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MORE than 130 Tory councillors have warned David Cameron he risks tearing the Conservative party apart if he ignores grassroots activists.   The warning letter, which will be delivered to the Prime Minister, says many activists and councillors believe he has only met the “minimum outcome we could hope for in any renegotiation” after scraping together a new deal with EU leaders. Meanwhile Ben Harris-Quinney, councillor for North East Hertfordshire slammed the party’s top brass, saying: “It's time the Conservative Party leadership placed it's grassroots members and manifesto commitments back at the top their priority list, and stopped trying to disempower both with weasel words and political trickery.” The letter states: “We do not feel these manifesto commitments alone were enough to represent a good deal for Britain in Europe, but given the clarity of the commitment they were at least the minimum outcome we could hope for in any renegotiation. “As they have ...

JOBLESS Britons are being denied work in favour of economic migrants from Eastern Europe, it has been claimed. Dozens of vacancies on a Government-backed recruitment site require people to speak Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Russian. Agencies can advertise for work with language requirements where it is necessary for the role. But an investigation by the Daily Express found companies are actively seeking security guards, cleaners, customer service advisors and teaching assistants fluent in languages other than English. One advert on the Universal Jobmatch site stressed it was “essential” an experienced painter and decorator was able to converse in Polish. Critics said the scandal laid bare the “discrimination” against UK workers which was a symptom of our toxic relationship with a borderless EU. Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “Whatever happened to British jobs for British workers? When ordinary British job vacancies can only be filled by people who speak an eastern...

NEW DELHI: Storm clouds were gathering Thursday over cricket's World T20, with organisers still to release tickets or confirm the venues, less than a month before the tournament begins in India. Hundreds of thousands of supporters are expected to attend the 16-team contest which begins on March 8, the first time India has hosted the world cup for the game's newest and most popular format. But with question marks over the presence of the West Indies and New Delhi yet to receive clearance to host matches, fans who need to secure flights, hotels and even visas are still unable to firm up travel plans. The official line from the Indian board is that any glitches will be ironed out and there is no cause for alarm. “Everything will be sorted out very soon,” Anurag Thakur, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said. But Paul Ford, co-founder of New Zealand's Beige Brigade fan club, said it was now simply too late for some fans. “We would ...

SHARJAH: West Indies international Darren Sammy delivered a calculated final over as Peshawar Zalmi survived a whirlwind Ravi Bopara knock to beat Karachi Kings by three runs in a tense finish in Sharjah on Thursday. Bopara smashed 67 of 32 balls in an innings that included five fours and four sixes to help revive his team after they slumped to 48-5 in 8.5 overs. Bopara was accompanied by Sohail Tanvir (23) to establish a crucial 61-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Earlier, James Vince (44) had laid the foundation for Kings to chase the 183 set by Zalmi. None of the other Kings batsmen succeeded in putting up an impressive show. Zalmi players kept it tight on the field and grabbed three sharp opportunities to run out Nauman Anwar, Imad Wasim and Usama Mir. Zalmi’s pace spearhead Wahab Riaz took two wickets, whereas Shaun Tait, skipper Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Asghar and Darren Sammy claimed one wicket each. For more detail    Peshawar hold ne...

STRICTLY COME DANCING'S Giovanni Pernice cutely referred to Georgia May Foote as his "amore", when he wished her a happy 25th birthday this afternoon.   The dancer took to Instagram to post a steamy kissing snap of the pair, who met when they were partnered up for the BBC One dancing show last year. The couple couldn't have looked more loved-up if they'd tried in the romantic photo, which saw the petite actress delicately holding the dashing Italian's face. "Happy birthday Amore!!!" Giovanni captioned the message, which pictured the stars in matching black ensembles. Georgia has reportedly been dating the Sicilian, also 25, since December, shortly after she ended her eight-month romance with fellow Coronation Street star Sean Ward. For more detail    'Happy birthday amore' Giovanni Pernice smooches Georgia May Foote in loved-up online snap

A WILD elephant spread panic when it went on the rampage in India's West Bengal state. The beast tried to enter a shopping mall today, damaging over 40 houses and shops and trampling several vehicles.   The animal went berserk before it was tranquillised by the Forest personnel. Local administrator Anurag Srivastava said: "We are assessing the damage. (The elephant) caused a lot of commotion. But now it has been contained."   The wild beast caused quite a commotion as crowds of people gathered to watch it from their balconies and roof tops. For more detail   Chaos as WILD ELEPHANT goes on shopping centre rampage destroying cars and buildings

