Film actress Jean Kent dies aged 92

30 November 2013 Last updated at 06:45 ET

Film and television actress Jean Kent, one of Britain's biggest stars in the 1940s and 1950s, has died.

She was injured in a fall at her home in Westhorpe, Suffolk, on Thursday and died earlier at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

Her death was announced by a close family friend, author and former film critic Michael Thornton.

Her last public appearance was in 2011 when she was honoured by the British Film Institute on her 90th birthday.

Mr Thornton said: "I knew Jean for more than 50 years. She was a feisty, funny, outspoken character who never took herself too seriously.

"She knew what it meant to be a star and regarded it as her job to live up to that position and never to disappoint the public."

Kent's career included regular appearances in Gainsborough melodramas, which were popular with large numbers of newly-independent women following the outbreak of the Second World War.

She made 45 films and during her career starred alongside Marilyn Monroe, Michael Redgrave and Laurence Olivier.

'Bodice-ripping melodramas'

Born in Brixton, south London on 29 June, 1921, she was the only child of variety performers Norman Field and Nina Norre. As a 13-year-old she performed at the Windmill Theatre in London's West End.

Kent met her husband Josef Ramart on the set of Caravan and they married four months later in 1946, with Stuart Granger as best man.

They bought a farm near Sudbury, Suffolk in the 1950s and stayed there for 20 years until they moved to Westhorpe. Her husband died in 1989.

Kent also had a television career, which started in the mid-1930s in a musical called The Ship In The Bay which was broadcast live.

Her post-war television appearances included roles in Up Pompeii!, Crossroads and Lovejoy.

Mr Thornton added: "Because she became one of the most famous stars of the Gainsborough era, with its bodice-ripping melodramas, she was underrated as an actress. But she was a great actress."

Speaking on her 90th birthday she told the BBC she was still available for work.

"Oh yes, I'd work like a shot, as long as I didn't have to walk," she said.

"A nice sitting-down part would be fine."

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'Slavery' case woman 'indoctrinated'

30 November 2013 Last updated at 01:00 ET

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The BBC's Tom Symonds: "Her family heard little from her for 20 years"

The cousin of a woman who belonged to a Maoist commune in south London being investigated by police for alleged slavery has accused its members of turning her against her family.

Sian Davies died in 1997 after more than two decades with the activists.

Emyr Morgan told the BBC that members of the group wrongly claimed she was in India when she was in fact in hospital.

Police have interviewed three women, aged 69, 57 and 30, allegedly held as slaves for 30 years.

Ms Davies entered the Maoist commune in the mid 1970s, devoting her life and her money to its cause.

Mr Morgan said she "disappeared" until 1997 when police told the family she had died after falling from a window at the group's house in south London.

He said in the months before, Ms Davies's mother had called a number she had been given for the commune only to be told she was in India when she was in fact in hospital.

Mr Morgan also said that at the inquest a commune member denied Ms Davies had a child.

The BBC has seen the birth certificate of a 30-year-old woman that said "Mother: Sian Davies".

The woman is believed to be "Rose", who last month called a charity along with another member of the commune begging for help.

'Thought through'

Mr Morgan claimed Ms Davies was psychologically controlled though political indoctrination.

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Emyr Morgan says his cousin Sian Davies had been 'indoctrinated'

He said he did not have a phone conversation with Ms Davies but his mother and sister had.

Mr Morgan said: "My sister said it felt as if it was a very stunted conversation and that every answer was almost being thought through as if to say 'am I OK to say this'.

"It always felt during the phone conversations that they had that there was somebody else listening to her because it wasn't a natural conversation. There were all these pauses - it was like a transatlantic phone call."

Police said three women were rescued from a house in Peckford Place, Brixton, last month.

The alleged victims, a 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 69-year-old Malaysian, are now in the care of a non-governmental organisation.

Aravindan Balakrishnan, 73, and his wife Chanda, 67, have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in forced labour and slavery.

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US carriers 'to observe China rules'

30 November 2013 Last updated at 02:26 ET

The US says it expects its civilian aircraft to observe China's rules in an air defence zone in the East China Sea.

A US statement said this did not mean the US accepted China's requirements in the zone covering territory claimed by China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

China wants all aircraft there to file flight plans and identify themselves.

The US, Japan and South Korea say they have flown military aircraft in the area unannounced. But China said it scrambled fighter jets on Friday.

The move was to monitor US and Japanese aircraft in the zone.

'Firm but calm'

The air defence identification zone (ADIZ) covers a vast area of the East China Sea, including a group of islands claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

South Korea claims a submerged rock, known as Ieodo, also within the zone.

The establishment of the ADIZ has caused widespread anger, with the US state department calling it "an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea" which will "raise regional tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and accidents".

But on Friday, the state department said the US government "generally expects that US carriers operating internationally will operate consistent with Notams [Notices to Airmen] issued by foreign countries".

Continue reading the main story

• Zones do not necessarily overlap with airspace, sovereign territory or territorial claims
• States define zones, and stipulate rules that aircraft must obey; legal basis is unclear
• During WW2, US established an air perimeter and now maintains four separate zones - Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, and a contiguous mainland zone
• UK, Norway, Japan and Canada also maintain zones

Source: aviationdevelopment.org

It added: "Our expectation of operations by US carriers consistent with NOTAMs does not indicate U.S. government acceptance of China's requirements for operating in the newly declared ADIZ."

Japan has instructed its aircraft not to observe China's rules. But a number of regional commercial airlines - including Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Korean Air - have said they will comply.

China announced on Thursday it was deploying warplanes in the area for surveillance and defence.

Then on Friday, Air Force spokesman Col Shen Jinke said warplanes had been scrambled that morning to monitor two US surveillance aircraft and 10 Japanese planes - including early warning aircraft, surveillance aircraft and fighter jets - crossing through the ADIZ.

Col Shen said the jets had tracked the flights and identified the planes, state media reports.

Japanese officials gave no details of the flights, but said they were continuing to conduct routine operations in the region and had encountered no "abnormal instances so far".

Earlier, China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China had a right to patrol the region and that the ADIZ was not aimed at any specific country.

"If some worry has emerged about the situation, it's agitated by some individual countries," he told a regular briefing.

If disputes existed, China wanted to solve them through "peaceful means via friendly negotiation," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that Japan would respond "firmly but in a calm manner" to China's move, the Kyodo news agency reports.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kushida said the issue would be discussed with US Vice-President Joe Biden, who is due to begin a three-day visit to Japan on Monday.

The disputed group of uninhabited islands in the zone are known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in Chinese.

They are controlled by Japan, but have been the subject of rising tensions in recent years because of their proximity to important shipping lanes, fishing grounds and potential fossil fuel reserves.

South Korea has complained to China that the ADIZ also overlaps its own similar defence zone, and encompasses the Ieodo rock.

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WWI 'sacred soil' ceremony in London

30 November 2013 Last updated at 06:45 ET

"Sacred soil" from 70 World War I battlefields in Belgium is being laid at a memorial garden in London.

The soil, collected by British and Belgian schoolchildren and put into 70 sandbags, arrived on the Belgian Navy frigate Louisa Marie on Friday.

