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Talks between UK and Ecuador fail as Assange completes year in embassy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:37:11 -0400

LONDON - Talks between the United Kingdom and Ecuador have ended without any breakthrough over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's fate with the Andean nation. Ecquador said it was vowing not to succumb to diplomatic pressure and was ready to consider any request from Edward Snowden, another whistleblower, for asylum. As the fugitive anti-secrecy advocate marks one year holed up in the ...

Group of Eight leaders stop short of calling for Assad ouster

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:28:36 -0400

ENNISKILLEN - The Group of Eight industrialised nations called for a swift end to the bloody civil war in Syria and urgent peace talks but stopped short of calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in its joint statement at the end of talks Tuesday. Despite the lack of consensus among the G8 on the fate of Assad, as well as the use of chemical weapons by his regime, Canadian ...

Millions dont know difference between fruit and vegetable

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:00:02 -0400

Many UK citizens think that cucumbers, courgettes and avocados - technically fruit, as they have seeds - are vegetables, according to a survey. The survey conducted by GardeningExpress.co.uk, showed that just 51 percent people of the country could correctly identify a tomato as a fruit while 91 per cent believe that a pepper is a vegetable, the Daily Express reported. Only one percent ...

Champions Tropny semifinals England put South Africa in to bat

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:40:01 -0400

England opted to field against South Africa in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy at the Kennington Oval here Wednesday. South Africa: Colin Ingram, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (captain), JP Duminy, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Robin Peterson, Chris Morris, Rory Kleinveldt, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. England: Alastair Cook (captain), Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Joe Root, Eoin ...

Proteas media backs England to convert Ashes distraction into motivation for CT semi

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:10:02 -0400

The South African media has said that England will try to convert the distraction of a looming Ashes series into motivation for Wednesday's first ICC Champions Trophy semi-final at the Oval against South Africa. According to Sport24, although the Champions Trophy is a distant second in importance to the clash with fierce rival Australia and defending the Ashes, England is hoping to see a place ...

Dhonis men practice ahead of semi-final clash against Sri Lanka

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:50:02 -0400

The Indian cricket team with a clean record in the preliminary stages of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in England had a strenuous session at the nets in Cardiff ahead of Thursday's semi-final clash against Sri Lanka. With this practice session yesterday, the in form Indian players are confident of facing the Sri Lankan team. The players were busy in enhancing their skills at Glamorgan County ...

Cook has never felt more nervous ahead of CT semi with Proteas

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:50:01 -0400

England captain Alastair Cook has admitted that he is 'he has never felt more nervous' ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against South Africa, despite backing his team to withstand the pressure. Stating that the 'quarter-final' victory over New Zealand was most stressful moment of his reign, Cook said that he expected the Wednesday game to be worse, although he added that he is proud ...

Angelina Jolie stunt double sues News Corp over phone hacking

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:10:02 -0400

A British stunt double for actress Angelina Jolie has sued News Corp. for hacking her phone. Eunice Huthart, who worked with Jolie on films including 'Beyond Borders', 'Tomb Raider II' and 'Mr. 'n' Mrs. Smith', filed the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles, alleging that the media company hired private investigators to access her mobile phone voice-mail messages to seek information for news ...

4500 British soldiers made redundant

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:10:02 -0400

In what is being termed as the biggest single cut to the size of the British army, 4,480 soldiers have been handed redundancy notices after they applied for it, a media report said Tuesday. The number of personnel will be reduced to 82,000 by 2018 from more than 100,000 three years ago, the Guardian daily reported. The defence ministry said Tuesday that 84 percent of those affected had applied ...

Champions Trophy Srinath match referee for first semifinal

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:20:02 -0400

Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath was Tuesday appointed the match referee for the first Champions Trophy semifinal between England and South Africa at the Oval on Wednesday. Kumar Dharmasena and Rod Tucker are the on-field umpires while Bruce Oxenford and Steve Davis have been appointed as third and fourth umpires, International Cricket COuncil (ICC) said. Englishman Chris Broad has been ...

Brit school principal recommends sex education class be taught by porn star

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:50:01 -0400

Principle of a private British boarding school in the UK has suggested that kids at the school would benefit if X-rated actresses came in to tell their stories for sex education class. Principal Mark Slater said that blue movie queen's tales of the industry would "empower" kids at The Leys in Cambridge to understand the dangers of pornography, the New York Daily News reported. The 59-year-old, ...

FCA fines property agent one million pounds

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:45:28 -0400

Reuters © The logo of the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is seen at the agency's headquarters in the Canary Wharf business district of London April 1, 2013. REUTERS/Chris ...

Bank of England chief out-voted in swan song meeting

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:45:23 -0400

LONDON (AFP) - Bank of England governor Mervyn King called for more easy-money stimulus at his final meeting in June, but was out-voted by fellow policymakers for the fifth month in a row, minutes showed on Wednesday.The details were published shortly before the US Federal Reserve central bank announces its latest position on easy-money stimulus.Former Canadian central bank chief Mark Carney will ...

Nigel Evans House of Commons Deputy Speaker arrested on suspicion of three further offences of indecent assault

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:39:19 -0400

The 55-year-old was arrested in May on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. When he answered bail today he was told that he faces the additional allegations. A Lancashire Constabulary spokesman said: "A 55-year-old man from Pendleton in Lancashire has today answered his bail following his arrest in May on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. "He has subsequently been further ...

Tulisa cracks a SMILE as she is reunited with N-Dubz after drugs arrest shame

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:39:18 -0400

cocaine deal for an undercover reporter after footage emerged of her reportedly bragging about being able to get drugs through a dealer.The star has obviously started fighting back against her critics - sharing a picture of her kicking a punch bag in a garden.Tulisa shared a picture of herself showing off her karate kick on Instagram with the caption: "Watch the face ahahahahahaha ...

Labour politician Simon Parkes fathered child with alien and extra terrestrial sex is ruining his marriage

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:39:18 -0400

Simon Parkes, town councillor for Stakesby in Whitby, says he has sex with the alien, who he refers to as the Cat Queen, around four times a ...

Nigella Lawson photos Charles Saatchi reveals why he accepted police caution but makes no public apology

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:39:18 -0400

wife Nigella Lawson - but made NO public apology for grabbing her throat four times during a row.Saatchi, 70, said he agreed to be cautioned because it was better than the alternative of being investigated by police for weeks.But in his new statement he did not offer any sympathy or apology to his TV chef wife, who has moved out of the family home.Friends and family close to Nigella, 53 are said ...

