The Evening Standard (London, England) articles from December 2008

The Evening Standard (London, England) archives from December 2008

HOMES & PROPERTY.
December 10, 2008... Homes & Property magazine will appear again on 14 January. There is a special Christmas issue online and throughout the festive season GET YOUR HOMES & PROPERTY ONLINE homes&property.co.uk

Flashpoint as Daly smashes camera; Losing focus: Daly walks away, leaving a spectator to look for his broken camera.
December 11, 2008... JOHN DALY was in trouble again today after he grabbed a spectators camera and smashed it into a tree during the opening round of the Australian Open. The American went into a rage as the fan tried to take his photograph after he had pushed...

Pain for Punch as analyst puts fair value tag at zero.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MICKEY CLARK PUNCH Taverns got another smack in the face today, courtesy of a feisty City analyst who claimed that a fair value for the stock was zero, and that the company is heading for zombie sta-tus. Charles Winston,...

Couple win surrogacy court battle over twins.
December 11, 2008... Byline: SOPHIE GOODCHILD A BRITISH couple whose twins were carried by a surrogate in the Ukraine today won their year-long battle over paternity. The landmark legal case exposes flaws in UK surrogacy laws which only recognises the...

A Twelfth Night to treasure; Renewed sense of comedy: Zubin Varla as Feste and Indira Varma as Olivia with Sir Derek Jacobi as Malvolio the star attraction in Twelfth Night.
December 11, 2008... Byline: NICHOLAS DE JONGH Twelfth Night **** Wyndhams MICHAEL GRANDAGES triumphant advance upon the West End continues with a treasurable Twelfth Night that discovers a renewed sense of comedy in the struggles of Illyrias would-be...

EU tells Ireland to hold second referendum.
December 11, 2008... IREL AND will be expected to hold another referendum on the Lisbon Treaty under an EU summit deal due to be agreed in Brussels. Draft conclusions this afternoon set out a re-run of the poll with guarantees, following the no vote in June, that...

Snow flurries hit 100 flights at Gatwick.
December 11, 2008... ABOUT 100 flights were cancelled, delayed or diverted when Gatwick Airports only runway shut after snow flurries today. Thousands were stranded as staff worked to de-ice the tarmac. BAA said that the exceptional weather event at 6am was not...

Brits lead charge for Globes; (1) Double chance: Kate Winslet is nominated for her supporting role in The Reader, left with David Kross, and as best actress in her husband Sam Mendess drama Revolutionary Road (2) Cranford: Eileen Atkins and Dame Judi Dench.
December 11, 2008... Byline: LOUISE JURY, AMAR SINGH THE British stormed the shortlists for the prestigious Golden Globe film awards today. Movies including Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire, In Bruges, Mamma Mia! and Happy-Go-Lucky dominate the honours,...

Tennant back surgery may stop him returning as Hamlet.
December 11, 2008... Byline: LOUISE JURY DAVID TENNANT may not be well enough to return to his role as Hamlet, it was revealed today. Spinal experts warned it could be many months before he is fully recovered. The show at the Novello Theatre closes on 10...

Browns bail-out suffers blitzkrieg from the Germans.
December 11, 2008... Byline: JOE MURPHY GORDON BROWN was forced to defend his economic master-plan today from a surprise attack by the Germans. German finance minister Peer Steinbruck derided Mr Browns fiscal stimulus as crass Keyne-sianism that would...

Brown summit scare: suicide bombers held.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARTIN BENTHAM FOURTEEN suspected al Qaeda terrorists were detained by Belgian police today amid fears they were plotting a suicide mission against Gordon Brown and other EU leaders in Brussels. Officials said the risk of an...

PORTFOLIO.
December 11, 2008... BUY KAZAKHMYS Citigroup is rating Kazakh copper miner Kazakhmys as a buy, regarding the stock as very cheap. The broker believes that the mining company has a lot of scope to reshape its operations in order to fit the current economic...

ENRC's big tax boost from Kazakhstan.
December 11, 2008... LONDON-listed mining group Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation is set for a $100 million corporate tax cut from Kazakhstan, where it has most of its mines. A new tax law cuts corporation tax but introduces new royalty fees on minerals. Tax...

Licence delay has Cattles plunging.
December 11, 2008... SHARES in doorstep lender Cattles fell 71/2p to 291/2p today on fears over its application for a banking licence. But it said that in the current crisis the Financial Services Authority is taking longer to process such applications. Rival...

