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Hillary Clinton has blood clot

Written By Unknown on Senin, 31 Desember 2012 | 19.21

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.

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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.

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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.

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Cosmetic ops 'hard sell' opposed

31 December 2012 Last updated at 06:22 ET

Responses to a public consultation on cosmetic surgery have shown strong support for a ban on cut-price deals and aggressive selling.

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 leading the English review, is due in March 2013.

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.

The review comes after concerns over health risks associated with Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants made by a French company surfaced last December. It is thought up to 40,000 British women have the silicone implants, mostly done privately rather than on the NHS.

'Price over quality'

Of the 180 responses to the consultation, the majority were said to be in favour of tighter restrictions on the advertising of cosmetic surgery.

"The proliferation of advertising for cosmetic surgery and its use in TV make-over programmes was felt to trivialise surgery and its risks, while making excessive claims of its impact on people's emotional wellbeing," a review of the responses said.

Continue reading the main story

'Once-in-a-lifetime chance'

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.

There was also "very strong support" for the banning of financial inducements or time-limited deals, it said.

The review said the practice was seen as "unethical, placing undue pressure on the patient and emphasising price rather than quality".

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

There was a "strong sense" that consultations should be with the person performing the procedure - or at the very least a medical professional - rather than a sales adviser, the review said. While some respondents believed there should be a ban on free consultations.

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 silicone 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]."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

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

End Quote Rajiv Grover President, British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons

Sally Taber, director of Independent Healthcare Advisory Services, a trade body for the independent healthcare sector, said aggressive sales techniques were "totally inappropriate" and "all NHS members have signed up to the fact that they don't do that now".

She agreed with the review panel that prospective cosmetic surgery patients should not have free consultations and the industry had "looked at policies and procedures to ensure this does not happen".

Good medical practice clearly states that consultations should take place with a medical professional - and the industry has been told that, she said.

"It's totally inappropriate to see someone that isn't qualified and gives pressurised advice," she said in an interview with the Today Programme.

She said there are some "rogue providers out there" but there are also "plenty of providers that do things correctly".

'Safer environment'

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," she said.

"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) also welcomed the call to end the practice of sales people holding consultations.

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

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

"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."

Respondents to the consultation were asked a series of questions about the way the current regulatory system functions.

The review panel said they would be used to inform their final recommendations.

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Duncan Smith condemns tax credits

31 December 2012 Last updated at 06:27 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.

Labour described the comments as a "cheap political attack".

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.

'Open to abuse'

"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."

'Disaster in the making'

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.

Catherine McKinnell, Labour shadow Treasury minister, said: "This cheap political attack on the whole tax credits system will not succeed in acting as cover for the government's cuts to tax credits which will hit millions of striving working families next year.

"Iain Duncan Smith should start focusing on sorting out his new universal credit, which even his own cabinet ministers are warning is 'a disaster in the making'."

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Celebrations begin to welcome 2013

31 December 2012 Last updated at 06:46 ET

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In New Zealand there was a spectacular firework display over Auckland

Celebrations are being held around the world to mark the new year, with the city of Auckland in New Zealand holding the first major events of 2013.

Crowds began to gather on Monday evening in Sydney in anticipation of the city's famous firework display.

Big shows are also planned in many other cities globally.

Celebrations will also be held for the first time in Burma, where large public gatherings were banned by its previous military rulers.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend the celebrations in Rangoon, which will feature a fireworks display and performances by Burmese entertainers.

Reports say the festivities will be broadcast live on Burmese television.

The celebration is seen as the latest sign of the country's liberalisation under its military-backed civilian government.

However, there is a subdued atmosphere in the Indian capital Delhi, following the death last week of a 23-year-old victim of a brutal gang rape.

The army has cancelled its celebrations across the country, as have the governments in the states of Punjab and Haryana.

Thousands of residents and clubs have also called off new year celebrations. protests over the case continued on Monday.

Later on, festivities will be held in European cities including Moscow, Paris and London.

More than two million people are expected to be on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.

New York will mark the new year with the traditional New Year's Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square.

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Delhi rape eclipses 2013 revelry

31 December 2012 Last updated at 07:13 ET

India has scaled back New Year celebrations, as it mourned the death of a woman whose gang rape on a bus a fortnight ago sparked public outrage.

The army has cancelled all official celebrations as have the states of Punjab and Haryana.

The president of the governing Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, also said she would not be celebrating.

Meanwhile, protests continued on Monday in the capital, Delhi, where the 23-year-old medical student was assaulted.

