Real World News

£5 note 'worth £50,000' spent in Blackwood is found 15 December 2016 From the section Wales Image copyright Ferguson Media Image caption Looks can be deceiving... the note worth more than the number printed on it One of four new £5 notes which could be worth up to £50,000 has been found. Specialist micro-engraver Graham Short engraved a tiny portrait of Jane Austen on the fiver and used it to pay for a sausage and egg sandwich in …

Media playback is unsupported on your device When was the last time you used a phone box? 13 December 2016 Last updated at 17:02 GMT There are more than 45,000 phone boxes in the UK but BT is planning to remove a third of them. But it's not just phone calls that these red boxes are used for. View the full article

Southern rail strike: Train drivers begin 48-hour walkout 13 December 2016 From the section England Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The disruption has forced passengers to work from home or take time off Hundreds of thousands of rail passengers face travel chaos as the Southern network grinds to a halt during a walkout by train drivers. Drivers with the Aslef union walked out for 48 hours at midnight. A further 24-hour …

Planet Earth II tops BBC iPlayer requests 15 December 2016 From the section Entertainment & Arts Image caption Marine iguanas were among the animals seen in Planet Earth II's Islands opener The first episode of Planet Earth II is the most requested show on BBC iPlayer so far this year, new figures show. The Islands instalment of Sir David Attenborough's series has received 3.83m requests on the catch-up service. The first episode of BBC Three's drama series Thirteen is t…

Southern rail dispute talks end with no deal 15 December 2016 From the section England Image copyright EPA Image caption The drivers' strike stopped all Southern services earlier this week and passengers were told not to travel Talks aimed at stopping industrial action on the Southern rail network have ended with no deal, the rail operator has said. Aslef has been in negotiation with the rail company at conciliation service Acas b…

Rolf Harris to appear at trial via video link, judge rules 15 December 2016 From the section UK Image copyright Reuters Former TV entertainer Rolf Harris will not have to attend his sex attack trial in person because of his age and health, a judge has ruled. In what the court heard could be a legal first, the 86-year-old will be allowed to follow the trial at London's Southwark Crown Court via video link from Stafford Prison. He previously pleaded not guilty to seven counts of indecent assault and …

Humza Ali found guilty of wanting to travel to Syria 15 December 2016 From the section Birmingham & Black Country Image copyright Police handout Image caption Photos of Humza Ali, (centre), Mohammed Ali Ahmed (right) and Gabriel Rasmus (far right) were found on Ali's phone A student who trained for terrorist combat at a paintballing centre has been found guilty of trying to join the Islamic State group in Syria. Humza Ali, 20,…

Rio Ferdinand donates £500k of toys to children charity 15 December 2016 From the section Manchester Image caption Rio Ferdinand said he and his restaurant just wanted to help people out Former England football captain Rio Ferdinand and his restaurant have pledged £500,000 of toys and gifts to a children's charity. The Manchester United star posted on his official Facebook page he and his Rosso Restaurant hoped to "put a smile on locals kids' faces this Christmas". He announ…

Ex-Britain First leader Paul Golding jailed over mosque ban 15 December 2016 From the section London Image caption Paul Golding was jailed for eight weeks after admitting the contempt of court charge The former leader of Britain First has been jailed for breaching a court order telling him not to enter a mosque or encourage others to do so. Paul Golding, who has stepped down as head of the group, admitted contempt of court and was jailed for eight weeks. The injunction, whic…

Paris smugglers offering migrants Lidl trucks to get into UK 15 December 2016 From the section England Related Topics Europe migrant crisis Image caption Sultan, an agent for the people-smugglers in Paris, guarantees "safe passage to the UK" Illegal migrants are being offered Channel crossings in the back of a Lidl supermarket lorry for thousands of pounds. BBC South East has found people smugglers who operated in the…

Speaker John Bercow unamused by MP's 'crazy' hat 15 December 2016 From the section UK Politics Media captionPeter Bone breaks the rules for charitySpeaker John Bercow has told off a Conservative MP for wearing a "crazy" hat in the House of Commons. Peter Bone put on the stripy, multicoloured woolly headgear, complete with tassles and ear flaps, to raise awareness of a breast cancer charity. But Mr Bercow said he was "glad" when the MP for Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, removed it. He told Mr Bone he should not wear it again, "preferably at any time, but certainly not in the c…

Mother and son's bodies found in Ruislip house 15 December 2016 From the section London Image caption The bodies were found after police forced their way into a house on The Fairway, Ruislip The bodies of a mother and her seven-year-old son have been discovered at their home. Sinead Higgins, 37, and son Oisin O'Driscoll were found after police forced their way into the house in The Fairway, Ruislip, west London on Wednesday. Police responded to concerns for the pair's welfar…

'Abuse' payouts for all ex-residents of Shirley Oaks home 15 December 2016 From the section UK Image copyright iStock Every resident of a former network of children's homes in south London is to receive compensation for being at risk of abuse dating back decades. Lambeth Council is set to pay tens of millions of pounds to people whether or not they were abused at Shirley Oaks. The offer comes as 27 men were named as alleged paedophiles in a report by former residents of the home. Their investiga…

Sky and 21st Century Fox agree £18.5bn takeover deal 15 December 2016 From the section Business Image copyright AP Broadcaster Sky and 21st Century Fox reach agreement on the terms of a takeover by 21st Century Fox. Sky shareholders will receive £10.75 in cash for each share, valuing the company at £18.5bn. Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox first launched its takeover bid for the 61% of Sky it does not already own last Friday. Some investors are unhappy that the bid undervalues the satellite broa…