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Thatcher: Daughter Carol's Personal Tribute

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 13 April 2013 | 20.14

Baroness Thatcher's daughter Carol has spoken of the "tough and tearful week" ahead as she prepares for the former prime minister's funeral.

Ms Thatcher spoke publicly about her mother's death for the first time as she appeared outside the ex-leader's home in London.

With her brother Mark standing behind her, she thanked those who had sent messages which she said had given her strength.

But she admitted that the days ahead and the funeral on Wednesday would be difficult "even for the daughter of the Iron Lady".

Ms Thatcher wore a black shawl and black trousers and clutched a pair of sunglasses as she delivered the statement.

Mark Thatcher (right) and his wife Sarah, and Carol Thatcher (2nd left) with Marco Grass, outside the home of Baroness Margaret Thatcher in Belgravia, London. Mark Thatcher, wife Sarah, Carol Thatcher and her boyfriend Marco Grass

She said: "I would just like to say that I feel like anyone else who has just lost a second parent. It's a deeply sad and rather thought-provoking moment in life.

"My mother once said to me: 'Carol, I think my place in history is assured'.

"The magnificent tributes this week, the wonderful words of President Obama, and others of colleagues who once worked alongside her, have proved her right."

She thanked those who had sent messages of "sympathy and support", adding: "These have given me strength.

However, she admitted: "But I know this is going to be a tough and tearful week, even for the daughter of the Iron Lady."

Margaret Thatcher and daughter Carol at the Wimbledon ladies' singles finals, July 2006 Carol Thatcher with her mother at Wimbledon ladies' singles finals in 2006

Lady Thatcher died at The Ritz last Monday after suffering a stroke. She had been staying at the hotel since January.

Ms Thatcher flew in from Switzerland with her boyfriend ski instructor Marco Grass on Friday night after spending some days grieving privately.

Her brother Mark arrived earlier in the week and spoke of how his mother would have been "humbled" that the Queen would be at her funeral.

Police, ministers and family representatives have been meeting regularly to finalise arrangements for the ceremony.

Operation True Blue, as it has been dubbed, will see a huge security presence amid fears of anti-Thatcher protests.

Margaret Thatcher, her husband Dennis and their children Mark and Carol in December 1976 Lady Thatcher with her husband Denis and their children in 1976

It has emerged that the former politician left very specific instructions for the service, to which more than 2,000 people have been invited.

She chose the hymns - including I Vow To Thee My Country - and selected the Bible readings, according to the Daily Telegraph.

She reportedly also made clear that she wanted the current prime minister to read a lesson from the Gospels. Another lesson will be read by her granddaughter Amanda.

It is officially a ceremonial funeral but the Queen's presence effectively elevates it to a state ceremony.

She has broken with protocol by deciding to attend.

The last former prime minister's funeral the monarch went to was Sir Winston Churchill's in 1965 which was a state event.

Other guests will include Lady Thatcher's old Cabinet foes, former prime ministers, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson and singer Dame Shirley Bassey.

Some key players - including former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy - cannot attend.


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Thatcher's Ironclad Funeral Plans Revealed

Baroness Thatcher left instructions that the current prime minister should give a reading at her funeral, it has been reported.

Britain's first and only female PM will be given a ceremonial funeral with full military honours at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday, which will be attended by the Queen.

It is the same status as that accorded to the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, although some Tories want a full state ceremony.

Her friends and family indicated that Lady Thatcher said she did not want such treatment; she did not want to lie in state and thought a fly-past would be a waste of money.

But there were far more details left by Lady Thatcher on how she thought her memorial service should be carried out, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mark Thatcher greets his sister Carol Thatcher as she arrives at the home of Lady Thatcher in Belgravia Mark Thatcher greets his sister Carol as she arrives at their mother's home

They were said to include the choice of hymns - among them the patriotic I Vow to Thee, My Country - and readings from the Bible.

She specified that the prime minister at the time of her death should read a lesson from the Gospels.

Her choice of reading was John 14.1, which says: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

"I go to prepare a place for you."

Another lesson will be read by Lady Thatcher's 19-year-old granddaughter Amanda, the Telegraph said.

The service will also include readings from the Book of Common Prayer, including the burial prayer that begins: "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower."

St Paul's Cathedral, London The service will be held at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday

There will be the traditional reading for meeting the body arriving at a church, which begins: "I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord. He that believeth in me, yea, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Among the other hymns selected by Lady Thatcher are John Bunyan's To Be A Pilgrim and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

It has also been announced that MPs and peers will be able to pay their respects to Lady Thatcher in Parliament's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft on the eve of her funeral.

The chapel will be open on Tuesday evening so members and staff from both Houses can visit the former prime minister's coffin.

Around 100 people, mainly family members and MPs, will also be invited to a short service led by the Dean of Westminster welcoming Lady Thatcher's body.

Downing Street images A painting of Lady Thatcher in the Downing Street study

Downing Street said she requested her body rested overnight in the historic chapel, and the Queen had given her consent.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening, Lady Thatcher's daughter Carol arrived at her mother's home ahead of the funeral.

Miss Thatcher flew in from overseas and was driven to the Belgravia townhouse in central London, where she was greeted outside by her brother Sir Mark.

Earlier Sir Mark said his family has been overwhelmed by the messages of support, as well-wishers continued to leave floral tributes throughout the day outside the Chester Square property.

He said his mother would have been very proud to know the Queen would attend her funeral.

She will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, and other heads of state and foreign dignitaries from around the world are attending.

Margaret Thatcher and the Queen The Queen will attend Lady Thatcher's funeral

The Queen also went to Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

The funeral plans were revealed as Downing Street released two collections of photographs on the Flickr website documenting Lady Thatcher's time in office and her lasting influence inside Number 10.

The photos show renovations she ordered during her time in power, while her third general election victory is featured with her giving a three-fingered salute outside Number 10.

Lady Thatcher died at The Ritz in central London on Monday morning after suffering a stroke. She had battled ill health for a number of years.


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Weather Turns As Spring Finally Starts

Spring is at last set to begin in earnest this weekend, with forecasters predicting temperatures of up to 20C (68F).

Sunday is expected to be the warmest day of the year so far after what has been a dismal and extended winter dogged by snow and freezing conditions.

Sunshine in the South East and East Anglia will deliver the highest temperatures, with weather in the North and West due to remain wet and cloudy.

But even there, temperatures will still be in double figures after months struggling to rise above freezing - with highs of 14C (57F).

Temperatures in most of England and Wales are not forecast to drop below 10C (50F) on Saturday night.

Supermarkets are bracing themselves for an increased demand for ice cream and barbecue meats, with Asda predicting a 50% surge in sales of sunglasses.

Snow Hits The UK March was one of the coldest on record

Sky weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said SAturday would see some unsettled conditions that it would still feel warmer.

"Despite the rain and the strong winds, temperatures should be in double figures for most places today so feeling milder than recently," she said.

Looking ahead to Sunday, she added: "It is likely to stay dry and warm across parts of south-east England and East Anglia, ahead of the rain.

"Temperatures will be in double figures for most and across East Anglia and the London area we could see highs of 18-20C."

However, next week is set to bring an unsettled spell of spring weather, with bands of rain and showers moving across the UK.

The change in the weather is due to the jet stream, the narrow band of strong wind that moves weather systems around the globe, finally moving north.

It had been diverted south in recent weeks, making March one of the coldest on record and extending the winter for Britain.

Temperatures for last month were an average of 2.5C (36.5F), according to the Met Office, which makes it the coldest March since 1962.

It would also make it the fourth coldest March since records began in 1910.

Hundreds of farmers lost livestock in the snow, which hit just as spring lambs were being born across the country.


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Five Dead In Crash Between Lorry And Car

Police have confirmed that five people who died in a head-on crash between a car and a lorry were from the same family.

The victims, who included a baby, were all from the Durham area, according to Humberside Police who are investigating.

Three of the family died at the scene after the smash on the A18 near Grimbsy on Friday lunchtime.

Two were taken to the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital but died later.

They had been on their way to Skegness with friends, travelling in a Nissan Primera.

Three ambulances and an air ambulance rushed to the spot in Laceby, which was then closed until late on Friday night.

The driver of the lorry - a light goods vehicle - is thought to have sustained minor injuries.

Crash The accident happened on the A18 near Grimsby

A Humberside Police spokesman said: "Police officers investigating the serious collision which happened on the A18 near Laceby on Friday 12 April 2013 are now able to confirm that all five people who tragically died were from the same family who were from the Durham area.

"The family, which included a baby, are thought to have been driving to Skegness with friends when the collision happened."

Operations Superintendent Tracy Bradley said: "Our deepest thoughts go out to the family and friends of those who were tragically killed in this collision.

"We are working closely with relatives of those who lost their lives and are supporting them through what will be a very difficult time.

"Roads policing officers are working closely with our collision investigation team to piece together the evidence we have gathered in order to try and determine what led to this tragic incident taking place and took the lives of those travelling in the Nissan at the time.

"We have spoken to a number of key witnesses already, however, if anyone saw the incident but has not come forward I would ask them to do so."

