British Isles
Sales of ouija boards up 300%
12 Dec 2014
Ouija boards are selling fast. Google reports that sales of the board are up 300 per cent, and it is threatening to become a Christmas ‘must buy’. The culprit is a new Hollywood horror film titled…
A three-year-old girl who died after a house fire had to be taken to hospital in a police car because there were no ambulances available. Neighbours spent more than 20 minutes attempting to revive Angel Smith…
'Up to 13,000' slaves in Britain
12 Dec 2014
A new report, the first scientific estimate of the scale of modern slavery in the UK, has shown that the number is four times what was previously thought. Victim levels are estimated to be between 10,000…
The former Bishop of Oxford has suggested there should be ‘reasonable accommodation’ for religious belief in law, during a House of Lords debate. Lord Harries initiated the debate on the role of belief in public life,…
Family breakdown 'damages exam results'
12 Dec 2014
A survey was carried out by the family lawyers’ association, Resolution. Its chair, Jo Edwards commented on the scale of the problem, saying: ‘Each year around 100,000 children under 16 see their parents divorce. Almost half…
A threat to kidnap and murder a serving West Midlands police officer led to a security alert being issued to staff, the BBC understands. The force has confirmed counter-terror officers are investigating an ‘anonymous but credible’…