Walker walks out as deal is terminated.
December 11, 2008... IAN WALKER has left Bolton after agreeing a deal to cancel his contract. The 37-year-old former Tottenham goalkeeper made just eight appearances, although none in the Premier League, after signing on a free transfer from Leicester in 2005....

Gambling pressure forces clubs to think again over kids' shirts.
December 11, 2008... Byline: RAOUL SIMONS WEST HAM'S sponsorship deal with SBO bet has highlighted the extra care football clubs must now take when accepting cash from gambling companies. Following the introduction of the 2007 Gambling Act, the betting...

Biggest ever census will map migrants.
December 11, 2008... Byline: JOE MURPHY THE 2011 census will be the biggest, most intrusive and most costly ever in an effort to identify Britain's true migrant population. New questions will ask people how they describe their "national identity", as well...

Tory Davis could face police investigation over 'security leaks'.
December 11, 2008... Byline: PAUL WAUGH TORY MP David Davis faces a possible police investigation over his claims that his party has been passed national security secrets, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell signalled today. As he gave evidence to MPs...

Man in court over mother's carjacking.
December 11, 2008... A MAN was in court today charged over a carjacking which left a mother fighting for her life. Caroline Johnson, 46, was injured as her car was allegedly stolen in Langley as she scraped its windscreen. Kevin Richardson, 33, of no fixed address,...

Teacher faces the sack over eyebrow piercing.
December 11, 2008... A MATHS teacher is facing the sack for wearing jewellery in a piercing on her eyebrow. Ozlem Ozcelik, 34, wears a bar which she has had since she was first employed. But the headmistress of Haggerston Girls' School, Hackney, brought in a new...

Henry voted as Premier's greatest star.
December 11, 2008... FORMER Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been voted the all-time favourite player in the Premier League, according to a new survey published by Barclays today. The Barcelona star, who could make an emotional return to Emirates Stadium in...

Zara parent Inditex climbs to [pounds sterling]740m.
December 11, 2008... INDITEX, parent of High Street women's fashion chain Zara, today said profit in the last nine months was ahead by 4%. It also had an upbeat outlook for the near future, claiming it expects to avoid the worst of the slump. Inditex made...

Pound parity with euro may be only weeks away.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ROBERT LEA THE pound slumped to a new low today as the run on sterling looked set to take the UK to unprecedented parity with the euro within weeks. The crash in the value of the pound came as latest manufacturing figures...

Mulberry is hit as wealthy feel the pinch.
December 11, 2008... LUXURY leather goods group Mulberry issued a profits warning today as it admitted like-for-like sales dived 12% in recent weeks. In a sign that recession fears have stopped even the wealthiest from splashing out, the fashion brand said it...

QUOTE OF THE DAY.(Quotation)
December 11, 2008... 'It gets down to a question of tough love.' US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi on the conditions of the $14 billion bailout of the Detroit car makers

New Star defends Africa fund freeze.
December 11, 2008... JAMIE Allsop, the high-profile fund manager at beleaguered New Star, today defended the firm's decision to suspend trading in its [pounds sterling]29 million Heart of Africa Fund. He said the call had been made because although he had been...

High Street has half-price Super Thursday; Bag a bargain: shoppers were flocking to Woolworths' closing-down sale today after administrators failed to find a buyer for the stricken store giant. Elsewhere on the High Street, retailers including Tesco and House of Fraser were offering heavy discounts to lure customers.
December 11, 2008... Byline: TERRY KIRBY, KIRAN RANDHAWA SOME of the country's biggest high street names today cut prices by 50 per cent in a desperate attempt to lure shoppers. Woolworths announced a half-price closing down sale after last-minute attempts...

Everything must go& and now it has all gone; Aisle be seeing you: customers stripped the shelves of "the wonder of Woolies".
December 11, 2008... Byline: TERRY KIRBY AS the bargain-hungry crowds thronged Woolworths in Camden High Street today you could have forgiven the mostly young staff all now facing redundancy for thinking: "Where were you when we needed you." The answer, of...

LONDON has become.
December 11, 2008... LONDON has become the bargain capital of the world as shoppers from America, Europe and the Middle East pour into the West End. The 20 per cent slump in the value of the pound and heavy pre- Christmas discounts mean prices are down by up to...

