...