President Barack Obama believes some Americans voted against him because of his race. But he also thinks a number of people backed him in 2008 because his would be a historic presidency.   “I have no doubt there are people who voted against me because of race … or didn’t approve of my agenda because of race,” Obama said in an interview published Thursday by the Chicago Tribune . “I also suspect there are a bunch of people who are excited or voted for me because of the notion of the first African-American president … Those things cut both ways.” Obama, facing his final year in the White House, hopes to have set “a tone for the next president” that’s not as harsh as the rhetoric heard on the campaign trail. Donald Trump, for example, has called for a temporary ban on Muslims traveling to the U.S. and a wall on the southern border to keep out Mexican immigrants. The president has alluded to the billionaire businessman’s controversial propos...

Obama: I was a nerd before it was cool   President Barack Obama is letting his nerd flag fly. In an interview with Popular Science , Obama marveled that being a “nerd” has become something to be proud of, unlike when he was a kid. “What’s remarkable is the way 'nerd' is such a badge of honor now. Growing up, I’m sure I wasn’t the only kid who read Spider-Man comics and learned how to do the Vulcan salute, but it wasn’t like it is today,” Obama said. “I get the sense that today’s young people are proud to be smart and curious, to design new things, and tackle big Read more: Obama: I was a nerd before it was cool

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- Motorists should expect traffic delays in select areas of the Southland Thursday afternoon as President Barack Obama is set to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport as part of a multi-day trip. Mr. Obama is scheduled to arrive at the airport around 3:25 p.m. and then head to the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank to tape an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. He'll then head to two separate fundraising events in Hancock Park before spending the night in Westwood. The Los Angeles Police Department urged commuters to avoid: the area around N. Hollywood Way between N. San Fernando Boulevard and Forest Lawn Drive from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. the area around N. Hollywood Way between Forest Lawn Drive and N. San Fernando Boulevard from 4:45 to 6:15 p.m. the area around Rimpau Boulevard between W. Pico Boulevard and W. Sixth Street from 5:30 to 7 p.m. the area around Wilshire Boulevard between S. Hudson Avenue and S. Arden Boulevard from 5:30 to ...

FIRE crews battled a huge blaze at the Tata Steel plant this morning.   Mid and West Wales Fire Service said it was called to the Port Talbot plant which is believed to have   started in the coke oven, at about 8am. For more detail   BREAKING: Fire after 'explosion' at Tata Steel plant

HEALTH Secretary Jeremy Hunt has confirmed he will impose an unpopular new contract on junior doctors after months of talks have reached "the end of the road".   The Health Secretary announced the new contract will be imposed from August 1 in the House of Commons on Thursday. His announcement - just hours after the trainee medics finished their second strike - comes as a massive blow for England's 54,000 junior doctors - any doctor below consultant level. A deadline for the British Medical Association (BMA) to accept the deal passed on Wednesday night, which the Government's chief negotiator Sir David Dalton earlier warned would mean talks had reached "the end of the road". Defiant junior doctors have reacted to the news by threatening to step-up industrial action by carrying out even more strikes over the next five months. And fears over a mass exodus of the much-needed medics have now been heightened after a poll released on Wednesday r...

VIGILANTES patrolled the streets of a British town after claims of a mass brawl at a school sent racial tensions to fever pitch.   As many as 100 people in Crewe, Cheshire, were wandering the streets in large groups after reports of rape threats being made against school children. Police have put extra patrols in the town in a bid to calm tensions sparked by a fight at school. Parents have claimed their children had their hair pulled and were threatened with rape. Many have taken to social media to claim that a large group of Eastern European students lashed out and made the threats at the Sir William Stanier Community School. School officials and police have flatly denied the accounts, saying that only six students were involved in the fight. Speaking to Express.co.uk, one parent said there were “a few” separate fights in the school’s playground. The parent went onto claim her child was knocked to the ground and injured her head. It is understood many parents kept ...

In his final year in office, President Barack Obama is returning to an issue that was at the heart of the first piece of legislation he ever signed at the White House: closing the gender pay gap.   Obama on Friday unveiled new rules that would compel companies with more than 100 workers to provide the federal government annual data for how much they pay employees based on gender, race and ethnicity. That information would be used to help public enforcement of equal pay laws while giving more insight into discriminatory pay practices, he said from the White House. Historically, full-time female workers have only been paid a fraction of their male counterparts: In 2014, it was 79 cents for every dollar, according to t...

