Saturday 04 October 2014

News

Latest breaking UK news, including politics, crime and celebrity.

British hostage Alan Henning 'beheaded by Islamic State killers'

Still from a video released by ISIL shows a masked militant (right) threatening to execute British hostage Alan Henning dressed in orange and on his knees in a desert landscape

Video posted online appears to show second British hostage murdered by the jihadists

John Cantlie's father: Isil must know our son is a good man who sought to help the Syrian people

John Cantlie's father has issued a statement about his son, who is being held hostage by Isil

The father of the British journalist captured by extremists made an emotional appeal from his hospital bed, while in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister told troops to prepare for a struggle comparable to the fight against fascism

The first baby has been born following a womb transplant

The Swedish research team practice before an operation to transplant a womb at the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Goteborg, Sweden

The first baby has been born following a womb transplant, the Telegraph had learned

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David Cameron: Tax cuts could start before Britain is 'back in black'

David Cameron says tax cuts for middle class families dragged into 40p rate could begin before Britain is 'back in the black'

BBC apologises to Alice Gross’s family for 'extremely insensitive’ Question Time debate

Nina Gross complained following a 'horrible' debate about immigration issues arising from the investigation into the 14-year-old's death

New drug for mild alcoholics will only work if people want to cut down: RCGP

A new drug helping mild alcoholics to cut down their alcohol consumption will only work if people are actually willing to cut back

The new drug for 'mild alcoholics' drinking two glasses of wine a night will only work if people want to cut down, the Royal College of GPs has said

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Tory plans to 'ignore' European human rights rulings rejected by Strasbourg

Council of Europe criticises plans by the Conservatives to allow UK judges to ignore ruings by the European Court of Human Rights

Drivers tricked by 'fake' 40mph speed limit signs

Pranksters changed the speed limit from 30mph to 40mph on the A360

Pranksters blamed for speeding offences after drivers caught out by 40mph signs in 30mph zone

Teacher who hypnotised a pupil before abusing him is banned from the classroom for life

Windlesham House private boarding School near Washington village

Stephen Grobbelaar spent 20 years working at schools in Britain before his past in South Africa finally caught up with him

David Cameron: Fight against Islamic extremism is like World Wars

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to British troops in Camp Bastion

Prime Minister says that Britain will face the 'struggle of a generation' as it seeks to wipe out the 'disease' of Islamic State

British Army has paid a 'very high price' in Afghanistan, says Cameron

Ian McEwan 'heckled by ex-wife' at book promotion

Author heard to mutter 'it's my ex-wife' as woman heckles him as he promotes his latest book about a collapsing marraige

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Jeremy Clarkson 'stoned' as Top Gear crew abandon cars and flee Argentina

The Top Gear cars, including Jeremy Clarkson's Porsche with the controversial Falklands number plate removed, in a garage in Argentina.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May flee Argentina under police escort after locals stone cars and Top Gear crew in a row over a Porsche number plate

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Jeremy Clarkson offends Argentina with Falklands war numberplate stunt

Butterfly wings hold secret to paint that never fades

Scientists have worked out how butterflies use nano-structures to create their beautiful colours and have recreated it in the lab

Scientists at the Natural History Museum have recreated the shimmering beauty of butterfly wings in the lab

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Great British Bake Off: Richard forced to prove he is a builder

Richard Burr's tweet in reaction to people criticising his background

Richard Burr, the favourite to win Great British Bake Off, tweets a photo of him and his father Peter fixing a roof after reports that he has a managerial role at his family’s firm

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How sleeping in the pitch black could help you lose weight

Sleeping in the pitch black is important for the body's metabolism, scientists have found

Sleeping in a completely dark room helps the metabolism to work properly, scientists believe, as they warn that using iPads at night could harm the body-clock

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Heavy downpours and flooding signal end to record-breaking September

A young woman walks through Hyde Park in central London as the warm September weather continues

Floods, heavy downpours and wind is forecast for this weekend bringing an end to the unseasonably warm, dry weather

Estranged husband accused of 'catnapping'

A man has appeared in court charged with stealing his ex-wife's beloved pet cat

An engineer is charged with stealing his estranged wife's cat as she has spent hours searching the streets and delivering thousands of posters and leaflets to find her beloved pet

Live: Hong Kong protests

Ipswich Under-14s score the greatest of team goals

Watch: Giant black spider bolts from garage wall after 5 years

Huge groper fish attacks boat in Australia

Mysterious 'green alien balls' wash up on Australian beach

The turbulent life of Lindsay Lohan in 60 seconds

Animal photos of the week

All creatures great and small in our ever popular animal gallery

A confused bird mistakes the hairstyles of a group of surfers for a nest by landing on their heads. The unsuspecting bird was circling the surfers as they tackled the giant seven foot waves.
After flying above them, the brave bird swooped in to land on their heads - mistaking them for its nest. The group of 15 surfers were enjoying the waves off the coast of Teahupoo on the island of Tahiti, in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean.

