Poppy Display Creators Named On Honours List

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 31 Desember 2014 | 22.12

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The artists who created a breathtaking installation of poppies at the Tower of London have been awarded MBEs in the New Year Honours.

Paul Cummins and Tom Piper were the masterminds of Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, which saw 888,246 ceramic poppies gradually fill the moat of the Tower. Each poppy signified a British or Colonial military death during World War I.

More than five million people attended the installation, with the Queen herself saying: "The only possible reaction to walking among them was silence."

Mr Cummins said he was "taken aback and shocked" to receive his MBE, but was "truly grateful" for the recognition.

"Everyone who worked on Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, to me, should feel a part of this MBE, without them this installation wouldn't have been created," he said.

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Gallery: The New Year Honours List

Actor John Hurt receives a knighthood

Joan Collins receives a DBE (Dame Commander)

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Actor James Corden receives an OBE

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There's an OBE for actress Emily Watson

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Trevor Baylis, the inventor of the wind-up radio, receives a CBE

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Mr Piper added: "It has been a real privilege to co-create an artwork which has meant so much to so many people."

Several other artists were also given the nod in this year's list, with Dynasty diva Joan Collins made a Dame for her charity work.

The 81-year-old actress said it was "humbling to receive this level of recognition from my Queen and country".

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Gallery: Tower Poppy Display Draws Huge Crowds

The art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London

Some 888,246 ceramic poppies filled the Tower moat

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Kristin Scott Thomas, who is due to play the British monarch in stage play "The Audience" next year, was also made a Dame.

"I am thrilled, astonished and worried that I might suddenly wake up," the actress, who received an Academy Award nomination in 1997 for The English Patient, said.

Comedian and actress Meera Syal, who receives a CBE for her services to art and literature.

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy - who has produced poignant verses on a plethora of subjects including the MPs' expenses scandal and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - becomes a Dame.

Comic actor James Corden and actress Sheridan Smith were handed OBEs.

And a young music mogul who was instrumental in propelling Ed Sheeran to stardom has been honoured with an MBE.

Jamal Edwards started his multimillion pound business, SB.TV, when he was a teenager, and has also worked with Jessie J and Emeli Sande.

"It'll be the second time I've been to see the Queen. That's sick," he told Sky News. "I'm overwhelmed, it's going to be fun."

The former boss of the National Lottery has also hit the jackpot. Dianne Thompson has been made a Dame for her work as the chief executive of Camelot, which has raised more than £21bn for good causes during her tenure.

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Written By Unknown on Selasa, 30 Desember 2014 | 22.12

A patient is being assessed for possible symptoms of Ebola at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

The person is being kept in isolation and the result will be known in around 24 hours.

The patient had recently been in a high-risk Ebola area, although the exact location has not been revealed.

The tests are thought to be precautionary - more than 100 patients have tested negative in similar circumstances over the last few months.

Symptoms of Ebola are very similar to other tropical diseases, such as malaria.

It comes as the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the UK - a Scottish nurse - arrives in London for specialist medical care.

In a joint statement, the hospital and Public Health England said: "A patient has been admitted to Royal Cornwall Hospital and is currently undergoing a series of tests - one of which is for Ebola.

"We do not expect the results to be known for at least 24 hours and in the meantime the patient is being looked after in isolation, following nationally agreed guidelines and protocols to protect the health of our staff and other patients.

"Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has been following national guidance around Ebola and made plans in line with advice from Public Health England and NHS England."

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Ebola Nurse Pauline Cafferkey In London Hospital

Nurse Pauline Cafferkey who fell ill after returning from Sierra Leone is being treated for Ebola at a specialist infectious diseases unit in London.

Ms Cafferkey, a Scot, was initially treated at a Glasgow hospital. She is the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the UK and is receiving specialist medical care at the Royal Free Hospital.

The nurse returned to Scotland after a spell working in Sierra Leone and arrived at Glasgow Airport on a British Airways flight at around 11.30pm on Sunday. She was showing no symptoms at the time.

Dr Martin Deahl, who travelled back to the UK with Ms Cafferkey, was critical of Public Health England for allowing the returning health workers to travel home by public transport and giving conflicting advice.

