Mayors for Everyone!

Every town and city in England should have a powerful directly-elected mayor, a think tank has said.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said mayoral leaders had proved "highly capable" and helped to "reinvigorate" local politics.

But it added the present system was biased against their introduction - with just 12 areas adopting them since the option was introduced in 2002.

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Through the American mindset, it is hard to imagine a town without a mayor. It seems to work here and it is a wonder that other places do not have this system. Again, that is an American viewpoint.

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Plotters Lose Appeal

Four men serving at least 40 years for the failed 21 July suicide bombs have lost a Court of Appeal bid to challenge their convictions.

Three judges rejected applications brought by Muktar Said Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Hussain Osman for leave to appeal.

Last July, the men were jailed for life for conspiracy to murder.

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Men such as these should never see the light of day again. It is good that they lost their appeal. Why should they ever be expected to do anything good and proper again?

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Terror Suspect Surrenders

A terror fund-raiser has handed himself into police after jumping bail for 10 days during his trial.

Shah Jalal Hussain, 25, was found guilty of terrorist fund-raising on Thursday and will be sentenced alongside five other men shortly.

He surrendered at Kingston Crown Court a day after his conviction and was arrested by police.

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It is good news that this man developed a conscience and turned himself in. It is one less criminal off the streets.

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80 MPH Killer Train

A man and a woman died when they were struck by an 80mph train on a railway line in west Essex.

The incident happened in the early hours at Harlow Mill on the Cambridge to London Liverpool Street line.

The driver of the 0618 BST train from Cambridge told police he sounded his horn and applied the emergency brakes but was unable to avoid striking them.

Quailman

How two people get stuck on the tracks of an 80 mph train, I do not know. It is unfortunate that this befell these two people. However, it seems to me that the two people must not have been in a completely sober state at the time of the incident.

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Arrests in Murder Case

Twelve people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones.

They were held by Merseyside Police in a series of dawn raids in the Croxteth area of the city.

Two youths, aged 16 and 17, and two men, aged 24 and 25, were being held on suspicion of

murdering the 11-year-old schoolboy in August 2007.

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It's terrible what happened to the young boy. It is about time that some action was taken to bring those responsible to justice.

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William Gets His Wings

Prince William and other graduates have been awarded their RAF pilot's wings - by the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, bestowed the awards at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, in his capacity as Air Chief Marshal.

Flying Officer Wales, training with the RAF since January, was one of 25 graduates to receive their wings.

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Prince William has earned his RAF Wings. It is a nice achievement for the Prince. Also, it was given to his by his father. That must have been a touching ceremony.

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Faulty Equipment?

Sending British soldiers on patrol or into battle with defective equipment could breach their human rights, High Court judge Mr Justice Collins ruled.

In a test case over Scottish soldier Pte Jason Smith's death in Iraq, he said human rights legislation could apply to troops on active service.

He also ruled the families of those killed in conflict should get legal aid and access to military documents.

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This could open a large can of worms for the MoD. If they have been sending soldiers to battle with bad equipment then they could be facing large lawsuits.

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He Can Still Bend It

England striker Michael Owen insists David Beckham is good enough to carry on and add to his 100 England caps.

Beckham was replaced in the 63rd minute after a subdued display in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by France in Paris.

"I think David can keep playing for England, he's still got the quality," Owen told BBC Sport.

He can still bend it

Beckham is still playing at a high level despite the weakness of the MLS. That is evident due to the fact that his European club team tried to get him to stay before his departure to America. If England's strikers have faith in the veteran, shouldn't the fans?

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Budgets Capped

Five police authorities in England will have their budgets capped, the government is expected to say.

The authorities are likely to be Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire, Cleveland and Warwickshire.

Lincolnshire police authority has the highest request. It has increased its stake of the council tax by 80%, adding an extra £2 a week to the average bill.

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If the budgets are not capped then spending could get out of control. The police need money, but it is a business as well. Their work needs to be done efficiently and productively.

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Unlawfully Killed

A six-year-old boy who died when he was pushed off a hotel balcony by his father in Greece was unlawfully killed, an inquest has ruled.

Liam Hogan died after falling 50ft (15m) from the Petra Mare Hotel, in Crete, with his father, John, and sister, Mia, then aged two, in 2006.

Liam died of head injuries and Mia broke several bones in the fall.

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It's awful that a young boy would be the victim of this act, or anyone for that matter. What would motivate a person to commit something like this?

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Lost 2 Million?

A compulsive gambler has lost his bid at the High Court to force bookmaker William Hill to repay his £2m losses.

Greyhound trainer Graham Calvert, 28, from Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, said the company failed in its "duty of care".

But Mr Justice Briggs ruled on Wednesday that William Hill was not liable for the losses.

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This is gambling the likes of Charles Barkley haven't seen. How could this man lose the equivalent of 4 million dollars? Double or Nothing is not always a good decision. The man is now ruined. It isn't worth it.