London 2012 manager takes on new operational delivery role at British Paralympic Association

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:36:48 -0400

This position will lead the sponsorship new business acquisition process for the NBA for Africa. The focus will be on new partner development - prospecting, pitching, negotiating and securing new corporate ...

Families of soldiers killed in Iraq can bring claim against UK government

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:36:05 -0400

Soldiers going into battle abroad are protected by human rights legislation, the supreme court has ruled in a landmark judgment.The decision by the UK's highest court will have far-reaching implications for the way ...

Police arrest second man after fire at Gloucester mosque

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:36:01 -0400

A second man has been arrested by detectives investigating a fire at a mosque.The fire service was called to the Ryecroft Street mosque in Gloucester at 12.50am on Tuesday after reports of a small blaze.Police attended and watched CCTV footage that showed a man pouring petrol around the door of the building before setting a rag on fire and using it to ignite the fuel. The man returned to a dark ...

Families Can Sue Govt Over Iraq Troop Deaths

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:30:50 -0400

Families of British soldiers killed fighting in Iraq can bring damages claims against the Government, the Supreme Court has ruled. Relatives want to sue for negligence and to make claims under human rights legislation. Supreme Court justices announced today that they can do both. Families started legal action as a result of the deaths of a number of British soldiers following the American-led ...

Police seek extra powers over criminals who flee country to avoid paying back ill-gotten gains

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:27:21 -0400

Police are seeking greater powers to pursue wealthy criminals across Europe who skip the country to avoid jail without paying back millions of pounds of criminal ...

The €200 note - favourite for money-launderers and high-rollers - to be taken out of UK circulation

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:27:21 -0400

Eurotrash mourn. The EUR200 note - the cash of choice for casino high-rollers, the ostentatiously rich and drug dealers with very small hiding places to fill - is set to be taken out of circulation in ...

North boost for British Lions

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:23:20 -0400

Powerful wing George North is fit to face the Wallabies in the opening Test on Saturday and help the British and Irish Lions forget their first non-Test ...

Champions Trophy LIVE Anderson Finn strike early for England

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:23:07 -0400

Welcome to the LIVE coverage of the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy between England and South Africa from the Kennington Oval stadium in ...

Teesside prison criticised for neglecting prisoner who killed himself

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:18:16 -0400

A Teesside prison has been criticised for not doing more to prevent the death of an inmate who killed himself in 2009.Andrew Hall cut his throat and lay bleeding for 20 minutes before staff at Holme House entered the cell, despite the incident being seen by CCTV cameras.An inquest jury ruled on Thursday last week, after a three weeks of evidence at Middlesbrough coroners court, that Holme House ...

BBC bullying is very troubling says top lawyer

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:18:15 -0400

the recent review of sexual harassment and bullying at the BBC has said she encountered a "very troubling" undercurrent of fear and lack of trust between staff and management.Dinah Rose QC, who oversaw the seven-month review prompted by the Jimmy Savile scandal, said she found "other forms of abuse of power" much more problematic and prevalent at ...

Eyewitness Royal Ascot Berkshire UK

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:18:09 -0400

Racegoers watch the arrival of the Queen on the first day of Royal Ascot. A minute's silence was held in honour of trainer Sir Henry Cecil, 70, who died last week. He had a record 75 Royal Ascot ...

Britain faces decade of bad weather

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:17:59 -0400

Guests shelter from rain under an umbrella during a garden party at Buckingham Palace in central London on May 30, 2013. Britain was set to enjoy its hottest day of the year so far on Wednesday but woke up to the gloomy news that it could be in the middle of a decade-long bad weather ...

A Briton fights with Al Qaedas offshoot in Syria

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:17:11 -0400

SALQIN, Syria (Reuters) - The moment the young fighter walks in, it's clear he's different. He has a grey robe, a scraggly beard and a gun holster - hallmarks of the rebels who control this part of the northwest. But he wears Adidas trainers. And his accent and swagger are pure ...

Healthcare watchdog CQC destroyed report into review of hospital where babies died

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:42:19 -0400

Care Quality Commission is accused of deliberately suppressing a review that highlighted weaknesses in its inspections of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS ...

G8 Summit Leaders seal agreement which will rewrite the rules on tax

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:42:17 -0400

The Lough Erne Declaration vows to "fight the scourge of tax evasion" by changing the rules to stop multinational companies shifting profits across ...

England win toss choose to bowl vs South Africa

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:37:51 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - England won the toss and elected to bowl in their Champions Trophy semi-final against South Africa amid overcast conditions at The Oval on ...

British MPs want laws to jail reckless bankers

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:37:35 -0400

Britain should introduce laws making it possible to jail "reckless" bankers and claw back past bonus and pension awards, an influential panel of lawmakers has said. The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, set up last year after Barclays was fined over the manipulation of global interest rate benchmarks, said deep lapses in standards had been commonplace. It said recent ...

Boy charged with murder over his five-year-old half-sisters death after he practised WWE-style wrestling moves on her

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:34:37 -0400

A 13-year-old boy has been charged second-degree murder over his five-year-old half-sister's death after he 'practised WWE-style wrestling moves' on her.The boy had been left to babysit the girl when it's alleged he started to wrestle with her.Police allege that the teenager repeatedly slammed the girl on a bed, punched her in the stomach, jumped on her and striked her with ...

Katie Price How stupid can this woman be

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:34:36 -0400

Katie Price is now subjecting her unborn baby to a blast of UV rays, too.How stupid can this woman be?The World Health Organisation advises women to steer well clear of sunbeds. And so does good old common sense.But six-months-pregnant Katie reckons she knows better and fell out with the owner of a tanning shop who turned her away.Some medics reckon there may be no danger to an unborn child at ...

Jail reckless bankers Report urges the Government to introduce new criminal offence for reckless management

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:31:32 -0400

Britain's banking bosses should face jail if their decisions force fresh bailouts, the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards says ...

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will stay in Ecuador embassy even if Sweden sex charges dropped

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:31:30 -0400

The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in London even if sex charges against him are dropped, because he fears moves are already under way to extradite him to the United States, he has ...

Mizzy the massive mastiff takes on rotund rabbit and corpulent cat for diet challenge

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:31:30 -0400

Mizzy tips the scales at 11 stone 4lb (72kg), weighing more than the average UK woman.The five-year-old needs to lose more than a third of her body weight to reach her ideal size, according to PDSA which runs an annual Pet Fit Club.The dog, from Littleover in Derby, is so large that her collar fits around the waist of the charity's veterinary nurse who is now in charge of her strict ...