It went on a ceremonial procession through London before reaching its last resting place at Wellington Barracks.

The soil will become the focal point of a garden marking the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1 in 1914.

On arrival in London, the Louisa Marie moored alongside HMS Belfast and the soil was transferred to the British light cruiser.

The bags were loaded onto the gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery along with a crucible of soil from all the battlefields.

It was escorted by mounted members of the Household Cavalry from the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, and mounted officers from the Metropolitan Police.

The route of the procession passed Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, The Mall and Buckingham Palace.

It was blessed in a ceremony at the Guards' Chapel at Wellington Barracks - near Buckingham Palace - and will be placed into the ground at the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden

The soil will be placed "at the heart" of the garden where the words of John McCrae's famous poem, In Flanders' Fields, will be inscribed.

The garden will open to the public next year.

More than 1,000 British and Belgian schoolchildren were involved in collecting 70 bags of soil from the battlefields this summer.

The Guards Museum - which funded the project with help from public donations and corporate sponsors, including a contribution from the Government of Flanders - described the £700,000 project as "unprecedented" and "historic".

Museum curator Andrew Wallis said the garden would stand as a "tangible demonstration of the bond between Britain and Belgium".

The process of bringing the soil to the UK began on Armistice Day with a ceremony at the Menin Gate, attended by the Duke of Edinburgh.

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Maude criticised over leadership

29 November 2013 Last updated at 22:36 ET

The minister responsible for civil service reform, Francis Maude, does not understand leadership, the former head of the service has told the BBC.

Lord Butler of Brockwell said what he called "backstairs sniping" showed contempt for the civil service.

Mr Maude recently said Whitehall should take more responsibility for errors.

A spokesman for Mr Maude said the civil service was full of brilliant people but held back by a hierarchical system and rigid culture.

'Dumped on'

In a recent newspaper interview Mr Maude suggested civil servants should "speak truth to power" more often.

His sentiments have met with a frosty response from the man who was for a decade cabinet secretary and head of the civil service.

Lord Butler told BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster: "I agree with that, but people are not encouraged to speak truth to power when in the same breath in the same interview they are told that they will be dumped on when things go wrong.

"I'm sorry to say, I really think that Mr Maude and some of his colleagues don't understand leadership."

He continued: "My view is that the relationship between ministers and the civil service works best when they work together in a mutually supportive relationship, with loyalty on both sides.

"And backstairs sniping, whichever side it comes from, shows that something is wrong and there's been too much of that backstairs sniping."

Lord Butler, who served under prime ministers Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, said there was that sort of criticism of civil servants in the media "almost every single day".

'Sweeping under carpet'

BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said there were clear tensions in Whitehall about both changes to the civil service, and controversies in which the most senior civil servants in government departments - permanent secretaries - had been publicly criticised.

Mr Maude's spokesman said: "The civil service has brilliant people but somehow ends up being less than the sum of its parts because of a hierarchical system and a rigid culture.

"It's not right to patronise and infantilise people by pretending that everything is perfect in the best of all possible worlds.

"Good leadership is not about sweeping problems under the carpet. Francis and the leadership of the civil service have highlighted issues which need to be addressed. The same issues are raised in a survey of 200,000 civil servants.

"We owe it to the taxpayer, users of public services and civil servants themselves to address these issues in an honest and truthful way. That's just what we are doing".

"What Francis said was that 'everybody has to take responsibility for what they were part of' - that's axiomatic and the alternative is no responsibility and no accountability."

Week in Westminster is on BBC Radio 4 at 11:00 GMT on Saturday 30 November

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Tim Yeo MP dropped by local Tories

30 November 2013 Last updated at 05:10 ET

Conservative MP Tim Yeo has been dropped by his constituency party.

The decision was made by the South Suffolk Conservative Association in a secret ballot on Friday evening.

In a statement, the association said Mr Yeo was "now considering his position and will advise the executive council of his intended course of action".

Last month, Mr Yeo, who has been MP for South Suffolk since 1983, was cleared by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards of breaking lobbying rules.

The Tory MP was secretly filmed by Sunday Times investigators posing as representatives of a fictional energy company seeking to hire his services.

The paper said he had admitted telling a business associate what to say in evidence to the committee he chaired.

But the watchdog said the newspaper had used "subterfuge, misrepresentation and selective quotation" in its report.

Mr Yeo, a former environment minister, had previously told the BBC that he intended to stand again in 2015.

If he does not accept the decision he can appeal or apply to be the new candidate when the selection process gets under way.

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'Three dead' in pub helicopter crash

30 November 2013 Last updated at 07:16 ET

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Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said it was "a black day for Glasgow"

Three people have died after a police helicopter crashed into a busy pub in Glasgow, the BBC understands.

Police Scotland have confirmed one death but said they expected the final number of fatalities would be higher. A rescue operation is continuing.

The crash happened at The Clutha in Stockwell Street at 22:25 on Friday.

There were three people on board the helicopter - two officers and a civilian pilot. Thirty-two people have been taken to local hospitals.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond told a press conference it was a "black day for Scotland."

Chief Constable Sir Stephen House confirmed that one person had died and further fatalities were expected after the helicopter crashed on to the roof of the pub.

He said they "can't say definitively" whether there are people still trapped within the pub, and added "we are still in a search and recovery phase".

Continue reading the main story

AT THE SCENE

Marianne Taylor BBC Scotland news

---

Strange to walk through Argyle St to the scene and see so many people doing their Christmas shopping just a few hundred yards from the scene.

The King Street car park next to the scene is full of cars, and buses are passing just 100 yards from the cordon.

There is no debris on our side of the cordon - it's hard to believe what has happened just a few yards away.

We can see the blue and green tarpaulins on top of the roof of the pub, but there is no activity on that roof.

On our side of the cordons, a pack of around 40 journalists and photographers are taking statements from eyewitnesses and waiting for news.

Chief Constable House went on: "This is a very difficult and sensitive operation. The scene is, as you will understand, a particularly challenging one.

"Given the damage caused and the nature of the damage, it will take some time to complete the search of the building and to assess how we begin the investigation.

"Clearly the safety of those conducting the search is of the highest importance."

Mr Salmond said: "This is a black day for Glasgow and Scotland but it is also St Andrew's Day and we can take pride in how we respond to adversity.

"The response from our emergency services and citizens has been exemplary."

It has been reported that about 120 people were in the pub at the time of the crash. Many were rescued or escaped but others were trapped by a collapse on the left-hand side of the building.

Emergency services have erected barriers around the scene and specialist rescue teams remain at the scene.

• A large area of the city centre has been cordoned off
• A tarpaulin has been put up over roof of pub
• Injured have been taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Western Infirmary and the Victoria Infirmary
• Some of those who were in pub taken to a nearby Holiday Inn Express
• Police Scotland Casualty Bureau number is 0800 092 0410 - for those concerned about relatives
• Investigation into what happened is under way
• Air Accident Investigation Branch is in Glasgow
• Mass to be held at 13:00 in St Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow for those involved in crash and emergency services involved in response.