The victim died on Saturday morning in a Singapore hospital where she was being treated for severe injuries. She was cremated in Delhi on Sunday.

The attack sparked huge protests expressing anger over attitudes to women in India and calling for changes to the laws on violence against women.

As vigils continue to be held, hotels, clubs and business houses and celebrities announced they would be cancelling or toning down planned events for New Year's Eve.

Tougher laws demanded

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Geeta Pandey BBC News, Delhi

There has been an unprecedented outpouring of anger and grief in India and on the eve of the New Year, many say they have decided not to celebrate.

Many private clubs, hotels and citizens have decided to cancel or tone down their planned festivities.

Delhi's Gymkhana Club has asked its 7,000 members to come and light candles to show solidarity with the victim, while the Chelmsford Club, the Delhi Golf Club and the Press Club of India have decided to call off their celebrations.

The film industry in Mumbai has also joined the mourners with many Bollywood stars saying they have nothing to celebrate this year.

Reports said Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and his wife, MP Jaya Bachchan, were extremely upset by the incident and that "all plans in the Bachchan family for the New Year have been cancelled".

Six men arrested for the 16 December rape have been charged with murder. If convicted, they could face the death penalty, which is rarely carried out in India.

The victim's family have said they would fight to ensure the death penalty is handed down to those convicted.

"The fight has just begun. We want all the accused hanged, and we will fight for that, till the end," her brother told The Indian Express newspaper.

Speaking to the newspaper, the woman's father added that his family has been consumed by grief.

"It is too painful. I have not gone inside her room. She was born in this house. Her books, clothes they are all here.

"It is hard to believe I will never hear her voice again," he said.

The viciousness of the assault on the young woman has left most Indians stunned and many say they are in no mood to celebrate.

The Indian army spokesman Veerendra Singh told the BBC that all its formations across the country were advised to cancel official celebrations.

Mrs Gandhi has also appealed to her party colleagues and well-wishers not "to extend New Year greetings in the wake of gang-rape incident".

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

"Let there be no New Year celebrations across the country. It will be a major tribute to the departed soul," The Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general of the Confederation of All India Traders, as saying.

Protesters say they will continue with their action until the authorities accept their demand for tougher laws to protect women in the country.

Meanwhile, the city authorities' plan to launch a new telephone helpline for women in distress has been delayed due to a "technical glitch", officials said.

The 24-hour helpline number 181 will operate out of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's office and will be connected with all the 185 police stations across the city.

Marriage plans

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.

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

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There was a heavy police presence at the funeral amid on-going protests

The Indian government was heavily criticised for its response to the attack, which many called "slow" and inadequate.

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 second-class citizens, and that a fundamental change in culture and attitudes, backed up by law, is needed to protect them.

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UK is making 'real progress' - PM

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 30 Desember 2012 | 19.21

29 December 2012 Last updated at 19:01 ET

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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."

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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."

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Bomb kills Pakistan Shia pilgrims

30 December 2012 Last updated at 03:18 ET

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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.

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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".

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"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.

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There was a heavy police presence at the funeral amid on-going protests

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."

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Police controversies hit trust - Vaz

30 December 2012 Last updated at 06:17 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.

Last year former rail regulator Tom Winsor wrote a controversial report into changing police pay and conditions and in June he was appointed Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England and Wales, despite criticism by the Police Federation.

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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."

Mr Vaz's comments come as the Sunday Times reports that the government has released new figures showing crime has fallen by 10% in 19 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales, despite budget cuts.

A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed the figures to the BBC and said they were a comparison between Office of National Statistics crime figures for the year ending June 2010 and the year ending June 2012.

'Hard work'

Police minister Damian Green told the paper: "These statistics prove what we have said all along. It is possible to reduce spending while maintaining and even improving the service given to the public."

The Police Federation's new chairman Steve Williams was quoted as saying: "These figures, whilst a snapshot, are testament to the hard work and dedication displayed by police officers who, when faced with challenges, rise deftly to meet them."

Following Mr Vaz's remarks, a Home Office spokesman said surveys regularly showed that public confidence in the police remained high.

He told the BBC: "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."

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Training push for foreign doctors

30 December 2012 Last updated at 06:52 ET

Foreign doctors in the UK will face a more rigorous assessment, after figures showed a high proportion of doctors who are disciplined are from overseas.

In the last five years, 63% of doctors either struck off or suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC) were trained outside the UK.