England v South Africa - live

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:30:59 -0400

BST Anthems have been sung, action is totally imminent. England's record in ODI semi-finals: P8 W4 L4. Can they win a third on the spin today? Will they swing the ball? When? How suspiciously? Answers on their ...

Bankers banged up They need to return to planet Earth first | Polly Toynbee

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:30:42 -0400

Bang up the bankers! That has a nice ring to it, like the rioter's line in Henry VI (part two) that always gets a roar of approval, "let's kill all the lawyers". But does anyone really think any of them will land in the clink? The degree of personal recklessness would have to be extreme.The parliamentary commission on banking standards ...

Bank of England ranks cyber attacks above Eurozone crisis as biggest threat

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:22:18 -0400

Cyber attacks have risen to the top of the list of threats for UK banks according to Bank of England's director of financial stability, Andrew Haldane, but understanding and management of the risk is still at an "early stage". Speaking at a Treasury select committee last week, Haldane said that during recent meetings with the five top banks in the UK, four of the banks had claimed ...

BoE split 6-3 against more QE at Kings final meeting

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:15:52 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England remained divided 6-3 against more asset purchases in June and watched with caution market reaction to signs the U.S. Federal Reserve might reduce stimulus. With the economy tentatively on the mend, ...

NHS regulator exposed as not fit for purpose by maternity deaths

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:13:02 -0400

Care Quality Commission head says previous management was 'totally dysfunctional' after report reveals 'cover-up' over deaths of mothers and babies at NHS foundation trust in ...

Use of physical restraint on mental health patients at disturbing levels

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:13:01 -0400

Physical restraint can be humiliating, dangerous and even life-threatening, says Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind. Photograph: Graham Turner for the ...

PMQs and statement on CQC cover-up and G8 Politics live blog

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:12:59 -0400

Rolling coverage of all the day's political developments as they happen, including David Cameron and Ed Miliband at PMQs, Jeremy Hunt's statement on the CQC cover-up scandal and Cameron's statement on the G8 ...

G8 what did it achieve | The panel

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:12:57 -0400

Natalia Antonova, acting editor-in-chief of the Moscow News Fundamental disagreements between Vladimir Putin and the rest of the G8 leaders on Syria have resulted in a sense of alienation for Russia at the summit.During a visibly uncomfortable encounter with US president Barack ...

Ongoing protests in Brazil and Royal Ascot the best news photographs of the day

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:12:47 -0400

Firefighters work to put out a burning vehicle set on fire by protestors in Sao Paulo, Brazil as protests continued overnight. Photograph: Nelson ...

China firm forays into British yacht hotel markets

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:12:37 -0400

A sunset over Tower bridge in London on June 19, 2012. Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group will invest nearly $1.6 billion to acquire a British yacht maker and build London's tallest residential towers, state media reported ...

Reckless British bankers could face jail commission

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:08:27 -0400

LONDON (AFP) - Bankers found guilty of reckless misconduct in Britain could end up in prison and be stripped of bonuses, under draconian proposals to clean up the City of London published on Wednesday.The radical penalties were put forward by an official commission which said that a string of scandals in British finance had caused an "enormously damaging" loss of trust.The Parliamentary ...

Britains FTSE creeps higher Fed in focus

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:02:56 -0400

* FTSE 100 down 0.6 percent before Fed statement* Ex-divs knock 1.8 points off the indexBy Tricia WrightLONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - Britain's top shares fell ...

George North available for British Lions

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:35:29 -0400

Saturday's first Test against Australia after recovering from his hamstring problem. North was a doubt for the series opener at Suncorp Stadium after sustaining the injury a week ago, but Rob Howley, the assistant coach, revealed he has fully recovered. "George came through a fitness test this morning and I've never seen him in better shape. He'll be available and ...

Pregnant Kate Middleton misty-eyed over giving birth

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:29:53 -0400

A friend of mine dreamed of a water birth that would be both "relaxing" and "soulful". I think she thought she was going swimming with ...

Borehamwood suicide pact Devastated father of train death teen speaks of his grief

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:29:52 -0400

The school sweethearts are believed to have already been on the tracks when they were hit by a train near Elstree and Borehamwood station in Hertfordshire on Monday ...

NHS watchdog covered up maternity unit review says report

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:26:26 -0400

Parents of children who died at a maternity unit in Furness general hospital have been given copies of the report. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/Press ...

NIHRs Deputy Chairman receives a delegation from British Institute of International and Comparative law

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:22:43 -0400

Manama: June 19 -- (BNA)-- The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR)'s Deputy Chairman cum Head of the Committee on Complaints, Monitoring and Follow-up , Mr. Abdullah Ahmed Al-Durazi, received this morning a British delegation led by the Birmingham School of Law Professor Geoffrey Jowl, at the NIHR's premises in the Seef District. At the meeting, NIHR's Deputy Chairman ...

Major supermarkets launch traffic light food labelling system

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:17:55 -0400

A new front-of-pack food label that has the support of health groups and all the major supermarkets has been launched to help tackle the obesity ...

Girl Guides Latest Promise Drops God Line

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:15:50 -0400

Girl Guides will no longer pledge their devotion to God when they join the organisation, it has been announced. The phrase "to love my God" has been dropped from the promise after a consultation suggested different words are needed to include the non-religious. Instead, girls joining the organisation will now be asked to "be true to myself and develop my beliefs". A ...

Doctor Who could Green Wings Mac get a bite at the role | Media Monkey

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:08:58 -0400

, claims the Sun. The paper says the actor - who was also in The Hour and movie Notting Hill - he was considered for the part when David Tennant quit, but lost out to Smith. Skyfall actor Rory Kinnear is the 2/1 favourite to win the role, the Sun says, with Torchwood's Burn Gorman, Threesome's Emun Elliott and Coupling's Richard Coyle also in the running. Sadly there seem to be no ...

UK set for hottest day of the year so far

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:08:57 -0400

The hottest temperatures are likely to be in London or to the south and west of the capital, say forecasters. Photograph: Federico ...

Chinese firm to buy British yacht maker Sunseeker

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:08:44 -0400

The Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group is buying the British yacht maker Sunseeker, whose yachts have appeared in several James Bond films, in the latest example of a trend for Chinese companies to acquire top luxury global brands.The company said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy a 91.8% stake in privately held Sunseeker for 320m.Chinese companies have started to acquire top international ...

Southgate favourite to take England U21 role

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:05:48 -0400

Gareth Southgate is the overwhelming bookmakers' favourite to replace Stuart Pearce as England Under-21s manager.Pearce was yesterday informed by the Football Association that his six years at the Young Lions helm would come to an end when his contract expires at the end of the month.Former international team-mate Southgate is expected to fill the void, with bookmakers pricing the former ...

