General news

• Labour Urges Tougher Regime For Police Bail

  29-03-2016 23:28
  
  Labour is calling on the Government to close a "dangerous loophole" for terror suspects on bail, as soon as MPs return to Westminster after Easter. Andy Burnham, the Shadow Home Secretary, is to table amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill, claiming terror suspects can currently "waltz out of the country". And the signs are that Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will back the proposal, since the Home Office told Sky News the change was pledged by David Cameron earlier this year.
  
  Read more

• Homes Could Lose Power Amid Birmingham Fire

  29-03-2016 22:10
  
  Up to 40,000 homes could be left without power after West Midlands Fire Service requested a pylon be turned off while they deal with a massive fire. Western Power Distribution - who are responsible for supplies in the area - denied that the figure was as many, saying that up to 5,000 homes could be affected, mainly in the Sparkbrook area. The company said it would restore supplies as soon as it could, but it would depend on the fire service.
  
  Read more

• Missing Kayaker 'Did Not See Flood Warnings'

  29-03-2016 21:58
  
  A man who went missing after his kajak capsized on a river swollen by Storm Katie had not seen the flood warnings, his wife has said. Despite an extensive search by the emergency services, Grant Broster, 56, has not been seen since he got into difficulties on the River Wey in Guildford city centre on Monday afternoon. Mr Broster's wife, Rachel, from Guildford, said in a statement released through Surrey Police that their son had gone into the water to help her husband but had been pulled to safe
  
  Read more

• Grinning Brit Posed With Plane Hijacker

  29-03-2016 21:37
  
  A passenger who took a photo with the Cyprus plane hijacker has been identified as Ben Innes, a British health and safety auditor from Leeds. He was reportedly one of at least two Britons held hostage on the EgyptAir jet after it was forced to land in Cyprus by a hijacker strapped with fake explosives. Mr Innes, who is in his 20s and studied at the University of York, is seen with a massive grin, alongside his Egyptian captor, Seif Eldin Mustafa.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• World Health Organisation downgrades Ebola risk

  29-03-2016 21:29
  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has downgraded the risk of Ebola.
  
  Read more

• Police watchdog launches probe after officer shoots man

  29-03-2016 21:29
  The police watchdog is investigating after a 24-year-old man was shot by a firearms officer and left seriously injured.
  
  Read more

• Missing kayaker named as search continues

  29-03-2016 21:29
  A man whose kayak overturned on a river swollen by Storm Katie has been identified as Grant Broster.
  
  Read more

• Man remanded on murder charge after death of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah

  29-03-2016 21:29
  
  A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a respected shopkeeper.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Four British nationals were on hijacked EgyptAir plane

  29-03-2016 21:29
  
  Four British nationals were on the Egyptian plane forced to divert to Cyprus due to an alleged hijacker who was wearing a fake suicide belt.
  
  Read more

• DECC Urged Energy Firms To Echo Brexit Alarm

  29-03-2016 19:25
  
  The Energy Secretary has risked igniting a fresh Brexit row after it emerged that her department had urged electricity suppliers to echo her warning that leaving the European Union could cost consumers £500m a year. Sky News has learnt that officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) contacted the largest energy suppliers in the wake of a speech by Amber Rudd last week in which she said that Brexit would cause a "massive electric shock". An email from DECC officials urg
  
  Read more

• Britain's EU "In" campaign lead narrows - Ipsos MORI poll

  29-03-2016 18:08
  The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union saw its lead over the rival 'out' campaign fall sharply in the last month, according to a telephone opinion poll by Ipsos MORI. The poll of 1,023 adults was conducted between March 19 and March 22, meaning it does not fully reflect any impact on voting intentions of bombings in Brussels on March 22 which killed 35 people.
  
  Read more

• WATCH: Firefighters tackle recycling centre blaze which has left thousands without power

  29-03-2016 17:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  FIREFIGHTERS are tonight still battling a huge blaze at a recycling centre which has left more than 4,000 families without power.
  
