Verdicts due in Kercher murder trial

30 January 2014 Last updated at 04:41 ET

A court in Italy is due to announce new appeal verdicts for two people accused of the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher in 2007.

US citizen Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were acquitted of the crime on appeal in 2011, after four years in custody.

But that ruling was dismissed as flawed last year by the supreme court, and a new appeal ordered.

Ms Knox has not returned to Italy for the case. Both plead their innocence.

The court in Florence has been hearing from Ms Knox's defence team and is now deliberating on a verdict.

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If Amanda Knox is convicted again, Italy is likely to file an extradition request to bring her back to the country. Ms Knox has said "common sense" tells her not to return to Italy of her own accord, despite her innocence.

Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at American University in Washington DC, says whether or not Ms Knox is extradited to Italy is a question of the request's legal basis and America's political interest in the case.

Once Italy makes a request, the US will have to decide whether it falls under their extradition treaty. While there is "no reason to think the US has a specific interest" in blocking her extradition, Mr Vladeck says, countries can effectively stand in the way with a variety of "creative" interpretations of extradition treaties.

If the US does grant Italy's request, Ms Knox can fight her extradition in a US court.

But Mr Vladeck thinks the US protection against being tried twice for the same crime - known as double jeopardy - does not apply in this case: "There's nothing in the treaty that requires Italy to uphold the US legal system."

If they are convicted again, they can lodge appeals with the Court of Cassation (as the supreme court is known formally), which will have the final say.

The Court of Cassation overturned their acquittals last March after an appeal by prosecutors, who argued that important DNA evidence had been disregarded.

If Ms Knox is convicted, Italy may face a legal battle to extradite her from the US.

Prosecutors have asked for a 30-year prison sentence for her and a 26-year sentence for Mr Sollecito.

DNA evidence

Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon in south London and 21 at the time, was found with her throat cut in a flat she shared with Ms Knox in the college city of Perugia, in the central region of Umbria.

She suffered a "slow, agonising death", a coroner's report found.

Ivorian drifter Rudy Guede was convicted of her murder at a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

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The Meredith Kercher murder retrial explained - in 60 seconds

Prosecutors sought to prove Miss Kercher had died in a sex game involving Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito, that had gone wrong.

They pointed to a bra clasp belonging to Miss Kercher where Mr Sollecito's DNA was allegedly found.

They also maintained that Ms Knox's DNA had been on the handle of a kitchen knife used in the attack, with Miss Kercher's DNA on the blade.

In addition, traces of Ms Knox's blood and footprints were allegedly found in the house.

Arrested days after the murder, Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito were tried and convicted in November 2009.

'I didn't kill'

In 2011, an eight-member jury cleared both defendants of Miss Kercher's murder after doubts were raised over procedures used to gather DNA evidence.

Ordering a retrial last year, the Court of Cassation moved proceedings from Umbria to Florence, in the northern region of Tuscany.

Last month, Ms Knox, now 26 and living in Seattle, sent a five-page email to the court to explain her reasons for refusing to return to Italy from the US.

"I didn't kill," she wrote.

"I didn't rape. I didn't rob. I didn't plot. I didn't instigate. I didn't kill Meredith. I am not present in court because I am afraid.

"I am afraid that the vehemence of the prosecution will make an impression on you, that their smoke will get in your eyes and blind you."

If she is reconvicted of the murder, Ms Knox could fight her extradition to Italy in a US court.

Mr Sollecito, 29, has been in the court room awaiting the verdict. If he is reconvicted, the court could ask for him to be arrested or placed under a travel ban pending the Court of Cassation's decision.

He told the court in November that it made "no real sense" for him to have committed "such an atrocious act".

Members of Miss Kercher's family are expected to be in court, the agency adds.

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Fast turn led to speedboat tragedy

30 January 2014 Last updated at 02:51 ET

A TV executive and his daughter died after he tried to execute a fast turn in their speedboat, investigators have said.

All six members of the Milligan family, from London, were thrown out of the boat in Cornwall last May.

Nick Milligan, 51, and his daughter Emily, eight, died as the boat circled out of control, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said.

The MAIB said an emergency "kill cord" to cut the engine had not been worn.

Mr Milligan's wife Victoria, 39, and son Kit, four, were severely injured in the accident.

The report said that Mrs Milligan had taken the helm of the speedboat Milly on the Camel Estuary near Padstow when BSkyB sales boss Mr Milligan said she should make a turn.

'Violently' rolled

"Mrs Milligan was reluctant to do so as she did not consider there was sufficient space between the boat and the beach," said the report.

"However, due to encouragement from the children and Mr Milligan she began a slow wide turn.

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"Mr Milligan then reached across, in front of his wife, took the helm in his right hand and the throttle in his left, and then increased the engine throttle setting to full as he turned the helm to starboard.

"The boat immediately accelerated and heeled into the turn and then suddenly, and violently, rolled back to port and ejected all its occupants out over the port side and into the water.

"The boat then continued to circle under full power.

"The family were on the surface of the water, supported by their lifejackets and buoyancy aids, and the boat circled back towards them, striking several of them."

The report said Mr Milligan's actions appeared out of character, adding: "It cannot be established whether the wine he had consumed about one-and-a-half hours earlier adversely affected his judgment or fine motor skills when he reached across and took the controls, but his alcohol levels were well below the drink-drive limit for UK roads."

MAIB chief inspector Steve Clinch said a kill cord attached to the person at the wheel was an "essential item of safety equipment".

"I most strongly urge all powerboat drivers to ensure one is fitted and correctly worn at all times when under way, and to regularly check that it is functioning correctly," he said.

He called it a "tragic accident" and hoped lessons would be learned.

"Avoiding an accident by knowing your boat's and your own capabilities and limitations is essential, as is ensuring that all on board are safely and securely seated whenever manoeuvring or travelling at speed," he said.

Recommendations have been made to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) to include advice on the potential hazards of high power operations in its tuition and for the boat's manufacturer, APV Marine Limited, to reduce the design's steep angle of heel in tight turns.

Richard Falk, the training manager of the RYA, said: "If one good thing can possibly come from this tragedy it's that this issue of kill cords has received a great deal of media scrutiny.

"We would like to hope that has made more people aware of the hazards of operating a more powerful craft without a kill cord attached."

The family said in a statement: "We are still coming to terms with this tragic accident which has left us without Nick, a loving husband, father, son and brother, and Emily, whose life was only just beginning.

"We sincerely hope that awareness of this accident will mean that another family does not have to go through anything similar."

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Peanut allergy treatment 'a success'

29 January 2014 Last updated at 21:01 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

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Catherine Tooley and her daughter Elizabeth on their part in the study

Doctors say a potential treatment for peanut allergy has transformed the lives of children taking part in a large clinical trial.

The 85 children had to eat peanut protein every day - initially in small doses, but ramped up during the study.

The findings, published in the Lancet, suggest 84% of allergic children could eat the equivalent of five peanuts a day after six months.

