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At last! Cameron pledges to help 20m 'innocent victims' of recession (as Labour plans ANOTHER borrowing binge)

Conservative Party Leader David Cameron

Tax cuts for more than 20million 'innocent victims' of the recession have been pledged by David Cameron. The Tory leader proposed to scrap income tax on savings for 18million basic-rate taxpayers, who would benefit by up to £7,200 a year.

Deaths from NHS blunders soar 60% as staff chase government targets

Surgery

The number of patients killed by hospital blunders has soared by 60 per cent in just two years. Records show that 3,645 died as a result of infections, botched operations and other mistakes in 2007/08.

Lewis Hamilton's 'bully' boss branded a racist at employment tribunal

Ron Dennis has been accused of racism

Lewis Hamilton's boss has been branded a racist and a bully during an employment tribunal.

Suffering from a cold? Take a sickie, says Benylin TV advert

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'.

Pensioners warned to take extra care as bitter Arctic chill continues

East London

BBC accused of 'institutional indecency' after porn star's outburst on Lindsay Lohan and her lesbian lover

'Homophobic': Adult film star Ron Jeremy

The BBC has been called ‘institutionally indecent’ after it was again accused of broadcasting obscene comments - this time from adult film actor Ron Jeremy.

The orange drinks that have 300 times more pesticide than tap water... sold by Coca-Cola

Fanta

Fizzy drinks sold by Coca-Cola in Britain have been found to contain pesticides at up to 300 times the level allowed in tap or bottled water.

Lights go out as Britain bids farewell to the traditional bulb despite health fears about eco-bulbs

lightbulb

Throughout war, disaster and recession, it has kept Britain illuminated for more than 120 years. But the traditional incandescent lightbulb is finally being switched off for the last time.

Now spectre of negative equity stalks thousands of CAR owners

Volvo XC90

Plunging car prices are leaving thousands of motorists in 'negative equity' on their vehicle loans, experts warn.

Mortgage hunting? A quarter of all housing loans now need a 40% deposit

Around a quarter of all mortgages are only available to people looking to borrow 60 per cent or less of their home's value

A quarter of mortgage deals are available only to borrowers with a 40 per cent deposit, it has been revealed.

Horse is star film attraction after bursting into cinema

Horse

A runaway horse unwittingly became a star movie attraction - after bursting into a cinema.

'March of soft justice': Where two in three criminals escape a court conviction

In 17 police force areas, more than half of the offenders 'brought to justice' did not receive a court conviction

Two in three criminals being 'punished' by the justice system in some parts of Britain do not even suffer the shame of a court conviction.

Britain's strongest girl: The 14-year-old who can lift twice her own body weight

Power: Zoe set an astonishing 98 British weightlifting records last year

Thump thy neighbour: Vicar's hedge argument gets heated

vicar/neighbour row

'Playground taunts can be good for your child and should not be stopped,' says expert

Teasing

Insulting playground nicknames such as four-eyes, carrot-top and pizza-face can be good for children, a leading psychologist has claimed.

Council spends £10,000 on 'Monty Pythonesque' pigeon awareness day

pigeon

There are several drastic ways to deal with a plague of pigeons – falcons, air rifles and poison to name but three. The wise folk at Calderdale Council have a better idea.

The motorway speed trap that is CAUSING accidents

The speed camera

A motorway camera put up to save lives has actually increased the number of crashes. Accidents have risen by a quarter since the yellow Gatso camera was put up on the M11 in Essex.

Travellers defy £100,000 eviction bid... and taxpayers foot the bill

north curry gipsy camp

A council has spent more than £100,000 on failed bids to evict travellers from an illegal camp. Hearings, inquiries and legal wranglings have seen the bill soar since the travellers set up camp.

Morris dancing to become extinct 'because young people are too embarrassed to take part'

Morris dancing

Morris dancing could be 'extinct' within 20 years because young people are too embarrassed to take part, Morris dancers have warned.

Politically correct parents ditch 'offensive' traditional fairy tales

The Gruffalo

Politically correct parents are scrapping traditional fairy tales at bedtime - because they're too offensive and too scary.

A 'must do better' note for boring teachers whose dull lessons lead to class disruption

Teachers must work on motivating students, according to the Ofsted report

School inspectors are to target 'boring' teachers in a crackdown on disruptive behaviour in the classroom.

WORLD NEWS

Israel        

Diamond couple: The romantic pair who have walked up the aisle 60 times to say 'I do'

sweethearts

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