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U.S. - U.K.: Difficult Duet in Afghanistan
Charles A. Kupchan

U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron met to discuss the war in Afghanistan, among other issues. Both leaders 'find themselves in quite similar predicaments' in Afghanistan, a war increasingly unpopular in both countries, especially since both face growing national debt. Expert Charles Kupchan discusses Afghanistan and the special relationship between the US and UK

Brits Borrowing from American Political Playbook
Jules Witcover

The British have borrowed one of the most popular American political institutions by holding a series of televised debates among their three candidates for prime minister. It appears to have been a success, at least in heightening public interest in the race.

Iraq - The Story That Won't Go Away
Jules Witcover

As the Obama administration continues to leave the invasion of Iraq to history, the pesky British who believe they were hoodwinked into being a part of it are not letting this sleeping dog slumber on.

No Allies -- But Plenty of Enemies
Victor Davis Hanson

Almost 30 years after losing a war over the Falkland Islands, Argentina is once again warning Britain that it still wants back what it calls the Malvinas. In response, the Obama administration announced that it would remain neutral. There are many reasons why American neutrality here is a bad idea.

Britain's Iraq War Inquiry
Jules Witcover

The government-appointed commission of British non-governmental citizens has already made a good start toward determining how the United Kingdom was drawn into the war in Iraq by flawed intelligence and deceptive premises of the George W. Bush administration.

Climate Change and The Flathead Society
Cal Thomas

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has taken the route of many who would rather call names than have a serious debate about 'climate change.' He characterizes those who question 'settled science' members of the 'flat-earth' society. When people resort to name-calling it is a sign they have lost an argument

 

Britsh prime minister Gordon Brown
(c) Nancy Ohanian

Why Sometimes Pays to Be Like Gordon Brown
by William Pfaff

Flamboyance of the Latin kind gets you into the newspapers, but for bad reasons as well as good.

Nicolas Sarkozy of France is not a man noted for charm but for his unchecked energies and the restless activity. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi is another matter entirely. He is a success in politics apparently because the majority of Italians like him.

Indeed, sometimes pays to be a nondescript politician like Gordon Brown of Britain.

The Arrogant and the Ignorant
Cal Thomas

On my last visit to the UK three months ago, Members of Parliament were embroiled in a scandal involving outrageous expense claims for such things as moat cleaning, a baby crib and second homes that were sometimes occupied by friends and relatives, or not at all

 

British Minister's Denial Shined Spotlight on Scandal
The foreign secretary rejects speculation that he had a relationship with an aide, and focuses instead on his relationship with his wife.

Blair’s Memoirs Reveal ‘Tears’ but No Regrets on Iraq
The former British prime minister Tony Blair said that despite the loss of life, he couldn’t see the war as a mistake.

Hamas, the I.R.A. and Us
Both the Irish and Middle Eastern conflicts figure prominently in American domestic politics — yet both have played out in very different ways.

Exiled Tycoon Returns to Britain to Face Charges
Asil Nadir, who fled Britain in 1993 following the collapse of his business empire, returned to face fraud charges.

A Globe-Spanning Musical Feast
With more than 100 performances in opera, music, and dance, the Edinburgh International Festival has top-shelf (although occasionally uneven) offerings to satisfy fans of nearly every genre.

U.S. Forgoes Salmonella Vaccine for Egg Safety
British farmers virtually wiped out salmonella in eggs, but American regulators decided against a mandate.

Britain’s Economy Shows Growth as Deficit Shrinks
The deficit shrank more than expected in July, and retail sales posted the biggest gain in five months.

With a Sit-Down Stand, a Briton Kicks the Boot
One man’s defiance of a towing company has led to a government proposal to change the law on “clamping” of cars.

Britain Inflation of 3.1% Is Tied to ‘Temporary’ Factors
The Bank of England has presented various reasons that inflation is picking up while economic growth is lagging.

Fadeout for a Culture That’s Neither Indian Nor British
The numbers of Anglo-Indians — Indian citizens whose paternal line can be traced to Europe — have been dwindling since the British left India in 1947.

Britain Believes No Milk From Clones Was Sold
Britain said it “received assurances” that the milk of cloned cows had not entered the food chain.

British Officers Charged in Attack on Terror Suspect
Four police officers will face trial for carrying out what Britain’s top police officer previously admitted was a “prolonged attack” on a terrorism suspect.

Trouble Abroad Adds to Worries for U.S. Recovery
As the American economic recovery wavers, evidence is mounting that growth overseas is also slowing and may be unable to sustain the fragile rebound in the United States.

The Latest Stonehenge Visitor Is the Downturn
Renovation plans for the historic site in England have been further delayed because of government budget cuts.

Bank of England Cuts Its Economic Forecast
The central bank said it made the move partly because the pace of the global recovery appeared to be slow.

NYT > Great Britain
World news about Great Britain, including breaking news and archival articles published in The New York Times.

 

William Hague 'had enough' over rumours
Foreign Secretary William Hague said his decision to deny publicly speculation about a gay affair with an aide was "not an easy thing to do".

Scientists find what causes older mothers to have babies with Down's
SCIENTISTS made a major step towards understanding why older women are more likely to produce abnormal eggs, increasing the risk of conditions such as Down's syndrome, it

US honour for songwriter Don Black
British songwriter Don Black, known for tracks such as Born Free and Michael Jackson's Ben, is to be honoured by the US music industry.

Bestseller Blair enjoys 'stupendous' sales
Tony Blair's memoirs have broken sales records after a "stupendous" launch day, booksellers have claimed.

John McTernan: Like it or not, Labour must listen to Blair's message
There can only be one winner in the party leadership race and whoever it is must be ruthless and unsentimental, writes John McTernan

The Stig's Top Gear job hits break down lane
The BBC has slammed the brakes on racing driver Ben Collins's career as Top Gear's The Stig following their High Court battle, according to sources.

Tory rebels and Labour in talks to halt vote reforms
TORY rebels are set to hold talks with Labour on Monday to thrash out a deal to overturn Nick Clegg's plans to hold a referendum on changing the voting system on the same

Aluminium in formula milk 'a risk to babies'
Formula baby milk can contain 40 times more aluminium than breast milk, potentially putting the toddlers' health at risk, researchers have warned.

Call for car-parking ban in and around schools
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for a ban on car parking inside playgrounds and around the school gates.

Match-fixing accused were 'set-up'
Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain has claimed that the three cricketers facing match-fixing allegations were "set up".

Pub body says consumption has slumped
A LEADING drinks trade body says the UK has seen its biggest fall in alcohol consumption in 60 years.

