US says China 'destabilising' force

31 May 2014 Last updated at 10:17

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Chuck Hagel: "China has undertaken destabilising, unilateral actions asserting its claims in the South China Sea"

The US defence secretary has accused China of "destabilising" the South China Sea, saying its action threatened the region's long-term progress.

Chuck Hagel said the US would "not look the other way" when nations ignored international rules.

Mr Hagel was speaking at a three-day summit - the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore - that involves the US and South-East Asian countries.

He also urged Thailand's coup leaders to restore democratic rule soon.

The forum comes amid growing tensions between China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with Japan-China ties also strained over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

The summit gives senior delegates from the region a chance to meet face-to-face to try to resolve tensions.

'No to intimidation'

"In recent months, China has undertaken destabilising, unilateral actions asserting its claims in the South China Sea," Mr Hagel said in his address on Saturday.

"We firmly oppose any nation's use of intimidation, coercion, or the threat of force to assert these claims," he added, referring to the way China has claimed territorial rights over areas of the South China Sea close to Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

"All nations of the region, including China, have a choice: to unite, and recommit to a stable regional order, or, to walk away from that commitment and risk the peace and security that has benefited millions of people."

He said he supported Japan's offer to play a greater and "more proactive" role in regional security, as promised by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his keynote speech on Friday.

Michael Bristow, BBC Asia analyst

These are strong words from the US defence secretary. Although a number of nations make loud claims for parts of the South China Sea, Chuck Hagel sees China as the destabilising force in the region.

He could point to a number of unilateral moves taken by Beijing over recent months. Deploying a giant oil rig off the coast of Vietnam is just one.

Analysts see a trend. Many think that while the squabbling continues over who has sovereignty over the South China Sea - and the East China Sea - Beijing has quietly decided to take action: by changing the situation on the ground, it makes it hard for other nations to resist its demands.

And China appears to be testing the resolve of the Americans to defend US interests, and those of its allies, in the region. Defence Secretary Hagel said the US would not look the other way. But what can America do? And how far does China have to go before Washington decides to resist?

What are the disputes in South China Sea?

Prime Minister Abe earlier offered to provide coastal boats to neighbouring countries wary of Beijing's tactics.

Chinese officials said Mr Abe was using the "myth" of a China threat to strengthen Japan's security policy.

Tensions have flared recently, with China declaring an air defence zone in the East China Sea and adopting a more confrontational stance over the disputed islands in the South China Sea, correspondents say.

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Japan's prime minister wants to play a more active role in regional security, Sharanjit Leyl reports

They say that although some Asean members will be reluctant to antagonise China because of their economic and political ties, others are likely to welcome an increased role from Japan.

Beijing claims a U-shaped swathe of the South China Sea that covers areas other South-East Asian nations say are their territory.

Military aid suspended

Turning to recent events in Thailand, Mr Hagel called on the coup authorities to release those it had detained and immediately to hold free and fair elections.

Until this happened, he said, the US would suspend all military assistance and engagement with Bangkok.

His remarks came hours after Thailand's coup leader Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said elections would not be held for more than a year, speaking in a televised address.

Gen Prayuth announced a three-phase plan leading up to the new elections, which includes two to three months of reconciliation and a year of drafting a new constitution and reforms.

The US and Thailand have long been allies - and have particularly strong military ties - so this will hurt more than the general condemnation that has been heard since the coup, says the BBC's Jonah Fisher.

But it is still unlikely to make much difference to Gen Prayuth, our correspondent adds.

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Body found in missing nurse search

31 May 2014 Last updated at 10:55

Detectives searching for a missing nurse in Bournemouth have found a body.

Rui Li, 44, who worked at Poole Hospital, was last seen by her daughter on the evening of 23 May. She was reported missing on Tuesday morning.

The body, believed to be that of Ms Li, was discovered in a car in Verwood Crescent, near Hengistbury Head, on Friday evening.

No formal identification has taken place but Ms Li's next of kin have been informed, Dorset Police said.

The area around the car, a silver Fiat Punto, has been sealed off since the discovery at about 22:30 BST.

Forensic experts are examining the car and the surrounding area.

Det Insp Marcus Hester, of Dorset Police, said: "We now wish to speak with anyone who has any information about the silver Fiat Punto, W887 PDL.

"This car may have been seen in the area of Cromer Motors on St Clements Road and on or around Knyveton Road in Boscombe between Sunday 25 May and Wednesday 28 May.

