Ukraine activist 'was tortured'

31 January 2014 Last updated at 06:48 ET

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The BBC's Duncan Crawford reports how Bulatov claims he was beaten and hung up by his wrists

A leading activist in Ukraine's street opposition who vanished for eight days says he was abducted and tortured before being left to die in the cold.

Dmytro Bulatov, who organised car protests for the opposition camped out in Kiev, is being treated in hospital after being found near the capital.

Police have confirmed Mr Bulatov, 35, received an ear injury and bruising.

In another development, the army called on President Viktor Yanukovych to take "urgent steps" to ease the crisis.

Three protesters and three police officers have been killed, and scores injured on both sides, since the protests turned violent on 22 January.

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Dmytro Bulatov

• One of the leaders of AutoMaidan, a group of drivers associated with the anti-government protests
• The group have reportedly used their cars to pick up protesters, picket properties belonging to government officials and, allegedly, block streets to police
• Mr Bulatov reportedly took to the stage in Independence Square, focus of the protests, on several occasions
• He vanished on 22 January, only reappearing again on 30 January, injured and saying he had been kidnapped, tortured and finally dumped from a car near Kiev

Opposition to Mr Yanukovych spilled into the streets in November after he abandoned a trade deal with the EU in favour of closer economic ties with Russia.

Mr Yanukovych accused the opposition of seeking to "inflame" the situation on Thursday by continuing the protests despite moves by the government and parliament to ease the stand-off.

Parliament voted to annul a recently enacted law restricting protests and passed a law giving amnesty to detained protesters, under the condition that occupied buildings were vacated.

Anti-government demonstrators remain in their camp in Independence Square (Maidan) with no sign of the political crisis in the country coming to an end, the BBC's Duncan Crawford reports from Kiev.

Mr Yanukovych, 63, has gone on sick leave, with his staff reporting he has a respiratory illness and a high fever.

'Crucified'

Mr Bulatov says he was left to die by his captors after being kidnapped, repeatedly beaten and "crucified". He was, he said, hung up by his wrists.

"They crucified me, so there are holes in my hands now," he said.

"Other than that - they cut off my ear, cut up my face. My whole body is a mess. You can see everything. I am alive. Thank God for this."

The activist reportedly said he did not know who had abducted him but his abductors had spoken with Russian accents.

According to the Ukrainian news website Gazeta.ua, doctors found no damage to his internal organs or his skull.

Police in Kiev have confirmed Mr Bulatov was bruised and received a cut to one of his ears, Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda reports.

They have opened an investigation and posted guards at the hospital where he is being treated.

According to the paper, they also expressed indignation that Mr Bulatov had not phoned them after his release.

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Ukraine unrest - key dates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

29 Jan: Parliament passes amnesty law for detained protesters, under the condition occupied buildings are vacated

Mr Bulatov is a prominent anti-government activist as one of the leaders of the organisation Automaidan, a group that has patrolled streets around Independence Square, our correspondent says.

It has also driven in convoys to protest outside government ministers' homes.

Vitali Klitschko, one of the most prominent leaders of the protesters, visited Mr Bulatov in hospital.

Offers rejected

Ukraine's defence ministry put out a statement after Defence Minister Pavlo Lebedyev met staff in Kiev.

"Laying out their civil position, servicemen and employees of Ukraine's armed forces... called on the commander-in-chief to take urgent steps within the limits of existing legislation with a view to stabilising the situation in the country and reaching consent in society," it said.

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Matthew Price compares life inside the "protest zone" in Kiev with the rest of the city, where life continues as normal

Soldiers have not been deployed against the protesters during the crisis, which has seen government buildings occupied.

President Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet this week, and offered senior jobs to the opposition - offers that were rejected.

Demonstrators accuse the security forces of being behind the abductions and brutality towards protesters.

Of the other two activists abducted this month, one was found dead in a forest near Kiev with his body reportedly showing signs of torture.

The activist, Yuri Verbitsky, was reportedly abducted along with fellow protester Igor Lutsenko, who was later released and spoke about his ordeal.

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Shrien Dewani loses High Court bid

31 January 2014 Last updated at 06:29 ET

Shrien Dewani, who is accused of organising the murder of his wife Anni in South Africa, can be extradited to the country, the High Court has ruled.

Lawyers for Mr Dewani, 33, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, argued he should not be sent there until he was fit to plead over the 2010 killing.

But judges ruled he can be extradited as long as the South African government makes a pledge over how long he would be kept in the country without trial.

Mr Dewani is currently in hospital.

'Justice for Anni'

Speaking outside the High Court, BBC correspondent Angus Crawford said the South African authorities had indicated they were minded to accept the court's conditions for extradition.

But he said Mr Dewani's family could yet lodge an appeal at the UK Supreme Court, which would continue to delay any extradition.

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It seems a step closer to finally getting justice for our Anni"

End Quote Amit Karia Anni Dewani's cousin

In his ruling, Lord Thomas said: "It might be unjust and oppressive to order the return of a person who was agreed to be currently unfit, and where there was a prospect that he might remain permanently unfit, without considering whether an undertaking should be required from the requesting state."

The effect of the undertaking would be that "in the event of the appellant (Dewani) being found unfit to be tried, he will be free to return to the UK, unless there is found to be a realistic prospect of his being tried within a year - or other stated reasonable period - of that finding and the trial takes place within the period".

Anni's cousin, Amit Karia, said the family was happy with the ruling by the three judges at the High Court.

