'Bedroom Tax' To Hit Thousands Of Families

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

Thousands of families living in social housing are facing a cut in their benefits from April because they are seen to have too big a home.

The under-occupation penalty, dubbed "the bedroom tax", aims to encourage households to downsize if they have spare rooms, freeing up their properties for larger families.

But council house tenant Eddie Bird says the policy fails to take into consideration individual cases. His wife Shirley has terminal cancer, and weighing just five-and-a-half stone, needs her own room.

"Any form of movement on the bed and it affects my wife. She's in constant back pain," said Mr Bird. "There's no room for separate beds so I sleep in the box room."

They have been told they will lose nearly £14 a week in benefits.

"It's going to affect my wife's quality of life. We have a Motability car but if we can't afford to put petrol in it, we can't go on any day trips."

The Government hopes the policy will make better use of almost a million rooms that are not used and help reduce the £23bn housing benefit bill.

Eddie Bird says he will lose out despite his wife having terminal cancer

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "We've put a fairly sizeable sum aside to be able to ensure that those kind of cases can be paid for.

"But the general idea that there has to be a limit on the amount of benefit that people receive I think is a correct one.

"And these are exactly the same kind of rules that have existed in the last few years in private rented (accommodation), so we are applying to public housing.

"If it was good enough for private renting, it's got to be good enough for public housing."

But critics question how you can penalise tenants for not moving somewhere smaller when there simply are not enough suitable sized properties available.

It is something the Coast and Country Housing Association has seen in South Teesside. They have 10,000 properties but only two one-bedroom apartments available.

Chief executive Iain Sim said: "We had the pasty tax last year - this is the nasty tax. This is hitting people directly who through no fault of their own are under-occupying the property that they live in.

"The cut in their benefit will range from 14% for one room up to 25% for two rooms. That's a loss in income of between £10 and £22 a week. That's a lot of money to take from people with very limited incomes."

The change is expected to affect 660,000 claimants.

Some households will be exempt if, for example, a non-resident carer for a disabled person helps at the home overnight.

But as Eddie and Shirley Bird are married they will not be eligible for this exemption. Their only hope is that they will qualify for financial assistance from a fund called the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme, but it is not guaranteed.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

UKIP's Marta Andreasen Defects To The Tories

UK Independence Party MEP Marta Andreasen has revealed she is defecting to the Conservatives, saying they are the "true referendum party".

Less than a week before the Eastleigh by-election, Ms Andreasen said she was quitting, and dismissed UKIP's chances of achieving real power.

Ms Andreason, who was elected as a UKIP member of the European Parliament in 2009, hailed the Prime Minister's pledge on an in-out referendum on EU membership as a "game changer".

It comes amid speculation UKIP could perform well in the crucial electoral test. UKIP leader Nigel Farage chose not to stand as a candidate himself - but has been in the constituency trying to drum up support.

However, Ms Andreasen said she did not believe the party could offer "real leadership".

In an open letter, the South East region MEP wrote: "UKIP has good people in it at grass roots that care about the future of the United Kingdom and our place in a re-negotiated relationship with Europe.

"Unfortunately, their party leader treats any views other than his own with contempt.

"UKIP is his plaything to mould and shape in any way he sees fit, regardless of the views of others, myself included.

"His actions, surrounding himself with an old boys club of like-minded sycophants, are dictatorial in sharp contrast to those of David Cameron, who has shown he can listen, adapt and do what is right for the country, not just for personal gain."

Marta Andreasen celebrates her MEP win in 2009 with Nigel Farage

Ms Andreasen said Mr Cameron's keynote address on Britain's relationship with the EU last month had convinced her the Conservatives were the "true referendum party".

"The Prime Minister's speech was a game changer. He promised to turn around the European freight train, which is currently heading towards a deeper federal Europe with no options for Britain," she went on.

"I was also reassured by the financial deal that David Cameron got for Britain on the EU Budget. This is a matter very close to my heart and for which I have fought hard, and it is an important step for Britain in this battle."

By contrast, the MEP said Mr Farage's decision not to stand as a candidate in Eastleigh after former Cabinet minister Chris Huhne resigned in disgrace showed UKIP was only a "pressure group".

She warned Eastleigh voters that UKIP had no chance of victory, and supporting the party risked "letting the Lib Dems in via the back door".

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said: "I'm delighted to welcome Marta to the Conservative Party.

"She brings a wealth of experience - and a dedication to fight for what's best for the British people in Europe.

"Her decisive words on the Prime Minister's EU budget negotiations prove that the Conservatives are the only party who can protect Britain's interests in Europe."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Food Bills May Rise Amid Growing Meat Tests

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Consumers are being warned that food bills may rise if high demand for meat testing continues.

Since the start of the horsemeat scandal, laboratories all over the UK have been inundated with requests to test different meat products.

At Worcestershire Scientific Services laboratory staff have been working early mornings, late nights and weekends to keep up with demand.

Even some of the equipment has been unable to keep up with almost continual testing.

Laboratory manager Paul Hancock told Sky News that funding is tight, explaining: "The FSA do support the laboratory to a degree but things are very very difficult.

"If the consumer wants quality food they have to be prepared to pay for a degree of policing that."

Checking a meat sample for DNA from other species takes three days and costs between £75 to £100 per sample.

The number of labs capable of carrying out proper testing though has fallen over recent years due to funding cuts. In April, Somerset County Council will close its lab.

Those that remain open operate as competitive businesses rather than sharing information, equipment and practices with each other.

Mr Hancock added: "Ten or 15 years ago the labs used to work closely together that relationship has broken down because of commercial activity and that makes life a whole lot more difficult as well."

Meanwhile, France's agriculture ministry has confirmed that horse carcasses from the UK containing the drug Phenylbutazone - known as bute - have probably ended up in the human food chain.

A spokesman for the French agriculture ministry said it was alerted by British authorities that six carcasses had been exported to France in January but that the meat had already been processed.

Some of the meat was recalled but the equivalent of three carcasses have "probably" been eaten, according to officials - although they insist the health risk is "minor".

Bute is an anti-inflammatory treatment for horses which is potentially harmful to humans and is banned from the food chain.

The latest Food Standards Agency results showed six positive results for horse DNA out of 1,133 tested beef products, but so far no UK sample has been found to contain bute.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Italy: Briton Held Over Tour Guide Murder

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A Briton has been arrested in Italy for the murder of a tour guide and the attempted killing of another man.

Jason Peter Marshall, 24, was held by police early on Saturday after they traced him through his mobile phone signal to a late night bus.

Police believe he met both men through gay internet chat rooms.

He was arrested after a 55-year-old man was found severely beaten in the bedroom of his apartment in central Rome, following calls to police when neighbours heard screams and calls for help.

When officers arrived on the scene, the victim identified Marshall as his attacker and described how he had been threatened with a gun, badly beaten with a telescopic cosh and smothered with a pillow.

Marshall is said to have fled the apartment with €400 (£348), credit cards and the victim's iPad as he allegedly tried to erase all traces of contact between him and the victim.

Marshall, who is originally from Greenwich, southeast London, is said to have arrived in Italy last month and police in Rome have confirmed he is also the prime suspect in the murder of tour guide Vincenzo Iale.

The 68-year-old was found strangled and stabbed to death in his flat at Torvajanica, on the outskirts of Rome, four weeks ago with his bank card missing.

Police said Marshall was being held in Rome's Regina Coeli jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, kidnap and possessing offensive weapons.

Sources said the victims had been targeted through gay internet chat rooms.

A Rome police source said: "This could easily have been a double murder investigation and the second victim - although badly hurt - can think himself lucky he is not dead."

No one from the British Embassy in Rome was immediately available for comment and Marshall is expected to be questioned further by prosecutors ahead of appearing before an investigating judge.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

AAA Credit Rating Lost: Osborne Defiant

George Osborne has come under attack over what Labour calls his "catastrophic economic policy failure" after the UK lost its top-grade AAA credit rating.

International agency Moody's downgraded it by one notch to AA1, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden.

The Chancellor said it was a "stark reminder" of the country's debt problems, but said the coalition was determined to stick by its plan for recovery.