Experts have warned that the therapy is not yet ready for widespread use.

Peanuts are the most common cause of fatal allergic reactions to food.

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"Start Quote

The trial has been an experience and adventure that has changed my life and I've had so much fun, but I still hate peanuts"

End Quote Lena Barden Age 11

There is no treatment so the only option for patients is to avoid them completely, leading to a lifetime of checking every food label before a meal.

Build up

The trial, at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, tried to train the children's immune systems to tolerate peanut protein.

Every day they were given a peanut protein powder - starting off on a dose equivalent to one 70th of a peanut.

The theory was that patients started at the extremely low dose, well below the threshold for an allergic response.

Once a fortnight the dose was increased while the children were in hospital, in case there was an reaction, and then they continued taking the higher dose at home.

The majority of patients learned to tolerate the peanut.

Lena Barden, 11, from Histon in Cambridgeshire, said: "It meant a trip to the hospital every two weeks.

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"Start Quote

This large study is the first of its kind in the world to have had such a positive outcome, and is an important advance in peanut allergy research"

End Quote Dr Pamela Ewan Cambridge University Hospitals

"A year later I could eat five whole peanuts with no reaction at all.

"The trial has been an experience and adventure that has changed my life and I've had so much fun, but I still hate peanuts!"

'Dramatic transformation'

One of the researchers, Dr Andrew Clark, told the BBC: "It really transformed their lives dramatically; this really comes across during the trial.

"It's a potential treatment and the next step is to make it available to patients, but there will be significant costs in providing the treatment - in the specialist centres and staff and producing the peanut to a sufficiently high standard."

Fellow researcher Dr Pamela Ewan added: "This large study is the first of its kind in the world to have had such a positive outcome, and is an important advance in peanut allergy research."

But she said further studies would be needed and that people should not try this on their own as this "should only be done by medical professionals in specialist settings".

The research has been broadly welcomed by other researchers in the field, but some concerns about how any therapy could be introduced have been raised.

Caution

Prof Gideon Lack, who is running a peanut allergy trial at the Evelina Children's Hospital in London, told the BBC: "This is a really important research step in trying to improve our management of peanut allergy, but is not yet ready for use in clinical practice.

"We need a proper risk assessment needs to be done to ensure we will not make life more dangerous for these children.

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How to spot potentially life-threatening allergic reactions and how to deal with them

He warned that 60% of people with a peanut allergy were also allergic to other nuts so a carefree lifestyle would rarely be an option.

Prof Barry Kay, from the department of allergy and clinical immunology at Imperial College London, said: "The real issues that still remain include how long the results will last, and whether the positive effects might lead affected individuals to have a false sense of security.

"Another issue to address is whether there will be long term side-effects of repeated peanut exposure even where full allergic reaction does not occur, such as inflammation of the oesophagus.

"So, this study shows encouraging results that add to the current literature, but more studies are needed to pin down these issues before the current advice to peanut allergy sufferers, which is to avoid eating peanuts, is changed."

Maureen Jenkins, director of clinical services at Allergy UK, said: "The fantastic results of this study exceed expectation.

"Peanut allergy is a particularly frightening food allergy, causing constant anxiety of a reaction from peanut traces.

"This is a major step forward in the global quest to manage it."

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Mum and boy's deaths 'preventable'

30 January 2014 Last updated at 03:48 ET

The partner of a woman murdered with her toddler son insists their deaths could have been prevented despite a serious case review's findings.

Andrew Cairns stabbed his pregnant ex-partner Rachael Slack and their 23-month-old son Auden in 2010 at their Derbyshire home before killing himself.

The review found authorities could not have predicted the deaths with the information known at the time.

However, Ms Slack's partner Robert Barlow said more could have been done.

Sandra Horley, chief executive of national domestic violence charity Refuge, said the findings of the serious case review "contradicted" the outcome of last year's inquest.

"The coroner at the inquest found that, despite making an assessment that Rachael and Auden were both at high risk of homicide, Derbyshire Police failed to discuss with Rachael adequate steps that could have been taken to address the risks to Auden.

"The police also failed to inform Rachael that they had assessed her and Auden as being at high risk of homicide.

"As a result, Rachael was denied the opportunity to make an informed choice about her and Auden's safety."

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• March 2010 - Andrew Cairns' family, ex-partner and clinical psychologist find him living in squalid conditions
• 26 May 2010 - Mr Cairns is detained under the Mental Health Act
• 27 May 2010 - Mr Cairns is rearrested after threatening to kill Rachael Slack
• 28 May 2010 - He is released on bail and told to stay away from Ms Slack
• 2 June 2010 - In the morning, Mr Cairns visits his GP
• 2 June 2010 - Neighbours hear screams from Ms Slack's house. Police find her body and those of her son Auden and Mr Cairns

Cairns, 44, made threats to kill her hours after being detained by police under the Mental Health Act.

Ms Slack, who lived in Holbrook, had driven him to the police station because he refused to get out of her car and she was worried about his behaviour.

He was assessed by mental health workers and released after he was found to have no major mental illness.

But Ms Slack's partner at the time, Mr Barlow, said if information known about Mr Cairns had been better shared between professionals, the deaths could have been prevented.

He said: "There were too many mistakes made throughout Andrew's care and too many mistakes made with Rachael's safety back at home after he was arrested.

"Agencies and individuals didn't have, or didn't share information - it meant they couldn't make whole judgements on decisions," he said.

"Their safety relied on those decisions being made properly."

He added he hoped action would now be taken following the review and officials were not "just paying lip service".

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Robert Barlow, the partner of a Derbyshire woman who was murdered in 2010, has said more could have been done to save her.

The report by the Derby Safeguarding Children Board (DSCB) found Cairns had become increasingly depressed in the months leading up to the deaths.

It said his behaviour had become more worrying for Ms Slack, who continued to check on him even after their relationship broke down in late 2008.

It also examined Mr Cairns's involvement with mental health workers and his history of depression, which dated back to 1999, when he had attempted to kill himself.

On 27 May he was arrested after making the threats to kill Ms Slack but released on police bail after denying the accusations.

'Lip service'

The report said: "The question is therefore whether the mother's report, in the context of other information available to professionals, provided a basis on which the eventual outcome could have been reasonably predicted.

"There are a number of factors which suggest that this would not be the case."

It said officers had no contact with Ms Slack or Mr Cairns about his mental health issues. They were also not told of his behaviour after his release from custody or that he had been hanging around outside Ms Slack's home after his release.

"Other agencies and professionals had, at most, partial information regarding these events," the report said.

"Furthermore, research shows 'only an extremely small number' of individuals who share the characteristics of depressive mental illness and involvement with mental health professionals go on to commit such acts."

The review said Derbyshire Constabulary received about 150 to 160 reports of threats to kill each year and its analysis identified this case as the "only one of those reports over at least a three-year period which has been followed by enactment of the threat".