Speaking from the press conference at the multi-agency command centre in Glasgow, Fire Scotland deputy chief officer Alex Clark said: "Along with our emergency service colleagues, we responded very, very quickly and pulled out all the measures that we possibly could in order to rescue people who were affected by this incident.

"I can assure you that until such time as there is an inevitable outcome we will undoubtedly remain on site and carry on our rescue activities in the best way that we possibly can."

Gary Hardacre, who is leading the Scottish Ambulance Service response, said: "All of our thoughts and condolences are with those that have been affected by this tragic incident.

"We have been working with our partners in the police and fire service to ensure a joined-up response, and provide the best possible care that we can for the people affected by this."

Helicopter operator Bond Air Services said it was working with the police and emergency services.

A statement added: "Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by this tragic incident."

Jim Murphy, the Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, was in the area at the time of the crash and said he ran into the pub to help before emergency services arrived.

He told the BBC there was "pandemonium" as people tried to get out of the pub.

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Jim Murphy MP tells the BBC that "something horrific and serious happened"

"It was almost like slow motion," he said, adding: "People just formed a bit of human chain, side by side with each other, to help pull injured people out."

The shadow cabinet minister, who had blood on his shirt which he said was not his, described what he saw as a "horrific scene".

The band who were playing in the pub at the time of the crash, Esperanza, have released a statement on their Facebook page.

Bassist Jess wrote: "Waking up and realising that it is all definitely horribly real. Despite the situation everyone was so helpful and caring of each other.

"The police, ambulances, firefighters all did a stellar job and continue to do so today in extremely difficult conditions."

Eyewitness Fraser Gibson, 34, was inside the pub with his brother to see his former band, Esperanza.

"Midway through their set it sounded like a giant explosion," he told BBC Scotland.

"Part of the room was covered in dust. We didn't know what had happened. We froze for a second; there was panic and then people trying to get out the door."

Mr Gibson added: "I would say there was maybe 120 people inside the pub. A lot of people managed to get out straight away, but it was hard to tell how many were actually trapped in the other half of the bar.

Continue reading the main story

The Eurocopter EC135 T2

• Began service in 1996 and there are now around 1,000 in operation
• Used around the world by the police and emergency services
• Has capacity for one pilot and six or seven passengers
• Weighs 6,504 lbs (2,950kg)
• Maximum speed of 137kts (254 km/h)
• Twin-engined and has a maximum range of 334nm (620km)

He said there had been no indication a helicopter had caused the devastation, adding: "The roof had just totally collapsed.

"There were shards of wood sticking out the top but nothing that said there had been a helicopter crash."

Eddie Waltham, a former firefighter who had a friend inside the pub, told the BBC: "A roof joist came down and hit him and pushed him towards the window which is at the left side of the left door."

He added later: "My own reaction was to run straight up to the pub.

"It was amazing to watch just how people were trying so hard to get into this building."

John McGarrigle who said he feared his father had been in the pub at the time said: "I've checked every hospital and there's no sign of him. I'm very anxious.

"I'm just going to stand here till I see casualties come out of the building."

Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow City Council, said his heart went out to the families affected.

He also praised the response of ordinary people in the area before the emergency services arrived.

Mr Matheson said: "People who were in the pub, the people who were in the streets and who just helped out their fellow human beings who were out having a good time.

"It's Glasgow at its best you know, if people are in need the spontaneous response is to go to their help. And I want to pay great tribute to that and I'm very proud as leader of the city that that was the reaction. It doesn't surprise me."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services."

Labour leader Ed Miliband described the crash as an "unimaginable horror".

He added: "I know there will be lots of people worried about their loved ones who are unaccounted for and my thoughts are with them and also with the people of Glasgow who are an incredibly strong people, who showed, I think last night, in their reaction when the helicopter hit, a great bravery, a great courage, great calm in the midst of all this."

In 2002, a police Eurocopter EC-135 came down in a field in Ayrshire. All three people on board survived.

In 1990, a police sergeant was killed when a Bell Jet 206 helicopter crashed in bad weather at Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire.

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

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Ministers 'not seeking price freeze'

29 November 2013 Last updated at 05:43 ET

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David Cameron: "We are dealing with real policies to make a real difference"

The government has denied reports it is seeking a commitment from energy firms to hold their prices down until 2015.

The companies told BBC News ministers were putting pressure on them to commit to a price freeze.

But Treasury sources say this is not part of their plan - and they were looking instead at cutting the industry's green commitments to help keep prices down.

Labour, who want a price freeze, said government policy was a "shambles".

Energy industry sources told the BBC on Thursday that the government wants to avoid another round of price rises that could be blamed on state-enforced green levies and the two sides had been holding talks about plans which could result in average bills falling by £50.

'Not pleading'

Government sources have confirmed that they have been engaged in what they describe as an "information gathering" exercise with the energy sector.

But they insisted they were not pleading with the "big six" energy firms to hold bills down in the run-up to the 2015 general election, saying this was "not part of the package" on the table.

Continue reading the main story

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They pointed out that different companies have a different track record on delivering their obligations so an information gathering exercise was essential to framing future policy changes - which could be announced by Chancellor George Osborne in Thursday's Autumn Statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is at a summit in Lithuania, said the government was sticking to its original plan on energy prices.

"I want to help households and families by getting sustainably low prices and the only way you do that is to increase competition and roll back some of the levies on people's bills.

"I've said that's what we're going to do and that is what we're going to do."

Treasury sources told the BBC's Iain Watson one energy company might be interpreting the "information gathering" exercise as a request to hold down prices but this was not an accurate interpretation.

He said Treasury officials rejected any suggestion they were going "cap in hand" to the energy sector but acknowledged they were considering shifting the cost of some green levies from bills to general taxation and review other social obligations - two key demands of the industry.

"Our package is simply about rolling back levies and charges," a government source added.

"If that is enough to mean no rise next autumn, then that's an added bonus but there is no plea to the energy companies."

Labour, which has promised to freeze energy prices for 20 months if it is elected, said the government's policy was totally "confused".

Energy firms were "overcharging" firms, shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint said, but were being "let off the hook" by the government.

"The truth is that only by legislating for a freeze can we guarantee that it will happen," she said. "David Cameron won't do that because he's not prepared to stand up to the big energy companies."

The opposition is publishing its own plans to make the market more competitive, by separating firms retail and generation operations and giving a new regulator much greater enforcement powers.

'Deferring costs'

A senior figure at one of the big six suppliers, who did not want to be named, told the BBC that he wanted to work with the government but they needed "predictability on costs".

He said the key was to change the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which requires the firms to deliver energy efficiency measures to homes.

"If they can resolve the issues around ECO, that takes the gun away from our head," he added.

But another industry source cited several factors linked to government policy, including the Carbon Price Floor and the Renewables Obligation, which he said would drive costs higher in the years ahead.

The government is seeking to spread the cost of the ECO scheme from the current 27 months to four years.

The source said: "This is deferring costs, not getting rid of them. The bus has already left the station."

As well as green and social obligations, the government is also looking at the cost of transmitting energy to our homes. This makes up 23% of an annual dual fuel bill.

According to the industry regulator Ofgem, electricity distribution costs will add £15 to an average bill over the next year, but flatten out thereafter.