The Grimsby stretch of the A18 featured in a BBC television programme, Britain's Most Dangerous Roads, in 2011.

The show, which aired two years ago, claimed the stretch of road was 25 times more dangerous than the average British motorway, with 20 crashes in the previous three years.

It was also found to be the UK's highest-risk stretch of road for car drivers in a nationwide survey conducted by the Road Safety Foundation in 2010.

After the crash, Jason Abrams, a golfer at the nearby Laceby Manor Golf Club, told ITV News: "All we know is that there's been four adults and one baby killed in the accident.

"It's a bendy road but people do go at a great lick along it. It's 60mph at the moment but the council are looking at changing it to 50 and hopefully this will make a difference.

"A car went into an articulated lorry. All we know is what the police have said - that the car tried to overtake something or the car hit a kerb which has sent it spinning out of control and obviously gone head-on into a lorry."


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Woman And Two Children Found Dead In Ruislip

Police are investigating after a woman and two children were found dead at a house on the outskirts of London.

The 34-year-old woman and two girls, aged nine and four, were discovered at a property in Ruislip, at 6.40pm on Friday.

Detectives from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command at Scotland Yard are investigating.

The deaths are currently being treated as unexplained.

Next of kin have been informed but the three have not yet been formally named.

More follows...


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Baby P: Man Jailed Over Death Back In Prison

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 April 2013 | 20.14

One of the three people jailed over the death of Baby Peter has been returned to prison two years after being released.

Jason Owen was sentenced to six years' jail for causing or allowing the death of 17-month-old Peter Connelly, but he was released halfway through his term in 2011.

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that Owen has since been returned to custody, following reports he breached conditions of his parole.

A spokesperson told Sky News: "Public protection is our priority. Offenders released on licence are subject to a strict set of conditions and controls.

"If they fail to comply with their licence conditions, they are liable to be returned to custody."

Peter - known as Baby P during the trial over his death - died in 2007 after sustaining more than 50 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken back at his home in north London.

Owen, of Bromley, Kent, was jailed along with Peter's mother Tracey Connelly and her boyfriend Steven Barker over the abuse.

Tracey ConnellySteven Barker Tracey Connelly and Steven Barker were also jailed over Baby Peter's death

Connelly and Barker remain in prison for their role in the toddler's death.

Owen - who is Barker's brother but changed his name after Peter died - had been staying at the boy's home with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Peter suffered fatal injuries despite being on the at-risk register of Haringey Council and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals during the final eight months of his life.

A series of reviews have identified missed opportunities when officials could have saved him if they had acted properly on the warning signs.

Owen was originally given an indeterminate punishment to protect the public, with a minimum term of three years, at the Old Bailey in May 2009.

But the Court of Appeal later ruled Owen should have an exact prison term and he was sentenced to six years.

In May 2009, Baby Peter's mother was also given an indefinite sentence with a minimum term of five years after pleading guilty to causing or allowing her son's death.

Barker, who Peter called "Dad", was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for playing what a judge described as a "major role" in the toddler's death.

He was also jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years for raping a two-year-old girl.


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Shoppers 'Misled' By Copycat Packaging

Retailers are misleading shoppers into buying own-brand products which "borrow" elements from the packaging of well-known competitors, according to a watchdog.

A fifth of Which? members said they had accidentally bought a supermarket version of a favourite brand at least once with 60% of those saying the mistake left them feeling annoyed or misled.

The consumer group found more than 150 own-label products had mimicked the packaging of products such as McVitie's digestives, Kellogg's coco pops, Simple cleanser and wipes, Radox bath gel and Jacob's cream crackers.

Lurpak butter seemed to have "a recognisable own-label imitator" in most major supermarkets, Which? said.

Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Boots, Superdrug and Tesco were named for stocking such items.

Own-label products, which tend to be cheaper than brands, are becoming more popular among shoppers struggling with tightened finances and rising food prices, according to separate research from the group.

Its survey on own-brand packaging found 18% of members had deliberately bought an own-label product because it resembled the branded equivalent, with 60% of these shoppers doing so because it was cheaper and 59% wanting to see if it was as good.

But consumers looked upon own-brand products less favourably when they were confused by the packaging, with 38% of those who bought such a product by mistake saying it annoyed them and 30% reporting that they felt misled.

British Brands Group director John Noble said: "Our research shows that consumers are more likely to buy own-label products if they look like brands.

"Brands survive by being distinctive and standing out, and retailers are free-riding on brands' reputations.

"Currently in the UK there is little to stop a competitor packaging its product to look like a familiar brand, whether or not the product's performance is in any way similar.

"That can't be good if we want a market in which shoppers can make informed decisions at speed."

Boots said that colours could be synonymous with certain active ingredients and helped consumers find the right product, while Morrisons, Superdrug and Aldi all said retailers used the same colours as branded products to help customers find products quickly.

A Which? spokeswoman said: "Own-brand products can provide good value and several have topped our tests to become best buys.

"But retailers should make sure that people are under no illusions about what they are buying and not leave so many consumers feeling that they have been misled."


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Ex-Apprentice Winner Loses Sugar Job Case

Former Apprentice winner Stella English has lost her claim of constructive dismissal against millionaire businessman Lord Sugar.

Ms English, 34, sued the Labour peer after resigning from the £100,000-a-year job that was her prize for winning series six of the BBC1 show in 2010.

She complained her role at Lord Sugar's Viglen division was that of an "overpaid lackey", which her former boss strongly denied.

Ms English also claimed the job was "a sham" and a "PR construct", a tribunal heard last month.

The businessman insisted he had no case to answer and that Ms English was after his money.

In a written judgment, the tribunal said: "There was no dismissal of the claimant - the claimant resigned.

"Therefore the complaint of unfair constructive dismissal contrary to section 95 Employment Rights Act 1996 fails and is dismissed."

An Apprentice is taking Lord Sugar to employment tribunal Ms English and Lord Sugar pictured after she won The Apprentice

Reacting to the verdict, Lord Sugar said the case was a "charade" and he vowed to put an end to the so-called claim culture.

After winning the TV series, Ms English was given a job at Viglen, supplying IT equipment to academy schools.

But she claimed that when the business mogul told her he would not be renewing her contract she was given no choice but to resign.

Ms English, who quit Viglen in May 2011, said she had no real role there and was not taken seriously by her colleagues.

She said did not feel like Lord Sugar's "apprentice" as she only saw him five times during her 13-month employment.

Ms English fought back tears as she said she was given no guidance about what she was meant to be doing, and was "ostracised" by her colleagues, who told her she had taken over another woman's job, which had a salary of £35,000.

Allegedly relegated to carrying out basic administrative tasks, mother of two Ms English said her employment was a "sham".

Lord Sugar at tribunal Lord Sugar said Ms English tried to 'extract money' from him

Ms English, of Whitstable, Kent, said she felt pressurised into taking up a new position at Lord Sugar's internet set-top box company You View.

In September 2011, Ms English was told that her contract was not being renewed and she then quit.

However, the peer said there was no long-term position available at YouView following the end of her 12-month contract and that she had already made it clear she did not want to work at Viglen.

Tribunal judge John Warren concluded Ms English was "ill-advised" to continue with the case and also found she was given a "real job" at Viglen.

At the tribunal, Lord Sugar accused Ms English of lying and taking him to a tribunal "to extract money from me".

He said: "She is a suspicious, untrusting person and one who believes she has always been done down and places blame with others.

"I believe this claim, together with its publication in the media, is simply an attempt to extract money from me."

He said Ms English wrongly believed he was "scared" of articles about him or The Apprentice appearing in the press and that he would pay her off to avoid a hearing.

After the tribunal ruling, he said: "There was never a case for us to answer but her need for money and fame meant that the whole system was subjected to this charade.

"I have been cleared of a derisory attempt to smear my name and extract money from me.

"The allegations were without substance, and I believe this case was brought with one intention in mind - the presumption that I would not attend the tribunal, that I would not testify and that I would settle out of court, sending Ms English on her way with a tidy settlement."

He added: "This case was a sham and a total abuse of a tribunal system, which is there to protect employees who have been mistreated.

"It is not there to aid those chancing their arm at landing a big payday. I hope that other companies will learn from this example and also fight off derisory claims."


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'Hounslow Slasher' Jailed Over Knife Attacks

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A man dubbed the "Hounslow Slasher" after he knifed two women in random attacks in London has been jailed for 18 years.

Sasha Masamba, 21, from Hounslow, grabbed both women from behind before cutting them in random attacks 10 days apart last August.

Masamba was sentenced at the Old Bailey for two offences of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following the attacks on Kaja Zablocka, 19, and Deserilyn Aurelio, 26.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

One of 'Hounslow Slasher's victims, with a wide cut to her chin The knife wounds were near arteries and the victims could easily have died

Speaking in court, Bobby Cheema QC said Masamba was "every woman's nightmare, a man that arms himself with a knife, prowls around in public places waiting for a lone female to attack."

One reason for the length of the sentence was the apparent lack of motive behind the attacks.