The DSCB has made a number of recommendations, which include better sharing of information and monitoring of informal carers who provide support to people with mental health problems, particularly where children are involved.

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Military flood plan meeting to begin

30 January 2014 Last updated at 03:54 ET

Military planners have met council officials in Somerset to see what support is needed to help the flood-hit county.

On Wednesday Owen Paterson announced amphibious vehicles could be deployed to help flood victims within 24 hours.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the meeting with Somerset County Council would take place "at first light".

The Somerset Levels have been badly hit by flooding in recent weeks.

"The military officers will help plan what support is needed and where they need it. We will then work to make that happen," an MoD spokesman said.

Villages such as Muchelney have been cut off for almost a month and about 11,500 hectares (28,420 acres) of the Levels are flooded by about 65 million cubic metres of water.

More heavy rain is expected over the next few days.

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Dredging, flood barriers, natural flood management and sustainable drainage are recognised methods of preventing or alleviating flooding. BBC News looks at how these methods work and the scientific principles behind them.

Councillor David Hall, deputy leader of Somerset County Council, said: "We've been promised that we'll have access to whatever we need in terms of personnel and military vehicles at very short notice.

"What it potentially means is that we will have military personnel to supplement what we are doing already to help people.

"The second biggie - we are expecting more rain, high winds, and potentially some tidal surge problems this weekend so it's very reassuring we are going to have extra support on hand if needed."

He said the primary aim was to keep people safe.

"There are a lot of supplementary things, like getting fuel and supplies to people who haven't had access to them," he added.

"Making sure if people need to come and go, or there are medical emergencies, there is back up for them which will be very helpful."

David Heath, the Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, said it was "very welcome news that the military are going to lend a hand".

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Military planners have been sent to Somerset to decide how they can help to prevent further flooding

"It is simply getting people in and out and goods - if they can give us a few extra pairs of hands to help the people who have been working so hard down on the Levels for the past few weeks.

"We are expecting another high spring tide at the weekend along with a lot more rain.

"Where there is specialist equipment I would certainly like to see the engineers see what they can do to improve access."

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Homes 'deliberately razed' in Syria

30 January 2014 Last updated at 04:01 ET

The Syrian government has been "deliberately and unlawfully" demolishing thousands of homes, a new report by Human Rights Watch says.

Satellite images appear to show large-scale demolitions with explosives and bulldozers in opposition strongholds in Damascus and Hama in 2012 and 2013.

The report says the apparent wanton destruction of civilian property and collective punishment are war crimes.

It comes as government and opposition delegates attend peace talks in Geneva.

On Wednesday, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi admitted he did not expect there to be any substantial progress during the current round of negotiations, which are scheduled to end on Friday.

But Mr Brahimi said the ice had started to thaw between the two sides, though the gap between the two was still "quite large".

"Wiped off the map"

Human Rights Watch's report, Razed to the Ground, documents seven cases of large-scale demolitions which it says took place between July 2012 and July 2013.

Satellite images, online videos and eyewitness reports suggest they were carried out by government forces, it concludes.

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The satellite images show seven districts of Damascus and Hama before and after the demolitions.

In many of the images, buildings - many of them blocks of flats several stories high - have been reduced to rubble.

HRW said it had documented the destruction of at least 145 hectares of building land - a total area equivalent to about 200 football pitches.

Thousands of families had lost their homes as a result of these demolitions, it added.

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Wiping entire neighbourhoods off the map is not a legitimate tactic of war"

End Quote Ole Solvang Human Rights Watch

"Wiping entire neighbourhoods off the map is not a legitimate tactic of war," said Ole Solvang, an HRW emergencies researcher. "These unlawful demolitions are the latest additions to a long list of crimes committed by the Syrian government."

He added: "This was collective punishment of communities suspected of supporting the rebellion."

HRW demanded the Syrian government immediately end the demolitions, saying they were in violation of international law, and provide compensation and alternative housing to the victims.

It also urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

'Illegal construction'

Government officials told HRW that the demolitions were carried out in order to remove illegally constructed buildings.

However, the New York-based group found that there had been no similar demolitions in pro-government districts.

The demolitions were also supervised by military personnel and often followed fighting in the areas between government and rebel forces, it said.

Several residents also told HRW that they had all the necessary documentation for their homes.

They added that government forces had given little or no warning of the impending demolitions, and that they had not been allowed to remove their belongings.

"No-one should be fooled by the government's claim that it is undertaking urban planning in the middle of a bloody conflict," Mr Solvang said.

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Tory rebels defiant over immigration

30 January 2014 Last updated at 04:40 ET

David Cameron faces possible rebellion in the Commons as Tory MPs push for a ban on foreign criminals using European human rights law to avoid deportation.

It comes despite ministers unveiling their own last minute amendment to the Immigration Bill to strip terror suspects of UK citizenship.

But about 100 Tory MPs want to go further and curb the power of judges to block deportation of foreign criminals who have family links to Britain.

The debate begins at about 11:15 GMT.

Some Conservative backbenchers could also vote against the government by backing a demand to reintroduce the working restrictions Romanians and Bulgarians that were scrapped on 1 January. A vote on this originally due before Christmas, with some critics claiming it had been delayed to avoid a rebellion.

Last-minute proposal

But support for this amendment to the bill is thought to be waning, with the focus shifting instead to the foreign criminal and human rights issue.

Some Conservative MPs fear the government amendments to the Immigration Bill could deprive them of the chance to debate proposals that could bring Britain into conflict with the European Court of Human Rights.

Home Secretary Theresa May has come up with a last-minute proposal that would see terror suspects stripped of their citizenship even if it left them stateless.

It would not apply to British citizens but could see foreigners who have become naturalised citizens whose conduct is deemed "seriously prejudicial" lose their nationality.

People with dual nationality can already lose their British passports.

The Home Office insists the powers would be used sparingly and in strict accordance with the UK's international obligations. It also has the support of the Lib Dem leadership, who accept it would only apply in a tiny number of cases.

'Government trick'

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. These proposals will strengthen the home secretary's powers to ensure that very dangerous individuals can be excluded if it is in the public interest to do so."

But the legal charity Reprieve has described the plan as an "alarming development" saying it would give the home secretary power to "tear up people's passports without any need for the kind of due process".

Mrs May's proposal has been added to a list of about 50 government amendments to the Immigration Bill - making it less likely that rebel amendments will be debated.

Downing Street has insisted it is up to Commons Speaker John Bercow to decide the order in which amendments are debated.

But Tory rebel Dominic Raab said: "It's a classic government trick. They try and concertina the agenda so that they have got the power to talk out amendments that they find inconvenient. Then they blame the Speaker for it. The Speaker actually has very limited powers."

Mr Raab said his amendment calling for foreign criminals to be deported more easily is "vital" to make Theresa May's proposal work, as there was no point in stripping someone of their citizenship if they could not then be deported.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The point is we need to be much more robust about this. It's not illegal. It's totally enforceable. The government legal advice is that the courts would enforce it and, actually, its what the public want to see."

