The second day of the second wave of national postal strikes by Royal Mail staff has begun today. Some 400 workers at sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stock are expected to strike, with 77,000 delivery and collection staff due to strike tomorrow. Last night the Communication Workers Union (CWU) released a statement which said: "Post strikes for Friday 30th and Saturday 31st October are still on. No further strikes have been called today.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:50:20

The online world is due to undergo a transformation as the internet regulator moves to change non-Latin script web addresses. The timing of the move is poignant, with yesterday marking 40 years of email. Today's announcement will be the biggest change to the way the internet works since it was first created. At its annual meeting in Seoul the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers board (Icann) said the first internet addresses containing non-Latin characters from start to finish will soon be online, "thanks to today's approval of the new Internationalized Domain Name Fast Track Process" by Icann.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00

The owners of Threshers, Wine Rack, The Local and Haddows have gone into administration. First Quench Retailing said thousands of jobs could be at risk, but added their administrators KPMG would be looking to "save as many jobs as possible". The off-licences will be operating as normal, with the 6,500 staff members paid as normal next week, KPMG said.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:00

A traditional British lemonade drink has caused controversy after an American pupil had it confiscated at school due to its alcohol content. Fentimans, who make Victorian lemonade, have argued their 0.5 per cent ABV drink qualifies as a soft drink because the alcohol content is so low. A high-school in Maine reportedly contacted police over whether the drink could be legally sold to anyone under the age of 21 – the legal drinking age in the US.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:00

The housing market recovery hailed by many property analysts is seen to be "moderating" over autumn, figures show today. Nationwide's monthly house price index (HPI) for October showed prices rose at a slower pace over the month at, 0.4 per cent. However, annual house price inflation has turned positive for the first time since March 2008. The average price of a home, according to the building society, is now £162,038.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:45:00

Fewer public sector job opportunities due to reduced government spending is leaving graduates exposed to unemployment, a thinktank has said today. According to the Centre for Cities over half of all recent UK graduates work in the public sector, but their research shows up to 290,000 of these jobs could be lost by 2014. The researchers have warned that over the next few years there will be a dwindling number of public sector jobs, and unless highly skilled jobs are created, cities will continue to see graduate unemployment rise.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00

Former home secretary Jacqui Smith has admitted she should not be given a peerage after being "disgraced" by the MPs expenses scandal. Ms Smith was speaking as a panellist on the BBC's Question Time, during which she said that her apology to the Commons earlier this month made it clear she was wrong. Asked if she had been "disgraced", she replied: "Yes I think to a certain extent I have been. I think it's obvious because I have made an apology to parliament that I was wrong.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00

Wigan Athletic striker Marlon King has been jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman on a night out in London. Southwark crown court heard how the 29-year-old was repeatedly "cold-shouldered" by women during an evening out in the capital last December celebrating his wife's pregnancy and his scoring of a winning goal. The prosecution alleged the footballer first groped and then punched a female student, leaving her with a broken nose.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00

Good garden hygiene is a must for birds to stay healthy in the winter, a charity has warned today. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has today urged good hygiene around feeders, tables and water baths to help garden birds stay healthy this winter. The charity warns birds are more susceptible to diseases in the cold weather, and say extra care needs to be taken to help reduce the risk of infection spreading.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:47:38

Gordon Brown has once again publicly backed former prime minister Tony Blair to become the first president of the European Council. The prime minister was speaking at a press conference in Brussels during a summit of EU leaders on Thursday. While the talks are expected to involve a range of topics, namely climate change and the economic crisis, speculation over who will fill the new presidential role if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force has continued to dominate the agenda.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:01:00