Imports mean CO2 is rising, not falling
The UK's greenhouse gas emissions have risen in the past two decades rather than declined, because of the carbon "embedded" in imported goods, according to the gov

Rare medal expected to fetch £500,000
A MEDAL belonging to Lord Nelson is expected to fetch up to £500,000 at auction next month.

Drug 'doubles cancer risk'
A DRUG taken by thousands of osteoporosis sufferers could double their risk of developing cancer of the gullet.

RAF aims to save German bomber
Work is being carried out to preserve a rare German wartime bomber which was discovered on a sandbank 70 years after it was shot down during the Battle of Britain.

Prodigy, 15, wins Cambridge place
A 15-YEAR-OLD maths prodigy will become the youngest Cambridge undergraduate for more than two centuries when he starts lectures next month.

Scooter gang raid top fashion store
A SCOOTER gang smashed into the Vivienne Westwood store in London's Soho and stole 30 designer handbags worth thousands, police said.

Ross 'left BBC due to negative press'
Jonathan Ross said the "sheer volume of negative press" he was attracting to the BBC was one of the reasons he quit the corporation.

Psychiatrist had sex with patients
A PSYCHIATRIST faces being struck off for having improper sexual relationships with vulnerable female patients.

Mystery case of smuggled pigeons
UK Border Agency officers have foiled an attempt to smuggle in a briefcase full of dead pigeons.

£1.1m cost of Ardoyne riots
Riots in north Belfast after a loyal order parade on 12 July cost police £1.1 million.

'My marriage is strong' says William Hague as aide resigns over 'malicious' rumours
THE Foreign Secretary William Hague has revealed his aide Christopher Myers had resigned following "untrue and deeply distressing" rumours about the nature of their re

It's medicine, Jim, but not as we know it: Scientists develop Star Trek-style diagnosis device
A TEAM of British scientists have developed a Star Trek-style medical "tricorder" that they claim can diagnose diseases such as breast cancer in minutes.

UK News: Multiple complaints against 2000 police
MORE than 2000 police officers had at least three complaints made against them by members of the public over the past year, according to figures released today.

Code-breaker's body was found in padlocked bag
The decomposing body of British code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest heard yesterday.

Bacteria 'sacrifice' themselves to prevail
CERTAIN "supermutant" bacteria sacrifice themselves to help their colony-mates survive antibiotics, research has found.

Explosives tests 'badly planned'
A MINISTRY of Defence scientist died following a blast during top secret explosives tests which were inappropriately planned and appeared to be inadequately organised.

The £1-a-minute cost of dining
Diners at some top restaurants are paying more than £1 a minute for the experience because of the trend of "table-turning", according to a survey.

Travellers leave booking to last minute
About 5 per cent of holidaymakers booked their summer break just two weeks before departing, a survey showed today.

Two cut free from vehicles
TWO DRIVERS are in hospital after a three-car collision near Balerno.

Scotsman.com News - UK
Get the latest breaking UK news headlines and video from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland including updates on swine flu and the UK economy

 

Interview: Ellen MacArthur - Voyage of self-discovery
Ellen MacArthur is famed as a round-the-world yachtswoman but having revisited her Scottish roots, she aims to make a difference for the whole planet

Festival ticket sales boom? It's all show
ORGANISERS of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have admitted inflating its box office numbers by including thousands of free shows in the ticket sales figures.

Mass disruption warning on Pope day
DRIVERS face widespread chaos across central Scotland during Pope Benedict XVI's visit in two weeks' time.

Scots give £300k more in flood aid
Alex Salmond has announced an extra £300,000 for the flood victims in Pakistan and praised the aid efforts of the Scottish people so far.

45p-per-unit drink prices are attacked as a tax on the poor
PLANS to impose a 45p a unit minimum alcoholic drink price would be a "tax on the poor" and cost customers hundreds of millions of pounds, it has been claimed.

Cash-strapped council gives bosses £13m in pay-off deal
A CULL of senior managers at Scotland's biggest city council will result in 103 executives each receiving £128,000 in pay-offs and payments to their pension funds, it emer

'How many more?' asks mother as dog savages face of 10-year-old girl
A MOTHER whose daughter was killed by a rottweiler is to write to Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for all powerful dogs to be muzzled, following the second serious dog a

Potting compost to carry warnings after gardener gets Legionnaire's
Bags of potting compost are to carry health warnings after an elderly Scot contracted Legionnaire's disease through a cut on his hand.

Discovered in a New Town attic, the 205-year-old news of Nelson's victory
A RARE poster proclaiming Nelson's historic victory at Trafalgar is expected to fetch more than £10,000 at auction next week after being discovered in the attic of a home

Senior officers hint at part-time policing to deal with cutbacks
RURAL areas would be served by part-time police officers under controversial proposals to cope with severe budget cuts faced by Scottish forces.

Rangers riot police 'never saw such ferocity'
What should have been a "celebration of football" ended in mayhem and violence as Rangers hooligans went on the rampage on one of the biggest nights in the club's

Margo MacDonald wins backing in bid to permit 'dignified dying'
MARGO MacDonald's bid to legalise assisted suicide has been given a boost after the Humanist Society of Scotland launched a campaign backing her proposal.

Cold beats climate change protest
Greenpeace switched its attention to the Atlantic frontier off Shetland yesterday after four activists were arrested at the end of their three day occupation of a Scottish oil

Tesco's secret property developer repeatedly pushed for superstore
THE front company that secretly bought a rundown town centre on behalf of Tesco repeatedly tried to get permission to create a superstore on the land, documents obtained by Th

Edinburgh is the best place to visit in UK, reveals poll
SCOTLAND's capital has reclaimed the crown as Britain's best city in the annual poll compiled by a leading travel industry bible.

A new way to see the silvery Tay
A massive oil rig towers over the Firth of Tay while maintenance work is carried out - with locals flocking to get photos of the new addition to the skyline.

Edinburgh festivals face cash crisis as SNP can't commit to Expo Fund
SCOTLAND'S culture minister has refused to guarantee the future of a scheme which has supported dozens of home-grown productions at Edinburgh's festivals over the last

Leader: SNP's plan for a minimum price on alcohol is flawed
The Scottish Government's declaration of its plans to impose a minimum price per unit for alcohol of 45p perfectly demonstrates the tendency of politicians identifying a p

Fresh turmoil at Adam & Co as boss joins staff exodus
THE RBS-owned private bank Adam & Co has been rocked by the resignation of its managing director after months of turmoil at the Edinburgh-based firm.

Island talk of CCTV after hero's watch goes missing
With a population of 150 and no resident police officer, the island of Eday is not a place regularly visited by crime.

£350,000 armed raid terror for jeweller, 68
Armed robbers stole hundreds of thousands of pounds of jewellery from an elderly man during an attack in broad daylight.