Gender equality is one of those issues that President Barack Obama takes very personally. "We're going to keep pushing until every until every single girl has the rights and the opportunities and the freedom to go as far as her dreams will take her," Obama said after mentioning his own daughters at an event on Friday announcing new executive measures aimed at closing the pay gap that separates men and women at work.   That gap, Obama insists, is 21 cents, with a typical female full-time worker earning 79 cents for every dollar earned by a typical man. Another way of looking at it according to a White House statement is that the median wage for a woman in the U.S. is about $39,600, or only 79 percent of a man's median earnings of $50,400. President Obama's history with the gender equ...

President Obama to Visit Mosque, Hold Talks With Muslims in Baltimore..  President Barack Obama will meet with Muslim community members this coming week in a public show of support. The White House says Obama plans to visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Wednesday and hold talks with Muslim community members. It would be the first visit to an American mosque during his presidency, according to reports. For more detail    President Obama to Visit Mosque, Hold Talks With Muslims in Baltimore

President Barack Obama, focusing on a message of religious tolerance and unity, called for all Americans to stamp out anti-Muslim prejudice during his first presidential visit Wednesday to an American mosque.    "An attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths," Obama said, adding that "we have to be consistent in condemning hateful rhetoric ... none of us can be bystanders to bigotry." The president thanked the packed auditorium at the Islamic Society of Baltimore for standing up against extremist acts by ISIS and other terror groups who have given a "hugely distorted impression" of their faith, he said. He also acknowledged how Muslim Americans must routinely swear off the...

The 15th time before a California parole board was not the charm Tuesday for Robert F. Kennedy's assassin.   Once again, the commissioners said no to releasing Sirhan B. Sirhan, who has spent nearly half a century behind bars for fatally shooting the Democratic senator for New York. "This crime impacted the nation, and I daresay it impacted the world," commissioner Brian Roberts said. "It was a political assassination of a viable Democratic presidential candidate." Kennedy, who was the younger brother of slain President John F. Kennedy, was shot June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles just after he'd won the state's Democratic presidential primary. The 42-year-old candidate died the next day. For more detail    Robert Kennedy Killer Sirhan Sirhan Denied Parole...

Returning to the place where his political career — and his first presidential campaign — began, President Obama visited the Illinois capital Wednesday, renewing his call for healing the nation's partisan discord and building a better electoral system.   Bemoaning a "poisonous political climate" that made citizens cynical and disillusioned and leaders unable to achieve great goals, Obama posed the challenge: "What can we do all of us together to try to make our politics better?" He outlined a few solutions, none of them new: limiting the influence of money in politics — including a Constitutional amendment, if necessary; reforming the congressional redistricting process; and making it easier to register and vote. At the same time, Obama said, the political culture needed to change so that there was less inclination to lie to voters, insult rivals or propose policies unsupported by science."Rather than reward the most extreme voices, or d...

BORIS Johnson could be on the brink of campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union after his wife tore into David Cameron's deal with Brussels.   The London mayor has not yet publicly backed Britain's membership of the 28-member bloc, leading to reports he could lead the 'out' campaign. And now Marina Wheeler QC, a human rights lawyer and Mr Johnson's wife of 23 years, has intervened in the debate ahead of June's expected referendum. In a furious attack on the Prime Minister, she said his proposals for reform, outlined by Eurocrats last week, "raise more questions than they answer". For more detail    Will Boris BACK Brexit? London mayor's wife TEARS INTO David Cameron's EU reforms

THIS is the dramatic moment an RAF jet fired a precision Brimstone missile directly though a window, taking out a terrorist machine gun position in a breathtaking display of Western military supremacy.   Footage released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) shows the £100,000 rocket in slow-motion as it tracks towards a building in Iraq being used by Islamic State (ISIS) for cover. The high-tech weapon is seen entering the property though two windows before detonating. Gripping footage gives an insight into the ferocity of the coalition's bombing missions being aided by RAF jets targeting the evil death cult - also known as Daesh. Tornado jets were involved in the mission last Wednesday, February 3, in the skies above Iraq. A Ministry of Defence (MOD) statement said: "When machine-gunners opened fire on the Iraqis from the windows of a single storey building, the Tornados launched a pair of Brimstone missiles which accurately struck both windows."...

