Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 06 Desember 2014 | 20.14
UK shoppers are being encouraged to "shop small" today to support Small Business Saturday, which aims to boost smaller enterprises.
The event, now in its second year, is backed by hundreds of trade organisations and more than 60 local councils are showing their support by waiving parking charges for the day.
Last year, independent businesses took £468m across the UK on the day and #SmallBizSatUK trended on Twitter all day.
Business and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: "There's never been a better time to start a business and I am proud that the Government has thrown its weight behind small business.
"This Saturday we have a first-rate opportunity to celebrate the hard working heroes of our economy and I will be shopping small throughout the day whilst visiting my family in Nottingham.
Video:Business Owner On Need For Choice
"Let's make this year's Small Business Saturday even better than the last."
To encourage the nation to get involved again this year, supporters of the initiative have been rallying the British public.
Artist Sir Peter Blake, who created the sleeve design for the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, created a piece of celebratory art featuring more than 60 UK shopkeepers with the tools of their trade.
Model Daisy Lowe will lend her support at an independent shop today.
She said: "I'm passionate about small, independent shops and have picked up some of my most treasured outfits from one-of-a-kind boutiques. I'm normally asked to model for big brands, but I jumped at the chance to be involved in Small Business Saturday and show my support for small, independent businesses too.
"I hope people around the country get involved and join me in shopping small."
Britain is to build a new military base in Bahrain in a landmark deal which will enable the UK send more and larger warships to bolster security in the Gulf, amid the growing threat from Islamic State.
The move signals a marked expansion of the Royal Navy presence in the region.
The UK already has four minehunters permanently based at the Mina Salman Port, but the plans will see the existing facilities improved and extended.
These will provide a forward operating base, with a place to plan, store equipment for naval operations, and accommodate personnel.
While the deal is understood to have been in the pipeline for around two years, the rapid gains made by the IS extremist group and resulting instability, underlines its strategic importance.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond signed the agreement with Bahrain's foreign minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed al Khalifa.
Mr Hammond said: "This will guarantee the presence of the Royal Navy in Bahrain well into the future.
"The expansion of Britain's footprint builds upon our 30-year track record of Gulf patrols and is just one example of our growing partnership with Gulf partners to tackle shared strategic and regional threats."
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "This new base is a permanent expansion of the Royal Navy's footprint and will enable Britain to send more and larger ships to reinforce stability in the Gulf.
"We will now be based again in the Gulf for the long term."
The move reaffirms the UK's strategic alliance with Bahrain, despite concerns over security in the Gulf Kingdom.
The Foreign Office's own travel advice warns of the potential for violent protests and demonstrations and advises travellers in the region to be "especially vigilant" to terrorist attacks.
Despite this, the agreement will result in more British service personnel based in the country.
The US 5th Fleet is also based in Bahrain. From there, it allows American and British warships to patrol and carry out exercises in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
Sheikh Khalid said: "It reaffirms our joint determination to maintain regional security and stability in the face of challenging circumstances, and gives further strength to our multifaceted partnership.
"Bahrain looks forward to the early implementation of today's arrangement and to continuing to work with the UK and other partners to address threats to regional security."
The families of two young Britons murdered in Thailand say they are "confident" in the work being carried out to solve the "atrocious crimes".
Students David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, were found dead on a beach on the holiday island of Ko Tao in September.
Two Burmese bar workers are accused of the murders, but claim they were tortured by the Thai police to secure a confession.
The two Burmese suspects claim their confessions were made under torture
Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the allegations.
The families of Mr Miller and Ms Witheridge have issued statements thanking Metropolitan Police detectives for reviewing the case, and calling for the investigation to be allowed to take its course.
Video:Charges Over Thailand Beach Murders
Ms Witheridge's family said: "We would like to thank the officers who travelled to Thailand to review the case and the Royal Thai Police for facilitating their visit."
They added: "We would like to stress that as a family we are confident in the work that has been carried out into these atrocious crimes and want to remind both press and public that they do not have the full facts to report and make comment on at this stage.
"Our thoughts, as always, are with the Miller family. Together we stand united and focused on seeing a fair and transparent trial process to bring about justice for our beautiful children."
Video:Parents Visit Thai Murder Suspects
Mr Miller's family said: "We would like to express our relief that progress is being made in Thailand and this case is finally coming to court.
"We would like to reiterate our gratitude to the UK Metropolitan Police, who received the co-operation of the Royal Thai Police in undertaking an independent review into the investigation."
And while "support for the Myanmar suspects has been strong and vocal" they urged the public not to "jump to conclusions" and said the "suspects have a difficult case to answer".
Video:Oct 3: Thai Murder Suspects Paraded
They added: "The evidence against them appears to be powerful and convincing. They must respond to these charges, and their arguments must be considered with the same scrutiny as those of the prosecution.
"Please remember that this is above all a story of two wonderful young people, David and Hannah, killed in the prime of their lives in a senseless and brutal way."
The mother of boy sexually abused by his doctor is taking legal action against the hospital that employed him, claiming more should have been done to keep him safe.
The child, who is 14 now, suffers from a serious blood disorder and started visiting paediatric haematologist Dr Myles Bradbury at Addenbrooke's in Cambridge when he was eight.
Bradbury used a spy pen to take images of his victims'
"I thought he was nice to me and he helped me out if I was having trouble at school," he said.
But when he was about 10, the abuse began.
Video:Doctor Was A Predatory Peadophile
"He told me take off my trousers and take off my pants as well and told me to lie on the bed and then he said he was going to look for bruises and he touched my privates."
The boy feared what Bradbury was doing to him was not right, but decided to trust him as he was a doctor.
He estimates he was abused more than 40 times, sometimes when his parents were on the other side of the curtain.
But his mother believes a system should have been place to ensure her son was not left unsupervised with Bradbury.
She said: "I think they should have had more staff so when the doctor is in the room by themselves with the patient they should have somebody with them. I think that's where it went wrong.
"It makes me sick, angry, stressed.
"It just hurts to think about it.
"If you don't put it in the back of your mind it just haunts you and you just can't bear to see your son suffer so much."
Video:Doctor 'Disgracefully Abused' Trust
She insists the case being brought against the hospital is not about the money, but to make sure that no other children fall victim to a predator like Bradbury.
The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to 25 offences involving 18 boys.
On Monday he was jailed for 22 years, prompting more families to come forward for the first time.
One mother has contacted the same firm of solicitors that is representing the 14-year-old's family, along with two other victims.
Renu Daly, from Neil Hudgell Solicitors, said: "What we are hoping to achieve is that these families get some sort of compensation to ensure sure their children are looked after in the future to get over the suffering that they have had.
"Also we would hope the trust would take heed, and other trusts, to ensure there is a policy across the board… where there is appropriate supervision."