He told Sky News: "The thing that surprised most of us is that Public Health England suggested that we could go home from the airport by any way we wanted on public transport, so the underground, or in Pauline's case, the flight to Glasgow.

"Once we got home, we were not to use public transport or go to crowded places."

He added: "If there had been alternative arrangements for Pauline a lot of the people on that flight to Glasgow would not be going through the anxiety and stress that they are at the moment."

Dr Deahl said staff at Heathrow seemed "inadequately prepared" to carry out the "so-called health check" the group needed.

"We were queueing for over an hour in very close proximity in this small space so in that sense, everybody came close to Pauline."

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Gallery: Ebola Patient's Route To Glasgow

Freetown, Sierra Leone to Casablanca, Morocco

Casablanca to Heathrow, UK

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Two Men Arrested Over Alleged Terror Offences

Two men in their mid-20s have been arrested and questioned on suspicion of terrorism-related offences.

The pair were detained early on Monday after officers from the east counter terrorism investigation unit carried out raids at two properties in Bedford.

Police said the men were interviewed at the town's Greyfriars police station.

Unspecified items of property were seized during the raids.

The force said the men were later released on police bail pending further inquiries.

More follows...

22.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thatcher Was Warned 'Big Bang' Would Go Bad

Margaret Thatcher was warned about the dangers of deregulating the banks prior to the Big Bang of 1986, according to files released by the National Archives.

Sir Robert Armstrong, the Cabinet secretary, expressed fears of "unscrupulous" money-making and "a bubble that will be pricked in a year or two".

The Big Bang was a super-lucrative revolution in the financial sector which introduced electronic screen-based trading and opened up the Square Mile to international banks.

The reforms ensured London's place at the heart of global financial markets, but critics say they paved the way towards the great banking sector crash of 2008.

Seven months before the event, Sir Robert, Margaret Thatcher's most senior official, wrote a memo saying: "There is increasing disquiet about the things that people think are going on in the City.

"I do not just mean the levels of remuneration; a lot of people, including some from inside the City, think that is a bubble that will be pricked in a year or two.

"They think more about the way in which corners are being cut and money is being made in ways that are at least bordering on the unscrupulous.

"It tends to be summed up by the people saying that they doubt whether it really is good enough any more to leave the policing of the City to self-regulation."

David Willetts, who was then working in the No 10 policy unit but went on to be a Tory minister, co-authored a paper for the Prime Minister on the likely impact of the Big Bang.

The report expressed concern about "unethical behaviour" and that financial deregulation could lead to "boom and bust".

But he concluded that while there might be "individual financial failures" he did not expect "a systemic problem".

The correspondence, released after 30 years in the archives, show ministers were mindful of the risks but most dismissed them, fearing the greater danger was the City becoming less competitive.

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Sheffield Shooting Suspect Charged With Murder

Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Desember 2014 | 00.35

A man has been charged over the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man in Sheffield.

Asif Yousaf, 32, has been charged with the murder of Jordan Thomas and with the attempted murder of a 27-year-old who was seriously injured in the shooting last Sunday.

The 27-year-old man has since been released from hospital.

Mr Thomas was sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford Mondeo when he was shot in what detectives believe could have been a targeted attack.

The silver Mondeo was shot at while stationary at traffic lights on the A61 Derek Dooley Way about 10.15pm last Sunday.

In a statement, Mr Thomas' family had described the shooting as an "act of cowardice" and appealed to anyone with information to come forward.

"Jordan was such a likeable, caring, loving individual with a larger-than-life personality who really did brighten up any room he entered," they said.

"He truly was full of life, with his cheeky grin and quick wit, he was a charmer, anyone lucky enough to have met Jordan will attest to this and those that have met him truly did love him."

A statement released by South Yorkshire Police said: "Jordan, from the Waterthorpe area of Sheffield, was a passenger in a silver Ford Mondeo, when the car was shot at while stationary on Derek Dooley Way.

"He was taken to hospital but died a short time later. A post-mortem examination revealed he died from gunshot injuries."

Yousaf has been remanded in custody and will appear before magistrates on Monday.