A BRITISH boy who was taken to Syria by his mother to join Islamic State (ISIS) has apparently been filmed blowing up four 'spies' in the terror group's latest sickening execution video.   Four-year-old Isa Dare - who has been dubbed 'Jihadi Junior' - is seemingly the figure shown in a twisted propaganda film which shows four men being killed by a car rigged with explosives. The youngster, whose mother is Muslim convert Grace 'Khadija' Dare from south east London, is apparently shown pressing the detonator seconds before the white car behind him explodes into a fireball with the alleged spies inside.   Following the sickening stunt the youngster - who previously appeared in an ISIS video threatening David Cameron - stands triumphantly next to the charred remains of the car and yells "Allahu Akbar". He has been previously identified in an ISIS propaganda film by his grandfather, who says the child has begged him to save him fr...

THIS is the horrifying moment a stricken woman is mauled by a polar bear.   The woman, known in the footage as Lyudmila, is trampled on by the creature as she tries to crawl away in the terrifying 38 second clip.   It is thought the footage was captured in the backstreets of the village of Yanranay Chan, in northern Russia. Although the clip was shared in 2011, the video has now become an internet sensation. For more detail    WATCH: Shocking moment horrified woman is MAULED by polar bear… with her TROUSERS DOWN

SYRIAN rebels have claimed 15 million more refugees could flee the war-torn country – because they are not being supported by Britain.   A senior rebel commander said a lack of support from the West has led to Bashar al-Assad's regime tightening its grip on Aleppo. The US-trained rebels are losing ground daily in Syria's largest city, with more than 500 people killed in the last fortnight And it is feared the advance by Assad's regime – backed by Russian air strikes and Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters – could make the refugee crisis worse. Major Yasser Abdulrahim told the BBC the West has "abandoned" the rebels, saying: "The West is so scared of the [Islamic State] ghost they have chosen Bashar al-Assad. He added: "The rebellion won't be over [if the regime takes Aleppo]. But some 15 million Syrians will flee to Europe and different countries all over the world. For more detail    SYRIA CRISIS: '15 million MORE refugees...

A SENIOR Labour politician will today claim the case for Britain staying in the European Union "is stronger now than ever".   The 28-member bloc has come under increasing pressure in the past few months – with experts claiming it is on the verge of collapse. Brussels bureaucrats have been criticised in particular for their slow response to the continent's worst migrant crisis since the 1940s. Yet Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, is expected to heap praise on the EU in a speech this afternoon. In his speech, he will mock Eurosceptics for seeking to "close the doors and wish that the rest of the world would go away". And he will argue exiting the EU would leave Britain less able to deal with the migrant crisis and climate change. He is expected to add that being part of the bloc has "amplified, extended and increased Britain's voice in the world". For more detail   Case for EU is 'STRONGER than ever' claims Labour...

SYRIAN rebels have claimed 15 million more refugees could flee the war-torn country – because they are not being supported by Britain.   A senior rebel commander said a lack of support from the West has led to Bashar al-Assad's regime tightening its grip on Aleppo. The US-trained rebels are losing ground daily in Syria's largest city, with more than 500 people killed in the last fortnight And it is feared the advance by Assad's regime – backed by Russian air strikes and Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters – could make the refugee crisis worse. Major Yasser Abdulrahim told the BBC the West has "abandoned" the rebels, saying: "The West is so scared of the [Islamic State] ghost they have chosen Bashar al-Assad. He added: "The rebellion won't be over [if the regime takes Aleppo]. But some 15 million Syrians will flee to Europe and different countries all over the world. For more detail    SYRIA CRISIS: '15 million MORE refugees ...

SUPPORT for Britain to quit the EU is gaining unstoppable momentum among British voters. An online poll for Express.co.uk has now seen more than 100,000 people vote to end years of centrist control by Brussels and set Britain free to manage its own affairs. Of 111,027 who have voted 102,144 – or 92 per cent – said they wanted Britain to end its membership of the 28-member bloc. Just seven per cent said they wanted Britain to remain a member and one per cent was undecided. The exclusive poll result follows disappointment at David Cameron’s attempts to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU - a deal which will see migrants still paid benefits, no return of control of our borders and no guarantee that Parliament will regain its sovereignty. It comes as Eurosceptics reveal Tory sources are admitting there is panic at the heart of Government with one minister privately admitting that the Prime Minister’s pro-European team expected to be 30 points ahead in the opin...

