Category: news

Manchester City score twice in the opening five minutes as they defeat Newcastle on Boxing Day.

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A spokesman for Ivory Coast’s incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo warns that foreign intervention to oust him could ignite an “interior war”.

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Police arrest two people in connection with the robbery of a taxi driver early on Christmas morning.

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Dimitar Berbatov scores twice as Manchester United ease past Sunderland to stay in control of the title race.

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Boxing Day online sales are expected to reach an all-time high

Retailers have launched their Boxing Day sales, but some shoppers have been wrong-footed by Sunday trading laws.

Because the 26 December falls on a Sunday, trading hours are restricted to six hours in England.

Consumers are expected to seek out bargains before VAT rises from 17.5% to 20% on 4 January.

Sue West, operations director of Selfridges in London, said the sale was “more challenging than we’ve ever had to do because of the late opening”.

With some 80,000 people expected to visit the store throughout Sunday, she added: “Managing this crowd is quite a challenge.”

The BBC’s Ben Geoghegan said shoppers there – some of whom had been queuing for up to 12 hours – were “screaming with relief” when doors opened at the store and shoppers were allowed in from the cold.

Many retailers are offering heavy discounts to make up for the impact on sales of freezing pre-Christmas temperatures and heavy snow.

Peter Cook, director of the White Rose Centre in Leeds, said he was expecting 65,000 people through his doors on Sunday.

“In terms of previous years, it’s started much better,” he said. “People are spending a lot of money.”

Some stores – such as John Lewis’s flagship Oxford Street outlet and branches of Next outside Scotland – are holding off opening their doors to their sales until Monday.

However, shoppers in London’s Westfield centre – who also had to contend with a Tube strike – said they were frustrated by the delay in getting into stores because of Sunday trading rules.

“We’re meant to be in a time of economic hardship, but here we’ve got all these people with money to spend wandering around not spending it,” said James Dixon, 36, of Hayes, west London.

“If it’s the law, then the law should change.”

Emma Wills, 27, of Putney, south-west London, added: “It’s annoying because there’s even less chance of beating the rush.”

Many consumers are also expected to avoid the High Street and shop from online the comfort of their own home to avoid the freezing conditions.

Comparison website moneysupermarket.com forecasts this year’s Boxing Day sales to be the biggest ever, estimating that the UK will spend £323m over the internet on 26 December.

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Gavin Henson marks his return to rugby by helping Saracens to victory on his debut against Wasps at Wembley.

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Mr Reardon reported Ms Yeates missing on Sunday

Police have said they “are satisfied” a body found on Christmas Day is that of missing Bristol landscape architect Joanna Yeates.

A couple out walking their dogs discovered the snow-covered body in Longwood Lane in Failand, North Somerset.

Ms Yeates, 25, from Clifton, had not been seen since 17 December.

Police said the death was being treated as suspicious but post-mortem test results were not expected until Monday.

Ms Yeates is thought to have returned to the flat she shared with her boyfriend Greg Reardon, 27, after she was last seen at a Tesco Express store in Clifton at about 2030 GMT.

Mr Reardon was in Sheffield visiting family for the weekend and reported her missing to police when he returned home two days later.

Ms Yeates’ keys, mobile phone, purse and coat had been left behind at their flat.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: “While a formal identification procedure is yet to be completed, police are satisfied that the body is that of 25-year-old landscape architect Joanna Yeates, who went missing during the weekend before Christmas.”

He added: “A post-mortem examination has been taking place in Bristol today.

Forensic teams conduct examinations in Longwood Lane after the discovery on Christmas Day

“However, because of the extreme freezing conditions in which Joanna’s body was found, it is unlikely that any findings from this will be known until tomorrow at the earliest.

“Officers are, however, treating Joanna’s death as suspicious at this stage but will not be able to discuss this further until the results of the post mortem are known.”

Police have appealed for information which may help them fill in the gap between Ms Yeates’ disappearance and the discovery of her body.

They were expected to continue their fingertip search in the Longwood Lane area throughout Sunday.

Ch Supt Jon Stratford, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to Joanna’s family for their loss.

“We have not stopped working hard throughout the Christmas period to find their daughter after she was reported missing.

“Now we will work just as hard to discover exactly what happened to her and how she came to be in Longwood Lane on Christmas morning.

