17 February 2012 - Latest UK news & World news

PM to hold meeting on NHS reforms Feb 17 2012

David Cameron is to convene a meeting of healthcare professionals on Monday to discuss the implementation of the Government's highly contentious NHS reforms.Read

Murdoch moves to calm Sun disquiet Feb 17 2012

Rupert Murdoch has moved to quell growing disquiet at Britain's top-selling newspaper and lifted the suspensions of all arrested staff.Read

Student jailed for Facebook hacking Feb 17 2012

A student who hacked into Facebook in the "most extensive and grave" case of social media hacking to come before a British court has been jailed for eight months.Read

Driver escapes after slab hits car Feb 17 2012

A motorist has spoken of his lucky escape after a concrete slab was dropped onto his car from a bridge.Read

Forecasters issue blizzards warning Feb 17 2012

Blizzards are set to batter parts of the UK over the weekend, forecasters have warned.Read

Dutch prince buried by avalanche Feb 17 2012

A Dutch prince is seriously ill in intensive care after being buried in an avalanche when he skied off piste in an Austrian ski resort.Read

PM backs Sarkozy in re-election bid Feb 17 2012

David Cameron has indicated that he backed Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential re-election bid despite months of tense relations between the pair.Read

Dutch royal buried by avalanche Feb 17 2012

A member of the Dutch royal family has been taken to hospital after being buried in an avalanche in an Austrian ski resort, reports say.Read

Cricketer jailed for spot-fixing Feb 17 2012

The first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing has been sentenced to four months in prison at the Old Bailey.Read

Woman and grandson dead in pond Feb 17 2012

A 71-year-old woman and her six-year-old grandson have been found dead in a pond.Read

May to visit Jordan over Qatada Feb 17 2012

Home Secretary Theresa May will visit Jordan in the near future as the Government continues to try to find ways to deport radical cleric Abu Qatada, she said.Read

Faith groups 'must abide by laws' Feb 17 2012

Christians who think they should be exempt from equality legislation are like Muslims trying to impose sharia law on Britain, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.Read

Murdoch backs Sun with a new paper Feb 17 2012

Rupert Murdoch has declared his "unwavering support" for the Sun's journalists and announced he is lifting the suspensions of all arrested staff.Read

January sales bring surprise boost Feb 17 2012

The January sales helped retailers enjoy a surprise rise in trade last month but the figures failed to allay fears high streets will be blighted by more shop closures.Read

UK France war centre speeded up Feb 17 2012

Britain and France have agreed to accelerate plans to create a joint control and command centre for future military operations.Read

Diesel price reaches record high Feb 17 2012

The price of diesel at the pumps has reached record levels, the AA said.Read

Blow to Merkel as president resigns Feb 17 2012

German President Christian Wulff has announced his resignation in a scandal over favours he allegedly received before becoming head of state.Read

Murdoch arrives for staff talks Feb 17 2012

Rupert Murdoch has arrived at the Wapping headquarters of his British newspapers where he is expected to address staff in the wake of recent arrests at The Sun.Read

Fashion Week off to a bold start Feb 17 2012

A flurry of colour, the stomp of many a stiletto and the flash of hundreds of cameras has kicked off London Fashion Week.Read

German president quits over scandal Feb 17 2012

German President Christian Wulff has announced his resignation in a scandal over favours he allegedly received before becoming head of state.Read

Teenagers fail in fees challenge Feb 17 2012

Two teenagers who want to go to university have failed in their High Court bid to overturn regulations introducing the coalition Government's proposed increase in tuition fees.Read

Retail sales rise unexpectedly Feb 17 2012

Retailers enjoyed a surprise rise in trade last month as the January sales helped drag shop price inflation to its lowest level for more than two years, official figures revealed.Read

Appeal over council prayers ruling Feb 17 2012

A town council is to appeal against a High Court ruling that it must stop holding Christian prayers as part of council business at the start of meetings, it has been reported.Read

BA steward on 'bomb threat' charge Feb 17 2012

A British Airways flight steward has been charged with making a mid-air bomb threat.Read

Van seized in vicar murder hunt Feb 17 2012

Police investigating the murder of a clergyman at his vicarage seized a white van just hours after arresting a man, it has been reported.Read

Murdoch to address Wapping staff Feb 17 2012

Rupert Murdoch is in the UK to take charge of the latest crisis involving one of his titles.Read

Cameron 'has broken NHS promises' Feb 17 2012

Labour leader Ed Miliband is set to step up his attack on the Government's NHS reforms, accusing Prime Minister David Cameron of breaking his promises on health.Read

Underwear bomber begins life term Feb 17 2012

A Nigerian who tried to blow up an international flight near Detroit in the US on behalf of al Qaida is starting a life sentence without parole.Read

High Court tuition fee ruling due Feb 17 2012

The High Court is to rule on a challenge brought by two teenagers who want to go to university over the coalition Government's proposed increase in tuition fees.Read

Stars to sing at Whitney's funeral Feb 17 2012

Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at a private funeral for Whitney Houston on Saturday, in what promises to be a very musical service.Read

Nazis succeeded in fake notes plan Feb 17 2012

Nazi forgers succeeded in flooding Europe with fake British bank notes, "destroying" confidence in the UK currency, according to secret MI5 files.Read

UK and France to sign nuclear deal Feb 17 2012

Britain and France are to sign a landmark agreement to co-operate on civil nuclear energy, paving the way for the construction of a new generation of power plants in the UK.Read

14 chain shops 'close every day' Feb 17 2012

An average of 14 town centre shops a day were shut by store chains last year as shoppers increasingly desert high streets for online and out-of-town retailers, new figures show.Read

Force fears over young offenders Feb 17 2012

The use of force in a young offender institution has increased almost 10-fold in just 17 months, inspectors have said.Read

Paediatricians condemn Health Bill Feb 17 2012

More than 150 paediatricians are calling on the Government to scrap its controversial Health Bill, saying it will have an "extremely damaging effect" on the health of children.Read

Hague: Syrian leader should quit Feb 17 2012

Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on Syria's president Bashar Assad to allow a peaceful political transition in his country, following an overwhelming vote in the United Nations condemning human rights violations by his regime.Read

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UK & World News for 17 February 2012

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