The downgrade is a major blow for Mr Osborne, who has been coming under increasing pressure to take action to stimulate the economy.

In the last election, Mr Osborne made safeguarding Britain's credit rating one of his key pledges.

He has used maintaining the rating for government bonds as one of the main arguments for the Government's austerity programme.

He said: "We have a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country - and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

"We are not going to run away from our problems, we are going to overcome them."

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls told Sky News: "They (the Government) are paying the price for an absolute catastrophic failure of economic policy and everybody can see that now pretty much other than the chancellor and the prime minister.

"Until they face up to reality, we're just going to have more of the same."

Moody's said it did not expect Britain's slow recovery to change

Moody's said Britain's recovery was proving to be significantly slower than previous rebounds from recession and it did not expect the situation to change.

"(There's) increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK's economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years," it said.

Moody's is the first of the major credit rating agencies to knock the UK off of its top rating.

The ratings agency also cut the Bank of England's AAA rating by one notch, also to AA1. The US' top credit rating was downgraded by one notch in 2011.

Sky's Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "The fact that Britain has lost its AAA crown for the first time since credit ratings were given to the UK back in the 1970s, it's a really big blow to Britain's reputation.

"It's something of an economic blow, but in a way it's more of a political problem for George Osborne. He made a key part of the Conservative election pledge to safeguard Britain's credit rating."

Moody's said that the British economy is constrained both by the troubled global economy and the drag from businesses and the Government slashing its debt burdens.

"Moreover, while the Government's recent Funding for Lending Scheme has the potential to support a surge in growth, Moody's believes the risks to the growth outlook remain skewed to the downside," it said.

Labour has insisted that withdrawing demand from the economy has put it more at risk by stunting growth.

Mr Balls said: "This credit rating downgrade is a humiliating blow to a prime minister and chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility.

"In the Budget the government must urgently take action to kick-start our flatlining economy and realise that we need growth to get the deficit down. If David Cameron and George Osborne fail to do so and put political pride above the national economic interest we face more long-term damage and pain for businesses and families."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jemima Prees: Tribute To Ski Tragedy Schoolgirl

The family of a British schoolgirl who died in a skiing accident in the Austrian Alps has spoken of how she "lived every day as if it might be her last".

Mourners will gather today for the funeral of 10-year-old Jemima Prees, who was killed when she hit a tree at high speed on February 10 while on a half-term holiday with her family.

The schoolgirl, who was wearing a helmet, appeared to lose control and skied into a wooded off-piste area at the Mayrhofen resort near Tyrol, an Austrian police spokesman said.

The 10-year-old was on a half-term skiing holiday with her family

Her brother and father rushed to her side to give first aid before she was airlifted to hospital in Innsbruck, but she died the following day.

Her funeral will be held at the Church of St John The Baptist, in Colerne, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Speaking on the eve of the service, Jemima's parents, Tim and Karen, told of the mature attitude to life which belied the girl's tender years.

Mrs Prees said: "She was lovely, she was gorgeous, she was very active. She loved life. She lived every day as if it might be her last.

"Sometimes she used to say, 'Today might be the last day, we must all tell each other that we love each other because we may not come back this evening'.

"She was very wise, wise beyond her years. She had things sewn up that some people never seem to grasp."

Jemima's father described her as "a real ray of sunshine".

Jemima 'touched so many people', her parents say

"She just had the knack of making everybody feel as if they were really important to her," he said.

"And she had a smile for everybody. And I think she genuinely cared about other people, it wasn't just a surface smile."

Police in Mayrhofen - an hour away from Innsbruck and popular with British skiers - said the Prees family were on the last run of the day when Jemima careered into woodland and was knocked unconscious.

Her brother Barnaby spent 40 minutes trying to revive his sister.

Jemima's brother Barnaby attempted to resuscitate her at the scene

Jemima, who went to Calder House School, near Colerne, also has two sisters, Annabel and Olivia, who were not on the family holiday.

The schoolgirl's family have set up a charity in Jemima's memory, named Jemima's Gift, intended to help children make the most of opportunities in the arts, sport and education.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hacking: Ex-NOTW Executive Avoids Prosecution

After spending nearly two years on police bail, Mr Wallis has been told he is not being prosecuted because there is insufficient evidence.

He said on Twitter: "After 21 months of hell for my family, CPS have just told my solicitors that there will be no prosecution of me re my phone-hacking arrest."

Prosecutors have said there is insufficient evidence to bring charges against a journalist arrested under Operation Weeting.

Mr Wallis was arrested in July 2011 on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept communications.

In a statement Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the director of public prosecutions, said prosecutors had been considering whether to bring charges against two journalists over alleged phone hacking.

She said: "The file in relation to one of those two journalists was resubmitted on January 11 2013. Having carefully considered the matter, the Crown Prosecution Service has concluded that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction in relation to that journalist.

"The other journalist remains under investigation."

So far, 26 people have been arrested as part of Operation Weeting, Scotland Yard's investigation into illegal access to voicemails, and another six as part of a separate line of inquiry that came out of the probe.

Of those, eight are facing charges over alleged phone hacking - ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, former spin doctor Andy Coulson, private detective Glenn Mulcaire and five other former NotW staff.

They are ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, ex-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former reporter James Weatherup.

Brooks is also accused along with six other people of perverting the course of justice in relation to Operation Weeting.

This is over an alleged conspiracy to withhold material from police.

Brooks, 44, her husband Charlie, 49, her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, head of security at News International Mark Hanna, Brooks's chauffeur Paul Edwards and security staff Daryl Jorsling and Lee Sandell are all accused of perverting the course of justice.

They are all due to face trial later in the year.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Birds Eye Ready Meal Recall Over Horse Fears

How Horsemeat Scandal Unfolded

Updated: 12:25pm UK, Friday 22 February 2013

The horsemeat scandal has been unfolding for weeks and products have been flying off the shelves, although not in a good way. Where did it all begin?

January 16: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland says beefburgers with traces of equine DNA, including one product classed as 29% horse, are being supplied to supermarkets by Silvercrest Foods in Ireland and Dalepak Hambleton in Yorkshire, subsidiaries of the ABP Food Group.

Ten million suspect burgers are taken off the shelves, including by retailers Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores. A third company, Liffey meats, based in Co Cavan, Ireland, was also found to be supplying products to supermarkets with traces of horse DNA.

January 17: The ABP Food Group suspends work at its Silvercrest Foods plant in Co Monaghan, Ireland, until further notice. Sainsbury's, Asda and the Co-op later withdrew some frozen products as a precaution but had not been found to be selling contaminated food.

January 23: Burger King, which is supplied burgers by ABP Food Group, switches to another supplier as a precautionary measure.

January 25: Waitrose removes a range of frozen burgers made by Dalepak but says its burgers have been tested and are 100% beef. The Food Standards Agency said tests at a Dalepak plant in North Yorkshire had found no traces of meat contaminated with horse or pork DNA.

However, Aldi found traces of pig and horsemeat in samples taken from three lines of Dalepak burgers. It withdrew Specially Selected Aberdeen Angus Quarter Pounder, Oakhurst Beef Quarter Pounders and Frozen Oakhurst Beefburgers from sale.

February 4: Production at a second meat supplier, Rangeland Foods in Co Monaghan, is suspended after 75% equine DNA is found in raw ingredients, The Department of Agriculture confirm.

February 5: Frozen meat at Freeza Meats company in Newry, Northern Ireland, is found to contain 80% horse meat, The Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland said. It is potentially linked to the Silvercrest factory in the Republic of Ireland. Asda withdraws products supplied by Freeza Meats.

February 6: Tesco and Aldi take down frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals produced by French food supplier Comigel following concerns about its Findus beef lasagne.

The FSA reveals a second case of "gross contamination" after some Findus UK beef lasagnes were found to contain up to 100% horse meat. The products were made by French food supplier Comigel.

February 8: Aldi withdraws its Today's Special Frozen Beef Lasagne and Today's Special Frozen Spaghetti Bolognese after tests showed the products contained between 30% and 100% horsemeat.