On sentencing, Recorder of London Judge Brian Barker said: "This is a most disturbing case. Noticeably, there was no request for money or sexual intent. The deep concern is a lack of any rational explanation for these acts.

"The victims could easily have died because the knife wounds were near arteries."

Afterward the sentencing, DCI Amanda Hargreaves said outside court: "This lengthy sentence reflects the nature of the offences.

"Masamba was caught before he potentially killed someone, which I believe was only a matter of time."

Police later released a statement from one of the victims, in which Deserilyn Aurelio said: "The night I was attacked it just felt like a small cut to my chin at first, but the next day I realised how serious it was and became more and more scared.

"I have lost my confidence and avoid being outside alone at night.

"I have an awful scar on my face, it is very visible on my chin, this is a constant reminder of the attack and how close I came to being killed.

"I am still waiting for plastic surgery on the scar so I can then hopefully begin to look at myself as normal again.

"I am still very self-conscious of the scar. People stare at it and often ask what happened. This always upsets me as it reminds me of that horrible night."


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Thatcher: Officer Resigns Over Offensive Tweets

A police officer who reportedly posted a series of offensive messages online following the death of Baroness Thatcher has resigned from the Met.

Sergeant Jeremy Scott, who worked in a back-office role for the Metropolitan Police, is understood to have written on social networking website Twitter that he hoped Lady Thatcher's death was "painful and degrading".

Scotland Yard confirmed Sergeant Scott had submitted his resignation and it was accepted with immediate effect.

Commander Allan Gibson added: "This officer's behaviour was completely unacceptable and it is right that he has resigned."

Under the Twitter handle @thinbluespeck, which has since been taken down, Sergeant Scott said Baroness Thatcher's death was "87 years too late" and added that the world was a "better place".

Before resigning on Friday, Sergeant Scott reported the matter himself to the Directorate of Professional Standards, which is responsible for investigating complaints against officers' professional conduct.

His resignation comes after figures from Scotland Yard revealed that three police officers have been sacked for misusing social media over the past five years.

Allegations linked to the use of sites including Facebook and Twitter have been recorded against 75 Metropolitan Police officers since 2009, with 38 of the claims substantiated.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already branded some reaction to the death of Baroness Thatcher as "pretty distasteful".

Several "death parties" were held on the day she died, while an online campaign has driven sales of the song Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead to number four in the official chart.

Commenting on the so-called death parties, Sergeant Scott reportedly tweeted: "Marvellous stuff! Margaret Thatcher's death greeted with street parties in Brixton and Glasgow."

Asked if he was disappointed about animosity towards the former prime minister, Mr Cameron said: "I think the overwhelming sense across the country ... is that we are mourning the loss of someone who gave a huge amount to this country, that was an extraordinary leader."

Meanwhile, a council leader has joked that his authority should fly a flag bearing "a happy smiling face" to mark Baroness Thatcher's funeral next week.

The comment in an internal email to Labour colleagues was made by Coventry City Council's leader, John Mutton, as they debated whether to lower the Union Flag to half-mast on Wednesday.


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Katharine Giles: Scientist Dies In Bike Crash

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 11 April 2013 | 20.14

An expert in global warming killed while cycling to work has been described as a "talented scientist" who "had a bright future ahead of her".

Dr Katharine Giles, who worked at University College London (UCL), was involved in a collision with a lorry in central London on Monday.

Her death comes just three months after senior colleague, Professor Seymour Laxon, 49, died in a fall, hitting his head and suffering a brain haemorrhage.

Dr Giles, 35, had done pioneering work on climate change, carrying out important research relating to the Arctic and Antarctic.

The scientist had conducted experiments investigating sea ice thickness, and shown how winds affected the newly-exposed Arctic Ocean.

Head of UCL's earth sciences department, Professor Philip Meredith, told staff and students: "Coming so soon after the accidental death of Katharine's own closest colleague, we are all left with a sense of the outrageous unfairness with which some of our best colleagues have been taken from us.

"Katharine had a bright future ahead of her.

"She graduated with a first class degree in earth and space sciences from UCL, studied under Seymour for her PhD, and went on to forge her own career as a research fellow and most recently as a university lecturer."

Other people paid tribute on Twitter. Physiology lecturer Mark Hines ‏said: "Devastated 2 hear today about death of a friend in a cycling accident in London."

Mathias Disney said: "So sorry to hear about death of Katherine Giles UCL colleague & outstanding polar researcher. Just awful & so soon after Seymour Laxon."

Ally Skeats ‏said: "So sad to hear the news about Dr Katharine Giles. Such a young, intelligent life taken too soon."

David J Carr ‏added: "Katharine Giles was one of the most wonderful people I have ever & will ever know. The world is worse for her absence, better for her memory."

Dr Giles' family said: "Katharine was a talented scientist responsible for groundbreaking work on global warming. Her family are very grateful for all the support and appreciation shown to them over this tragic loss."

Scotland Yard said the collision took place at the junction of Palace Street and Victoria Street, near Victoria Station, at 8.25am on Monday.

Dr Giles, from west London, was pronounced dead at the scene. The male driver of the HGV lorry stopped at the scene. He was not arrested.

Any witnesses were asked to call the road death investigation unit at Catford, south east London on 020 8285 1574.


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Welfare Cuts 'Will Widen North-South Divide'

People living in northern England will be hardest hit by the Government's welfare reforms, which will take nearly £19bn out of the economy every year.

Researchers say adults in Blackpool will lose an average of £910 a year each - more than anywhere else in Britain - because of changes to Housing Benefit, Disability Living Allowance and Child Benefit, as well as Tax Credit and Council Tax Benefit.

Former industrial areas including Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Glasgow will also be disproportionately affected.

However, wealthier areas, such as Cambridge, parts of Surrey and the Cotswolds, are expected to see the smallest financial losses.

A punt makes its way along the River Cam in the spring sunshine in Cambridge Cambridge will be among the places least affected, researchers say

Westminster, with its high cost of living, will be the worst-affected London borough, with the average adult losing £820 in annual benefits.

Professor Steve Fothergill, of Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, which led the study, said: "A key effect of the welfare reforms will be to widen the gaps in prosperity between the best and worst local economies across Britain.

"Our figures also show the coalition Government is presiding over national welfare reforms that will impact principally on individuals and communities outside its own political heartlands."

Professor Fothergill found that, on the whole, the more deprived the local authority, the greater the financial impact.

A pedestrian walks past boarded up houses on Coral Street in Middlesbrough Former industrial towns such as Middlesbrough are likely to feel the pinch

Collectively, the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside stand to lose £5.2bn a year in benefit income.

However, a spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "Around nine out of 10 working households will be better off by, on average, almost £300 a year as a result of changes to the tax and welfare system this month.

"Raising the personal allowance to £10,000, we will have lifted 2.7 million people out of income tax since 2010.

"Our welfare reforms, including reassessing people on incapacity benefit, will help people back into work, which will benefit the economy more than simply abandoning them to claim benefits year after year.

"These changes are essential to keep the benefits bill sustainable, so that we can continue to support people when they need it most across the UK."

Changes to Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Disability Living Allowance have already been made.

A benefit cap of £500 per week for a family and £350 for a single person will be introduced on April 15, while Universal Credit, which replaces a number of means-tested benefits, will be rolled out from October.


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Emo Teen Is First Sub-Culture Hate Crime Victim

Emo, Goth And Punk Explained

Updated: 1:15pm UK, Thursday 04 April 2013

A look at what defines goths, emos and punks as Greater Manchester Police becomes the first force in the country to officially recognise hate crimes against such sub-cultures.

GMP says it recognises alternative sub-culture as a broad term to define a strong sense of collective identity and a set of group-specific values and tastes. This typically centres on distinctive style, clothing, make up, body art and music preference. Those involved usually stand out to both fellow participants and to those outside the group.

According to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, cultures such as goths, emos, and punks are largely peaceful by definition, and are more interested in music, alternative fashion and niche media than intimidation.

:: EMO

Described as the "new goth" when it started to become a trend in the early 2000s, emo is a youth movement based around dark music, dark clothing and a sometimes darker view of the world. Emos are typically perceived to be angsty or depressed but this is not always the case, according to the Emo Rawr website, which says: "Emo is a meshing of the punk and goth cultures with a twist, gathering its music influences more from the punk side of things and the fashion style more from the gothic side of things."

Emo fashion is characterised by skinny jeans, tight t-shirts, studded belts, canvas sneakers, thick glasses and dark zip-hoodies. They wear less black than goths and often have a long fringe.

Emo music, described as "punk with emotion", has been made popular by bands such as My Chemical Romance, whose album The Black Parade topped the charts, Bullet for My Valentine and Jimmy Eat World.

:: GOTH

Many stereotypes exist of dark, depressed and even evil teenagers who are all about death, pretension and angst. They typically always wear black clothing, or white but never other colours, and have dyed black hair, black nails, white face make-up and black lipstick and eyeliner.

However, Goth.net says: "There is no specific thing that defines what you need to do or be to fit into the goth scene (except, of course, the implied black clothing).

