Former MP Sir Irvine Patnick dies

30 December 2012 Last updated at 18:55 ET

Former Conservative MP Sir Irvine Patnick has died at the age of 83.

He was MP for Sheffield Hallam for 10 years, from 1987 to 1997, in Margaret Thatcher and John Major's governments.

Sir Irvine recently apologised for repeating "inaccurate" information about the Hillsborough tragedy which he said he was given by police officers.

A statement issued by his family said Sir Irvine "died peacefully", and had been a "much loved" husband and father who would be "sadly missed".

Sir Irvine was criticised in the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report on the Hillsborough disaster.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died after a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium during the FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest in 1989.

Continue reading the main story

He was a much loved husband of Lynda and father of Suzanne and Matthew"

End Quote Patnick family statement

September's report confirmed him as one of the sources for a notorious Sun newspaper story that smeared Liverpool fans after the disaster.

It found that the story, under the headline "The Truth", had come from a news agency based on conversations with South Yorkshire Police and Sir Irvine.

Sir Irvine subsequently apologised, saying that he had passed on information from police that was "inaccurate, misleading and plain wrong", for which he was "deeply and sincerely sorry".

In October, Labour MP Steve Rotherham called for Sir Irvine to be stripped of his knighthood.

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson echoed the call, arguing that Sir Irvine had "brought the Honours system into disrepute" and helped to bring "overwhelming misery" to the people of Liverpool.

Synagogue vice-president

In a statement issued following his death, his family said: "Sir Irvine Patnick OBE, died peacefully on 30 December 2012, aged 83, in Sheffield.

"He was a much loved husband of Lynda and father of Suzanne and Matthew.

"He'll be sadly missed by his brothers and by all all his family and friends."

Sir Irvine was born in Sheffield, educated at its Central Technical School and later went to Sheffield Polytechnic.

He entered Parliament in 1987, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in Hillsborough in 1970 and 1979.

As the only Conservative MP in the county, he was credited with coining the phrase, "the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire", which he intended as criticism but was adopted with pride by many in the area.

He was made a Conservative government whip in 1989, but admitted that he missed the broadcasting appearances no longer open to someone in that role.

"It's like seeing a very juicy meal that you want to get to and finding there is an invisible barrier stopping you getting towards it," he said.

Sir Irvine was vice-president of Sheffield's Kingfield Synagogue, life president of Sheffield Jewish Representative Council, and a former national vice-chairman of the Maccabi sports and youth organisation.

His former constituency of Sheffield Hallam is now held by the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Duncan Smith condemns tax credits

30 December 2012 Last updated at 20:37 ET

The work and pensions secretary has attacked the tax credit system put in place by Labour, saying it had resulted in "a sorry story of dependency, wasted taxpayers' money and fraud".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Iain Duncan Smith said the credits - to top up the incomes of the lower-paid - were "haemorrhaging money".

He said fraud and error in the system under Labour had cost £10bn.

Even for true claimants, "tax credits were not fit for purpose", he said.

Tax credits are paid based on estimates given by claimants for their income for the year ahead, with HM Revenue & Customs responsible for reclaiming any overpayments at the end of the year.

"In the years between 2003 and 2010, Labour spent a staggering £171bn on tax credits, contributing to a 60% rise in the welfare bill," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The system, he said, "was wide open to abuse".

The so-called "income disregard" - the amount a person's income can rise before their claim must be reassessed - was raised from £2,500 to £25,000 in 2008.

"It will come as no surprise therefore that fraudsters from around the world targeted this benefit for personal gain," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The government is planning to slash the disregard to £5,000.

Mr Duncan Smith also said that officials carried out far fewer checks on tax credit claims than benefit claims, despite estimates that one in 12 tax credit claims were incorrect or fraudulent, compared with fewer than one in 25 benefit claims.

The government believes there is more than £300m to be saved over the next three years by reducing fraud and error, and also wants to reclaim £400m in unpaid debts.

"Even for those in genuine need of support, tax credits were not fit for purpose," Mr Duncan Smith said.

"They were haemorrhaging money while at the same time trapping people in a system where those trying hard to increase the amount of hours they worked weren't necessarily better off."

Mr Duncan Smith is leading an overhaul of the welfare system that will see a number of benefits replaced by a new universal credit that is designed, he says, "to make work pay at each and every hour".

He also accused previous Labour governments of boosting tax credit payments ahead of the last two general elections in "an attempt to gain short-term popularity".

"It knew what it was doing - this was a calculated attempt to win votes," he said.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hillary Clinton has blood clot

30 December 2012 Last updated at 23:57 ET

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been admitted to hospital in New York with a blood clot, officials say.

Mrs Clinton suffered a concussion earlier this month after fainting and falling down.

At the time, she was reported to have had a stomach virus and to have passed out after becoming dehydrated.

Mrs Clinton, 65, is due to stand down as secretary of state before US President Barack Obama officially begins his second term in January.

Doctors discovered the clot during a follow-up examination on Sunday, her spokesman Philippe Reines said.

"She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at New York-Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours," he said.

"They will determine if any further action is required."

No information was given about where the blood clot had formed.

Mrs Clinton is due to give evidence before a Congressional committee in January in connection with the attack in September on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi.

The US ambassador to Libya and three American officials were killed in the incident.

Mrs Clinton was appointed secretary of state at the start of Mr Obama's first term, in January 2009.

Her most recent foreign trip was to Dublin earlier this month.

Mrs Clinton, 65, is known for her gruelling travel schedule.

She is the most travelled secretary of state in history, having visited 112 countries while in the job, the Associated Press says.

Earlier this month, President Obama nominated Senator John Kerry - the Massachusetts Democrat who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - to replace Mrs Clinton as secretary of state.

She has repeatedly said that she only intended to serve one term in the post.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tube cleaners in strike over pay

31 December 2012 Last updated at 01:54 ET

London Underground (LU) station cleaners have begun a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said members working for Initial and ISS contractors would not turn up for work for two days from 5:30 GMT.

A spokesman from ISS said the company was disappointed the RMT had called the strikes as it planned to introduce new pay rates in March.

LU said it did not expect Tube services to be affected.

The RMT's general secretary Bob Crow said the cleaners were doing "some of the dirtiest jobs" on minimum pay.

'Social justice'

Mr Crow said: "It is these same staff who have played a key role in keeping services clean and safe who are now forced again by their employers to take action for a living wage and recognition of their efforts.

"2013 has to be about equality, inclusiveness and social justice and that's what our cleaners are standing up for as the spotlight shines on London."

A statement from LU said: "This is a dispute between ISS, Initial and the RMT which we urge all parties to resolve without any unnecessary strike action."

It said Transport for London fully supported the mayor's London Living Wage, which was increased to £8.55 per hour in November.

An ISS spokesman said: "We have already informed the union that we will be introducing the London Living Wage for all of our staff supporting Transport for London at the end of March.

"It is a real shame that the RMT has asked its members to give up pay when it knows that we have already agreed to introduce the new pay rates with our customers."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chavez suffers new complications

31 December 2012 Last updated at 03:21 ET

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has suffered "new complications" after a cancer operation in Cuba, his vice-president has said.

In a televised address from Cuba, Nicolas Maduro said Mr Chavez continued to be in a "delicate state".

Mr Chavez underwent his fourth cancer operation on 11 December in Cuba but suffered a respiratory infection.

The president - who has been in power since 1999 - is due to be sworn in on 10 January for another six-year term.

Mr Maduro did not give details about Mr Chavez's condition but said the latest complications were connected to the respiratory infection.

"We have been informed of new complications that arose as a consequence of the respiratory infection we already knew about," he said.

"The president gave us precise instructions so that, after finishing the visit, we would tell the (Venezuelan) people about his current health condition.

"The state of health of President Chavez continues to be delicate."

He added that the treatment was "not without risk."

Mr Maduro, appearing solemn, spoke alongside Mr Chavez's eldest daughter, Rosa, his son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, and Venezuelan Attorney General Cilia Flores.

The vice-president said he would remain in Havana "for the coming hours" but did not specify how long.

