Halesowen News, West Midlands News, - From The Halesowen News

Bill errors costing families £6.7bn

8:50am Thursday 20th June 2013

Families are being left hundreds of pounds out of pocket due to errors by firms calculating their household bills, new research has found.

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Lenders told to plug £27bn hole

7:34am Thursday 20th June 2013

Five of Britain's biggest lenders must plug a combined £27.1 billion hole in their finances, with Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland accounting for more than 90% of the shortfall, the City regulator revealed.

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Memorial planned for code-breaker

5:36am Thursday 20th June 2013

An unsung hero of Britain's wartime Bletchley Park code-breaking operation is set to be honoured with a memorial 70 years after he helped turn the tide of the conflict.

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Paterson to extol GM crops benefits

5:36am Thursday 20th June 2013

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is set to reopen the controversy over genetically modified crops with a speech extolling the benefits of the technology.

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Peer: Prosecute health regulators

5:36am Thursday 20th June 2013

Health regulators should face prosecution for covering up their failure to investigate a spate of baby deaths, a leading lawyer said.

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Qatada deportation moves closer

3:05am Thursday 20th June 2013

The UK Government is expected to take its final steps towards ratifying a treaty designed to trigger the removal of radical cleric Abu Qatada from the country.

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'National Service Teachers' call

12:07am Thursday 20th June 2013

An army of top teachers should be deployed in schools that are failing their poorest pupils, according to Sir Michael Wilshaw.

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£80m redevelopment for Stansted

12:07am Thursday 20th June 2013

A busy holiday airport is to get an £80 million terminal redevelopment.

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Baby antibiotics 'link to eczema'

12:07am Thursday 20th June 2013

The use of antibiotics in the first 12 months of life may increase the chance of developing eczema by up to 40%, according to a new study.

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Study: Public pay cut by thousands

12:07am Thursday 20th June 2013

The pay of public sector workers will have been cut by thousands of pounds over the lifetime of the coalition Government because of wage freezes, VAT hikes and changes to benefits and tax credit, according to a new study.

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Online retailer offers £3.68 dress

12:07am Thursday 20th June 2013

A £3.68 MWD - Minimum Wage Dress - has gone on sale aimed at women who "want to look good on a budget".

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Too many mental patients in cells

12:07am Thursday 20th June 2013

Too many people suffering from mental disorders are being locked up in police custody rather than being protected in hospitals, a joint inspection has found.

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Life peerage for Sir Mervyn King

8:58pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Outgoing Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King is being made a peer, Downing Street confirmed.

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RM staff back rivals' mail boycott

7:30pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Royal Mail workers have voted in favour of boycotting competitors' mail and have massively rejected the Government's controversial plan to privatise the company.

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Trader fined over rabbit's teeth

5:40pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

A trader has been fined for trying to sell a rabbit at a market, despite its overgrown teeth.

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'No cancer risk in plastic bottles'

5:09pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Mothers in the UK have been reassured over claims that a chemical in plastic water bottles may be linked to cancer.

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Police urged to probe 'cover-up'

5:00pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Police have been asked to launch an investigation into the allegations of a cover-up at the health regulator, it has emerged.

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Brady still psychotic, says doctor

1:54pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Moors Murderer Ian Brady remains "chronically psychotic" and should remain in a hospital setting for treatment, his mental health tribunal has heard.

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Family delight at Iraq court ruling

1:50pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Families of British soldiers killed and injured fighting in Iraq have been given the go-ahead to bring compensation claims against the Government.

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PM hails 'frank' G8 talks on Syria

1:13pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

David Cameron has promised that Britain will not "plunge recklessly" into deeper involvement in the Syrian civil war, but said it was not possible to ignore the escalating slaughter going on in the country.

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Cities vying for culture spotlight

12:03pm Wednesday 19th June 2013

Dundee, Hull, Leicester and Swansea Bay are the four contenders which have made it through to the shortlist for the UK's next City Of Culture.

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11-stone dog breaks fit club record

11:37am Wednesday 19th June 2013

An 11-stone bullmastiff dog has become the fattest pet to enter an animal charity's fit club.

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Soldiers' families win claims fight

10:20am Wednesday 19th June 2013

Families of British soldiers killed while fighting in Iraq can bring damages claims against the Government, the Supreme Court has ruled.

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Trade group expects 2014 to be a key year for gaming

12:25pm Monday 17th June 2013

A videogame organisation believes 2014 will be a pivotal year for games developers in the UK following a bumper week full of major reveals.

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Microsoft needs to look at UK indies, says gaming boss

12:44pm Monday 3rd June 2013

A gaming organisation says Microsoft must look after the interests of independent developers to help creative sectors in the United Kingdom.