"People in the goth scene all have different musical tastes, follow different religions, have different occupations, hobbies, and fashion sense."

The modern goth movement started in the early 1980s as part of the punk subculture.

:: PUNK

Punk evolved from the 1970s music phenomenon. The sub-culture is made up of those considered to have rejected things considered part of society's 'norms' and those thought to often hold anarchist political views.

The look is characterised by piercings, tattoos, Dr Marten boots and multi-coloured Mohawks.


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Schoolgirl Tells Of Rapist's Threat To Film Her

An 11-year-old, who was abducted and raped in a park on her way home from school, has told how her attacker threatened he would film her and send it to her school.

The girl told how she was snatched as she walked home after getting off her bus in Enfield, north London, and subjected to a three-hour sex ordeal.

In a police interview played to jurors at the Old Bailey, the girl said she had tried to run away from her attacker but that he had grabbed her and dragged her into the park, threatening to stab her.

She said: "He kept saying 'Stop moving or I will stab you'.

"I tried to run away but then he grabbed me when I got to the pavement of the park entrance.

"I kept on saying 'stop' because it was hurting me and he kept saying 'shut up' to me. He was just saying it every time I spoke.

"When I was on the floor, he said he would film me and send it into my school.

"I was saying 'Get off me, get off me, stop'."

The youngster was recorded by police a week after the attack, in Jubilee Park, which resulted in her undergoing an operation for an injury.

Opemipo Jaji, 18, of Edmonton, north London, denies raping the girl in November last year, claiming he is a victim of mistaken identity.

He was arrested for the attack a few days later after CCTV was viewed and his bedroom searched.

A book was found about a little girl being sexually assaulted, ads for childcare vacancies and a picture of a little girl in Australia marked FC – a possible reference to Facebook.

There was also an article about missing April Jones, "the little girl who was taken", said Rosina Cottage QC, prosecuting.

Miss Cottage said Jaji had "an interest in pre-pubescent girls".

The previous year, Jaji had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and robbing another girl dressed in her school uniform.


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Magpies Urged To Hold Off Fascist Salutes

Newcastle United fans have been warned not to make fascist salutes to taunt Paolo Di Canio, the manager of rivals Sunderland.

The North East Premier League clubs meet on Sunday at St James' Park, with supporters from both sides relishing the chance to mock one another.

But police have warned them against using racist or offensive gestures during the derby match.

"Offensive gestures, particularly those with a suggestion of racist connotations, are completely unacceptable and we will take positive action against anyone seen acting in an offensive or racist manner," said chief superintendent Steve Neill, operations commander on the day.

"While some individuals may see this sort of behaviour as a means of poking fun at opposing fans - it is not a joke.

Swindon Town v Tranmere Rovers - npower League One Di Canio insists he is not a racist

"Offensive behaviour can constitute a criminal offence and such behaviour is taken seriously.

"Football matches are routinely monitored by CCTV and, even if action is not taken during the match, it can be checked retrospectively and we have demonstrated on numerous previous occasions our ability to trace offenders and put them before the courts, which can lead to a criminal record and possible football banning order.

"I would urge fans to act responsibly and reflect upon the impact any form of disorder or offensive behaviour has on others, themselves, the reputation of both clubs and the North East."

Di Canio, 44, was fined and handed bans for making right-arm salutes to fans in 2005 when he was a Lazio player.

Since he joined Sunderland as Martin O'Neill's replacement, he issued a statement denying he was a racist, adding: "I do not support the ideology of fascism."

Di Canio's controversial appointment led former Foreign Secretary David Miliband to step down from Sunderland's board because of the Rome-born manager's "past political statements".


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Unicef: Austerity Risks Children's Prospects

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 April 2013 | 20.14

British children's prospects trail behind many of their European neighbours and current Government policies are making it worse, a UN organisation has warned.

Unicef's report on child well-being placed the UK 16th out of 29 developed countries, but it ranked much lower on key indicators including involvement in further education (29th), teenage pregnancy (27th) and youth unemployment (24th).

The children's rights organisation warned that a generation of British teenagers is being "sidelined" by the Government's austerity agenda and called for more state investment in young people.

Anita Tiessen, deputy executive director of Unicef UK, said: "There is no doubt that the situation for children and young people has deteriorated in the last three years, with the Government making policy choices that risk setting children back in their most crucial stages of development.

"With the UK ranking at the bottom, or near the bottom, of the league table on teenage pregnancy and young people not in education, employment or training, we know that many are facing a bleaker future.

"While children and young people will be the first to bear the brunt if we fail to safeguard their well-being, over time society as a whole will pay the price."

The UK has actually crept up the child well-being tables since Unicef's last report in 2007, which branded Britain the worst place in the developed world to be a child.

But the organisation warned that the improvement seen under the previous Labour administration risks being reversed by the Coalition cuts programme.

It cited research by the Family and Parenting Institute and Institute for Fiscal Studies predicting that 400,000 more children will be in poverty by 2015/16 due to austerity measures.

The new report draws on statistics from 2010 and shows a general improvement in children's experiences over the first decade of this century, compared with the previous scorecard, which looked at data from 2001/2.

But the brighter picture for younger children is not matched among teenagers, who remain more likely than their peers in other developed countries to drop out of education and get involved in underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.

The table was topped by the Netherlands, then Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Romania was ranked last.


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Thatcher Football Silence Idea 'A Disgrace'

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

Calls for a minute's silence at football matches to mark the death of Margaret Thatcher have been dismissed as "a disgrace" by the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

Two Premier League chairmen, Reading's John Madejski and Wigan's Dave Whelan, have called for the former prime minister's death to be commemorated this weekend.

But Margaret Aspinall, chair of the group that campaigned for more than 20 years for justice for the 96 Liverpool fans who died in 1989, said it would be wholly inappropriate.

Monday sees the 24th anniversary of the disaster, and the first since an independent inquiry revealed the extent of a cover-up by South Yorkshire police that sought to blame Liverpool fans for the deaths.

Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan also wanted a minute's silence

The Hillsborough Independent Panel report, published last autumn, also revealed Lady Thatcher's reluctance to endorse criticism of the police despite the government being aware of "damning" evidence of their role.

Adding to sensitivities around the issue, Liverpool play at Madjeski's Reading on Saturday, where a minute's silence for the victims of Hillsborough is already planned.

Mrs Aspinall, whose teenage son James died in the tragedy, told Sky News a silence at any fixtures would be "an insult".

"I think if they have a minute's silence for her at any football ground it would be an insult to all fans. We all know that Margaret Thatcher was no friend of football, everyone knew her feelings," she said.

"I do not want to speak ill of the dead because we have to consider the feelings of her family, but she was part and parcel of what we [the bereaved families] have gone through.

"I think it is a disgrace that they would want to have a minute's silence for her, an absolute disgrace."

Hillsborough Jenni Hicks and Margaret Aspinall (R) Margaret Aspinall (R) lost her son in the Hillsborough disaster

Despite Mr Madjeski and Mr Whelan's comments, the Premier League and the FA have said there will not be silences either at league fixtures or the two FA Cup semi-finals staged at Wembley.

An FA spokesman said there was "no precedent" for silences following the death of prime ministers and that it wanted the games to remain apolitical.

The FA and Premier League position has been endorsed by the Football Supporters' Federation.

Chairman Malcolm Clarke said: "We believe the football authorities have made the right decision in not holding minute's silences this weekend.

Press after Margaret Thatcher's death Margaret Thatcher's death has been recognised across the world

"I think that most fans will be more concerned with marking the Hillsborough anniversary than the passing of Margaret Thatcher."

Privately, the football authorities also doubt that any silence would be respected given the antipathy that existed between the Thatcher government and football during the 1980s.

She was in power when hooliganism was at its height but her attempts to curb it, most notably the football ID cards scheme, were deeply unpopular and eventually rejected.


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Teens Killed 85-Year-Old In Handbag Mugging

Two 15-year-olds have admitted killing an 85-year-old partially sighted woman as they mugged her for her handbag.

Paula Castle, 85, who was registered blind, fell to the ground after she was robbed in an alleyway in Greenford, West London.

She died in hospital from head injuries the following day.

The youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were due to go on trial at the Old Bailey charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

They admitted robbing Mrs Castle and a second woman, Rose Mohamed, 75, on November 20

More follows...


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Weather: Temp To Hit 20C As Spring Comes

Spring will bloom next week as the cold snap that is winter's last blast moves away, according to forecasters.

Temperatures will reach up to 20C on Sunday in parts of the south and east and will get up to double figures across all of Britain after one of the coldest recorded Marches in history.

Sky News meteorologist Chris England said temperatures are set to rise next week as the jet stream steers away from the Atlantic. The narrow band of very strong winds, which moves weather systems around the globe, has been blamed for the recent bad weather.

He said: "It's going to turn warmer as the weather system comes over from the south but the downside is that there'll be rain and wind before we get there."

Billy Payne, a forecaster for the Press Association, said: "We are seeing change on the way through today, with heavy rain pushing north and bringing temperatures up with milder air before things get warmer next week.