Museum to celebrate 'black gold'
ONE of Scotland's leading museums is to be redeveloped to chart the history of Britain's oil and gas industry, it was revealed yesterday.

Embezzlement-charge councillor steps down
A FORMER deputy leader of Aberdeen City Council's ruling Liberal Democrat group is to step down from a number of his duties following his appearance in court on embezzleme

Veteran recalls 'great' day war was declared
AN RAF veteran recounted how he cheered when Britain declared war on Germany on the 71st anniversary of the Second World War announcement.

Police plea to pupils in rampage inquiry
POLICE are investigating whether gangs of schoolchildren were behind a "war zone" disturbance at a retail park.

'Most wanted' paedophile arrested in Ireland after tip-off via website
An ON-THE-RUN Scottish paedophile has been arrested in the Irish Republic.

Pressure on Kenny MacAskill as drug trial is halted
PRESSURE was mounting on justice secretary Kenny MacAskill last night after a cannabis trial was postponed as a result of a high-profile campaign to crack down on domestic fac

D Day hero farewelled to sound of the pipes
A LONE Scottish piper lamented the D Day hero Bill Millin on his final journey yesterday.

Analysis: Free and paid admissions are two different things
WHEN it comes to measuring audiences, there is no international standard or strict criteria as such.

Earthquake strikes 155 miles off Scotland
AN EARTHQUAKE was detected in the North Sea yesterday, 155 miles east of Aberdeen.

Scotsman.com News - Scotland
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New row over newspaper phone-hackers
A former Labour minister is one of at least 10 MPs who suspect they were targeted by reporters looking to hack into their telephone messages

Geldof seeks $1bn for African investment plan
The singer and campaigner for aid to the continent is seeking to raise money from institutional investors for a private equity venture on the continent

BBC’s impartiality under question
The BBC was forced to defend its neutrality after its director general met with senior aides to David Cameron to discuss its political coverage

HSBC in clearest warning over relocation
Warning given over British banks moving their headquarters abroad if UK government-appointed Commission on Banking were to decide that big groups should be broken up

Investors’ QE concern rises
Investors gave warning on Thursday that the Bank of England might be forced to pump more money into the economy as fears grew of a double-dip recession

Private sector battle awaits jobless bosses
Public sector middle managers who lose their jobs through government spending cuts will struggle to find new posts in the private sector, say recruitment consultants

RBS in move to cut further 3,500 jobs
Royal Bank of Scotland is axing another 3,500 jobs, taking to almost 27,000 the number of staff cut since Stephen Hester took over as chief executive of the troubled UK bank

Vote reform foes split on poll timing
The leader of the campaign against the alternative vote system for electing MPs has warned his parliamentary allies to withdraw their threat to trigger a rebellion over a proposed referendum on electoral reform

Pakistan cricketers charged under corruption code
The cricket corruption affair took a dramatic turn when the sport’s governing body charged three Pakistan players with offences under its anti-corruption code and warned that they faced life bans from the game

Alarm at MoD science agency remit
Britain’s defence industry is heading for a clash with the government over the role of its science and technology agency amid concern over the shrinking budget for research

Financial Times - World UK
The Financial Times brings you the latest economic and political news from the UK

 

Catholics in Britain: The fruits of adversity

Bolstered by immigration and challenged by the economic downturn, the church is playing an ever more active role

TO SEE two faces of Catholic Britain, you need only walk a short way from Parliament. The train and bus stations of Victoria, where many migrants arrive to seek their fortunes, are even closer.

First there is the squat red brick of Westminster cathedral, home of England’s Catholic hierarchy; its Byzantine mosaics, glinting in candlelight, are a splendid setting for one of the country’s finest choirs. Round the corner things are more down-to-earth at a hostel and day-centre for the homeless (the largest in London, it is claimed) set up by a religious order, the Daughters of Charity. Among the duties of the priests and nuns who work at The Passage is liaison with police, hospitals—and undertakers, in the fairly common event that homeless people, often young, succumb to addiction or despair. ...

Mackerel wars: Overfished and over there

Scotland’s fishermen are up in arms as rivals commandeer a valuable catch

SCOTTISH skippers are not the cheeriest lot at the best of times. Now the escalating row over mackerel is adding to their dourness. This summer first Iceland and then the Faroe Islands unilaterally jacked up the amount of the fish they intend to let their fishermen catch. This will endanger stocks, complain Scottish fishermen, who land three-quarters of Britain’s mackerel quota and earned GBP135m from it in 2009.

Rich in trendily nutritious substances such as Omega 3 fatty acids, the Atlantic mackerel is big business. Every year the fish migrate northwards to summer feeding grounds around the northern coasts of Britain and Ireland and off southern Norway. These migrations are when fishermen lie in wait. Recently, however, the shoals have been foraging further north, to Iceland and the Faroes. Warmer temperatures are the most plausible explanation. ...

Voting reform: The new mapmakers

The first battle of the new parliament is already well under way

UNTIL it was abolished by the Reform Act of 1832, the “rotten borough” of Old Sarum elected two MPs with fewer than a dozen registered voters. If you believe Labour bigwigs, those days are back. The government proposes to redraw constituencies to make them much more equal in terms of voter population, and to shrink the House of Commons from 650 to 600 members. To create constituencies with around 75,000 voters, bits would be chopped off giant seats such as the Isle of Wight (which has more than 100,000 voters now), while sparsely peopled rural seats in places like Wales would be merged. A handful of (mostly Liberal Democrat) constituencies in the Scottish Highlands would be exempted.

In order to have new boundaries ready for the next general election, the government would scrap the formal public inquiries that have dragged out previous boundary reviews for years. In response Labour frontbenchers talk of the “worst kind of gerrymandering” and of abuses to rival rotten boroughs. ...

Billingsgate fish market: Economies of scale

An ancient market in need of an overhaul

THE City of London Corporation fears draconian financial reforms that might drive banks and brokers elsewhere. It has fewer qualms, however, about overhauling another market in its fief: that for wet fish.

Billingsgate, controlled by the City since 1327, lies a stone’s throw from the towers of Canary Wharf. Yet unlike those computer-driven establishments, the trading floor at Billingsgate is populated by boxes of glistening fish: eels, mackerel, salmon and exotics such as swordfish, octopus and barracuda. Merchants serve their customers while licensed porters, wearing special badges, manhandle the fish and lug them around on trolleys. ...

Bagehot : Lessons from 35,000 feet

Tony Blair’s rather odd memoirs contain important truths for his successors

JUST who does Tony Blair think he is? In a revealing quirk of the English language, to ask the question is to level an accusation at the same time. The former prime minister has always been hard to pigeon-hole, by class or political tribe. He is the Oxford-educated barrister with unabashedly bourgeois tastes who led the Labour Party to three victories over Conservative rivals of humbler upbringing. The social liberal and self-proclaimed “progressive” who forged close bonds with George Bush (recently declaring the Texan an “idealist” of “genuine integrity”). The devout Christian who led his country into four wars.