Chinas Dalian Wanda to spend $1.6 billion on UK yacht maker hotel

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:32:10 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group said it would spend $1.6 billion (1.0 billion pounds) to buy British yacht maker Sunseeker and develop an upmarket London hotel, the latest example of a trend for Chinese companies to acquire top luxury global brands.The company said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy a 91.8 percent stake in privately-held Sunseeker for 320 million pounds ...

Proud Bonner beaming about England inclusion

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:32:07 -0400

Terming her call-up to England's UEFA Women's EURO 2013 squad as a "massive achievement", uncapped Gemma Bonner will go to Sweden eager to "make the most of the ...

Would the threat of jail be enough to end bankers reckless behaviour

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:21:47 -0400

Jail threat for reckless bankers to help clean up system Commission led by Andrew Tyrie recommends jailing bankers for 'reckless misconduct' and enforcing a wait for ...

Treasury told send reckless bankers to jail

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:04:29 -0400

George Osborne is facing pressure to radically overhaul Britain's banks by introducing a new law to jail bankers for "reckless misconduct" and force bankers to wait up to 10 years to receive their bonuses.The proposals, among the key measures recommended in ...

G8 and tax avoidance QA

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:04:28 -0400

The leaders of the G8 stand for a family group shot during the summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty ...

Minutes from the June Bank of England meeting

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:03:57 -0400

FOMC meeting: In addition to the normal statement, the Fed will publish FOMC members' projections for growth and the Fed funds rate, followed by a press conference with Chairman Ben Bernanke. He is likely to once again stress that QE tapering is not a tightening of monetary policy but rather a reduction in monetary easing and that QE tapering will not imply that the Fed has moved the timing ...

Tom of Finland and friends battle of the beefcakes – in pictures

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:03:41 -0400

Keep Your Timber Limber at the ICA pulls together boundary-pushing drawings by eight artists that challenge gender, sexual and political stereotypes and highlight issues of war and censorship.From Tom of Finland's erotically charged bikers and sailors to Judith Bernstein's penis flagpoles, here's a selection of images that use the simplest tools to defy the most ingrained ...

Syria peace talks delayed after Putin unyielding

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:54:32 -0400

Syrian peace talks will be delayed after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to boycott talks that assume President Bashar Assad will resign, officials said. The international peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland, proposed by Washington and Moscow six weeks ago to be held as soon as May is now likely to be delayed until September, a Western official told several news organizations after ...

England set up all-British final

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:24:11 -0400

England secured their place in the IRB Junior World Championship final after claiming a thrilling 33-21 semi-final victory over New Zealand in France on Tuesday. The win sets up an all-British final against Wales, who had earlier beaten defending champions South Africa 18-17 in their semi-final.Four-times champions New Zealand started the game well with an early try from hooker Epalahame Falva ...

Britains response to the NSA story Back off and shut up | Simon Jenkins

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:18:07 -0400

British intelligence had spied on delegates at two G20 summits , those chaired by Gordon Brown in 2009. Laptops and mobile phones had been hacked, and internet cafes installed and bugged. With many of the same heads of government gathering for ...

Ministers consider ban on face-down restraint in mental hospitals

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:06:45 -0400

Ministers will consider a ban on the use of face-down restraint in English mental health hospitals after new figures that show nearly 40,000 incidents of physical restraint were recorded in just one ...

England S. Africa face off in Champions Trophy semis

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:00:57 -0400

England's Joe Root (2nd R) celebrates during the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand on June 16, 2013. England were lucky the weather favoured them on Sunday as the hosts squeezed out a 10-run win over New Zealand in a game reduced to 24-overs-a-side due to ...

Vasco da Gama’s journal included in list of worlds greatest documents

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:08:27 -0400

Africa to India, arriving in Calicut and starting a maritime route from Portugal to India, changing the course of history of humankind has been included in the most prestigious list of the world's greatest documents. Unesco's world heritage body that met on Tuesday has decided to include this journal - the only copy of the voyage of Vasco da Gama in the Memory of the World Register ...

Royal baby expected to pump $380M into British economy

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:48:22 -0400

The arrival of a new heir to the British throne is expected to pump $380 million into the country's economy this summer, a retail analyst said Tuesday. Joshua Bamfield of the Center for Retail Research in Nottingham said the first-born child of the duke and duchess of Cambridge will be welcomed with parties and the popping of champagne corks. He predicted 3 million bottles of champagne and ...

Brumbies v British Irish Lions – video highlights

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:10:29 -0400

Video highlights of the Lions Lions falling to their first defeat of the tour against the ACT Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium, Canberra. This was the first victory by an Australian province over the Lions since ...

Ashes Fawad Ahmed still in the frame to face England despite being named in Australia A squad

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:05:06 -0400

Australia Pakistan-born spinner Fawad Ahmed is being sent to Africa on an Australia A tour at the same time as the Ashes series.But Ahmed remains in contention for the Ashes should his Australian citizenship be approved in time.Ahmed and fellow tweaker Ashton Agar were on Wednesday named in a 15-man Australia A squad for an African tour next month.Ahmed's citizenship is expected to be ...

Bankers Should Face Jail Terms Report Says

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:59:37 -0400

A new criminal offence punishing bankers for "reckless misconduct" while running their institutions is the centrepiece of proposals unveiled by a group of MPs and peers aimed at reforming the industry. The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards (PCBS), which was set up after last summer's Libor-manipulation scandal led to Barclays being fined £290m, said in its ...

Bupa launches free online knee clinic

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:42:55 -0400

Bupa has launched a new online knee clinic, offering information and advice about the variety of treatment options available for different knee conditions and general preventative tips, including how to keep knees ...

Jays pound Rockies to earn seventh win in a row

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:54:47 -0400

The Toronto Blue Jays are on the verge of their longest winning streak in nearly five years - with a big thanks owed to their starting ...

Afghan forces take control of Nato security following news of peace talks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:38:39 -0400

Afghan national forces will lead all military operations in the country from 19 June, President Hamid Karzai has said. Photograph: Xinhua/Landov/Barcroft ...

Nigella Lawson photos show even a domestic goddess needs saving from bullies

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:54:18 -0400

Nigella Lawson appeared to really have it all. She could serve up for men all their fantasies, from the kitchen to the bedroom. And for women she appeared a bright but beautiful icon, who knew her own mind and was unbothered by worries about weight and wardrobe like the rest of us. But now it seems all that was a facade - and reality for the nation's domestic goddess was actually one of ...