"By Sunday and into Monday temperatures should be driving towards 20C in the south east and East Anglia, and double digits in Scotland and the north of England."

A car travels through the snow near Allenheads in Northumberland as temperatures remain around freezing. A car travels through the snow near Allenheads in Northumberland

The unseasonable weather has caused chaos for farmers, the transport network and homeowners throughout March and the Easter holiday.

In some parts of Britain, the continuously low temperatures have formed rarely seen ice formations.

Hundreds of farmers have lost livestock and wildlife is said to have been hit hard by weather that has left many animals struggling to find food.

Average temperatures between March 1 and 26 were just 2.5C (36.5F), three degrees below the long-term average, the Met Office said.

This would make it the coldest March since 1962 and also the fourth coldest in the UK since records began in 1910.

The coldest March in the UK was in 1962, at 1.9C (35.4F), followed by 1947, 2.2C (35.9F), 1937, 2.4C (36.3F), and 1916 and 1917, 2.5C (36.5F).

Geoff Lee from Killhope mine Durham Dales takes a look at the ice wall which has formed after recent freezing temperatures. Geoff Lee at an ice wall which has formed on Durham Dales

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IVF Pioneer Sir Robert Edwards Dies

IVF pioneer Sir Robert Edwards has died at the age of 87, Cambridge University has announced.

Together with Dr Patrick Steptoe, Sir Robert developed the process that led to the birth of the first test tube baby Louise Brown in 1978.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work in 2010.

A spokesman for Cambridge University said on behalf of Sir Robert's family: "It is with deep sadness that the family announces that Professor Sir Robert Edwards, Nobel prizewinner, scientist and co-pioneer of IVF, passed away peacefully in his sleep on 10th April 2013 after a long illness.

"He will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues. Please respect the family's privacy at this sad time."

More follows...


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Margaret Thatcher: Critics Party In Brixton

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 09 April 2013 | 20.14

Police were called to Brixton in South London after people celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher gathered in the streets.

Some revellers climbed onto the Ritzy cinema building and rearranged letters on its film listings board to spell out the words: "Margaret Thatchers (sic) dead LOL".

Britain's first and only female prime minister died on Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 87.

Other critics gathered in Windrush Square celebrated with cheers of "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, dead, dead, dead".

A banner hangs from the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton after Margaret Thatcher's death A banner celebrating Margaret Thatcher's death hangs from the Ritzy cinema

The area was the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years into Lady Thatcher's first term in office.

Pictures of anti-Thatcher graffiti scrawled on walls in Brixton also appeared on Twitter, with one reading: "You snatched my milk! & our hope"

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said extra officers were brought in to control the crowds, who "caused low level disorder" and threw "a small number of missiles" at officers.

There were no reports of any arrests and the group dispersed in the early hours of the morning, acccording to police.

Champagne is sprayed in Brixton following the death of Baroness Thatcher Some revellers sprayed champagne as they celebrated in Brixton

A spokesman for Ritzy said there was some damage to its building, adding that staff helped clear up the streets after the demonstration.

Meanwhile in Glasgow, up to 300 people gathered in George Square, 24 years after poll tax protests were held there.

Some anti-capitalist campaigners wore party hats and launched streamers into the air, while a bottle of champagne was sprayed.

Earlier, David Hopper, general secretary of Durham Miners' Association, said he was celebrating on his 70th birthday after learning of Baroness Thatcher's death.

"She was a heartless woman who tore the heart out of the mining communities of the North," he said.

George Galloway, the Respect MP for Bradford West, wrote on Twitter: "Thatcher described Nelson Mandela as a 'terrorist'. I was there. I saw her lips move. May she burn in the hellfires."

Parliament is being recalled on Wednesday for a special session to allow politicians to pay tribute to Lady Thatcher.

A full ceremonial funeral will take place at St Paul's Cathedral next week.


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Film-Maker Death Post-Mortem Inconclusive

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

A post-mortem on the body of a young film-maker who died while sleeping rough for a documentary has proved inconclusive.

Lee Halpin, 26, had planned to spend a week living rough in his home city of Newcastle but his body was found in a derelict building three days into the project .

Newcastle coroner David Mitford said the post-mortem was not able to establish the cause of his death and that further tests were being carried out.

Mr Mitford said: "There are tests being taken and will need to be analysed. That might take some time and it depends on the nature of the tests.

"We don't know the reason why he died and we do not have full information about the background circumstances."

Speaking in a YouTube video he made the day before he started his week on the streets, Mr Halpin, whose body was found on Wednesday, said the documentary was part of an application for a Channel 4 investigative journalism scheme.

He said he hoped it would be an example of fearless reporting.

On the video, he said he had spoken to a homeless charity about the rise in the number of people on the streets and the effect of changes to Britain's welfare system this month.

"I'm about to go and spend a week being homeless in the West End of Newcastle. I will sleep rough for a week, scrounge for my food, access the services that other homeless individuals use," he said.

"I will interact with as many homeless people as possible and immerse myself in that lifestyle as deeply as I can."

Channel 4 has defended its decision to ask aspiring journalists to demonstrate their "fearlessness" following Mr Halpin's death.

In an online application form for the broadcaster's Investigative Journalism Programme 2013, applicants were asked to post a YouTube video describing a time in which they were "fearless in a pursuit for a story".

No date has been fixed for the inquest to resume because the tests could take some weeks.

Meanwhile, the police investigation continues.

Two men, aged 26 and 30, were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs in connection with Mr Halpin's death and have both been released on bail.


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Margaret Thatcher: Funeral Next Wednesday

Baroness Thatcher's funeral will be held at St Paul's Cathedral next Wednesday and attended by the Queen, it has been announced.

Britain's longest serving prime minister and the only woman so far to hold the role will be given a ceremonial funeral with full military honours.

It is the same status as that accorded to the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, although some Tories want a full state ceremony.

The funeral will be the first of a former prime minister attended by the Queen since Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

BRITAIN'S QUEEN ELIZABETH TALKS TO BARONESS THATCHER AT RECEPTION FOR WOMEN ACHIEVERS AT BUCKINGHAM ... The Queen will attend Lady Thatcher's funeral next Wednesday

She will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, and other heads of state and foreign dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend.

Lady Thatcher died at The Ritz in central London on Monday morning after suffering a stroke. She had battled ill health for a number of years.

Downing Street said the date of her funeral was agreed at a meeting attended by her family and officials from Buckingham Palace.

The day before the ceremony, Lady Thatcher's coffin will be transferred to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster.

Metro Newspaper front pages were dominated by the former PM's death

There will be a short service following its arrival before the coffin rests in the chapel overnight.

The streets will then be cleared for a procession taking the former leader's body from parliament to Church of St Clement Danes, the RAF Chapel on the Strand.

At the church, it will be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King's Troop Royal Artillery. The streets will be cleared for the procession on to St Paul's.

There the coffin will be met by a guard of honour as members of the armed services and pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea line the steps.

A private ambulance drives Baroness Thatcher's body from the Ritz Hotel in central London A private ambulance taking Lady Thatcher's body from the Ritz

The public will not be able to attend the funeral service itself but will be able to line the route of the procession.

Parliament is expected to be suspended for the event, which means the first Prime Minister's Questions since the Easter break could be cancelled.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, who is in charge of some of the arrangements, said: "There's already a huge amount of interest.

"There's a guest list and people will be invited over the coming days. It will be a big event. I think there's a huge amount of people - not just in Britain, but around the world - who will want to pay their respects to her."

A Union flag flies at half mast over the Houses of Parliament A flag flying at half-mast over the Houses of Parliament

Some Tory MPs have expressed disappointment that the 87-year-old has not been granted a state funeral, as wartime leader Churchill was.

Peter Bone, MP for Wellingborough, said she should have "the highest kind of funeral that can be allowed".

"I would have thought a state funeral would be very appropriate. She was the first female prime minister. She was also the greatest peacetime prime minister we ever had," he told the Daily Mail.

However, friends have indicated that she did not want such treatment. She had specifically said she did not want to lie in state and that a fly-past would be a waste of money.

Margaret Thatcher sits for a 70th birthday photograph at her London home The former PM sitting for a 70th birthday photograph

For a state funeral to be granted to a non-royal, a parliamentary vote would have to be passed to permit the release of public funds.

Parliament is also being recalled from the Easter break on Wednesday to allow MPs to voice their tributes, although the decision has angered some MPs.

Labour's John Mann questioned why taxpayers' money was being spent on bringing back MPs when tributes could have been paid next week, when parliament was due to resume.

"It is perfectly valid that, when a prime minister dies, MPs can pay tribute, but this could be perfectly properly done on Monday," he said.

Margaret Thatcher in a tank Mrs Thatcher in a tank on a British base in Germany in 1986

He added that he would not be attending the session tomorrow, saying: "I will be at the dentist's."

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has already hailed Lady Thatcher as "a great Briton", is expected to give a statement to the Commons, followed by Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Mr Miliband said on Monday that while he "disagreed with much of what she did", he respected "her extraordinary achievements and her extraordinary personal strength".