“Until the post-mortem examination is able to firmly establish how Joanna died, we are keeping an open mind about the cause of her death.

“However, I would appeal to anyone with any information whatsoever that can help this investigation to please come forward and help us provide Joanna’s parents with the answers they so desperately want and need.”

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The Met Office issues a severe weather warning for widespread icy roads in Northern Ireland on Sunday.

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At Heathrow, BAA struggled to clear snow and ice from runways and aircraft gates

Airports could face fines when passengers have their travel plans disrupted, the government has said.

London’s Heathrow Airport faced criticism last week when it closed snow-hit runways, stranding thousands.

Aviation minister Theresa Villiers said an airport should be fined when it “does let passengers down and doesn’t prepare properly for severe weather”.

A spokesperson from the Department for Transport said it was “considering options” for new legislation.

“The Government is committed to reforming the way airports are regulated, putting passengers at the very heart of how they are run,” the spokesman added.

Ms Villiers said ministers wanted to “give the regulator power to fine the airport where it does let passengers down and doesn’t prepare properly for severe weather conditions”.

She added: “We want to make sure that airports are doing their very best to prepare for severe weather conditions.

“They need to perform properly and they need to prepare properly.”

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the Sunday Times there should be an “economic penalty for service failure”.

In the interview, Mr Hammond said it was unacceptable that BAA would face no punishment under the current system for the recent chaos at Heathrow.

Under that system, fines can be imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority for failures in passenger queues at security checkpoints and for poor standards of cleanliness. The maximum total annual penalty is 7% of airport charges.

Mr Hammond said he wanted the air regulators to have the power to impose additional financial penalties.

“Greater weight needs to be given to performance and passenger satisfaction,” he added.

The Sunday Times says a new airport economic regulation bill would create new powers to impose fines for service failures and penalties for airports which fail to prepare for adverse weather.

BAA chief executive Colin Matthews announced he would give up his annual bonus after recent disruption at Heathrow.

The company, owned by a Spanish conglomerate, found itself unable to clear snow and ice from runways and aircraft gates, crippling the airport and ruining the holidays of thousands.

Flights were also disrupted at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gatwick, Luton and London City airports, while terminals across Europe were also closed.

The EU Commission said the industry needed to “get serious” about preparing for bad weather.

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A 40-year-old man is treated in hospital after being assaulted as he crossed a road in Omagh, County Tyrone.

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The death of an 18-year-old who had been involved in a disturbance outside a Paisley nightclub is treated as suspicious.

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Aslef wants its members to be paid triple time and be given a day in lieu

A strike by train drivers on London Underground is taking place in a dispute about working on Boxing Day.

The drivers’ union Aslef called for triple pay and a day off in lieu for working on the bank holiday.

London Underground, which has accused the union of ignoring a prior agreement, sought an injunction to prevent the strike but that was rejected by the High Court.

The walkout could hit shoppers heading to the traditional Boxing Day sales.

London Underground says it intends to run as many Tube services as possible, as well as 700 bus routes and some river services.

In 1996, Aslef signed an agreement that it would consider Boxing Day a normal working day in return for higher pay and longer holidays.

But the union said increased Tube services on bank holidays meant drivers now had to work more public holidays than was the case when the agreement was signed.

London Underground challenged the strike notification, saying it was illegal as it was not worded properly, but after a hearing lasting almost four hours, the court ruled against the company.

It comes after a series of Tube strikes by members of the RMT union in recent months over plans to cut jobs in stations.

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The BBC’s Ben Geoghegan reports from London’s Oxford Street as Selfridges opens its doors to crowds of bargain hunters.

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Fulham-West Ham kicks off a bumper Sunday of football, despite weather problems causing two postponements in the top flight and a handful in the lower leagues.

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Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a man was found at a property in Suffolk.

Police were contacted just after 1135 GMT on Christmas Day after a neighbour discovered the body in Old Foundry Road, Ipswich.

Three men and a woman, all from Ipswich, are in custody and are due to be questioned.

Anyone who was in the area between 1900 GMT on Friday and when the body was found is asked to contact police.

The three men arrested are aged 28, 37 and 51 and the woman is 36, a police spokeswoman said.

Details of the deceased man have not been released.

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