February 12: Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and meat processing plant Farmbox Meats at Llandre in Aberystwyth, West Wales, are raided and shut down, pending investigations.

February 14: New figures released by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) show eight horses slaughtered in the UK between January 30 and February 7 tested positive for the veterinary painkiller bute. Three men are arrested at the raided plants in Aberystwyth and Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

February 19: Swiss food giant Nestle announces a decision to recall beef-based products in Italy and Spain after horse DNA is discovered in products bearing the Buitoni and Bolognaise Gourmandes labels.

February 22: Birds Eye recalls beef lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise and shepherd's pie from shelves in Britain and Ireland. Parent company Iglo also pulls chili con carne in the Netherlands and eight products in Belgium.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fuel Prices Head For Highest Level Ever

Motorists have been warned that petrol prices may soon reach their highest level ever.

The AA said sterling's slide against the dollar and market speculation could push prices to record levels by Easter.

The warning comes as tanker drivers at the Grangemouth refinery, which supplies Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, begin a three-day strike in a row over pay and pensions.

On Friday, striking drivers manned a picket line outside the big facility, with police officers monitoring events.

After surging 5p a litre over the past month, the price of petrol at the pumps has gone up a further 1p in the last five days, the AA said.

It revealed that the average cost of petrol in the UK is now 138.32p per litre, with diesel having risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to stand at an average of 145.10p.

The picket line outside Grangemouth oil refinery on Friday

The latest figures show that petrol has risen 6.24p since early January, adding £3.12 to the cost of filling a typical 50-litre tank.

The AA said the cost of filling up the 70-litre tank of a Ford Mondeo now costs £4.37 more than it did six weeks ago.

A two-car family's monthly petrol cost has risen £13.25.

Drivers have been caught between the pound weakening against the dollar and soaring wholesale prices, both due to stock market speculation.

Regionally, Yorkshire and Humberside and the north of England are the cheapest for petrol at the moment at 137.6p a litre, with prices in London and Scotland at 137.8p. Northern Ireland is the most expensive at 138.7p.

Yorkshire and Humberside remains the cheapest region for diesel, averaging 144.2p, while East Anglia, Northern Ireland and southeast England are the most expensive at 145.2p.

AA president Edmund King said: "We're no longer talking of the motorist as a cash cow for tax and speculator greed, but a horse slowly but surely being flogged to death.

Petrol price breakdown over the past decade

"This is the third 10p-a-litre wholesale price surge in 11 months, given extra vigour by currency speculators betting against the pound."

Government revenue from fuel duty has also been hit hard as Britons reduce spending by cutting back on non-essential journeys.

HM Revenue and Customs figures showed that January's UK petrol sales fell to the lowest tracked by the Government in 23 years.

Drivers consumed 1.465 billion litres of petrol last month, down 14 million litres on the previous all-time low set in March last year and nearly 100 million litres below December's consumption of 1.564bn litres.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile: Pollard BBC Inquiry Evidence Released

A producer at the BBC proposed running an investigation into child abuse carried out by Jimmy Savile hours after the presenter's death, it has been revealed.

An email, released among thousands of pages of evidence from a report into the corporation's handling of the Savile affair, said that producer Meirion Jones suggested the show soon after it was known the former DJ had died.

Mr Jones - who was involved in the axed Newsnight investigation that prompted the Pollard inquiry - proposed the idea in an email headed "Jimmy Savile - paedophile".

He told BBC news bosses that some of the girls who had been molested by Savile were ready to talk about their experiences.

The email is among hundreds of documents and transcripts of interviews with senior figures that have now been released by the BBC.

The review led by Nick Pollard, former Head of Sky News, came in the wake of the fallout of Newsnight's decision to shelve an investigation into whether Savile was a paedophile.

Sky News' Media Correspondent Niall Paterson says the material from the report is in a format that makes it very difficult to review quickly.

He said it has been scanned and placed online by the BBC in a form that does not allow it to be electronically searched - meaning anyone wishing to locate particular passages has to read through the entire report.

Many of the pages of the report feature sections that have been redacted to remove passages that lawyers feel could be libellous.

Watch Sky News Live for the latest on the Pollard Review

In another email, which had already been made public, BBC executive Nick Vaughan-Barratt said he felt uncomfortable about preparing a BBC obituary for Savile.

He wrote: "I'd feel v queasy about obit. I saw the real truth."

Among others whose comments have been published is Jeremy Paxman. Eight out the 19 pages of what he told Nick Pollard have been blacked out.

Jeremy Paxman told the inquiry it was common gossip at the BBC that Savile liked young girls and also that the BBC is led by radio people.

He told the inquiry: "It was, I would say, common gossip that Jimmy Savile liked, you know, young – it was always assumed to be girls. I don't know whether it was girls or boys. But I had no evidence of it, and I never saw anything that made me take it more seriously than it being common gossip."

The Newsnight presenter questioned how Savile had been allowed to rise to prominence within the BBC.

He said: "What was the BBC doing promoting this absurd figure, this absurd and malign figure? And I think that has to do with the fact of the BBC having been aloof from popular culture for so long.

"Suddenly pirate radio comes along and all these people ... suddenly have to deal with an influx ... of people from a very, very different culture and they never got control of them and I'm not sure even now they have."

Mark Thompson, who was Director General at the time of Savile's death and when the investigation was shelved, told the inquiry he knew of it but did had only been made aware of it at a party by a colleague Caroline Hawley.

He said: "I remember seeing Caroline at the party because I had seen her in Tripoli, in Libya some period shortly before. But the phrase that stuck in my mind is, 'You must be worried about the Newsnight investigation into Jimmy Savile'."

He said the "casual remark" had not worried him because "at this point the name Jimmy Savile doesn't ring alarm bells".

Mr Thompson said he did not regard Savile as "a kind of BBC person particularly" and said he would have been more worried if the investigation had been into a current member of staff.

Another of those interviewed, former Director General George Entwistle, told the inquiry the BBC had self-censored hundreds of comments placed by members of the public on a corporation tribute website to Savile.

The comments, which included one person who wrote "One of my best friends in 1972 was molested by this creep Savile. He was never the same again. Killed himself in 1985. How's About That Then?", were stopped from being published by a team of moderators employed by the corporation.

Peter Rippon, the Newsnight Editor who made the decision to scrap the Savile investigation, told Mr Pollard how he felt about making the decision.

He said:  "It was a fine judgement ... particularly because you are conscious of the kind of obligation and duty of care to the women that they are doing, that it makes it quite a big judgement to make."

The amount of traffic to the website on which the report was published caused it to crash shortly after it went live.

The latest evidence is likely to place further criticism on the corporation for an apparent reluctance to hold to account executives whose actions brought about the crisis.

The BBC's Chairman Lord Patten has put out a statement and responded to potential criticism.

He said: "These documents paint a very unhappy picture, but the BBC needs to be open - more open than others would be - in confronting the facts that lie behind Nick Pollard's report.

"A limited amount of text has been blacked out for legal reasons, but no one could say that the effect has been to sanitise this material, which again puts a spotlight on some of our failings. We need to acknowledge these shortcomings and learn from them."

The Pollard Review concluded that an investigation by Newsnight into allegations of sexual abuse by the former TV presenter was abandoned because of a "flawed" decision by programme editor Peter Rippon.

The review, which cost around £2m, painted a picture of a top-down organisation beset with rivalries and faction fighting.

Lord McAlpine, former Conservative Party treasurer, urged the BBC to publish all the witness statements, without redactions.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "Of course they should publish them in full, the BBC is not the Secret Service.

"There's no reason for holding back; what Jeremy Paxman said should be printed. It should be explained to people."

The peer was mistakenly linked by the BBC Newsnight programme in an edition broadcast on November 2 last year to a paedophile ring which targeted children at a care home in Wrexham.

His name was then widely mentioned on the internet, including Twitter.

Meanwhile, Scarborough Borough Council have said it is likely that Savile will be formally stripped of his title - freedom of the borough of Scarborough.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Four-Year-Old 'Sexually Assaulted': Teen Held

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl at a children's play centre in Lancaster.