Secrecy over condition

Continue reading the main story

Chavez's career

• Born in 1954
• 1992: Leads a failed coup attempt against President Carlos Perez
• 1999: Takes office after winning election
• 2006: Wins another six-year term as president
• 2011: Reveals he is being treated for cancer and has two operations in Cuba
• 2012: Has two more operations
• October 2012: Re-elected for another term as president

Following Mr Maduro's announcement, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas appeared in a special programme on Venezuelan TV, calling on Venezuelans not to believe rumours about the president's health.

"Do not get carried away with things on Twitter, you cannot play with Commander Chavez's health, it is a matter that affects the lives of others. We must act very responsibly, particularly those of us who communicate through mass media," he said.

Late on Sunday, Mr Villegas said a government-organised New Year's Eve concert in central Caracas had been cancelled and he urged Venezuelans to pray for President Chavez.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Havana says it is now three weeks since Hugo Chavez has been seen or heard from in person.

There continues to be huge secrecy surrounding his precise condition, she says.

Continue reading the main story

Venezuelan constitution

• Article 231: The president-elect shall take office on January 10 of the first year of their constitutional term, by taking an oath before the National Assembly. If for any reason, (they) cannot be sworn in before the National Assembly, they shall take the oath of office before the Supreme Court.
• Article 233:(...) When an elected President becomes absolutely absent prior to inauguration, a new election...shall be held within 30 days.
• Article 234: When the President is temporarily unable to serve, they shall be replaced by the Executive Vice-President for a period of up to 90 days, which may be extended by resolution of the National Assembly for an additional 90 days.

There are also many questions about what will happen on 10 January when Mr Chavez is due to be re-inaugurated, our correspondent adds.

National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello recently said that the swearing-in ceremony would be delayed in the case of Mr Chavez's absence.

However, opposition leaders say postponing the inauguration would be unconstitutional.

The constitution states that if there is an "absolute absence" of the president, elections must be held within 30 days.

Mr Chavez has said that, should his health fail, Venezuelans should vote for Mr Maduro in fresh elections.

Officials have never disclosed the type or severity of Mr Chavez's cancer, which was first diagnosed in June 2011.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

US 'fiscal cliff' talks go to wire

31 December 2012 Last updated at 03:27 ET

US Congressional leaders have one more day to stop steep tax rises and spending cuts, known as the "fiscal cliff", after talks ended with no deal.

Senators will continue to seek a compromise deal on Monday to send to the House of Representatives.

Failure to reach agreement by 1 January could push the US back into recession.

President Barack Obama has blamed Republicans for the deadlock. He said their "overriding theme" was protecting tax breaks for the rich.

Fallback plan

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

Adam Blenford BBC News, Washington

---

Few in the US capital could talk of anything but who would win Sunday's must-win showdown. For most, that meant an NFL game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys; on Capitol Hill the stakes were somewhat higher.

Cliches and aphorisms abounded in the Senate corridors as reports spread of a breakdown in deal-making. "The fat lady hasn't sung yet," one Republican declared, obscured by the pack of reporters following him down the hallway. "These things always happen at the end," said Chuck Schumer, a senior Democrat.

But it was the retiring senators, three days away from their final goodbyes, who spoke the most openly. Failure would "send a message worldwide that we don't have the capacity to work across political aisles on critical issues", said Olympia Snowe, Maine's outgoing Republican.

"The world has gotten used to this so they are no longer shocked," Ben Nelson, a retiring Nebraska Democrat said. "They see this as just more of the same and hope that one of these days maybe Congress will get its act together."

Republicans and Democrats have been fighting for months over how to deal with the combination of automatic spending cuts and the expiration of Bush-era tax reductions at the new year.

Without an agreement, higher taxes will rise for virtually every working American and across-the-board cuts in government spending will kick in from Tuesday.

Analysts say this could significantly reduce consumer spending, leading the US economy to fall off the "fiscal cliff".

After the latest round of intense negotiations in the Senate on Sunday the main sticking points reportedly include such key issues as the income threshold for higher tax rates and inheritance taxes.

If no agreement is reached on Monday, senators are expected to be given the chance to vote on a fallback plan proposed by President Obama.

That would renew tax cuts on earnings under $250,000 (£154,000) and extend unemployment benefits, but does not address the spending cuts.

Both the House and Senate are due to convene on Monday in a last-minute attempt to bridge the gap between the two sides. The Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has insisted that the Senate act first.

The current stand-off has its roots in a failed 2011 attempt to tackle the government debt limit and budget deficit.

Republicans and Democrats agreed then to postpone difficult decisions on spending until the end of 2012.

Commentators say that even if a deal is reached, it will do little to reduce the original problem of the deficit and the government debt limit, raising the prospect of further political infighting early in the new year.

Parties divided

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell were locked in negotiations over the weekend.

Continue reading the main story

What is the fiscal cliff?

• On 1 January 2013, tax increases and huge spending cuts are due to come into force - the so-called fiscal cliff
• Deadline was put in place in 2011 to force president and Congress to agree ways to save money over the next 10 years
• Date coincides with expiry of Bush-era tax cuts, which would affect all income groups and many businesses
• Fear is that raising taxes while massively cutting spending will have a huge impact on households and businesses
• Experts believe it could push the US into recession, and have a global impact on growth

The two senators appeared to admit before the 15:00 deadline (20:00 GMT) that negotiations were at a standstill, with their two parties still divided over core issues.

However late on Sunday, Senate Republicans said they were dropping their proposal to slow the growth of Social Security payments. The plan - which would have led to lower benefits to pensioners and the disabled - had been fiercely resisted by Democrats.

Meanwhile Senator McConnell said he had asked Vice-President Joe Biden for help in breaking the deadlock late on Sunday.

"I'm concerned with the lack of urgency here. There's far too much at stake," he said. "There is no single issue that remains an impossible sticking point - the sticking point appears to be a willingness, an interest or courage to close the deal."

In his interview with NBC's Meet the Press, broadcast on Sunday, Mr Obama said the priority was to ensure taxes do not rise for middle-class families, saying that would "hurt our economy badly".

"That's something we all agree on. If we can get that done, that takes a big bite out of the 'fiscal cliff'," he said.

There is also debate over where to set the threshold for tax rises. Democrats say the Bush-era tax cuts should be extended for all Americans except the richest - those with annual earnings of more than $250,000 (£155,000).

Republicans - some of whom have pledged never to vote for increased taxes - say the deficit is a consequence of excessive government spending.

They want the tax threshold set higher, at around $400,000, and for revenue to be raised by economic growth and cuts in social security and other services states are legally bound to provide.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cosmetic ops 'hard sell' opposed

31 December 2012 Last updated at 04:11 ET

People responding to a public consultation on cosmetic surgery have called for a ban on cut-price deals and aggressive sales techniques.

Responses from patients, the public and industry, are being published as part of the review set up after the PIP breast implant scandal last year.

A final report, by Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director, is due in March.

A spokesman for cosmetic surgeons said procedures should not be sold as "a commodity".

The health secretary asked Sir Bruce to look at the regulation and safety of products used in cosmetic surgery and the care given to patients both during and after their treatment.

'Time to think'

Among the 180 responses to the consultation were calls for less aggressive selling of cosmetic procedures and tighter restrictions on advertising, for example a ban on two-for-one and time-limited deals - and on offering cosmetic surgery as competition prizes.

Providing patients with photos of expected bruising and scarring, as well as more detail on the risks associated with surgery should be standard procedure too, a respondent said.

Continue reading the main story

Sabrina Elliott decided to have breast surgery 11 years ago, aged 23, following childbirth.

She says she feels the clinic she went to put "pressure" on her to sign up to the operation.

Ms Elliott says she was offered a "lifetime guarantee" at a consultation with a company secretary but was told the offer would expire within 48 hours.

She took up the offer after receiving a follow-up call on the same day telling her it was a "once-in-a-lifetime chance".

However, the firm went into liquidation two years later.

The implants she had fitted were PIP - and she says she now experiences pain on a daily basis. The NHS is currently refusing to remove them, she says.

"It's terrible. I'm a single mum now and a full-time student - sometimes it's difficult to pick up my two-year-old daughter because of the pain I'm in," she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.

Sabrina Elliott says she was put under "pressure" to sign up to a breast implant operation within 48 hours, so as to be entitled to a "lifetime guarantee".

Ms Elliott took up the offer but the company later went into liquidation and she says her PIP implants are causing a range of health complications, including a slow silicon bleed which means she is in pain on a daily basis.

