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Fri, 9 May 2008 13:40:00 GMT

'Psycho' Shower Slasher Carrie McCarten Escaped From Psychiatric Care

A Psycho-style shower slasher who carried out an horrific attack on a former friend has escaped from psychiatric care during a trip to the dentist.Carrie McCarten, 21, was sent to a secure hospital last July after admitting breaking into Paige Affelat's
Fri, 9 May 2008 13:40:00 GMT

BBC phone-in cash not given to charity

The BBC has been told to apologise on air for failing to pay 106,000 to charity from phone votes in over 20 programmes. In Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2007 a presenter mistakenly told viewers to vote when phone lines had not yet opened. The other
Fri, 9 May 2008 13:12:00 GMT

Police shot siege man five times

Barrister Mark Saunders was shot at least five times by police marksmen during an armed siege at his home, an inquest heard. The 32-year-old was killed after a five-hour stand-off at his 2.2 million London flat on Tuesday night. Armed police moved in
Fri, 9 May 2008 13:12:00 GMT

Life sentences for boy's killers

Kodjo Yenga was attacked by a gang armed with bats, knives and a dogTwo teenagers found guilty of murdering 16-year-old schoolboy Kodjo Yenga in west London have been given life sentences at the Old Bailey. Kodjo was stabbed in the heart in March 2007
Fri, 9 May 2008 12:34:00 GMT

Teenagers Who Stabbed London Teenager Kodjo Yenga Sentenced To Life

Two teenagers sentenced to life for the knife murder of schoolboy Kodjo Yenga will each serve a minimum of 15 years in jail, a judge had ruled. Kodjo had a bright future Three other youths were given ten year sentences for manslaughter, with extended
Fri, 9 May 2008 12:07:00 GMT

Reports al-Qa'eda leader arrested wrong

Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian militant, is still being hunted. Reports of his capture have been regular feature of the counter-insurgency battle in Iraq. But a US official in Baghdad dashed hopes of massive blow against the group. Neither coalition
Fri, 9 May 2008 12:02:00 GMT

Police bid to tackle Islamophobia

By Imtiaz Tyab BBC NewsIt is hoped the group will encourage more Muslims to join the forceScotland's first Muslim Police Association is being created in an attempt to encourage more Muslims to join and stay in the force. Strathclyde Police hopes the
Fri, 9 May 2008 10:56:00 GMT

Gordon Ramsay's war on out of season vegetables

The 41-year-old said the industry was at risk of 'spiralling out of control' as food is flown into the UK from all over the world. Ramsay, whose restaurants include Maze, Petrus and Foxtrot Oscar, said chefs should be confident enough to remove a dish
Fri, 9 May 2008 10:30:00 GMT

Government to roll out reading programme in schools

Children who struggle to read at age six can catch up and overtake their peers with the help of specialist one-to-one tuition under a programme that the government plans to roll out in all primary schools.New research into the progress of 500 children
Fri, 9 May 2008 10:26:00 GMT

Caption competition: 9 May

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Fri, 9 May 2008 10:23:00 GMT

Repossession action climbs 16%

The figures show households facing the first stage of repossessionThe number of homeowners facing court action after failing to keep up with mortgage payments is up in England and Wales, says the Ministry of Justice. It says the number of mortgage
Fri, 9 May 2008 08:49:00 GMT

Health plan 'missing key targets'

The assembly government has failed to reach its bed blocking targetKey targets in the Welsh Assembly Government's flagship health strategy Designed for Life have been missed, BBC Wales has learned. Milestones in as many as 10 areas such as reductions in
Fri, 9 May 2008 06:01:00 GMT

Former Iraq Hostage Norman Kember Bails Firebrand Preacher Abu Qatada

A former Iraq hostage has helped to bail a firebrand preacher, described as Osama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe. Bailed: Abu Qatada Norman Kember, 77, confirmed he was supporting radical cleric Abu Qatada, 'because he helped me'.Mr Qatada was
Fri, 9 May 2008 05:51:00 GMT

Ramsay orders seasonal-only menu

Gordon Ramsay is known for getting angry about thingsCelebrity chef Gordon Ramsay says British restaurants should be fined if they serve fruit and vegetables which are not in season. He told the BBC that fruit and vegetables should be locally-sourced and
Fri, 9 May 2008 05:20:00 GMT

Ex-hostage helped Qatada get bail

Mr Kember said he was not endorsing Qatada's viewsFormer Iraq hostage Norman Kember has said he helped fund Islamic preacher Abu Qatada's bail. Mr Kember, 77, a peace campaigner, said he did it in a spirit of 'reciprocity and kindness' because Qatada had
Fri, 9 May 2008 02:41:00 GMT