The former Tory leader was hailed across the world as a towering politician, although there was also jubilation at her death from critics angry at some of her most controversial actions in office.

Flowers laid outside the home of Baroness Thatcher in Belgravia Flowers outside her home in Belgravia, London

While some mourners laid flowers in tribute outside her home in Belgravia, London, others took to the streets to celebrate her demise.

Some 200 revellers took to the streets in Bristol, where six police officers were injured in a scuffle as bottles and cans were thrown.

There were similar scenes in south London, where more than 100 people gathered in Brixton - the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years into Lady Thatcher's first term in office.

A crowd of 300 also gathered in Glasgow's George Square, where in 1989 protests at the introduction of the infamous poll tax took place.

A street party in Brixton celebrates the death of Baroness Thatcher Crowds celebrating the death of the former Tory PM in Brixton

Many on the Left have condemned the social impacts of Lady Thatcher's policies encouraging the free market and stripping power from unions during her 11 years in power.

Her death was also welcomed by veterans of the Falklands conflict in Argentina, who blamed her for the deaths of the 649 troops who died during the 74-day war.

But the news was received with "great sadness" by islanders on the Falklands, who flew the union flags at half mast and hailed her intervention 31 years ago.


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'Mild-Mannered' Family Dog Killed Baby Boy

A mother whose eight-day-old son died after being bitten by the family dog has told an inquest of her shock at the attack, saying the Jack Russell was "mild-mannered".

Mikayla Bell, 19, said the seven-year-old dog called PJ had never been aggressive towards children, adults or other dogs.

Miss Bell, whose son was sleeping in his cot when he was bitten, said she didn't "blame anyone" for what had happened but that it "was a really tragic accident".

She said that she had been upstairs at the family home in Ketley, Shropshire, while her mother had been caring for her son, Harry Harper, downstairs.

The sales assistant said she had been woken by an alarm at 6.30am on November 20 but shortly afterwards heard her mother, Teresa, screaming and shouting.

In a statement to Telford Coroner's Court, Miss Bell said: "I immediately ran downstairs and saw mum holding Harry over the sink.

"Mum was repeatedly saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' and I heard mum say 'He's been bitten'. I think at some point mum said it was PJ that had bitten him."

Harry was pronounced dead in hospital around 90 minutes later.

Miss Bell said: "I feel angry about what happened but I don't blame anyone. I am shocked to know it was PJ because he wasn't vicious at all."

Her mother said in her statement: "I know it was a tragic accident but I will always wonder if I could have done something differently that morning."

Ketley The tragedy happend at the family home in Ketley, Shropshire

The inquest was told that the dog had not followed Miss Bell's mother into the kitchen but remained in the sitting room where he attacked the baby, who was sleeping in a cot.

Detective Inspector Phil Shakesheff told the inquest that the family had an "unblemished history" of caring for dogs over a period of many years and that neither PJ nor the family's German Shepherd had previously displayed signs of dangerous behaviour.

He said: "There is no evidence to suggest that the death of Harry is anything other than a tragic incident that can't be ruled out from occurring in any other dog-owning household where children are present."

The inquest heard dogs had killed six children and two adults around the country since 2007.

Telford's Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Barkley, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He praised the family for their dignity and said: "One can only hope that if anything positive can come out of what has been a deeply distressing case, it's that the public recognise the dangers associated with babies and small children being around dogs."

After the hearing, the family released a statement saying: "As a family, we remain absolutely devastated by Harry's death.

"Although he was only with us for eight days, he had brought enormous happiness to us all and his loss is a tragedy that we will carry with us forever.

"We will treasure every single moment we enjoyed of him and we will never forget the joy he gave us when he arrived."


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Weatherman Fred Talbot Held Over 'Sex Abuse'

TV weatherman Fred Talbot has been arrested by police investigating historic sexual abuse at a school where he taught.

The 63-year-old is being held on suspicion of three counts of indecent assault and four counts of inciting a child to commit acts of gross indecency.

The alleged offences relate to his time as a biology teacher at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys in Trafford, Greater Manchester, between the early 1970s to early 1980s, where four alleged victims were pupils.

Mr Talbot's home in Bowdon, Cheshire, was raided by police last December while he was out of the country.

He is best known for his colourful appearances on the weather map for ITV's This Morning programme when hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan at Liverpool's Albert Dock.

Mr Talbot remains the weatherman on the station's North West regional news programme Granada Reports.

Fred Talbot house raided The school at the centre of sex abuse allegations

Detective Chief Inspector Sellars said: "Since allegations were made to police in December, we have made good progress with this investigation and with tracing and speaking to former pupils of Altrincham Grammar school.

"However, as part of our ongoing enquiry I am eager to trace anyone who attended the school between the early 1970s and 1980s, who feel they may have information to assist the police investigation."

Mr Talbot remains in police custody.

The police inquiry was prompted following media reports of another probe into historic sexual abuse at a Catholic boys' school in Altrincham.

Last month, a 63-year-old former teacher at St Ambrose College in Hale Barns was held on suspicion of indecent assault of an ex-pupil and possession of indecent images dating back to the early 1980s.

He was later bailed pending further inquiries.


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Disability Benefits: New System Rolled Out

Written By Unknown on Senin, 08 April 2013 | 20.14

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky Reporter

A petition calling on Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to live off £53 a week has been handed in to his office - as major changes to disability benefits are rolled out.

New claimants in parts of northern England will now receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in place of the old Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which critics say will leave many worse off.

The new system which includes face-to-face assessments and regular reviews will take at least two years to roll out across the country.

Iain Duncan Smith Iain Duncan Smith: Old system is "ridiculous"

Steven Sumpter from Worcestershire, who suffers from ME and diabetes so finds walking painful, told Sky News he was worried about the future.

Previously, to get disability benefit he had to prove he was unable to walk 50m, but that will be changed to 20m.

He said he fears in the future he will lose half of the money he receives and the subsidised car he relies on.

"It means every single trip to the shops and the doctor will turn into maybe three hours of effort and that will leave me in bed, exhausted and in pain for days afterwards," he said.

The Government insists DLA was outdated and the changes mean those who really need support will now receive it.

Mr Duncan Smith has described the previous system as "ridiculous".

"We've seen a rise in the run-up to PIP. And you know why? They know PIP has a health check. They want to get in early, get ahead of it. It's a case of 'get your claim in early'," he told the Daily Mail.

He added that rigorous new health checks for claimants were "common sense".

Some charities have already expressed concerns that it will mean 600,000 people miss out on support.

Chief Executive of Scope, Richard Hawkes, admitted changes were needed but claimed the Government was motivated by cost cutting.

"The Government has already announced how much the Disability Living Allowance budget is going to be reduced, they've already announced how many people are going to lose DLA and they're introducing a test which is going to provide them with the results they want to reduce those costs.

It'' not right, it's not fair," he told Sky News.

PIP will initially be introduced for new claimants in northwest England, Cumbria, Cheshire, northeast England and Merseyside.

Welfare petition Campaigners handing in the IDS petition at Caxton House, central London

Meanwhile, welfare reform campaigners have delivered a petition bearing 450,000 names to the Department of Work and Pensions.

Mr Duncan Smith was challenged to live on £53 a week after a market trader on a radio show said that was all he had to live on despite working 50 to 70 hours a week.

Asked whether he could live on £53 a week, the former army officer, who now earns around £1,600-a-week after tax replied: "If I had to I would."

The Cabinet minister has since dismissed the campaign as a "complete stunt".

Musician and part-time shop worker Dominic Aversano, who started the petition on campaigning website Change.org, said: "I don't think Mr Duncan Smith has a choice about whether to listen to the petition because so many people have signed it.

"I think it has changed the debate around welfare cuts. I was surprised because I didn't think we would have such a large response. I am delighted."

As well as the Personal Independence Payments, other reforms, including a below-inflation 1% cap on working-age benefits and tax credit rises for three years, have already come into force.

Around 660,000 social housing tenants deemed to have a spare room will lose an average of £14-a-week in what critics have dubbed a "bedroom tax".

Trials of a £500-a-week cap on household benefits are also due to begin in four London boroughs.

Chancellor George Osborne insisted on Sunday that the public was behind his changes to the benefits system.

Mr Osborne also said he felt "angry" that too much money was being "spent in the wrong way in our welfare system".


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Grand National: Ryan Mania Stays In Hospital

Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania will stay in hospital for another 24 hours after suffering a nasty fall at Hexham.

Sky sources say Mania, who had been hoping to leave the hospital on Monday, is in stable condition and is due to have an MRI scan later.

The 23-year-old rider was airlifted to hospital on Sunday after his mount Stagecoach Jasper came down early on the final circuit of the St John Lee Handicap Hurdle.

He received what appeared to be a kick between his shoulder blades in the fall, which came less than 24 hours after he rode to victory on Auroras Encore at Aintree.

Mania, who was treated at the track for 25 minutes before being attached to a spinal board and flown to Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, tweeted from his hospital bed on Sunday.

Helicopter Mania was attended to on the track and then taken to hospital

He wrote: "Thanks so much for all the messages. I'm grand. Staying in hospital to get another scan tomorrow then should be home. #highsandlows."