G8 summit protest march is real peace of work

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:54:18 -0400

You have to think that someone in the police had a sense of humour. Late on Monday evening, I walked with 700 people attending the permitted G8 protest from the town of Enniskillen, several miles up to the perimeter fence sealing off the summit. When we arrived at the approved stopping point, up at the razor wire, there was a road sign marooned in the middle of the security measures. It said: ...

Tyrie report now lock up the banksters

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:50:48 -0400

Banks will hate large chunks of this report, which is fair indication that Andrew Tyrie's commission has understood the industry. Photograph: Felix ...

European Union US intend to move forward fast on transatlantic trade deal

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:50:30 -0400

G8 and EU leaders (L-R) European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, France's President Francois Hollande, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Italy's Prime Minister Enrico Letta ...

Major UK Supermarkets Launch New Food Labels

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:45:41 -0400

Major supermarkets and food manufacturers are introducing a new labelling system to help people make healthier choices. Until now, businesses had different labels on the front of their products to try to explain the nutritional value of meals and drinks, leading to confusion for customers. This will be replaced by a standardised system across a range of products. "It's a traffic ...

Face-down restraint ban considered

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:42:13 -0400

Universities urged to sponsor free schools specialising in maths

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:32:58 -0400

mathematics , in a plan supported by the Office for Fair Access (Offa) to encourage talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study maths at degree level.As an incentive to open the new schools, universities will be allowed to fund them using budgets otherwise reserved for improving access ...

Health travel problems in Greece Cyprus and Spain

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:24:23 -0400

Columbus Direct warns travellers that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card may not be enough to cover medical expenses if they fall ill in Greece, Cyprus and ...

Stocks post solid gains Tuesday

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:23:16 -0400

U.S. markets churned higher Tuesday after the Commerce Department said price inflation remained muted in May. The report by itself had negligible effect. But every report of late has been held up to the light to see how it might affect the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement expected Wednesday. Low inflation means the economy is not overheating. In turn, some investors have ...

U.S. oil prices steady Tuesday

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:23:16 -0400

A motorist pumps gas in Denver on April 15, 2011. Consumers paid an average price of $3.60 a gallon nationwide on Tuesday according to the travel group AAA. UPI/Gary C. ...

British banking needs radical overhaul study

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:55:13 -0400

LONDON (AFP) - Britain needs a "radical" overhaul of its scandal-hit banks, with reckless bankers facing jail and bonuses deferred for up to ten years, a government commission set up after the Libor scandal proposed in a final report on Wednesday.The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, which is mostly composed of lawmakers, concluded that senior bankers must be made ...

UK parliamentarians call for reckless bankers to face jail

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:55:08 -0400

By Matt ScuffhamLONDON (Reuters) - Britain should introduce laws making it possible to jail "reckless" bankers and claw back past bonus and pension awards, an influential panel of lawmakers said on Wednesday.The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, set up by the government last year after Barclays was fined over the manipulation of global interest rate benchmarks, said deep ...

UK food producers grocers sign up to healthy label scheme

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:55:06 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's major food manufacturers and retailers have agreed to follow the same system of nutritional labelling as part of a government initiative to tackle obesity and poor diet and ease the financial burden on health services.The UK's Department of Health said on Wednesday labels would combine both traffic light colour-coding and nutritional information on how much ...

Brides mum and grooms dad fall in love at wedding and get married themselves within months

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:26 -0400

As her daughter and new son-in-law said 'I do', Sophie Meignan welled up with tears of pure joy.Like many loving mothers, she was overcome by her daughter's wedding day happiness.The 53-year-old had been single for 10 years and given up on the idea of ever having anyone special in her own life again.But from that day Sophie did not have to live just for her daughter any longer.As ...

Disabled could be harmed by Governments attempts to crack down on skivers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:25 -0400

A crackdown on the work-shy could be harming the disabled and those with mental health issues, MPs said yesterday. Jobcentres are hitting those who refuse to look for work with sanctions. But MPs on the Public Accounts Committee said those with mental health problems, or the disabled, could be unfairly hit. The committee found that in 40% of cases jobcentres did not know whether those who had ...

Tesco branch introduces dress code to stop half-naked shoppers dripping sweat on food

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:23 -0400

A branch of Tesco has banned scantily clad women and shirtless men because their bellies were branded a health and safety risk. The dress code was imposed after complaints about "half naked" men and women stocking up on alcohol and barbecue goods. Bosses at the shop said bare torsos could pose a health risk as they could drip sweat on food. People with no shoes have also been banned ...

Mental health charity Mind in call to end face down restraint of patients

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:23 -0400

Thousands of mental health patients are having their lives put at risk because staff are routinely pinning them face down on the floor,shocking figures reveal today. Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that almost 3,500 patients were restrained in a "face down" position in just one year. Incredibly, half of all the incidents took place at just two of the 54 NHS ...

Care home nurses pictured asleep on the job after turning off patient alarms

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:22 -0400

Two night-shift nurses are caught on camera sound asleep at a care home - after turning off patient alarms to slumber undisturbed.This shocking photo was taken by their boss, who checked on them at 3am and watched them sleep for another half hour while 19 vulnerable residents aged 75 to 100 were left unable to call for help.Titilayo Ajala, 56, and Henretta Offae, 41, were sacked on the spot and ...

Kyle Winterbottom inquest Teenagers drink may have been spiked before balcony fall

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:21 -0400

A teenage boy who fell 40 feet to his death during a party may have had his drink spiked with Ecstasy and a vet's drug used to sedate horses. Kyle Winterbottom, 16, lost his footing and fell to the ground as he clambered onto a third floor balcony. The youngster - a talented rugby player, boxer, and swimmer - died later from multiple injuries. Tests revealed he had traces in his system of ...

Borehamwood teenagers suicide pact Talented friends seemed happy before railway line tragedy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:20 -0400

teenage pals were killed by a 90mph train in an apparent suicide pact. Charleigh Disbrey, 15, and Mert Karaoglan, 18, were struck at night after making their way on to the track near a station. Investigators are understood to have found farewell notes on the bodies of the talented pair. A handwritten tribute at the station said: "To our beautiful Charleigh. Love you always, auntie Emma, ...

UK weather Many roads would become unusable if we face another harsh winter

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:19 -0400

Many of Britain's minor roads could become 'no-go' areas and closed to traffic if we have another severe winter, highways chiefs warn today. Great swathes of Britain's local road network could become unusable should there be more flooding or another severe winter, highways bosses are warning. Crumbling carriageways are costing small businesses 5billion a year and some local ...