Strauss lays down the law to England; (1) Chennai highs: Andrew Strauss sweeps the ball as Mahendra Dhoni and Rahul Dravid look on, while (right) Harbhajan Singh appeals for a wicket and (below) Alastair Cook closes his eyes in despair as he realises his ill-judged slog has cost him his wicket (2) Ton up: an ecstatic Andrew Strauss celebrates his century, the 13th of his Test career, on the opening day of the First Test in Chennai.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DAVID LLOYD ANDREW STRAUSS showed England what was possible here today with a fighting century. But India's bowlers still at least shared the honours and stole them clean away, according to their mischievous spin magician Harbhajan...

Racing stars join drink-drive crusade.
December 11, 2008... LEWIS HAMILTON and Mika Hakkinen today joined Boris Johnson to campaign against drink driving. The Formula One stars hailed public transport drivers as the "real champions" for helping revellers home safely over the festive period, and...

Legal battle to save A& E department.
December 11, 2008... PLANS to close a 24-hour casualty unit and a maternity centre could be scrapped after the High Court ordered a judicial review. Enfield council brought the legal challenge against plans by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Primary Care Trusts and...

Conjoined twin Faith has new operation.
December 11, 2008... SURVIVING conjoined twin Faith Williams has undergone surgery to improve her chances of survival, Great Ormond Street said today. The hospital revealed that doctors carried out an operation yesterday to help her circulation. The 16-day-old...

Agony aunts to advise at ministers' summit.
December 11, 2008... CHILDREN'S Secretary Ed Balls has enlisted the help of the nation's agony aunts in a drive to prevent family break-up. Ministers have invited a group of columnists drawn from the media to a "relationships summit" at Westminster next week, after...

Brown summit scare: suicide bomber seized.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARTIN BENTHAM FOURTEEN suspected al Qaeda terrorists were detained by Belgian police today amid fears they were plotting a suicide mission against Gordon Brown and other EU leaders in Brussels. Officials said the risk of an...

KATE AND RALPH SHINE AT GOLDEN GLOBES; British appeal: Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes are in the running for Golden Globes after todays nominations.
December 11, 2008... British appeal: Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes are in the running for Golden Globes after todays nominations Page 11

How Shoesmith tried to block investigation into death of Baby P; Secret report: children's services chief Sharon Shoesmith wrote a review for Haringey's scrutiny committee in which she said her child protection staff should be commended.
December 11, 2008... Byline: RASHID RAZAQ, TIM STEWART SHOCKING new revelations over the role of disgraced Haringey council chief Sharon Shoesmith in the Baby P scandal emerged today. A secret report, leaked to the Standard, shows how the children's...

Golden couple lead Brit charge; (1) List: Sam Mendes is nominated for Revolutionary Road (2) Double chance: Kate Winslet is nominated for her supporting role in The Reader, left with David Kross, and as best actress in her husband Sam Mendes's drama Revolutionary d Road.
December 11, 2008... Byline: LOUISE JURY, AMAR SINGH The British stormed the shortlists for the prestigious Golden Globe film awards today. Movies including Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire, In Bruges, Mamma Mia! and happy-Go-Lucky dominate the honours,...

Charity auction bids hit [pounds sterling]100,000 ... and climbing.
December 11, 2008... Byline: RASHID RAZAQ MORE than [pounds sterling]108,000 has been raised for good causes so far by Evening Standard readers in the Christmas charity auction. There are four days of bidding left for the 220 lots including a New York...

MATCH OF THE DAY.
December 11, 2008... Gordon Brown v Peer Steinbruck Ground: Berlin Kick off: 1939 JUST as the PM was calling "chocks away" to f ly to the EU summit, he suffered a bombardment from Berlin as mighty German finance minister Steinbruck hit him with insults. ...

Harry flies through test to train as copter pilot.
December 11, 2008... Byline: SRI CARMICHAEL PRINCE Harry has passed the selection process to become a helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corps, Clarence House said today. He will begin an 18-month training course next month to earn his wings. If he...

Strictly speaking Mr Brown, you should be leading; Faux pas: Gordon Brown inadvertently takes the female role with Lisa Snowdon. Left, Brendan Cole and Lisa show how it should be done in Strictly Come Dancing.
December 11, 2008... Byline: JOE MURPHY HE'S ALWAYS been strictly serious, but Gordon Brown tried to lighten up today by taking a twirl with Strictly Come Dancing semi-finalist Lisa Snowdon. Only one problem spoiled what should have been a spin doctor's...