The MRI scan will provide doctors with a detailed image of the inside of Mania's body, allowing them to see any injuries to his bones, joints or internal organs.

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance confirmed the jockey received "severe/serious" back and neck injuries but said he was in a stable condition by the time he arrived at hospital.

James Armstrong, clerk of the course at Hexham, said he had been conscious and talking after the fall.

Mania's Grand National victory marked a dramatic turnaround in his career, which was temporarily halted when he spent six months out of racing and working in the hunt service after his former boss Howard Johnson lost his training licence.

He became the first Scottish-born winning rider of the world-famous steeplechase since 1896, when David Campbell won on The Soarer.


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New Chocolate Recipe That Halves The Fat

Scientists have found a way to halve the fat content of chocolate without compromising the treat's silky texture.

New technology allows manufacturers to replace up to 50% of the fat with fruit juice, vitamin C, water or diet cola.

Stefan A. F. Bon, from the University of Warwick, said: "This approach maintains the things that make chocolate 'chocolatey', but with fruit juice instead of fat.

"Now we're hoping the food industry will take the next steps and use the technology to make tasty, lower-fat chocolate bars and other candy."

Chocolate Lead scientists Stefan A. F. Bon (Credit: University of Warwick)

He said the juice is in the form of micro-bubbles - helping the chocolate to retain the velvety mouth-feel.

This process also prevents "sugar bloom", the white film that coats the surface of chocolate that has been on the shelf for a while.

A gelling agent called agar makes tiny "sponges" that displace fat.

The technology works with dark, milk and white chocolate, Dr Bon says.

His team at the University of Warwick has made chocolate infused with apple, orange and cranberry juice.

"Fruit juice-infused candy tastes like an exciting hybrid between traditional chocolate and a chocolate-juice confectionary," he said.

"Since the juice is spread out in the chocolate, it doesn't overpower the taste of the chocolate."

Dr Bon unveiled his research at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

Chocolate - an emulsion of cocoa butter and water or milk combined with cocoa powder - is generally seen as a healthy treat when enjoyed in moderation, but its high fat and sugar content is a downside.

A 60g serving of premium dark chocolate may contain 13 grams of fat - 20% of the total daily fat recommended for a person who eats 2,000 calories per day.

Chocolate bars at the Salon du Chocolat Scientists used apple, orange and cranberry juice

Much of that fat is saturated - the unhealthy variety.

Substituting fruit juice or cola also reduces the overall sugar content of the candy, Dr Bon said.


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Margaret Thatcher Dies After Stroke

How Thatcher Changed History

Updated: 1:57pm UK, Monday 08 April 2013

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor

Margaret Thatcher was Britain's first, and so far only, female Prime Minister. She was a transformative leader who reversed conventional wisdom that Great Britain's national decline was inevitable.

She will be remembered for curbing the trade unions, privatising state-owned industries, leading Britain to victory in the Falklands War, and as US President Ronald Reagan's staunch ally in confronting the Soviet Empire.

Mrs Thatcher is now ranked alongside Sir Winston Churchill (her hero) and Clement Attlee as one of Britain's most important 20th century prime ministers, but the "Iron Lady", as she was nicknamed, was a deeply divisive figure, openly hated by many, especially those from industrial heartlands, which she sent to the wall.

She ended her 11-year premiership quite literally in tears, thrown out not by the voters but by the very Conservative MPs she had led to three successive general election victories.

Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13, 1925, the daughter of a grocer and alderman from Grantham in Lincolnshire. She idolised her father but seldom even mentioned her mother.

A clever and ambitious grammar school girl, she won a place at Oxford University to study chemistry, going on to work in industry as a research chemist.

She had determined political ambitions as well, fighting Dartford for the Conservatives unsuccessfully in the 1950 and 1951 general elections.

Her consolation was to meet and marry Denis Thatcher, a prosperous businessman and Tory activist.

With typical efficiency, Mrs Thatcher gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Mark and Carol. She did not enter parliament until 1959 as the member for Finchley, a North London constituency she held for 23 years until her retirement.

In 1967 Tory leader Edward Heath invited her to join his shadow cabinet and made her education secretary following his unexpected triumph over Harold Wilson in the 1970 general election.

The rising star told a television interviewer that she did not expect to see a woman prime minister in her lifetime but she attracted less favourable publicity when she cancelled free school milk, becoming known as Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher.

Ted Heath lost the two elections in 1974 and was forced out as leader after a protracted period of party infighting.

Margaret Thatcher only stood against him after her mentor Sir Keith Joseph declined to run. An outsider in many ways, she was nonetheless elected Conservative Party Leader in 1975.

Prime Minister Callaghan took over from Wilson, but Labour's left-right tensions spilt over into protracted industrial unrest.

Mrs Thatcher stormed into Downing Street on May 4, 1979, following a Conservative election campaign which focused on the economic paralysis of the nation during the so-called Winter of Discontent.

On the steps of Number 10 she quoted St Francis and promised to bring unity. But the British economy plunged still further, unemployment trebled to more than three million. London and Liverpool suffered inner city riots.

After two years in office, Margaret Thatcher was one of the most unpopular Prime Ministers ever. She was rescued by Argentina's military junta in 1982.

Against the advice of her ministers and most military commanders she ordered a task force 3,000 miles into the South Atlantic to recapture the Falkland Islands from Argentine invaders. 

The Conservatives returned to power in the 1983 general election with an increased majority.

Mrs Thatcher moved on to confront what she called the "enemy within", eventually defeating a bitter and confrontational year-long miners' strike over pit closures, unwisely called by NUM leader Arthur Scargill without a ballot of his members.

Irish Republican terrorists murdered two of Mrs Thatcher's closest political colleagues Airey Neave and Ian Gow. And in October 1984 five friends and colleagues were killed when the IRA blew up the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party Conference.

Margaret, the wife of her close political ally Norman Tebbit, was among those victims crippled for life.

Yet a year later Mrs Thatcher and her counterpart Garret Fitzgerald signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which would ultimately provide the diplomatic basis for the end of The Troubles.

Mrs Thatcher also became a prominent and pugnacious figure on the world stage. She secured the rebate on Britain's contribution to the European Community and pressed for an open market.

Her decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Britain led to the Greenham Common protest but it was also part of the arms build-up which ultimately broke the Soviet Union and brought down the Iron Curtain.

Mrs Thatcher was quick to spot the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as "a man I can do business with". But for his two terms as American President Ronald Reagan was Mrs Thatcher's closest ally - on foreign affairs and on economic and social policy.

Her economic ideology was unswerving. She believed in a smaller state, lower taxes, self-reliance and people being left to spend "their own money".

Her government sold or "privatised" state-owned "nationalised" assets - first council houses then shares in gas, electricity, water and telecommunications and "the big bang" de-regulating banking and the City of London.

She won a third election in 1987 with another huge majority but like many long-serving successful leaders, she began to believe her own publicity, epitomised in her most famous quotation: "The Lady is not for turning".

Domineering and unwilling to listen, she alienated many of her ministers and MPs.

By now Michael Heseltine had resigned from government and established himself as a leader-in-waiting. He exploited growing discontent over two issues: the proposed Community Charge or Poll Tax, and hostility to Europe.

Anti-poll tax demonstrations brought some of the worst street violence in living memory.

Her stubborn opposition to further European integration provoked first the resignation of her chancellor Nigel Lawson, then, fatally, of her deputy prime minister Sir Geoffrey Howe.

She stood down in November 1990, after failing to secure the overwhelming support of MPs in yet another Heseltine-inspired leadership contest on the very night European leaders were celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall.

One of Prime Minister Thatcher's last achievements was persuading the new US President George Bush senior not to "go wobbly" following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

Mr Heseltine failed to seize the crown and instead the Conservative party united around John Major, Thatcher's relatively obscure preferred successor.

In 1992, Mr Major led the Tories to victory over Neil Kinnock's Labour yet again.

In her retirement, the Queen made Mrs Thatcher a member of the Order of the Garter and appointed her Baroness in the House of Lords. Her husband Denis received a hereditary knighthood.

Sir John Major sometimes complained of "back seat driving" as the former PM relished the movie title "The Mummy Returns".

The next Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair never bothered to hide his admiration for her decisive style of leadership but there was widespread astonishment when the newly-elected Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown invited her back to Downing Street for tea in her honour.

More recently, Meryl Streep won an Oscar for a portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the Hollywood movie 'The Iron Lady'. But the film also depicted unflinchingly the politician's descent into senile dementia, hastened by the death of her beloved husband, Denis.


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Glasgow Schoolgirl Bus Rape: Two Men Arrested

Two men have been arrested over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl on a bus.

The teenager was on the top deck of the 57 bus as it left Silverburn shopping centre in Pollok, Glasgow, at around 10.30pm on March 22.

She was travelling with a friend, also 14, but went up to the top deck, where she was allegedly attacked.

Her friend raised the alarm with passengers downstairs.

Police said both men arrested in connection with the incident are 22.

They are due to appear before Glasgow Sheriff Court.