"There was pressure. The pressure was to get that lifetime guarantee because it was really put to us that it was only with this company," she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.

She went on: "Unfortunately I paid nearly £4,000 to have harmful chemicals put in my body to which to date I am still suffering [from]."

GP Dr Rosemary Leonard, the BBC Breakfast doctor and review committee member, said patients should always talk to a doctor first.

"It is wrong that the first consultation is with a sales person rather than a medical professional.

"Surgery - indeed any cosmetic intervention - is a serious step, and a patient must be told about the immediate side effects after surgery as well as any potential long term effects on their health."

Rajiv Grover, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) welcomed the call to end the practice of sales people holding consultations.

He said: "We're pleased that the report - and public opinion - so strongly reflects our own views.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Review panel member Vivienne Parry says "people are not made aware of the risks"

"We have made the comparison between cosmetic surgery being sold as a commodity, much as a washing machine or off-the-shelf beauty products, many times before.

"Medical procedures simply cannot continue to be promoted in this manner and although it is tragic that it has taken a crisis of the magnitude of PIP to make the world sit up and take notice, it seems we're finally making headway towards a safer environment for patients.

"It's time to scrub up and take action to restore confidence in our sector."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kidnapped Pakistan troops killed

29 December 2012 Last updated at 17:06 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool says one soldier survived but is in a critical condition in hospital

Militants in Pakistan have killed at least 20 of the paramilitaries they seized from checkpoints near Peshawar, officials say.

Two men are said to have escaped. One is reportedly in a critical condition.

The troops, from the tribal police force, are reported to have been shot by their captors, who are thought to be from the Pakistani Taliban.

The men were seized following attacks on three checkpoints south of Peshawar, close to the border with Afghanistan.

About 200 armed militants had overrun two of the positions on Thursday, seizing the troops, taking weapons and setting fire to the buildings.

Two tribal police officers were killed in the attacks.

The Pakistani military launched an operation to recover the men and convened a meeting of local tribal elders.

A local government official, Naveed Akbar, said the bodies had been recovered about 4km (3 miles) from where the troops had been abducted.

It is the third attack on targets around Peshawar this month. Suicide bombers launched a raid on the city's airport two weeks ago, killing four people.

Last Saturday a senior politician of the Awami National Party was killed in an attack on a political rally. Seven others died in the blast.

'Peace talks'

On Friday the head of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, released a video in which he offered to open negotiations with Islamabad.

But he refused to lay down his weapons and demanded that Pakistan break ties with the United States before talks could start.

The Pakistani Taliban operates mainly from within the semi-autonomous tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government says more than 35,000 people have been killed in attacks blamed on Islamic militants since the attacks of September 11.

It launched an offensive against the group in 2009 in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan, since when attacks by the Pakistani Taliban have decreased.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK is making 'real progress' - PM

29 December 2012 Last updated at 19:01 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

David Cameron: "No quick fixes" to UK's economic problems

David Cameron has used his New Year's message to say the UK is "heading in the right direction".

The prime minister said 2012 was "tough" but people can look forward to 2013 with "realism and optimism".

In the video address released on Sunday, he admitted he had "no quick fixes" to the UK's economic problems.

But he said there has been "real progress" on cutting Britain's financial deficit, welfare reform and improving school standards.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it"

End Quote David Cameron British Prime Minister

Meanwhile, a leaked internal memo suggests senior Lib Dems have been urged to spread the message that the Conservatives cannot be trusted to help build a fairer society.

And Labour has responded to David Cameron's New Year message by saying the prime minister had "promised change" but "nothing is changing for the better".

In his message, Mr Cameron said "this is, quite simply, a government in a hurry", adding: "There's a reason for that."

He added: "Britain is in a global race to succeed today. It is a race with countries like China, India and Indonesia; a race for the jobs and opportunities of the future.

"So when people say we can slow down on cutting our debts, we are saying no. We can't win in this world with a great millstone of debt round our necks.

"When people say we've got to stop our welfare reforms because somehow it is cruel to expect people to work, we are saying 'no'. Getting people into good jobs is absolutely vital, not just for them, but for all of us.

'Right direction'

"And when there is a fight on our hands to change our schools, we are ready and willing to have it, because having a world-class education is the only way our children are going to get on in this world."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

This prime minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people"

End Quote Michael Dugher Labour party vice chairman

Mr Cameron said: "On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it."

He said that the deficit was forecast to be a quarter smaller at the New Year than it was when the coalition government came to office; that there are almost half a million more people in work; and more than 1,000 new academy schools have opened.

He also hailed moves to take millions of low-paid workers out of income tax, freeze council tax bills and deliver the largest-ever increase in the state pension.

Mr Cameron avoided the issues of Britain's future in the European Union - which he is due to give a speech about in the coming weeks - and gay marriage, both of which have caused divisions within the Conservative Party.

Lib Dem memo

Instead, the prime minister said he looked back on 2012 as "an extraordinary year for our country", characterised by the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the successful Olympics and Paralympics.

Meanwhile a leaked internal memo suggested Lib Dems are being encouraged to criticise their Tory coalition partners as well as the Labour opposition.

The memo from the party's head office to its MPs, peers and staff says they should criticise not just the Labour opposition but their Conservative coalition partners in the year ahead.

The memo suggests voters should be reminded that the Tories wanted to "look after the super rich".

And Michael Dugher, Labour's vice chairman, said the prime minister's message was "a case of more of the same".

He said: "Cameron promised change but nothing is changing for the better. Britain's economy is failing under his policies over the last year, with nearly one million young people out of work.

"Prices are still going up faster than wages and borrowing is going up not down, over 7% higher this year than last year.

"This prime minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Warning of 'nation divided' by cuts

30 December 2012 Last updated at 00:09 ET

The government's cuts programme could lead to "problems on our streets" and "the break-up of civil society", three Labour council leaders have warned.

The leaders of Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield councils believe the cuts unfairly penalise northern England relative to the South.

They were "in danger of creating a deeply divided nation", the three said in a letter to the Observer newspaper.

A government spokesman said funding for councils was "fair".

The letter was a response to the latest cuts to council budgets announced earlier this month - of 2%, in addition to the reductions of about 28% already forced on authorities.

It was written by Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes, Sheffield leader Julie Dore, and Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson.

They believe northern English cities have been hit harder by the coalition government's austerity programme, partly because of the withdrawal of support to deprived areas in place under the previous government.

"Rising crime, increasing community tension and more problems on our streets will contribute to the break-up of civil society if we do not turn back," the council leaders warned.

"The unfairness of the Government's cuts is in danger of creating a deeply divided nation. We urge them to stop what they are doing now and listen to our warnings before the forces of social unrest start to smoulder."

A government spokesman said funding for councils was "fair", and that local authorities could protect front-line services by dipping into their reserves and eliminating waste.

The Observer quoted a Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman as saying: "Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help pay off the inherited budget deficit.

"This is a fair settlement - fair to north and south, fair to rural and urban areas and fair to shires and metropolitan areas."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK braced for more rain to end year

30 December 2012 Last updated at 03:12 ET

Widespread flood warnings are still in force across the UK, with more downpours expected on Sunday.

Rain is expected in Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, north-west England and south-west Scotland later.

There are currently more than 88 warnings and about 225 alerts in force in England and Wales, with 11 alerts and 10 warnings in Scotland.

Forecasters say there is a "good chance" that 2012 will be the wettest year in the UK since records began.

And for much of the UK, the final weekend of the year will close in the same manner that characterised the previous 12 months.

"There are a few showers at the moment in the west and then as we head into the latter part of the afternoon, we will see rain spreading into parts of Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, north-west England and south-west Scotland," said BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton.

Winds will also be strong, especially in the north-west of the UK, turning very windy overnight, he said.

Continue reading the main story

Travel and weather information

From the BBC:

Elsewhere:

Rain and winds will be widespread on Monday, but things should improve by the evening, when many people should be able to venture out to celebrate the New Year in dry conditions.

After days of flooding that brought parts of the UK to a standstill, river and groundwater levels are still high in many areas.

England's south-west, south-east and Midlands regions will continue to be affected, as well as large chunks of Wales, the Environment Agency said.