Wilfried Zahas brother Serge evicted from council flat after threatening warden with hammer

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:17 -0400

The brother of Manchester United star Wilfried Zaha was kicked out of his council flat yesterday after he threatened a housing warden with a hammer.Serge Zaha, 31, also pinned a resident in the block against a wall and threatened he would f****** pop" her in the head, a court heard.Rory Clarke, representing the council, said Zaha, who moved into the flat in January, regularly smoked cannabis ...

Lord Bilimoria The world loves British goods. Its time to put some fizz in our exports

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:44 -0400

Going back to my childhood in India, the mark of "Made in Great Britain" as a guarantee of quality resonates strongly, and as a nation the UK is still capable of producing world-class products to export - such as Jaguar and Land Rover cars, sought after across the world, from the USA to China and India. Without taking away from London's status as the international finance capital, ...

Wifes tears in teacher Jeremy Forrests trial for abduction

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:40 -0400

The wife of the teacher accused of abducting a 15-year-old schoolgirl told his trial that she had asked her husband to stop sending tweets to a girl because it was not ...

The Buckinghamshire village that could scupper Michael Goves free school revolution

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:40 -0400

A Buckinghamshire village is threatening legal action over plans to set up an 850-pupil Sikh secondary school in its midst. Residents of Stoke Poges have warned they will seek a judicial review of the proposal after Department for Education {DfE) bought an office block in the village for the school for a reputed ...

NHS watchdog accused of hospital scandal cover-up

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:33 -0400

Britain's NHS regulator has been accused of covering up their failure to prevent a scandal at a hospital maternity unit where at least eight babies are thought to have died from neglect, according to a damning report to be published ...

Britains spell of awful summers is set to continue

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:15 -0400

Don't worry, summer is on its way - but you might have to wait until 2023.As the prospect of another gloomy Glastonbury and wet Wimbledon looms, leading climate scientists have warned that the UK could be set for a further five to 10 years of washout summers.The grim conclusion was delivered after an unprecedented gathering of scientists and meteorologists at ...

Andrew Tyrie carves out role as inquisitor-in-chief of financial crisis

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:04 -0400

Andrew Tyrie, a former adviser to Conservative chancellors Nigel Lawson and John Major, joined parliament in 1997. Photograph: Kirsty ...

Pay cuts imposed on top civil servants could lead to exodus of talent – auditor

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:03 -0400

pay and conditions of senior civil servants have deterred private sector managers from taking up Whitehall jobs and could result in an exodus of talent, the government's independent auditor has warned.A report by the National Audit Office concludes that there are "clear capability gaps" in the ...

Food packaging traffic lights to signal healthy choices on salt fat and sugar

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:00 -0400

Research found consumers ignored food labels when more than one system was used, such as traffic lights and guideline daily amounts. Photo: Press ...

A year on Julian Assange stays put in Ecuadorean embassy in London

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:39:22 -0400

Julian Assange skipped out on a date with Swedish justice. Rather than comply with a British order that he go to the Scandinavian country for questioning about sex crimes allegations, ...

Coin bearing cross hits European Union hurdle

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:39:18 -0400

European Commission (EC), the union's executive arm, had ordered it to remove halos and crosses from special commemorative euro coins due to be minted this summer. The coins were intended to celebrate the 1,150th anniversary of Christianity's arrival in Slovak lands but have instead become tokens of the faith's retreat from contemporary Europe. "There is a movement in the EU ...

Bosses of collapsed banks should be sent to jail Chancellor told

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:51 -0400

Britain's banking bosses should face jail if their decisions force fresh bailouts, the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards says ...

Crackdown on political meddling in City watchdogs

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:45 -0400

The commission's call follows fears that ministers have in the past pushed regulators to go easy on the City, particularly when the Financial Services Authority used to boast of its "light touch" regulation in the years leading up to the financial crisis. The plan envisages that Mark Carney, the incoming governor, would report to the Treasury Select Committee. That breaks new ...

Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:45 -0400

For decades, Brownies and Girl Guides have promised to "love my God," and "serve the Queen and my country". But now, in a triumph for secularists, the organisation has decided to drop references to the deity - and the nation - from the oath taken by ...

James Moore Reckless bosses must face the consequences

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:42 -0400

It is for the courts now to decide whether Mr Hayes is guilty or not, and I don't seek to make any comment on that. But there is a point to be made here. The CBI says those who involve themselves in fraudulent behaviour in the UK already face tough sanctions and enforcing those should be the focus of the authorities as opposed to the creation of new offences. The problem is, as the ...

James Moore Why George Osborne must beware of the banking backlash

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:41 -0400

Outlook The blue touch paper has been lit and it might pay for George Osborne to consider a flak jacket when he delivers his Mansion House ...

Tax fightback begins G8 leaders crack down on aggressive avoidance by multinational firms

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:38 -0400

David Cameron has hailed a landmark deal to rewrite global rules to stamp out tax evasion and stop companies shifting profits between countries to limit their tax ...

Amanda Knox judges list reasons for rerun

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:27:46 -0400

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher was based on a case littered with "multiple shortcomings, contradictions and ...

Housing deposits require more than a decades savings for first time buyers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:27:45 -0400

Families and single people in England will need to save for more than a decade to raise a large enough deposit to buy a home of their own, as rising rents and low wage growth have "moved the goalposts" for first-time buyers, according to research commissioned by the housing charity Shelter.A shortage of affordable homes means today's young people face life-changing choices between ...

Pearce pays price for England U21 flop

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:27:25 -0400

England's coach Stuart Pearce reacts during the 2013 UEFA U-21 Championship group A football match between England and Italy at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on June 5, 2013. Pearce's reign as England Under-21 coach came to an end on Tuesday as it was announced he would not be offered a new contract following the side's humiliating first round exit at the European championships ...

Big names to play at concert celebrating life of murdered Stephen Lawrence

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:27:24 -0400

Some of the biggest acts in British pop music are set to gather for a one-off concert at the O2 in London in September to celebrate the life of the murdered ...

Nigella’s husband admits to throat grab

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:32 -0400

husband Charles Saatchi admitted assault and accepted a police caution after published photos showed him grasping her throat at a restaurant last ...

UK weather Experts warn of dismal DECADE ahead of icy winters and washout summers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:45:01 -0400

Britain should brace itself for a washout decade as a warmer Atlantic Ocean plays havoc with weather patterns, forecasters warned today. As beachgoers made the most of a rare warm, sunny day in parts of the country, the nation's top meteorologists held talks to work out why we are now more used to icy winters and wash-out summers. And why we endured snow this May and the coldest spring for ...