A spokesman from Addenbrooke's said it would inappropriate to comment on any legal action at this stage, but confirmed an independent investigation into the abuse at the hospital is due to start later this month.
One in five high street stores has no disabled access, according to a government-backed audit of more than 30,000 businesses.
A study by DisabledGo also showed a third of department stores did not have an accessible toilet and only 15% of retailers had hearing loops for the partially deaf.
Researchers visited and assessed 27,000 high street shops and 3,716 restaurants in an audit backed by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Among other findings were that two in five food outlets had no accessible toilet, only 23% had menus in large print for the visually impaired and only 9% hearing loops.
Just 57 eateries, 14% of the total, listed information on accessibility on their website.
Lack of training for staff to help cater for disabled people was another shortcoming.
DisabledGo did not name any of the retail or restaurant chains visited.
Disabled minister Mark Harper: 'Industry must do better'
Chairman Barry Stevenson said: "We are pleased that many retailers have invested significantly in improved accessibility in the last 10 years, but the majority are still not doing enough.
"It's entirely unacceptable for disabled people, their family, friends and carers not to be able to access all high street shops and facilities.
Video:Revealed: Attitudes To The Disabled
"Disabled people are not asking the earth - just that management do what's reasonable and think more about how they can help disabled customers better."
He added: "It doesn't need to cost a fortune to do the right thing - and it could be the deciding factor for disabled customers between you and a competitor."
The study estimated disabled people could spend up to £200bn this Christmas.
Minister for disabled people Mark Harper said: "Everyone deserves to be able to go Christmas shopping or enjoy a festive meal or drink with their friends or colleagues. Disabled people are no exception.
"I'm calling on the retail and hospitality industry to look at what more they can do to better cater for disabled people."
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 05 Desember 2014 | 20.14
A prisoner with a doctorate in English literature has successfully challenged a ban on inmates receiving books from friends and relatives.
A judge declared the restrictions as unlawful after arsonist Barbara Gordon-Jones, 56, took the matter to the High Court.
Under the current rules prisoners are prevented from receiving parcels unless they have "exceptional circumstances".
Gordon-Jones, of Tudeley, near Tunbrige Wells, Kent, is serving an indefinite sentence for the protection of the public and is being held at Send prison near Woking, Surrey.
She was denied legal aid but was able to bring her court challenge because lawyers represented her for free.
The prisoner challenged the section of the new Prison Service Instruction (PSI) she said "imposes substantial restrictions on the ability of prisoners to receive, or have for their use, books".
Mr Justice Collins said the PSI amended the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme (IEP).
He said: "I am satisfied that insofar as it includes books in IEP schemes, the PSI is unlawful."
The ruling was welcomed by solicitors firm Lound Mulrenan Jefferies, who acted for Gordon-Jones pro bono along with barristers Jenni Richards QC, Victoria Butler-Cole and Annabel Lee.
The solicitors said in a statement: "Reading is a right and not a privilege, to be encouraged and not restricted.
"Indeed, Mr Justice Collins commented that, as far as books are concerned, 'to refer to them as a privilege is strange'.
"The policy was unnecessary, irrational and counter-productive to rehabilitation. It is now rightly judged unlawful."
The solicitors said the Justice Secretary and prison governor "sought to argue that there remained adequate access to books because prisoners borrow them from the prison library or purchase them with their own money, but this was rejected in today's judgement".
They said: "Prison libraries are often inadequately stocked and there are restrictions on access.
"Spending caps for prisoners usually mean that there is enough for bare essentials but not for books."
Referring to the fact that Gordon-Jones was refused legal aid, the solicitors warned: "Under current proposals to restrict judicial review, it would be more difficult to bring this case and hold the Government to account."
In July, a campaign by activists and musicians including Billy Bragg and Johnny Marr overturned a prison ban on steel guitar strings.
Inmates had been restricted to nylon strings - primarily used for classical and Spanish styles.
A thief was able to rifle through the trouser pockets of a shopkeeper to steal the day's takings after apparently hypnotising him, police have said.
Aftab "Aziz" Haider, the owner of wine merchants Hops And Pops in Highgate, North London, said he was "stunned" by the theft of hundreds of pounds.
CCTV of the unusual robbery shows the suspect brushing past Mr Haider and tapping him on the arm.
Moments later, the suspect shakes his hand at eye level which appears to put Mr Haider into a trance, allowing him to take the shopkeeper's wallet out of his pocket.
The thief, talking all the time, then taps Mr Haider's shoulders and torso and makes a series of bizarre hand gestures before reaching into the other pocket to steal the day's takings.
Mr Haider snaps out of the apparent trance a few seconds later and tries to stop the man, but he had already run out of the shop.
Scotland Yard has released the CCTV of the theft which took less than a minute at around 9.45pm on 11 September.
Detective Sergeant Dave Bullock of the Met Police said: "The victim in this incident said that he was momentarily unaware of what had happened to him.
"The suspect's distraction tactics appeared to have worked as he robbed the victim of cash from his pocket. If anyone recognises the suspect or has been a victim in similar circumstances, please contact us."
The suspect was wearing a black bomber jacket and dark jeans. Police have described him as being between 30 and 35 years old, Eastern European and slim with short black hair.
:: Anyone with information should call police on 020 3276 3158 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies for up to 18 months in order to save the NHS more than £40m a year, according to a study.
Research published by the British Medical Journal suggests £31m could be saved by doubling the number of mums who breastfeed for between seven and 18 months as it would reduce their risk of breast cancer, which is costly to treat.
Another £11m could be saved if women who exclusively breastfeed for one week can be encouraged to keep going for four months, because it would help to cut the incidence of common childhood diseases.
Rosie Dodds, senior policy advisor at the parenting charity NCT, said: "Enabling women who want to breastfeed to continue for longer would cost the NHS £40m less because they would need to treat fewer illnesses in babies and less breast cancer, which means they can really invest in supporting breastfeeding.
"We know that most women want to breastfeed and around 80% start.
New mum Roberta Robino says being judged by others is her biggest concern
"But 80% of those who stop in the first six weeks would have liked to carry on for longer and it's those women who we need to provide more support for.
"We know in post-natal care there are not enough midwives available and although support for breastfeeding has improved in some places, there is so much more that could be done in providing support at the right time and with the right information so that parents can carry on as long as they want to."
The report claims the NHS could realise the savings without persuading more women to breastfeed.
Rather, it hinges on helping those who have already chosen to do so to extend the overall duration of breastfeeding.
But new mum Jennie Galbraith from North London said the prospect of breastfeeding her daughter Alice for 18 months was daunting.
She told Sky News: "That would mean I'd still be breastfeeding when I went back to work.
"It would mean expressing at work, storing milk at work, and other things that I think most workplaces aren't really geared up for.
"I think there would be a lot of stigma around me doing that.