"We have waited for it for three years, three months," he said.

"It seems a step closer to finally getting justice for our Anni."

Taxi kidnapping

A lawyer for the South African government said it was "delighted" with the court's ruling, and expected it would be able to give the necessary undertakings, but needed 14 days for "final clarification".

Mr Dewani, from Bristol, has been fighting removal from the UK to face proceedings over his new wife Anni's death until he has recovered from his mental health problems.

He is suspected of ordering the killing of Anni, a Swedish national.

The pair were kidnapped at gunpoint as they drove through the Gugulethu township in Cape Town in a taxi in November 2010. Mr Dewani was released unharmed.

The next day the body of Mrs Dewani was found in the car. She had injuries to her head and chest.

South African Xolile Mngeni was later convicted of premeditated murder and jailed for life. Prosecutors allege he was hired by Mr Dewani to kill his wife.

Mr Dewani, who has always denied the accusation, has been fighting efforts to secure his extradition ever since it was first ordered by a senior district judge in 2011.

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London gangs 'expanding' across UK

31 January 2014 Last updated at 01:09 ET

Some of London's most dangerous gangs are increasingly expanding their criminal activities across the UK, the Metropolitan Police has warned.

Officers say 54 gangs from the capital now have "tentacles" in other towns and cities, selling drugs and causing violence on a larger scale.

Police liken them to businesses, saying areas are selected depending on demand and whether other gangs operate.

Raids across the UK on Thursday targeted one south London gang.

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Gangs are spreading their wings so rather working in London, they are going into the counties, even Scotland to deal drugs,"

End Quote DCI Tim Champion

Twenty-nine people aged 18 to 47 were arrested in the latest phases of an operation said to be focused on the so-called GAS gang, based in Lambeth.

Simultaneous raids took place at 23 properties.

The Met Police searched nine addresses in Lambeth, one in Southwark, one in Hackney and another in Brent.

Seven properties were targeted in the Thames Valley, two in Edinburgh, one in Essex and one in Bedfordshire.

Police said the operation illustrated how gangs were targeting new areas to confuse investigators and generate more profit.

Officers say the 54 London gangs that they believe have made criminal advances around the regions are already behind two-thirds of gang-related crime in the capital.

Det Ch Insp Tim Champion, from the Met's Operation Trident Gang Crime Command, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What we are noticing is that gangs are spreading their wings, so rather than working in London, they are going into the counties, even Scotland, to deal drugs. So basically it's an expanding trade.

"We have communication with all our colleagues in the county forces and in Scotland, so distance isn't an issue if you are actually talking about operations from a London perspective, but we work with local forces from up there. So it's not always the case we have to go up there ourselves."

But there are questions over whether the UK's other police forces have the same expertise and resources as the Met to tackle to complexities of gang organisation and crime.

US 'franchises'

Academics highlight the situation in the US in the 1990s which saw gangs expand into different locations to escape rivals or to take advantage of underserved markets.

The Latin Kings gang formed in Chicago in the 1940s now has what it describe as "tribes" in more than 39 states, as well as links to to Europe and Latin America.

Roger Graef, film-maker and criminologist at the London School of Economics, said gangs in the UK often mirrored what goes on in the US.

He said: "In America where all of this happened in the 1990s, the [Los Angeles-based] Crips and the Bloods really had thousands of members and they franchised to other cities, partly because it was safer.

"If they could go to Denver or Washington and places like that they would have almost virgin territory for drug dealing and the stuff they would do and they would be less threatened by the rival gangs."

Scotland Yard said Thursday's raids involved more than 700 officers and targeted what are believed to be "the most senior ranking high harm members" of the London gang.

The Met was assisted by officers from the Thames Valley, Essex and Bedfordshire police forces, as well as Police Scotland.

Those arrested are suspected of crimes including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, money laundering, fraud and immigration offences.

The Met said its work also involves preventing people from joining gangs and suspects are offered support to help them "escape" from such activity.

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Rape data shows regional variation

31 January 2014 Last updated at 05:31 ET

New figures show wide variations in the way police record and classify rape allegations across the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

The Inspectorate of Constabulary, which compiled the data, said there may be a "culture of disbelief" in some forces where recorded rapes were very low.

The highest number of recorded adult rapes - 34.8 per 100,000 adult population - was in Northamptonshire.

By contrast, the lowest figure was 9.8 per 100,000 adults in Durham.

'Losing confidence'

The Inspectorate of Constabulary, which is an independent overseer of police, said the figures - for the 12 months to the end of March 2013 - indicated how different police forces were responding to rape.

But it warned that the numbers did not tell the full story. A higher figure for recorded rapes did not necessarily mean that more rapes were being committed and a lower figure fewer.

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Analysis

At a time when crime figures are under intense scrutiny over claims they've been fiddled or manipulated to meet performance targets, these statistics will spark fresh concerns about the way rape allegations are logged and classified.

Although the data must be treated with caution - because of the small number of offences in some constabularies - police and crime commissioners, victims groups and ministers will be searching for explanations for some of the huge disparities.

How can it be that Lincolnshire police chalked off one-third of rapes reported to them (a proportion that's been steadily rising) while police concluded that "no crime" had been committed in only three in every 100 in Cumbria?

What's behind the large variation in detection rates between forces - from six to 32%? And is confidence among victims in the way they'll be treated the reason why the number of recorded rape allegations appears to be so inconsistent?