Its flood risk manager, Katharine Evans, said: "With more heavy rain forecast, it is still as important as ever to be prepared for flooding, keep up to date with the latest warnings and if you are at risk, to move valuable items to safety.

"Our teams will continue to work around the clock to protect communities from flooding, and we would urge people to stay safe by not walking or driving through flood water."

Met Office figures show that 2012 will go down as one of the wettest years since records began in 1910 and it could yet be the wettest.

On Friday, the Met Office said just 46mm (2in) of rain was needed to fall before 31 December to break the record for the UK, with 1,291.2mm (50in) having been recorded between 1 January and 26 December.

A new record has already been set for England, with 1,095.8mm falling in 2012 up to Boxing Day.

Buses continue to replace trains between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, and the line is not expected to reopen until New Year's Day at the earliest, National Rail said.

Services also continue to be disrupted between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth, and Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple.

To access more information, from your mobile, visit the BBC Weather and BBC Travel News sites.

The enhanced content on this page requires Javascript and Flash Player 9

Map Key

Fog

Light

Heavy

Frost

Light

Heavy

Rain

Light

Heavy

Extreme

Snow

Light

Heavy

Temperature tab only

Temperature (°C)

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bomb kills Pakistan Shia pilgrims

30 December 2012 Last updated at 03:18 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool: "Mastung... is a place where there've been many attacks in the past"

At least 19 Shia Muslim pilgrims have been killed by a bomb attack on a bus convoy in southwest Pakistan, local officials say.

More than 20 people have been injured in the incident in the Mastung district of Baluchistan province.

Pakistan has experienced worsening sectarian violence in recent years. Last month 23 Shia Muslims were killed by a bomb in the city of Rawalpindi.

No group has yet said it carried out Sunday's bombing.

Initial reports said it had been detonated by remote control but a government official said it had been a suicide attack.

Officials said that some of those injured were in a critical condition and that the death toll may rise.

The bus convoy had reportedly been on their way to neighbouring Iran, a Shia-majority country and popular pilgrimage destination.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delhi rape victim's funeral held

30 December 2012 Last updated at 03:54 ET

A young Indian woman who died after being gang-raped on a bus has been cremated in the capital, Delhi.

The ceremony came hours after a plane chartered by the Indian government brought her body back to the city.

The 23-year-old medical student died in a Singapore hospital where she was being treated for severe injuries.

The attack sparked two weeks of protests about gender attitudes in India, and calls for changes to laws on rape and violence against women.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the head of India's governing Congress party Sonia Gandhi were at the airport when the plane landed at about 04:15 (22:45 GMT).

A convoy carrying a gold-coloured coffin and the victim's parents then drove towards the Janakpuri district of Delhi where she had been living.

The private funeral was held amid tight security.

The BBC's Andrew North in Delhi says the government has been heavily criticised for its response to the attack and remains anxious about a backlash, with police still cordoning off the heart of the capital to prevent demonstrations.

Mrs Gandhi has promised to fight what she called India's shameful social mindsets that lie behind such crimes.

Six men arrested for the 16 December rape have been charged with murder. If convicted, they face the death penalty.

'Open our eyes'

On Saturday evening, candlelit vigils were held across India to mourn the woman and express anger and sorrow at her death.

Large areas of Delhi were sealed off and hundreds of armed police and riot troops deployed as news of the victim's death spread.

Protests continued in Delhi on Sunday, with a peaceful demonstration where people painted slogans and tributes on a large white canvas.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Clearly, many Indian women face threats to life at every stage - violence, inadequate healthcare, inequality, neglect, bad diet, lack of attention to personal health and well-being"

End Quote

"This incident should open our eyes to the fact that we need to raise our children right, we need to raise the people right," said protester and social worker Murphy John.

He said he did not agree with calls for the death penalty for convicted rapists, fearing it would encourage murder so victims could not report crimes.

The Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore said the woman "passed away peacefully" early on Saturday.

Hospital chief executive Kelvin Loh said she had suffered severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain.

Indian PM Mr Singh said he was "very saddened" by the woman's death, and that the angry public reaction was "perfectly understandable".

He called on politicians and the public to set aside "narrow sectional interest" and work together to make India "a demonstrably better and safer place for women to live in".

The woman - a medical student whose identity has not been released - and her friend had been to see a film when they boarded the bus in the Munirka area of Delhi, intending to travel to Dwarka in the south-west of the city.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Violence against women must never be accepted, never excused, never tolerated"

End Quote Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary General

Friends told the AFP news agency the couple were in a relationship and had been planning to marry in the next few weeks.

"They had made all the wedding preparations and had planned a wedding party in Delhi," said her neighbour, Meera Rai.

According to the reports, the couple were attacked after the man objected to another group of men taunting her.

Police said the woman was raped for nearly an hour. Both she and her companion were beaten with iron bars, then thrown out of the moving bus into the street.

The assault sparked angry protests about the general conditions for women in India, and about what is seen as an inadequate police response to rape allegations.

According to official figures, a woman is raped in Delhi every 14 hours, while women across the country say they are frequently subjected to sexual intimidation and violence.

Officials have since announced a series of measures intended to make the city safer for women.

These include more police night patrols, checks on bus drivers and their assistants, and the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains.

But many of the protesters say that women are viewed as secondary citizens, and that a fundamental change in culture and attitudes, backed up by law, is needed to protect them.

UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon offered his condolences to the woman's family, saying in a statement that he "utterly condemns this brutal crime".

"Violence against women must never be accepted, never excused, never tolerated," the statement said.

"Every girl and woman has the right to be respected, valued and protected."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police controversies hit trust - Vaz

30 December 2012 Last updated at 04:41 ET

Public confidence in the police has been hurt by a "dangerous cocktail" of controversies including the critical Hillsborough report and Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" row, a senior MP has warned.

Labour's Keith Vaz, who chairs the Commons Home Affairs Committee, also said government restructuring of the service had undermined police morale.

He called for talks between government and police at this "defining moment".

The Home Office said public confidence in the police remained high.

Mr Vaz's committee begins an inquiry into police practices next month.

This will look into issues of training, accountability and integrity, and the effectiveness of processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Plebgate, Hillsborough and Winsor; three words that Keith Vaz believes are linked. Three words Mr Vaz believes explains a threat to trust on the public side and low morale on the cop side.

But David Cameron and Theresa May - the police reform enforcer - won't see it that way. Yes, they know the changes they are pushing ahead with, to reform police pay and conditions, are controversial.

But they also believe that the bulk of Tom Winsor's proposals are essential to make the 43 constabularies work better with less money.

Some in government will welcome the self-inflicted damage from collusion over Hillsborough and claims that an officer lied about seeing an Andrew Mitchell rant.

But most will be uncomfortable about an erosion in trust. They need that thin blue line - especially, if, as some warn, the 2011 riots could come round again.

But make no mistake, the prime minister said any claims an officer fabricated evidence were "extremely serious."

That means the police - in London in particular - need to do all they can to ensure any wrongdoing is rooted out and exposed as the rare instance he hopes it is.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Mr Vaz said: "Crime may be low but confidence in the police service appears just as low and their morale is even lower."

About the "plebgate" row, Mr Vaz wrote: "What appears to have happened to Andrew Mitchell could well have been a Christmas special script. The chief whip had to resign following a 60-second 'incident' in, of all places, Downing Street."

Mr Mitchell's resignation followed an accusation that, during an argument while leaving Downing Street on his bicycle in September, he had called police officers "plebs" - a claim he has always denied.

CCTV footage has since emerged appearing to cast doubt on officers' version of events, and a serving Met police constable has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and suspended from duty.

Mr Vaz went on: "Take a police officer apparently masquerading as a member of the public, a confidential log book finding its way into the public domain, add the results of the Hillsborough Inquiry, which have resulted in thousands of serving and former police officers being investigated, and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable, and you have a dangerous cocktail.

"This is a defining moment for policing. Cool heads, clear thoughts and strong leadership are required."

'Radical change'

However, while he acknowledged that some restructuring of policing was needed, he said the government's changes had been "too rapid and too far-reaching".

Currently, almost half of officers questioned said they would prefer a different job, Mr Vaz suggested, and more than 90% felt the force lacked government support.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The big questions now are what do we want from our police service and how much are we prepared to pay for it?"