  Read more

• Ex-MP's Fury Over Child Abuse Investigation

  29-03-2016 17:03
  
  A former Tory MP has vented his fury over the failed police investigation into claims of a VIP paedophile ring - calling on Home Secretary Theresa May to "consider her position". Harvey Proctor, who was cleared after an investigation by Scotland Yard's doomed Operation Midland, said the probe has had "a disastrous effect" for genuine victims of abuse. He called on senior police officers, including Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, to resign after "irreparably ruining my li
  
  Read more

• Tim Peake: Moon Colony Is Next Step

  29-03-2016 17:02
  
  British astronaut Tim Peake has suggested that setting up a "Moon colony" could be the next logical step for space research. In his first live television interview since blasting off from Earth, Major Peake answered questions submitted by Sky News viewers. When asked about the possibility of establishing a permanent base on the Moon, Major Peake suggested it was a "great ambition" because it could be used to learn more about travelling to Mars.
  
  Read more

• Tim Peake: Moon Colony Next Step In Space Plan

  29-03-2016 16:43
  
  British astronaut Tim Peake has suggested that setting up a "Moon colony" could be the next logical step for space research. In his first live television interview since blasting off from Earth, Peake answered questions submitted by Sky News viewers. When asked about the possibility of establishing a permanent base on the Moon, Peake suggested it was a "great ambition" because it could be used to learn more about travelling to Mars.
  
  Read more

• Government urged 'to take more interventionist approach' over steel industry

  29-03-2016 16:40
  
  The Government has been accused of "taking its eye" off industrial strategy as steelworkers wait anxiously for a decision on their future.
  
  Read more

• William And Kate Seek 'New Memories' At Taj Mahal

  29-03-2016 16:39
  
  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are seeking "new memories" on next month's visit to the Taj Mahal. The 17th century Indian tourist attraction was the backdrop to a famous photo of William's late mother, Princess Diana of Wales, when she visited in February 1992. They divorced in August 1996 and Diana died as a result of a car accident a year later.
  
  Read more

• Man shot by police 'was holding handgun'

  29-03-2016 16:35
  A 24-year-old man who was shot by a firearms officer after apparently being told by police to "put the gun down" remained in a serious condition in hospital.
  
  Read more

• Tim Peake on top of the world as he tells young interviewers about life in space

  29-03-2016 16:31
  Living in space is "out of this world", according to Tim Peake - but the British astronaut still misses the green, green grass of home.
  
  Read more

• Man In Hospital After Being Shot By Police

  29-03-2016 16:31
  
  A 24-year-old is in hospital after being shot by police in a residential part of South Shields. "This is a matter of course in any incident resulting in serious injury following police contact," the police spokesman said.
  
  Read more

• 'Hijacker' who diverted EgyptAir flight to Cyprus 'wore fake suicide vest'

  29-03-2016 16:28
  
  An alleged hijacker who forced an Egyptian plane to divert to Cyprus and took passengers and crew hostage was wearing a fake suicide vest, officials have confirmed.
  
  Read more

• Eubank Jnr 'Glad' Doctor Stopped Fight

  29-03-2016 16:23
  
  Chris Eubank Jnr has said he was "glad" the doctor stopped his controversial fight against Nick Blackwell "because the referee wasn't going to". He was carried out of Wembley Arena on a stretcher and taken to hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma. Eubank Jnr told a news conference he was "glad the doctor stopped the fight because the referee wasn't going to".
  
  Read more

• Deciding to let Gutierrez go 'tugged on heartstrings', says ex-Newcastle manager

  29-03-2016 15:49
  Former Newcastle United manager John Carver has said telling Jonas Gutierrez he did not have a future at the club "tugged on the heartstrings" - but maintained the decision was made for footballing reasons.
  