The girl told her parents the assault happened whilst she was playing at The Zone on Dalton Square between 12.30pm and 1.30pm on February 16, police said.

The boy has been released on bail while detectives continue their investigation.

Lancashire Police have appealed for information.

Detective Inspector Phil Jones, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is a very sensitive investigation and we are seeking the help of the public.

"I would ask the parents or relatives of any children who were at The Zone on Saturday between 12.30pm and 2pm to contact the police."

DI Jones said there was no suggestion that any other children had been victims or were potentially at risk.

"We do believe this to have been an isolated incident. However, we are seeking any witnesses that may have seen something suspicious or out of the ordinary.

"The young girl and her parents are currently being supported by specially trained officers and The Zone is fully cooperating with our investigation."

:: Anybody with any information can contact police on 101, quoting log number LC-20130216-1061, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Alien' Invaders Threatening UK's Wildlife

UK wildlife is under threat from a growing number of "alien" species set to reach our shores soon.

The bee-killing yellow-legged hornet is among the non-native species set to arrive in the UK, the Europe-wide study warned.

The Asian hornet, which grows to between 2.5cm and 3cm, preys on native honeybees, wasps and other pollinators, potentially devastating hives and threatening honey and crop production.

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) report, the Asian tiger mosquito - linked to more than 20 diseases including yellow fever and the dengue-like chikungunya fever - could also make its way to Britain.

The Spanish slug is now found across Britain. Pic: Ekko

The species is prevalent in several southern European countries, such as Italy, and is likely to expand its range north as the climate changes.

Other species already in the UK and causing problems include common ragweed - which came in to Europe from North America in grain mixes intended as bird feed and is a potent trigger for hayfever and other allergies.

The Spanish slug, which reaches up to 15cm in length and is possibly native to the South East, is now found across Britain, and can hit garden planting and horticulture, as they eat plants as well as carrion and even each other.

Well-established invaders include the American mink which has destroyed water vole populations and the grey squirrel, which has driven its native red cousin from most of England.

Zebra mussels are thought to have arrived in the UK in ship ballasts

More recent arrivals include killer shrimps, which feed on other aquatic wildlife and can cause local extinctions of naturally-found species, and zebra mussels, thought to have arrived in ship ballasts and which can damage infrastructure such as water plants and locks.

Other species posing problems to the UK include brook trout, American bullfrogs, rhododendrons, Japanese knotweed, harlequin ladybirds and the horse chestnut leaf-miner moth.

Across Europe, invasive alien species cost around £10bn a year, the EEA report said.

Species are most commonly brought in for horticulture, while other reasons include farming, hunting and fishing or as pets.

Growing tourism and trade in recent decades may have led to increasing numbers of alien invaders, while climate change may also be playing a role in the spread of species, by making areas increasingly suitable for new plants and animals.

Jacqueline McGlade, EEA executive director, said: "In many areas, ecosystems are weakened by pollution, climate change and fragmentation.

"Alien species invasions are a growing pressure on the natural world, which are extremely difficult to reverse."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Prisons Are Run Better By Private Firms'

Private firms are better at running prisons than the public sector and all jails should be subject to open competition, according to a think tank.

The Government would be wrong to limit the role of private companies within prisons to small contracts, such as maintenance and catering, right-wing group Reform said.

Ten out of 12 privately-managed prisons have lower re-offending rates among offenders serving 12 months or more than comparable public sector prisons, a report by the group found.

Researcher Will Tanner, who wrote the report, said: "Twenty years of private prisons have created an effective market which is ready to grow.

"Evidence shows that a greater role for the private sector will advance the 'rehabilitation revolution' which ministers want to deliver."

Private firms have been managing prisons since 1992, but in November last year Justice Secretary Chris Grayling signalled a move away from wholesale privatisation as he decided four prisons, including G4S-run HMP Wolds, should be run by the public sector.

Two contracts to run five prisons - Acklington and Castington, which have since formed Northumberland prison, and three in South Yorkshire - will proceed to the next stage of the competition with an announcement expected next spring.

Mr Grayling said private firms will be brought in to all public prisons to run maintenance, resettlement and catering to save up to £450 million over six years.

Policy groups, including Reform, said the decision amounted to the end of competition for prison management between the public and private sector, although Mr Grayling insisted it did not rule out further prison-by-prison competitions in the future.

The report found 12 out of 12 private jails performed better than the public sector at "resource management and operational effectiveness", while seven out of 12 were better at "reducing reoffending".

However, seven out of 12 public prisons performed better than private jails at "public protection".

Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said: "Reoffending rates across the entire prison estate are too high and we are pressing ahead with major reforms to tackle this unacceptable problem.

"And let's be clear, there has been no U-turn on the use of prison competition.

"The cost of running our prisons is too high and must be reduced.

"The recent competition process identified a new approach for reducing costs and improving services aimed at reducing reoffending at a faster rate involving the private sector."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

McAlpine Drops Action Against Twitter Users

Lord McAlpine has dropped defamation claims against Twitter users with fewer than 500 followers who wrongly named him as a paedophile.

The Tory peer, who was mistakenly linked to abuse allegations, has instead asked that they give a £25 donation to Children In Need.

Lord McAlpine has written to the individuals involved and now says he wants to draw the "unfortunate episode" to a close.

But he is still pursuing Sally Bercow, the wife of the Commons Speaker, and says this is now his lawyers' main focus.

The peer was wrongly implicated by a BBC Newsnight programme last November about a paedophile ring operating at a Welsh care home.

The story sparked frenzied speculation online about who was involved and led to his name being linked to the scandal.

Sally Bercow is still being pursued by Lord McAlpine's lawyers

The BBC, which was already battling the Jimmy Savile crisis, agreed a £185,000 settlement after the broadcast.

ITV and Phillip Schofield also had to pay out £125,000 after the This Morning presenter held up a list of people who had been named on the internet.

In a statement on Thursday, the peer said he would cover all administration costs for the low-circulation Twitter libels.

"Whilst I reached a settlement last year with both the BBC and ITV, I would like to now draw this unfortunate episode, forced into my life, to a close," he said.

"I have dropped all claims against those tweeters with less than 500 followers, in return for a very modest donation to BBC Children In Need, which funds 2,600 projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

"I have requested that my lawyers, RMPI LLP, focus on the action against Sally Bercow and that damages arising from this are donated to a charity of her choice."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Terrorist Bomb Plot: Three Men Convicted

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

Three men have been found guilty of leading a terrorist bomb plot that could have been bigger than the July 7 atrocities.

Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid, 27, and Ashik Ali, 27, all unemployed, and from Birmingham, wanted up to eight suicide bombers to detonate rucksacks packed with explosives in crowded places.

"They were deadly serious and they were hell bent because of the training they'd had and the things they said", said Detective Inspector Adam Gough, from West Midlands Police.

"On committing these acts there's no doubt whatsoever they were going to build bombs and martyr themselves and kill as many people as they could."

More Follows...

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

IVF Treatment For Older Women On The NHS

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Women aged 40 to 42 will be allowed one cycle of IVF so long as it is their first attempt, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) says.

Previously Nice only recommended treatment up to the age of 39.

Lesbian couples will also qualify for IVF, as long as they have a diagnosed infertility problem.

People with infectious diseases, such as HIV, or a physical disability that prevents them from having intercourse will also be eligible.

Nice chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon said recent advances in fertility treatment had prompted a review of existing NHS guidelines.

He said: "It is because of these new advances that we have been able to update our guidelines on fertility, ensuring the right support, care and treatment is available to those who will benefit the most."

Same-sex couples have welcomed the change to NHS rules.

Lesbian author Kiki Archer and her civil partner Nicki have two children through private fertility treatment.

She told Sky News the guidelines meant all couples could have children, regardless of income.

"Whenever same-sex couples have children it is carefully thought through," she said.

"This opens another door. It's another option for those families who can't afford fertility clinics."

But there are concerns that the NHS will refuse to implement the guidelines.

It currently funds around 25,000 IVF attempts a year, each costing £3,000.