It said: "Increases in the number of rapes being recorded may mean that victims feel more confident in reporting what happened to them; or decreases may mean that victims are losing confidence in the authorities to treat them sensitively."

Inspector of Constabulary Dru Sharpling said there may be a range of explanations for regional variations in recorded rapes but that questions over victims being disbelieved had to be raised.

Policing practice developer Helen Hopwood said the figures highlighted "inconsistencies between forces about the outcome of rape investigations".

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Martin Hewitt, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan Police: ''My priority is victim confidence, to come forward and report to the police''

"This must be tackled," she said.

Victim support groups say victims need to know they will be taken seriously and treated sensitively as it takes a great deal of courage to come forward.

Liz Kelly, chairwoman of the End Violence Against Women coalition, said: "The wide disparities between different areas' reporting rates may indicate that the culture of scepticism remains in some police forces.

"This is not a surprise to us. Our member organisations know how deep disbelief and victim-blaming goes in institutions and communities.

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Adult rapes recorded per 100,000 adult population: Highest

• Northamptonshire
• Metropolitan Police (London)
• North Wales
• Devon & Cornwall
• Greater Manchester

"But the police play a critical role enabling rape survivors to access justice, so these disparities and attitudes must be urgently tackled."

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Adult rapes recorded per 100,000 adult population: Lowest

• Durham
• Surrey
• Hertfordshire
• Dyfed-Powys
• Lincolnshire

Source: Inspectorate of Constabulary

Some campaigners also argue it is more important to measure the number of rape convictions than recorded rapes.

The number of recorded rapes of both adults and children has risen steadily since 2008.

In the 12 months to March 2013, there were about 10,000 recorded rapes of adults in England and Wales, and 6,000 recorded rapes of children, up from about 6,000 and 5,000 respectively in 2008/09.

The average is 22 rapes recorded per 100,000 adults.

The highest recorded child rape rate was 106 per 100,000 in Humberside. Hertfordshire had the lowest at 28, against an average for England and Wales of 59.5 per 100,000.

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Norman Baker, Crime Prevention Minister: "I want to make sure (victims) are taken seriously"

Despite being the force that recorded the lowest number of adult rapes, the data revealed Durham Police had highest "sanction detection rate". The number of rapes recorded by the force that ended in a caution or charge was at 32%, compared with an average of 18%.

Meanwhile, the data also showed that Lincolnshire Police had the highest rate - 33% - of offences initially recorded as a rape but later declassified. Only 3% of rapes reported to police in Cumbria were "no-crimed", the lowest of any force.

Lincolnshire also declassified 19% of reported child rapes, compared to the national average of 5%.

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Cameron to press Hollande over EU

31 January 2014 Last updated at 05:56 ET

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WATCH NOW: David Cameron and Francois Hollande news conference

Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to press French President Francois Hollande to back reform to the European Union at a UK-France summit.

The two men are holding talks on a range of issues, also including defence, energy and science, at the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire.

Sources said Mr Cameron would urge a "more flexible" EU during the meeting.

But a source close to Mr Hollande said he was unlikely to back changes to EU treaties to bring this about by 2017.

Mr Cameron's Conservative Party is promising to hold an in-out referendum on the European Union by the end of 2017 if it wins the 2015 general election.

Before this takes place, the Conservatives want to re-negotiate the UK's membership, returning more powers to the UK in areas such as immigration, welfare and justice.

'Optimistic'

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Of late the relationship has been pretty dire"

End Quote

This is unpopular among Mr Hollande's ministers, according to BBC Europe editor Gavin Hewitt, who said: "They will not accept a Europe a la carte, where countries cherry-pick what they like."

UK officials sought to play down the differences between the two men, holding the first UK-France summit since Mr Hollande became president in 2012, saying: "We have seen over a period of months now increasing recognition around Europe about the need for treaty change. Every country will approach that from their own perspective in the usual way."

Mr Cameron was "optimistic and takes a very positive approach to the changes that he wants to see", a source added.

The prime minister is expected to make the argument for greater deregulation within the EU and a change of relationship between Brussels and countries not in the eurozone, including the UK.

However, a source close to Mr Hollande signalled that it was "very, very unlikely" he would agree to treaty changes by 2017.

After Friday's talks, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference and have a working lunch in a local pub.

The news conference will be Mr Hollande's first outside of France since he split with his partner Valerie Trierweiller amid reports he had an affair with another woman.

'Uncertainty'

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The challenge for David Cameron is to frame his reforms in a way that might also appeal to the French voter and so perhaps weaken the resistance coming from the Elysee."

End Quote

The summit follows criticism by both the UK and French governments over the state of the other's economies.

Some Conservatives have contrasted the stronger growth and falling unemployment in the UK with the sluggish recovery in France, blaming Mr Hollande for pushing up tax rates and failing to reform the public sector and suggesting Labour would take the same approach in the UK.

Labour's Chuka Umunna said this was counter-productive. "Tory politicians who have been gloating at France's economic challenges are not only undiplomatic but act against our national interest," he tweeted.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss the latest developments in the joint expeditionary force, which will see closer military co-operation between their respective armed forces.

Among a number of defence deals that were signed are a £120m feasibility study for a new armed drone, the Future Air Combat System, and a £500m joint purchase of anti-ship missiles

It was also announced that the UK will receive two A400M transport planes earlier than expected after swapping a delivery slot for the aircraft with the French.