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Teen Crime Commissioner In Offensive Tweet Row

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 07 April 2013 | 20.14

Britain's first youth police commissioner has refused to step down after it was revealed she had posted a string of offensive comments on Twitter.

Paris Brown, 17, who took up the post just days ago, wrote homophobic and racist comments on her Twitter account and boasted about getting drunk.

She also appeared to condone violence in a tweet in which she said she was pleased that her brother had thumped someone that "gave his tiny little friend a black eye".

The messages were all posted before she took up the one-year post - which has a £15,000 salary funded by the taxpayer - for Kent Police last week.

The disclosure of the tweets has prompted a Twitter backlash against Miss Brown, while Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, has led calls for her to step down from the post.

Miss Brown said she "sincerely" apologised for the remarks and for any offence caused, but she told Sky News she would not be resigning and felt she could still do the job.

She said: "I don't want to be judged on tweets that were written a long time ago, before I found out I had the job.

"I don't think it should affect my future, my career. I still want to be the voice of young people. I still think I can be.In a way it shows I am - those tweets are horrible obviously - but I am just a normal teenager.

"Everybody's got a regret, maybe it's a tweet, maybe it's a status but out of 4,000 tweets, there's only a few that have been picked up upon."

Paris Brown (L) and Ann Barnes (R) Paris Brown with her 'boss', the Kent Police Commissioner, Ann Barnes

In her tweets, the teenager, who turned 17 two days ago, refers to immigrants as "illegals" and gay people as "fags".

In one message she admits "Im (sic) either really fun, friendly and inclusive when Im drunk or Im an anti social, racist, sexist, embarrassing a*******. often its the latter."

Another said: "Been drinking since half 1 and riding baby walkers down the hall at work oh my god I have the best job ever haha!!"

In another she wrote: "I really wanna make a batch of hash brownies."

Miss Brown told Sky her tweets contained the language of youth and that "fag" was not a term of homophobic abuse, but actually meant silly or idiotic.

Speaking on Sky News' Boulton & Co after her appointment on Friday, Miss Brown had said: "Being a young person today you feel like you have got to sort of show that you are growing up, that you are a grown up, even when you are as young as maybe 13 or 14.

"You are growing up at a faster rate in today's time and people might feel I am being patronised or I am being intimidated and that's why the are acting like they are in certain situations."

Miss Brown, whose appointment was to be a trail blazer for other Youth Commissioners across the country, reports directly to the newly elected Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Ann Barnes.

The police and crime commissioners' roles, which command salaries of up to £100,000, have themselves been controversial, largely because they put inexperienced commissioners in charge of the budget, policing and choosing the chief constable.

Mrs Barnes has said Miss Brown's job is safe.

She said: "I absolutely do not condone the content and language of Paris' tweets. I suspect that many young people go through a phase during which they make silly, often offensive comments and show off on Facebook and Twitter.

"I think that if everyone's future was determined by what they wrote on social networking sites between the ages of 14 and 16 we'd live in a very odd world.

"I also suspect that thousands of parents would be at best surprised and at worst deeply shocked and ashamed if they looked into the social networking of their children."

Miss Brown, who lives with her parents in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, has a full-time apprenticeship role as an office junior at Kent's Swale Borough Council.

She said she had put off doing A-levels for a year while she undertakes the job as commissioner.

Miss Brown has removed her @vilulabelle account from Twitter following the revelations. She now tweets under an official account.

Reports of her deleted remarks have attracted criticism from many Twitter users, including Alex Cahill, who wrote: "Well Paris Brown (@vilulabelle) is a shining example of young people ..."

Paul Davies wrote: "God help us and our police!!!"


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Cameron: Welfare Reforms 'Put Fairness Back'

The Prime Minister has insisted that welfare reforms are "putting fairness back" into Britain as a poll suggests six out of 10 people think state handouts are too generous.

David Cameron has given a staunch defence of the controversial benefit shake-up in an article for The Sun newspaper.

As the welfare state overhaul continues to fuel an increasingly bitter political row, the Prime Minister said Government is on the side of "each and every hardworking person in our country".

He suggested it was "crazy" that claimants could have a bigger income on benefits than work and argued it is "fair that we all play by the same rules".

Mr Cameron pledged to "always help" the most vulnerable but insisted "those who can, should" as he warned that the system was causing "resentment" across the country.

He wrote: "We are putting fairness back at the heart of Britain. We are building a country for those who work hard and want to get on. And we are saying to each and every hardworking person in our country: we are on your side.

"This is a Government for hardworking people: and that's the way it will stay."

Over the last week widespread welfare and tax changes have come into force including a below inflation 1% cap on working-age benefits and tax credit rises for three years.

Around 660,000 social housing tenants deemed to have a spare room will lose an average £14 a week in what critics have dubbed a "bedroom tax" and trials are due to begin in four London boroughs of a £500-a-week cap on household benefits.

An opinion poll for The Sun found six out of 10 voters believe benefits are too generous and 79% back the Government's plan to cap a family's benefit at £26,000 a year.

Mr Cameron said the system had "lost its way" and had become a "lifestyle choice for some".

He wrote in The Sun: "It was designed to bring us together, but is causing resentment. I think the British people are about the most fair and generous people on the planet - but no-one wants to work hard every day and see their hard-earned taxes being used to fund things they themselves cannot afford or keep generations dependent on welfare.

"So this month we are making some big changes. They are changes that have a simple principle at their heart: we are restoring the fairness that should lie at the very heart of our tax and welfare systems."

Speaking on Sky's Murnaghan programme former Labour Chief Whip and MP for Newcastle East Nick Brown, said: "It is morally wrong to demonise the poor.

"Within my constituency I have 7,500 people on Job Seekers Allowance - out of work, looking for work - and the number of job vacancies in the region is 10,000. There is a grotesque mismatch between those seeking work and the number of jobs available.

"The correct thing to thing to do is to intervene with the private sector to create jobs and to help them into obtaining them."

Meanwhile there are suggestions that Labour is planning a significant shift in its approach to welfare.

Detailed work is under way on possible policy proposals that would mean benefit payments to those out of work or on low incomes would vary according to their past contributions, according to The Observer.

It quotes a Labour party source saying: "The problem at the moment is that you have a person aged 50 who has worked all his life and then becomes unemployed getting much the same as the person next door who has never worked. It is about linking what you take out to what you have put in."

In an article for the newspaper shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: "There are lots of people right now who feel they pay an awful lot more in than they ever get back.

"That should change."

Treasury chief secretary Danny Alexander said Labour's plans on welfare showed they were "out of touch".

He told Murnaghan on Sky News: "I think it is extraordinary today that the Labour party has come forward with its proposals to increase the cost of the welfare system.

"From the shadow work and pensions secretary, who was the person who left a note for my predecessor saying there is no money left, to now come forward with ideas to spend even more money on the welfare system just shows how out of touch with reality the Labour party are."


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Magic Mushroom Depression Trials Stalled

A trial that could lead to the use of magic mushroom treatments for depression has been stalled because of "absurd" regulations restricting the use of illegal drugs in research, it has been claimed.

Study leader Professor David Nutt, who was controversially sacked from his role as the Government's chief drug adviser in 2009, says "archaic" rules obstructing scientific progress should be abolished.

His team at Imperial College London has uncovered evidence that the hallucinogen psilocybin may combat severe depression which resists conventional treatment.

The problem is that psilocybin is the psychoactive ingredient in so-called "magic mushrooms" and is banned as a Class A drug.

Although the Medical Research Council has awarded a £550,000 grant for the trial, Professor Nutt said it has not yet been able to proceed.

Speaking ahead of the British Neuroscience Association's Festival of Neuroscience in London, he said: "We're not allowed to go and pick the mushrooms anymore and finding a company to provide this illegal drug in a way that can be prepared for trial use as yet has proved impossible.

Professor David Nutt Professor Nutt was the Government's chief drug adviser

"We are between a rock and a hard place, and that's very unfortunate because if this is an effective treatment, as it may well be for some people, then they are obviously being denied that possibility."

Under the law, academic researchers are not allowed to manufacture their own Class A drugs and must obtain them from external sources.

Companies that could supply the drugs have to go through "regulatory hoops" to obtain the necessary Home Office licence, Professor Nutt said.

This can take up to a year and triple the cost, he maintained.

Other major hurdles were the EU guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice, which sets daunting standards for potential suppliers, and rules on storage.

Only four hospitals in the UK currently have a licence to hold psilocybin, making it difficult to roll the drug out as a prospective treatment.

Professor Nutt added: "We are the first people ever to have done a psilocybin study in the UK, but we are still hunting for a company that can manufacture the drug to GMP standards for the clinical trial, even though we've been trying for a year to find one.

"We live in a world of insanity in terms of regulating drugs at present. The whole field is so bogged down by these intransigent regulations, so that even if you have a good idea, you may never get it into the clinic."

Researchers discovered that when healthy volunteers are injected with the drug it shuts down a region of the brain known to be over-active in depression.

Professor Nutt was asked to step down from his role as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2009 after claiming that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than LSD, ecstasy and cannabis.


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