And a survey in 2011 revealed a postcode lottery, with only a quarter of NHS areas funding the full number of cycles recommended by the existing guidelines.

Dr Sue Avery of the British Fertility Society said: "There is a huge variation in the provision of treatment.

"There are some areas where couples can access three cycles as recommended by Nice. But in other areas couples may get one and some there is no funding at all."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brit Awards: Stars Set For Music's Big Night

The stars of UK music are preparing to battle it out at tonight's annual Brit Awards, the industry's showpiece event.

Three acts have each achieved a trio of nominations in 2013 - Mumford & Sons, Alt-J and Emeli Sande.

The same three acts also square off in the prestigious best album category, traditionally the last award of the night.

Alt-J have already won the Mercury Prize for their debut record An Awesome Wave, while folk-rockers Mumford & Sons recently picked up album of the year at the Grammys.

However, 25-year-old Emeli Sande is also a strong contender.

It's been a fantastic year for the Scot - performing at the Olympics and seeing her album, Our Version of Events, selling the most in the UK during 2012.

Elsewhere, boy-band One Direction fly the pop flag among a host of guitar bands in the best British group category, up against the likes of The xx and Muse.

There's also a posthumous nomination for Amy Winehouse in the female solo artist category.

James Corden says a repeat of last year's Adele incident is unlikely

Muse are set to open the ceremony - held at London's 02 arena - with Justin Timberlake, One Direction, Taylor Swift and Robbie Williams also among the performers.

Speculation over the health of host James Corden has also been cleared up, with the actor and comedian saying he is over a bout of tonsillitis.

He told Chris Evans this morning he was feeling better, but Evans also told his radio listeners he was on standby as Corden's understudy.

Corden, 34, is hosting the event for the fourth time.

There was controversy at last year's ceremony when he was forced to cut short Adele's acceptance speech for best album.

Corden admitted he was "annoyed" by the incident but told Evans it was unlikely such a thing would happen again.

He said: "We've put things in place this year which mean that would never happen - I hope."

This year's Brit Awards statuettes has been designed by artist Damien Hirst and are covered with a multicoloured spot design, similar to many of his canvases.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

HMV To Close 37 More Stores With 464 Jobs Cut

Is Your Local HMV Being Axed?

Updated: 12:15pm UK, Wednesday 20 February 2013

The latest 37 HMV stores identified for closure are:

Ashford, Basildon, Bolton, Cheltenham, East Kilbride, Enfield, Folkestone, Glasgow Argyle, Gloucester, Grimsby, Hatfield Galleria, Heathrow T5 Departure Level, Heathrow Terminal 1, Heathrow Terminal 3, Heathrow Terminal 4, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Isle of Wight, Lancaster, Leadenhall, Mansfield, Middlesbrough, Newbury, Newcastle Silverlink, Newport, Nuneaton, Redditch, Salisbury, Scarborough, Southport, Stafford, Staines, Stockport, Swindon, Taunton, Torquay, Woking.

The 66 stores already earmarked for closure were:

Ashton-under-Lyne, Ballymena, Barnsley, Bayswater, Belfast Boucher Road, Belfast Forestside, Bexleyheath, Birkenhead, Birmingham Fort, Blackburn, Boston, Bournemouth Castlepoint, Bracknell, Burton-upon-Trent, Camberley, Chesterfield, Coleraine, Craigavon, Croydon Centrale, Derry, Dumfries, Durham, Edinburgh Fort, Edinburgh Gyle Centre, Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh Princes Street, Edinburgh St James, Falkirk, Fulham, Glasgow – Fort, Glasgow – Silverburn, Glasgow Braehead, Huddersfield, Kirkcaldy, Leamington Spa, Leeds White Rose, Lisburn, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester 90, Moorgate, Newry, Newtonabbey, Orpington, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, South Shields, Speke Park, St Albans, St Helens, Stockton-on-Tees, Tamworth, Teesside, Telford, Trocadero, Wakefield, Walsall, Walton-on-Thames, Wandsworth, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wood Green, Workington, Wrexham.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Councils Told To Curb Staff's £50k Salaries

Councils have been told to "get a grip" on pay after new figures showed more than 28,000 local government staff earn at least £50,000 a year.

The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA), which campaigns for lower taxes, said this cost almost £1.9bn in 2012.

Local government minister Brandon Lewis said many councils are failing to make "sensible savings" which would allow them to protect services or fund a council tax freeze.

However, councils insisted their pay figures compared favourably with other sectors and stressed the need for "good managers".

The TPA said 28,754 employees at councils were paid more than £50,000 figure, down 3,991 on the previous year - a saving of £279m.

But the group claimed the fall was partly due to the large number of redundancy payments made in 2010/11, which temporarily increased remuneration bills.

Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis said the findings showed local authorities still had "massive scope" to cut costs to protect frontline services.

"For too long the senior local government pay bill has spiralled up and up and taxpayers have been left footing the bill," he said.

"Whilst I commend those councils taking action, there are still many others failing to get a grip on costs.

"This report exposes the fact that town halls still have massive scope to make sensible savings to protect important frontline services and freeze council tax."

TPA chief executive Matthew Sinclair said: "Taxpayers are still paying far too much for bloated bureaucracies that have been established in too many town halls over the last decade."

"Councillors need to insist that their local authority does more to find savings and cut back on staff costs that residents cannot afford."

The Local Government Association, which represents councils, said the fall in the pay bill was "good news" and defended the current level.

"Middle and senior managers make up around 1% of the total local government workforce, which compares favourably with practices elsewhere in the public and private sectors," a spokesman said.

"Councils provide more than 700 local services, from fixing the roads and collecting the bins to caring for the elderly and safeguarding children. We need good managers to make sure those jobs are done well."

The LGA also challenged the claim that the fall was due to the number of redundancy payments in 2010/11, arguing that redundancy costs were probably higher in 2011/12.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jimmy Savile: Ex-Policeman 'Acted For Star'

A former police inspector has been accused of acting on behalf of Jimmy Savile by contacting officers before an interview.

The officer was from the West Yorkshire force, which has referred him to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

He is accused of contacting Surrey Police before they questioned Savile over alleged sexual offences in 2009.

The IPCC said: "The referral follows a direction from the IPCC to record and refer the conduct of the former inspector, identified in a Surrey Police report as 'Inspector 5'.

The watchdog also said it has asked seven forces including West Yorkshire to review whether there are more conduct issues that should be referred to the watchdog over the Savile investigation.

The other six forces are Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and the Metropolitan police.

The IPCC said: "They have been asked to re-look at all information relating to the late Jimmy Savile. The IPCC has asked that each force provides the relevant documents and, if they decide not to record or refer any matters, the rationale for not doing so."

This follows a review by the IPCC of reports by Scotland Yard and the NSPCC, the Crown Prosecution Service and Surrey Police as well as information given by forces in West Yorkshire and Sussex.

The watchdog also looked at details given by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, which is preparing a report for the Home Secretary on what the police knew about Savile.

Prosecutors and police have already been criticised for missing the chance to bring the disgraced entertainer to court over the allegations before he died in 2011.

Last month, police revealed the "vast" extent of alleged sexual abuse by Savile - saying his crimes spanning more than 50 years were probably unprecedented in the UK.

The late TV presenter's suspected victims included 28 children aged under 10, including 10 boys aged as young as eight.

A further 63 were girls aged between 13 and 16 and nearly three-quarters of his victims were under 18.

Some 214 criminal offences have been recorded across 28 police forces and 34 rapes have been reported.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Marine Le Pen To Speak At Cambridge Union

France's Front National leader Marine Le Pen will later address Cambridge University's prestigious Student Union.

The daughter of Jean Marie Le Pen, who took over the party leadership from her father in 2011, will address students at the debating society on Tuesday afternoon.

Her appearance has sparked controversy, with anti-fascist group Unite Against Fascism organising a demonstration in protest.

Mrs Le Pen, 44, who has been an MEP since 2004, is due to speak about the future of the European Union and French politics.

She has been billed as the leader of the third largest political party in France after taking 17.8% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election last year.