End Quote Keith Vaz Chairman, Commons Home Affairs Committee

"Some of the causes of disquiet are not the result of change but of the way change has been handled.

"One of the first rules of management is to ensure that during a period of radical change you carry your workforce with you. Unfortunately this has not happened," he said.

"With these profound changes taking place the last thing you should do is start to alter the pay and conditions of those who will implement the reforms without entering into a proper dialogue with them.

"The government was wrong to change police pension arrangements retrospectively. It was unfair and forced out a number of experienced officers."

Mr Vaz argued that the prime minister had to open "a constructive dialogue with the police service" that would continue at annual summits involving senior officers.

"The big questions now are what do we want from our police service and how much are we prepared to pay for it?" he said.

"We need a royal commission that sets out a new Magna Carta for policing in this century."

A Home Office spokesman said surveys regularly show that public confidence in the police remained high.

He said: "Police reform is working and crime is falling. The police budget is £14bn a year and it's only right that they should make a contribution to reducing the budget deficit.

"Chief constables are rising to the challenge of making efficiency savings and providing greater value for money.

"We have swept away central targets and reduced police bureaucracy. How the police are deployed, rather than their absolute numbers, is what is key to cutting crime."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama 'optimistic' on cliff deal

28 December 2012 Last updated at 19:11 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

US President Barack Obama: "An agreement is being discussed as we speak"

US President Barack Obama says he is "modestly optimistic" that a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" is possible, after a last-ditch White House meeting.

Mr Obama said Senate leaders were working to craft a bill that could win approval in both chambers of Congress.

But if a compromise was not reached, the president said he would ask for a quick vote on preventing tax rises.

Congress has only four days to reach an agreement before across-the-board tax rises and spending cuts take effect.

Analysts say sliding over the so-called "cliff" could tip the US into recession and set back the global economic recovery.

If Senate majority leader Harry Reid and minority leader Mitch McConnell do not work out a deal, Mr Obama is seeking a vote to prevent tax rises on incomes up to $250,000 (£150,000) and ensure unemployment insurance is continued.

He described that as the "bare minimum" Congress should get done before 1 January.

"The hour for immediate action is here, it is now," Mr Obama said.

'Imperfect' deal

Earlier on Friday, Mr Obama met Mr Reid, Mr McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House for just over an hour.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

"The American people are watching what we do here - obviously their patience is already thin"

End Quote Barack Obama

Mr McConnell and Mr Reid said they were entering talks shortly after the meeting, and gave relatively upbeat assessments on their task.

Mr McConnell said he was "hopeful and optimistic" that he could present a comprise to his caucus by Sunday, just over 24 hours before the deadline.

His Democratic counterpart said he would "do everything I can" to make the deal happened.

But Mr Reid cautioned that "whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect".

The renewed effort towards a Senate deal that could pass both chambers comes after much of the focus in negotiations rested on House Speaker John Boehner.

An alternative plan proposed by Mr Boehner - which would have seen taxes rise only on those earning over $1m - failed in the House of Representatives late last week.

Continue reading the main story

What is the fiscal cliff?

• On 1 January 2013, tax increases and huge spending cuts are due to come into force - the so-called fiscal cliff
• Deadline was put in place in 2011 to force president and Congress to agree ways to save money over the next 10 years
• Fear is that raising taxes while massively cutting spending will have huge impact on households and businesses
• Experts believe it could push the US into recession, and have a global impact on growth

Mr Boehner has called the lower chamber into session on Sunday. A staff member in the house speaker's office told Reuters that the House would consider Senate legislation.

"The Speaker told the president that if the Senate amends the House-passed legislation and sends back a plan, the House will consider it - either by accepting or amending," the unnamed aide said.

Mr Obama's plans to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans have remained a point of division between the two parties since he won re-election in November.

Many Republicans oppose new taxes as a matter of principle, and are demanding cuts to what they see as deficit-inflating public spending, putting at risk healthcare and welfare benefit schemes popular with Democrats.

During the news conference on Friday, Mr Obama said any last minute action on tax rises would form the groundwork for further negotiations in the new year.

"The American people are watching what we do here," he said. "Obviously their patience is already thin."

Cuts and benefits

The term fiscal cliff refers to the combination of almost $600bn (£370bn) of tax rises and spending cuts due to come into force on 1 January if Congress does not pass new legislation.

Sweeping tax cuts passed during the presidency of George W Bush will expire, eventually affecting people of all income levels, and many businesses.

Other tax cuts and benefits set to expire include:

• A 2010 payroll tax cut, the expiration of which would prompt immediate wage-packet cuts

• Benefits for the long-term unemployed

• Compensation for doctors treating patients on federal healthcare programmes

• Inheritance taxes are also likely to be affected if no deal is reached.

In addition, spending cuts mandated by a law passed to break a previous fiscal impasse in Congress will come into force, affecting both military and domestic budgets.

The cuts are expected to affect federal government departments and the defence sector, as well as hitting unemployment insurance and veterans' support.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Olympic heroes head New Year Honours

28 December 2012 Last updated at 20:29 ET

Bradley Wiggins, who won the Tour de France and an Olympic gold, has been knighted in a New Year Honours list dominated by London 2012 medallists.

The cyclist appears on a special list drawn up to recognise 78 Games heroes.

Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey becomes a dame after taking four golds while the most decorated sailor in Olympic history, Ben Ainslie, is knighted.

Katherine Grainger, Victoria Pendleton, Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and David Weir become CBEs, and Andy Murray is an OBE.

And the men behind cycling and rowing success, performance directors Dave Brailsford and David Tanner, also become sirs.

Continue reading the main story

Olympics and Paralympics

Knight/Dame:

• Ben Ainslie (sailing)
• Sarah Storey (cycling)
• Bradley Wiggins (cycling)
• Dave Brailsford (cycling)
• David Tanner (rowing)

CBE:

• Jessica Ennis (athletics)
• Mo Farah (athletics)
• Katherine Grainger (rowing)
• Victoria Pendleton (cycling)
• David Weir (athletics)

OBE:

• Jason Kenny (cycling)
• Andy Murray (tennis)
• Ellie Simmonds (swimming)
• Laura Trott (cycling)

MBE:

• Nicola Adams (boxing)
• Alistair Brownlee (triathlon)
• Jonny Peacock (athletics)
• Greg Rutherford (athletics)
• Louis Smith (gymnastics)

Away from the Games, there are OBEs for actor Ewan McGregor and fashion designer Stella McCartney, while illustrator Quentin Blake was knighted on the main list for those not involved in London 2012.

There is also a knighthood for the industrial designer, Kenneth Grange, the man behind the UK's first parking meter, the InterCity 125 train and the Kodak Instamatic camera.

Singer Kate Bush and artist Tracey Emin are made CBEs, an honour also bestowed on former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, for her services to dance and to charity. Comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd, 82, who co-wrote TV shows including the BBC's 'Allo 'Allo and Are You Being Served is among the OBEs.

There is also a CBE for Cherie Blair, the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, in recognition of her service to women's issues and to charity in the UK and overseas. The first female foreign secretary Margaret Beckett becomes a dame.

For the first time, the Cabinet Office has published citations giving details of why the highest honours have been made following a complaint from MPs on the Public Administration Select Committee that the process should be more transparent.

But much of the attention will centre on the people rewarded for making the two London Games such a success.

Affectionately known as Wiggo, the first British winner of the Tour said: "I never ever imagined that I would ever become a knight so it's an incredible honour.

"But there's a slight element of disbelief and it will take a while to sink in."

Known for his sideburns and his retro Mod fashion sense, Sir Bradley already had a CBE.

Storey, who is expecting her first child, is honoured for services to para-cycling after her London medal haul took her gold medal total to 11, which equals Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dave Roberts as one of the country's most successful Paralympians.

Continue reading the main story

Other notable recipients

Companion of Honour:

• Lord Coe (London 2012)
• Professor Peter Higgs (physics, pictured)

Knight/Dame:

• Quentin Blake (illustration)
• Kenneth Grange (design)
• Bernard Hogan-Howe (policing)
• Hector Sants (financial services)
• Margaret Beckett (political service)

CBE:

• Cherie Blair (women's issues)
• Kate Bush (music)
• Tracey Emin (arts)
• Martha Lane Fox (digital economy)
• Arlene Phillips (dance)

OBE:

• Stella McCartney (fashion)
• Ewan McGregor (acting)

MBE:

• Nicola Benedetti (music)
• Mark Ramprakash (cricket)
• Pat Rice (football)

The 35-year-old from Disley in Cheshire said: "Wow, I am speechless but incredibly honoured and extremely proud."