Industry sources say the government wants that cost spread over a longer period.

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Hope still for 'dead' Comet Ison

29 November 2013 Last updated at 02:13 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

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Astrophysicist Karl Battams: "This comet has confused and amazed us right from the word go..."

Comet Ison, or some part of it, may have survived its encounter with the Sun, say scientists.

The giant ball of ice and dust was initially declared dead when it failed to re-emerge from behind the star with the expected brightness.

All that could be seen was a dull smudge in space telescope images - its nucleus and tail assumed destroyed.

But recent pictures have indicated a brightening of what may be a small fragment of the comet.

Astronomers admit to being surprised and delighted, but now caution that anything could happen in the coming hours and days.

This remnant of Ison could continue to brighten, or it could simply fizzle out altogether.

"We've been following this comet for a year now and all the way it has been surprising us and confusing us," said astrophysicist Karl Battams, who operates the US space agency-funded Sungrazing Comets Project.

"It's just typical that right at the end, when we said, 'yes, it has faded out, it's died, we've lost it in the Sun', that a couple of hours later it should pop right back up again," he told BBC News.

The European Space Agency (Esa), too, which had been among the first organisations to call the death of Ison, has had to re-assess the situation. A small part of the nucleus may be intact, its experts say.

How much of the once 2km-wide hunk of dirty ice could have survived is impossible to say.

Passing just 1.2 million km above the surface of the Sun would have severely disrupted Ison. Its ices would have vaporized rapidly in temperatures over 2,000C. And the immense gravity of the star would also have pulled and squeezed on the object as it tumbled end over end.

Karl Battams said: "We would like people to give us a couple of days, just to look at more images as they come from the spacecraft, and that will allow us to assess the brightness of the object that we're seeing now, and how that brightness changes.

"That will give us an idea of maybe what the object is composed of and what it might do in the coming days and weeks."

Whatever happens next, comets are going to be a big feature in the news over the next year.

In 11 months' time, Comet Siding Spring will breeze past Mars at a distance of little more than 100,000km. And then in November 2014, Esa's Rosetta mission will attempt to place a probe on the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

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Referee charged with hacking at FA

29 November 2013 Last updated at 04:28 ET

Three men including a referee have been charged over allegations of computer hacking at the Football Association.

Referee Dean Mohareb, 30, of Woodley, Stockport is charged with perverting the course of justice and unauthorised access to computer data.

Liam Cliff, 18, of Woodlands Road, Manchester, and Vincent Rossi, 46, of Wingfield Avenue, Wilmslow are charged with perverting the course of justice.

They are due before Stockport Magistrates' Court on 5 December.

Mohareb, a Football League referee, is a senior member of the FA Referees Department as national referee development manager.

He was arrested in October 2012 over allegations that he hacked into a colleague's email account.

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Peaches Geldof apology for tweet

29 November 2013 Last updated at 06:09 ET

Peaches Geldof has apologised for tweeting the names of the two mothers whose babies were abused by rock star Ian Watkins.

The daughter of Band Aid founder Bob Geldof posted a series of tweets explaining she had assumed the names were already "public knowledge".

Lostprophets frontman Watkins admitted attempted rape of a baby on Tuesday.

South Wales Police said it was discussing the tweeting issue with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Peaches Geldof is understood to have tweeted the women's names to her 160,000 followers after reportedly reading them on a US-based website.

"I deleted my tweets, however, and apologise for any offence caused," she said.

Geldof said at the time of tweeting she had "assumed" the names she saw on tweets were also published on news websites.

She added: "Will check my facts before tweeting next time. Apologies and lesson learned."

Watkins, 36, from Pontypridd, is due to be sentenced next month after changing his plea shortly before the start of a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

He was branded a "determined and committed paedophile" after he admitted a string of sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

He plotted the abuse with the two mothers in a series of text and internet messages.

Anyone who has been affected by this case or other cases of child abuse can contact South Wales Police on 029 20634184 or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.

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More hospitals facing Savile checks

29 November 2013 Last updated at 06:46 ET

A further 19 hospitals are to be investigated over links to serial sex attacker Jimmy Savile, the government has confirmed.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he expected reports examining visits by the late DJ to those hospitals to be delivered by next June.

It brings the total number of hospitals under investigation to 32.

Savile is believed to have abused hundreds of victims.

The former BBC presenter of Top Of The Pops and Jim'll Fix It died aged 84 in October 2011 - a year before allegations that he had sexually abused children were broadcast in an ITV documentary.

The revelations prompted hundreds of victims to come forward, including those who said they were attacked at a number of institutions.

Inquiries into Savile's alleged abuse of patients at NHS hospitals had originally focused on Broadmoor and Stoke Mandeville and Leeds General Infirmary, with a further 10 trusts added in January.

'Further investigation'

The latest inquiries follow investigations by the Metropolitan Police after information emerged about potential victims at a further 19 hospitals.

In a written statement, Mr Hunt said that Kate Lampard - a former barrister asked to oversee the Department of Health's investigations into Savile - would ensure the inquiries were properly carried out.

"The information has been passed on to the relevant hospital trust for further investigation as appropriate," Mr Hunt said.

"Names of the hospitals are taken from the information received. These include hospitals that may have closed in which case the information has been passed on to the legacy organisation."

Mr Hunt said that he expected final reports by June next year, with publication "sooner if that is possible".

The hospitals to be investigated are Barnet General Hospital, Booth Hall Children's Hospital, De La Pole Hospital, Dryburn Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Leavesden Secure Mental Hospital, Marsden Hospital, Maudsley Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, Odstock Hospital, Pinderfields Hospital, Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital, Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Royal Free Hospital, London, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, Seacroft Hospital, Leeds, St Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, Whitby Memorial Hospital and Wythenshawe Hospital.

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Badger cull to end as targets missed

29 November 2013 Last updated at 06:57 ET

The badger cull in Gloucestershire is being called off because not enough animals have been killed to meet targets.

The licence has been revoked by Natural England and the cull will end at 12:00 GMT on Saturday, a spokesman said.

An eight-week extension to the original six-week trial was due to end on 18 December.

It is not yet known how many badgers have been killed during the extension period.

During the original six-week period of the original licence, 708 badgers were killed in the county, 942 fewer than the target of 1,650.

TB in cattle

Graham Tibbetts, from Natural England, said: "There is no realistic prospect of the cull removing the number of badgers required by the licence, it has been discussed and agreed by Natural England that the cull will end at 12 noon tomorrow."

In October, Natural England granted an eight-week extension to the cull after fewer animals than the original target were killed during the initial six-week period.

Government ministers and the NFU say culling badgers will curb TB in cattle, but protesters assert it has little effect.

A similar cull pilot in Somerset ended last month after it also failed to meet its target even after a three-week extension.

In that area there was an estimated 65% reduction in the badger population - the target was 70%.

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Rigby killing 'cowardly and callous'

29 November 2013 Last updated at 07:08 ET

The killing of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, was a "cowardly and callous murder", the Old Bailey has heard.

It was told that Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, drove at Fusilier Rigby before attempting to decapitate him on the street close to his barracks on 22 May.

Both are also accused of attempting to murder a police officer and conspiracy to murder a police officer.