"And even if I had chosen to be a stay-at-home mum and wasn't going to work, I think the tie of needing to be with your child every two to four hours for 18 months would be a lot."
Roberta Robino, mum to three-week-old Emilia, said: "It's the judgement from others that would scare me most - more than the thought of just breastfeeding my child for 18 months."
Providing accessible, high quality support to women that would help them breastfeed for longer will be costly but the research indicates that the investment has a "strong economic case".
But maternity nurse Lisa Clegg believes the report is unhelpful.
She said: "It's a pressured time anyway and stressful and emotional when the baby is born, and you want to do everything right.
"You don't need someone coming along to you and saying 'you must do it for this long'. As a mum we do everything the best we can anyway."
Commuters face another rail price rise at the beginning of next year with fares being increased by an average of 2.2% from 2 January.
The increase, announced by rail industry body the Rail Delivery Group, means that more rail travellers will be paying £5,000 for their season tickets than ever before.
Although the average rise is the lowest average rise for five years, the rise for regulated fares, including season tickets, will be up to 2.5%.
South East travellers commuting from Canterbury East to London, for example, will have to pay more than £40 extra in 2015 than they did for this year's season ticket as the price rises from £4,960 to more than £5,000.
Other travellers will soon be joining the ranks of those already paying £4,000 a year for their annual return commute to work with the season ticket from West Malling in Kent to London, for example, going beyond £4,000 for the first time.
Video:Union: East Coast Award 'Madness'
One of the longest commutes is from Cheltenham Spa in Gloucestershire to London - those on this route will see their annual tickets up from £9,468 to £9,704 - a 2.49% rise.
While the January 2015 increase is limited to a maximum of 2.5%, unregulated fares, such as off-peak leisure tickets, can go up by as much as the train companies decide.
Rail Delivery Group director general Michael Roberts said: "Money from fares goes towards running and maintaining the railway.
"This benefits not just passengers and businesses but communities across the country, by improving journeys, creating employment and helping to boost the economy.
"Over the next five years, Network Rail is spending on average £27m a day on a better railway, alongside commitments made by train companies to improve services. That will mean more seats, better stations and improved journeys."
But Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA rail union, said it was time to stop the "annual persecution of passengers".
Video:East Coast: 'Best Deal' For Country
"We have seen fares jump by as much as 245% on key routes since privatisation 20 years ago," he said.
"It is now cheaper for a family of four to fly to Iceland to see Father Christmas - £224 - than it is for one person to buy an any-time walk on return rail fare from London to Manchester - £321."
Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said: "The scandal of Britain's great rail fares rip off is that today's hike is far outstripping average pay increases and it will once again hit those at the sharp end of the austerity clampdown the hardest.
"After two decades of privatisation the British people pay some of the highest fares in Europe to travel on clapped-out, understaffed and overcrowded services while the private train companies are laughing all the way to the bank.
"Today's fares announcement just fuels that scandal.
"We say fares should be cut and not staff, and public ownership would allow us to do just that. "
Three police officers have been charged in connection with the death of a man whose vigilante killer wrongly believed he was a paedophile.
Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, was beaten to death and his body set on fire by neighbour Lee James in Bristol on 14 July, 2013, amid false speculation he was a paedophile.
James, of Brislington, was later jailed for life for murder, while Stephen Norley, who lived next door, was jailed for four years for assisting an offender.
Bijan Ebrahim was mistaken for a paedophile
The Independent Police Complaints Commission submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service in October 2014.
The file considered how officers responded to events and contact from Mr Ebrahimi.
Today, the Crown Prosecution Service announced three police constables and a police community support officer will be charged with misconduct in a public office.
Pcs Kevin Duffy, Helen Harris and Leanne Winter, all of Avon and Somerset Constabulary, are to be charged with misconduct in public office.
Lee James, left, and Steven Norley
It is alleged they failed to respond to allegations and calls for help from Mr Ebrahimi.
PCSO Andrew Passmore is also to be charged with misconduct in public office.
It is alleged he gave false information to the 999 operator that he was outside Mr Ebrahimi's home at an important time.
He will also be charged with perverting the course of justice for allegedly giving different accounts to the police murder investigation and the IPCC investigation.
The CPS said there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against a police emergency call taker and an emergency call supervisor.
Malcolm McHaffie, deputy head of special crime at the CPS, said: "The decision to prosecute was reached after careful consideration of the evidence and was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors."
All four individuals will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court for a preliminary hearing on 14 January 2015.
A post-mortem examination found Mr Ebrahimi, an Iranian national, suffered "multiple heavy blows to the face and head" and died before he was set alight.
James and Norley were jailed at Bristol Crown Court in November last year after entering guilty pleas to murder and assisting an offender respectively.
The court heard Mr Ebrahimi was murdered three days after he had been arrested by police.
The arrest was made following complaints that he had been taking pictures of children outside his home.
During the fatal attack, father-of-four James, who believed his victim had been filming his children, repeatedly stamped on Mr Ebrahimi's head.
He told him "have some of that".
Father-of-two Norley, who worked for a fruit and vegetable wholesaler, helped James drag Mr Ebrahimi's body from the scene of the attack.
He then obtained white spirit to burn it, a court heard.
Speaking after the case, Mr Ebrahimi's sister Manizhah Moores said her brother suffered racial abuse while living in Bristol.
"We hope that nobody else ever has to witness an innocent disabled man being abused, taunted and tortured in the way that Bijan suffered," Mrs Moores said.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 04 Desember 2014 | 20.14
A vicar, along with his wife and daughter, are being questioned by police over the suspicious death of a baby boy.
Rev Jim Percival was arrested, together with his 28-year-old daughter, Ruth, on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to conceal the birth of a child.
Police say they are no longer being questioning on suspicion of sex offences.
Rev Percival's wife Susan faces questions only about the alleged concealment.
Holy Trinity CE Church In Freckleton
Officers have been granted an additional 30 hours to talk to them after they were held on Tuesday in Freckleton, Lancashire, where Rev Percival is the vicar of Holy Trinity CE Church.
Officers had been called to a property - thought to be the vicarage - on 25 November, in response to reports that a woman had suffered a stillbirth.
In a statement, Lancashire Constabulary said: "When police attended, the body of a newly-born baby boy was discovered at the address and an investigation was launched.
"The baby's mother, a 28-year-old woman, was taken by ambulance to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where she was treated and later released.
"Following numerous inquiries, the death of the baby boy is now being treated as suspicious. A post-mortem examination has been carried out and the cause of death is currently inconclusive."
One of their neighbours said: "They are a quiet family. I didn't even know the daughter was pregnant."
The Diocese of Blackburn has confirmed it "is aware of the situation regarding Rev Jim Percival and his family" and is working "closely" with police.
Scientists are hoping the world's most complete skeleton of a Stegosaurus can help uncover the secrets of the species.