Some of the biggest names of London 2012 received CBEs - the UK's most successful female rower, Katherine Grainger, the poster girl of the Games, Jessica Ennis, and wheelchair athlete David "The Weirwolf" Weir. Weir won four gold medals in the 5,000m, 1500m, 800m and marathon at the 2012 Paralympics.

Joining their ranks with his first honour is athlete Mo Farah, who lifted the nation with his double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

His first came during a pulsating 46 minutes in the Olympic Stadium on Super Saturday, 4 August, when Team GB picked up three gold medals - Farah in the 10,000m, Ennis in the heptathlete and Greg Rutherford in the long jump, an achievement that earned him an MBE.

Andy Murray was made an OBE in a year which saw him win Olympic gold and become the first British man to win a grand slam singles title for 76 years when he triumphed in the US Open.

Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, 18, now has an OBE to add to the MBE she won in 2009, the youngest person to do so aged 14.

Some of the people who helped to make the games such a success were recognised, including Lord Coe, who becomes a Companion of Honour, a special honour given for service of conspicuous national importance and limited to 65 people at any one time.

It is an exclusive club and now also includes Professor Higgs, who predicted a new particle, the Higgs Boson, in the 1960s, and this year the particle was proved to exist.

But one name missing from the list is film and theatre director Danny Boyle, whose artistic vision was so spectacularly realised in the Olympic opening ceremony but who is believed to have turned one down.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said an unprecedented number of sportspeople had received honours, with 123 awards compared to 44 in the last list. Of these, 78 were related to the Olympics or Paralympics.

He said there were four criteria in deciding which athletes should be awarded including longevity in the sport, general performance and how much they give back to the sporting community.

The sporting honours committee also assesses what stage the individual is in their career in terms of whether they are likely to be competing for a further number of years.

He added that 72% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Sir Quentin Blake: "To me it's amazing"

They include Penelope Clough, 53, who becomes an MBE after campaigning for a change in the law related to bail, following the murder of her daughter Jane by her ex-partner.

The man committed the offence after being released on bail but following the work of Ms Clough, prosecutors are now able to challenge judges' bail decisions in the High Court.

Recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM), reintroduced in the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours, include Robert Clinton for his work with the Veterans Aid charity, which looks after homeless ex-service personnel.

The Foreign Office's diplomatic and overseas list honouring those living or working abroad includes recognition for codebreaker Raymond Roberts, who is made an MBE for services to Bletchley Park. Alison Shalaby, who is the chief executive officer of Reunite, becomes a CBE for services to the prevention and resolution of international parental child abduction.

Some 31 head teachers have been recognised, including Joan McVittie, who transformed two schools in deprived areas of London and Sally Coates, who has overseen huge improvements at Burlington Danes Academy in west London. Both become Dames.

Continue reading the main story

The Honours System

Commonly awarded ranks:

• Knight or Dame
• CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• OBE - Officer of the Order of the British Empire
• MBE - Member of the Order of the British Empire
• BEM - British Empire Medal

In the world of business, former head of the Financial Services Authority Hector Sants who was in charge of regulation at the start of the credit crisis, has been knighted, while Alan Budd, who was on the first Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee in 1997, becomes a Knight of the Grand Cross.

Prof Simon Wessely, a leading researcher into the mental health of military personnel who heads the department of psychological medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, has been knighted.

The head of MI5, Jonathan Evans was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and Metropolitan Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe is knighted.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

First-time house purchases 'up 12%'

28 December 2012 Last updated at 20:49 ET

The number of house purchases by first-time buyers rose 12% this year, with about 216,000 people stepping on to the property ladder, the Halifax reports.

Its study says the figure is the highest since 2007, the year before the global economic crisis struck.

The Halifax said the rise was due to more mortgages coming on the market and interest rates being lowered.

The average age of first-time buyers is now 30, up from 29 a year ago, and a 20% deposit is typically required.

A 10% deposit was typical in 2007. The average deposit needed by first-time buyers in the UK in 2012 was £27,984, with the house price averaging £139,921 - up 3% on a year before.

The number of mortgages on the market has increased by about a fifth since August, when the government launched a multibillion-pound scheme to kick-start lending to businesses and households.

It has also recently launched NewBuy, a scheme to help people purchase new-build homes with a fraction of the usual deposit.

But Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said the number of first-time buyers was still low "by recent historical standards".

In 2006, there were 402,800 first-time buyers.

Mr Ellis said: "The number of first-time buyers has risen to a five-year high, boosted by the improvement in affordability resulting from the reductions in both house prices and mortgage rates in recent years.

"Conditions for potential first-time buyers, however, remain very difficult with problems raising the necessary deposit and concerns over the economic climate continuing to prevent many from entering the market."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mum 'overwhelmed' as girl returns

29 December 2012 Last updated at 00:55 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Atiya's mother Gemma Wilkinson: "I just want to cuddle Atiya"

A mother reunited with her six-year-old daughter three years after the girl was abducted by her father and taken to Pakistan has said she feels "absolutely overwhelmed" at seeing her again.

Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson disappeared in November 2009 after going to stay with her father, Razwan Ali Anjum.

After being found in Pakistan, Atiya was returned to her mother Gemma Wilkinson in Manchester on Friday.

Ms Wilkinson, 32, said she just wanted to cuddle her daughter.

'Absolutely fine'

Atiya had last been seen when she was taken from her home in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, on her third birthday.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Atiya was told that I was mummy and she said 'mummy' and smiled"

End Quote Gemma Wilkinson

She was reunited with her mother at a Manchester hotel after being found in a five-week investigation which followed the intervention of North West MEP Sajjad Karim who formally raised her abduction with the foreign minister of Pakistan in the European Parliament.

Ms Wilkinson said: "I'm just absolutely overwhelmed in seeing Atiya now and giving her a cuddle and a massive kiss.

"I did have a few fears that Atiya would be unsettled with the change and the flight but she's absolutely fine. She's trying to communicate and she's playing with the things we've bought for her, she's had a big smile on her face.

"Atiya was told that I was mummy and she said 'mummy' and smiled.

"It's more than I could ever imagine or hope for.

"I can't explain that in words, to see her little face and know what she's actually like now, it's very emotional.

"I was very worried that she would either be upset or scared but she hasn't been."

Ms Wilkinson said her daughter looked "exactly the same as she did three years ago; she is just taller and a bit older".

She said: "I believe she is happy to be back, she has a big smile, she's playing nicely, she's talking.

"She will find things strange but she's home and she's loved and we'll take it day by day."

But Det Supt Phil Owen, from Greater Manchester Police's Child Protection Unit, warned that reintegrating Atiya into life with her mother would not be a quick process as she had been away for a long time and did not speak any English.

Extended family

Speaking after Atiya arrived on a flight into Manchester Airport on Friday evening, her mother said the events leading up to the reunion had been a "whirlwind".

She said: "We have gone from not knowing where Atiya is to finding out that we do know where Atiya is, to receiving pictures of Atiya and how she looks now, to Atiya coming here and Atiya actually being here."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I think my belief was never to give in, it's just been a very long time"

End Quote Gemma Wilkinson

Mr Karim said the authorities in Pakistan had been "absolutely crucial" in finding Atiya and making sure she was returned home.

"The authorities located Atiya, they monitored the address where she was and eventually moved in and informed the people she was living with - who are the extended family of the father - that she would have to return to the UK," the MEP said.

"Atiya was found to be in a fit and healthy state and was well at the time. She was certainly being kept well."

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool said Atiya was found in the village of Daska, near Sialkot in eastern Pakistan.

Atiya's mother was informed she had been found on Christmas Day and photographs were sent to her of Atiya by the Pakistani authorities.

Ms Wilkinson, who split with Anjum in 2008, had made several appeals for information to find her daughter.

In her latest appeal last month, she described not knowing if Atiya was even alive as an "absolute nightmare".

Father in jail

Atiya's father Razwan Ali Anjum is serving a prison sentence for refusing to reveal his daughter's whereabouts.

