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At -10C Britain's colder than the Antarctic.. and it's going to get even COLDER tonight

Trafalgar Square

The cold snap plunging Britain into Arctic conditions is set to tighten its grip on the country as temperatures plunged to -11C last night. The mercury dipped to -11C in Aboyne in north east Scotland in the early hours of this morning with Shap in Cumbria registering a low of -11C. Even the Trafalgar Square fountain (pictured left) was frozen.

First picture of driver killed on level crossing who was due to marry in months

Moira Koune

This is the first picture of the woman who died when the car she was in was hit by a train after getting stuck on a level crossing..

Now even Marks & Spencer 'slash 1,000 jobs' after worst Christmas trading in 80 years

M&S

High Street giant Marks & Spencer is cutting more than 1,000 jobs, it has emerged.

Model dubbed the new Twiggy dies of cancer at just 23

chorley

Fury at TV advert for cold remedy Benylin which urges you 'to throw a sickie'... while website tells you how

A TV advert is encouraging cold sufferers to call in sick

Bosses are furious over a TV commercial for a cold remedy which encourages sufferers 'to throw a sickie'.

Baby P social services boss appeals against her sacking... and seeks £173,000 payout

Sharon Shoesmith

The shamed head of Haringey Council's children's services is attempting to win a six-figure payout for being sacked over her handling of the Baby P case.

House prices plunged 16% in 2008 in their biggest ever fall

Slump: House prices have fallen a record 15.9 per cent in a year

House prices fell by 15.9 per cent last year in their biggest annual drop on record, figures showed today. The average price of a home in the UK fell another 2.5 per cent in December.

Europe plunged into energy crisis as Russia cuts off gas supply

putin

Russia cut gas exports to Europe by 60 per cent today, plunging the continent into an energy crisis 'within hours' as a dispute with Ukraine escalated.

Tesco faces probe over claims that it 'lured' shoppers with cut-price alcohol offers

Alcohol on the shelves at Tesco: Labour MP Rosie Cooper has reported the store to Advertising Standards after advertised offers on alcohol were not available in-store

Tesco supermarket was at the centre of a 'cut-price' alcohol row last night amid allegations they 'lured' shoppers with bargain drink offers.

Woman who didn't even know she was pregnant dies of blood loss after going into labour at home

Elizabeth Tevenan: Friends said she had carried on life as normal

A woman who did not realise she was pregnant died after haemorrhaging when she went into labour at home. Friends of Elizabeth Tevenan said she had no idea she was pregnant.

Team of 140 Blunkett bobbies solves just FIVE crimes a year

Police community support officers

A team of 140 Police Community Support Officers solved just five crimes and handed out one penalty notice in a year, it has been revealed.

'Mercy' judge gives paedophile shorter jail term... so that he can be at the birth of his second child

Addicted: Neil Porter had around 2,000 pornographic images of children on his computer but was only jailed for six months (file photo)

A paedophile who downloaded hundreds of child sex images has been given a shorter jail term so that he can be at the birth of his second child.

Government spends £200,000 on Cabinet away-day... to discuss Britain's financial crisis

Costly: Gordon Brown at a session with the public during a Cabinet away day to Leeds last November. The Government spent around £200,000 on the trip

The Government spent around £200,000 on taking every single member of the Cabinet out of London for one day, it emerged today.
The trip in November cost almost £140,000 in policing costs alone.

British tourist plunges to his death after slipping from paragliding harness

paraglider

Two married priests who abandoned their families to set up home together are banned from Church

Rev James Tipp and Rev Elaine Northern

Hospital patients can now use mobiles on wards instead of expensive bedside phones

mobile

Hospital patients will be able to use mobile phones on wards to phone their loved ones, after official NHS guidelines were relaxed today.

The end of an icon: After 250 years, Wedgwood goes into administration with £400million in debts

Wedgwood

Waterford Wedgwood has become the latest victim of the economic downturn.

Tories take their tax-cutting show on the road as Cameron pledges to help 20m 'innocent victims' of recession

Conservative Party Leader David Cameron

David Cameron sent his shadow cabinet on a tour of Britain to sell his tax-cutting pledges today amid Labour claims they would mean deep cutbacks in counter terrorism, housing and transport.

Le grand cycle lane: Plans for 218-mile route from London to Paris

Boris, cycle map

One of Europe's largest cycle paths is set to be created between St Paul's Cathedral and Notre Dame in Paris.

Britney Spears and Barack Obama among celebrity victims of Twitter account hackers

Barack Obama

What do President Elect Barack Obama, Britney Spears and Stephen Fry all have in common? Their accounts on the social networking site Twitter have been hacked into by scammers.

Cruel dog owner who starved German Shepherd Hobo to brink of death banned from owning pets for 25 years

Joy Battison

A cruel dog owner whose German Shepherd lost more than half his body weight and was days away from death has been banned from owning an animal for 25 years.

The one that Darwin missed: Striking new pink iguana species found on Galapagos

pink iguana

Charles Darwin would have been tickled pink by this new species of Galapagos Iguana, which the great naturalist missed during his travels.

WORLD NEWS

gaza        

Thump thy neighbour: Vicar arrested for 'assault' as hedge argument gets heated

vicar/neighbour row

Luxury lessons in 'diversity' for civil servants that cost nearly £2,000 a head

The luxury facility where civil servants where sent for 'diversity' courses at a cost of nearly £2,000 a head

Civil servants are being sent to a luxury hotel for 'diversity' courses costing nearly £2,000 a head, it was revealed yesterday.

Labour's crackdown on sickness claimants 'is a sham'

Chris Grayling

Labour's latest crackdown on Britain's sicknote culture has been denounced as a sham.

Judge lets drug addict who owned up to 145 crimes walk free from court

 judge Martin Picton

A recovering drug addict who owned up to 145 crimes walked free from court today after a judge ruled his ‘substantial progress’ earned him the right to rehabilitate in freedom.

'I'm not dying - I've just got a hormone imbalance': Apple guru Steve Jobs finally admits what's wrong with him

steve jobs

Apple founder Steve Jobs today denied rumours he was seriously ill and insisted he would be staying on as the company's chief executive.

Do adjust your sets: 10 years on, the Carole and clown test card is back

test

One of the most recognisable faces on television is making a comeback. The BBC's most famous test card featuring Carole Hersee and a stuffed clown has been rescanned in high definition.

Row as council scraps pray and display plan for Christians on Sundays ... for fear of offending other religions

Tewkesbury Abbey

Council chiefs have come under fire after scrapping plans for free parking for Christians on Sundays - because it discriminates against other religions.

Introducing the iGlove: Gadget that that allows users to operate touch phones in cold weather

The iGlove

Apple have submitted designs for a glove designed to help users operate their multi-touch devices more efficiently in cold weather conditions.

Benedict Brogan
Robin Page
Peter Hitchens
Mary Ellen Synon