Along with the invasion of Iraq, those shape-shifting qualities may go some way towards explaining the real loathing Mr Blair inspires in many British hearts. At least in his home country, three years out of office have done little to dim the dislike. The publication of his memoirs on September 1st was presented by much of the press as a trial to be endured. Even the announcement that he would give all the proceeds (amounting to millions of pounds) to a charity for wounded soldiers was greeted with eye-rolling, and talk of blood money. ...

The Cambridge cluster: University challenge

The town’s high-tech industry is weathering recession well

NEITHER the drab modernity of the suburbs nor the beautiful buildings in the centre hint that Cambridge is at the heart of one of Britain’s biggest clusters of high-tech businesses. But on the outskirts of the city, just off a busy dual carriageway, is the collection of low-rise, landscape-gardened buildings that make up the Cambridge Science Park.

The resemblance to the architecture of Silicon Valley is striking, and deliberate: the high-tech industry that has grown up around Cambridge is known as “Silicon Fen”. Built on the solid scientific research provided by Cambridge University—currently ranked fifth in the world by Shanghai Jiaotang University, which compiles an international league table—it features firms in sectors such as electronics, computing, software, scientific instruments and pharmaceuticals. The number of jobs in research and development is around five times the British average. ...

State schools and selection: The religious and the rational

Excellent schools tend to choose their pupils. Is there another way?

PARENTS seeking the best education for their offspring often look to ancient institutions. Small wonder that schools run by either the Catholic church or the Church of England are often high on their list. Almost a quarter of all children in the state system attend a religious school, most of them Anglican- or Catholic-run primary schools.

In his drive to give parents more choice in educating their children, Tony Blair raised the profile of church schools by encouraging existing ones to expand and new ones to set up shop. The former prime minister was also keen on incorporating other religions into the state system. The first state-funded Muslim and Sikh schools opened soon after he took power, and the first Hindu school in 2008. ...

Raising the state-pension age: When I'm 66

And the reforms won’t stop there

NOT SO long ago the right to receive a state pension from the age of 65 seemed inalienable. That threshold had, after all, first been set in 1925. It was lowered to 60 for women in 1940, but was due to be equalised between 2010 and 2020, so that by the end of the decade 65 would apply to all workers.

But in 2005 a pensions commission headed by Adair Turner, a troubleshooter who now chairs the Financial Services Authority, shook the status quo. It recommended that the state-pension age should go higher than 65 to make pensions in an ageing society more affordable. Under Tony Blair Labour decided to raise it to 66 between 2024 and 2026, and to 68 by 2046. ...

Micro-distillers: Brimming over

Start-ups are shaking up an old and staid industry

BEHIND a homely blue garage door in a genteel corner of Hammersmith sits Prudence, a complicated and expensive young lady, and the focal point of an ancient British industry that is undergoing a remarkable and timely revival. Prudence is a GBP200,000 copper still—the first of its kind to be launched in the capital for nearly 200 years—turning out small batches of exquisitely palatable London dry gin. Named after a certain former chancellor of the exchequer who gained an ultimately unwarranted reputation for fiscal austerity, Prudence is the brainchild of Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall. They are the entrepreneurs behind one of Britain’s fastest-growing young micro-distilleries, Sipsmith.

In the year since its launch, Sipsmith has sold 5,000 half-cases of its signature dry gin, a bottle of which retails at something between GBP22 and GBP26, mostly through national chains such as Waitrose and Majestic Wine. Financing came from within—both founders sold their houses to finance the venture—and Mr Galsworthy expects the firm to break even by 2012. But Sipsmith is just one of an array of start-ups injecting spirit and panache into Britain’s often bland distilling industry, with its ubiquitous brands and obsession with bulk sales. ...

Bagehot: Britain's high-minded government

David Cameron’s coalition will struggle to agree on crudely populist policies. That is both welcome and perilous

LOOK around the democratic world, and it would be easy to conclude that voters are very angry indeed. In country after country, political leaders seem intent on singling out scapegoats, and stoking the fires of resentment against them.

In France an unpopular government has spent the summer clearing camps of foreign-born gypsies with the maximum fuss (never mind that, as European Union citizens, most can swiftly return). In Australia the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, fought the incumbent Labor Party to a draw in elections on August 21st, in part by talking up the problem posed by asylum seekers who arrive by sea and vowing at every turn to “stop the boats”. ...

Scotland's budget: Dismantling the welfare state

Thanks to the new austerity, the complexion of Scottish politics is changing

ALEX SALMOND’S has always been a high-wire act. First minister of devolved Scotland since 2007 in a minority government, he has had to woo, cajole and jolly along rival parties, local governments and voters in order to exercise power. That he has done so owes more to his own political deftness than to any sweeping appeal of his independence-minded Scottish National Party (SNP), and even more to the pots of money he has thrown at public services. Austerity is fast altering that.

During the days of solid economic growth, government expenditure in Scotland increased by an average 5% a year. For historical reasons, spending per head in Scotland is higher than in England—nowadays almost 20% higher. This extra cash has been used to fuel a supercharged welfare state. It has also enabled the government to hang on to industries that were privatised long ago south of the border. ...

The Claudy killings: Not peace but a sword

A long-awaited report into a shocking incident has failed to assuage grievances

ANOTHER troubled piece of Northern Ireland’s violent past caught up with it this week with the publication of a report on the disturbing case of a Catholic priest involved in an IRA bombing in 1972. In a single incident in the religiously mixed village of Claudy, in County Londonderry, three car bombs killed nine innocent bystanders ranging from an eight-year-old girl to a 65-year-old man.

Years of rumours that Father James Chesney had taken part in the attack were formally confirmed in a report on August 24th by Northern Ireland’s police ombudsman, Al Hutchinson. But this was only the start. The eight-year investigation laid bare a high-level conspiracy to hush up his involvement and whisk him out of Northern Ireland. ...

Hearty holidays: The call of the wild

How Britain fell in love again with nature

ROGER DEAKIN, a much-loved nature writer, called swimming a “subversive activity”. He embarked on a watery journey across Britain from his home near the river Waveney, which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk. His bestselling book published 11 years ago, “Waterlog”, inspired what has become known as the “wild-swimming movement”—and, some argue, rekindled Britain’s love affair with nature and hearty outdoor pursuits.

Enthusiasts have set out to popularise what Mr Deakin sketched. Daniel Start, a naturalist, spent five years swimming Britain, grid-referencing and photographing 150 of its “hidden dips”. His publisher, Punk, was in at the beginning of another key trend, the renaissance of camping. Its glossy books, including tips on glamorous camping (now known as “glamping”), have transformed the nylon tents and grubby communal showers of yesteryear. ...