Moors murderer Ian Brady nocturnal and not allowed pen in case he uses it as weapon

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:45:01 -0400

This website uses 'cookies' to give you the best, most relevant experience. Using this website means you're Ok with this. You can change which cookies are set at any time - and find out more about them - by following ...

Charleigh Disbrey Tragic teenager killed by train in suspected suicide pact with boyfriend wanted to be music star

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:45:00 -0400

Charleigh Disbrey, 15, died on Monday night alongside 18-year-old Mert Karaoglan when they were both hit by a train near to Borehamwood station, Herts. Before she died, the Year 10 pupil, known as 'CJ' to friends at nearby Hertswood Academy, had posted 40 video clips on YouTube with her and her guitar or keyboard singing her own works and cover versions.On a talent website, in the hope ...

Hugh Muirs diary we know ciggies kill but who can resist a freebie

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:41:41 -0400

mission statement from the Department of Health . "There's also an impact on smokers' families: each year, hospitals see around 9,500 admissions of children with illnesses caused by secondhand smoke." We will do all we can, ministers say, to make "people aware of the health dangers of smoking". But too much hectoring and no play will always make Jack a dull boy, and ...

The Cripple of Inishmaan – review

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:41:33 -0400

BBC Sports Personality of the Year - in pictures Bradley Wiggins capped his remarkable sporting year by taking home the big prize at the ceremony in ...

Assad warns Britain and France against arming rebels

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:33:37 -0400

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has warned Britain and France against arming rebels fighting his government, which he said would turn the Middle East, Europe's backyard, into a "hub for terrorism and chaos". He claimed this in turn would result in terrorism being exported back to Europe. "Terrorists will gain experience in combat and return [home] with extremist ...

Photos Mad hats at England’s Royal Ascot

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:32:19 -0400

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain ...

Whitecaps’ Manneh suspended one game for collision with New England goalkeeper

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:31:56 -0400

Last Saturday, Banff mechanic Tim Bartlett was christening a new motorcycle through the Rocky Mountains when he had a rare wildlife encounter that was equal parts terrifying and ...

New Birth Injury Specialists at Medical-Negligence.com

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:16:30 -0400

Medical-Negligence.com has appointed a number of birth injury solicitors to its growing network of clinical negligence experts. The move is motivated by the network's mission to becoming the leading source of legal advice and information for those who have been affected by hospital negligence. "Nearly every medical negligence claim firm in the UK will have at least one solicitor ...

Julien Benneteau upends Kevin Anderson in early Eastbourne match

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:15:24 -0400

Kevin Anderson in first-round play. The 32nd-ranked Benneteau, who made the finals at the Rotterdam event this year, prevailed over hard-serving South African Anderson 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 at Devonshire Park. Australian Bernard Tomic rebounded from a recent dry spell with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over British wild card James Ward, while Czech ...

Unison applies for judicial review to stop brutal charges for employment tribunal cases

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:40:55 -0400

A legal challenge against charges of up to 1,000 to take cases to employment tribunals has been launched by Britain's biggest public sector union Unison. The controversial fees for workers fighting unfair dismissal and discrimination cases are due to be introduced by the Tory-led Coalition next month. But Unison has applied to the High Court in London for a judicial review to stop the ...

James Francis trial Ex-England star Trevors sons footprint found at raid home

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:40:55 -0400

Detectives found the print of a shoe belonging to the son of ex-England star Trevor Francis at a burglary scene, a court heard today.And two fingerprints matched those kept on the national police database after James Francis, 26, was convicted of a drink-driving offence, the jury was told.Francis is accused of stealing a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, six souvenir football shirts, a set of golf clubs ...

The Call Centre Two companies featured on hit BBC3 show fined over nuisance sales calls

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:40:54 -0400

Two firms in BBC documentary series The Call Centre were fined a total of 225,000 today for making nuisance sales calls. The Information Commissioner's Office said there had been 2,700 complaints about Nationwide Energy Services and We Claim You Gain, part of Save Britain Money Ltd in Swansea. Neither company carried out adequate checks to see whether the people they were calling had ...

G8 summit Leaders agree new diplomatic bid to oust Syria dictator but WONT arm rebels

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:40:54 -0400

Syrian rebels will not be given arms to fight Bashar al-Assad after Vladimir Putin compared them the the killers of Drummer Lee Rigby. World leaders at the G8 Summit instead launched a fresh diplomatic bid to oust the tyrant by offering to safeguard the jobs of his cronies in the army and government if they move against him in a coup. Mr Putin, who earlier this week accused the opposition ...

England stun NZ in Junior World Cup semi

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:31:11 -0400

A controversial 74th minute try to Tom Smallbone has helped England stun NZ in this morning's Junior World Cup rugby semi-final in Vannes in France. England won 33-21 and were helped considerably by Smallbone's five pointer, which was awarded on video review by the TMO, from a ruck near the NZ line, despite no clear evidence of a try. Until then, NZ were well in the match, having ...

Afghanistan peace talks no surrender behind the Talibans white flowers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:18:36 -0400

Afghanistan and sheltered al-Qaida.Separated from journalists by white flower arrangements that would not have looked out of place at a wedding, two Taliban officials caught much of the world by surprise with their offer of peace talks on Tuesday.News that a political delegation would work out of an office in Qatar, first proposed two years ago, brought a glimmer of hope that a decade of conflict ...

William Hague 14-pint-sized politico

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:18:31 -0400

A 16-year-old William Hague addressing the Conservative party conference at Blackpool in 1977. Behind him is Margaret Thatcher. Photograph: Frank ...

Syrian pound tumbles on US plans to arm the opposition reflecting growing fears in Damascus

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:16:07 -0400

DAMASCUS, Syria - Many exchange shops closed in Damascus on Tuesday, fearing more chaos a day after the Syrian currency plunged to a new record low, reflecting growing fears in the capital following a U.S. decision to arm rebel groups fighting to topple President Bashar Assad's regime. The currency woes add to the embattled president's troubles, and government officials rushed to allay ...

African nations set negotiations on planned Nile dam

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:09:59 -0400

A controversial dam on the Nile River will be the subject of negotiations by Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, foreign ministers of the countries announced Tuesday. The negotiations will deal with the political and technical aspects of dividing the river's waters between the countries, Egypt's Ahram Online reported. The $4.2 billion dam is planned by Ethiopia to power a hydroelectric plant. ...

Spawning ground of deep-sea sharks found in Scotland

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:09:48 -0400

Marine scientists in Scotland say they've discovered a deep-sea shark spawning ground on the country's only inshore coral reef. Researchers from Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University, who had discovered the reef itself, said they observed egg cases of the blackmouth catshark on the Mingulay Reef in the Outer Hebrides, the BBC reported Tuesday. Anglers in the area have long fished ...