"We also believe that this vehicle travelled between Verwood and Hengistbury Head on Wednesday 28 May."

Officers are also appealing for information about the movement of a large white Ford Transit van, registration Y491 GFT, thought to have been in the area around Cromers Motors and Burnham Drive between Saturday 24 May and Tuesday.

Two men, aged 26 and 60, who were arrested on suspicion of murder, remain in custody. Both were known to Ms Li and to each other, police said.

On Friday, Ms Li's daughter, Lu Yao, issued a statement through police in which she said she had last seen her mother, happy and smiling, on Friday night when she returned home from work.

Ms Li was recorded by CCTV cameras leaving Poole Hospital on Friday evening in her Porsche Boxster, which has a personalised number plate.

The car was recovered from an address on Wolverton Road in Boscombe.

The coroner has been made aware of the discovery of the body.

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Leaders condemn Sudan death sentence

31 May 2014 Last updated at 08:25

UK political leaders have united to urge Sudan to lift the "barbaric" death sentence handed down to a Christian woman accused of abandoning Islam.

A court ruled that Meriam Ibrahim, who was raised by her Christian mother and married a Christian, was Muslim in line with her father - which she rejects.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg said they were appalled by the treatment of Ms Ibrahim, who gave birth to a daughter in her cell on Wednesday.

She has appealed against her sentence.

Mr Cameron said the treatment of Ms Ibrahim had "no place in today's world" and said the UK would "continue to press the government of Sudan to act". Mr Clegg and Mr Miliband both said her case was "abhorrent".

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As Andrew Harding reports, Dani Wani visited his wife in prison

Meanwhile, former Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the UK should reconsider whether it was "acceptable" to give aid money to "states which allow treatment such as that handed out to Meriam Ibrahim".

Ms Ibrahim's husband, Daniel Wani, who is a US citizen, told the BBC he was hopeful the appeal would succeed.

He said he had seen his new daughter in prison on Wednesday, and his wife and the baby were both doing well.

But he said he was most concerned about his 20-month-old son, who has been living with his mother in prison since February.

Continue reading the main story

Nobody should be persecuted because of the religion they practice or the person they fall in love with"

End Quote Ed Miliband Labour Party leader

"His attitude has changed a lot," Mr Wani said.

"He used to be a happy boy. When I went there, he just looked at me. No smile."

Ms Ibrahim, 27, was brought up as an Orthodox Christian, but a Sudanese judge ruled earlier this month that she should be regarded as Muslim because it had been her father's faith.

She has refused to renounce her Christianity and has been sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy.

The court said she would be allowed to nurse her baby for two years before the sentence is carried out.

Her Christian marriage, in 2011, has been annulled and she has been sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery because the marriage is not considered valid under Islamic law.

'Abhorrent'

Mr Cameron said: "Religious freedom is an absolute, fundamental human right," he said.

"I urge the government of Sudan to overturn the sentence and immediately provide appropriate support and medical care for her and her children."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called the sentence "abhorrent" and said it was a "flagrant breach of international human rights".

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the incarceration of Ms Ibrahim was "utterly appalling and an abhorrent abuse of her human rights".

"Nobody should be persecuted because of the religion they practice or the person they fall in love with," he said.

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair also described the case as a "brutal and sickening distortion of faith", the Times newspaper reported.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International meanwhile has launched a petition calling for the Sudanese government to release Ms Ibrahim.

Sudan has a majority Muslim population and Islamic law has been in force there since the 1980s.

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Mickelson 'in insider trading probe'

31 May 2014 Last updated at 10:39

The FBI is investigating possible insider trading involving billionaire investor Carl Icahn, golfer Phil Mickelson and Las Vegas gambler William Walters, reports say.

The inquiry is reportedly examining whether Mr Mickelson and Mr Walters may have traded shares illegally, based on information provided by Mr Icahn.

Mr Mickelson's lawyers say he is not the target of an investigation. Mr Icahn denies giving out insider information.

Mr Walters has not yet commented.

The FBI, along with the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors in Manhattan, are said to be looking into trading in two different stocks.

The investigation, which began three years ago, is focusing on trades in cleaning products company Clorox.

Mr Icahn, a billionaire investor and prominent activist, was mounting a takeover bid for Clorox around the time that Mr Mickelson and Mr Walters placed their trades, the New York Times reports.