Marine Le Pen campaigning during last year's presidential election

The Union said: "Whether you agree with her politics or not, this event represents one of the very few opportunities a British audience has had to directly engage with Mme Le Pen."

It described her as a long-standing MEP who has become a powerful figure on the European right, who has also been named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

The appearance has provoked added controversy because it comes in the same week that the English Defence League, a far-right pressure group, is marching through Cambridge.

A spokesman for the Cambridge Union Society said: "The Cambridge Union has a 200-year history of promoting the art of debating and free speech and this event is fundamentally in keeping with that tradition."

Other speakers at the Union this month include Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, ex-England football manager Fabio Capello and the illusionist David Blaine.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coronavirus Patient Dies In Birmingham

A patient who was being treated for a Sars-like coronavirus at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham has died.

The man, who was already undergoing treatment for a "long-term complex unrelated health condition" before contracting the so-called novel coronavirus, passed away on Sunday morning in the hospital's critical care unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said.

He is the sixth person to die from the illness worldwide.

The victim had problems with his immune system and is believed to have contracted the coronavirus from a relative who is being treated for the condition in a Manchester hospital. It was the first case of human-to-human transition of the virus in the UK.

He was one of three people in the same family with the virus, which appeared to have been caught by one of the family members during a recent visit to the Middle East and Pakistan.

Sky News Health Correspondent Thomas Moore described coronavirus as "a family of viruses - at one end it is a relatively mild disease which causes the common cold, but it also causes diseases such as Sars, which is that really nasty respiratory disease that broke out in the Far East a few years back."

"This seems to be much the same kind of serious lung disease, with breathing difficulties, fever and so on," he said.

Moore warned that doctors were "concerned".

He added: "At the moment its origins seem to be largely in the Arabian peninsular and surrounding countries but the fact that it has come back to the UK and spread not only to the man who has died but also another relative in the family, who is in a mild condition and being treated at home with antibiotics and being told not to see other people, (is concerning)."

The Health Protection Agency has said the UK population in general is not at risk from the virus at the moment.

A total of 12 cases of the virus have so far been reported to the World Health Organisation with five previous fatalities - three in Saudi Arabia and two in Jordan.

In 2003 Sars killed about 800 people worldwide.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Energy Bills 'Set To Rise' Ofgem Warns

Will The Lights Go Off For Britain?

Updated: 1:05pm UK, Tuesday 19 February 2013

With the head of Ofgem issuing a warning about Britain's future energy reserve capacity, Datamonitor's director of energy and utilities research and analysis, Neil Atkinson, gives Sky News an industry insider's view of the coming decade:

Today, Ofgem's chief executive Alistair Buchanan repeated warnings that the UK faces a power supply capacity crunch. His message was first delivered to City analysts in July 2012 and it is stark: within three years the spare capacity margin for UK power generation capacity will fall from today's comfortable 14% to a distinctly uncomfortable 5%.

How worried should we be about this and if this looming capacity crunch is to be avoided how much will it cost us all?

In the next few weeks, according to Mr Buchanan, about 10% of the UK's current capacity shuts down as older coal and oil-fired plants reach the end of their lives. (The EU Large Combustion Plant Directive mandates the closure of these plants after they reach 20,000 hours of operation.)

Datamonitor Energy forecasts that by 2020, UK residential power demand will be 4% higher than it is today with other increases expected in power used in the commercial sector and in transport - more hybrid and electric cars - outweighing lower demand from industry.

In that time frame there will be nothing like enough improvement in energy efficiency via initiatives (like the Green Deal) and the Government's hopes for new nuclear capacity are looking more and more doomed as time goes by.

In practice, the lights will stay on in the UK. Tighter capacity doesn't mean we will all be using candles. It just means that if several extreme events happen at once the lights could go out, but even if they did industrial customers would be cut off first to spare households.

The UK would need prolonged severe winter conditions (that is, like in 1963) alongside an interruption to supplies from somewhere such as Norway or the unavailability of liquefied natural gas supplies for there to be power cut offs to households.

However, what is unavoidable is that for the foreseeable future the UK will need to use more gas and this means higher prices.

Mr Buchanan is right to point out that other parts of the world are competing for tighter gas supplies and prices in Asia are far higher, by some 60%, than here in Europe. Also, the almost complete lack of action on developing the Britain's own supply of shale gas means that UK consumers will see no help from that quarter in the next five years at least. In comparision, US natural gas prices are one-third of their level five years ago.

Still, it could be worse - households in 12 EU countries pay far more for their electricity than here in the UK.

Today, demonstrators blocked the street outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change protesting about fuel poverty.

As long as the Government remains committed to greening our power supply and faces up to subsidies for new nuclear capacity, it is hard to see that prices will come down.

This picture would be slightly more palatable if UK households thought their suppliers are doing a good job. But they don't and that's another story.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oldham Blast: Man Jailed Over Toddler Death

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A man who blew up his house and killed a toddler who lived next door has been jailed for 10 years.

Andrew Partington, 28, admitted the manslaughter of two-year-old Jamie Heaton who died when his house collapsed due to the force of the gas explosion.

The toddler had been watching his favourite programme on TV while his mother, Michelle, was hanging out washing outside their home in Shaw near Oldham.

Guilty: Andrew Partington

It is believed Partington, who lived next door, had cut his own gas pipes following a row with his partner, Tania Williams. Manchester Crown Court heard Partington was often violent towards her and the night before the explosion she had left with their five children and gone to stay with relatives in Rochdale.

The court heard Partington then sent Ms Williams messages from his Blackberry, including one at 11.31pm which read: "Told u next time u live me house go. Whith me u left your kids with no dad no home good bye boom gas pipe cut allredy fild up boom."

Andrew Menary QC told the court there was a "massive explosion" at 11.15am on June 26 last year which was the result of the ignition of gas which had built up over more than 11 hours.

The court heard the explosion "obliterated" Partington's house on Buckley Street and the Heaton's home next door.

Victim: Jamie Heaton

Police who were patrolling nearby saw debris falling from the sky. When they arrived on Buckley Street they said the destruction was like a "scene from a warzone". Jamie Heaton was crushed to death under the weight of falling rubble.

Partington suffered 39% burns in the explosion and spent several weeks in hospital. He also admitted destroying eight homes. The court heard the cost of repairing the damage is likely to total several millions of pounds.

When he was arrested Partington accepted he had been drinking heavily before the explosion and accepted he could have cut the gas pipes but told police his intention would have been to harm himself and no-one else.

The court was told we will never know whether the gas was ignited deliberately or whether it was done accidentally, by the lighting of a cigarette.

Adam Roxborough, defending, said Partington was truly sorry and had written "if he could give his life to bring Jamie back he would".

An aerial view of the devastation caused by the gas blast

Jamie's parents, Kenny and Michelle, were in court to see their former neighbour jailed and wept as the details of what happened were read out.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's hearing they described their devastation at losing their beloved son, as well as "everything" they owned.

Mrs Heaton said they were "angry that (Partington) could be so selfish" and that now they were trying to focus their lives on their other two children and the charity set up in Jamie's memory, the Jamie's Something Special Memorial Fund.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM Condemns Mantel For Calling Kate 'Plastic'

David Cameron has condemned author Hilary Mantel's scathing attack of the Duchess of Cambridge as "completely misguided and completely wrong".

The Prime Minister spoke out during a trip to India after the award-winning novelist claimed Kate appeared to have been "designed by committee".

The double Man Booker Prize winner, who wrote Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, said the royal was like a "doll" with no personality.

Mantel, 60, made the controversial comments and compared Kate to Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette and Princess Diana during a lecture to the British Museum.

She said: "It's rather that I saw Kate becoming a jointed doll on which certain rags are hung.

Kate on a visit to a treatment centre in London on Tuesday

"In those days she was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore.

"These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions ... her only point and purpose being to give birth."

She also described the Duchess as having a "perfect plastic smile" and said her first official portrait, unveiled last month, revealed "her eyes are dead and she wears the strained smile of a woman who really wants to tell the painter to b***** off".

The lecture for the London Review of Books was given on February 4, but the full version of her speech will be published in the latest edition of the review on Thursday.