DONALD Trump faces a nervous wait to see whether he can get his faltering campaign back on track tonight as voters in the key US state of New Hampshire head to the polls to decide the future of the race to the White House.   The controversial billionaire desperately needs to secure a better result than in Iowa, where he was beaten into first place by evangelical hardliner Ted Cruz despite spending weeks at the top of the polls. Both states are seen as a key barometer of American public opinion, with those candidates who fail to get off to a lightning start often losing the backing of key financial sponsors and endorsers for the rest of the campaign.  Mr Trump has no such money worries thanks to his multi-billion dollar property empire, but anything other than victory tonight would still be a devastating blow to his surprise bid to become the world's most powerful man. Fittingly, defeat in the Granite State could ultimately fashion Mr Trump's political tomb ...

THIS is the terrifying aftermath of the deadly head-on train crash in Germany.   Footage shot moments after the collision shows scared passengers trapped inside the wrecked train as they come to terms with what has just happened. Moans of pain can be heard as several passengers are trapped in the carnage or are lying on the floor injured. At least 10 people - including the two train drivers and two conductors - have been killed in the fatal collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria. A fleet of emergency helicopters has been scrambled to take injured passengers to hospitals after the crash at Bad Aibling, an hour from Munich. One person is still missing and more than 80 were injured - including 18 people who are in a serious condition. Federal transport minister Alexander Dobrindt said the trains crashed after slamming into each other on a curve without braking after an automatic safety system apparently failed to stop them. The trains could have been moving at a speed of...

NEW Yorkers feared that the World Trade Centre was on fire after what appeared to be smoke billowed from the top of the building.   Twitter user Jamie Slade shared an image of the strange cloud at the top of the tower, writing: "Is the World Trade Centre on fire?" And Nick Orlando told his followers: "Fire on top of the Freedom Tower [the tower's old name] right now." But fire officials played down the fears, tweeting: "We can confirm that there is no fire to report at the WTC." The cloud was reportedly caused by a steam release as part of routine maintenance, but this has not been confirmed. A construction supervisor on the scene told a local newspaper: "It's lit up by the tower lights. "It happens with fog and even clouds. It just looks like smoke." For more detail   Fears that World Trade Centre is on FIRE as 'smoke' billows from top of building

BARACK Obama has said the US needs to “play catch up” to stop cyberterrorists from attacking “ancient” security tech.   The US President has asked Congress for over $3 billion to revamp the outdated “Einstein” technology, with some infrastructure dating back to the 1960s. It comes after US intelligence director James Clapper warned Congress that hackers from Russia, China and North Korea are the biggest threat to US internet security. Chiefs have also announced the creation of a “cyber mission force”. The tech squad will have 133 teams with 6,200 military and civilian contractors. However, doubts have been cast over how long it will take to renew the anti-hacking computers. For more detail   Obama admits US needs BILLIONS to stop cyber terror because of 'ancient' security tech

NIGEL Farage will use a keynote speech tomorrow to say that the threat of a surge of uncontrolled immigration to Britain will be the defining issue of the EU referendum.   Speaking at a major Brexit conference in London, the Ukip leader will warn that a vote to stay in the EU will mean that migrant numbers will soar to new record levels. He will point out that the EU is being pushed to accept Turkey as a new member by the British and German governments, while Bosnia's application is also being actively considered, opening Britain up to almost 80million economic migrants. The major intervention comes as the Daily Express' online poll has attracted more than 106,000 votes with 92 per cent saying they want Britain to free itself from Brussels rule. And in a further boost to the Brexit campaign one of Britain's most high profile companies Tate and Lyle Sugars has announced that it believes the country should vote to leave the EU and dismissed David Came...

DAVID Cameron's plan for a new law to cut meddling by Brussels was dismissed as "pointless" by a former attorney general last night.   Tory backbencher Dominic Grieve, who held the senior legal role under the coalition, warned that European judges will "still have the last word" even if the measure is introduced. His intervention follows reports that the Prime Minister is considering a new "sovereignty law" designed to boost the power of Westminster to overrule EU decisions. Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who is investigating the idea, is expected to propose setting up a new "constitutional court" that would review conflicts between UK and EU laws. Mr Grieve yesterday insisted that Brussels law would continue to have "primacy" even if the sovereignty law was introduced. Speaking in a BBC interview, the former Government law officer said: "By virtue of the treaties and acts which followed our treaty of access...