"We do not know of any investigation," Mr Icahn, 78, told Reuters news agency, saying he was proud of his 50-year "unblemished record".

Investigators are also reportedly looking into trades that Mr Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, and Mr Walters made relating to Dean Foods, the Wall Street Journal reports (pay wall).

The New York Times quotes sources saying federal authorities are looking into trades placed in August 2012 just before the company announced quarterly results.

Those trades appeared to have no connection to Mr Icahn, the newspaper added.

The FBI and other federal agencies have not commented publicly on the allegations.

None of the men have been directly accused of any wrongdoing.

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Edinburgh's trams roll into action

31 May 2014 Last updated at 11:25

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Speeded-up footage shows Edinburgh's new tram journey from the city airport to York Place in the city centre

Edinburgh's tram service has taken its first paying customers as the long-awaited route from the airport to the city centre opened to the public.

The first tram service set off at 05:00 from the Gyle shopping centre in the west of the city.

It follows six years of disruption and problems, including a bitter dispute between the council and its contractor.

The Edinburgh tram route cost £776m and covers 8.7 miles (14km) from the New Town to Edinburgh Airport.

In the decade since the first money was allocated to the project, the price has doubled, the network has halved and it has taken twice as long to build as originally planned.

'Chock-a-block'

Tram enthusiasts Marjory Broom, 59, her husband George, 63, and son Christopher, 31, were on the first tram as it went from the Gyle shopping centre to York Place in Edinburgh city centre, before heading out to Edinburgh Airport and then back to the Gyle.

Continue reading the main story

It was a real carnival atmosphere on board, with people cheering as the tram set off"

End Quote Marjory Broom Tram enthusiast

Mrs Broom said: "It was chock-a-block, and it was a real carnival atmosphere on board, with people cheering as the tram set off."

She added: "We've been on trams all over the world and the tram in Edinburgh today was really, really smooth.

"It was the first tram and it was standing room only, it was very, very busy.

"I'm really excited we managed to get on - there would have been no buzz being on the second tram."

Also on the first tram was Edinburgh City Council transport convener Lesley Hinds, who conceded the transport project had been "hugely challenging" but said there was now "growing positivity" about the trams.

"Two years ago, I pledged to do everything in my power to ensure we brought this project in on the revised budget and revised schedule," she said.

"It was never going to be straightforward, but with an incredible team effort and a focus on results, it now feels fantastic to be where we are today."

'Shambles'

The tram project was almost scrapped just weeks before the construction began in 2007 and later ground to a halt for months when the company in charge of the trams fell into a bitter dispute with the main contractor.

The people of Edinburgh suffered six years of disruption as roads were closed for construction and businesses have also complained it caused them to lose trade.

Edinburgh City Council chief executive Sue Bruce accepted the project had been a "shambles".

"It's not a day for jubilation," she told BBC Breakfast.

"I think the whole of Edinburgh is relieved that the programme is now in place and the city can move on."

She said there were "big questions to be asked over the original due diligence of the programme" and the council had to be "held to account" over what had gone wrong.

Edinburgh has 27 trams in its fleet, although only about half of these will be in service at any one time.

Tram vehicles, each costing about £2m, can take 250 passengers - 78 seated, 170 standing and two dedicated wheelchair spaces.

The full journey from the airport to York Place in the city centre should take about 35 minutes.

The route has 15 stops, three of which connect with rail and bus services.

The tram services will run seven days a week, with a reduced timetable on Sundays.

During the week, the first trams will run from the Gyle at 05:00 and from the airport at 06:15.

Trams will run from York Place to the airport from 05:29.

At peak times, the trams will runs every 8-10 minutes.

The last trams to travel the full route will leave from Edinburgh airport at 22:45 and from York Place at 23:08.

Tickets cost £1.50 for a single in the city zone and £5 for a single to or from the airport.

Operators warned passengers should get a ticket before getting on the tram as there will be a £10 fine for anyone travelling without a ticket.

It had been hoped the tram fleet would offer free wi-fi, but it is understood most carriages will be installed with internet access in the weeks and months following the launch date.

'Extremely frustrating'

Original plans to take the tram line to Leith were scrapped but could still be implemented in the future.

Edinburgh City Council transport convener Lesley Hinds said: "You can't underestimate the amount of money over-budget and the time it's been over as well. Obviously that has been extremely frustrating and I think it's been damaging to the city of Edinburgh.