Yet they make up only 36% of doctors on the medical register.

The GMC said new reforms included an induction programme, better checks and a review of the present testing system.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the GMC, said: "We absolutely acknowledge that when it comes to the serious end of the scale, those from overseas are more likely to appear, and we have set about a series of reforms to address this."

A new induction programme for all arriving doctors is due to launch as a pilot scheme in early 2013.

It will combine online training in British medical practices with a one-day course covering some of the key issues facing new arrivals.

Continue reading the main story

The UK is still short of doctors and so we must ensure that those who come from overseas are given adequate support"

End Quote Dr Vivienne Nathanson BMA

There will also be a review of the Performance and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test for overseas doctors.

This is the system whereby doctors have to demonstrate their clinical skills and competence before they can join the medical register in the UK.

The GMC said there is also a new system of checks - known as revalidation - that began this month.

This requires all doctors in the UK to show they are keeping up to date and are fit to practise, based on an annual appraisal and feedback from patients, doctors, nurses and other colleagues.

The UK is the first country in the world to introduce such a system across its whole healthcare system, the GMC said in a statement.

The figures for disciplinary action were initially obtained in a Freedom of Information request to the GMC by the Sunday Telegraph.

They show that in the last five years, there have been 669 doctors either struck off or suspended, and 420 of them were trained abroad.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, British Medical Association director of professional activities, said: "It is clear that doctors who have qualified overseas are more likely to be subject to disciplinary action.

"However, more research is needed to understand why this is the case. The UK is still short of doctors and so we must ensure that those who come from overseas are given adequate support to be able to practise medicine in the UK.

"It is critical that all doctors that work in the UK have appropriate clinical and communication skills as well as an understanding of UK law and culture and of how the NHS works."

'Shocking'

Julia Manning, chief executive of centre-right think tank 2020 Health, told the Telegraph the figures were "worrying and shocking" and said there was an urgent need to review the assessment of arriving doctors.

Dr Umesh Prabhu, national vice-chairman of the British International Doctors Association, told the paper there were cultural differences and communication problems, rather than differences in clinical training.

A Department of Health spokesman said the checks being introduced would "ensure that the small number of dangerous, often overseas trained, locum doctors who do not understand the British medical system are stopped from treating patients".

The language standard requirement for foreign doctors in England was raised earlier this year.

It followed the death of a 70-year-old who was given a fatal painkiller overdose by a German locum doctor with poor English who was working his first and only shift in the UK in 2008.

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Wife's grief over 'evil' murder

30 December 2012 Last updated at 07:06 ET

The wife of an organist who died after being attacked on his way to church on Christmas Eve said she had "not stopped crying" over his "evil" murder.

Alan Greaves, 68, of High Green, Sheffield, died on Thursday after sustaining severe head injuries while walking to church on Monday evening.

Maureen Greaves spoke of her grief at a service at St Saviour's Mortomley and High Green Church.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

South Yorkshire Police said one was in his 20s and the other in his 40s.

Mr Greaves family were joined at the service by the Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Steven Croft.

During the service, Mrs Greaves told the congregation: "I won't be able to contact you over the next few days, but I want to thank you for the support you have given me.

'Longs for justice'

Continue reading the main story

There is immense sadness and grief and shock in our hearts today "

End Quote Dr Steven Croft Bishop of Sheffield

"I have prayed constantly for Alan and I know you have too. I have not stopped crying for him and I know you have not stopped either.

"I have wept over the evil that has been done. I have prayed for you and I know you have prayed for me. You were Alan's Christian family and he loved belonging to this church. I have felt your love towards me."

Dr Croft spoke of Mr Greaves' deep Christian faith and the sense of shock at his death.

"There will be immense grief for those who knew Alan well, which includes many in this church and community. There will be fear that such a thing could happen, apparently to anyone.

"There will be anger and all kinds of questions and real pain in our hearts today," he said.

He also paid tribute to Mrs Greaves: "Maureen has said very clearly and powerfully that she longs for justice not for vengeance, again bearing witness to her own deep faith in the midst of the sharpest agony of her life."

The vicar at St Saviour's, the Reverend Canon Simon Bessant, had worked closely with Mr and Mrs Greaves.

He described the murder as a "random" act of "senseless violence".

He said Mr Greaves was well-respected within the community, a comment reflected in the bishop's sermon.

Dr Croft said: "Simon has referred to Alan this week quite simply as a good man, a gentle giant. Goodness is not as common as it should be and this community and this city have lost a shining light."