A LABOUR crisis meeting on renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent was cancelled yesterday as Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham revealed splits in the party may never be healed. The Shadow Cabinet was to discuss Trident’s future at its weekly meeting but the debate did not take place.   The troubles Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-Trident stance are fuelling with Labour’s union paymasters were underlined as the GMB union announced a conference this month to highlight how thousands of defence jobs depend upon it. GMB general secretary Sir Paul Kenny said: “It is time for the real voice of working people in our defence industries to be heard in this debate in the Labour Party. “This is the voice of men and women in some of the most highly skilled manufacturing jobs in the UK. “It is time that senior politicians in the Labour Party listened to the working people outside Westminster.” For more detail   Labour crisis meeting on Trident CANCELLED amid fears party split will...

DETECTIVES investigating the apparent suicide of a teenage squaddie failed to eliminate her two lovers as possible killers, an inquest was told yesterday.   Former Army privates Paul Wilkinson, 38, and Jim Carr-Minns, 39, should have been quizzed until they were ruled out of any involvement in Private Cheryl James’s death at Deepcut Barracks in 1995. Murder police should also have made more efforts to identify an unknown white male seen in the area around the time Pte James died. The 18-year-old from Llangollen in north Wales was found dead at the barracks with a single gunshot wound to her head. She was the second of four young recruits to die in suspicious circumstances at the Army base in Surrey between 1995 and 2002. An inquest into her death recorded an open verdict in less than hour. Her grieving parents Des, 66, and Doreen, 64, pushed for Surrey police to review the investigation in 2002 after hearing how military chiefs had recorded the death as suicide...

THE Royal Navy’s newest warships have suffered 5,000 faults in less than five years, the MoD revealed yesterday. The £6billion fleet of six Type 45 destroyers has also clocked up a maintenance and repair bill of £51million. Last month the MoD revealed that the Daring class destroyers are to be given new engines because they keep breaking down. Installing the replacements over the next few years will require huge holes to be cut in the ships’ sides. The MoD data shows HMS Daring recorded 967 operational defects between 2011 and 2015. From 2012 to 2015, HMS Dauntless sustained 895 defects, HMS Dragon 887, HMS Defender 844 and HMS Diamond 818. HMS Duncan recorded 590 defects from 2013 to 2015, bringing the overall total for the six ships to 5,001. Among the problems suffered by the destroyers was HMS Daring losing power in the Atlantic in 2009 on her first voyage to the US and HMS Dauntless having to abandon a training exercise in 2014. For more detail   Royal Nav...

A FORMER City lawyer who claims she had a one-night stand with a married Tory MP was accused today of enjoying being “lusted after”.   Patronia Campbell, 49, alleges she had a night of passion with Huw Merriman, 42, after works drinks in 2011 when they were colleagues at Lehman Brothers International Europe and that he pressed her for an affair. At the sixth day of an East London employment tribunal hearing, Ms Campbell claimed other members of staff at the US bank also wanted to have an affair with her. But James Laddie, QC, for the bank, told her: “You love the idea of people lusting after you, don’t you?” Ms Campbell replied: “That’s just rude. No, that’s not true.” She claims she was subjected to two-and-a-half years of bullying by Mr Merriman, a former Lehman Brothers manager and now MP for Bexhill and Battle in East Sussex. She said he subjected her to unjustified criticism of her performance, engineered situations to allow others to criticise her and gave...