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Barclays to close 400 UK branches

29 January 2014 Last updated at 03:58

Barclays plans to close a quarter of its branches in the UK and cut hundreds of jobs in its investment banking division as part of a restructuring, it confirmed to the BBC.

The lender is likely to replace about 400 branches with smaller outlets in Asda supermarkets.

The job cuts come on top of 3,700 layoffs announced early last year.

Chief executive Antony Jenkins is also expected to unveil new five-year financial targets next month.

He has been looking to improve profitability in the face of falling trading revenues and tougher regulations.

Mr Jenkins, who took over from Bob Diamond following the Libor rate scandal, plans to cut £1.7bn ($2.8bn) from annual expenses by next year.

The new cost-cutting plan will entail closing branches and encouraging customers to use new banking technology, such as smartphone applications.

The London-based bank is also restricting international travel to "essential" external meetings, in an attempt to control expenses.

Banking cuts

Barclays' investment banking division - which employs a large percentage of the bank's 140,000 global employees - is reportedly set to bear the brunt of the planned new job cuts.

Up to 400 senior managers, mostly in London and New York, are expected to be made redundant.

Last year, Barclays announced 1,800 job cuts in corporate and investment banking and 1,900 in its European retail and business banking.

Many major banks have been undergoing structural shake-ups due to the impact of the weak global economy and changing regulatory environment.

Earlier this week, Lloyds Banking Group said it would terminate 1,080 jobs as part of a business overhaul announced in 2011.

Co-operative Bank also announced that it would shrink its branch network following a recent £1.5bn capital-raising exercise.

Mr Jenkins has been looking to reform some bank practices after Barclays was implicated in a series of scandals, including the manipulation of key interest rates.

The firm has since ended speculative trading in certain asset classes and reduced its investment banking pay.

During the earnings release next month, Mr Jenkins is expected to also lay out several objectives aimed at improving the bank's reputation.

This includes ways to restore public trust and increasing the number of woman in senior positions.

Barclays is scheduled to release its annual results on 11 February.

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Obama pledges action on inequality

29 January 2014 Last updated at 04:53

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US President Barack Obama: "Whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do"

US President Barack Obama has promised to bypass a fractured Congress to tackle economic inequality in his annual State of the Union address.

He pledged to "take steps without legislation" wherever possible, announcing a rise in the minimum wage for new federal contract staff.

On Iran, he said he would veto any new sanctions that risked derailing talks.

The Democratic president is facing some of his lowest approval ratings since first taking office in 2009.

"Let's make this a year of action," Mr Obama said.

Noting that inequality has deepened and upward mobility stalled, he would offer "a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class".

"America does not stand still - and neither will I," he said. "So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do."

Time running out

Just over a year after his re-election, Mr Obama must contend with determined opposition from the Republican Party, which controls the House of Representatives and has the numbers in the Senate to block his agenda.

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Gone is the audacity of hope. This State of the Union address didn't promise big changes on anything - there was no transformation on offer here.

But this address had the virtue at least of touching on bread-and-butter issues that genuinely affect millions of Americans - savings plans for workers who don't have them, health insurance, training schemes and the minimum wage, just to name a few. For poorer Americans improvements in any of those would make a huge difference.

This was Mr Obama's last best chance to reset his presidency. I'm not sure he managed a major shift. But he showed where his focus is and made a compelling case for at least trying to improve social mobility - with or without Congress.

Time is running short before Washington DC turns its attention to the 2016 race to elect his successor, threatening to sideline him even with three years remaining in office.

During his address, Mr Obama appealed to Congress to restore unemployment insurance that recently expired for 1.6 million people, and asked Republicans to stop trying to repeal his signature healthcare overhaul.

The botched rollout of the website on which Americans could sign up for healthcare has dented the president's popularity.

Mr Obama stressed the importance of early childhood schooling, better value university education, and equal opportunities in the workplace for women.

He also appealed to Congress to approve a rise in the national minimum wage, currently $7.25 per hour. His executive order raising the hourly rate of federal contract workers to $10.10 (£6.10) will only apply to future contracts.

House Speaker John Boehner said the impact would be "close to zero" and warned that such a move would cost jobs. He told reporters his party would watch to ensure the president did not exceed his authority through the use of such executive actions.

Republican rebuttals

The president also urged the Republican House of Representatives to support a broad overhaul of the US immigration system, saying it would "make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone".

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One American child in five lives below the poverty line - the BBC visits Washington DC's deprived Anacostia district

Last year, the Senate passed a bill that included a path to citizenship for some of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US.

The House has thus far declined to hold a vote on that legislation, although in recent days US media have reported the chamber's Republican leaders are weighing a series of more limited measures.

On foreign policy, Mr Obama pledged to:

• support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future
• back the opposition in Syria "that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks"
• make sure any long-term deal on Iran's nuclear programme is "based on verifiable action".

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Rand Paul: "Government spending doesn't work"

He also said that, with major US operations in Afghanistan due to end, "this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay".

After Mr Obama's speech, three Republicans are offering several rebuttals, a departure from the tradition of the opposition choosing a single voice to follow the president.

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington gave the official response on behalf of the Republican Party, calling on Mr Obama to take action "by empowering people, not making their lives harder with unprecedented spending, higher taxes, and fewer jobs".

Republican Kentucky Senator and presumed 2016 presidential hopeful Rand Paul, a favourite of the party's libertarian wing, released a taped address.

"Economic growth will come when we lower taxes for everyone," he said. "Government spending doesn't work."

Utah Senator Mike Lee offered a response on behalf of the populist, anti-tax tea party movement, saying he shared the frustration of Americans with "an ever-growing government that somehow thinks it is OK to lie to, spy on and even target its own citizens.''

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The US has one of the highest income gaps in the developed world

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Child car smoking ban before Lords

29 January 2014 Last updated at 08:48

A Labour plan to ban smoking in cars carrying children is due to be put to a vote in the House of Lords later.

Labour peers are to table an amendment to the Children and Families Bill detailing their proposal for England.

The party says that if it is not passed in this vote, it will be included in its manifesto for the next election.

The Department of Health has said it believes education campaigns are a better way to discourage people from smoking around children.

Smoking was banned in England in workplaces and most enclosed public spaces in July 2007 following similar legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The law prohibited smoking in vehicles used for work.

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Around the UK

• Any vote to ban smoking in cars carrying children would only affect England as the issue is the responsibility of the devolved governments.
• Wales - Ban to be considered if awareness campaign fails
• Scotland - MSP to introduce ban bill
• Northern Ireland - Plans for consultation

The amendment being brought by Lord Hunt, Lord Faulkner and Baroness Hughes would make it an offence for drivers of a private vehicle to fail to prevent smoking when a child is present.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham told Sky News: "When it comes to improving the health of children, we are duty bound to consider any measure that might make a difference.

"Adults are free to make their own choices but that often does not apply to children and that's why society has an obligation to protect them from preventable harm.