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Bridger guilty of April's murder

12:26pm Thursday 30th May 2013

Former slaughterhouse worker Mark Bridger has been found guilty of abducting and murdering schoolgirl April Jones.

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April case evidence 'overwhelming'

1:20pm Tuesday 28th May 2013

There is "overwhelming" evidence against the man accused of murdering April Jones, a jury has been told.

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Unpredictable weather continues

12:23pm Sunday 26th May 2013

Britain's unpredictable weather is set to continue this Bank Holiday as parts of the country bask in glorious sunshine on Sunday before temperatures plummet to near freezing in places overnight.

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'Suspicious' vehicle closes M-way

6:15pm Friday 24th May 2013

Bank holiday travellers faced huge tailbacks on one of the country's busiest motorways as police closed a stretch of the M6 while they investigate a "suspicious vehicle" at a service station.

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Two held after mid-air plane alert

3:12pm Friday 24th May 2013

Two men have been arrested at Stansted Airport on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after an RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to escort a passenger plane travelling from Pakistan to the UK.

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Support surges for Help For Heroes

9:21pm Thursday 23rd May 2013

The charity Help For Heroes has been swamped with donations, leading to its website crashing, after Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered while wearing one of its tops.

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Man 'beheaded' in street attack

5:00pm Wednesday 22nd May 2013

A man has been killed and two others were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds following a "serious incident" understood to involve a serving soldier.

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Area shut after 'serious incident'

4:07pm Wednesday 22nd May 2013

Police are dealing with a "serious incident" after responding to reports of an assault.

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House asking prices reach new high

12:08am Monday 20th May 2013

House sellers' asking prices have soared to a new high, in further signs of confidence returning to the market, a property website has reported.

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Red Arrows cleared for new displays

11:19am Friday 17th May 2013

The RAF's Red Arrows air display team has been cleared by the Chief of the Air Staff to fly in displays this year, the RAF said.

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Fire services 'could save £200m'

11:07am Friday 17th May 2013

Fire and rescue services in England could save up to £200 million a year if they were operated more efficiently, according to a report.

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British Olympic sailor dies as America's Cup boat capsizes

11:44pm Thursday 9th May 2013

Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Andrew Simpson, from Sherborne, Dorset, has died after his yacht capsized off the coast of California, his team said.

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Credit unions to pool resources

12:09am Tuesday 7th May 2013

More than 30 credit unions have signed up to a "landmark" expansion drive which will save consumers up to £1 billion in loan interest repayments in the coming years.

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Keira Knightley 'marries in France'

6:46am Sunday 5th May 2013

She is estimated to be worth £30 million, but Hollywood star Keira Knightley opted for a low-key wedding to her musician boyfriend, which was sealed with a simple "oui" at the altar, it has been reported.

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Four winners share Lotto jackpot

11:06pm Saturday 4th May 2013

Four winners shared Saturday night's Lotto jackpot of £3.5 million, Camelot have said.

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Deputy Speaker held on sex charges

10:58pm Saturday 4th May 2013

Deputy House of Commons Speaker and Conservative MP Nigel Evans has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of rape.

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Britain dodges triple-dip slump

9:43am Thursday 25th April 2013

The UK has avoided an unprecedented triple-dip recession after the economy grew by a better-than-expected 0.3% at the start of the year, official figures have revealed.

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Videogame companies shunning high street in favour of digital

10:30am Wednesday 24th April 2013

More game developers than ever before are working on games that are distributed online rather than in high street shops.

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Vigilantes 'threaten prosecutions'

5:17pm Monday 22nd April 2013

Self-proclaimed "vigilantes" posing online as underage girls to meet alleged paedophiles could threaten successful prosecutions, say police.

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Runners to honour Boston victims

3:27am Sunday 21st April 2013

Thousands of fun-runners, athletes and fundraisers will show solidarity to those affected by the Boston terror attacks as they start the London Marathon.

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Person dies in measles outbreak

11:56am Friday 19th April 2013

A person has died of suspected measles in one of the biggest epidemics in the UK for a decade.

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450 public sector jobs 'lost daily'

6:59am Wednesday 17th April 2013

Almost 450 jobs have been lost from councils and police forces across the UK every day since the coalition came to power, according to a new report.

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Tourist boss may sue forecasters

4:27pm Tuesday 16th April 2013

A tourist boss is threatening to sue weather forecasters for pessimistic predictions he claims are ruining his business.

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Parliament pays tribute to Thatcher

2:54am Wednesday 10th April 2013

Parliamentarians are gathering to pay tribute to the late Baroness Thatcher ahead of the former Prime Minister's funeral next week.

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