Sophie the Stegosaurus has been welcomed into her new home - London's Natural History Museum's Earth Hall.
At 18ft long (5.6 metres) and 9.5ft tall (2.9 metres), Sophie is relatively small compared with the largest of her species which measured up to 29ft (nine metres).
She is the first complete dinosaur specimen to go on display at the Natural History Museum in nearly 100 years.
Professor Paul Barrett, the museum's chief dinosaur scientist, found Sophie while attending an international fossil fair in the US.
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Gallery: New Home For Sophie The Stegosaurus
Sophie the Stegosaurus has a new home at London's Natural History Museum
Her stunning presence dominates the Earth Hall - at 18ft long and 9.5ft tall
MPs are to debate the fate of a Royal Marine who was jailed after shooting dead an injured insurgent fighter in Afghanistan.
Sergeant Alexander Blackman, who was originally known as Marine A, was convicted of murder by a court martial in November 2013.
The insurgent had earlier been injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter.
Sgt Blackman shot his victim in the chest at close range before saying the line adapted from Shakespeare: "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you ****. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us."
He then turned to two comrades who were with him at the time and said: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention."
Video:Marine Conviction Could Be Debated
He was convicted partially on the basis of a recording of the event obtained from a helmet camera carried by one of his fellow marines.
The killing happened in 2011 in Helmand province while Blackman was serving with 42 Commando, which is normally based in Plymouth.
A government e-petition calling for Sgt Blackman's immediate release and the quashing of his conviction has now obtained more than 107,000 signatures - beyond the 100,000 required to prompt consideration for a parliamentary debate.
Video:PM Backs Marines After Murder Case
Conservative Oliver Colvile, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, has secured the three-hour general debate on the basis that the sergeant "defended his country from a terrorist".
Parliamentary time has been reserved for 26 January by the Backbench Business Committee.
At the point when the e-petition passed 10,000 signatures, the Service Prosecuting Authority released a statement saying: "After a public trial in front of a Court Martial, at which he was legally represented, Marine A was found guilty of murder, and two other Royal Marines were found not guilty of the offence.
Video:Marine Guilty Of Murdering Afghan
"The identity of the victim does not change that verdict.
"It would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene in this independent judicial process."
During his trial, Sgt Blackman denied murder, saying he believed the victim was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse.
Video:Brigadier Bill Dunham's Statement
He was given a life sentence with a minimum of 10 years by a court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, and "dismissed with disgrace" from the Royal Marines after serving with distinction for 15 years
An attempt to get his conviction overturned at the Court Martial Appeal Court failed although his minimum term was cut to eight years because of the combat stress disorder he was suffering at the time.
Two men have been charged in connection with the murders of two British tourists on an island resort in Thailand.
Saw Lin and Win Saw Htun, both 21-year-old bar workers from Burma, are accused of killing Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in September.
Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, and 23-year-old Ms Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, were found dead on a beach on the island of Koh Tao.
The two suspects were paraded in front of the media
Post-mortem examination results showed both died from blows to the head, Ms Witheridge had been raped and Mr Miller had also drowned.
A garden hoe with Ms Witheridge's blood on it was found near the bodies and investigators say Mr Miller had been attacked with a blunt object.
Video:Parents Visit Thai Murder Suspects
Thai police were following several lines of inquiry, including "sexual jealousy" and an argument in a bar.
At one point, a cash reward of £4,000 was offered for information.
The two suspects were charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to rape, as well as robbery, by a public prosecutor at the Provincial Court on the island of Ko Samui.
Neither man appeared in court to hear the charges - they will be able to enter a plea at the next hearing, a police spokesman said.
Video:Oct 3: Thai Murder Suspects Paraded
Local police claim they have admitted the killings, but there has been international concern about the way the case has been handled by the Thai authorities.
The two men were paraded in front of cameras after apparently making confessions.
But they later withdrew them, saying they had been tortured during their interrogation - claims denied by the police.
Concerns have also been raised that the pair have been framed.
Video:Charges Over Thailand Beach Murders
In October a petition signed by more than 100,000 people was handed in at 10 Downing Street demanding a new, independent investigation.
British detectives have flown to Thailand to assist officers there with the case.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 03 Desember 2014 | 20.14
Police are urgently hunting for a mother and her newborn baby daughter who have gone missing from a maternity hospital.
Charlotte Bevan left Bristol Maternity Hospital between 8.30pm and 9pm last night with her four-day-old baby girl, Zarnee Teanna.
The 30-year-old did not have a coat or shoes, and is believed to have been wearing hospital slippers.
Her baby was wrapped only in blankets.
A friend has described her disappearance as "out of character". Writing on Avon and Somerset Police's Facebook page, Isaac Jack McCardle described searching for them in the night.
"I know her and her partner. This is out of character," he wrote.
"I was out on the streets with a friend for over three hours and searched almost every road, park, alleyway etc in the area as well as high streets and found nothing."
He added: "I really hope they are both safe and are all reunited soon. I do feel out of respect people should stop jumping to conclusions. They are a happy couple."
A cordon has been put in place at the hospital
On her Facebook profile Ms Bevan describes herself as a "free spirit".
It says: "i am free open minded individual i love music, art, dancing and making clothes. I'm a free spirit open minded and individual I appriciate (sic) people for who they are kind or nasty they all need love."
The baby's father, Pascal Malbrouck, has written on Facebook: "My daughter has gone missing with her mum Charlotte Bevan please if any one has got any info or has seen her please contact me."
Ms Bevan is described as white, around 5ft 8in tall and of average build with dark wavy hair.
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman has appealed for anyone who sees them to call 999 immediately.
"We are concerned for both Charlotte's welfare and that of her baby, and are urging Charlotte to let us know that she and her baby are alright," the spokesman said.
"Officers have been searching the city centre throughout the night and appeals have been put out to bus drivers and taxi drivers and those travelling into work on early shifts this morning to lookout for Charlotte and her daughter."
It is believed Ms Bevan was wearing a long black top and black trousers when she disappeared from the hospital on Southwell Street.
The spokesman added Ms Bevan "may appear confused and worried".
"Her baby is inappropriately wrapped for the cold weather in blue and white striped and coloured blankets," he said.
Police have confirmed they have received several reports of sightings of Ms Bevan, including around the hospital, where an area has been cordoned off.
Chancellor George Osborne is delivering his Autumn Statement - a speech described as the "Government's last big economic event".
Mr Osborne used the statement to trumpet the Conservative-led government's economic credentials, telling Parliament: "Our long-term economic plan is working."
He said: "Now Britain faces a choice.
"Do we squander the economic security we have gained, go back to the disastrous decisions on spending and borrowing and welfare that got us into this mess?
"Or do we finish the job – and go on building the secure economy that works for everyone.
"I say: we stay the course. We stay on course to prosperity."