"Our purpose over the last two years has been to get passengers on the tram from the airport to York Place.

"We do have enough trams to go down Leith and we have the rails because that was all bought before.

"There will be a report at the end of the year to see how people are taking to the system and it will suggest how we might want to further invest in public transport and the trams come under that."

There have been calls for a public inquiry into the trams fiasco but Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown said there are no immediate plans for one.

"We've said let's wait until the system is up and running and then look at lessons to be learned," Mr Brown said.

"I've spoken to the council already about this and will speak to them in future because the council has a number of legal actions ongoing and we can't have inquiries which cut across that.

"A total of £776m has now been spent on the system so let's make as much money as we can and get people on as many trams as we can to help repay that cost."

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Ash clouds ground Australia flights

31 May 2014 Last updated at 13:05

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Ash clouds from Sangeang Api prompted airlines to cancel all flights

Huge ash clouds thrown up by an Indonesian volcano have forced airlines to cancel all flights to and from the northern Australian city of Darwin.

Mount Sangeang Api began erupting on Friday and plumes of ash have been sweeping south towards Australia.

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have all cancelled flights. Services between Australia and the province of Bali have also been hit.

The authorities say other airports could be affected in the coming days.

'Rather significant'

Hundreds of passengers have been caught up, with disruption expected to continue until at least Sunday.

"The volcano is undergoing a sustained, rather significant eruption at the moment," Emile Jansons, manager of the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre told Reuters news agency.

"For the last 10 hours we've been observing large masses of volcanic ash being generated.

"Nobody has a very good handle on what this volcano is likely to do in the next 24 hours or beyond."

Some flights between Perth and Bali were cancelled on Saturday.

Volcanic ash can be extremely dangerous to aircraft as the fine particles can damage engines.

The cloud is now sweeping south towards as Alice Springs, officials say.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said it could take days for Australian services to return to normal.

"Depending on wind and other weather conditions, the ash has the potential to affect flights to and from other airports, including Brisbane, during coming days," he said.

The island of Sangeang Api has no permanent residents after they vacated following an eruption in 1988. Farmers nearby have reportedly been told to leave the area.

Indonesia lies across a series of geological fault-lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

There are about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes and several people were killed after a volcano erupted in east Java in February.

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India gang rape inquiry stepped up

31 May 2014 Last updated at 13:18

The governor of an northern Indian state where two girls were gang raped and hanged has recommended a federal inquiry into the incident.

The move comes after alleged police inaction sparked outrage in Uttar Pradesh state.

Three suspected attackers have been detained, along with two policemen accused of dereliction of duty and criminal conspiracy.

The girls were found hanged from a tree earlier in the week.

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Ukraine vows to bring peace to east

30 May 2014 Last updated at 11:42

Ukrainian forces will continue their offensive against rebels until peace and order are restored in the east, the interim defence minister has said.

Fighting has intensified around Sloviansk and 12 Ukrainian troops were killed on Thursday when pro-Russian rebels shot down an army helicopter.

Dozens of separatists died on Monday in a battle at Donetsk airport.

Russia has again called for Ukraine to stop its military campaign against the pro-Moscow rebels.

Interim Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval told reporters Ukrainian forces would continue operations in border areas "until these regions begin to live normally, until there is peace," the Reuters news agency reported.

And he again accused Russia of backing the rebels - a claim Moscow denies.

President-elect Petro Poroshenko has said Ukraine will punish the "bandits" who shot down the helicopter. Among those killed was Maj Gen Serhiy Kulchytskiy, head of combat and special training in Ukraine's National Guard.

The leader of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Borodai, told Russia's TV Rain that the only condition for negotiations with Kiev was the withdrawal of its troops from the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk.

And he denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of a team of monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), held by separatists. The self-proclaimed mayor of Sloviansk has said they will be freed soon but nothing has been heard of them since Monday.

A second group of observers, based in Luhansk, remains unaccounted for.

Separatists there told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency they had released the team, but the OSCE has put out a statement saying it lost contact with the observers at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Thursday.

Pro-Russian separatists in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after referendums on 11 May, which were not recognised by Kiev or its Western allies.

The rebels took their cue from a disputed referendum in Crimea, which led to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's southern peninsula.

Up to 33 Russian nationals were among the dozens of rebels killed in fighting around Donetsk airport on Monday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was "evidence" of Chechens trained in Russia who had come to "stir things up".