Ms Wilkinson took legal action against her former partner in an attempt to force him to reveal where Atiya was.

In 2009, Anjum had said he was taking Atiya to Southport, but instead he took her to Lahore, Pakistan, and told Ms Wilkinson she would never see her again.

In April, he was handed a 12-month jail term by a High Court judge who found him in contempt of a High Court order instructing him to disclose Atiya's whereabouts.

The sentence was the fourth consecutive jail term to be imposed on Anjum. Judges have previously imposed jail terms of two years, 12 months and 12 months in the hope that he would provide the information which would allow Atiya to be reunited with her mother.

Ms Wilkinson said: "It's just been an absolute nightmare. I think my belief was never to give in, it's just been a very long time."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Funeral for brothers killed on M6

29 December 2012 Last updated at 03:32 ET

A funeral for two brothers who died when their car crashed on the M6 on Christmas Day will take place later.

Adnan Habib, 10, and Mohammed Arsalaan Habib, four, were killed along with their aunt Bushra Tazarib, 32, close to junction 15, near Stoke-on-Trent.

The three bodies will lie in rest at the Castlefield Centre near their home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

A private funeral for the boys will then be held while their aunt's body will be taken to Pakistan.

The boys' mother, Parveen, 38, who was driving, and their sister Misbah, 17, were also both injured in the crash on Tuesday but have since been discharged from hospital.

All five from High Wycombe were travelling to a family wedding in Greater Manchester.

Family and friends will be able to pay their respects at the Castlefield Centre before the three bodies are taken to a mosque for prayers.

A private family funeral will then take place for Adnan and Mohammed Arsalaan at a cemetery in the afternoon.

In a statement released on Thursday, the boys' family described the children as "precious jewels, spreading joy wherever they went" and described their aunt as "beloved".

The boys' grandfather was among those who attended the opening of an inquest into their deaths at North Staffordshire Coroner's Court in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday.

In his report, Stoke and North Staffordshire coroner Ian Smith revealed the three family members died from extensive head injuries.

He adjourned all three inquests until a later date.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Former England captain Greig dies

Former England captain Tony Greig has died aged 66 after suffering a heart attack in Sydney.

The South Africa-born 66-year-old was diagnosed with lung cancer two months ago.

The all-rounder played 58 Tests for England from 1972-77, including 14 as skipper, before giving up the captaincy to join Australian media magnate Kerry Packer's breakaway World Series.

He later became a popular television commentator in Australia.

"He was a massive character," said BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew. "Whatever he did, Tony was huge - as a character, as a man, as a cricketer."

Australian broadcaster Channel Nine said Greig died at about 13:45 local time on Saturday, after being rushed from his home to St Vincent's Hospital earlier in the day.

Greig, who stood 6ft 6in scored 3,599 runs at an average of 40.43 and took 141 wickets with his off-spin and medium pace at 32.20 apiece in Tests, and was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1975.

• Major teams: England, Border, Eastern Province, Sussex
• Tests: 58
• ODIs: 22
• Test runs: 3,599 (average 40.43
• Test wickets: 141 (average 32.20)
• Scored 16,600 runs (average 31.19) and took 856 wickets (average 28.85) in 350 first-class matches

He told Channel Nine colleagues before having surgery last month: "It's not good. The truth is I've got lung cancer. Now it's a case of what they can do."

He tweeted on Christmas Day:  "Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all. Would love to be at Test but son Tom and I will be tuned in?"

Greig, who played for Sussex and qualified for England through his Scottish parents, provoked controversy in 1976 when, as England captain, he said he intended to make West Indies "grovel" in the home Test series.

England were beaten 3-0 but the following winter he led them to their first series victory in India since the Second World War.

After presiding over three wins, six draws and five defeats he relinquished the England captaincy in 1977.

Greig was a central figure in recruiting several England players for the controversial World Series,  which ran in opposition to Test cricket from 1977-79 and featured international stars earning much higher salaries.

Although several players were banned from representing their country, World Series Cricket helped revolutionise the sport with increased player wages and the introduction of coloured clothing.

Greig lived in Sydney from the late seventies until his death and became a popular voice around the world with his enthusiastic and opinionated commentary style for Channel Nine, often wearing a large panama hat and inserting car keys into playing surfaces as part of his pitch reports.

Former Australia captain Bill Lawry, a long-term colleague in the commentary box, said: "He's been a great friend of mine for 33 years.

"He's well known right throughout the world, well loved and respected. World cricket has lost one of its great ambassadors."

Australia captain Michael Clarke added: "I was only speaking with Tony a couple of days ago so news of his passing is absolutely devastating. He has been a great mentor for me.

"Cricket will be much poorer for his loss. We will never forget the lasting legacy Tony leaves us with."

Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard described Greig as "a wonderful example of someone who came to Australia from somewhere else in the world and embraced his adopted country as his own".

"Tony Greig devoted every ounce of his professional life to cricket, and the sport is much greater for his enormous contribution," Gillard added in a statement. "Cricket has lost a giant today, but we're better as a sporting country for the life of Tony Greig."

International Cricket Council chief executive Dave Richardson said: "Tony played a significant part in shaping modern cricket as a player in the 1970s and then provided millions of cricket lovers with a unique insight as a thoughtful and knowledgeable commentator."

Current England Test and Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior tweeted:  "Can't believe one of my heroes Tony Greig has passed away. One of the greatest voices in cricket and will be sorely missed. #RIPGreigy."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

1975 Ashes archive - Lillee and Thomson star for Australia as Greig becomes captain

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delhi on alert after rape death

29 December 2012 Last updated at 04:48 ET

Police in India have sealed off much of the capital, Delhi, and issued an appeal for calm after the death of a woman who was gang-raped in the city.

The 23-year old woman, who has not been identified, died early on Saturday at a hospital in Singapore, where she had been taken for specialist treatment.

Her body is to be flown back to India.

The attack on 16 December triggered violent public protests in India that left one police officer dead.

Six men have been arrested in connection with the rape and two police officers have been suspended.

On Saturday, police sealed off large parts of central Delhi close to government buildings, closed down a number of metro railway stations and asked people not to travel into the city.

Hundreds of armed police and riot troops are on duty, many of them women, and Delhi's police commissioner Neeraj Kumar has called on the public to remain calm.

Gatherings of more than five people have been banned in the city centre.

But on Saturday morning, a few hundred people gathered at the Jantar Mantar observatory, one of the areas of the city where protests are permitted, said the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in the city.

One protester, Poonam Kaushik, blamed the attack on "the government's inefficiency to ensure safety of women in Delhi" and said the woman's death would generate "even more anger".

One banner on display told politicians: "We don't want your condolences! We don't want your fake sentiments! We demand immediate action to strengthen the laws against sexual violence."

Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit - who has described the death as a "shameful moment" for the country - arrived to speak to the protesters but was shouted down, says our correspondent.

Protests have also been held in other cities across the country, including Calcutta and Mumbai.

There has also been an angry reaction in the Indian media, with one editorial in the Times of India calling for wider changes in society and an awareness that as well as attacks on the street, there are "a thousand unheard voices" of women who face sexual violence at home.

'Constructive action'

The Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore said the woman "passed away peacefully" early on Saturday with her family by her side.

Hospital chief executive Kelvin Loh said she had been in "an extremely critical condition" since arriving there, and had suffered severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain.

The Indian home minister said the government had decided to send the woman abroad for treatment on the recommendation of her doctors.

India's Home Affairs minister, Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh, said he was "heartbroken" by her death.

"I can only assure the family that the government will take whatever steps are needed to ensure that her killers get the harshest punishment in the quickest of time," he said.

"The government will work overtime to try and bring about laws and steps that will ensure that no other person, no other citizen of this country, has to go through or undergo the same kind of trauma."

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was "very saddened" by the woman's death, and that the angry public reaction was "perfectly understandable".

"It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channel these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action," he said in a statement.

He called on politicians and the public to set aside "narrow sectional interest" and work together to make India "a demonstrably better and safer place for women to live in".

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

India's High Commissioner to Singapore, TCA Raghavan: "We extend our condolences to the family"

The woman - a medical student - and her friend had been to see a film when they boarded the bus in the Munirka area of Delhi, intending to travel to Dwarka in the south-west of the city.