Video:Autumn Statement: Debt Vs Deficit
He said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had revised up the British economy's growth forecast to 3% and told MPs the UK was now enjoying "more balanced" growth.
On the controversial issue of the deficit, Mr Osborne was jeered by the opposition benches as he revealed better than expected figures.
He said the OBR's forecasts show borrowing is falling and would continue to fall until a budget surplus is achieved in 2018/19.
He told MPs: "The deficit is down this year to half what we inherited.
"Debt is falling in the same year predicted – and lower in every year thereafter.
"A surplus that is higher and by the end of the period worth £23bn.
"Britain back living within its means. Our long term economic plan on course."
Video:The Autumn Statement Explained
He said the forecasts had been made possible because the Government was paying less in welfare and saving money on public service pensions through lower inflation and more people in work - and by a change to how spending cuts were measured.
The Chancellor warned that in the coming years there would have to be "very substantial" spending cuts.
But he vowed to claw back money from those who pay "paid too little" tax - including multinationals, who will face a 25% tax on profits generated in the UK, which are then shifted overseas.
He claimed the tax would raised £1bn over the next five years.
Many of the measures announced had been trailed ahead of the speech - such as a plan to repay the national debt incurred to fight the First World War.
Most studies that show the negative impact plain cigarette packets would have on the economy are funded by "big tobacco" firms, according to a damning report.
Such companies have warned standardised packaging would fuel a black market in cigarettes – citing research that echoes their concerns.
But the University of Bath claims more than 50% of such evidence comes from reports commissioned by the industry itself – or from third parties with financial connections to it.
The Tobacco Control Research Group, funded by Cancer Research UK, also found 66% of the industry's claims were just opinions – and that of the 51 MPs opposed to plain packaging, seven of them had accepted hospitality from the sector.
George Butterworth, from Cancer Research UK, said: "By failing to disclose financial links to misleading evidence, this is lobbying at its worst.
"For years, misinformation has been their currency, but as the success of plain, standardised packaging in Australia becomes clear – now with record low smoking rates – 'big tobacco' is looking spent.
"Independent evidence consistently demonstrates the role that standardised packaging can play in protecting children from a deadly addiction.
"Now, the UK Government must treat the tobacco industry's spin with the contempt it deserves – and introduce regulations without delay."
A G4S guard has denied using a technique called "carpet karaoke" to restrain an Angolan deportee who died in his custody.
Terrence Hughes - along with two others - allegedly killed Jimmy Mubenga, who was handcuffed in a plane seat, after forcing his head down for 36 minutes.
The Old Bailey heard how the "carpet karaoke" method - which compresses the diaphragm and stops someone from spitting - was used by staff at the security company where Hughes worked before G4S.
The technique was later deemed to be "malpractice" by the firm.
Jimmy Mubenga suffered a cardiac arrest on the plane at Heathrow airport
However, Mark Dennis QC, prosecuting, asked 53-year-old Hughes whether he had ever used it.
He said: "We suggest that you and your colleagues were forcing Mr Mubenga forwards, holding him down, controlling him and maintaining that hold for as long as you could and as long as he resisted, you held him down."
Hughes told jurors that "he did not agree with it when I saw it, and I don't agree with it now" - adding that he preferred to "talk people down" during deportations.
The three guards allegedly ignored Mr Mubenga's cries of "I can't breathe" while he was restrained on the plane at Heathrow airport, prompting Mr Dennis to assert that Hughes was "a talker, not a good listener".
The 46-year-old suffered cardiac arrest and died at the scene.
Hughes, a former Navy serviceman, has told jurors that a "violent" struggle had ensued with Mr Mubenga, a married father, after he tried to disembark the plane in October 2010.
In earlier evidence, the guard claimed Mr Mubenga was "thrashing around" in his seat.
But the court heard how Hughes' only injury in the altercation was a 5mm graze - leading Mr Dennis to suggest that the incident was not as violent as he made it out to be.
Hughes, along with Colin Kaler and Stuart Tribelnig, deny manslaughter. The trial continues.
The main measures and forecasts as outlined by the Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement:
:: Annual charge on properties "enveloped" to avoid stamp duty to rise by 50% above inflation on properties over £2m.
:: Air Passenger Duty for under-16s to be scrapped from 2016.
:: Charge for non-dom tax status to rise to £60,000 a year for those resident for 12 of the last 14 years and #90,000 for those in the country for 17 of 20 years.
:: National debt incurred during First World War to be repaid, taking advantage of UK's low interest rates.
:: A so-called 'Google Tax' will introduce a levy of 25% on profits shifted abroad by multi-national firms. The Diverted Profits Tax aims to raise more than £1bn over five years.
:: Banks to pay almost £4bn more in tax over next five years as profits which can be offset by losses for tax purposes are to be limited to 50%.
:: A further £10bn of Whitehall efficiencies is planned while £5bn more is sought from crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance.
:: Public service pension reforms will be completed, saving £1.3bn annually.
:: NHS gets additional £2bn every year for frontline services. A £1.2bn investment in GP services will be paid for from foreign exchange fines.
:: Government spending £10bn less than forecast this year but warns the coming years will require "very substantial savings in public spending."
:: Osborne says deficit reduction better than some commentators believed. He says while tax take is not rising as quickly as predicted, welfare spending is lower and interest paid on national debt is considerably lower.
:: "Deficit is falling this year and every year." Deficit now cut in half. OBR forecasts borrowing to fall from £97.5bn in 2013/14 to £91.3bn in 2014/15 (£5bn higher than OBR predicted). Budget surplus of £23bn predicted for 2019/20.
:: OBR predicts wage growth above inflation for the next five years.
:: Unemployment revised down for each year of OBR forecast. Osborne: 85% of new jobs created are full-time.
:: Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR): Forecast 2014 GDP growth upgraded to 3% from 2.7%. 2015 forecast raised to 2.4%.
:: The deficit "remains too high", so today's announcements will tighten the public finances and are "not a net give away".
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 02 Desember 2014 | 20.14
Households spent more than they earned last year as the typical outgoings of families increased, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its Family Spending report found that households brought in £517.30 per week in 2013, a rise of more than £16 on the previous year when adjusted for inflation but below 2006 levels.
Income data had previously shown average weekly earnings at £517 during the period.
Housing, fuel and power costs overtook transport to become the biggest area of spending at a record £74.40 per week.
And it seemed people put a higher price on having a good time ahead of debt worries as recreation and culture was the third largest spending category, with an average £63.90.
It includes spending on TVs, computers, newspapers, books, leisure activities and package holidays.
The ONS said average weekly expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks in 2013 was £58.80 - with £15.60 of this being spent on meat and fish, £4.30 on fresh vegetables and £3.30 on fresh fruit.
The figures showed around £22.60 is spent on clothing and footwear.
There was a North-South divide when it came to the regional breakdown of the statistics.