The week in pictures

A round-up of our favourite photographs of the week

This is the moment a pregnant cow got her head stuck - in a WWII pillbox. Lincolnshire Fire's Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR) came to the rescue at 2pm on Thursday after receiving reports of the trapped animal. The curious cow is believed to have been trapped for around four hours before a vet was able to sedate her at Gibraltar Nature Reserve.

Trapped animals in pictures

A curious cow, an unlucky cat and daft dogs, animals all caught in a tight spot

Celebrity sightings

Featuring Lewis Hamilton, Alyson Hannigan and Gwyneth Paltrow

Latest UK News»

Ian McEwan 'heckled by ex-wife' at book promotion

Author heard to mutter 'it's my ex-wife' as woman heckles him as he promotes his latest book about a collapsing marraige

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'Free Alan', hostage's wife urges Islamic State

Barbara Henning asks Isil to release her husband Alan Henning

Video

Barbara Henning said her husband was ‘in the right place doing the right thing’ when he was kidnapped as he delivered aid for Syrian children

Prison officer 'stabbed in the head in drink-fuelled prison disturbance'

A guard prepares to lock a prison inmate in his cell

The officer was taken to hospital after being caught up in the violence, at high-security Swaleside Prison, on Friday evening

Video shows murder of British hostage Alan Henning

Video

A video apparently showing the beheading of British hostage Alan Henning, who was kidnapped by Isil militants, has been released on the Internet

Alan Henning: the taxi driver 'beheaded by Isil'

Alan Henning, the British man captured by Isil militants, is a taxi driver from Manchester who simply wanted to deliver aid to where it was most needed in Syria

British jihadist calls for terror attacks in UK

New Isil video shows an unidentified man challenging David Cameron to send ground troops into Syria and Iraq

Politics»

David Cameron: Tax cuts could start before Britain is 'back in black'

David Cameron says tax cuts for middle class families dragged into 40p rate could begin before Britain is 'back in the black'

Tory defector Mark Reckless moves family into hiding

Our leaders don’t realise how vulnerable voters feel

Obituaries»

Sir Edward Eveleigh

Judge who jailed the runaway MP John Stonehouse, calling him 'the embodiment of humbug’

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Andreas Fransson

Lynsey de Paul

World news»

Ebola patient's home disinfected days after diagnosis

US Ebola patient had helped victim in Liberia

Texas family that lived in an apartment where Liberian man Thomas Duncan fell ill with Ebola has been moved to a different home

Fire causes damage at 9/11 memorial site

Sandy Dahl, the widow of the pilot of 9/11 Flight 93, dies unexpectedly

Blaze seriously damages Pennsylvania building that housed at artifacts that were saved after the plane crashed in a field on Sept. 11, 2001

Senior N Korea officials to make rare visit to South to attend Asian Games

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un provides field guidance during his visit to the Chollima Tile Factory in Pyongyang

North Koreans plan to meet with Seoul official in what will be a rare opportunity for the bitter rivals to hold talks after a long period of tensions

Islamic State threatens fifth hostage with beheading in new video

Family handout photograph of Isil hostage Peter Kassig

Peter Kassig, 26-year-old aid worker and Iraq war veteran, revealed at the end of the video which claims to show the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning

'Free Alan', hostage's wife urges Islamic State

Video

Barbara Henning said her husband was ‘in the right place doing the right thing’ when he was kidnapped as he delivered aid for Syrian children

Alan Henning 'beheaded by Islamic State killers' - as it happened

Alan Henning, the 47-year-old taxi driver abducted by Isil in Syria

A video has been released by the Islamic State purporting to show the murder of British hostage Alan Henning by Isil jihadists. Follow the latest updates.

Celebrity News»