Chechnya's president has denied sending troops to Ukraine.

Separately, US officials said Russia had now withdrawn most of its forces from the border with Ukraine, but thousands remained.

Ukraine is also under pressure from Russia over its unpaid gas bill, which runs into billions of dollars.

Russia's state gas company Gazprom has threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine if it fails to pay in advance for its June supplies.

A new round of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the EU is due to take place in Berlin later on Friday.

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Iraq suspicions may 'fester' - Major

30 May 2014 Last updated at 11:03

Sir John Major has said it is a "pity" that transcripts and full notes of conversations between Tony Blair and George W Bush about the lead-up to the Iraq war will remain secret.

The former prime minister said the decision to release only the "gist" of talks between the two men could allow suspicions about the war to "fester".

He suggested Mr Blair should try to overrule the Cabinet Office's decision.

But he insisted the current government should have no say in the matter.

The Iraq Inquiry revealed on Thursday it had reached an agreement with Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood about the release of confidential information which could clear the way for its longstanding report into the war to be published this year.

But its decision to exclude full details of correspondence between Mr Blair and former US president George Bush has angered the families of British personnel who lost their lives in Iraq.

Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed in 2004, said the families felt "let down".

'Unresolved'

The inquiry has been given access to full records of talks between the two leaders but is being prevented by senior civil servants from publishing them in its final report, even after offering to block out sensitive parts.

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Rose Gentle said that the letters and documents were "the main thing the families had to see"

The Cabinet Office's grounds for this decision is that it could prejudice future relations with the US.

Instead, the inquiry has been granted permission to "disclose quotes or gists of the content" to help explain its conclusions.

Sir John, Tony Blair's predecessor as prime minister, said he regretted the decision.

"I think it is a pity that the papers are going to be withheld for several reasons," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Firstly, they will leave suspicions unresolved and those suspicions will fester and may worsen. And secondly, in many ways, I think withholding them is going to be very embarrassing for Mr Blair, not least because he brought the Freedom of Information Act into law when he was in government."

'Strict rules'

He said there were "strict and proper rules" preventing current governments from getting access to the papers of previous administrations, meaning David Cameron was not able to intervene in the process.

"That is the decision that has been reached by the Cabinet Office," he added.

"I suppose the previous Labour government could approach them and say, 'We would like to overrule this and think it is better they release those papers,' but the government cannot do that. Let me make that clear.

"Mr Blair could, the previous Labour government could. Maybe in their own interests they should because otherwise this will fester and nobody wants to see that."

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Sir John said he understood the inquiry's frustration about the protracted negotiations over the release of documents but still believed it would deliver an "excellent report".

The documents include 25 notes from Mr Blair to Mr Bush and more than 130 records of conversations between the former prime minister and then US president in the run-up to war.

Publication

The inquiry, which is examining the UK's participation in military action against Saddam Hussein and its aftermath, began in 2009 and its last public hearings took place in 2011. It has cost more than £7m so far.

Although the inquiry team, led by Sir John Chilcot, has never set a target date or deadline for publication, it is generally accepted that the timetable for publication has slipped on several occasions.

Before publication can happen, letters must be sent out to individuals facing criticism in the report, under what is known as the "Maxwellisation" process, to give them an opportunity to respond.

Mr Blair has said he wants the report to be published as soon as possible.

David Cameron has said he hopes the report will be released before the end of the year but there are concerns it may not happen before the 2015 general election.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq by British and US forces, carried out on the basis that it had "weapons of mass destruction", has already been the subject of several inquiries in the UK, including the Butler report into intelligence failings.

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New NHS boss backs smaller hospitals

30 May 2014 Last updated at 11:20

Smaller community hospitals should play a bigger role especially in the care of older patients, the new head of the NHS in England has said.

In an interview in the Daily Telegraph, Simon Stevens signalled a marked change in policy by calling for a shift away from big centralised hospitals.

The health service chief executive said there needed to be new models of care built around smaller local hospitals.

The NHS said he was not suggesting the return of 50s-style cottage hospitals.

In recent years the health service has emphasised the benefits of centralised services.

This has paid dividends in areas such as stroke care and major trauma where significant benefits have been gained by concentrating specialist care.

But this has raised questions about the future of the many smaller district general hospitals across the NHS.