They both deny all charges.

The two defendants are in a glass-lined dock in the Old Bailey courtroom with paper on one side.

Members of Fusilier Rigby's family are in attendance.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told jurors that the two suspects drove a Vauxhall Tigra "straight at" Fusilier Rigby at around 30-40mph.

He said: "Both men then dragged his body into the middle of the road. They wanted members of the public to see the consequence of what can only be described as their barbarous acts.

"They had committed, you may think, a cowardly and callous murder by deliberately attacking an unarmed man in plain clothes from behind, using a vehicle as a weapon, and then they murdered him and mutilated his body with that meat cleaver and knives."

Mr Adebolajo tried to decapitate the soldier with a meat cleaver with "multiple blows to his neck", while Mr Adebowale stabbed and cut him, the jury heard.

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Tight security surrounded the defendants' arrival at the Old Bailey

Mr Whittam said it appeared that Mr Adebolajo "made a serious and almost successful attempt to decapitate" Fusilier Rigby.

At the same time, he said, Mr Adebowale "was using a knife to stab and cut at the soldier's body".

Mr Adebolajo, from Romford, east London, has asked to be known as Mujaahid Abu Hamza in court, and Mr Adebowale, from Greenwich, south-east London, wants to be known as Ismail Ibn Abdullah.

The court heard that the men were also armed with a gun, one use of which was to frighten off members of the public before the emergency services arrived.

As the police drove into Artillery Place, where the incident had taken place, Mr Adebolajo raised the meat cleaver above his head and moved towards the vehicle.

Mr Whittam said that meanwhile, Mr Adebowale ran along the side of a wall and aimed the gun at the officers.

Both men were then shot by the police and arrested, the jury heard.

The case continues.

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Professionals star Lewis Collins dies

28 November 2013 Last updated at 06:45 ET

The Professionals star Lewis Collins has died aged 67, his agent has said.

The actor, who played Bodie in the cult 1970s TV series, alongside Martin Shaw, died in Los Angeles after a five-year struggle with cancer.

His agent said: "He died peacefully at his LA home surrounded by his family. Privacy is asked for at this very sad time."

The Professionals was based around the adventures of a fictional crime fighting unit called CI5.

The ITV show became huge hit in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Collins's other notable roles included SAS captain Peter Skellen in 1982's Who Dares Wins.

Shaw, currently appearing in a West End production of 12 Angry Men, said he was saddened by the news of his co-star's death.

"We spent a very tough four years together in making the Professionals, and shared in the production of what has become an icon of British television," he said.

"He will be remembered as part of the childhood of so many people, and mourned by his fans. I send my love and condolences to his family, and the great many who will miss him."

Bond audition

Collins was born in May 1946 in Cheshire, and worked as a drummer and a hairdresser before breaking into acting.

Early work included roles in popular TV series such as Z Cars and The New Avengers, as well as a recurring role in The Cuckoo Waltz.

However, he became a household name with the debut of The Professionals in 1977, which ran for six years and won him a global following as hard man William Bodie.

Towards the end of The Professionals, Collins played the lead in the British thriller Who Dares Wins, as an SAS soldier who infiltrates a terrorist group.

Around this time, he auditioned for the role of James Bond: "I was in Albert R Broccoli's office for five minutes, but it was really over for me in seconds," he is reported to have said.

"He's expecting another Connery to walk through the door and there are few of them around."

Unlike his co-star, Collins was never able to match his success in The Professionals.

He continued working across the '80s and '90s and was last seen on screen in 2002 in The Bill.

Collins leaves his wife, Michelle - whom he married in 1992 - and three sons.

The Professionals is currently being re-run on ITV4.

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More nations defy China air zone

28 November 2013 Last updated at 06:38 ET

Japan and South Korea have both flown planes unannounced through China's newly-declared air defence zone, officials from both nations say.

Japanese aircraft had conducted routine "surveillance activity" over the East China Sea zone, the top government spokesman said.

South Korea had also conducted a flight, its defence ministry said.

China says planes transiting the zone, which covers areas claimed by Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei, must file plans.

The zone includes islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China which are claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

Japan controls the islands, which have been the focus of a bitter and long-running dispute between Japan and China.

The zone also covers a submerged rock that South Korea says forms part of its territory.

China, which established the air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, says aircraft must report a flight plan, communicate and identify themselves. Those who do not could face "defensive emergency measures".

China's move has been condemned by the US and Japan.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Japanese restraint in the face of Chinese efforts to modify the status quo is currently keeping the peace, potentially to the detriment of Japan's claim to the islands and its ability to use the surrounding sea area"

End Quote James Manicom Expert, China-Japan security issues

America, which called the move a "destabilising attempt to alter the status quo in the region", flew two unarmed B-52 bombers through the zone unannounced on Tuesday.

'Not going to change'

Japanese officials did not specify when the flights happened, but confirmed the surveillance activity.

"Even since China has created this airspace defence zone, we have continued our surveillance activities as before in the East China Sea, including in the zone," said Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga.

"We are not going to change this [activity] out of consideration to China," he added.

Continue reading the main story

Air defence identification zones

• Zones do not necessarily overlap with airspace, sovereign territory or territorial claims
• States define zones, and stipulate rules that aircraft must obey; legal basis is unclear
• During WW2, US established an air perimeter and now maintains four separate zones - Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, and a contiguous mainland zone
• UK, Norway, Japan and Canada also maintain zones

Source: aviationdevelopment.org

For their part, South Korea's military said one of their planes entered the zone on Tuesday.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said on Wednesday that the air zone issue had made "already tricky regional situations even more difficult to deal with".

"We've witnessed competition and conflicts among players of the region getting fiercer," he told Yonhap news agency.

On Thursday South Korea and China held talks on the zone, but failed to reach any agreement.

China defended its establishment of an air zone on Thursday, with a Defence Ministry spokesman telling state media it was "completely justified and legitimate".

US Vice-President Joe Biden is expected to express America's concerns to China when he makes a scheduled visit next week.

Mr Biden would "convey our concerns directly and... seek clarity regarding the Chinese intentions in making this move at this time", a senior US official administration said.

Continue reading the main story

China-Japan disputed islands

• The archipelago consists of five uninhabited islands and three reefs
• Japan, China and Taiwan claim them; they are controlled by Japan and form part of Okinawa prefecture
• Japanese businessman Kunioki Kurihara owned three of the islands but sold them to the Japanese state in September 2012
• The islands were also the focus of a major diplomatic row between Japan and China in 2010

Mr Biden will also make stops in Japan and South Korea during his trip to Asia.

Meanwhile, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said China's air zone move in the East China Sea may have implications for territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

His comments come as China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and its warship escorts headed to the South China Sea for what has been described as a training mission.

"There's this threat that China will control the air space [in the South China Sea]," Mr Del Rosario told local media.

"It transforms an entire air zone into China's domestic air space. And that is an infringement, and compromises the safety of civil aviation," he said, adding it "also compromises the national security of affected states".

Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea.

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Fresh look at plain cigarette packs

28 November 2013 Last updated at 06:48 ET

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Dr Peter Mackereth said brightly-coloured cigarette packaging was a form of ''silent advertising'' for smoking

The government has announced an independent review of cigarette packaging in England, amid calls for action to discourage young smokers.