  Read more

• Britain's EU "In" campaign lead narrows sharply - Ipsos MORI poll

  29-03-2016 15:28
  LONDON (Reuters) - The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union saw its lead over the rival 'out' campaign fall sharply in the last month, according to a telephone opinion poll by Ipsos MORI. The survey showed 49 percent would vote to remain in the EU at a June referendum, 5 percent less than in an equivalent poll in February. The poll said 41 percent of respondents would vote to leave, up from 36 percent last month. ...
  
  Read more

• Buy-To-Let Lenders To Face Tougher Checks

  29-03-2016 15:00
  
  The Bank of England is to impose new, tougher quality checks on buy-to-let lenders amid worries about a bubble in the property investment market. The Bank's Prudential Regulation Authority said it was putting in place a "guardrail" to prevent banks from making dangerous loans, warning that one in five lenders was not carrying out the right checks. The vast majority of the increase in total net mortgage lending in the UK in recent years was due to buy-to-let lending.
  
  Read more

• William and Kate 'to create new memories' when they follow Diana to Taj Mahal

  29-03-2016 14:58
  
  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hope to create "new memories" when they visit India's Taj Mahal - the backdrop to a famous picture of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  
  Read more

• Failed police probe 'disastrous' for genuine abuse victims, says cleared ex-MP

  29-03-2016 14:58
  
  The failed police investigation into claims of a VIP paedophile ring has had "a disastrous effect" for genuine abuse victims, a cleared former MP has said.
  
  Read more

• Woman admits kidnapping baby boy from family home

  29-03-2016 14:57
  
  A 41-year-old woman has admitted kidnapping a baby boy from the child's family home.
  
  Read more

• Bank of England warns on Brexit, tightens buy-to-let mortgages

  29-03-2016 14:46
  By David Milliken and Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's European Union referendum could push up credit costs and weaken sterling more, the Bank of England warned on Tuesday, as it moved to bolster banks' risk buffers and slow a boom in lending to landlords. BoE Governor Mark Carney came under fire from some pro-Brexit lawmakers earlier this month for exaggerating the dangers of leaving the EU, though the central bank does not have an official position on whether Britain should remain. The B
  
  Read more

• NS&I reductions in rates due to hit 23.5 million savers

  29-03-2016 14:39
  Millions of savers have been dealt another blow as NS&I (National Savings and Investments) announced a string of rate cuts.
  
  Read more

• Jury sworn in for trial of men accused of rape at college ball

  29-03-2016 14:38
  A jury has been sworn to try the case of four men accused of rape at an annual college ball.
  
  Read more

• Education reforms have brought 'chaos' to classrooms, says NUT leader

  29-03-2016 14:38
  A teachers' union leader has delivered a withering attack on the Government's education reforms, which she said have brought "chaos" to classrooms around the country - and raised the prospect of holding co-ordinated strikes with junior doctors.
  
  Read more

• Defendant accused of decapitating wife 'thought she was a snake'

  29-03-2016 14:35
  An estranged husband decapitated his wife of 30 years, smashed up her head and flushed it down the toilet in an act of "pure hatred", a court heard.
  
  Read more

• Gazza 'back on track' following alcohol relapse

  29-03-2016 14:28
  
  Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has said he is "back on track" after suffering "one blip" in his struggle with alcoholism.
  
  Read more

• William and Kate set to visit Taj Mahal, evoking Diana's famous photo

  29-03-2016 14:12
  More than two decades after Britain's Princess Diana was pictured forlornly alone at the Taj Mahal, her son Prince William and his wife Kate will visit the Indian landmark next month, evoking memories of his mother's infamous 1992 trip. The image of Diana sitting on a bench during a solitary sight-seeing trip to the Taj Mahal, a monument to love, made front page news worldwide and was widely interpreted as symbolising the irreparable state of her marriage to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles. Th
  
  Read more

• Ellie Goulding and ZZ Top among Glastonbury line-up additions

  29-03-2016 14:11
  Ellie Goulding, ZZ Top and Disclosure are among the newly confirmed acts for Glastonbury Festival 2016.
  