Northern Ireland: The bombs of August

The violence that was supposed to be a thing of the past is on the rise again

DISSIDENT republicans have stepped up their campaign of violence this month. A spate of attacks more frequent and reckless than before has seen the deployment of booby-trap and car bombs, as well as other devices. Although the prime target is police officers, the bomb-planters have not hesitated to put the lives of children at risk. On August 13th the Northern Ireland Office’s home-protection unit offered to provide prominent political and legal figures with mirrors designed to check for bombs under vehicles.

On August 14th three young girls narrowly escaped serious injury in Lurgan, County Armagh, when a bomb intended for the police exploded in a nearby rubbish bin. Four days earlier a booby-trap bomb went off under the car of a former policeman in Cookstown, County Tyrone. On August 8th another bomb was planted in Kilkeel, County Down, which almost cost the lives of a Catholic policewoman and her daughter. The officer had just strapped the child into her car when she spotted the booby trap and managed to scramble her daughter to safety. On August 4th a booby-trap bomb was found under a soldier’s car in Bangor. The day before, a vehicle containing 200 pounds of home-made explosives blew up outside a police station in Londonderry. And that was only August. ...

Parking fines: Far from victimless

The changing face of civil-enforcement officers

EXTRACTING parking fines from Joe Public is one of the least popular things local government does. It is also a multi-million pound business: councils raised GBP328m in revenue from penalty charges in the year to March 2009, though some were far better at it than others (see chart). The cost of enforcement—running an army of traffic wardens or civil-enforcement officers (CEOs)—sometimes outstrips the proceeds. Glasgow took GBP5.5m in fines that year but spent GBP6.5m on enforcement. Edinburgh, on the other hand, earned GBP6.9m for an outlay of GBP5.5m.

More than four-fifths of all local authorities have now taken over parking enforcement from the police. (Strictly, enforcers employed by the police are traffic wardens, whereas councils employ CEOs.) Many have outsourced the work to private contractors. NSL, the biggest, works for 60 councils, Apcoa for around 20. These firms argue that they offer economies of scale in training and recruitment. Cambridgeshire and East Surrey reckon they will save around GBP500,000 a year by outsourcing. Buckinghamshire is considering doing the same, having lost that amount last year. ...

A-level results : An ever-upward spiral

Reform is mooted as exam grades seem to rise inexorably

YOUNG people are growing ever more studious, their teachers more skilled. That, at least, is the impression given by the tests that many youngsters sit at the age of 18. The A-level results published on August 19th show that an astonishing 97.6% of entries passed, 8% of them with the top A* grade awarded for the first time this year.

When A-levels were first introduced in the 1950s, they were taken by a small number of academic students destined for higher education. Just 10% of people stayed on at school beyond the age of 16 at the start of that decade, and the exams they took were mostly devised by the universities at which they would later enroll. The exam boards not only controlled the content of the tests, and thereby what was taught in schools, they also limited the proportion of entries that would gain each grade above the pass mark. Less than 10% would be awarded the highest grade. ...

Train fares: From him that hath shall be taken

Railways are a form of middle-class benefit too

AUGUST is traditionally a slow month, and rises in railway fares, usually announced around now, can reliably be counted on to generate a little controversy. Many fares are regulated by the government; train companies may raise them only according to a set formula that limits fare hikes to one percentage point above the rate of inflation measured by July’s increase in the retail-prices index (RPI). This year, though, the news looks genuinely dramatic. Rail passengers could be hit by some of the biggest fare rises in decades. The need for spending cuts may change the way the railways are funded for good.

The RPI figure released on August 17th was bad enough: at 4.8%, it implied a rise in rail fares of almost 6%, at a time when wage increases are averaging just 1.3%. But worse is no doubt to come. The Department for Transport (DfT), like all government departments except health and foreign aid, will have to find spending cuts of 25% or more over the coming five years. Rumours are swirling that the “RPI+1” formula may be changed. Philip Hammond, the Conservative transport secretary, has refused to be drawn. But his observations that “this is not a normal year” and that he “cannot guarantee” the survival of the existing formula look ominous for those who depend on trains. Rail-industry insiders talk of fare increases of 8%, 10% or even more. A final decision will be revealed with the Comprehensive Spending Review, which is scheduled for publication on October 20th. ...

Bagehot: On equality

The lessons of the Spirit Level debate for the left, the right and the British public

TALK to a Labour MP in Parliament and you may be treated to a statistic about the Tube line that runs under the building. The average life expectancy in Westminster is 78 for men and 85 for women. In Canning Town, a poor area just eight stops east on the Jubilee line, it is 71 and 78 respectively. So for every stop the train makes, locals can expect to live nearly a year less. Glaswegian MPs can produce even starker facts about disparities in life expectancy between the richest and poorest bits of their city.

The numbers are arresting. But so is the fact that, in Britain, even politicians of the left deplore the apparent consequences of economic inequality rather than the mere fact of it. Perhaps they suspect that, whereas continental Europeans care in principle about egalite, pragmatic Britons are unmoved by such abstractions. Show them that inequality has bad results, and they are likelier to sit up and listen. ...

Fairness and the coalition: Great aspirations

Can the Con-Lib government really deliver the fairer society it says it wants? A rift is opening in the Tory ranks

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FAIRNESS was one of three watchwords promoted by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in their programme for power, sharing top billing with freedom and responsibility. A hundred days on from the birth of the new government, the rhetoric is unrelenting. On August 17th George Osborne, the budget-cutting Tory chancellor of the exchequer, insisted fiscal responsibility was “both fair and progressive”. The next day Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem deputy prime minister, said that the government was as determined to improve social mobility as it was to fix the deficit. ...

The Economist: Britain
Britain

 

Strewth! Poms to buy Fosters beer division
British drinks giant SABMiller is mulling a bid for the beer division of Australian brewer Fosters DPA reported. A spokesman for the group - famous for brands such as Grolsch and Pilsner Urquell lagers and Peroni mineral water - refused to comment on the report but sources cited by the...

British oil company takes a KNOC
State-owned Korea National Oil Corporation launched a hostile takeover bid for Dana Petroleum valuing the British oil explorer at GBP 1.87 billion RTE Ireland reported. The South Korean company has already won the support of nearly half of Danas shareholders - and is now taking its 1 800 pence per...

Barclays pays $298 million fine for trading with the enemy
Barclays Bank has agreed to pay $298 million over criminal allegations that it illegally engaged in financial transactions with banks in Cuba Iran Libya Sudan and Burma according to the US Justice Department Ireland Online reported. The countries are all under economic and trade sanctions by the US government. Barclays and the...