A 25-year-old who was also arrested on Thursday has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

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UKIP's First MP Warns Party Against Racism

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

UKIP's first MP in Parliament has warned his party must not tolerate racist comments and should instead present itself as inclusive with a "serious internationalist agenda".

Douglas Carswell, who represents the coastal Clacton constituency, said: "There has never been anything splendid about isolation. It was our interdependence that put the Great into Great Britain – and it is what sustains our living standards today.

"In such a world, a dislike of foreigners is not merely offensive but absurd."

His comments, made in an article for the Mail on Sunday, come as an Opinium poll for the Observer newspaper shows UKIP's general popularity is not replicated among young, first time voters.

Only 3% of those aged 17 to 22 say they would vote for the party, while overall polling is closer to 20%.

Three times as many young people say they would vote Green – while Nigel Farage is the least popular political leader among this group.

In his article, Mr Carswell argues against harking back to "Merrie Olde England" because life in pre-industrial Britain was "grim" with high infant mortality rates, hungry children, and the unrelenting slog of 80-hour weeks carrying out manual labour.

The thing that has changed that is that the UK has become more outward looking, he adds. "Far from being a party that tolerates pejorative comments about people's heritage and background, UKIP in 2015 has to show that we have a serious internationalist agenda."

He calls for an immigration system that can say a "cheery… Yes" to doctors from Singapore or scientists from south Asia and a "polite 'No thank you'" to those with criminal records, or tendencies towards welfare dependency.

Senior sources within UKIP point out that the party is in a very different position in 2015 than 2010, with much higher poll ratings, two MPs and the real prospect of winning more seats. As such they think much more care must be taken about what people say, and how they are dealt with.

The source said there was a feeling it was right for Kerry Smith to resign as a candidate over derogatory comments about Chinese and gay people – but that there was too much hesitation when dealing with the case.

They pointed out that where UKIP wins, as opposed to coming second, it does so with a more positive appeal that helps them reach out beyond the core vote.

Mr Carswell won the support of six out of ten adults in the Clacton by-election that followed his defection from the Tories. Despite the national trend with young people, he was even in the lead among 18 to 34-year-olds.

Mr Carswell believes there is an opportunity for his party to tap into the anti-politics sentiment felt by many young people although he acknowledges it could be an uphill battle.

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King's Cross Station Hit By More Problems

London's King's Cross station was hit by more problems today as an investigation was launched into disruption caused by overrunning engineering work.

A number of trains out of King's Cross were cancelled and other services delayed after a signalling failure this afternoon.

The failure meant that some Great Northern services from the station were cancelled, while incoming trains ended their journeys at Finsbury Park.

A Great Northern spokeswoman said: "At approximately 13.30 this afternoon signalling problems were experienced in the Finsbury Park area, resulting in no trains being able to run in and out of London King's Cross.

"Several trains terminated at Finsbury Park and Welwyn Garden City. Rail replacement buses were organised for passengers to transport them across to the Thameslink route, where ticket acceptance was in place.

"Signalling was restored at 14.15. Customers may have been affected by residual delays of up to 60 minutes whilst the service recovered.

"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience that Great Northern's customers may have experienced."

Today's problems follow major disruption yesterday when King's Cross and Paddington stations were closed because engineering works ran over schedule.

Both stations have since reopened and services from Paddington were running as planned, a Network Rail spokeswoman said.

Network Rail's Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations, apologised for yesterday's disruption which led to extra police being brought in to control crowds.

"I'm deeply sorry for the delays, upset and upheaval caused... to passengers impacted by our overrunning improvement work outside King's Cross," he said.

"We've had an army of 11,000 engineers out over Christmas Day and Boxing Day at 2,000 locations nationwide.

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Gallery: Travel Chaos Hits London

This was the scene at Finsbury Park station

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Police Make Appeal Over Christmas Eve Murder

Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 51-year-old man was found in Bath city centre on Christmas Eve.

A member of the public discovered Thomas Downey under a railway arch on Lower Bristol Road, near Bath railway station just after 1.30pm on Wednesday.

The area was cordoned off and a detailed search of the area continues.

A post mortem examination has been carried out and confirmed that Mr Downey died from significant head injuries.