A joint memorandum of understanding on nuclear power was also agreed, involving small and medium-sized firms in the nuclear supply chain and co-operation between researchers on both sides of the Channel.

Earlier this year, French firm EDF agreed to lead a consortium to build a new nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point in Somerset, the first new UK reactor in a generation.

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Kercher family 'still want truth'

31 January 2014 Last updated at 06:35 ET

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The family of Meredith Kercher (centre) gave a press briefing after an Italian court reinstated guilty verdicts against Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox

The family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher have said they "are still on a journey to the truth" and may never know what happened to her.

It comes after guilty verdicts were reinstated against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder.

An Italian court sentenced Knox to 28 years and six months, and Sollecito to 25 years, on Thursday, with their lawyers saying they would appeal.

Knox remains in the US and Meredith's family called for her to be extradited.

Reports suggest her Italian ex-boyfriend Sollecito is being held by police after he was found in Udine, near the Slovenian and Austrian borders.

Miss Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon in south London, was stabbed to death in the flat she shared with Knox in the college city of Perugia.

'Remember Meredith'

Meredith's sister Stephanie told a press conference in Florence on Friday: "I think we are still on a journey for the truth and it may be the fact that we don't ever really know what happened that night, which is obviously something we'll have to come to terms with."

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Kercher murder: Timeline

• 1 Nov 07: Meredith Kercher found murdered in her shared flat in Perugia
• 28 Oct 08: Guede jailed after being found guilty of murder
• 4 Dec 09: Knox and Sollecito jailed after being found guilty of murder and sexual violence
• 3 Oct 11: Knox and Sollecito acquitted on appeal
• 26 March 13: Italy's top court overturns acquittals and severely criticises the appeal hearing
• 30 Sept 13: Re-trial of Knox and Sollecito. Guilty verdict returned on 31 January 2014

She added: "We hope that we are nearer the end so that we can just start to remember Meredith for who she was and draw a line under it, as it were."

Her brother Lyle said he believed extradition would be appropriate "if someone has been found guilty and convicted of a murder, and if an extradition law exists between those two countries".

Knox, 26, has said she will only be extradited to Italy from the US "kicking and screaming".

In a statement after the case concluded, she said she was "frightened and saddened by this unjust verdict".

Sollecito's lawyer, Luca Maori, said his client had heard the verdict on TV and looked "annihilated".

Sollecito had earlier been at the Florence court, which imposed a travel ban on the 29-year-old and ordered that his passport be revoked.

The court noted that there was a "real and actual the danger that Sollecito could escape Italian justice" - but he is free to move in Italy until the verdict is confirmed.

Knox and Sollecito were also ordered to pay damages to Miss Kercher's family as part of the ruling.

The Kercher family's lawyer, Francesco Maresca, called the verdict "justice for Meredith and the family".

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Speaking before the verdicts emerged, Amanda Knox said she was "a marked person"

Knox and Sollecito, 29, were jailed for the murder in 2009 but the verdicts were overturned in 2011 and the pair were freed.

However, the acquittals were themselves overturned last year by the Court of Cassation, which returned the case to the Florence court.

The Court of Cassation will now hear the defendants' appeals.

Creative writing degree

Continue reading the main story

Will US extradite Amanda Knox?

Taylor Brown BBC News, Washington

---

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

Once Italy makes a request, the US will have to decide whether it falls under their extradition treaty.

While there is "no reason to think the US has a specific interest" in blocking her extradition, Mr Vladeck says, countries can effectively stand in the way with a variety of "creative" interpretations of extradition treaties.

If the US does grant Italy's request, Knox can fight her extradition in a US court, citing among other things international human rights law.

In Italy, verdicts are not considered final until they are confirmed, usually by the Court of Cassation.

Legal experts say it is unlikely Italy will request Knox's extradition until then.

Knox is currently studying for a degree in creative writing at the University of Washington, and lives in her hometown of Seattle.

Rudy Guede, from the Ivory Coast, was convicted of Miss Kercher's murder in 2008, and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The verdict specified that he did not commit the crime alone.

Prosecutors sought to prove Miss Kercher had died in a sex game involving Knox and Sollecito that went wrong.

They have since alleged that the murder resulted from a heated argument over cleanliness in the Perugia apartment.

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Fresh flood fears for south and west

31 January 2014 Last updated at 06:51 ET

More rain, high winds and high tides are set to hit the south and west of the UK, causing further flooding.

The Met Office is warning of heavy rain in southern England - including the already flooded Somerset Levels - south Wales and parts of Northern Ireland.

The Environment Agency, which has issued numerous flood warnings, said many coastal areas would be affected by high tides in the coming days.

This January is already the wettest on record for many southern areas.

A Met Office amber rain warning - meaning "be prepared" - has been issued for the Somerset Levels and is valid until 03:00 GMT on Saturday.

The warning said the public should be prepared for "significant disruption from flooding across the Somerset Levels", where large areas are already flooded.

Most of southern England and south Wales, as well as County Antrim, County Armagh and County Down in Northern Ireland, are subject to a lower-level yellow warning throughout Friday until 03:00 on Saturday.

"A further area of heavy rain will spread eastwards across the UK on Friday, clearing the southeast of England during the early hours of Saturday," the warning said.

"20-30 mm (1in) of rain will fall quite widely, with around 40 mm on some high ground in the southwest of England and south Wales. The heavy rain will be accompanied by strong to gale force winds."