UK construction giant crumbling
Building services firm Rok revealed sizeable losses as it counted the cost of job losses and restructuring at its troubled plumbing division Ireland Online reported. The group recorded half-year losses of GBP 3.8 million €4.6 million in the six months to June 30 and said shortcomings in financial and operational controls...

Britax Childcare up for sale
Britax Childcare the maker of child car seats and pushchairs is to be put up for sale in a move that could fetch GBP 350 million Ireland Online reported. US private equity firm Carlyle which bought Britax for GBP 230 million in 2005 has asked investment bank Rothschild to advise...

UK Independence Party leader steps down
After less than one year as leader and a disastrous general election campaign Lord Pearson has resigned as leader of the euro-sceptic party. Pearson was backed for the leadership by Nigel Farage MEP who stood down to contest a seat in the UK elections and took up the post in November...

British Queen ejects far-right MEPs from garden party
Queen Elizabeth has come under some criticism for inviting British National Party MEPs Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons from a garden party she is hosting at Buckingham Palace. The Palace had sought to quieten criticism of the invitation by saying Nick Griffin is automatically eligible for a garden party ticket...

Al Murdochera?
British pay-TV company BSkyB is in talks with a private Abu Dhabi investor to launch a round-the-clock Arabic language news channel under the Sky News brand RTE Ireland reported. The new channel which could launch within 24 months would be run as a 50-50 joint venture providing coverage of news across...

Part-time work leads UK jobs recovery
Official figures show that the number of people claiming jobless benefit in the UK fell by slightly more than expected last month. The number of people in employment rose by its most in almost four years helped by a record rise in part-time work RTE Ireland reported. The Office for National...

Extra topping for Dominos Pizza profits
Pizza firm Dominos said strong sales driven by demand from fans of the World Cup and ITV show Britains Got Talent helped half-year profits jump 28% Ireland Online reported. The group posted like-for-like sales growth of 13.7% in the 26 weeks to June 27 leading to better-than-expected pre-tax profits of...

BT deal stops BSkyB going to penalties
BT will offer its UK customers more live Premier League football next season after it signed a contract with BSkyB for the supply of two Sky Sports channels Ireland Online reported on June 28. The deal follows the communications regulators ruling that BSkyB must sell its premium sports content to...

Ryanair to axe 16% of UK winter flights
Ryanair is to cut its overall UK winter capacity by 16% from November. The airline said this is due to the UK governments GBP 11 tourist tax which it claims is continuing to damage British traffic tourism and jobs Rte Ireland reported on June 29. Winter capacity at London Stansted...

Providences UK drilling programme confirmed
Exploration company Providence Resources has confirmed its 2010 drilling programme at the Singleton field in the UK. The field is located in the Weald Basin and currently produces 800 barrels of oil equivalent per day RTE Ireland reported on June 25. Singleton is operated by Providence which has a 99.125%...

Muslims campaign against intolerance
The last decade has been nothing less than challenging for Muslims in Britain. In the aftermath of the horrific attacks of 9/11 and 7/7 as a community sharply thrust into the media spotlight and suffering the irony of being under attack the situation seemed bleak. Yet a tiny moth of...

Car New engine boost for Nissan
Car giant Nissan has started production of a new engine which could lead to the creation of 200 jobs Ireland Online reported. The two-litre petrol engine is being built at the firms plant in Sunderland England as part of a GBP 15 million €18 million investment programme over the next...

Santander offers to buy 318 Royal Bank of Scotland branch offices
Spains biggest bank Santander has launched a bid for 318 branches being sold by the Royal Bank of Scotland Santander told the stock market commission CNMV DPA reported. Santander did not give the value of the bid but it could amount to about €2.2 billion sources close to the bid...

Tesco tills ring slightly louder
Tesco worlds number three retailer said the global economic recovery was well underway and growth in its main British market was set to pick up after quarterly results were hit by lower food price inflation and higher petrol prices RTE Ireland reported. The supermarket group which runs over 4 800...

Sainsburys sales growth stutters
British supermarket Sainsburys became the latest casualty of sliding food inflation as sales growth stuttered in its latest quarter Ireland Online reported. Like-for-like sales excluding petrol at the UKs third biggest grocer eased to 1.1% in the 12 weeks to June 12 although the firm reported a good start to...

AXA talks to sell UK businesses for €3 billion
French insurer AXA is in talks with British rival Resolution on a €3.3 billion deal to sell its life insurance and savings businesses in Britain Rte Ireland reported. If implemented this transaction would result in AXA retaining its AXA Wealth Management and AXA Direct Protection businesses and selling the...

Gearing up for the Euro 2012
KIEV - Speaking at a high level conference of hotel and tourism executives in Kyiv recently President Viktor Yanukovych stressed that hotel developers building the infrastructure needed for the European football championships in 2012 will get full support from his government to meet their challenging completion targets. Ukraine has appointed Deputy...

Ukrainian Credit Market
By Iryna Demko in Kiev Ukraine In May credit portfolio of agents in national currency went down by 0.26% up to 60.837 bln. Hryvnias. According to the experts from FOREX CLUB in Ukraine further drop in June-July is also possible. At the same time for August and September positive tendency is...

Hopes of trade balance rise
Kiev- In April the positive trade balance in Ukraine was equal to $1.3 billion. Since March the increase in this index amounts to $255 million. The main reason being a positive tendency in the current account of the balance of payments. Balance of payments became positive as a deficit in...

The Stock Exchange in May and the World Crisis
According to forecasts by Volodymyr Oleksuk expert in the Analytical Department with X-Trade Brokers Ukraine Company till the end of summer 2010 Ukrainian stock market will be at its achieved bottom. But before autumn a slow recovery is expected. The low level of development on the Ukrainian stock market and...

Coking coal imports sought after Russian mine blast
Ukraine will probably have to increase imports of coking coal from elsewhere after a recent explosion at the Raspadskaya Russian coal mine shut most of its capacity analysts and an industry source said Thursday. Ukraine has been increasingly relying on Russian coking coal imports this year because of its high...

Britvic to acquire French drinks group
Drinks giant Britvic today reported a 39% leap in half-year profits and revealed plans to snap up French group Fruite Ireland Online reported. Britvic which also makes J20 Pepsi and 7Up announced the €237 million deal as it posted interim pre-tax profits of GBP 27.8 million €32.4m for the six months...

India calls central to Vodafone profit
Britains leading mobile phone company Vodafone reported a steep rise in profits achieved mainly through increased revenues in the emerging markets of Asia and Africa DPA reported. Pre-tax profits for the year to the end of March totaled GBP 8.7 billion $12.6 billion more than double the figure reported in...