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Personal Data Found Out

Personal data breaches affecting thousands of people have been uncovered by BBC Scotland's Investigations Unit.

The information was revealed through freedom of information requests to NHS boards, councils and police forces.

These included lost patient notes, information on sex offenders and compromised payroll data.

Link

This problem could lead to identity theft. If a news organization can find all this information out, then an intelligent criminal certainly could. It is a dangerous possibility for these people involved.

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USA vs. England at Wembley

CHICAGO (AP) - The U.S. soccer team is likely to play an exhibition game against England at Wembley on May 28, with negotiations nearing the final stages in recent days.

The match, which could feature David Beckham making his 100th appearance for England, would be the first between the nations since the English defeated the United States 2-0 at Chicago's Soldier Field on May 28, 2005.

After beating Sweden 2-0 and tying Mexico 2-2 in its first two games this year, the Americans play at Poland on March 26 and at Spain on June 4. They also may host Argentina at a Northeast U.S. site on June 8.

Sports news

This is a great matchup between an up-and-coming American team and a struggling English side. The Americans are setting up a challenging friendly schedule before their first World Cup qualifying match. The English, who missed the Euro tournament, need to save some face in the eyes of their fans.

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Lethal Nurse

A nurse who murdered four elderly hospital patients has been ordered to serve at least 30 years in prison.

Colin Norris, 32, from Egilsay Terrace, Glasgow, denied killing the women with insulin at two Leeds hospitals in 2002.

He was convicted on Monday at Newcastle Crown Court and was also found guilty of attempting to murder another woman.

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It is scary that a nurse can commit acts such as these. They are allowed access to all sorts of medicines and drugs. What if it happens again? How can it be stopped?

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Liverpool to Dubai

Liverpool's owners have been given a £400m take-it-or-leave-it offer from Dubai International Capital to buy the club, BBC Sport understands.

Government-run Dubai investment fund DIC have been in talks with George Gillett and Tom Hicks to buy the club.

BBC 5 Live understands Gillett is willing to sell, but co-owner Hicks is not, but both have to agree to sell for any deal to go through.

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This story gives an insight into business goings-on in Great Britain. It shows that the continent is not that big of an area if a group from Dubai can bid on a team in England. This would never happen in the United States.

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Front Line Harry

Prince Harry has been fighting the Taleban on the front line in Afghanistan, the MoD has confirmed.

Harry, 23, who is third in line to the throne, has spent the last 10 weeks serving in Helmand Province.

The prince joked about his nickname "the bullet magnet", but said: "I finally get the chance to do the soldiering that I want to do."

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Prince Harry has been on the front line for ten weeks according to the Ministry of Defense. I commend Harry for his bravery for it cannot be easy for anyone, especially one as high profile as a prince, to be on the front line.

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New Ferry Rates

A scheme aimed at cutting the cost of ferry journeys to and from the Western Isles has been announced by the Scottish Government.

The pilot scheme will involve three main island routes and will cost about £22m to operate over three years.

Locals said the current £140 return car fare from the mainland to Stornoway holds back tourism and development.

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Lowering the price of passage on the ferry should increase the number of tourists to the isles. It is a big step in helping their economies. No longer will people have to pay the equivalent of $280 to ride the ferry.

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Terror Recruiter Convicted

A man said to be one of the most important recruiters for Islamist extremism in the UK has been convicted at the end of a major trial.

Mohammed Hamid, 50, of east London was found guilty of training men in secret camps in the Lake District and New Forest to prepare them to fight abroad.

Among those to have passed through Hamid's camps were the four failed suicide bombers of 21 July 2005.

Convicted

This is a great step in the fight against terror in the UK. The world is now a safer place since he has been captured and now he will not be able to hurt any more people.

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Missing Girl Seen

Detectives searching for a missing nine-year-old girl are treating a reported sighting of her the day after she disappeared as "significant."

Shannon Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was last seen leaving school in the town on Tuesday.

Det Supt Andy Brennan said police had spoken to a witness who believed he had seen Shannon on Wednesday morning.

Linky

The young girl has been missing since Tuesday. It is odd that someone has seen her but did nothing to help. Also, the fact that Shannon said she wanted to run away is interesting. Could it be another case of a child running away or is it something worse?

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British Airways Pilots on Strike

British Airways pilots have voted to go on strike in a dispute over the airline's plans to launch a new transatlantic subsidiary.

The British Airline Pilots Association says the airline plans to staff BA OpenSkies with crews on inferior terms to those of existing staff.

Balpa, which represents 3,000 BA pilots, says 86% voted to strike. Turnout was 90%.

Click here.

Pilots are afraid that their terms and conditions will be affected by this new subsidiary. BA has said it will not, thus squabbling has ensued. However, if the pilots are stalwart in their cause, much like the writers in the U.S., they can get what they want.

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