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Revolt! Robbed of their right to buy traditional light bulbs, millions are clearing shelves of last supplies

End of light as we know it: Millions of Britons are stocking up to grab the last of the traditional bulbs

Britons are waking up to the fact that their beloved light bulb will disappear for good after 120 years. Traditional 100-watt bulbs are vanishing from the High Street because of a controversial European Union decision.

Now 12 European countries are without gas as bitter row between Russia and Ukraine rumbles on

gas pipeline

Twelve European countries are now without gas as a bitter row between Russia and Ukraine continued to escalate.

'I'm sorry': One of world's richest men leaves note to wife before killing himself over credit crunch

A family spokesman said: 'The desperate situation of his companies have broken the passionate family entrepreneur and he took his own life'

Adolf Merckle told his family that he 'had to go to the office for a while' - then drove to a railway embankment and threw himself under a train.

M&S to axe 1,200 jobs and close stores as sales slump by 7%

Costly: Take That's Gary Barlow and Mark Owen with M&S 'face' lark around with Noemie Lenoir in this year's Christmas ads

England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen resigns in wake of row with coach

Kevin Pietersen

Cricketer Kevin Pietersen sensationally quit as England cricket captain today in the wake of a row over his working relationship with coach Peter Moores.

Drugs charity boss and her two sons ran 24-hour cocaine delivery service

Karen Stott

The director of a drugs charity and her two sons ran a round-the-clock service supplying cocaine to middle-class customers anywhere within the M25.

We'll get 'Shameless' families out of bed and off to work in the morning, says Blears

Shameless

A crackdown on 'Shameless' families could see state officials turning up at people's homes to get them out of bed for work and make sure their children go to school.

200 bail hostels to open secretly in residential streets across Britain

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Herbert described the plan as 'covert'

A secret leaked memo reveals 200 bail hostels for dangerous criminals are being opened in residential streets across Britain without any consultation with the public.

Loner who built network of tunnels out of rubbish in his home dies 'after getting lost in labyrinth'

Gordon Stewart's house

An eccentric loner is believed to have died of thirst after becoming trapped in a bizarre and intricate network of tunnels built from rubbish in his home.

Owners of manors and farmhouses 'may need to cut prices by 25 per cent'

Room with a view: Farmhouses may need to drop their prices by 25 per cent in order to find buyers

Owners of luxury homes could be forced to slash prices by 25 per cent or more to find a buyer, a report has warned. 'Prime' manors, farmhouses and country cottages are all being hit.

The £1m-a-year motorway speed camera that is CAUSING accidents

The speed camera

A motorway speed camera which has increased the number of crashes and injuries at its site is revealed today as the most profitable in Britain.

Banned: Estee Lauder ordered to pull advert for wrinkle cream after claims are proved false

Liz Hurley

An advert for a wrinkle treatment which promised to dramatically reduce lines has been banned. Estee Lauder claimed women would 'see wrinkles disappear instantly'.

Boy, 12, dies after GPs refuse to make house call, telling mother to 'give him paracetamol'

Daniel Farr

A boy of 12 died after out-of-hours doctors refused to make a house call - and told his mother to treat his mystery illness with paracetamol.

'Recession could heighten terror threat to Britain', says the spymaster in shirtsleeves

Informal: MI5 head Jonathan Evans told reporters the terror risk 'should not be hyped up'

The world economic crisis could heighten the terrorism threat facing Britain, the head of MI5 has cautioned.

Policewomen sue the Met for £1m each in 'groping' sex case against male officers

Julie Facey and Paula Church

Gaza's darkest day: 40 die as Israel bombs 'safe haven' UN school

Child victim: A wounded girl is carried to hospital by a relative after being caught in the bombing

Euston we have a problem: 100,000 commuters caught in rail fiasco

Virgin Trains

Britain's busiest railway was in meltdown today with trains in and out of Euston brought to a virtual standstill.

Give dads a year off work to bring up baby, urges Nick Clegg

baby and father

Men should be able to take up to a year off work after becoming fathers, says Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

Car insurance premiums could rise by 20% as injury claims soar

Motorist

Car insurance premiums could soar by a record 20 per cent this year, insurers are warning, thanks to the rise in fraud and personal injury claims.

The purple-haired pensioner 'who's been stalking Judge John Deed actor Martin Shaw'

sarah price and martin shaw

Actor Martin Shaw told a court yesterday how an ‘unhinged’ stalker had made his life a misery.

Animal carer dies from rabies 'after being scratched by dog in Africa two years ago'

Lisa McMurray, who contracted rabies while abroad, has died in hospital. She may have harboured the disease for two years

A woman who died from rabies may have contracted the disease in Africa more than two years ago. Lisa McMurray had been in a critical condition in intensive care.

WORLD NEWS

dogs        

'There's probably no God... now stop worrying and enjoy your life': Richard Dawkins launches billboard campaign

God

New internet crime maps for every part of England and Wales 'could become a burglar's guide'

Crime map

Every householder in England and Wales can now check crime levels in their neighbourhood through online crime maps compiled by police forces.

SATs pass marks plunge for English and maths under Labour

SATs test marks appear to be on a consistent downward trend

The pass mark in SATs tests has fallen sharply since Labour came to power, with youngsters needing to score 43 per cent to make the grade in English and 45 per cent in maths.

The African queen Elizabeth: British grandmother is crowned by tribal chiefs in Ghana

Tribal honour: Liz Busch with members of the Ewe tribe in Hohoe who made her queen in recognition of her work with children

A grandmother who left her family, friends and London home to start a children's centre in Ghana has been crowned queen by tribal chiefs.

New car sales fell 11.3% in 2008 and experts predict 2009 figures will be lowest since 1992

Car factory

New car sales slumped again last month, dragging total sales for 2008 down 11.3 per cent compared with 2007.

Benedict Brogan
Robin Page
Peter Hitchens
Mary Ellen Synon