Householders in South East England spent more than Londoners by an average £6 extra at £585.40, partly reflecting higher commuter costs.
The North East spent the least at £424.60 per week.
The figures were compiled at a time when inflation easily outstripped earnings growth, further eroding family spending power.
Rises in the cost of living are currently more evenly matched to wage increases.
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Video:How The Projects Break Down
More than 1,400 projects will receive a share of £2.3bn to protect against flooding for 300,000 homes.
But environmental group Friends of the Earth has suggested that figure is not high enough and there is still a £500m shortfall in the flood defences budget in the next parliament.
The spending includes major investment in areas including the Humber Estuary, with £80m set to be spent, and £196m for the Thames Estuary.
Ministers will also commit to spending £15.5m on flood defences in Somerset in the next six years - including £4.2m on the Somerset Levels which were hit badly by flooding last winter.
The Government has come under fire over funding for flood defences.
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "We all saw the destruction and heartache caused by flooding last year and that is why this investment is vital to build up Britain's defences for the future.
"The projects we are announcing today will protect some of the country's most at risk locations ensuring that we will be as prepared as possible for future severe weather."
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Gallery: Somerset Flooding - Before & After
Before: a farm in West Yeo, near Bridgewater on the Somerset Levels. Pic: Bing maps
After: The flooded farmland in West Yeo
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Before: The village of Moorland near Bridgewater on the Somerset Levels. Pic: Bing maps
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After: Flooded properties in Moorland
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Before: Walton-On-Thames, Surrey
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But he admitted it was not new money, telling Sky News: "This is an Autumn Statement that's not a giveaway, where everything that we are doing is paid for.
"These capital allocations on the flood defences the roads...we set that out last year and that's a choice we have made within the amount of money we have available."
Officials said the six-year programme, announced ahead of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday, would help prevent more than £30bn of economic damage.
Video:The Autumn Statement With Sky News
Other projects which stand to benefit include more than £17m going to Tonbridge, Yalding and surrounding communities in Kent; £73m for a barrier at Boston, Lincolnshire; £42m for the Oxford western conveyance scheme and £47m for coastal defences in Rossall, Lancashire.
Friends of the Earth (FOE) said documents from regional flood and coastal committees showed there were £1.6bn of viable projects that were not getting the go-ahead.
FOE Campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: "A year after Britain's wettest winter ever, the Chancellor's leaked flood defence plans simply don't hold water.
Video:The Autumn Statement Explained
"Faced with rising sea levels, the Government needs to be investing far more in flood defences to protect households and prevent climate change from the outset."
Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said: "Communities at risk of flooding won't buy Government spin on what is simply a re-announcement of capital funding confirmed a year ago.
"This is not new money - at the beginning of this Parliament David Cameron cut the flood protection budget by over £100m a year. As a result we are playing catch up on flood defences."
Video:Economy: Good News And Bad News
:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
Video:Nov 5: Flood Warning Over Defences
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Flooding Fund: £2.3bn To Protect 300,000 Homes
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:How The Projects Break Down
More than 1,400 projects will receive a share of £2.3bn to protect against flooding for 300,000 homes.
But environmental group Friends of the Earth has suggested that figure is not high enough and there is still a £500m shortfall in the flood defences budget in the next parliament.
The spending includes major investment in areas including the Humber Estuary, with £80m set to be spent, and £196m for the Thames Estuary.
Ministers will also commit to spending £15.5m on flood defences in Somerset in the next six years - including £4.2m on the Somerset Levels which were hit badly by flooding last winter.
The Government has come under fire over funding for flood defences.
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "We all saw the destruction and heartache caused by flooding last year and that is why this investment is vital to build up Britain's defences for the future.
"The projects we are announcing today will protect some of the country's most at risk locations ensuring that we will be as prepared as possible for future severe weather."
1/8
Gallery: Somerset Flooding - Before & After
Before: a farm in West Yeo, near Bridgewater on the Somerset Levels. Pic: Bing maps
After: The flooded farmland in West Yeo
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Before: The village of Moorland near Bridgewater on the Somerset Levels. Pic: Bing maps
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After: Flooded properties in Moorland
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Before: Walton-On-Thames, Surrey
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But he admitted it was not new money, telling Sky News: "This is an Autumn Statement that's not a giveaway, where everything that we are doing is paid for.
"These capital allocations on the flood defences the roads...we set that out last year and that's a choice we have made within the amount of money we have available."
Officials said the six-year programme, announced ahead of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday, would help prevent more than £30bn of economic damage.
Video:The Autumn Statement With Sky News
Other projects which stand to benefit include more than £17m going to Tonbridge, Yalding and surrounding communities in Kent; £73m for a barrier at Boston, Lincolnshire; £42m for the Oxford western conveyance scheme and £47m for coastal defences in Rossall, Lancashire.
Friends of the Earth (FOE) said documents from regional flood and coastal committees showed there were £1.6bn of viable projects that were not getting the go-ahead.
FOE Campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: "A year after Britain's wettest winter ever, the Chancellor's leaked flood defence plans simply don't hold water.
Video:The Autumn Statement Explained
"Faced with rising sea levels, the Government needs to be investing far more in flood defences to protect households and prevent climate change from the outset."
Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said: "Communities at risk of flooding won't buy Government spin on what is simply a re-announcement of capital funding confirmed a year ago.
"This is not new money - at the beginning of this Parliament David Cameron cut the flood protection budget by over £100m a year. As a result we are playing catch up on flood defences."
Video:Economy: Good News And Bad News
:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
The number of adults seeking treatment for heroin and crack cocaine addiction in England has more than doubled in 10 years, new figures have revealed.
While the total number of heroin and crack cocaine addicts has fallen below 300,000 for the first time since estimates began, there is a generation still hooked - the so-called Trainspotting Generation.
The disaffected, heroin-addicted young people immortalised in Irvine Welsh's bestselling novel are getting older.
More than a third of the total population of adults in treatment centres are aged 40 or over, according to Public Health England.
Many started using heroin in the epidemics of the 1980s and 1990s when good-quality, cheap opiate flooded the inner cities.
Video:Drug Addiction Treatment Doubles
But as they enter old age there are warnings that dwindling health and dependence on heroin could place an increased burden on the National Health Service.
On the ageing generation of addicts, Louise Ford, deputy manager at the Smithfield Detox Centre in Manchester, told Sky News: "For many people of this age group there is a sense of 'now or never' in finally getting the treatment they need.
"For the over-40s it could be redundancy, bereavement or failing health that finally prompts them to come in for help. The treatment is not easy and many relapse."
For those who have not sought treatment, life is a cycle of "scoring" heroin and finding the money to pay for it.
Homeless Paul, 42, has been taking heroin since he was 17-years-old.
His partner Jill, 39, was introduced to the drug at the age of 14. They take heroin in the back streets of Manchester's city centre.