Meanwhile, a small number of flood warnings have been issued in Scotland.

'Pay close attention'

The Environment Agency said places "at risk" from high tides and winds over the weekend included coastal and tidal areas of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol and south Gloucestershire.

Many other coastal areas of England could also be affected by the wind, rain and high tides from Friday through to Sunday, it added.

Speaking after a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency committee, on Thursday evening, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson urged people to "pay close attention" to the latest flood and weather warnings.

Cobra will meet again later.

In Wales, Aberystwyth University's seafront halls of residence are to be evacuated until Monday. Buildings there have been evacuated several times in recent weeks.

Continue reading the main story

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

Flood defences on part of the Welsh coast, washed away by recent storms, have been reinforced with bags of slate set down by a helicopter.

Army 'not needed'

In the Somerset Levels, 25 sq miles (65 sq km) has been flooded and the Environment Agency said it was running pumps 24 hours a day to drain the water.

It said 62 pumps were removing about 1.5 million tonnes of water - equivalent to 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools - each day.

Military planners met council officials there on Thursday, but the county council decided Army help was not needed.

On the BBC's Question Time on Thursday, shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry accused the government of making "policy by photo opportunity" after two soldiers were pictured assessing the scene in Somerset.

"The prime minister said he was going to call in the Army and the Army arrive and they go home again," she said.

Somerset farmer Michael Eavis, founder of the Glastonbury Festival, said flooding had become a yearly problem and dredging work must now be done.

He said the alternative was to "abandon the farmland" to "wading birds".

The Environment Agency said dredging of rivers in Somerset would not begin until flood water had drained and river banks were safe.

Up to and including 28 January, the South East and central southern England had a record 175.2mm (6.9in) of rainfall in January - beating the previous record of 158.2mm for the same parts of England set in 1988.

Across south-west England and south Wales, the 222.6 mm (8.8in) of rainfall up to midnight on Tuesday meant January was already the fifth-wettest.

For the UK as a whole, 164.6 mm (6.5in) of rain has fallen so far this month - 35% above the long-term average.

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Man tracks down life-saving stranger

30 January 2014 Last updated at 05:20 ET

A video blogger stopped by a stranger from jumping into a river has been reunited with the man who saved him.

Jonny Benjamin, 26, was on Waterloo Bridge in January 2008 after being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder when Neil Laybourn intervened.

This month Mr Benjamin started a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #findmike, to trace the Good Samaritan.

Mr Laybourn said when he saw the tweet he knew straight away it referred to him. The pair were reunited on Tuesday.

Mr Benjamin had climbed up on to a ledge on the bridge after spending a month in hospital following his diagnosis, but Mr Laybourn talked to him and offered to buy him a coffee.

'Rock bottom'

The 31-year-old from Surrey, said: "I couldn't believe it when I saw the campaign, I got in touch straight away.

"I was so pleased to see how well Jonny was doing, I had thought about him over the years and had always hoped he was OK."

Mr Benjamin said: "That day on the bridge my life hit rock bottom, but meeting Neil, I felt so happy, it couldn't be more of a contrast.

"I'm totally elated. It means the world to me to finally have the opportunity to say thank you."

The #findmike Twitter campaign trended in countries including Canada, South Africa and Australia.

Mr Laybourn said: "When we met, it was clear how much that encounter on the bridge meant to Jonny. He told me it was a pivotal moment in his life, which was great to hear.

"I did what anyone would do. I wasn't trying to fix his problems that day, I just listened. It's brilliant to see him smiling again. We'll definitely stay in touch."

Mr Benjamin, a video blogger who has presented a BBC Three documentary on mental illness, is also making a documentary film about his search for his Good Samaritan which he hopes will be broadcast in the spring.

Schizoaffective disorder affects about 1 in 200 people and those suffering have very high or very low moods, and might lose touch with reality, the charity Rethink Mental Illness said.

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Mum and boy's deaths 'preventable'

30 January 2014 Last updated at 05:04 ET

The partner of a woman murdered with her young son insists the deaths could have been prevented, contradicting a serious case review's findings.

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

The review found authorities could not have predicted that he would kill them.

But Ms Slack's partner Robert Barlow and charity Refuge attacked the report, saying more could have been done.

Sandra Horley, chief executive of the national domestic violence charity, said the findings of the review "contradicted" the outcome of last year's inquest, which found police failure to impress on Ms Slack the danger she and Auden faced "more than minimally contributed" to their deaths.

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

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

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

Continue reading the main story

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Robert Barlow told BBC Breakfast his ex-partner and her son were at high risk of homicide

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

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

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

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

'Lip service'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Actress quits Oxfam in West Bank row

30 January 2014 Last updated at 05:51 ET

Actress Scarlett Johansson has quit as an ambassador for Oxfam amid a row over her support for an Israeli company that operates in the occupied West Bank.

A spokesman for the actress said she had a "fundamental difference of opinion" with the humanitarian group.

She will remain a brand ambassador for SodaStream, which has a factory in the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim.

Oxfam opposes trade from settlements, considered illegal under international law - something Israel disputes.

About 500,000 Jews currently live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

'Model for peace'

A statement from Ms Johansson's spokesman published on Wednesday announced that the Hollywood star had "respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years", according to the Associated Press.

"She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam," it added.

On Thursday, Oxfam issued a statement saying it had accepted Ms Johansson's decision to step down and was grateful for her many contributions.