  Read more

• Both sides in junior doctors dispute urged to 'step back from brink'

  29-03-2016 14:11
  Medical leaders from around the UK have implored junior doctors in England and the Department of Health to "step back from the brink" and return to negotiations.
  
  Read more

• Bank of England issues warning to lenders of 'risks around the referendum'

  29-03-2016 14:11
  The Bank of England has warned over a potential credit crunch and urged lenders to bolster their balance sheets ahead of the EU referendum.
  
  Read more

• Charity volunteer attacked after Easter eggs run out at event

  29-03-2016 14:09
  Organisers of a charity Easter event said they have been left appalled by an attack on a volunteer after chocolate eggs ran out.
  
  Read more

• Man in court over death of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah

  29-03-2016 14:07
  A man is to appear in court in connection with the death of a popular Glasgow shopkeeper.
  
  Read more

• Young people will suffer most if UK leaves EU, says Nicky Morgan

  29-03-2016 13:58
  Young people will be hit hardest by a vote to leave the European Union, Nicky Morgan has warned as she urged them to make sure they have their say on June 23.
  
  Read more

• Blood pressure-linked gene helps regulate salt consumption, study shows

  29-03-2016 13:40
  
  A gene linked to blood pressure helps to regulate salt consumption, research has shown.
  
  Read more

• Man held after car abandoned on railway causes chaos

  29-03-2016 13:35
  A man has been arrested after trains were delayed by a car found abandoned on a railway line.
  
  Read more

• UK plays down reports over Argentina territorial waters ruling

  29-03-2016 13:18
  
  The UK has played down reports that a United Nations commission has ruled that Argentina's territorial waters should be extended to include the Falkland Islands.
  
  Read more

• Computer game designed to help vulnerable users stay safe online

  29-03-2016 12:53
  People with learning disabilities have helped create a computer game to help protect themselves from online predators.
  
  Read more

• Bank of England warns on Brexit risks, tightens buy-to-let lending rules

  29-03-2016 12:10
  
  LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England said on Tuesday that risks around Britain's referendum on the European Union could push up borrowing costs and weaken sterling, and tightened rules for mortgage lending to landlords.
  
  Read more

• AG Barr to cut sugar in soft drinks ahead of UK levy

  29-03-2016 12:07
  
  (Reuters) - AG Barr, the company behind Scottish soft drink favourite Irn-Bru, said it is substantially reducing the amount of sugar in its products, ahead of a British government tax on sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks.
  
  Read more

• Arctic 'in crisis' as sea ice coverage falls to lowest winter level

  29-03-2016 11:57
  
  A "warm, crazy" winter has left sea ice in the Arctic at its lowest levels on record for the season, scientists said.
  
  Read more

• Irn Bru Maker Cuts Back On Sugar Ahead Of Tax

  29-03-2016 11:48
  
  Irn Bru maker AG Barr said it was substantially reducing the sugar content of its drinks as it weighed the impact of new tax measures set to hit the industry. Chancellor George Osborne said earlier this month that from 2018 the Government would introduce a levy on soft drinks based on their sugar content, amid the growing problem of childhood obesity. Barr, whose brands also include Tizer, Rubicon and Strathmore Water, has previously described the proposals as "extremely disappointing".
  
  Read more

• Morgan Warns Of Brexit 'Lost Generation'

  29-03-2016 10:53
  
  Leaving the European Union could create a "lost generation" of young people as jobs dry up amid economic uncertainty, the education secretary has warned. Nicky Morgan has made a direct appeal to parents and grandparents not to "gamble" with their youngsters' futures by backing a Brexit. In a speech in London, Ms Morgan will say: "It's clear that, if Britain leaves Europe, it will be young people who suffer the most, left in limbo while we struggle to find and then negotiate an alternative model.
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralnewsUK on Twitter!