May wants to narrow ‘human rights’ clause

Theresa May will take a tough stance on immigration at the Conservative party conference. The Home Secretary will argue that an over-zealous interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights is keeping illegal immigrants and convicted criminals in the country. MORE

Rebel forces capture Gaddafi birthplace

Libyan interim forces inched closer to their goal of taking the coastal city of Sirte yesterday after capturing a neighbouring village. They yesterday went into the tiny village of Qasr Abu Hadi, where ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi was said to have been born in a Bedouin tent in 1942. MORE

Leader is charged with war crimes

Delwar Hossain Sayedee, leader of an Islamic party, was charged with war crimes for allegedly leading groups that took part in killing, looting, arson and rape during the 1971 independence war.

14 men jailed for life for protest killing

Bahrain handed out life sentences on Monday to 14 men for killing a Pakistani national during pro-democracy protests led by the Gulf kingdom's Shi’ite majority earlier this year. A military court also jailed 15 others to 15 years for attempted murder, vandalism and “inciting hatred”.

Town clears streets of prostitution

Almost five years after the murders of five women in Ipswich, on-street prostitution has been virtually eliminated from the town,. More than 200 women have been helped to avoid a life of prostitution following the events of October to December 2006. MORE

Eight injured in fire on industrial estate

Eight people were injured after an explosion at an industrial estate yesterday. Witnesses described hearing a loud bang on the Hobbs Industrial Estate in Newchapel, near Lingfield, Surrey before a large fire broke out. Police, fire and ambulance services urged anyone living near the site to close their windows and asked members of the public to stay away from the area.

Mosque in Arab town torched

Arsonists torched a mosque in an Arab village in northern Israel yesterday, setting off protests by villagers who later clashed with police. Graffiti at the site suggested Jewish radicalswere involved. The mosque was the third to be set on fire since Jewish settlement buildings were demolished last month.

Violent offender absconds from unit

A violent offender on the run from a secure hospital in Suffolk may be in the Bristol area, police said. Luke Sparks, 21, absconded from the unit in Palgrave, near Diss, on Sunday. He is described as a white male, with short black hair, and was wearing a grey hooded top, grey shorts and black, grey and white Nike trainers.

Mole Man’s London home goes on sale

A derelict London house whose owner built a network of underground tunnels around it, earning him the nickname Mole Man, has gone on the market for £500,000. The excavations by William Lyttle, who died last year, were uncovered in 2006 by council officers, who found four cars and a boat buried there. MORE

Tesco starts selling colourful carrots

Multicoloured carrots go on sale today with purple, white, yellow and cream variations all hoping to make it to the dinner plate. Tesco is selling the vegetables grown naturally in Norfolk which are old varieties no longer produced commercially. Until the 16th century, carrots were generally purple or yellow.

Pacific island runs out of water

A critical shortage of fresh water has forced the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu to declare a state of emergency. The former British protectorate is one of the most isolated communities in the world and has suffered an unusually dry spell. New Zealand has flown in supplies and desalination units. MORE

Medal hopes unveil 2012 athletics track

The running track at the Olympic Stadium was unveiled yesterday. British hopefuls including Paralympic gold medallist Dan Greaves tried out the new facility. London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: Today the Stadiumstarts to come to life and people get a glimpse of how it will look in less than 10 months' time.” MORE

Stage debut for Wild Swans

Wild Swans – the Nineties book that smashed best-seller records around the world – will be performed on stage for the first time. London’s Young Vic are co-producing the work of bringing to life the book by Jung Chang which explores life under the Cultural Revolution in Chairman Mao’s China. MORE