Dale Cregan is accused of four murders, including those of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone

29-year-old changes plea on eve of his barrister's closing speech to the jury

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I never wished them harm, says woman accused of fire that killed five

A woman accused of starting a fire that killed five members of the same family living above her today told jurors she had never wished any harm on the family.

The Voice contestant Alice Fredenham who also featured on last week's Britain's Got Talent.

'Liquid gold' Britain's Got Talent singer turned down by The Voice

Hopeful singer Alice Fredenham looked a world away from the shy hopeful with stage fright who featured on last week's Britain's Got Talent when she appeared on The Voice on Saturday night.

A banner in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire

'Rust in peace': Former mining village Grimethorpe bids final farewell to Margaret Thatcher as effigy is hanged

Hanged, paraded, punched and spat on before finally being set alight – cheered on by the jeering crowd.

I hope the news that rowing caused Andrew Marr’s stroke won't put anyone off exercising

As I'm a similar age I know it's easy to get carried away. The urge to prove something to oneself – which may indeed be a middle-aged male thing – is strong

Postcard from... Mojacar

Safety 'jobsworths' exposed as 150 false rules revealed

Bubbles banned from a child’s birthday party and toothpicks removed from a restaurant are among a list of health and safety ruses exposed in the past year.

Buoyant services firms fend off fears of a triple-dip recession

Sector's growth exceeds hopes with best performance since last summer

Mark Leftly: Why we should engineer better careers for our best and brightest youngsters

Outlook. Plus: Blaming the weather isn’t much of an excuse

IPCC heavily critical of Hillsborough chief constable Sir Norman Bettison

Bettison would have a case to answer for gross misconduct

Dale Cregan is accused of four murders, including those of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone

'The night I shot David Short I had the best sleep of my life': One-eyed police killer Dale Cregan fantasised about decapitating victim, court told

A man who admitted killing two unarmed female police officers fantasised about decapitating another of his victims, a court heard.

Landlady Katy Boulter pours a pint at The Royal Oak at Barton-under-Needwood near Burton

Budget 2013: Glasses raised at Royal Oak over news that 'alcohol escalator' tax has gone for a Burton

It is estimated that one in every eight pints drunk in Britain is brewed in Burton. Four miles down the Trent at the 250 year old Royal Oak pub in the pretty village of Barton-under-Needwood the fire was roaring and foaming glasses of Marston Pedigree were going down a treat with locals as was news of the Chancellor’s penny off beer.

Micky Sheehan, 37, runs The Victoria Inn and The Graduate in Derby

Budget 2013: 'a penny off a pint' beer tax cut by George Osborne could be challenged in court

Moves to cut duty on beer, but to increase the tax take from wine and spirits may be illegal

Cut in beer duty is welcome tonic for Britain's suffering pubs

The public house is more than just a retail business: it plays an important role at the heart of many local communities

Spirit suffers in early cold spell

January's snow and February's cold snap halted sales growth at the pubs group Spirit. It reported that sales from licensed pubs dropped 1.1 per cent and from managed pubs by 2.7 per cent in the eight weeks to 2 March.

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Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
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A tour of the world's most famous court
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Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
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Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
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Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again
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A meeting of global power brokers in a Hertfordshire hotel is exciting conspiracy theorists, but what are they really about?
'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system': Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console

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Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console
Plenty of Fish dating site founder pulls 'Intimate Encounters' option to ward off sleazy men

Plenty of sleaze

Dating website pulls intimate 'hook-up' section to curb harassment
Inferno author Dan Brown 'honoured' to be invited to join the Freemasons

The Freemasons’ Code

Dan Brown reveals the message that told him door to the lodge is open
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Not secure any more: G4S boss heads for exit at last

Nick Buckles survived the Olympics débâcle and a £5bn bid fiasco but a profit warning finally triggered his downfall
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How to say ‘I’m a sellout’

Tumblr’s David Karp’s message of reassurance to his staff sounded very familiar
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In the end the fans decided Tony Pulis had made a pig's ear of the job at Stoke City

In the end the fans decided Tony Pulis had made a pig's ear of the job at Stoke City

Disillusion with a siege mentality and negative playing style made change inevitable
James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie

James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie

British driver was fascinating man whose epic duel with Niki Lauda in 1976 was typical of an era of glamour and glory – but also the ever-present threat of death