"While Oxfam respects the independence of our ambassadors, Ms Johansson's role promoting the company SodaStream is incompatible with her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador," it added.

"Oxfam believes that businesses, such as SodaStream, that operate in settlements further the ongoing poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinian communities that we work to support."

The Avengers star signed up to be a global brand ambassador with SodaStream International Ltd earlier this month, and is due to appear in an advertisement for the firm during Sunday's SuperBowl.

SodaStream - which makes products that allow people to produce carbonated soft drinks at home - operates one of the hundreds of factories constructed in some 20 Israeli-run industrial zones in the West Bank.

The company's chief executive, Daniel Birnbaum, said his Israeli and Palestinian staff were treated equally and received generous benefits, and called his factory "a model for peace".

"We're very proud to be here and contribute to the co-existence and hopefully the peace in this region," he told Reuters news agency.

However, away from the factory, Reuters quoted one unnamed Palestinian employee as saying "there's a lot of racism" at work.

"Most of the managers are Israeli, and West Bank employees feel they can't ask for pay rises or more benefits because they can be fired and easily replaced," he added.

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January rainfall breaks records

30 January 2014 Last updated at 06:37 ET

Early figures suggest parts of England have had their wettest January since records began more than 100 years ago.

The Met Office said much of southern England and parts of the Midlands had already seen twice the average rainfall for January by midnight on Tuesday - with three days left in the month.

And it is warning of more rain, as well as snow and high winds, for much of the UK in the coming days.

In Somerset, the military is preparing to help flooded areas.

Up to and including January 28, the South East and central southern England had 175.2mm (6.9in) of rainfall in January - beating the previous record of 158.2mm for the same parts of England set in 1988.

Across south-west England and south Wales, the 222.6 mm (8.8in) of rainfall up to midnight on Tuesday meant January 2014 was already the fifth-wettest on record.

On Wednesday, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said military amphibious vehicles could be deployed to help flood victims in Somerset.

Military planners met council officials earlier, and discussions are believed to be continuing.

Mr Paterson will chair a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency response committee, later.

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

BBC Weather forecaster Emma Boorman said Thursday's weather would be "quieter" than recent days of heavy rain.

She said the South West would be "largely dry" with an "outside chance" of showers, while showers would be more likely in the Midlands, South East and east of England.

'No dry spell'

The Met Office has issued numerous yellow warnings - the lowest of its three alert levels - for the next few days.

A rain warning for south-east England expires at 12:00 GMT, but a new warning covering most of southern England, southern Wales and parts of Northern Ireland has been issued for the period from 08:00 on Friday until the early hours of Saturday morning.

Parts of central Scotland and northern England are being warned of snow on Friday.

The Met Office is also warning of high winds for many western parts of the UK on Saturday and Sunday.

BBC Weather presenter Nick Miller said the long-range forecast suggested there was "no prolonged dry spell in sight".

The Environment Agency has numerous flood warnings and alerts in place, the majority in southern England.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has also issued several flood warnings.

Mild temperatures

For the UK as a whole, 164.6 mm (6.5in) of rain has fallen so far this month - 35% above the long-term average.

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

The figures will come as no surprise to those in the country who are continuing to suffer the aftermath of severe winter floods.

But the Met Office said it had seen a contrast from south to north across the UK, with northern Scotland having received 85% of its long-term average rainfall so far this month, compared with 200% over southern England.

Wet weather in winter usually means temperatures have been mild, and the UK mean temperature up to 28 January was 4.9C (41F) - 1.2C above average.

Met Office analysts said the whole of the UK was on target for a wetter than average winter.

The South East and central southern England are already seeing their sixth-wettest winter since record began in 1910 and the wettest since 1995 (369.7mm of rain). The wettest winter on record was 1915, with 437.1mm.

The main reason for the mild and wet weather so far was a predominance of west and south-west winds, bringing in mild air from the Atlantic, the Met Office said.

The BBC News Channel is providing live coverage from some of the worst-affected areas throughout the day.

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Lee Rigby killer makes appeal bid

30 January 2014 Last updated at 06:55 ET

Michael Adebolajo, who was found guilty of the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby, has lodged an application to appeal against his conviction, the Judicial Office has confirmed.

Fusilier Rigby was killed on 22 May 2013 in Woolwich, south-east London.

Adebolajo, 29, from Romford, east London, said he was a "soldier of Allah" and it was an act of war.

He and Michael Adebowale, 22, from Greenwich, south-east London, are currently awaiting sentencing.

Mr Justice Sweeney said he would pass sentence on the two men after a key Appeal Court ruling on the use of whole-life terms, with the decision due at a later date.

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A criminal appeal takes between six weeks and three months to come to hearing - but there is no guarantee that Adebolajo will get one.

His team will have to file papers to the court setting out all the reasons why the conviction is unsafe which will have to relate to some part of the trial being unfair.

It could be to do with the evidence or a particular ruling made by the judge that affected the way the trial was conducted. Once those papers are lodged, they will be considered behind the scenes by a single judge who will be either grant or refuse permission.

If the judge grants permission, the case will go to a full public appeal hearing which would normally be in front of three judges. If that judge refuses to grant permission, he could try to challenge that decision - but that is a rare occurrence.

In December, an Old Bailey jury of eight women and four men took approximately 90 minutes to find the men guilty of murdering Fusilier Rigby.