David Cameron appeared to distance himself from uniform packaging in July, saying further evidence was needed to show whether it would be effective.

But Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said it was now time to "examine the emerging evidence" on a policy shift.

But Labour said immediate action was needed, "not another review".

In a Commons statement, Ms Ellison said standardised tobacco packaging would be brought in after the review if "we are satisfied that there are sufficient grounds to proceed, including public health benefit".

The review, led by paediatrician Sir Cyril Chantler, is set to focus on a pilot scheme in Australia, which became the first country to legislate for standardised packaging in 2011.

For Labour, shadow public health minister Luciana Berger demanded to know why the government was delaying the introduction of plain packaging "still further" having already held a consultation on the issue in 2012.

She said ministers were effectively performing a U-turn on July, which was itself, she said, a U-turn on bringing in new rules.

The government has never officially ruled out changes to cigarette packaging laws, but BBC political editor Nick Robinson said that private briefings from Downing Street had previously suggested the idea was "dead".

Continue reading the main story

It is not really surprising that the government appears to be looking again at the issue of plain packaging for cigarettes.

Out of the two high profile public health measures it championed after the election - minimum alcohol pricing was the other - plain packaging was always the more natural fit.

Over the years tougher and tougher measures have been introduced to discourage smoking from bans on smoking in public places to forcing shops to sell tobacco products under the counter.

So what has changed? Australia still remains the only country in the world to have introduced unbranded packaging.

But early evidence suggests it was effective.

A study in the state of Victoria found, not only did it make smokers more likely to think about quitting, it also worked subconsciously - smokers felt the cigarettes were of poorer quality.

He said the move to reopen the issue follows the tabling of amendments in the House of Lords which would have given ministers the power, but not the obligation, to impose regulations on plain packaging and enjoyed cross-party support.

The government was likely to be defeated if it opposed the changes to the Children and Families Bill, he added.

Ms Ellison confirmed that the government would table its own amendment to the legislation, giving ministers the power to introduce regulations when Sir Cyril's review is complete in March 2014 - if they decide to proceed with the policy.

The options which would then be considered include packs having a uniform colour (dark olive green has been suggested previously) or using graphic images of smoking-related diseases on all packs.

'Rise in counterfeiting'

Ms Ellison rejected Labour suggestions the rethink had been prompted by fears of defeat in the Lords, saying: "It's a year this weekend since the legislation was introduced in Australia. It's the right time to ask people to look at this.

"This is fundamentally about children's health. Two thirds of people start smoking when they're children and it's one of the most important public health issues we face in this country.

"Asking an independent body to take a look and survey the evidence for us is a sensible next step. We are going to take the opportunity to put regulations in place which will enable us to act quickly."

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Ministers had shelved plans for plain packets earlier in the year, as Iain Watson reports

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the government had an "open mind" on the review, but "personally" he hoped it would show that plain packaging was effective.

"If the review... suggests that the emerging evidence argues in favour of plain packaging, it's a measure which we would then proceed with," he said, on his weekly LBC radio programme.

But the government faced criticism from the UK Independence Party.

Prime Minister David Cameron was "scandalously auctioning off the freedom and liberty of the British people for his own political ends, cheered on by the Labour Party", the party's deputy leader Paul Nuttall said.

The Times newspaper says a study conducted in Australia found that smokers using standardised plain brown packets were 81% more likely to consider quitting.

Continue reading the main story

In a 2011 debate in the Australian parliament, Labor Party MP Mike Symon explained that the proposed plain-packaging legislation would "mandate that the brand name is in a standard colour, position, font size and style and that the packaging will be a standard drab dark brown or olive colour".

"Consumers tend to perceive white and lighter colours as being healthier," he continued.

"Research shows that adults and adolescents in scientifically controlled studies perceive cigarettes in plain packs to be less appealing, less palatable, less satisfying and of lower quality compared to cigarettes in current packaging."

Labour has sought to link Conservative election chief Lynton Crosby's work as a consultant for the tobacco industry to delays in the policy, a claim which was rejected by David Cameron at the time the issue was put on hold in July.

Health campaigners say packaging is a "key tool" for the industry to get new customers but manufacturers say uniform packets will increase counterfeiting and the focus must be on reducing under-age smoking.

The ban on images on packaging came into force in Australia on 1 January after a long-running legal battle between the former Labor government and the tobacco industry.

Manufacturers claimed the law was unconstitutional and infringed on their intellectual property rights by banning the use of brands and trademarks.

But they said they would comply after the legality of the measure was upheld by the country's highest court.

Cancer Research UK said the move would "save thousands of lives": "Stopping cigarettes being marketed to children as a glamorous and desirable accessory is one of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation."

The Scottish government has said it is "still committed" to introducing standardised packaging, while New Zealand is also considering the move.

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Net migration into UK 'increases'

28 November 2013 Last updated at 07:00 ET

Net migration into the UK has risen year on year for the first time in two years, official figures show.

Net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those emigrating - rose to 182,000 in the year to June, up from 167,000 in the previous 12 months.

Prime Minister David Cameron wants to get this figure below 100,000 before the next election in 2015.

Immigration to the UK fell in the year to June 2013.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show some 503,000 people came to live in the UK in the year ending June, compared with 517,000 people the previous year.

Meanwhile 320,000 people left the UK - down from 349,000 the previous year.

Emigration is now at its lowest level since 2001.

The ONS said the number of people coming to the UK from the EU had gone up by 25,000, mainly for work reasons.

Immigration from outside the EU saw a "statistically significant" drop to 242,000 in the year to June, from 282,000 the previous year, it said.

'Best guess'

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

The timing was surely no coincidence. On Wednesday David Cameron announced measures to restrict the rights to benefits of EU migrants. Today the immigration figures show a rise in EU immigration.

While Britain's economy recovers so the country becomes an ever more attractive magnet for job seekers from struggling nations - especially Spain, Portugal and Greece.

EU migration, along with emigration from Britain, are the two areas the government has until now had little control over. That's why - despite signs ministers are getting to grips with immigration from outside Europe - the net migration target is slipping out of reach.

It does raise the question of how wise it was for the government to set a goal which depended on factors outside of its control.

China now tops the table for the number of new immigrants to the UK, followed by India, Poland, the US and Australia.

The figures come amid growing concern that Britain will face a new wave of eastern European immigration when access restrictions to the UK labour market for Romanians and Bulgarians are lifted on 1 January 2014.

On Wednesday, Mr Cameron unveiled plans to toughen welfare rules for EU migrants, including new migrants not getting out-of-work benefits for the first three months and payments being stopped after six months unless the claimant has a "genuine" chance of a job.

Earlier this year campaign group Migration Watch warned that officials could be underestimating net migration. The ONS accepted it undercounted the number of immigrants from countries which joined the EU after 2004.

In July, the Public Administration Committee also said the statistics were "little better than a best guess" and "not fit for purpose". At the time, immigration minister Mark Harper defended the statistics as "accurate" and "very robust".