Hard Labour Ahead
In the mid 80s there was a move towards promoting non-competitive sports in Britains schools and this seems to have produced the UK general election results where nobody really lost. As usual the ballot results provided a job opportunity for an ambitious politician to lead the well less victorious than...

UK has first coalition government since 1945
The British election has produced a Conservative - Liberal government after negotiations between the three major parties none of whom won an outright victory. Tory leader David Cameron brought Nick Clegg into government after offering the Liberal leader the position of Deputy Prime Minister along with five cabinet posts for...

Gordon Brown resigns - whos next?
The resignation of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was both a surprise and expected. Constitutionally he has to stay on until a new government is formed but he will be gone by Autumn. His timing was a moment of self sacrifice designed to make it easier for the Liberal Democrats...

British National Party in chaos on election eve
The election campaign has not been an easy one for Nick Griffin MEP and election candidate for the Barking constituency in Britains national elections being held 6 May. Recentlynbsp;his Head of Publicity was arrested for making threats against Griffin next they faced a legal threat from Unilever over the partys...

Positive Trade Balance
In March 2010 Ukraine had a positive trade balance at the level $1032 billion. In fact this is first time that such a positive result has come out of the crisis period. The main source of increase in the flow of foreign currency to Ukraine was significant improvement on the...

Yanukovych to recognize Abkhazia South Ossetia?
The President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych states that it is necessary to consolidate international efforts in order to develop and introduce new approaches towards recognition of independence of peoples at the territory of the frozen conflicts. According to an Unian correspondent the President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych said this at...

Still in crisis mode
KIEV - In March 2010 the volume of works underway in the Ukrainian construction industry was equal to 2.4 billion hryvnias. The level of decrease in the period between January-March 2010 if to compare with the same period of 2009 was 21.4%. A crisis therefore is still pervasive in this...

Draft state budget considered
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine considers the draft state budget 2010 at the extraordinary session. According to an UNIAN correspondent deputy Family Youth and Sports Minister Svitlana Tolstouhova said this to journalists on 23 April. Sources in the government confirmed that the draft state budget 2010 is considered at...

Russian Black Sea Fleet to stay another 25 years
The stay of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia in Ukraine was prolonged for 25 years. According to an UNIAN correspondent it is stipulated by the Agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on issues concerning the stay of the Black Sea Fleet of the RF at the territory of...

Chemical industry subsidy may ease gas price hike
Since 1 April the price of natural gas for chemical firms in Ukraine had to increase to match the price of firms from other industries. The final price is approximately at the level of $400 per 1000 cubic meters which is speculated as too high especially during summer when there...

Ukraine to get rid of highly enriched uranium stocks
Ukraine has committed to getting rid of its stocks of highly enriched uranium or HEU by the next Nuclear Security Summit the White House said in a statement on 13 April reported Platts. Nonproliferation sources expect the next summit to take place in 2012. The White House said Ukraine plans...

US boost for Virgin Money plans
Virgin Money has confirmed a GBP 100 million boost from US tycoon Wilbur Ross as it gears up to launch itself into the British retail banking market RTE Ireland reported on 6 April. The American billionaire who made his fortune investing in struggling steel and oil companies will take a 21%...

Eurofighter warplanes for Oman says Britain 
Oman intends to buy an unspecified number of Eurofighter warplanes Britain said on 6 April Gulf News reported. A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the potential deal followed three years of talks between London and Oman. No details of the size cost or timing of any sale were...

AOL may sell off declining Bebo
AOL is planning to close or sell the social networking website Bebo which it bought for $850 million two years ago according to a memo from management published on 7 April RTE Ireland reported. The memo published on technology blogs said AOL would indicate soon that it was currently looking...

British Airways on strike
British Airways cabin crew have voted for strike action over two consecutive weekends in March: a three-day walkout 20-22 March and a four-day walkout 27-30 March. Unite cabin crew trade union announced the industrial action at lunchtime. The strikes will involve 12 000 flight attendants and will affect more than half...

Commission Oks acquisition of Artenius by KP Chemical
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of UK-based chemicals company Artenius by KP Chemical which is controlled by the global Korean conglomerate Lotte Group . After examining the operation the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the...

Nissan to build electric car in the UK
Motor giant Nissan is to build its new electric car in Sunderland it was announced early last week Ireland Online reported. Production of the Nissan Leaf will begin 2013 and forms part of a GBP 420 million investment in electric cars by the Japanese firm. The manufacturer said the Leaf...

Eurocup Final for 2012
KIEV - On 7-8 April Michel Platini the President of EUFA will make a pit stop tour of the Donbas Arena in Donetsk Charkiv Kiev and Lviv in order to check how works are proceeding more specifically the construction of hotels and airports. Preparations for EURO-2010 are more active in...

Britain rejects EUs call for more cuts
The British government on 16 March rejected calls by the European Commission for it to do more to cut its ballooning budget deficit in the medium term saying such action would damage public services RTE Ireland reported. We think the EU has got the judgement wrong Treasury Chief Secretary Liam Byrne...

Cadbury deal sparks takeover law reform
Union leaders in the UK said they would call for company takeover laws to be strengthened in the wake of the sale of Cadburys to US food giant Kraft Ireland Online reported. The controversial takeover will be examined by MPs on the Business Select Committee who will question executives from both...

British Airways BA faces strikes later this month
British Airways BA said early last week that it feared massive disruption from threatened strikes by cabin crews later this month as Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for a last-ditch negotiated settlement between the troubled airline and trade unions official said. We certainly hope that a negotiation is reached so...

Northern Rock still in the red in 2009 but improving
Britains Northern Rock bank nationalized at the height of the credit crisis in 2008 on 10 March reported a pre-tax loss of GBP 257.5 million $384 million for 2009 official said.The bank based in Newcastle in the north-east of England said the figure compared with a loss of GBP 1.3...

BBC licence fee to increase by 2% from April
The cost of the BBC licence fee in Britain will increase by two percent to GBP 145.50 from 1 April it was confirmed on 9 March RTE Ireland reported. This years rise from GBP 142.50 for the colour license is part of a six year BBC funding settlement agreed in...

Eurotunnel profits for 2009 hit by fire and breakdowns
Profits at Eurotunnel the cross-Channel link between Britain and France sank to 1.4 million euros $1.9 million last year following a fire in the tunnel and breakdowns due to wintry conditions official said. The company which operates a vehicle shuttle service through the tunnel said the figure compares with profits...

UK News - New Europe News
UK News - New Europe News: The European News Source.

 

Police quiz 'fix' probe cricketers

The three Pakistan cricketers barred from the sport over match-fixing allegations are expected to be questioned by police.

Record fall in alcohol consumption

The UK has seen its biggest fall in alcohol consumption in 60 years, according to new figures from an industry body.