Kate's first official portrait went on display last month

Mantel, author of Thomas Cromwell novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, said Kate was not like Anne Boleyn who was a "power player, a clever and determined woman".

Her controversial comments came as the Duchess showed off her baby bump for the first time in the UK on a visit to a project for women recovering from substance dependence.

The 31-year-old was greeted by well-wishers as she arrived at Hope House, a project run by Action On Addiction of which she is a patron for what was her first solo engagement of 2013.

The charity's boss Nick Barton insisted Kate was an "intelligent" women who he had found to be "engaging" and interested in the organisation's work.

Asked for his reaction to Mantel's attack, he said: "I don't think it's for me to comment on that kind of stuff. I speak of what I know - somebody who wants to help, is helpful and genuinely interested and is intelligent.

"I can only speak (of) what I know. I've met her several times and I found her to be engaging, I found her very natural, I found her actually genuinely interested in the subject.

"You can tell a lot from people's questions and she asks really good questions. They're not routine stuff, they're questions of someone who wants to learn. I find her very easy to deal with."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Radioactive Material Stolen From Van

Police have appealed to the public for help after a canister containing a small amount of radioactive material was stolen from a van over the weekend.

The container was taken from the vehicle in Bacup, Lancashire.

Officers were alerted to the incident in the early hours of Monday after the van driver discovered the material was missing.

The Peugeot Panel Van had been parked up at an address in New Line, to the south of Bacup.

The stolen canister is in a yellow case which measures one foot long and is said to be fairly heavy.

Chief Inspector Russ Procter from Burnley Police said: "It is important that this material is located as soon as possible.

"I would ask the public, especially in the Rossendale area, to keep an eye out for this canister and if they locate it then to call the police who will come and deal with it.

"I would also appeal direct to the people who have stolen this. They may have no idea what it is that they have in their possession or they may have discarded it somewhere. If that is the case then I would ask them to contact us or call Crimestoppers anonymously."

The Health Protection Agency is urging anyone coming in contact with the cylinder to leave it where it is and alert the police.

A spokesperson for the HPA said: "The radioactive material, believed to be Iridium 192, will not pose a risk to the public if it remains contained in its heavy lead container marked with the radiation trefoil.

"However, if the material is outside of its protection packaging, anyone who has come into prolonged physical contact, such as keeping it in a pocket, should seek medical assistance.

"If you see this package you should immediately inform the Police, do not touch it and keep away."

Iridium 192 is a radioactive isotope of Iridium with a half life of 73 days.

It emits beta and gamma radiation and as a result has the potential to cause damage to human cells if they come into contact with it or are exposed to it for prolonged period of time.

It is used in industrial radiography to locate flaws in metal components and also in radiotherapy as a source of radiation to kill cancers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lancashire police on 999 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

More follows...

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Cycling Couple Die In Thailand Crash

A British couple who were more than 18 months into a round-the-world cycling trip have been killed in a crash in Thailand.

Mary Thompson and Peter Root, from Guernsey, had ridden across 23 countries including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and China since starting out on July 12, 2011.

The pair, both in their mid-thirties, had been documenting their travels across Europe and Central Asia through film and on a blog at www.twoonfourwheels.com.

Police said they were travelling along the hard shoulder of a main road in eastern Chachoengsao province when a pick-up truck veered out of its lane and hit them.

"They were tourists who had travelled through several countries before reaching Thailand," said local police lieutenant Chaiyong Butrwan.

He said the 25-year-old Thai driver, who was arrested at the scene on Wednesday, had reached down to pick up his hat from the floor of the truck causing the vehicle to swerve into the couple.

The couple's blog starts: "We are Mary Thompson and Peter Root. At 17.00 on the 12th July 2011 we took a ferry from Guernsey to France with loads of stuff, two bikes and the intention to cycle east around the World."

They marked their 18th month away with a post from Vietnam, which read: "Bathing: mud and sun stylie The 12th of January marks our 18th month away. It started early, our neighbour the cockrel started his cock-a-do-dul-do karaoke at around 3.30, as his had done every 'morning' since we arrived in the relaxed beach town on Mui Ne."

One of their last posts described their experience of eating a spider in Cambodia's Phnom Penh.

The British Embassy in Bangkok said it was aware of the deaths and that the families had been informed.

"Consular assistance is being provided," a spokeswoman said.

The Thai driver was released on bail. Police said he faces charges of causing death by negligence, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, or a 20,000 baht (£433) fine or both.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murder Probe As Teen's Body Found In Salford

A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a 19-year-old man was found in Salford.

The man was found with multiple injuries by police officers who were called to Light Oaks Road shortly after 9.20pm on Sunday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination will take place later today to establish the cause of death.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "A young man has been tragically killed and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.

"I want to stress that we are at the early stages of our enquiries. We have a team of detectives working to establish the full circumstances that led to his death.

"I know residents will be alarmed by this incident, but I want to reassure the community that a thorough investigation is now taking place and there are extra patrols in the area."

Anyone with any information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wandsworth Tower Block Stabbing: Teen Named

Police have named a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death at a block of flats in south London.

Peter Hagan was discovered in the stairwell after police were called to Albon House in Neville Gill Close, Wandsworth, at 1.30am on Sunday morning.

The boy was found in a stairwell

"Although we await formal identification, we are satisfied the victim was Peter Hagan," police said.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene and a murder investigation is under way.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the inquiry, eight of them have been released on bail.

The teenager is believed to have been attending a party in the tower block in the hours before his death, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, from the Metropolitan Police's homicide and serious crime command, said: "I need to trace everyone at that party, and in particular I am appealing for any information about a group of between five and eight males seen running from the scene into the surrounding streets and possibly through King George's Park."

:: Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4005 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Richard Briers Dies: Good Life Actor Aged 79

Actor Richard Briers - known to millions for his role in TV's The Good Life - has died at the age of 79.

The star, who was also known for his Shakespearean roles, had been battling a serious lung condition for a number of years.

Briers, who starred in shows such as Ever Decreasing Circles and Monarch Of The Glen, recently blamed years of smoking for his emphysema.

His agent said he died "peacefully" at his London home on Sunday.

Briers will be best remembered for his performance as Tom Good, alongside Felicity Kendal, in the 1970s BBC1 sitcom The Good Life.

The show revolved around a couple who drop out of the rat race in Surbiton, south west London, to enjoy a life of simple self-sufficiency.

In an interview carried out only weeks ago, the actor told how his health was failing after being diagnosed with emphysema five years ago, which he attributed to years of smoking, although he gave up 10 years ago.

"I was diagnosed five years ago and didn't think it would go quite as badly as it has," he said.

"I used to love smoking. It's totally my fault. So, I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside.

"Trying to get upstairs... oh God, it's ridiculous. Of course, when you're bloody nearly 80 it's depressing, because you've had it anyway."

His agent, Christopher Farrar, of Hamilton Hodell, said: "Richard was a wonderful man, a consummate professional and an absolute joy to work alongside.

"Following his recent discussion of his battle with emphysema, I know he was incredibly touched by the strength of support expressed by friends and the public.

"He has a unique and special place in the hearts of so many. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go to his family at this sad time."

Sunday Telegraph theatre critic Tim Walker told Sky News that Briers had an "appetite for hard work".

"He was a proper, grown-up stage actor," he said.

"Very much respected in the profession. I remember seeing him in London Assurance back in 2010, so quite recently, when he was on great form.

"He'd always say to me: 'Oh, I'm so lucky I'm working and it's amazing they haven't seen through me'. That was very much typical of him and I think, to some extent, his generation."

More follows...

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Home Secretary Pledges New Deportation Law

Home Secretary Theresa May is planning a new law to stop foreign criminals avoiding deportation, according to reports.

She told the Sunday Telegraph that the actions of some immigration judges were "not acceptable" and that they were "subverting" British democracy.

A new immigration bill will be published later this year, the newspaper claims, to give full legal weight to ministers' demands that foreign criminals should not routinely be able to dodge deportation by citing Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Article 8 permits the right to a family life which can be a barrier to removal, but ministers and MPs say it should be balanced with the need to protect the public.