'Hollow claims'

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

They promised 'no ifs, no buts' that they would meet their target of net migration in the tens of thousands by the election - instead net migration is going up"

End Quote David Hanson Shadow immigration minister

Reacting to the latest figures, Mr Harper said existing reforms were working.

"We have tightened immigration routes where abuse was rife, but are still encouraging the brightest and best to come here to study and work.

"Net migration has fallen by nearly a third since its peak in 2010 and across government we are working hard to bring it down further," he said.

The prime minister's official spokesman said significantly reducing net migration "absolutely remains" Mr Cameron's objective.

But shadow immigration minister David Hanson said Mr Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May were failing to meet their own target.

"They promised 'no ifs, no buts' that they would meet their target of net migration in the tens of thousands by the election. Instead net migration is going up and it is higher this year than 12 months ago.

"These figures expose the massive gap between the rhetoric and the reality of Tory immigration policy. Theresa May has boasted repeatedly that net migration was falling and her target would be met. Now those hollow claims have been completely exposed," he said.

UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage called the government's approach to bringing migration under control a "complete failure".

"The fact that we still have net migration going up, EU migration going up and immigration into the UK still running at over half a million people per year is a damning indictment of this government's failed approach to immigration," he said.

The Migration Observatory, at the University of Oxford, said the figures made it look "increasingly difficult" for the government to reduce net migration to the "tens of thousands" by the end of this parliament.

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Arrests over football 'match fixing'

28 November 2013 Last updated at 07:04 ET

Six men have been arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency investigating alleged match fixing in English football.

At least three footballers are reported to be among those held across the country, but the BBC understands that none is linked to professional clubs.

The NCA said the focus of the operation was a suspected international illegal betting syndicate.

It is thought the suspects are being held by police in the Midlands.

The NCA was launched this year to fight organised and serious crime.

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It said it was working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association.

A spokesman said: "This is an active investigation and we are unable to provide further detail at this time."

Newspaper probe

The FA said it has been made aware of the arrests.

In a statement, it said: "We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The FA will make no further comment at this time due to ongoing investigations."

"The Gambling Commission said it had provided advice, intelligence and expertise in supporting the investigation and continues to liaise with the NCA and FA."

Continue reading the main story

The integrity of our matches and our competitions is the bedrock of the domestic game"

End Quote Shaun Harvey Football League chief executive

The Crown Prosecution Service said it had liaised with the NCA during its investigation.

The arrests come after an undercover investigation by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

It carries claims that a betting syndicate fixer from Singapore discussed the possibility of influencing the scores and outcomes of lower-league English games for £50,000 at a meeting in Manchester.

Police in Singapore told the BBC they have not been involved in the arrests.

According to the paper, the fixer claimed potential gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds by using the inside information through bets placed on Asian-based websites.

He reportedly offered to target two football matches, saying he would tell players how many goals he needed to be scored.

He can be heard in a video claiming that he would pay a player £5,000 to take a yellow card at the start of a match as a signal that the result was likely to be fixed.

'Globalised sports corruption'

The Football League said it had not been contacted by police about the investigation.

Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey said: "The threat of corruption is something that the Football League and the other football authorities treat with the utmost seriousness.

"The integrity of our matches and our competitions is the bedrock of the domestic game."

Journalist Declan Hill, author of the Insiders' Guide to Match Fixing, has been investigating the subject for years and says the way the crime is carried out has changed recently.

"We've now got a globalised sports corruption, where people are fixing the gambling markets in Asia and they're coming to European countries and then making very dubious deals with dodgy players and referees, and they literally have established networks of corruption right around the world," he said.

Soren Kragh Pedersen, from the European Union policy agency Europol, said the news was not unexpected.

"This is not a surprise because when we look around Europe it is practically everywhere and in some of the major leagues but, of course, also the minor divisions. We see it everywhere so it would be a surprise if you did not find it in England also," he said.

In February, Europol announced that it had found evidence of match fixing of some top international football games after conducting the biggest-ever investigation into match fixing in Europe.

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Mortgage support scheme to reduce

28 November 2013 Last updated at 07:11 ET

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Mark Carney: "There is no longer a need for FLS to provide further broad support to household lending"

A government-backed scheme to boost mortgage loans is to be scaled back, focusing instead on business lending.

The Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS), launched last year, will no longer be aimed at householders, announced the Bank of England's governor Mark Carney on Thursday.

An overheated housing market would be a risk to the economy, he said, adding that prices are rising in many regions.

Supporting mortgage lending was "no longer necessary", he said.

However, speaking about another mortgage scheme, Help To Buy, Mr Carney added that it was "still early days".

Funding for Lending will be refocused on businesses from January 2014, the governor said.

Housing bubble?

Chancellor George Osborne said: "Small firms are the lifeblood of our economy. That's why we're reforming the banks, introducing the employment allowance and now focusing the Funding for Lending Scheme to support them."

Funding for Lending aimed to provide up to £60bn to banks and building societies so long as that money was lent to businesses and individuals.

Mr Carney said: "The changes announced today refocus the Funding for Lending scheme where it is most needed - to underpin the supply of credit to small businesses over the next year - without providing further broad support to household lending that is no longer needed."

He added: "Since the FLS was launched it has contributed to a substantial fall in bank funding cost, this has fed through to a significant improvement in household credit conditions. Given this success there is no longer a need for FLS to provide further broad support to household lending".

'Not a shock'

In response to the news, the Council of Mortgage Lenders said that decision reflects the "improvement in funding market conditions".

The group's director-general Paul Smee said: "Although the changes to the FLS may be a surprise, they are not a shock. Mortgage lenders are well equipped to meet their funding needs, as wholesale funding market conditions have improved and retail deposits are robust."

Mr Carney added that he sees a higher risk to financial stability if there are further rapid rises in house prices, and there were signs of house price growth picking up beyond London.

Concerns over a potential property market bubble have been growing, and earlier this month a committee of MPs asked the Bank of England to clarify its role in policing the Help to Buy scheme.

The Treasury Committee said that the "scope and limits" of the Bank's role were not clear.

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Man jailed for vigilante murder

28 November 2013 Last updated at 07:16 ET

A man has been jailed for life after admitting he murdered his disabled neighbour who had been wrongly branded a paedophile.

Lee James, 24, killed Bijan Ebrahimi and set fire to his body in the Brislington area of Bristol in July.

Mr Justice Simon ordered that James must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison.

Bristol Crown Court heard Mr Ebrahimi, who was an Iranian national and in his 40s, died from head injuries.

Stephen Norley, 24, who had admitted assisting an offender, was given a four-year jail term.

Sentencing them, the judge described the murder as "deeply shocking".

He said it was "a vigilante crime" and "an act of murderous injustice", adding that claims that Mr Ebrahimi was a paedophile were "baseless".

The court was shown a video shot by Mr Ebrahimi of James holding a beer can and threatening him after he realised he was being filmed.

The court was told that during the fatal attack James repeatedly stamped on Mr Ebrahimi's head, shouting "have some of that".

Prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC said that after murdering Mr Ebrahimi and burning the body, James told his girlfriend: "We sorted him out. We took care of things."

James told police he had kicked Mr Ebrahimi "like a football... I had so much anger in me".