"Evidence from other countries shows that stopping smoking in the confined space of a car carrying children can prevent damage to their health and has strong public support."

Campaigners say the developing lungs of children are much more vulnerable to the effects of second-hand smoke - which can be concentrated in cars - increasing their risk of illnesses that range from asthma and colds to lung cancer.

'Completely unnecessary'

But the pro-smoking group Forest disputes such claims.

Director Simon Clark said: "Legislation is completely unnecessary. Most adult smokers accept that smoking in a car with children present is inconsiderate and the overwhelming majority choose not to.

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History of anti-smoking measures

• 2003 - Banned in indoor public spaces in New York
• 2006 - Scotland introduces similar law
• 2007 - Wales, Northern Ireland and England follow
• 2011 - Australian pilot scheme introduces standard packaging - that is without branding
• 2013 - Government launches independent review of cigarette packaging in England

"Education, not legislation, is the way forward."

Forest also argues that banning smoking in private vehicles would be almost impossible to enforce and a serious invasion of people's private space.

Calls to prohibit smoking in private vehicles when children are present have been raised in Parliament on several occasions since the 2007 ban came into effect.

In 2011, proposals from Labour MP Alex Cunningham cleared their first legislative hurdle, before facing significant opposition from MPs of all parties.

The following year, Lord Ribeiro introduced a private member's bill to make offenders liable for a £60 fine or attendance at a smoke awareness course. It won approval in the House of Lords, although supporters admitted they did not have government backing for the move.

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Damage caused by smoking

• Smokers in their 30s and 40s are five times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers
• Smoking contributes to coronary artery disease which increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke
• It does huge damage to the lungs and massively increases the risk of lung cancer
• Smoking also increases the risk of other cancers such as oral, uterine, liver, kidney, bladder, stomach and cervical cancer
• Exposure to second-hand smoke can reduce lung function, exacerbate respiratory problems, trigger asthma attacks, reduce coronary blood flow, irritate eyes, and cause headaches and nausea
• Smoking in pregnancy greatly increases the risk of miscarriage and is also associated with lower birth weight

The Labour amendment before the Lords later was initially proposed by Croydon North MP Steve Reed last April.

He was backed by organisations including the British Heart Foundation, Asthma UK, the Royal College of Paediatrics, and Child Health.

Children's minister Edward Timpson said at the time that a ban "would not be easy to enforce" but the government was researching the issue, and Mr Reed withdrew his amendment.

The Welsh Assembly has said it would consider a ban should an awareness campaign not lead to a drop in children's exposure to second-hand smoke.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Lib Dem MSP Jim Hume has indicated he will be presenting a bill this year to bring in a ban, while Northern Ireland's health minister has announced plans for a consultation on the issue.

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Justin King to leave Sainsbury's

29 January 2014 Last updated at 09:29

Sainsbury's has announced that chief executive Justin King is to leave the supermarket chain in July.

He will have been at the helm of the company for 10 years.

Mike Coupe, Sainsbury's group commercial director, will succeed him as chief executive, the company said.

Sainsbury's chairman David Tyler said Mr King was "a truly exceptional leader who has reshaped Sainsbury's during his 10 years as CEO. He leaves a lasting legacy."

Mr King will leave the company after the annual general meeting on 9 July, the company said in a statement.

Mr King said: "This was not an easy decision for me to make, and in truth it will never feel like the right time to leave a company like Sainsbury's."

Leading the company had been a "privilege", he added.

Sainsbury's shares fell more than 2% on the news.

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Ukraine debates protest amnesty

29 January 2014 Last updated at 09:30

Ukraine's parliament has begun debating a possible amnesty for scores of protesters arrested in anti-government demonstrations.

President Viktor Yanukovych has said he wants to make the amnesty conditional on protesters leaving official buildings and taking down barricades.

The opposition has so far ruled this out and is demanding early elections.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet resigned after months of protests.

Parliament also scrapped a controversial anti-protest law in the biggest concession yet to opposition protesters.

'Compromise'

Demonstrations began in November when Mr Yanukovych pulled out of a planned trade deal with the EU in favour of a $15bn (£9bn) bailout from Russia to bolster ailing public finances in the former Soviet state.

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21 Nov 2013: Ukraine announces it will not sign a deal aimed at strengthening ties with the EU

30 Nov: Riot police detain dozens of anti-government protesters in a violent crackdown in Kiev

17 Dec: Russia agrees to buy $15bn of Ukrainian government bonds and slash the price of gas it sells to the country

16 Jan 2014: Parliament passes law restricting the right to protest

22 Jan: Two protesters die from bullet wounds during clashes with police in Kiev; protests spread across many cities

25 Jan: President Yanukovych offers senior jobs to the opposition, including that of prime minister, but these are rejected

28 Jan: Parliament votes to annul protest law and President Yanukovych accepts resignation of PM and cabinet

Hours before MPs in Kiev were due to discuss a possible amnesty for protesters, the White House said the issue had been raised in a telephone conversation between Vice-President Joe Biden and President Yanukovych on Tuesday.

The White House said Mr Biden welcomed "progress made" and called on Mr Yanukovych to sign the repeal of several anti-protest laws.

"He strongly encouraged President Yanukovych to continue to work with the opposition to find compromises critical to a peaceful solution," a statement said.

"These include an amnesty law and a new government that can bring political unity, win the confidence of the Ukrainian people, and take Ukraine in the direction of Europe by strengthening democratic institutions and making the reforms necessary to achieve economic prosperity."

On Tuesday, Mr Azarov said he was stepping down to create "social and political compromise". His deputy, Serhiy Arbuzov, has stepped in as interim leader.

Members of his cabinet also resigned, but they can remain in their posts for 60 days until a new government is formed.

Parliament, in an emergency debate, voted to repeal anti-protest legislation, which among other measures banned the wearing of helmets by protesters and the blockading of public buildings.

Correspondents say Mr Azarov was deeply unpopular with the opposition, who accused him of mismanaging the economy and failing to tackle corruption.

Feelings against him grew after the protests started in November, when he described demonstrators as extremists. He was also blamed for excessive use of force by the police.

Police stabbed

Meanwhile, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has criticised what he called foreign "interference" in Ukraine.

Speaking at the end of an EU-Russia summit in Brussels, Mr Putin said visits by overseas envoys were adding to the unrest.

"I think that the Ukrainian people are capable of solving this on their own," Mr Putin said.

"I can only imagine how our European partners would respond if in the heat of a crisis in a country like Greece or Cyprus, our foreign minister would appear at one of their anti-European rallies and begin addressing them."

Correspondents say his comments appear to be a thinly veiled criticism of the EU and other Western nations that have sent a string of diplomats to Ukraine in recent weeks.

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, has flown out to Kiev on her latest visit while the bloc's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele was also back in Ukraine for his second visit in four days.

In December, the assistant US Secretary of State Victoria Nuland handed cakes to protesters while US Senator John McCain addressed 200,000 pro-EU opposition supporters in Kiev, telling them that "America stands with you".