Legionnaires' caught from compost

A hidden danger in the garden has been highlighted by the case of a man who contracted Legionnaires' disease from handling compost.

Cheryl Cole in 'quickie divorce'

Cheryl Cole is due to be divorced from her footballer husband Ashley, according to reports.

Buses and bikes to help in strike

Details of a "major effort" to help people get to work during a strike by London Underground workers have been unveiled, including extra buses, escorted bike rides and more river journeys.

Gulf oil disaster costs BP £5.2bn

Oil giant BP has said that the cost of tackling the Gulf of Mexico disaster had risen to 8 billion US dollars (£5.2 billion) so far.

Missing boy found with foster carer

A four-year-old boy who disappeared with a couple who were fostering him has been found.

School place lottery system 'fails'

A controversial "lottery" designed to allocate school places fairly has failed to reduce segregation between rich and poor pupils, research suggests.

Saunders to pen Spice Girls musical

The Spice Girls musical will get an absolutely fabulous plot - courtesy of writer Jennifer Saunders.

Ed Balls outlines £250m jobs pledge

Ed Balls has put employment at the centre of his campaign for the Labour leadership by outlining a £250 million plan to create 200,000 jobs and work placements for the unemployed.

G20 pathologist faces sanctions

The pathologist who carried out the first post mortem on Ian Tomlinson, who died at last year's G20 protest, is due to find out whether he is to be struck off the medical register.

Hague statement 'not easy to do'

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said his decision to publicly deny speculation about a gay affair with an aide was "not an easy thing to do".

BBC chief defends impartiality

The BBC has defended its impartiality after the director general of the corporation was photographed going into a meeting in Downing Street to apparently discuss coverage of government spending cuts.

Pakistan cricket trio suspended

The three Pakistan cricketers at the centre of match-fixing allegations have been suspended from playing cricket after being charged under the anti-corruption code of the sport's governing body.

Another 3,500 jobs to go at RBS

Royal Bank of Scotland is axing another 3,500 jobs under plans to more than halve the bank's administration centres across the UK.

Forces could face cuts 'Armageddon'

Police forces would face "Armageddon" if ministers imposed funding cuts as high as 40%, a chief constable has said.

Man battered wife and girl to death

A businessman who battered his wife and daughter to death with a mallet professed his love for his family repeatedly in the moments after their brutal killings, an inquest heard.

Property prices 'continue to fall'

Economists are divided over the future direction of the housing market as Nationwide said prices fell for the second consecutive month during August.

Parents quizzed on 'honour killing'

The parents of suspected honour killing victim Shafilea Ahmed have been questioned by detectives investigating her murder.

'Talks held' over assisted suicide

A team of professionals held an urgent meeting to discuss a disabled pensioner who repeatedly threatened to kill himself seven months before he ended his life at a Swiss clinic.

The Stig may have done his last lap

The brakes have been slammed on racing driver Ben Collins's career as Top Gear's The Stig because of his High Court battle with the BBC.

Shopkeeper 'battered with bottles'

A shopkeeper was battered to death in his own store as he tried to protect his "hard-earned money" from a gang of robbers, a jury has been told.

Chubby men 'lose sight of manhood'

British men are losing sight of their manhood as they pile on the pounds, a survey showed.

Child and foster parents go missing

A four-year-old boy has gone missing with two adults who were looking after him.

2,000 officers on three complaints

Around 2,000 police officers have had at least three complaints made against them by members of the public over the past year.

Blair almost had plane shot down

Tony Blair has revealed in his newly published memoirs that he came close to ordering the RAF to shoot down a passenger plane over London.

Weight surgery 'a postcode lottery'

Thousands of patients who want weight-loss surgery are facing a postcode lottery on the NHS, data suggests.

Madeley saves day on This Morning

Richard Madeley has turned back the clock to host ITV1's This Morning - nine years after quitting - when presenter Eamonn Holmes was late for work.

Adults 'punished' by alcohol checks

Thousands of innocent adults are being punished by constant ID checks that fail to tackle the problems of under-age drinking, a civil liberties group has said.

Community service 'a holiday camp'

Community service has been criticised as a "holiday camp for offenders" by the Government's victims' commissioner after undercover footage showed criminals sitting around drinking tea and smoking illegal drugs.

Channel 4 to show Miliband drama

The rise to political power of David and Ed Miliband and their battle to head the Labour Party is to be dramatised by Channel 4, it has been announced.

Miliband 'would move party forward'

David Miliband has told Labour members he would move the party on from the Blair-Brown era if his leadership bid was successful.

Grieve requests Kelly death files

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has requested files relating to the death of weapons inspector David Kelly, it was reported.

NHS resignation scheme approved

A national resignation scheme which will lead to the loss of NHS jobs is being approved by ministers, it has been revealed.

Four energy firms facing probe

Ofgem has launched an investigation into four energy companies amid concerns of mis-selling to consumers.

Hague speaks out as adviser quits

Foreign Secretary William Hague's special adviser has resigned as a result of pressures placed on his family by "untrue and malicious allegations".

Pakistan cricketers head for talks

Three Pakistani cricketers embroiled in match-fixing allegations have set off for crucial talks with officials from their country.

Blair book reveals clash with Brown

Tony Blair has risked plunging the Labour leadership contest into civil war by issuing a warning to the party not to drift to the left.

Stig unmasked as Bond stunt double

The High Court has refused to ban a book which reveals that Top Gear's The Stig is racing driver Ben Collins.

BBC strike threat over pension plan

The BBC is facing the threat of strikes after thousands of journalists, technicians and other staff voted massively in favour of industrial action in a row over pensions, it has been announced.

Shoesmith can appeal sacking ruling

Sharon Shoesmith has been granted leave to appeal against a High Court ruling that upheld her sacking after the Baby P tragedy.

Hostages taken at Discovery Channel

Police have shot dead a gunman who took three people hostage at the Discovery Channel network headquarters, they said.

Girl savaged in new dog attack

A 10-year-old girl was taken to hospital after she was bitten by a dog in the second attack of its kind this week in Scotland.

Puzzles may 'hide' Alzheimer signs

Crossword puzzles and other mentally stimulating pursuits may hide rather than prevent the progress of Alzheimer's disease, research has shown.

Jury slams scientist's blast death

A Ministry of Defence scientist died following a blast during top secret explosives tests which were inappropriately planned and appeared to be inadequately organised, an inquest jury has ruled.

Goat put down after horns torn out

A goat had to be put down after his horns were ripped out in a "barbaric" attack, the RSPCA has said.

Leadership boost for David Miliband

David Miliband's Labour leadership bid has been boosted with support from the party's most vocal newspaper backer.

Body of spy was padlocked in bag

The body of British code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest has been told.