The court heard Mr Ebrahimi made several calls to police in the 48 hours before his murder, but "those calls were not responded to".

Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Nick Gargan issued an apology after the tragedy, saying: "Mr Ebrahimi was someone who deserved the protection of all of us and we are very sorry about what happened to him."

An Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation has led to four constables, a sergeant and an inspector being served with notices of gross misconduct in the wake of the attack.

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EU warns Cameron over 'nasty' plan

27 November 2013 Last updated at 06:41 ET

A European commissioner has warned the UK risks being seen as a "nasty country" after Prime Minister David Cameron outlined plans to restrict access to benefits for EU immigrants.

Mr Cameron is proposing powers to deport homeless migrants and cut rights to unemployment and housing benefits.

Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor warned against encouraging "hysteria".

He said people in the UK were not getting the "full truth" about the benefits of immigration.

In an article in the Financial Times, the prime minister said the last Labour government had made a "monumental mistake" in not restricting access to the UK labour market when Poland and nine other countries joined the EU in 2004, resulting in much larger numbers coming than expected.

He announced measures including:

• New migrants not getting out-of-work benefits for the first three months
• Payments being stopped after six months unless the claimant has a "genuine" chance of a job
• New migrants not being able to claim housing benefit immediately
• Deportation of those caught begging or sleeping rough, with no return within a year
• Quadrupling fines for employers not paying the minimum wage

Mr Cameron also questioned the principle of free movement of people across the EU, saying this right could not be "unqualified".

Continue reading the main story

David Cameron says: "All of this we can legally do within the limits of the treaties." There is much that is unclear, however. Will there be new legislation? Will EU officials challenge these changes?

The prime minister has also promised to remove those who are begging or sleeping rough. Again it is unclear whether this would involve new legislation.

Then there is the long term. David Cameron wants to qualify the right to freely move and work. He is talking of withholding that right to new countries until their national income has reached a certain level. This is, at the moment, just an idea but it will be hugely controversial.

One of the attractions for countries in Eastern Europe and beyond is the ability to move within the EU's 28 countries to find work.

But there are concerns in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and elsewhere about so-called benefits tourism.

The UK intends to place this at the centre of its demands to reform the EU.

He suggested a future Conservative government, as part of its pledge to renegotiate EU membership, could seek more discretion over migration policy.

Working with other like-minded EU governments he said it would look at allowing member states to halt arrivals if numbers exceeded a certain level.

He also suggested that freedom of movement should only be fully allowed if the average income of a country's people was not too far below the EU average.

Transitional controls limiting Bulgarian and Romanian workers' access to the UK labour market - in place since the two countries joined the EU in 2007 - will expire at the end of the year.

There have been warnings of an "influx" of low-skilled workers and calls from across the political spectrum to review migrants' access to the health service and welfare system.

"We are changing the rules so that no-one can come to this country and expect to get out-of-work benefits immediately," Mr Cameron wrote.

He said it was time to recognise that the principle of free movement, a fundamental tenet of the European Union, had "become a trigger for vast population movements".

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Mr Cameron said the UK would work with other EU countries to "return the concept of free movement to a more sensible basis".

However, Mr Andor described Mr Cameron's proposals as "an unfortunate over-reaction", adding that EU rules applied equally to all 28 member states and had been agreed to by the UK.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "dismantling" the rules could lead to a "slippery slope".

Mr Andor also said: "The point is that the British public has not been told all the truth."

He said that there were existing EU safeguards to prevent "benefit tourism", saying: "We would need a more accurate presentation of the reality, not under pressure, not under hysteria, as sometimes happens in the UK. I would insist on presenting the truth, not false assumptions."

Immigration from Poland and other countries had benefited the UK economy, he said, arguing that the prime minister's suggestions risked "presenting the UK as a kind of nasty country in the European Union".

The Lib Dems said the "sensible" changes would "restore confidence" in the immigration system and "ensure that the right to work does not automatically mean the right to claim".

'Too generous'

"Other countries in the EU already have similar policies and are considering the case for going further," said Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. "Unfettered access to benefits across the member states does not exist."

But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the prime minister was "playing catch-up" and copying a Labour idea.

"After Labour proposed this change in March, the government said it was all fine and nothing needed to change. Yet now, rather than following a coherent plan, they are flailing around."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the UK was "still being far too generous", adding: "Under his proposal, somebody can come here on 1 January from Romania and within 12 weeks be entitled to unemployment benefit."

He added the plan would do nothing to stop an unrestricted flow of a "very large number of unskilled people" coming into Britain at a time when the country was struggling with youth unemployment.

MigrationWatch UK has said it expects 50,000 people to come from Bulgaria and Romania to the UK in each of the next five years but the Bulgarian ambassador has said he believes the figure will be much lower - predicting levels of about 8,000.

The pressure group's vice-chairman, Alp Mehmet, said the EU was looking only at the "gloss, not the whole picture" when it came to statistics on immigrants' contributions to the UK.

Those coming were "mostly young and paying taxes", he said, but added: "Over a longer period, what happens when their families arrive? They need schools and housing. These are factors that are never taken into consideration."

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Nine million in 'serious' debt

26 November 2013 Last updated at 19:05 ET

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Ann Jones now uses a food bank after borrowing £2,000 to buy the basics

Nearly nine million people across the UK are living with serious debt problems, according to a new report.

The Money Advice Service (MAS) also said very few people were making any attempt to get professional help.

The problem is particularly acute in five English cities, where more than 40% of the population is struggling to repay debt.

According to the survey, 18% of Britons, 8.8 million people, consider they have "serious" financial issues.

MAS, which is backed with public money, said that for the first time, the survey had provided a detailed understanding of the lives of those who are in debt.

The report found that 74% of those struggling with debt were "unhappy".

There is particular concern that very few people ask for help.

"Millions of people could escape their spiral of debt by accessing free advice," said Caroline Rookes, the chief executive of MAS.

Continue reading the main story

• Hull 43.1%
• Nottingham 41.2%
• Manchester 41.1%
• Knowsley 40.7%
• Liverpool 40.6%

"We know it transforms lives and the sooner people access it, the better - to take steps to improve their life for good," she said.

'Nerve-wracking'

The study lists the top five cities where people are "over-indebted".

To qualify as such, people had to feel that their debt amounted to a "heavy burden", or else they had to have missed out on repayments in three of the last six months.

The most heavily indebted area was Hull, where 43.1% of the population admitted they were in trouble financially.

The four other places were also in England: Nottingham, Manchester, Knowsley and Liverpool. All five areas had at least 40% of the population in heavy debt.

"You'd be surprised at how many are struggling," said Ann Jones, a grandmother from Hull.

The BBC spoke to her at a food bank on the North Hull estate.

She took out a bank loan of £2,000, but had difficulty paying it back.

"Everything got so expensive, and before you knew where you were, you just didn't have enough at the end of the month," she explained.

"It's nerve-racking. It's made me really ill," she added.

Latest figures from the Bank of England suggest that personal borrowing, including mortgages and unsecured loans, is now at £1.43 trillion.

That is the same level of borrowing that was reached during the pre-crisis peak in September 2008.

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