Protests have spread in recent days across Ukraine - even to President Yanukovych's stronghold in the east - and official buildings in several cities have been occupied.

On Tuesday the interior ministry reported that protesters had stabbed and wounded three policemen in the southern city of Kherson, one of whom later died.

In total, at least five people have been killed in violence linked to the protests.

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UK to take in 'hundreds' of Syrians

29 January 2014 Last updated at 09:32

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Nick Clegg: "This conflict is worsening by the day, that's why we need to do more"

Some of the "most vulnerable" Syrian refugees will be temporarily resettled in the UK, Deputy PM Nick Clegg says.

He said girls and women who had been victims of or were at risk of sexual violence, torture victims, and elderly and disabled people would get priority.

This meant the coalition was ensuring Britain's "long and proud tradition of providing refuge" lived on, he said.

The government expects the number of refugees accepted to be in the hundreds but has not set a specific target.

The UK's resettlement programme is to be separate from the ongoing UN High Commissioner for Refugees scheme which has seen Germany commit to admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees and France take 500.

Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to spell out more details of the government's plan to MPs later.

During exchanges in the Commons on Monday, the government faced criticism from MPs of all political parties for declining to participate in the UN-led scheme.

'Moral responsibility'

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The government has been reluctant to admit any Syrian refugees to the UK, preferring to focus its humanitarian aid on refugees in the region.

But a fear of looking hard hearted and the threat of parliamentary defeat on Wednesday changed minds in Downing Street.

The deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said Britain had a moral responsibility to help and several hundred refugees would now be able to come.

It is not clear where the refugees will go or how long they will stay but it is expected they will get temporary visas that will be reviewed after three years.

The government is still refusing to take part in a resettlement scheme run by the UN high commissioner for refugees.

But the agency welcomed the government's offer and said it would help officials identify the most vulnerable people.

The deputy prime minister's announcement pre-empted a Labour-led debate on the issue, where the government was facing the prospect of a Commons defeat over its refusal to sign up to the UNHCR initiative.

Mr Clegg said: "The coalition government wants to play our part in helping to alleviate the immense suffering in Syria. The £600m we have provided makes us the second largest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid in the world.

"But as the conflict continues to force millions of Syrians from their homes, we need to make sure we are doing everything we can.

"We are one of the most open-hearted countries in the world and I believe we have a moral responsibility to help.

"The UN High Commission for Refugees - which backs our new resettlement programme - has said the highest priority should go to women and girls who have experienced or are at risk of sexual violence; the elderly; survivors of torture and individuals with disabilities, so that's who we'll target.

"Sadly we cannot provide safety for everyone who needs it, but we can reach out to some of those who need it most."

'Matter for humanity'

The BBC understands the refugees will be given temporary visas allowing them to stay for at least three years.

The visas will then be reviewed on a case-by-case basis taking into account personal circumstances and the situation in Syria.

Mr Clegg added: "They will be here for a certain period of time and what we of course want and I suspect they will want as well… is to return eventually to Syria, when as I think everybody hopes normality finally is restored to the country."

The UNHCR said it would help the UK identify the most vulnerable people.

Its UK representative, Roland Schilling, said the UK move was "an encouraging and important step, reaffirming the UK's commitment and contribution to international relief efforts".

'Compassion'

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government's move was a "big reversal" but that "compassion and common sense have won through".

"Vulnerable Syrian refugees, torture victims, abandoned children and those struggling to cope or survive in the camps desperately need sanctuary and Britain has a moral obligation to help," she said.

But she said the UK should be working with the UN to decide on numbers rather than setting up a "parallel programme" of its own.

Refugees fleeing Syria

The move was welcomed by MPs from all sides of the Commons, former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell saying it gave the UK flexibility to help those whose suffering had been the most "grievous".

But Conservative Brooks Newmark - an expert on Syria - said numbers should be limited and those countries not making such a big contribution to the aid effort should be taking in more refugees than the UK.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage also backed the move, saying a clear distinction must be made between genuine refugees from persecution and economic migrants.

The Refugee Council's Maurice Wren said the move had been a "long time coming" but the UK was standing up for an important principle.

And Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "This move is long overdue but of course it's never too late to do the right thing."

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Carney enters Scots currency debate

29 January 2014 Last updated at 09:36 By Andrew Black Political reporter, BBC Scotland

The Bank of England governor will enter the Scottish independence debate by reflecting on the currency implications of a "Yes" vote in the referendum.

Mark Carney's speech in Edinburgh comes amid continuing speculation over the Scottish government's plan to keep the pound under independence.

SNP ministers would also want to retain services of the Bank of England as part of a currency union.

The UK government has said such an agreement would be "unlikely".

Mr Carney's visit comes ahead of the 18 September independence referendum, in which voters will be asked the yes/no question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

Ahead of being a guest at an event hosted by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, the governor also met Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.

In its White Paper blueprint for independence, the Scottish government said a currency union agreement was vital in letting companies go about their business, while sterling would also benefit from Scotland's continued involvement because of assets such as North Sea oil and gas.

But UK ministers have said such a deal would result in Scotland effectively having to hand over control of interest rates and borrowing levels to a foreign country.

Mr Carney, who has agreed to provide "technical, objective, dry analysis" of the issues ahead of the referendum, told the BBC last week: "There are issues with respect to currency unions. We've seen them in Europe.

"It's one of the factors that affects, actually, the outlook for the UK economy, has affected us over the last five years, affects us going forward, the challenges of having a currency union without certain institutional structures."

The event in Edinburgh comes the day after Mr Salmond said he was told by Mr Carney's predecessor - Sir Mervyn King - that the Treasury would adopt an "entirely different" approach to Scottish issues if there was a "Yes" vote in the referendum.

'Remarkable coincidence'

Ahead of discussions with the Bank of England governor, the first minister said: "When I met his predecessor a couple of years back, Mervyn King, the first thing he said to me was 'your problem is what they say now', meaning the Treasury, 'and what they say the day after a Yes vote in the referendum are two entirely different things'."

Responding to Mr Salmond's comments, a spokesman for the official campaign to keep the Union, Better Together, said it was a "remarkable coincidence" that Sir Mervyn's reported remarks backed up the Scottish government's position.

A spokesman said: "The first minister operates on the basis that people are daft and can't see through his bluster.

"Unfortunately for him, people know when someone is at it."

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Open up palace 'when Queen out' call

28 January 2014 Last updated at 04:29 ET

Buckingham Palace should be opened to more paying visitors when the Queen is not in residence to fund improvements to the royal estate, MPs have said.

The Public Accounts Committee criticised the Royal Household for mismanaging its finances.

Chairwoman Margaret Hodge said there was "huge scope for savings" on the annual £31m of taxpayer funds given to the Queen to spend on official duties.

But a spokeswoman for the royals said spending was now more transparent.