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In the interview in Friday's paper, Mr Stevens said they should play an important part in providing care, especially for the growing number of older patents who could be treated closer to home.

He said: "A number of other countries have found it possible to run viable local hospitals serving smaller communities than sometimes we think are sustainable in the NHS.

"Most of western Europe has hospitals which are able to serve their local communities, without everything having to be centralised."

Hospital closures

Simon Stevens' support for smaller hospitals comes as, in some parts of England, such hospitals close.

On Tuesday the closure of Ashby District Hospital in Leicestershire was announced.

A commissioning group said the 16-bed hospital needed £900,000 of repairs and was underused, and said it wanted to provide "more services closer to people's homes".

Earlier this month a health trust said Poltair Hospital in Cornwall would close, saying the "cost of backlog maintenance work to meet current standards is too expensive".

But West Cornwall Health Watch said the decision was based on "dangerously unproven assumptions" and West Cornwall MP Andrew George called it a "backward step".

Lowestoft Hospital in Suffolk closed its 25-bed inpatient facility at the end of March and the main hospital building is due to close later this year.

The hospital's north wing is to be redeveloped to offer services including phlebotomy and outpatient clinics.

But Lowestoft Coalition Against the Cuts said many elderly people would suffer owing to the closure of such "excellent local hospitals".

Mr Stevens said elderly patients were increasingly ending up in hospital unnecessarily because they had not been given care which could have kept them at home.

Mr Stevens also told the Telegraph:

• The NHS needed to abandon a fixation with "mass centralisation" and instead invest in community services to care for the elderly
• Waiting targets introduced by Labour became "an impediment to care" in too many cases
• The European Working Time Directive damaged health care in the NHS, making it harder to keep small hospitals open
• Businesses should financially reward employees for losing weight and adopting healthy lifestyles

An NHS England source said Mr Stevens was saying that smaller hospitals had a part to play in shifting services into the community, not that there would be no closures of local hospitals in the future.

Helen Tucker, vice president of the Community Hospitals Association, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Stevens' comments were "great news", sending a "good, strong message that small is beautiful".

A "balance is needed" with centralised specialist hospitals, she said, but smaller institutions were "the hospitals that local communities really value," she said.

Mr Stevens, a former adviser on health to Tony Blair, will outline his vision for the NHS in a major speech at the NHS Confederation conference in Liverpool on Wednesday.

Analysis

By Dominic Hughes, BBC health correspondent

In recent years the health service in England has emphasised the benefits of centralised services.

So those suffering from a stroke or a heart attack might be taken to a specialist centre rather than the local hospital.

But with only limited resources, the future of smaller district general and community hospitals has been less clear.

Now Simon Stevens, the new chief executive of the NHS in England, says they should play an important part in providing care - especially for older patents who could be treated closer to home.

That might mean they take over GP services or community care.

But what he is not calling for is a return to 1950s-style cottage hospitals nor is he saying that no hospitals will close.

It is more subtle - that the debate in the NHS has focused too much on centralisation and there is still a place for smaller local hospitals.

Chris Ham, the chief executive of the King's Fund think tank, told the BBC the plans could lead to "much more joined up, coordinated care that many older people need".

He added: "We know much of the demand for hospital care these days is for routine acute care for growing numbers of older people.

Continue reading the main story

We know much of the demand for hospital care these days is for routine acute care for growing numbers of older people"

End Quote Chris Ham King's Fund

"What they want is a really good, local, accessible hospital, there for them when they need it.

"This message is quite right, it will be welcomed by many people."

'Recalibrating'

Ruthe Isden, from charity Age UK, said Mr Stevens' comments were "very welcome to us" and she looked forward to hearing more details in his speech next week.

Speaking to BBC News, she said his views signalled a change in tone in the way the NHS is moving.

"In recent years, there has been a lot of thinking about specialist care but we also need to think about wrap-around, community care.

"This is a recalibrating of the way we think about these issues."

She added: "We need to invest in services which look at the holistic needs of the elderly. Things like social care, making sure they don't get lonely and that they are given opportunities to exercise.

"It's a case of not just seeing medical care as the answer to everything."

Katherine Murphy, the chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "For older patients in particular, the prospect of having to travel great distances to get to hospital can be daunting and inconvenient.

"Elderly people need to be treated close to home, with an emphasis on compassion, privacy, dignity and respect.

"In addition, there is a need to have a workforce in place that is trained to look after older people."

