Stigmabase | Isles

Protesters vow to halt demolition of Liverpool houses : "Two Victorian houses in Liverpool are to be demolished despite opposition from protesters who have been blocking contractors for two days. Knocking down the houses on Kingsley Road, Toxteth, is part of a scheme to regenerate the Granby Street area. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

UK troops in Libya to get operational allowance LONDON — British military personnel serving in Libya will receive an operational allowance in recognition of the "rigour and risk" they face, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said on Wednesday. UK servicemen and women operating in Libyan airspace and ...

Ageing Poses Budget Headache for U.K. : "By JASON DOUGLAS And AINSLEY THOMSON LONDON —The UK's budget watchdog Wednesday said increasing longevity will eventually put the country's debt burden on an unsustainable path without higher taxes or further cuts to public spending. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Squatters face a new home in jail under move to toughen law Ministers reject claims that squatting is a "reasonable recourse" for homeless people. Mr Blunt said: "There are options open to those who are genuinely destitute and need shelter which do not involve occupying somebody else's property without ...

Calls for investigation into 'profit-led' organisation : "RESIDENTS of Methil care home Forth View have been assured they will not be left homeless as a result of a crisis at operator Southern Cross. The Fife Council pledge came after the healthcare firm announced on Monday that its business was to be broken ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Why the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were the biggest stars in LA KTLA – one of the major local news outlets – met with and spoke to some of the homeless in the Skid Row area, many of which had no idea the couple were visiting. What real effect did their visit into this extremely deprived area of sowntown LA have? ...

Asian gay couples: adoption is still a challenge : " The words of Faisal*, an openly gay man from India, who now lives in the UK . Three years ago, he jointly adopted two children with his partner Jacques*, who is French. The children are blood siblings and from a mixed British-Indian cultural background. ... BBC News "

UK firms urged to explore opportunities in Malaysia : "Najib, who is making his first official visit to the UK at the invitation of British Prime Minister David Cameron, flew into London on Tuesday after concluding his visit to Turkmenistan. He updated the gathering in the British capital on Malaysia's ... United Kingdom | Ireland

U.K. Unemployment Claims Rise at Fastest Pace Since May 2009 : "By Scott Hamilton - Wed Jul 13 08:47:26 GMT 2011 Jobless benefit claims rose by 24500 from May to 1.52 million, the highest level since March 2010, the Office for National Statistics said today in London . Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg UK ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Impact On Fuel Poverty Is Real Test of Government's Energy Reforms, says NEA : "With energy prices at unprecedented levels and all projections indicating a continued upward trend, National Energy Action (NEA), the UK's leading fuel poverty charity marks 30 years of service to low income and vulnerable householders today, ... United Kingdom | Ireland

South Northants Council: HS2 is the fast track to 'noise and poverty' “There is a skewing of resources in favour of one part of England ,” she said. “There are other options like RP2 which could be looked at, and there is no clear answer as to why that wouldn't work. The argument is that it would cause disruption at ...

Social housing sector not strong enough claims report : "After housing costs are taken into account there are 3.1 million people of working age who are owner-occupiers and who live in poverty . Of these, two million have mortgages. Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary said: 'Without new thinking, the UK is ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Law firm joins battle against alcohol-related disorder : " The UK Home Office has commissioned law firm Walker Morris to develop a nationwide training programme for local authorities. Paddy Whur, partner at Walker Morris and licensing law specialist, reports on the impact of the pilot scheme, which forms part ... The Drinks Business "

Older people's delerium often overlooked in A&E Advertise with the UK's leading nursing weekly and the biggest nursing website outside the US, with an audience of more than 300000 unique users a month. We provide a range of both print and online advertising opportunities. ...

Charity megastore opens its doors in High Street : "Everything sold goes towards paying for specialist care for heart diseases — which is the UK's biggest killer. “The store looks great and I hope it raises as much money for the charity as possible.” Sarah Marshall, who was browsing for a new sofa, ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Town seventh worst in region for heart disease : "The mortality rate for the town in 2009 was 100.96 people for every 100000 compared to a regional average of 93.72, the highest rate in the UK . Charity Heart UK used figures released by the NHS Information Centre to compile a report entitled Heart ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Legal aid cuts are leaving migrants lost in a maze : " The big question is who will these people now turn to? Charities are closing, specialist services are being lost, and the "big society" is unable to take up the slack. And funds are being taken away, even when that costs the UK money. ... The Guardian "

London gets more time to control air pollution : " London has been given a time extension, at least until 2012, to comply with the EU's air quality standards. This means the UK is spared from having to pay millions of pounds in fines for failing to control emissions of tiny airborne particles called ... BBC News "

Wetherbee to remain in prison, to serve 240 days for parole violations : "It was ruled Gerald Wetherbee, 35, of Oberlin, violated conditions of behavior he was given when he was released from prison in a separate case, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Church protest at Archbishop home : " Parishioners fighting to keep a church in Rhondda Cynon Taf open are taking their protest to the Archbishop of Wales's residence in Cardiff . Members of All Saints Church in Maerdy have staged a sit-in protest there since 3 July over the planned closure ... BBC News "

UK Christian Charity –Working with the Sole Purpose of Blessing ... Destiny plays a vital role in determining the kind of life a person would live which is ultimately controlled by the super ...