Pain for Punch as analyst puts fair value tag at zero.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MICKEY CLARK PUNCH Taverns got another smack in the face today, courtesy of a feisty City analyst who claimed that a fair value for the stock was zero, and that the company is heading for "zombie" status. Charles Winston,...

TESTING TIMES INDIA V ENGLAND, CHENNAI, 2008; An army sniper keeps his eye on a sparse crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today as England's Test series against India finally got under way in Chennai in the middle of a massive security operation. Skipper Kevin Pietersen won the toss for the tourists, who went on to reach 229 for five at stumps.
December 11, 2008... An army sniper keeps his eye on a sparse crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today as England's Test series against India finally got under way in Chennai in the middle of a massive security operation. Skipper Kevin Pietersen won the toss for...

Brown's bail-out suffers blitzkrieg from the Germans.(Interview)
December 11, 2008... Byline: JOE MURPHY GORDON BROWN was forced to defend his economic masterplan today from a surprise attack by the Germans. German finance minister Peer Steinbruck derided Mr Brown's fiscal stimulus as "crass Keynesianism" that would...

Hutton slashes defence spending across forces.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ROBERT FOX SUBSTANTIAL cuts were announced by Defence Secretary John Hutton today in a desperate attempt by the ministry to claw back a [pounds sterling]1.5 billion overspend on equipment this year. The first effective military...

Smith is worth more than cash to Watford.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DEAN JONES THESE are uncertain times at Watford but it is clear the club must do everything they can to hold on to Tommy Smith after he secured a 2-1 win over Norwich last night. The departure of chairman Graham Simpson,...

Britons are charged with sexual abuse of children.
December 11, 2008... Byline: KIRAN RANDHAWA, ANDREW DRUMMOND TWO British men were arrested on child sex abuse charges in Thailand today. Malcolm Payne and Robert Horsman were held after a joint operation between Britain's Child Exploitation and Online...

Pakistan charity is front for terrorism.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ED HARRIS PAKISTAN today closed offices of a charity linked to a militant group suspected of committing the Mumbai attacks after it was declared a terrorist group by the United Nations. Nine offices of the Jemaat-u-Dawa group...

Rome is a disaster zone after flooding.
December 11, 2008... THE mayor of Rome declared the city a "disaster zone" today after a woman drowned in her car when flash floods hit the city. Violent overnight thunderstorms flooded basements, houses and road tunnels. The woman drowned in a "torrent of water"...

Court convicts man who left son to die.
December 11, 2008... A MAN whose son died of heat and sunstroke after he left the two-year-old in a car in July has been convicted of manslaughter in France. A court in Vienne gave Eric Allarousse a suspended eightmonth prison sentence. He had meant to leave the...

A MINUTE FOR MUMBAI ENGLAND TEAM PAY THEIR RESPECTS; England cricketers observe a minute's silence for the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks in Chennai today Sport: Pages 62 & 63.
December 11, 2008... England cricketers observe a minute's silence for the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks in Chennai today Sport: Pages 62 & 63

TV blamed as white working-class boys struggle.
December 11, 2008... Byline: TIM ROSS WHITE British boys from poor families are falling further behind their classmates at school, figures showed today. Only 16 per cent of white boys from British working-class homes scored five good GCSEs as the gap in...

MEASURING OBESITY IN CHILDHOOD; Growing: obesity is getting worse.
December 11, 2008... Byline: SOPHIE GOODCHILD WORKING out if children are obese is different from assessing problems in adults because children are still growing. Doctors use body mass index (BMI) to determine if an adult is overweight. This is the...

One in three children is too fat by the age of 11.
December 11, 2008... Byline: SOPHIE GOODCHILD NEARLY a third of children are officially overweight or obese by the time they reach secondary school, figures reveal today. A major study into childhood obesity reveals that government attempts to halt the...

Stop and search brings 20% drop in knife attacks; Support: actress Brooke Kinsella, whose brother Ben was killed in a knife attack, was at today's launch.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARTIN BENTHAM THE number of young Londoners injured with knives has dropped by a fifth since the use of stop and search and scanner arches was stepped up this year, ministers said today. The decline emerged in figures showing...