His family have travelled down from Manchester and are helping investigating officers with the inquiry.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "They are being supported by a police family liaison officer and our thoughts are with them at this sad time."

Mr Downey is known locally as "Manchester Tommy".

Officers have urged anyone with information to share it with police to help them piece together what happened on Christmas Eve.

Two men in their thirties have been arrested on suspicion of murder and continue to be questioned.

The spokesman added: "The neighbourhood policing team are working with the local community to provide support and reassurance and to assist with the investigation.

"However, we are still keen to speak to anyone who was in the area near to the station in Lower Bristol Road around lunchtime on Christmas Eve.

"We believe the area would have been busy with shoppers and people leaving work early."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Crime Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Action Urged To Stop Drunks Abusing NHS Staff

By Sean Dilley, Sky News Reporter

Police should do more to stop drunk people verbally and physically abusing NHS workers, according to the head of Britain's A&E doctors.

Speaking to Sky News, Dr Cliff Mann said: "There's been a substantial increase in the number of patients and people attending A&E departments who are severely drunk.

"Indeed many of them are simply the colleagues and friends and hangers-on of the actual patients.

"And yet they all hang around in the cubicles and our waiting rooms distracting our staff."

He says education has failed to curb the rising problem of A&E abusers and is calling for police to arrest and charge more drunks.

Dr Mann argues the move would free up doctors and nurses to treat more patients.

Figures from the Metropolitan Police show a dramatic decline in arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct since 2001, with fixed penalty tickets being more readily used.

Under the current system, drunken people avoid receiving criminal records and escape with a fine of around £80.

Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, believes arresting more people may not be the right answer.

In a statement he said: "Forces up and down the country regularly have campaigns to tackle drunk and disorderly behaviour.

"Alcohol is well-known to be a contributory factor in incidents of disorder, but it is a complex issue and a crackdown on 'troublesome drunks' is too simplistic an answer."

He added: "Yes, our colleagues in the NHS should not be subject to abuse; nor should our officers or anyone working in the public sector.

"But hauling people through the courts isn't always the answer either.

"That takes valuable time and resources to process, not just for the police, but also as people go through the courts and criminal justice system."

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NHS Seeks To Get Obese Britons Back In Shape

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 Desember 2014 | 22.11

With obesity on the rise in the UK, health authorities are rolling out a new programme aimed at getting the nation back in shape through a better diet and more exercise.

Under the scheme, GPs in England will be asked to monitor patients who are putting on weight and offer them help to stop them becoming obese.

Obesity is estimated to cost Britain almost £47bn every year - more than war and terrorism.

A report from the European Commission shows that the obesity rate in the UK has increased over the past decade, making it the second highest in the EU after Hungary.

As part of the programme, thousands of people at risk of diabetes will be offered support to improve their health.

More than three million people in the UK have diabetes.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: "The ghost of Christmases past reminds us that 20 years ago we didn't have these problems as a nation.

"The ghost of Christmases future tells us that if we get our act together - as the NHS, as parents, as schools, the food industry - we can get back in shape."

The European Court of Justice recently ruled that people who are obese could also be considered disabled.

But Mr Stevens called that ruling "daft" and said obesity is not "inevitable".

The NHS England leader said those at risk of diabetes can cut their chances of getting the disease by 60% if they lose between five and 7% of their body weight.

The new programme "will offer tens of thousands of people at risk of diabetes proper support to get healthier, eat better and exercise more", Mr Stevens said.

Almost two-thirds of adults in the country are either overweight or obese.

Obesity is calculated through the body mass index, which is determined looking at the weight and height of the person. A BMI of between 25 and 30 means a person is overweight, a BMI of 30 or over means a person is obese.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boxing Day Snow As UK Slides Towards -15C

Forecasters have raised the cold weather alert for large swathes of Britain - warning of ice, plumetting temperatures and up to 10cm of snow.

The Met Office has increased its alert level from yellow to amber - the second highest warning - for the the Midlands and the North of England.

An amber alert means "there is a 90% probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions/heavy snow".

The South, Northern Ireland, Wales, East Anglia, London and Kent are on yellow alert, meaning there is a 70 to 80% chance of freezing conditions.