Drug lab busted near Bundaberg : " Cannabis and a firearm were also allegedly netted. The men aged 37 and 43 are due to face Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Wednesday, and the woman, aged 19, on August 1. Ireland 'junk'Moody's cuts county's bond rating as economy struggles. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Housing should take the lead on digital and social exclusion : "But 8.7 million adults in the UK today - 17.5% of the population - have never ... People who suffer from social exclusion are three times more likely to be ... "

Govt defends prison autism support : "She believes a lack of information on prisoners' conditions can make rehabilitation more difficult. "It's important that within the prison system we have an idea of how many prisoners have special needs and might require a slightly different approach, ... United Kingdom | Ireland

NZ protest group targets visiting UK minister : "Auckland Action Against Poverty announced today it would picket British welfare minister Iain Duncan Smith during a dinner hosted by Maxim Institute next week. Spokeswoman Sue Bradford said welfare reforms spearheaded by Mr Duncan Smith had hurt ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Cameron weakened by UK phone hacking scandal LONDON (AP) — He's looked defensive. He's looked outraged. He's looked scared. But recently, Prime Minister David Cameron has rarely looked like he's in charge. The British leader has lost his confident aura as his friendships with figures central to ...

California Admits 6600 Prisoners are on Hunger Strike : "The demands outlined by hunger strike leaders in the Security Housing Unit at Pelican Bay Prison include an end to long term confinement and collective punishment; access to food and programs ; and an end to the practice of “debriefing,” or requiring ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Chris Huhne: UK must invest in energy infrastructure to keep the lights on : " John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK , said: "They have been given a continued licence to pocket rather than save customers money. For millions of consumers, many now living in fuel poverty , this white paper just increased the amount they ... The Guardian "

Elderly people waiting less time for urgent hip operations : " The Royal College of Surgeons has carried out a hip fracture audit within England , Wales and Northern Ireland since 2007. Data (pdf) published on Wednesday shows performance has steadily improved, "at a time when care of the elderly in other areas has ... The Guardian "

Minorities 'alienated by airport security' : "Humza Yousaf, who organised a meeting last night between members of ethnic minorities and police and Scottish Government figures, warned there was growing resentment over how Glasgow Airport's border control was operating. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

U.K. Lawmakers to Urge News Corp. to Withdraw BSkyB Bid : "By AINSLEY THOMSON And ALISTAIR MACDONALD LONDON --The UK government Tuesday said it will support an opposition parliamentary motion urging News Corp. to withdraw its bid for British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC, a move that piles more pressure on the ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Assange to begin appeal against extradition in sex case : " If the case had been accurately described, his lawyers said, the judges would see that the allegations did not constitute a crime under UK law. Assange is fighting the case in London's High Court after a judge at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court ruled in ... CNN International "

Rupert Murdoch, Son James, Brooks Summoned Before U.K. Lawmakers : "“The level of criminality involved, which is going to be exposed, meant that there were links between that newspaper, and that group of newspapers, and well-known criminals in this country,” Brown said in an interview with BBC television broadcast ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Cameron tells Welsh assembly to modernise public services : " Addressing assembly members in Cardiff, Cameron said it was an affront that unemployment was so high and so many children were trapped in poverty . The prime minister said he would not interfere in the running of the country, which has extra legislative ... The Guardian "

Decision to save the cheque a boost to over 65s Older people told us they had no alternative but to trust people with their PIN because of mobility, dexterity and other physical impairments. 11% of people aged 75+ who have a Chip & PIN card do not find it very easy to use. Age UK will therefore ...

Inflation for pensioners is 20pc higher Older people are suffering the fastest rise in living costs – over a fifth higher than the official rate of inflation. By Rosie Murray-West Research from Alliance Trust showed that those aged between 64 and 74 were seeing living costs increase at 5.1pc ...

UK Videogames Industry Raises £11000 for SpecialEffect : "On Sunday, 10th July 2011, representatives from across the videogames industry ran on behalf gaming charity SpecialEffect. Twenty six runners, including journalists, marketing specialists and PRs gathered for the 9:30 start in a mixture of ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Ahmad Wali Karzai - the charm and the controversy : " He was also ready to explain himself and argue his case to many journalists who beat a path to his door, despite the fact that quite a few arrived with accusations - of drug trafficking or tribalism - that might irk even the most patient of ... BBC News "

Russell Davis Working On New Gay Centered Series : "While America is, by and large, less progressive than the UK when it comes to the portrayal of LGBT characters (as far back as 1999, movies and TV shows were already exploring the issues of homosexuality and transsexuality on the BBC), the nation has ... United Kingdom | Ireland

actup.org - UK - Gay firefighters to boycott Pride London, this ... : "In a statement released by the Fire Brigades Union, they blamed their decision on a "year of regression" on key gay equality issues. ... United Kingdom | Ireland