Shopkeeper sees off robbers with a cuppa; (1) Boiling over: the thug threatens Mrs Patel with a knife, above left, and get doused with tea, right. They left with only a scratchcard dispenser (2) No mug: Varsha Patel acted on instinct. She was about to throw a bottle of whisky at the would-be robbers but they ran off.
December 11, 2008... Byline: GEORGINA LITTLEJOHN A SHOPKEEPER did not hesitate when knife-wielding robbers confronted her she threw a scalding cup of tea over them. Varsha Patel acted swiftly when two balaclava-clad men burst in clutching 10-inch knives...

Carers sent into schools to protect children.
December 11, 2008... Byline: TIM ROSS SOCIAL workers, GPs and psychologists will be based in schools under plans designed to protect children. Ministers announced a [pounds sterling]200 million fund to bring together health, education and children's...

Wilko warned lame Lions wont travel; Lions pride: the injured Jonny Wilkinson.
December 11, 2008... Byline: CHRIS JONES JONNY WILKINSON was today told he faces a race against time to be considered for the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa next summer. Wilkinson is about to undergo exploratory surgery to determine how well...

Eileen Atkins with bells on; Gala hostess: actress Imelda Staunton.
December 11, 2008... Byline: VERONICA LEE Cabaret fundraiser Almeida Theatre We may be in straitened times, and it is rumoured that Santa will be delivering just one gift this year (from the Woolworths closing sale, of course), so why not go mad and spend...

Foxy Knoxy stars in prison movie; (1) To be or not to be: Amanda Knox, 21, on her way to court to answer charges of murdering Meredith (2) Throat cut: Meredith Kercher was 21.
December 11, 2008... Byline: NICK PISA MURDER suspect Amanda Knox will star in a film shot in her prison and set to be screened at a film festival in Italy. She is accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher, 21, in Perugia after she refused to...

London girl with the Alex Factor; Star performer: Alexandra Burke, from Islington, meeting fans in Koko, Camden. She is favourite to win the X Factor final.
December 11, 2008... Byline: AMAR SINGH WIN or lose in Saturdays X Factor final, Alexandra Burke is on course to become Britains next big pop star. The 20-year-old from Islington is favourite to win, but even if she loses to rivals Eoghan Quigg or JLS,...

Man behaving too generously; Drinks were always on him: Neil Morrissey.
December 11, 2008... CONFUSION at private members club Hurst House. The Covent Garden haven would appear to have closed and all calls to its switchboard are redirected to an office in Wales. Founded by Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey and his business...

Multi-faith? Not in my Yulebook.
December 11, 2008... ON THE very day Gordon Brown claimed he had saved the world, Boris Johnson was saving Christmas. John-son (right) hosted the first GLA Christmas Carol Concert at South-wark Cathedral. Originally the City Hall executives didnt want to mention...

Catch Mr Hirst if you can.
December 11, 2008... LEONARDO, is that you? Artist Damien Hirst (above), who held a fancy dress Christmas party last night, was determined to outdo his guests with a get-up that resembled Hollywood actor Leonardo di Caprios outfit in the film Catch Me If You Can....

Nothings Wright for poor Joe.
December 11, 2008... SOMETHING of a snub for Joe Wright. The director of Ian McEwans Atonement, nominated for Best Picture at this years Oscars, has had his new film, The Soloist, due out this month, unceremoniously postponed until next spring, meaning it will miss...

A MINUTE FOR MUMBAI; The English and Indian cricket teams observe one minutes silence for the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks before the first test in Chennai today Sport: Pages 62 & 63.
December 11, 2008... The English and Indian cricket teams observe one minutes silence for the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks before the first test in Chennai today Sport: Pages 62 & 63

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.
December 11, 2008... THE TIMES Editorial Comment: Two years ago Craig Ewert broke one taboo by drinking a fatal dose of poison. Last night, his widow broke another by allowing footage of her husband's suicide to be broadcast on TV. It is time to break a third...

Cash-strapped Channel 4 'to merge with BBC channel'.
December 11, 2008... Byline: AMAR SINGH A DEAL to merge Channel 4 with the BBC's commercial arm is being considered by regulators and ministers in a bid to guarantee the broadcaster's future. BBC Worldwide, which owns 28 channels around the world,...