The Sovereign Grant replaced the old Civil List and grants-in-aid system in 2012 and is used to fund royal duties, pay staff and maintain palaces.

The report said Buckingham Palace had overspent on the grant by £2.3m last year and had to dip into its reserves, "leaving a balance of only £1m at 31 March 2013 - a historically low level of contingency"

'Dangerous condition'

"I don't think we'd accuse anybody of profligacy but, what we are saying, is that we don't think the Queen is served well either by the Royal Household or, indeed, by the Treasury," Mrs Hodge told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"They're not balancing books and they're dipping into their reserves," the Labour MP said.

The report also found:

• The Royal Household was "not looking after nationally important heritage properties adequately", saying that, in March 2012, 39% of the royal estate was "below what the household deemed to be an acceptable condition"
• The household needed "to get a much firmer grip" on how it planned to address the backlog and cost repairs and the Treasury "did not require an estimate"
• The Treasury had a duty "to be actively involved in reviewing the household's financial planning and management - and it has failed to do so"

'Eke money'

While the committee praised the Royal Household for generating £11.6m last year - up from £6.7m in 2007/08 - it said more could be done.

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Mrs Hodge said the Royal Household had escaped public sector austerity, only reducing spending by 5% in the past six years.

"They've kept the same amount of staff in there that they had five years ago, so we think that they can eke more money and they certainly should deal with the heritage properties."

She added: "The Queen can attract income - visitors to Buckingham Palace - but Buckingham Palace is only open 78 days a year, they only have about half a million visitors.

"Compare that to the Tower of London - they have over 2 million visitors."

She said boosting annual visitor numbers could help to pay for improvements both to Windsor Castle and to the Victoria and Albert Mausoleum, which had been waiting 18 years for repairs.

Art collection

Buckingham Palace's "state rooms" - those designed for monarchs to "receive, reward and entertain their subjects and visiting dignitaries" - have been open to the paying public during August and September since 1993.

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The new arrangements established by the Sovereign Grant Act have made the royal finances more transparent than ever"

End Quote Treasury spokesman

Profits initially helped to pay for the restoration of Windsor Castle, which was fire-damaged in November 1992, and now go to the Royal Collection Trust charity, which manages the Royal Collection - "one of the most important art collections in the world".

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The move to the Sovereign Grant has created a more transparent and scrutinised system, which enables the Royal Household to allocate funding according to priorities.

"This has resulted in a more efficient use of public funds."

She added that it was a priority for the Royal Household to "reduce the backlog in essential maintenance across the occupied royal palaces".

A Treasury spokesman said "The new arrangements established by the Sovereign Grant Act have made the royal finances more transparent than ever while providing the long term stability necessary for good planning."

The committee had not properly taken these changes into account, he added.

The Sovereign Grant was £31m last year and is set to rise to £37.9m by 2014-15.

Anti-monarchy pressure group Republic, meanwhile, accused the committee of failing to take account of the cost of security, costs to local government and any revenue earned by the Duchy of Cornwall and Duchy of Lancaster estates.

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NSA 'gets data from Angry Birds'

27 January 2014 Last updated at 18:37 ET

US and British spy agencies routinely try to gain access to personal data from Angry Birds and other mobile applications, a report says.

A National Security Agency (NSA) document shows location, websites visited and contacts are among the data targeted from mobile applications.

It is the latest revelation from documents leaked by Edward Snowden.

In a statement, the NSA said it was not interested in data beyond "valid foreign intelligence targets".

"Any implication that NSA's foreign intelligence collection is focused on the smartphone or social media communications of everyday Americans is not true," the statement said.

'Golden nugget'

The report, published by the New York Times, ProPublica and the Guardian, says the NSA and Britain's GCHQ have worked together since 2007 to develop ways to gain access to information from applications for mobile phones and tablets.

The scale of data gathering is unclear.

But the reports suggest data is gained from a variety of mapping, gaming and social networking applications, using techniques similar to the ones used to intercept mobile internet traffic and text message data.

The documents also reveal the two agencies are increasingly convinced of the importance of mobile applications data.

The joint spying programme "effectively means that anyone using Google Maps on a smartphone is working in support of a GCHQ system" one 2008 document from the British intelligence agency is quoted as saying.

Another GCHQ report, in 2012, laid out how to extract information from Angry Birds user information from phones on the Android operating system. The game has been download 1.7 billion times across the world.

The British spy agency said it would not comment on intelligence matters, but insisted that all of its activities were "authorised, necessary and proportionate".

Another NSA document described a "golden nugget" - a perfect scenario where NSA analysts could get broad selections of information from the applications, including networks the phone had connected to, documents downloaded, websites visited and "buddy lists".

Other applications mentioned by the documents include the photo-sharing site Flickr, movie-based social network Flixster and applications that connect to Facebook.

Developers are responsible for the information generated from each application, but there was no suggestion firms were actively agreeing to give the spy agencies data.

On Monday, the justice department announced it had reached agreement with five major internet firms over their request to share information about how they responded to orders from the NSA and other agencies.

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook and LinkedIn had previously sued the US government over being able to disclose to the public more information on what they have released to intelligence agencies.

Under the compromise announced, the firms will be able to release:

• the number of criminal-related orders from the government
• the number of secret national security-related orders from government investigators, rounded to the nearest thousand
• how many national security-related orders came from the foreign service intelligence and the number of customers those orders affected
• whether those orders were for just email addresses or covered additional information

As part of the deal, the firms will delay releases of the number of national security orders by six months and promise they cannot reveal government surveillance of new technology or forms of communications they create for two years.

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Able readers 'damaged by phonics'

27 January 2014 Last updated at 19:36 ET By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter

The interests of able readers are being threatened by an insistence primary school pupils are taught to read using phonics, an academic has said.

The Department for Education wants English schools to use the reading system, which requires children to blend common sounds into words.

But Durham University researcher Andrew Davis says those already starting to read are likely to be put off.

The DfE insists synthetic phonics is the best way to teach reading.

The teaching method encourages children to sound out words rather than recognising the whole word and reading it for meaning.

The government strongly encourages schools to use reading schemes based on synthetic phonics, and part-funds a range of books approved as meeting its criteria.

It has also introduced a phonics test for all Year 1 pupils to ensure they are using this method to decode simple words, as well as some made-up words.

It argues this is the best way to ensure no child falls behind with their reading.

But Dr Davis, a former primary school teacher, says in his pamphlet a small minority begin school able to read and understand sentences, while a larger group are able to recognise some words.

'Form of abuse'

He argues those well on their way to reading could be put off by reading books featuring only words for which they have been taught the phonetic rules in class.

He says: "To subject either the fully fledged readers, or those who are well on their way, to a rigid diet of intensive phonics is an affront to their emerging identities as persons.

"To require this of students who have already gained some maturity in the rich and nourishing human activity of reading is almost a form of abuse."

He agrees that phonics can be very useful for teaching reading, but argues it should not be rigidly imposed on all.