G8 Summit David Cameron swims in icy lake on morning after lavish dinner

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:34:07 -0400

David Cameron tried to prove he was the iron man of G8 summit by taking a morning swim in the icy cold lake. The Prime Minister had an "early, brisk and cold" dip in Lough Erne around 6am, No 10 revealed. No other world leader joined him, even though Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a keen fan of outdoor sports. Mr Cameron said the swim was an ideal way to prepare for a tough round ...

Undercover policing faces tighter regulation after Mark Kennedy scandal

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:51 -0400

Damian Green , the minister for policing, told MPs on Tuesday that under the plans to be brought before parliament the police spies would be deployed only following approval from an outside body.In a second reform, the use of the spies would only be authorised by chief constables. Previously, officers as junior as a superintendent had the power to deploy spies. The officers infiltrated political ...

Country diary Wenlock Edge Could the psychedelic blueness of these bugle flowers help to heal the land

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:31 -0400

Blue as an ambulance light, the patch of bugle flowers in the wood. Once open, maybe a long-abandoned garden before trees took hold, this place becomes the dreamy point of midsummer, with its own reality surrounded by a pervading anxiety. At the entrance to the wood is a pull-in off the lane where cars stop for dog walkers, fly-tipping, canoodling. A man gets out. "A good day for a ...

British Government to support Ghana

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:11 -0400

Accra, June 18, GNA - President John Mahama has struck a deal with the British Government to transform Accra into an international financial ...

Donald Macintyres Sketch Another startling fact about William Hague...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:22:12 -0400

Donald Macintyre writes political sketches for The Independent, having been Jerusalem correspondent since 2004, covering Israel and the Occupied Territories, as well as travelling for the paper to Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Libya and Egypt. As Political Editor and then Chief Political Commentator, he previously covered the John Major and early Tony Blair era. He has written for the Daily Express, ...

British summer rain set to stay

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:14:48 -0400

Weather scientists said on Tuesday that a country that has been unusually soggy in recent years is not likely to dry out soon, and a warm Atlantic Ocean may be to blame.Meteorologists and climate scientists from around Britain met to discuss why this traditionally temperate country has recently experienced icy winters, the coldest spring in half a century and a string of washed-out ...

Climate experts predict another 10 years of washout summers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:12:42 -0400

Prism How can this level of state surveillance be legal | Anya Proops

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:12:41 -0400

Jeremy Bentham developed a new type of institutional establishment which had a singular advantage over its predecessors: it allowed the authorities to observe inmates without their being able to tell in any particular moment whether or not they were being watched. The name given to this new architectural form of state control ...

Big ideas can be bad ideas – even in the age of the thinktank | Mark Mazower

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:12:30 -0400

Nudge : for years, it seems, big ideas have been heading our way across the Atlantic. It is hard to think of many similarly catchy slogans that have gone the other way of late - Tony Giddens' notion of ...

Painting of the artists son wins BP portrait award for Susanne du Toit

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:12:23 -0400

Susanne du Toit's portrait of her son Pieter. 'I look to the body to provide as much expression as the face,' she says. Photograph: National Portrait ...

FBI NYPD announce reward in 2008 bombing of recruiting station

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:04:01 -0400

The FBI and the New York Police Department Tuesday announced a reward of as much as $65,000 for information in a 2008 Times Square recruiting station bombing. The March 6, 2008, bombing of the Armed Forces Recruiting Station remains unsolved, the FBI said in a statement released Tuesday with a previously unpublicized video of the suspected attacker arriving, leaving the bomb and departing on a ...

Sikorsky picks S-76 service provider in Britain

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:03:54 -0400

Vector Aerospace Services' maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in Britain have been designated customer service centers for Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. The arrangement between SAS, the aftermarket business of Sikorsky Aircraft, and Vector was announce at the Paris Air Show. "Vector Aerospace is recognized in the industry as a leading provider of aviation maintenance, repair and ...

South Africa want to reverse the ball to swing it like England

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:34:39 -0400

AB de Villiers is prepared to give England the benefit of the doubt over accusations that the Champions Trophy hosts have been guilty of ball-tampering. Ashley Giles, ...

Champions Trophy England two games away from one day title

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:34:38 -0400

Bowlers James Anderson, left, and Stuart Broad, centre, will hope to deliver for their captain Alastair Cook, right, as England gear up for the remaining two matches to a possible maiden world title. Michael Steele / Getty ...

British Leader Trendsetter Or A Bit Too Casual

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:28:56 -0400

The G-8 leaders speaking at this news conference in Northern Ireland all lost their ties, but British Prime Minister David Cameron (right) went a step further by ditching his jacket and rolling up his ...

Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema face jail over underage prostitute claims

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:28:15 -0400

French international football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema are facing jail - accused of sleeping with an underage prostitute.But the lawyer for Ribery, who plays for Bayern Munich, claimed she was "not a vulnerable person" in court today.Carlo-Alberto Bruso was speaking on the first day of a criminal trial.The pair are accused of having slept with Zahia Dehar, a French-Algerian ...

April Jones and Tia Sharps parents unite to demand crackdown on internet child abuse

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:28:14 -0400

Tia Sharp united today to demand ministers do more to crack down on vile internet child abuse. April's parents Paul and Coral Jones and 12-year-old Tia's father Steven Carter said their children's killers were spurred on by sick images found online. Devastated mum Coral said: "I just want it stopped and I think the Government should put more pressure and get it done ...

America and Taliban set for direct talks this week over Afghanistan peace deal

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:28:14 -0400

Three museums in north threatened with closure saved after promise on funding cuts

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:28:13 -0400

Ministers today climbed down over plans to close one of the country's leading museums.The Science Museum said either the National Rail Museum in York, or the National Media Museum in Bradford or Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry would have to shut because of Government cutsThe plan, first revealed in the Daily Mirror, provoked a storm of protest and saw rallies and ...

Jeremy Forrest trial Schoolgirls mum thought she was dead when she vanished with married maths teacher

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:27:54 -0400

Jeremy Forrest, 30, and his 15-year-old pupil fled to France after their relationship was about to be exposed in September last year.Forrest booked a cross-Channel ferry from Dover to Calais with the schoolgirl, from Bishop Bell C of E School in Eastbourne, East Sussex, before spending seven days on the run.Scots-born Forrest, of Chislehurst Road, Petts Wood, Kent, denies child abduction.The ...

Andy McSmiths Diary Dear Leader Dave dips his toe into the macho political pool

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:24:56 -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 ...