Mr Stevens took up the post of chief executive of the NHS in England after 11 years working for private health care firms in Europe, the US and South America.

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Spring to be 'third hottest on record'

30 May 2014 Last updated at 12:36

The UK is on course for the third warmest spring since records began, forecasters say.

The Met Office said an average March-May temperature of 8.97C (48.15F) would be beaten only by 2007 and 2011 in the records, which date back to 1910.

And depending on temperatures in the final three days of May, Scotland could be set for its warmest spring on record.

It would also mean six months of above-average temperatures across the UK.

More rainfall

The figure of 8.97C is based on temperatures up to 28 May and assumes average conditions until the end of the month, the Met Office said.

Continue reading the main story

• UK: 8.97
• England: 9.76
• Wales: 9.04
• Scotland: 7.63
• Northern Ireland: 9

This would make this year's spring the third hottest in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland's current average of 7.63C (45.73F) is narrowly above the current record of 7.61C (44.70F) set in 2011.

UK temperatures from December to April have all been at least one degree Celsius higher than the long-term average, the Met Office said.

Despite its temperature, May has been duller and wetter than average, with just 76% of the sunshine usually expected in the UK as a whole, and 97.7mm of rainfall - 140% of the long-term average.

This month has brought a wide range of weather conditions, from warm sunshine to torrential ran and even reports of a tornado.

After a week of widespread showers, the weekend outlook is brighter for many areas, with forecasters saying it would feel pleasantly warm with light winds in some parts.

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Google offers 'right to forget' form

30 May 2014 Last updated at 12:36

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Technology correspondent Dave Lee explains how the controversial system will work

Google has launched a service to allow Europeans to ask for personal data to be removed from online search results.

The move comes after a landmark European Union court ruling earlier this month, which gave people the "right to be forgotten".

Links to "irrelevant" and outdated data should be erased on request, it said.

Google said it would assess each request and balance "privacy rights of the individual with the public's right to know and distribute information".

"When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there's a public interest in the information," Google says on the form which applicants must fill in.

Google said it would look at information about "financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, or public conduct of government officials" while deciding on the request.

Analysis - Rory Cellan-Jones

"Much of the comment online has been deeply sceptical about the right to be forgotten, particularly in the US where the First Amendment guaranteeing free speech would make this kind of ruling impossible.

Some have pointed out that information won't be removed from google.com, just your local version of the search engine, while others question the sheer practicality."

Google agrees to forget

Earlier this month, the BBC learned that more than half of the requests sent to Google from UK individuals involved convicted criminals.

This included a man convicted of possessing child abuse images who had also asked for links to pages about his conviction to be wiped.

'Fraudulent requests'

Google said information would start to be removed from mid-June and any results affected by the removal process would be flagged to searchers.

Decisions about data removal would be made by people rather than the algorithms that govern almost every other part of Google's search system.

Disagreements about whether information should be removed or not will be overseen by national data protection agencies.

Europe's data regulators are scheduled to meet on 3-4 June. The "right to forget" will be discussed at that gathering and could result in a statement about how those watchdogs will handle appeals.

Information will only disappear from searches made in Europe. Queries piped through its sites outside the region will still show the contested data.

On 13 May, the EU's court of justice ruled that links to "irrelevant" and outdated data on search engines should be erased on request.

The case was brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home, which appeared on Google's search results, infringed his privacy.

Less innovation?

On Friday, Google said that EU citizens who want their private details removed from the search engine will be able to do so by filling out an online form.

However, they will need to provide links to the material they want removed, their country of origin, and a reason for their request.

Individuals will also have to attach a valid photo identity.

"Google often receives fraudulent removal requests from people impersonating others, trying to harm competitors, or improperly seeking to suppress legal information," the firm said.

"To prevent this kind of abuse, we need to verify identity."

However, in an interview given to the Financial Times, Google boss Larry Page said that although the firm would comply with the ruling, it could damage innovation.

He also said the regulation would give cheer to repressive regimes.

Mr Page said he regretted not being "more involved in a real debate" about privacy in Europe, and that the company would now try to "be more European".

But, he warned, "as we regulate the internet, I think we're not going to see the kind of innovation we've seen".

Mr Page added that the ruling would encourage "other governments that aren't as forward and progressive as Europe to do bad things".