They were found not guilty of attempting to murder a police officer at the scene.

'Military operation'

The jury had heard that Adebolajo and Adebowale drove a car into Fusilier Rigby at 30-40mph, before dragging him into the road, attacking him with knives and attempting to decapitate him with a meat cleaver.

In court, Adebolajo - a married father-of-six - admitted killing Fusilier Rigby, 25, but denied murder and described the killing as a "military operation".

As the guilty verdict was declared and the defendants were taken out of the courtroom, Adebolajo kissed his Koran and raised it in the air.

In a previous police interview, Adebolajo had said he and Adebowale decided to lie in wait near Woolwich barracks and targeted Fusilier Rigby because he was wearing a Help for Heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack.

As a police vehicle approached, the men rushed towards it, waving the meat cleaver and a firearm.

They were both shot, but denied attempting to kill police, saying they had wanted armed officers to shoot them dead so they could "achieve martyrdom".

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) later concluded the police officers who shot the men "acted appropriately to the immediate threat".

The Judicial Office, which reports to the Lord Chief Justice and supports the judiciary in its work upholding the rule of law, confirmed on Thursday that Adebolajo wished to appeal against his conviction.

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Schumacher's sedation 'reduced'

30 January 2014 Last updated at 07:19 ET

Michael Schumacher's sedation is being reduced to allow the "waking up process" to start, his manager says.

Bringing the Formula 1 legend out of his coma could take a long time, Sabine Kehm said in a statement.

Schumacher suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps on 29 December.

He was put into a medically induced coma by his doctors at a clinic in Grenoble after operations to remove blood clots from his brain.

Doctors have kept the 45-year-old German asleep to help reduce the swelling.

Ms Kehm was approached by the media for comment on Schumacher's condition on Wednesday - exactly a month after his crash. She said his condition remained "stable".

In her statement on Thursday, she said it had been agreed to communicate details of his sedation "only once this process was consolidated".

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• Born: 3 January 1969
• First GP win: Belgium 1992
• Last GP win: China 2006
• Races started: 303
• Wins: 91 (155 podium finishes)
• Championships: 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)

The statement again included an appeal by Schumacher's family for privacy for them and for his doctors, while at the same time expressing "sincere appreciation for the world wide sympathy".

At his bedside since the accident, the family have received hundreds of letters and gifts from around the world.

Earlier this month, investigators probing the accident said Schumacher had been going at the speed of "a very good skier" at the time of his crash in the resort of Meribel.

He had been skiing 8m off-piste when he fell, they added.

Experts reconstructed events leading up to the crash after examining Schumacher's skiing equipment and viewing footage filmed on a camera attached to his helmet.

Schumacher retired from racing in 2012 after a 19-year career.

He won two titles with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995, before switching to Ferrari in 1996 and going on to win five straight titles from 2000.

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Tory rebels defiant over immigration

30 January 2014 Last updated at 07:15 ET

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Live video from the House of Commons.

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

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

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

MPs are debating the measures now.

Downing Street said the prime minister had a "great deal of sympathy" with the aim of making it easier to deport foreign criminals but had "significant concerns about the workability" of the rebel amendment.

The prime minister's spokesman declined to say whether the government would support it or not.

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

Last-minute proposal

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

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

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

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

People with dual nationality can already lose their British passports.

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

'Government trick'

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

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

The main thrust of the Immigration Bill is being supported across the Commons.

The new legislation would:

• Allow foreign criminals to be deported before the outcome of their appeal is known, as long as they do not face "serious irreversible harm" at home
• Cut the number of grounds for appeal against deportation from 17 to four
• Compel landlords to check whether tenants are in the UK illegally, with those failing to do so facing large fines
• Force banks to check immigrants' legal status before offering accounts
• Make some temporary migrants - such as students - pay a £200-a-year levy towards the cost of NHS services

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

The home secretary told MPs at the start of the Commons debate that it would have been better to introduce the amendments at an earlier stage in the bill's passage, allowing time for greater debate,

But she said they were mainly "technical" amendments, relating to visas, fees, "sham" marriages and civil partnerships, which had to be introduced before it became law.

Tory rebel Dominic Raab told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's a classic government trick. They try and concertina the agenda so that they have got the power to talk out amendments that they find inconvenient. Then they blame the Speaker for it. The Speaker actually has very limited powers."

Mr Raab's proposal - calling for foreign criminals to be deported more easily - is likely to be debated, however, as it is on the Speaker's provisional list of amendments to be called.

The MP said his proposed law was "vital" to make Theresa May's proposal work, as there was no point in stripping someone of their citizenship if they could not then be deported.

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

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Child car smoking ban before Lords

29 January 2014 Last updated at 03:48 ET

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

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

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

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

Continue reading the main story

Around the UK

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

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

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

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Shadow public health minister Luciana Berger: ''It is about protecting children''

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

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

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Passive smoking effects

• Smoke can stay in the air for up to two and a half hours even with a window open
• This also applies in small enclosed places - like cars
• Second-hand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer.
• Exposure to second-hand smoke has been strongly linked to chest infections, asthma, ear problems and cot death in children
• Bans on smoking in cars when children are present already exist in some US states, including California, as well as in parts of Canada and Australia

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

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

They have been calling for action for some time. In 2009, Prof Terrence Stephenson, then president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health called for a ban in a BBC News website opinion column.

'Completely unnecessary'

But the pro-smoking group Forest disputes such claims.