He said: "I had a good life, what you'd call an average life, a car, a flat. I got laid off last year. I had never been out of work before.
Video:Heroin Addict Jill Tells Her Story
"Now I wake up, go and score, go and take it, go and find a pitch and start raising money again to score again and that goes on and on.
"If I don't get help now I'll still be doing this into my 50s and 60s and I don't want that. Heroin just makes you feel bad when you don't have it. It doesn't make you feel good anymore."
Meanwhile, new figures show the number of heroin-related deaths in England have risen sharply.
The number of people dying through heroin and morphine abuse increased by around a third (32%) between 2012 and 13 from 579 to 765.
And the number of people admitted to hospital with drug poising has soared by 76% over the last decade.
But there is hope in the form of recovered addicts like Steve Cundell, who first dabbled in heroin so that he could come down from ecstasy fuelled raves in the 1980s.
He went from experimenting to dealing in a matter of weeks.
Video:Sky's Nick Martin: Behind The Story
He said: "I thought it wouldn't grip me but it did and very, very fast.
"I decided the best way to get my supply was to start dealing in it. My every waking hour was consumed by heroin.
"It used to play on my mind so much that I was getting older and older and I had not achieved anything - that I was going to wake up one day 65 or 70-years-old still on heroin."
Mr Cundell is now a peer mentor on a rehabilitation course run by Turning Point and tries to help others.
He added: "I like to think I have something to give back and it helps my recovery - because I'm not out of the woods yet."
Police have called on the public to help them identify eight people they want to talk to after violence erupted at a student protest in central London on 19 November.
Images have been released of the individuals the Metropolitan Police want to question about offences, including criminal damage to barriers and fencing, assault on police and public order offences.
The march began at midday in central London and moved on to Parliament Square where protesters climbed barriers in the square itself and began throwing missiles at a small group of police officers.
Protective fencing around the grass verge was pulled down and the protesters moved on to occupy the area as officers withdrew from the area.
Thousands of students - some wearing balaclavas or scarves over their faces - took part in the largely-peaceful march through the centre of the city.
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Gallery: Riot Police Confront Student Protesters In London
Student protests against tuition fees, debt and Government cuts turned violent in London
Hundreds of police were deployed and at least 11 people arrested for offences such as affray and criminal damage
A controversial personal DNA test that screens people for diseases such as cancer and Parkinson's has gone on sale in the UK.
It costs £125 and works by testing users' saliva with a kit that is then posted back to a lab to be screened.
But the company behind it, 23andMe, has been banned from marketing the tests in the US, following questions over accuracy.
The 23andMe Personal Genome Service (PGS) claims to offer access to more than 100 pieces of genetic information about a person's health, ancestry and family traits.
Four to six weeks after sending off the saliva sample, users receive an email telling them they can log in online to get the results. People have previously been able to get the test sent over from the US.
Questions over the DNA test's accuracy have been reaised in the US
However, the Food and Drug Administration agency in America put a ban on the test being marketed because of concerns about the potential health consequences of giving people this information.
23andMe, which has been part-funded by Google, say the tool tests for genes that may reveal risk factors for conditions such as blood clotting, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and is not designed to specifically diagnose illnesses.
Video:ANNE WOJCICKI of 23ANDME
Chief executive Anne Wojcicki told Sky News: "It's a little bit like your cholesterol. If I tell you that you have high cholesterol levels then you can take proactive measures to try and prevent a heart attack.
"Nothing is 100%, but if I tell you that you're higher risk for something you might be able to take better measures to be proactive. That could be going to the doctor, changing your behaviour and just being more aware."
As well as the health checks, the saliva is also assessed for information including peoples' caffeine consumption, type of ear wax or the risk of baldness.
Manufacturers also say the test can show how people respond to medication - which could help their doctors. And it includes a "full genetic ancestry report" allowing people to trace their family's genetic roots.
The UK's medicines regulating body, the MHRA, has said in a statement: "Products used in personal genome services are regulated by MHRA to meet minimum standards.
"People who use these products should ensure that they are CE marked and remember that no test is 100% reliable so think carefully before using personal genome services."
Marcy Darnovsky from the Center of Genetics and Society in California said the test is good "for diagnosing rare genetic disorders in babies and children, and it is good for detecting the few genetic variations that cause a few inherited kinds of cancer".
"But it needs to be used with a doctor who can explain to you what the results mean.
"If you're a healthy person and want to know your chances of getting one of the common killer diseases, most cancers, heart disease anything like that, this kind of genetic testing is really useless."
The service is formally launched in the UK today, but the tests will still be carried out in the US. Around 10,000 customers have already paid to have the kit delivered to Britain from America.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 01 Desember 2014 | 20.14
A children's doctor who sexually abused 18 boys in his care has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Dr Myles Bradbury carried out examinations on children "purely for his own sexual gratification" and with no medical justification, Cambridge Crown Court heard.
The cancer specialist admitted 25 offences in September involving 18 boys aged 10 to 16 whom he had treated while working as a paediatric haematologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in the city.
The abuse included seven counts of sexual assault and 12 of engaging in sexual activity with a child.
Bradbury admitted 25 offences involving 18 boys
Sentencing him, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: "For a doctor to attack children in this way is one of the worst forms of sexual abuse imaginable."
"These boys were all vulnerable and gravely ill. In all my years on the bench, I have never come across such a grotesque betrayal of your Hippocratic oath."
The judge said Bradbury's sentence would be reduced because of his early guilty pleas, although "some might observe" that the weight of evidence meant he had little option but to admit the offences.
Bradbury arrives at Cambridge Crown Court to be sentenced
Victims' lawyer Renu Daly said the families were "relieved" that Bradbury had been given a lengthy jail term as it meant he would be unable to harm more children.
His victims included children with haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious illnesses, some of whom have since died.
Bradbury, a married 41-year-old father-of-one from Herringswell, Suffolk, would abuse the boys on occasions when "the parent was a curtain away".
The spy pen used by Bradbury to take images of the boys
He would also secretly film them using a camera pen, and more than 16,000 images were found on a disc at his home.
Bradbury was described as "a man of great charm and persuasiveness" whom everybody trusted.
When one victim raised concerns with his mother, she said: "He's a doctor, it must be necessary."
Prosecutor John Farmer said Bradbury had a "longstanding, unlawful, sexual interest in boys" and abused them "for his own personal gratification".
The Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England said it was "one of the worst" cases of a breach of trust it had ever prosecuted.
Bradbury abused the boys while working at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
Bradbury's barrister, Angela Rafferty, said in mitigation that his guilty pleas had spared his victims the ordeal of having to give evidence.
Bradbury accepts that what he did was "repugnant", Ms Rafferty told the court.
The offences were carried out over four-and-a-half years from 2008.