In some central and northern parts, up to 10cm of snow could fall later today.

Meanwhile, temperatures could dip below freezing across much of Britain next week - falling to -15C in some parts.

Sky News Weather Presenter Isobel Lang said: "After this evening's low pressure system spirals into the near continent, the remnants of any snow should clear and it will turn icy.

"Scattered showers of rain, sleet and snow are likely to affect many areas during Saturday, but it will turn drier and clearer as high pressure moves in through Sunday and the run up to New Year.

"That period is likely to be the coldest of 2014 with some very low temperatures forecast. Minima of minus 10 to minus 15C are possible with daytime highs barely reaching zero or 1C in central areas."

The Met Office cold weather alert warns conditions could "increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services".

Met Office meteorologist Krista Mitchell said: "This year as a whole has been very mild, so this could be the coldest spell that we've had.

"As we go towards Monday and Tuesday, we will see overnight temperatures really drop, with widespread frost and most places dropping below freezing."

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said it was monitoring the conditions.

"As ever, the public have a vital role to play in terms of helping to minimise disruption," he said.

"We would advise people to prepare for some travel disruption as bridges could be affected by high winds and driving conditions could be challenging in some areas, so please allow extra time for your journeys.

"They should also check the relevant websites, such as Traffic Scotland, for up-to-date travel information before they set off."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

City Link Jobs Blow Announcement 'Stinks'

A union has hit out at the timing of an announcement that more than 2,700 workers are facing redundancies after parcel delivery group City Link went into administration.

The RMT union has demanded "urgent talks" with Business Secretary Vince Cable after it was revealed on Christmas Day that the company had called in administrators.

The administrators - EY - were called in after years of "substantial losses".

City Link, which employs 2,727 people and is understood to count John Lewis among its largest clients, expects there to be a number of redundancies after no buyer could be found.

As well as the talks with Mr Cable, the union has demanded an investigation into the release of the news, saying it believed there could have been "more cynical motives" behind the decision to "delay" the announcement.

The RMT said it had been told the Coventry-based firm was in administration on Christmas Eve, something which neither the company nor the administrators were prepared to publicly confirm until the next day.

The union's general secretary, Mick Cash, said: "The delayed timing of the announcement that City Link was in administration to tea time on Christmas Day stinks to high heaven.

"Not only was it the most brutal and callous way to treat nearly 3,000 staff but RMT believes there may have been more cynical motives behind it which we want the Government to investigate.

"The disgraceful timing of the City Link announcement at the start of the festive season must not be allowed to delay and hamper efforts to rescue the jobs."

Employee Mark Critchley told Sky News that staff were angry with City Link's managers, who he called "cowardly and underhanded".

"We'd like them to come down here and tell us what's going on and why they've done it," he said.

In an internal email from the company's chief executive Dave Smith, seen by Sky News, Mr Smith apologises to staff for the timing of the announcement.

"I am sorry to break this news to you, particularly at this time of year."

The company's operations at all of its depots have been suspended until Monday.

Customers and those expecting deliveries will then be able to collect their parcels.

Hunter Kelly, joint administrator to City Link, said the strain of the firm's losses "became too great".

"Despite the best efforts to save City Link Limited, including marketing the company for sale, it could not continue to operate as a going concern and administrators were appointed."

Administrators EY said some employees will be kept on to help return parcels to customers and help with the winding down of the company.

Customers who had placed parcels with the company on Christmas Eve and recipients who have been told of a failed or pending delivery have been urged to pick up their parcels as soon as possible on or after December 29.

The company's 53 depots will remain open for a short period of time so people can collect their parcels.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boxing Day Bargain Hunters Hit High Street

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Thousands of people have braved the cold to hit the high street early as stores kick off their Boxing Day sales.

Retailers say big discounts are available - even as a record eight million people shopped online on Christmas Day as some shops started their sales on the internet a day early.

Sky News' Katie Spencer at Selfridges in London said it was "incredibly busy" but noted that a lot of the shopping would likely be done online.

Shoppers searching for discounts online are expected to spend £748m today, or £519,000 every minute, according to data firm Experian and online retailing trade association IMRG.