DAVID Cameron's bid to shake up Britain's role in the European Union could be in tatters – after key member states came out to support an "ever closer union".   Founding members Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg confirmed their "strong commitment" to the so-called European project yesterday. The country's foreign ministers released a joint statement ahead of a long awaited summit in Brussels next week. Mr Cameron is expected to use the conference to push for Britain to have more independence from red tape-loving Eurocrats. Backing a key pledge in the founding Treaty of Rome, the officials said: "We remain resolved to continue the process of creating an ever closer union among the people of Europe.  For more detail  Now top EU members including France and Germany say they support an 'ever closer union'

AN EAGLE-EYED lawyer has blasted the operators of a "filthy" car park who charged her extra for leaving early.   Barrister Belinda Lonsdale had arrived at the inner city car park before work, hoping to take advantage of its £8 early bird offer. She then left promptly at 1:48pm – but bizarre smallprint landed her with a whopping charge of almost £20. Ludicrously, the inappropriately-named early bird offer penalised the savvy lawyer for leaving before 3pm. Lonsdale has since accused jobsworth bosses at parking giant Wilson of misleading customers in a blistering letter of complaint. She said: "Effectively, you get penalised for leaving early, even though you have freed up a bay for another customer to use. For more detail   Furious lawyer blasts car park after she was hit with £20 fee for leaving space EARLY

A DISGUSTED daughter was left “sickened” after allegedly discovering that her dead father’s body was being kept in dire conditions at a funeral home. Photos apparently show coffins being left next to an old bicycle and tatty storage boxes in the Midcounties Co-operative Funeralcare home in Walsall. The “scandalous” conditions were discovered by Jane Hughes, whose 74 year-old dad John Bagby’s body was awaiting his funeral. She said: “We were assured Dad would be looked after, so to hear this has absolutely smacked us in the face.” For more detail   Daughter shocked to find funeral home 'kept coffins next to an old bike and tatty storage'

AN EXACT replica of the Titanic will finally set sail in 2018.   The fully-functioning imitation of the doomed ocean liner – updated to meet modern safety requirements – will travel from Jiangsu, China, to Dubai. Its supposedly unsinkable namesake struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage between Southampton and New York in 1912. Titanic's fateful collision claimed the lives of over 1,500 passengers and crew – and went on to be immortalised in the 1997 blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The replica, funded by colourful Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, had initially been slated for a 2016 launch. For more detail   Titanic II: Exact replica of doomed ocean liner set to sail in 2018

OFFICIALS are still unable to unlock a phone owned by one of the jihadists behind December's terror attacks in San Bernardino.   FBI investigators cannot access the contents of the mobile – two months after the Muslim couple shot 14 people dead at a Christmas party. Syed Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, are thought to have been inspired by the warped Islamic State terror group. And James Comey, the director of the US security service, said the use of encryption technology was to blame for slowing down the probe.  For more detail  FBI officials STILL can't unlock San Bernardino killer's phone – TWO MONTHS after massacre

PENELOPE CRUZ oozed sex appeal as she attended the Zoolander 2 premiere in New York in a backless gown. The actress smouldered in the black floor-length dress, which featured gold sequin detailing. The star posed up a storm as she looked over her shoulder at photographers and flashed the flesh in the halter-neck style garment, with a low cut back. The 41-year-old looked radiant as she styled her brunette locks in loose curls that fell past her shoulders. The Spanish beauty sported winged eyeliner and a deep pink lipstick which complimented her bronzed complexion.  For more detail   Penelope Cruz smoulders in backless gown as she attends Zoolander 2 premiere

BEN STILLER created and starred in a hilarious female viagra advert to be aired during Super Bowl 50 but he explained to Jimmy Fallon that it was banned from the sporting event.   Speaking to the talk show host he explained: "There's al those ads for male viagra out there but people don't realise there's female viagra and I thought it would be great to get the word out… like a public service." He confessed that it was "bumped at the last minute" meaning viewers in America could not witness how great it was. When Ben said he was disheartened that it was cut from the Super Bowl, Jimmy revealed that he had got hold of a copy of it and would air it on his show. In the hilarious advert, the Zoolander star can be seen mimicking male viagra commercials as he lays on a bed in an American football jersey and gazes seductively into the camera. For more detail   WATCH: Ben Stiller stars in hilarious female viagra advert BANNED by bureaucrats

DAKOTA JOHNSON is currently living the single life but has admitted that she fears it could be because men are "terrified" of her following her role in the erotic Fifty Shades of Grey. The actress who portrayed the innocent and naive Anastasia Steele opposite Jamie Dornan in the popular film, feels men are too scared to approach her. She explained: "I don't know why… I think I'm fairly approachable person. "Some people think this is something I'm interested in, in my private life, which is not the case. "I'm an actor, I pretend. But I guess it's something that happens with a lot of actors; people think that, in real life, they are like the characters they play."  For more detail   Dakota Johnson reveals her Fifty Shades of Grey role means men are TERRIFIED of her