'Mechanical exercise'

"Being forced to move back from reading for meaning to a mechanical exercise of blending and decoding is likely to be off-putting," he said.

He added that the fundamentalist approach to synthetic phonics "threatens the interests of a minority of children who arrive at school already able to read".

"The vast majority of Early Years teachers handle this kind of challenge with their usual professionalism, and will continue to do so if they are not troubled by rigid prescriptions from policy makers," he said.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Too many children are not reaching the expected levels of reading at a young age, do not catch up, and then struggle in secondary school and beyond.

"Research shows overwhelmingly that systematic phonics is the most effective way of teaching reading to children of all abilities, enabling almost all children to become confident and independent readers.

"Thanks to the phonics check 177,000 six-year-olds will this year get the extra reading help they need to catch up with their peers."

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US folk singer Pete Seeger dies

28 January 2014 Last updated at 04:00 ET

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A look back at Pete Seeger's music career

US folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, whose songs included Turn! Turn! Turn! and If I Had A Hammer, has died at the age of 94.

He died at a New York hospital after a short illness, his grandson said.

Seeger gained fame in The Weavers, formed in 1948, and continued to perform in his own right in a career spanning six decades.

Renowned for his protest songs, Seeger was blacklisted by the US Government in the 1950s for his leftist stance.

Denied broadcast exposure, Seeger toured US college campuses spreading his music and ethos, later calling this the "most important job of my career".

He was quizzed by the Un-American Activities Committee in 1955 over whether he had sung for Communists, replying that he "greatly resented" the implication that his work made him any less American.

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Seeger was charged with contempt of Congress, but the sentence was overturned on appeal.

He returned to TV in the late 1960s but had a protest song about the Vietnam War cut from broadcast.

The lofty, bearded banjo-playing musician became a standard bearer for political causes from nuclear disarmament to the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011.

In 2009, he was at a gala concert in the US capital ahead of Barack Obama's inauguration as president.

His predecessor Bill Clinton hailed him as "an inconvenient artist who dared to sing things as he saw them.''

Other songs that he co-wrote included Where Have All The Flowers Gone, while he was credited with making We Shall Overcome an anthem of resistance.

Turn! Turn! Turn! was made into a number one hit by The Byrds in 1965, and covered by a multitude of other artists including Dolly Parton and Chris de Burgh.

Seeger's influence continued down the decades, with his induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and he won a Grammy award in 1997 for best traditional folk album, with Pete.

He was a nominee at Sunday night's Grammy Awards in the spoken word category.

The singer-songwriter performed with Woody Guthrie in his early years, and went on to have an effect on the protest music of later artists including Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez.

In 2006, Springsteen recorded an album of songs originally sung by Seeger.

'Living archive'

On his 90th birthday, Seeger was feted by artists including Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Dave Matthews in New York's Madison Square Garden.

Springsteen called him "a living archive of America's music and conscience, a testament of the power of song and culture to nudge history along".

His other musical output included albums for children, while appeared on screen several times as well.

A reunion concert with The Weavers in 1980 was made into a documentary, while an early appearance was in To hear My Banjo Play in 1946.

The band, who had a number one hit with Good Night, Irene in the early 1950s, went their separate ways soon afterwards.

Seeger's wife Toshi, a filmmaker and activist, died aged 91 in July 2013. They leave three children.

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Ukrainian PM offers resignation

28 January 2014 Last updated at 04:33 ET

Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has offered his resignation to try to end the protests gripping cities across the country.

In a statement, he said the move was designed to create "social and political compromise".

Parliament is meanwhile holding an emergency debate on the crisis.

It plans to vote on repealing controversial anti-protest legislation, which President Viktor Yanukovych has already agreed to scrap.

In his resignation statement, PM Azarov said: "To create additional opportunities for social and political compromise and for a peaceful solution to the conflict, I made a personal decision to ask the president of Ukraine to accept my resignation as prime minister of Ukraine".

The government had "done everything to ensure the peaceful resolution of the conflict" and would do "everything possible to prevent bloodshed, an escalation of violence, and violation of citizen's rights", he said.

If the president signs the decree for the PM's resignation, then the whole cabinet resigns, says the BBC's David Stern in Kiev. But they can remain in their posts for 60 days until a new government is formed.

'Free vote'

Confirmation that the president had agreed to get rid of the protest law came in a statement on the presidential website from Justice Minister Olena Lukash.

"A political decision has been made to abolish the laws adopted on January 16 that caused multiple discussions," she said.

However, it is unclear whether MP's will back the president's decision. MPs from his governing Party of the Regions are being allowed a "free vote" - to vote as they see fit.

Opposition to the law has helped fuel deadly clashes between anti-government protesters and police.

The assembly is due to tackle other opposition demands, such as an amnesty for arrested activists.

Mr Yanukovych offered an amnesty only if protesters cleared barricades and stopped attacking government buildings.

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The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Zaporizhya, said riot police were guarding a key government building

The president made the concessions during talks with the three main opposition leaders on Monday - Fatherland leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Udar (Punch) chief Vitali Klitschko, and nationalist leader Oleg Tyahnybok.

Mr Yanukovych repeated an offer to Mr Yatsenyuk to assume the post of prime minister, which Mr Yatsenyuk formally turned down.

'Alarmed'

Continue reading the main story

21 Nov 2013: Ukraine announces it will not sign a deal aimed at strengthening ties with the EU

30 Nov: Riot police detain dozens of anti-government protesters in a violent crackdown in Kiev

17 Dec: Russia agrees to buy $15bn of Ukrainian government bonds and slash the price of gas it sells to the country

16 Jan 2014: Parliament passes law restricting the right to protest

22 Jan: Two protesters die from bullet wounds during clashes with police in Kiev; protests spread across many cities

25 Jan: President Yanukovych offers senior jobs to the opposition, including that of prime minister, but these are rejected

The law restricting protest includes a ban on unauthorised tents in public areas and also punishes the slandering of government officials.

Anyone blockading public buildings could face jail, and the wearing of masks or helmets at demonstrations is banned.

Meanwhile, top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton has brought forward a planned visit to Ukraine by 48 hours and will now arrive on Tuesday for meetings with Mr Yanukovych and opposition leaders.

She said she was "alarmed" by reports on Monday that the government was preparing to introduce a state of emergency. Officials have denied any such plan.

Putin

So far there has been no sign of demonstrators leaving the streets and the opposition has called for renewed protests to coincide with the meeting of parliament.

Activists continue to occupy Kiev's central square and government buildings in a number of Ukrainian cities, saying they will not leave until Mr Yanukovych resigns.

Unrest has spread across Ukraine, even to Mr Yanukovych's Russian-speaking strongholds in the east.

Four activists have died in incidents connected with the protests in recent days.

The crisis was sparked when Mr Yanukovych pulled out of a planned trade deal with the EU last November in favour of a $15bn (£9bn) bailout from Russia.

Ukraine is expected to feature at talks in Brussels on Tuesday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the European Union.

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