The new law is expected to state that Article 8 allows deportations to prevent "disorder or crime", meaning judges will be forced to take that into account when considering appeals by criminals.

The Sunday Telegraph also reported that new restrictions could also be included in the new law on migrants coming to Britain from countries including Romania and Bulgaria.

Last summer the Home Secretary changed immigration rules to make clear that foreign criminals should be deported if they were serious or persistent offenders.

But while the rules were backed by the House of Commons, they do not carry the full weight of law and are often ignored by judges on the Immigration Tribunal.

Ms May told the Sunday Telegraph: "The European Convention on Human Rights is clear - there is a right to a family life, but that right should be balanced with the wider public interest in controlling immigration and protecting the public.

"That's why we introduced new immigration rules last year.

"Those rules were debated in full and passed unanimously by the House of Commons. So it is not acceptable that some immigration judges are denying the democratic and legal validity of them.

"I said at the time that if the courts did not heed the changes to the rules, I would introduce primary legislation to force them to do so. That is exactly what I now intend to do.

"I am determined that Article 8 must not stop us deporting dangerous foreign criminals."

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Ms May said: "The law in this country is made by the elected representatives of the people in Parliament. And our democracy is subverted when judges decide to take on that role for themselves."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lib Dem Wealth Tax Crackdown On Heirlooms

Jewellery, paintings and other heirlooms could be taxed under radical new plans to hit the rich drawn up by the Liberal Democrats.

The French-style tax on possessions kept would see a levy on family treasures including furniture, rings and necklaces.

Households could be fined if they refuse to allow tax inspectors into their homes to value items.

Plans also include extending the proposed "mansion tax" to include holiday homes and buy-to-let properties.

The party is already committed to introducing a mansion tax on individual properties worth more than £2m on their own, which Labour is now backing.

Under the fresh proposals, the levy would be extended to include anyone with a total property portfolio worth more than £2m.

An internal policy consultation has concluded there "may be merit" in imposing the 1% levy on anyone with a land and property portfolio worth above the same threshold.

The document is to be debated by activists at the party's spring conference in Brighton next month.

People could be taxed on their total property portfolio

MP Tessa Munt, who helped draw up the consultation paper, told the Mail on Sunday it was an "interesting idea".

Extending the mansion tax was reported to be favoured by some within the party as a vote-winner in the South West, where there is anger over second-home buyers forcing up prices.

But senior figures are also believed to have concerns that the move - in a package drawn up as part of preparations for the 2015 general election manifesto - could see some people taxed twice.

Landlords already pay tax on any rent they receive.

Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, told Sky News: "I have been arguing for a small levy of 1% on very high value properties over £2m for years - long before Ed Miliband.

"The last thing I worry about is what the latest twists and turns are of Labour Party policy.

"What I think they need to to do is instead of constantly advocating other people's policies is come up with some of their own."

The proposals emerged as Labour - which this week backed the idea of a mansion tax to fund the return of a 10p income tax rate - challenged the Lib Dems to support it in a Commons vote

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "This consultation is part of the process of asking for ideas on how to ensure a fairer tax system.

"It is up to Lib Dem party members as to whether these eventually become party policy."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Held After Pensioner Dies In Hit-And-Run

A 26-year-old man has been arrested after a pensioner was killed crossing the road in a hit-and-run.

The 80-year-old was mowed down in the street when she was walking in Yardley, Birmingham, on Saturday morning.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman suffered "multiple serious injuries and was in cardiac arrest" when medics arrived.

She was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman's family has been informed but police have yet to publicly name her.

A large-scale police operation to trace the car and driver started immediately after the crash, after the vehicle sped from the scene.

Hours later, officers found a damaged blue Vauxhall Astra dumped at the roadside about six miles away in Solihull.

Police believe it to be the car involved in the crash.

A police spokesman said: "A 26-year-old visited Stechford police station and has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving."

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said medics attempted to resuscitate the woman as soon as they arrived but "despite their best efforts, nothing could be done".

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Comic Relief: PM Stars In One Direction Video

David Cameron is to make a "cameo" appearance in a Comic Relief music video with teen heartthrobs One Direction.

The Prime Minister features in the group's official Red Nose Day single, which is a cover version medley of Blondie's One Way Or Another and the Undertones' Teenage Kicks.

The Government has already agreed to cover the cost of VAT on sales of the record to help the fund-raising effort.

One Direction, who have stormed to global fame after being put together on X Factor, went to Downing Street to film the clip last year.

It is not the first time Mr Cameron has taken part in Comic Relief, which has raised £800m since it was first launched 25 years ago.

In 2011, he recorded a special episode of MasterChef in the kitchens at Number 10 with comediennes Miranda Hart and Ruby Wax.

His predecessors Gordon Brown and Tony Blair have both also taken part in sketches for the charity.

In 2011, after he had left office, Mr Brown teamed up with James Corden, JLS and other celebrities in a comedy sketch.

And in 2007, Mr Blair showed off his acting skills in a segment with comedy actress Catherine Tate.

He had to deal with one of her most popular characters - stroppy teenager Lauren Cooper - and delivered her famous catchphrase: "Am I bovvered?"

Red Nose Day is on March 15.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Horsemeat: Minister Defends Defra Response

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has mounted a robust defence of his department's actions following claims Government ministers were warned in 2011 that horsemeat was illegally entering the human food chain.

John Young, a former manager at the Meat Hygiene Service, now part of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), told The Sunday Times he warned the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of the potential scandal in April that year, but was ignored.

He followed this up a month later in a letter saying, "are the lunatics in total control of the asylum?"

Mr Paterson said he had spoken to the FSA's chief executive, Catherine Brown, regarding the claims, which were made before he took up his position.

"I have discussed it with the chief executive of the FSA this morning and she is going to go back through the records and see exactly what was said at the time," he told Sky News' Murnaghan programme.

Supermarkets have warned consumers could pay the price for the scandal

The Cabinet minister, who has been accused of being "asleep at the wheel" by Labour, said his department could not have been more "active" since the recent revelations.

"We are making progress - a whole lot of premises have been investigated, a large amount of evidence has been taken, and in this country we have been extremely active. Three premises have been investigated, two closed down and a number of arrests made.

"We are completely determined to get to the bottom of this because no matter what the price of the product, the consumer should buy what is on the label. It is a fraud on the public."

He said British actions had triggered Europe-wide testing for horse DNA and bute - as well as coordinated probes into the crisis across the continent.

"Too much of this system is based on trust on paper, and there is not enough testing. We have to get back to more testing of products.

"It trusts that the palate conforms to the piece of paper. Nobody checks what's on the palate often enough. Nobody checks what's in production often enough. Nobody checks the finished product often enough."

He added: "When this is all through, I want to have a proper look at the whole system within the constraints of European law. I want to make sure we do reintroduce more targeted testing and more random testing of products."

Some 7% of people have stopped eating meat altogether, a poll suggests

The FSA said Mr Young's letter highlighted concerns about the horse passport system, which is the responsibility of Defra - not the illegal substitution of beef with horse.

A spokesperson said: "The horse passport system is the principal measure to keep horses testing positive for bute out of the food chain.

"During the past 12 months the FSA has increased the number of staff working in horse abattoirs to strengthen our oversight of the system. And from last week we introduced a system where all horses are tested for bute, and carcasses are not allowed into the food chain unless they have tested negative. This complements the protection provided by the horse passport system."

Meanwhile, the boss of one of the country's leading supermarkets warned consumers could end up paying the price for the scandal.

Mark Price, managing director of Waitrose, said ensuring food has the best safety guarantees means it can no longer be regarded as a "cheap commodity".

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said rising costs of rearing animals could mean that "somewhere along that long supply route, somebody has looked to cheat and take advantage of these circumstances either for their own personal greed or to keep a company afloat".

But supermarket chain Morrisons insisted "high quality meat does not need to be expensive".

A spokesman said: "We have invested in our own abattoirs and meat processing facilities to control cost and quality. Many meat supply chains are too complex, with too many middlemen, and this adds to cost and leads to more risk of adulteration."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More