Bradbury's crimes came to light in November 2013 after an 11-year-old told his grandmother about what had happened during a visit and how he had been told to keep it a secret.
Bradbury was suspended by Addenbrooke's before being arrested the following month.
Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of the Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, said: "Our thoughts today are with our patients and families who were victims of Bradbury's shocking and cynical abuse.
"Today's sentencing of Bradbury cannot undo the damage he caused but he is finally behind bars and is no longer a risk to vulnerable children.
"The lengthy sentence shows Bradbury's abhorrent betrayal and manipulation of his position as a doctor has been fully recognised."
Germany - not the UK - is the favourite destination for migrants from other European Union nations.
Almost 30% of people taking advantage of free movement within EU countries in 2012 travelled to Germany.
The figure for the UK was 7%, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The OECD said free movement migration to the UK had increased this year but still lagged behind Germany.
David Cameron has signalled he is willing to lead Britain out of the EU unless there is a compromise on free movement andannounced plans last week to cut benefits for EU migrants.
Video:UK Could Quit EU Over Migrants
Official figures show net migration rose to 260,000 in the year to June - 16,000 higher than when the Coalition came to power.
The number of foreign nationals living in the UK rose to 4.9 million in 2013, the OECD said.
This equates to 7.9% of the total UK population. More than half of those are from Poland.
Video:Breakdown Of Immigration Figures
Despite an increase of close to 2% since 2012, the number of permanent immigrants entering the UK remains 15% below 2007.
The OECD said 46% of the foreign-born population in the UK is highly-educated, a "stark" difference to 33% of the native population.
Native Britons are also more likely to be outside of employment, education and training.
Video:How Immigrants Help The Economy
Stefano Scarpetta, OECD director for employment, labour and social affairs, said: "Today's migrants are better educated than their predecessors.
"The number of foreign-born who are highly educated has grown by 70% over the past decade to exceed 31 million in the OECD area.
"Over that period, highly educated immigrants accounted for 45% of the increase in the foreign-born population."
There will be a lot of smiling faces among MPs in the House of Commons when Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin lays out the Government's plans for road building.
There is nothing a constituency MP likes more than explaining to local people that a bottleneck is going to be relieved or a long-awaited bypass constructed.
In this case, it would appear the Lib Dems and Tories have an awful lot to congratulate themselves on.
The Daily Telegraph has calculated that two-thirds of the 65 schemes that have been cleared for construction are in the constituencies of members of the Coalition.
A cursory look at the map shows the benefits are spread more widely than that calculation might suggest, however.
Video:£15bn Road Build To Get UK Moving
The benefits of a dual carriageway around Stonehenge (the most eye-catching and complex proposal because of the need to tunnel under the World Heritage Site) will be felt not only around Salisbury Plain (Salisbury is, indeed, a Tory seat), but at both ends of the route - the South West (Tory and Lib Dem in the main) and London (dominated by Labour) - as well.
Equally, improvements to the A1 are likely to be welcomed by constituents of the North, South and indeed anyone who has attempted to use the route.
Overall, the Government is keen to highlight those areas where they are able to invest against an economic background that is not yet uniformly rosy.
It is within that same context that George Osborne said he would allocate an additional £2bn for the NHS.
Video:Plans Not Based On 'Political Map'
However, Autumn Statement giveaways are not the whole story.
The Chancellor is going to have to admit that although the economy is on the mend (and performing more strongly than most competitor countries), he is still forced to borrow more than he had hoped.
The deficit remains a huge challenge for whoever wins the next election, and for all that the Government is now emphasising the positive, there will be more tough decisions that will impact on voters one way or another for years to come.
:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
More than 80 new road schemes have been unveiled as part of a £15bn Government drive on English motorway and trunk routes in the next five years.
The schemes include a tunnel at the notorious bottleneck on the A303 at Stonehenge - welcomed as a "truly momentous decision" by English Heritage.
Some £1.5bn will be spent on extra lanes on some motorways.
Improvements to M25 junctions, the A27 in Sussex, approaches to Liverpool and the A1 in the North East are also part of the Road Investment Strategy, which was revealed ahead of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.
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Gallery: Road Map: Project Locations
Some 84 new road projects have been revealed. Blue arrows indicate motorways, yellow show A-roads. Pic: Department of Transport
A map showing some of the main routes that will be improved
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Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the schemes were "the biggest, boldest and most far-reaching roads programme for decades".
The projects include:
:: South West - £2bn dual carriageway for entire A303 and A358, including a tunnel at Stonehenge.
:: North East - £290m dual carriageway on A1 to Ellingham.
:: North West and Yorkshire - M62 from Manchester to Leeds will have lanes increased, and increased capacity on trans-Pennine routes between Manchester and Sheffield.
:: North West - links to Port of Liverpool improved.
:: South East - £350m improvement to A27 to tackle congestion at Arundel, Worthing and Lewes.
Video:Plans Not Based On 'Political Map'
:: East - £300m to put in dual carriageway sections on A47 and improved connections to A1 and A11.
:: London and South East - A third of junctions on M25 to be improved.
:: Midlands - Improvements to M42 east of Birmingham, and improved connections to Birmingham airport, National Exhibition Centre, Enterprise Zone and High Speed 2 interchange station.
There will also be £100m of funding to improve cycling provision at 200 key locations, and a £300m environmental fund to combat carbon emission and reduce noise pollution.
Mr McLoughlin said: "Better roads allow us to travel freely, creating jobs and opportunities, benefiting hardworking families across the country."
Labour dismissed the plan as a "re-announcement".
"The Government has 'announced' plans for road investment at least three times since 2013 and no additional money has been announced," said shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher.
Video:Autumn Statement: £2bn For NHS
"Ministers will be judged not on what they promise to deliver in the next Parliament, but on what they have actually delivered in this one - and the truth is barely a shovel has been used in anger on our nation's highways over the last four-and-a-half years."
There has also been an accusation that two-thirds of the improvements will come in Tory or Lib Dem areas.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg denied the locations had been selected for "short-term political reasons" and pointed to plans across Labour strongholds in the Pennines.
He told Sky News: "You don't make decisions like this based on a political map, you make these decisions based on the economic map and the geographic layout of our county to make sure that all parts of our country are properly linked.
"Many of these projects have been spoken about for years."
Motoring groups welcomed the proposals.
AA president Edmund King said: "We can no longer ignore the inadequate resources going into the mainstay of the UK transport system - our roads - which carry 86% of passenger journeys and more than 90% of freight.
Video:Autumn Statement: Generation Gap
"At long last the Government has recognised that we need a long-term coherent plan for our roads."
While welcoming the road plans, the RAC said the number of road users would leap from 36 million to 43 million over the next 20 years if current trends persist.
Its director, Professor Stephen Glaister, said the country faced "massive challenges in unclogging our urban areas".
:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