Unvaccinated child dies from 'diphtheria'

A child has died from suspected diphtheria ? the first fatality from the rare infection in Britain for 14 years, health chiefs disclosed yesterday. The Health Protection Agency said diphtheria, which attacks the breathing system, was the 'most likely'
Fri, 9 May 2008 02:24:00 GMT

Football tactics help police stop crime on estate

There was no crowd of teenagers outside the off-licence on the edge of the Three Four Estate in Basildon yesterday afternoon and the telephone box still had not been vandalised. Smoking a cigarette in the sunshine, John Bollman, 79, a retired shipworker,
Fri, 9 May 2008 00:52:00 GMT

Class places for gipsy pupils from illegal site

Two children from a gipsy family living illegally on a Green Belt site have been given places at an oversubscribed school. The decision to let the pupils, who are in Year 7 and Year 9, into the leading secondary caused anger among families in the area.
Fri, 9 May 2008 00:29:00 GMT

Children being failed by progressive teaching, say Tories

Generations of children have been let down by so-called progressive education policies which have taught skills and 'empathy' instead of bodies of knowledge, the shadow education secretary, Michael Gove, said yesterday.A Conservative government would
Fri, 9 May 2008 00:08:00 GMT

Academics 'trying to revive Israel boycott'

Academics are today accused of attempting to revive the academic boycott of Israel by calling for lecturers to consider their links with Israeli institutions and lobby contacts over the Israeli occupation.The University and College Union (UCU) annual
Fri, 9 May 2008 00:08:00 GMT

Arabic TV reports leader of al-Qa'eda in Iraq arrested

The leader of al-Qa?eda in Iraq has been arrested in a joint US-Iraqi military operation, it has been reported. Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyab al-Masri, was detained in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Arabic television station al-Arabiya
Thu, 8 May 2008 23:53:00 GMT

Emine Saner on women arrested for late-night drunken behaviour

Broad Street in Birmingham is a strip seemingly devoted to getting people as drunk as possible, and luckily there is a makeshift casualty department at one end for those pushed over the edge. Wrapped around the railings outside one bar are posters
Thu, 8 May 2008 23:45:00 GMT

NHS reforms rule out closure of hospitals before election

Plans for the biggest reorganisation of the NHS since 1948 will not require any controversial hospital closures until well after the next general election, according to proposals being unveiled by the government today. Lord Darzi, the health minister,
Thu, 8 May 2008 23:44:00 GMT

Worst readers shoot to the top of class

Children who have failed to master the basics of reading by the age of 6 are becoming the best in their class after only a few hours of specialist one-to-one tuition under a programme to be extended to all primary schools in England. The 30 hours of
Thu, 8 May 2008 22:29:00 GMT

More MPs disclose they employ relatives

More MPs have disclosed that they employ spouses, lovers and other family members out of their taxpayer-funded expenses. The total now stands at 144. Four ministers are among the 38 MPs to have added their names in the past fortnight to a register of
Thu, 8 May 2008 22:11:00 GMT

Ministers knew of airport farce for five years

Ministers have known for five years that checks on foreigners working in airports did not cover overseas criminal records. A loophole in the vetting procedure means that while pilots and British workers undergo rigorous checks, foreign applicants for
Thu, 8 May 2008 22:09:00 GMT

NHS shake-up to axe hospital services

Scores of hospital departments such as maternity units and cancer clinics will be closed or merged across the country under plans for a radical shake-up of the NHS. Ministers are preparing for a summer of protest as residents campaign against proposals
Thu, 8 May 2008 21:38:00 GMT

Labour in 'lowest ever' poll rating

The latest opinion poll has put the Tories a massive 26 per cent ahead of Labour. Support for Gordon Brown's government fell to 23 per cent - the lowest since records began in 1930. David Cameron's opposition, fresh from success in the local and London
Thu, 8 May 2008 20:26:00 GMT

Basra base attack kills civilians

Two civilians have been killed and a British serviceman suffered minor injuries in a rocket attack on the UK's Basra Airport base in Iraq. Iraqi police say up to 20 rockets were launched at the base at about 1415 local time (1215 BST). Iraqi and British
Thu, 8 May 2008 19:32:00 GMT

Bail for Islamic preacher Qatada

Qatada once called on British Muslims to martyr themselvesIslamic preacher Abu Qatada has been granted bail with a highly unusual 22-hour curfew by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). Qatada last month won an appeal against deportation but
Thu, 8 May 2008 19:31:00 GMT