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

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History of anti-smoking measures

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Damage caused by smoking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Street cast to speak at Roache trial

29 January 2014 Last updated at 06:47 ET

Members of the Coronation Street cast have arrived at Preston Crown Court to give evidence at the trial of actor William Roache.

The 81-year-old, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies two rapes and four indecent assaults against five women aged 16 or under between 1965 and 1971.

He was cleared of one indecent assault on the judge's direction on Monday.

Anne Kirkbride, who plays Mr Roache's on-screen wife Deirdre Barlow, is due to take the witness stand later.

Chris Gascoyne, who plays the actor's son Peter in the soap opera, and Helen Worth, who plays neighbour Gail McIntyre, are also due to give evidence.

Mr Roache is the longest-serving member of the Coronation Street cast, having portrayed Ken Barlow since the soap began in 1960.

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UK to take in 'hundreds' of Syrians

29 January 2014 Last updated at 05:25 ET

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading the main story

• Germany: 11,000
• Canada: 1,300
• Sweden: 1,200
• Norway: 1,000
• France: 500
• Australia: 500
• Austria: 500
• Finland: 500
• Spain: 130
• Ireland: 90
• US: No limit set

Source: UNCHR (20 January)

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

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

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

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

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

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Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper: ''It is a good thing that the government has completely reversed its position''

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

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

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

Refugees fleeing Syria

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

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

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

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

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

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Carney enters Scots currency debate

29 January 2014 Last updated at 07:19 ET By Andrew Black Political reporter, BBC Scotland

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

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

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

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

Downing Street believed the issue around currency was "an important part of the debate that is currently going on in Scotland".

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said that it was of no "great surprise" that on technical issues the governor of the Bank of England would want to set out his views.

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Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said his breakfast meeting with Mr Carney had gone "extremely well"

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

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

After the breakfast meeting, Mr Salmond said Mr Carney had agreed to continue "technical" discussions on a possible sterling zone if Scotland became independent.

The first minister added: "The Bank of England is an independent institution. It doesn't take a role in party politics but we had a splendid discussion and I think crucially have agreed to continue the technical discussions, not negotiations but the technical discussions, that the Bank of England has been having with the Scottish government so that our proposals are soundly based on technical terms.

"When the governor speaks we will hear what he has to say. He will be giving a technocratic assessment of the institutional arrangements necessary to make a currency union work. He won't be advocating it or arguing against it. That is a matter for the Scottish people.

"He won't be saying whether Scotland will be better off or worse off as an independent country. That is a matter for the Scottish people to decide."

Borrowing levels

Mr Salmond said he was confident UK ministers would agree to a currency union in the event of Scotland voting for independence.

He added: "They will agree for two reasons. It is overwhelmingly in the interests not just of Scotland but of the rest of the UK to have Scotland and England sharing the pound.

"Secondly, of course, they will be driven there by the people because that proposition is popular both in Scotland and in England at the present moment.

"So the UK government ministers will do what the people tell them to do, and that is Scotland will keep the pound and England wants us to keep the pound."

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

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

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

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

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

'Remarkable coincidence'

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

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

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

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

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Sainsbury's boss King to step down

29 January 2014 Last updated at 06:37 ET

Sainsbury's has said that chief executive Justin King is to leave the supermarket chain in July, after 10 years at the head of the company.

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

Sainsbury's chairman David Tyler said Mr King was "a truly exceptional leader", adding that he leaves "a lasting legacy".

Mr King will leave the company after the annual general meeting on 9 July.

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

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

'Top performer'

Retail analyst Richard Perks told the BBC that Mr King had done "fantastic" things at Sainsbury's.

"He's transformed the business into a top performer - in its sector it is market leader at the moment," he said.

Mr Perks added that Mr King had expanded the company into non-food items, and successfully developed Sainsbury's Local branches.

Regarding the challenge facing Mr King's successor Mr Coupe, Richard Perks said that his task was "huge".

"We have to hope that Mike Coupe can fill those big shoes, but we probably won't know how he's really doing for two-to-three years".

Sainsbury's said that under Mr King, sales had risen by a total of £9.5bn, while underlying profits had risen from £254m in 2004-05 to £756m in 2012-13.

The supermarket chain, which has a 17% share of the UK's grocery market, is now worth about £6.8bn on the stock market.

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You have to enjoy the good times because there's always a bad one around the corner"

End Quote Justin King Former Sainsbury's boss

Sainsbury's share price hit a peak of about 600p in June 2007, but is now trading at around 346p, despite five consecutive years of profit growth.

Shares in the supermarket fell more than 2% on the news of Mr King's departure.

Competition

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live earlier this month, Mr King said expanding brands within the Sainsbury's portfolio - such as the more upmarket Taste the Difference range - had proved to be a successful strategy.

He added that consumer behaviour had changed as far as food shopping.

"We've seen big trends in people shifting online, and for convenience stores. People are breaking up their shop now - doing a bit online, a bit at convenience stores" he said.

Sainsbury's now has more convenience stores than supermarkets.

When he was asked about the threat from competitors, Mr King said: "You have to enjoy the good times because there's always a bad one around the corner. We've fought hard for our position."

There has been speculation that Mr King could be a possible future leader for Marks and Spencer, which is currently led by Marc Bolland, formerly of the Morrisons supermarket chain.

However, Mr King told BBC Radio 5 live that he was not tempted by the thought. "It's not a job that interests me," he said.

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