Police said she was raped for nearly an hour, and both she and her companion were beaten with iron bars, then thrown out of the moving bus into the street.

The assault sparked angry protests about the general conditions for women in India, and about what is seen as an inadequate police response to rape allegations.

Officials have since announced a series of measures intended to make Delhi safer for women.

These include more police night patrols, checks on bus drivers and their assistants, and the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains.

The government has also said that it will post the photos, names and addresses of convicted rapists on official websites to shame them.

It has set up two committees - one looking into speeding up trials of cases involving sexual assaults on women, and the other to examine the lapses that might have led to the incident in Delhi.

But the protesters say the government's pledge to seek life sentences for the attackers is not enough - many are calling for the death penalty.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

DVLA strike over office closure plan

27 December 2012 Last updated at 22:27 ET

A one-day strike is being staged by Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency staff over planned office closures that could see more than 1,000 jobs lost.

The strike is set to close all 39 regional offices in England, Scotland and Wales.

The government wants to centralise the DVLA in Swansea and move more services online by the end of 2013.

The Public and Commercial Services (PSC) union says the changes would lead to more vehicle tax evasion and fraud.

It has also delivered a 72,000-signature petition opposing the proposal to the Department for Transport.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "As well as losing a high quality public service and more than 1,000 jobs at a time of high unemployment, we believe these closures will lead to increased vehicle tax evasion and fraud.

"We want the minister to listen to the overwhelming views of the public, motor traders and his staff, and to see sense and reverse these ill-thought-through and damaging closures."

The DVLA has advised motorists who need to conduct transactions during the course of the day to use its website or, where appropriate, via the Post Office.

The DVLA employs 6,116 staff - 1,213 of whom are potentially affected by the proposed office closures.

The government announced the plans late last year, saying they would deliver modern, effective services and save about £28m a year.

The regional offices carry out administrative functions such as arranging trade plates for garages, vehicle inspections and personalised registration mark transfers.

Ten of the offices are also home to regional enforcement centres.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

US Gen Norman Schwarzkopf dies

28 December 2012 Last updated at 02:41 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's Nick Childs looks back at Gen Norman Schwarzkopf's military career

Retired US General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led troops in the 1991 Gulf War, has died aged 78, US media report.

Gen Schwarzkopf - known as Stormin' Norman - was commander of coalition forces in the first Gulf War in 1990-91.

The US-led coalition drove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait.

Former US President George H W Bush described Gen Schwarzkopf as "one of the great military leaders of his generation".

Gen Schwarzkopf spent his retirement in Tampa, Florida, where he had served in his last military assignment as commander-in-chief of US Central Command.

The BBC's Ben Wright in Washington said his military success made him one of America's most famous modern generals although some criticised him for negotiating ceasefire terms which allowed Saddam Hussein to remain in power.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

General Schwarzkopf was justly recognised as a brilliant strategist and inspiring leader"

End Quote Leon Panetta US Defence Secretary

President Bush, who was in office during the first Gulf War, said he "mourned the loss" of Gen Schwarzkopf, "one of the great military leaders of his generation".

Mr Bush, who remains in intensive care at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, issued a statement, saying: "A distinguished member of that Long Gray Line hailing from West Point, General Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomised the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises.

"More than that, he was a good and decent man - and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife Brenda and his wonderful family."

US Republican Senator John McCain tweeted that Gen Schwarzkopf was "one of the great American heroes".

"We thank him for his service," he said.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta also paid tribute to the general, saying his 35 years of service had "left an indelible imprint on the United States military and on the country".

"His bravery during two tours in Vietnam earned him three silver stars, and set him on the path lead our troops into battle in Grenada, and then to take charge of the overall allied effort in the first Gulf War as Commander of United States Central Command," he said.

Continue reading the main story

Gen Schwarzkopf: Career highlights

• Born on 22 August 1934 in Trenton, New Jersey
• Aged 12, he moves to Iran where his father, a high-ranking army officer, trained the police and was an adviser to the Shah
• Studies in Switzerland and Germany, attends US Military Academy at West Point, New York. Gains masters degree in guided-missile engineering from the University of Southern California
• Highly decorated for his services in the Vietnam and Grenada wars
• Named commander-in-chief of the US Central Command in 1988
• Best known for leading allied forces as part of Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War in 1991
• Often referred to as 'Stormin Norman', he used to taunt Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein

"General Schwarzkopf's skilled leadership of that campaign liberated the Kuwaiti people and produced a decisive victory for the allied coalition. In the aftermath of that war, General Schwarzkopf was justly recognised as a brilliant strategist and inspiring leader. Today, we recall that enduring legacy and remember him as one of the great military giants of the 20th Century."

During Operation Desert Storm, Gen Schwarzkopf famously used one of his regular news conferences to taunt his opponent.

"As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist, nor is schooled in the operational art, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier: other than that, he's a great military man - I want you to know that," he said.

BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs said Gen Schwarzkopf's sometimes fiery temper meant that he clashed with subordinates and superiors alike including the then Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Colin Powell.

Despite this and his bluff appearance, he was smarter and more diplomatic than many critics gave him credit for, our correspondent adds.

After the first Gulf War Gen Schwarzkopf became a national celebrity, but always rejected suggestions that he run for office himself.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK-wide scheme to protect witnesses

28 December 2012 Last updated at 02:51 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Supergrass Paul: ''You feel like you have no-one, you have to start again under false pretences''

The UK's first national witness protection scheme has been launched to overhaul the currently "inconsistent" approach to keeping vulnerable people safe, the Ministry of Justice has said.

It said more than one in four collapsed prosecutions last year were because witnesses refused to give evidence.

Current services were "variable" and lacked "uniform standards", it added.

Victims' minister Helen Grant said witnesses whose lives were in danger needed "the best possible protection".

Witnesses to the 2007 murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones as well as those who gave evidence about the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockle pickers tragedy, in Lancashire, are among those who have been given protected persons status.

In 2009 and 2010, 18% of witnesses who went to court to give evidence said they or their families had felt intimidated at some point while 40% said they were worried about coming into contact with the defendant or their supporters.

The UK Protected Persons Service has been introduced thanks to a one-off £211,000 investment from the MoJ and Home Office.

Continue reading the main story

People think you get a new house, car and money but it isn't like that at all"

End Quote 'Supergrass' on being part of a witness protection programme

The MoJ, which said £19m a year was currently spent on protecting witnesses, said the new system would introduce national quality standards and ensure better co-ordination across "existing fragmented services".

It would also promote better intelligence-sharing between police forces, the MoJ added.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), which has long supported a move to a national system, has previously said the change would make the system more attractive and would lead to more people coming forward to give evidence.

Responding to the announcement, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Cooke said it would "strengthen the fight against organised crime".

Tory MP Mrs Grant said witnesses were "the unsung heroes of society - especially those who could be jeopardising their own safety".

"I cannot thank them enough for the vital role they play in bringing criminals to justice," she said. "We are clear any witness whose life could be in danger must be given the best possible protection."

And she later told BBC Radio 5 live: "We want to do everything we possibly can so that they know if they do take that decision and come forward they will be protected, supported and cared for wherever they are in this country.

"At the moment we have a system which is good but it's patchy and it's inconsistent and often witnesses don't know, if they do come forward, exactly what protection they will get."

Mrs Grant said people wanted to be witnesses because "it's a matter of doing the right thing - people call it a civic duty, some others just feel it's telling the truth".

In February, it was revealed the Met Police and the Crown Prosecution Service paid a family more than £600,000 in damages and costs after a child witness was identified to a gang.

The boy, 16, had been promised anonymity to give evidence about a violent attack, but details were inadvertently passed to gang members.

In August 2010, meanwhile, a coroner called for a review of systems to protect vulnerable witnesses following the 2004 murder of Joan and John Stirland at their home in Trusthorpe, Lincolnshire.

They were shot in retaliation after their son, Michael O'Brien, killed a friend of the notorious Gunn family, headed by crime boss Colin Gunn.

The couple fled to Lincolnshire eight months before their deaths after shots were fired at their former home in Carlton, Nottingham.

A jury at their inquest found Nottinghamshire Police failed to share with officers in Lincolnshire - or properly act on - intelligence about the threat posed by Colin Gunn's gang.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More