An estimated 142 million visits were made to retail websites on Christmas Day and an online survey found that more than a third of Britons buy Christmas presents in the post-Christmas sales.

Experian's Giles Longhurst, said: "This year has seen record breaking online shopping rates, particularly on Black Friday, which saw an astronomical £810m in estimated spend due to the massive resources put behind promotions by a wide range of retailers.

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Gallery: Boxing Day Sales Across Nation

Shoppers are out in force as they hunt for a Boxing Day bargain

Crowds flocked to big department stores in London, such as Selfridges

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At Harrods people in the queue were treated to hot coffees

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When the doors opened shoppers who had lined up rushed inside

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Boxing Day is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Continue through for more images

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"Traditionally, the Boxing Day sales have been the busiest day for retailers in the UK, but this year we expect them to come second to Black Friday."

Myf Ryan, director of the Westfield shopping centres, said Boxing Day remained a "huge attraction" for shoppers.

"Last year we had queues out of the door on Boxing Day by 5am," he said.

"This year we expect an exceptionally busy day yet again, fuelled by excellent retail offers and special deals with over 50% off by many of our 600 retailers."

But retail staff will also spend much of their time sorting out disputes with consumers returning Christmas presents.

The new retail ombudsman, Dean Dunham, who takes up his new role on 2 January, said he expected thousands of complaints from shoppers who have been refused refunds.

He said: "If the goods are not faulty, the law places no obligations on the retailer so you have to examine their terms and conditions.

"If their terms say the retailer will not accept returns where packaging is damaged or missing, and most terms do, the retailer will be perfectly within their rights to enforce this."

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Written By Unknown on Kamis, 25 Desember 2014 | 22.11

Queen Urges Reconciliation In Christmas Message

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Queen Elizabeth has used her traditional Christmas broadcast to call for reconciliation, citing the Scottish referendum and Northern Ireland.

In her annual address to the nation, the monarch also hailed the medical workers who helped fight Ebola in Africa.

The message was broadcast after the Queen attended the traditional church service at Sandringham.

The head of state talked about the poignant moment when First World War forces put aside their differences and met in no-man's land during the Christmas truce of 1914.

She touched on how she felt visiting the poppy installation at the Tower of London last October.

"The ceramic poppies at the Tower of London drew millions and the only possible reaction to walking among them was silence.

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Gallery: Royals Attend Church Service

The Queen attended the traditional Christmas service at Sandringham

She was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family

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Camilla was missing due to a back problem

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The Duchess of Cambridge attended but Prince George did not

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William and Kate greeted well-wishers after the service

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"For every poppy a life; and a reminder of the grief of loved ones left behind," she said.

Her Majesty also reflected on some events of 2014.

"In Scotland after the referendum many felt great disappointment, while others felt great relief; and bridging these differences will take time," the Queen said.

In contrast, Northern Ireland has already begun the journey to heal divisions between Protestant and Catholic communities.

She said: "The benefits of reconciliation were clear to see when I visited Belfast in June. While my tour of the set of Game Of Thrones may have gained most attention, my visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol will remain vividly in my mind.

"What was once a prison during the Troubles is now a place of hope and fresh purpose; a reminder of what is possible when people reach out to one another."

The Queen began by talking about a sculpture of a man and woman embracing by Josefina de Vasconcellos, called Reconciliation.

Casts of the artwork can be found in the ruins of Coventry cathedral and at sites in Belfast and Berlin.

"Bringing reconciliation to war or emergency zones is an even harder task, and I have been deeply touched this year by the selflessness of aid workers and medical volunteers who have gone abroad to help victims of conflict or of diseases like Ebola, often at great personal risk," she said.

The Queen, who wore a purple dress by Angela Kelly and a diamond and pearl brooch inherited from her grandmother, recorded her message sitting next to a table featuring separate photographs of her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary.

Also present is an embossed box similar to those sent to soldiers on the frontline in 1914.

The Queen made her first Christmas broadcast in 1952, live on the radio from her study at Sandringham.

Her first televised message came five years later and she has only missed one year, 1969, when she decided the royals had featured enough on TV after an unprecedented documentary.

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