Viewers back Sky's broadcast of 'moving' assisted suicide film; Final moments: Craig Ewert took lethal drugs before turning off his ventilator.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ANNA DAVIS VIEWERS of the "assisted suicide film" which shows a terminally ill man dying have come out in support of it. The Sky documentary, which sparked anger among anti-euthanasia campaigners, was the first time a suicide...

Woman's bag stolen as she helps crash victim.
December 11, 2008... Byline: BENEDICT MOORE- BRIDGER A GOOD SAMARITAN who stopped to help a motorcycle accident victim told today of her fury at having her handbag stolen while she gave first aid. Mother-of-two Sarah Nielsen rushed to help a woman who had...

Madonna and Guy still fighting over custody of their children; (1) Madonna and children: the singer with David and her eldest child Lourdes on a river boat in Argentina. Above, son Rocco (2) Doting: Guy Ritchie wants best deal on access to sons.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ROBERT MENDICK MADONNA and Guy Ritchie remain locked in a legal battle over custody of their children, the Evening Standard can reveal today. The couple, who divorced last month, have still to thrash out an agreement over...

Probe into envoy's death fall 'blocked'.
December 11, 2008... THE Pakistan High Commission has been accused of blocking efforts to investigate the death of a military diplomat. Munir Ahmed, 47, fell 40ft from a lavatory window of the building in London on 18 July. The post-mortem found only an...

Lester the teathered 'Goat' savages PM on human rights.
December 11, 2008... Byline: JOE MURPHY GORDON BROWN came under scathing attack from a former adviser for his "dismal and deeply disappointing" record on human rights today. Lord Lester, one of the big hitters from other political parties recruited by the...

Stop and search brings 20% drop in knife attacks; Speaking out: Rio Ferdinand is backing the anti-knife campaign.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARTIN BENTHAM THE number of young Londoners injured with knives has dropped by a fifth since the use of stop and search and scanner arches was stepped up earlier this year, ministers said today. The decline emerged in figures...

High-flying graduates shun City for Whitehall.
December 11, 2008... Byline: PAUL WAUGH TALENTED graduates are shunning the City for the first time in a generation and chasing "high-flier" posts in Whitehall, it emerged today. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell told MPs there had been a 33 per cent...

Woman found dead on Snowdon path.
December 11, 2008... POLICE are trying to trace relatives of a 42-year-old woman believed to be from the London area found dead on Snowdon. The body was discovered at about 5pm yesterday by another walker on the Rhyd Ddu path, one of the routes to the summit of the...

[pounds sterling]158m deal to restart Irish pork production.
December 11, 2008... IRISH pork farmers and processors today welcomed a [pounds sterling]158 million fund to revive the industry after it was crippled by a food safety scare. Agriculture minister Brendan Smith said the deal paves the way for factories to...

Ambulance call-outs for drinkers soar.
December 11, 2008... THE London Ambulance Service has seen an 11 per cent increase in drink-related emergency calls since last year. In the past 12 months there have been more than 60,000 calls involving alcohol, a 20 per cent increase since 24-hour drinking was...

Appeal over ruling on registrar's gay stance.
December 11, 2008... A COUNCIL has launched its appeal against a ruling that it unlawfully discriminated against a Christian registrar who refused to perform same-sex civil partnerships. The Employment Appeal Tribunal heard the appeal of Islington council today. In...

Business park man stabbed to death.
December 11, 2008... A MAN in his fifties was found stabbed to death in a business park today. Colleagues of the man, thought to work in a converted caravan in the industrial estate, found him at about 8am. He was pronounced dead at the scene in the Windmill...

Racing stars join drink-drive crusade.
December 11, 2008... LEWIS HAMILTON and Mika Hakkinen today joined Boris Johnson to campaign against drink driving. The Formula One stars hailed public transport drivers as the "real champions" for helping revellers home safely over the festive period, and drove...

Legal battle to save A&E department.
December 11, 2008... Byline: KATHARINE BARNEY PLANS to close a 24-hour casualty department and a maternity centre could be scrapped after the High Court ordered a judicial review. Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Primary Care Trusts and the Health Secretary...

All-day nurseries can lead to behavioural problems, says Unicef.
December 11, 2008... Byline: PAUL WAUGH GORDON BROWN'S drive to push mothers back to work is leaving children at risk of long-term emotional damage, Unicef warned today. A detailed study of childcare policies found that leaving under-threes in allday...