People keen to get data removed from Google's index must:

• Provide weblinks to the relevant material
• Name their home country
• Explain why the links should be removed
• Supply photo ID to help Google guard against fraudulent applications

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India outrage over hanged girls

30 May 2014 Last updated at 12:48 By Divya Arya BBC Hindi, Badaun

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Crowds gathered where the girls' bodies were found, as Joanna Jolly reports

There is outrage over police inaction in a village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where two teenage girls were gang-raped and hanged from a tree.

The father of one victim says he was ridiculed by police when he sought help in finding his missing daughter.

He said that when policemen found out he was from a lower caste, they "refused to look for my girl".

At least three men, including one policeman, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Relatives have complained that police refused to help find the missing girls, aged 14 and 16, who were cousins from a low caste.

"When I went to the police station, the first thing I was asked was my caste. When I told them what my caste was, they started abusing me," the father of one of the girls told the BBC.

Divisions between India's castes run deep. Violence is often used by upper castes to instil fear in lower castes.

Although both the victim and the accused belonged to a caste grouping known as 'Other Backward Classes', the victims were lower in that hierarchy.

The victims had apparently gone out to relieve themselves as they had no toilet at home.

Campaigners have highlighted the lack of sanitation in rural areas as being a risk to women's security as well as their health, as they are often attacked when having to go out to go the toilet, particularly at night.

Further suspects hunted

Police said two men had been arrested for the rape and murder of the girls.

A constable was also detained for conspiring with the suspects and for dereliction of duty, authorities said, adding they were looking for one more suspect and one constable.

Indian media reacts to hangings

The incident has received top coverage on India's main TV channels such as NDTV, Times Now and CNN-IBN.

"Uttar Pradesh Rape shockers", reads a ticker on NDTV, which accuses the local police of being "complicit" with the attackers and quotes relatives of the two girls saying they have "no faith" they'll receive justice.

"Lawless in Uttar Pradesh" reads a top headline on CNN-IBN, which has started its own campaign using the hashtag #StopThisShame.

"UP: 3 Rapes in 48Hrs" is the lead on the Times Now channel, which reports the growing number of rape incidents in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

"Outrage" is the word used on the front pages of several leading English-language newspapers, including The Hindu and The Indian Express.

In an editorial, The Times of India lays the blame on the government of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Singh, saying the hangings "exposes the state's slide into medieval lawlessness".

Senior police official Atul Saxena said there would be a "thorough investigation" into the allegations of caste discrimination by police.

People in Katra Shahadatganj, a town in Badaun district where the incident took place, say caste "plays an important role in social affairs" in the community.

One resident, named only as Teerath, said: "If media hadn't come here the police wouldn't have done anything."

Rape cases that have shocked India

• 23 January 2014: Thirteen men held in West Bengal in connection with the gang rape of a woman, allegedly on orders of village elders who objected to her relationship with a man
• 4 April 2014: A court sentences three men to hang for raping a 23-year-old photojournalist in Mumbai last year
• 15 January 2014: A Danish woman is allegedly gang raped after losing her way near her hotel in Delhi
• 17 September 2013 : Five youths held in Assam for allegedly gang-raping a 10-year-old girl
• 4 June 2013: A 30-year-old American woman gang-raped in Himachal Pradesh
• 30 April 2013: A five-year-old girl dies two weeks after being raped in Madhya Pradesh
• 16 December 2012: Student gang raped on Delhi bus, sparking nationwide protests and outrage

A neighbour of one of the victims said the police "discriminated" against people from the lower castes in the town.

"Even though the police has suspended some constables, the ones who replace them would not be any better," he said.

But Mr Saxena denied that caste biases played any part in "influencing police behaviour" in the state.

"The police follows its rule book and considers all criminals equal before the law. There might be one or two cases like this one and we will make sure that the culprit doesn't go scot-free," he said.

Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.

The government tightened laws on sexual violence last year after widespread protests following the attack.

Fast-track courts were brought to the fore to deal with rape and the death penalty was also brought in for the most extreme cases.

Some women's groups argue that the low conviction rate for rape should be challenged with more effective policing rather than stiffer sentences.

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'Thumbs up' for Stephen Sutton

30 May 2014 Last updated at 12:58

Social media has been flooded with messages celebrating the life of the cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton.

More than 7,000 people have attended an ongoing vigil in Lichfield Cathedral, where his coffin is lying.

His body will be taken to a private burial service later and at 11:00 BST people were asked to send the message #ThumbsUpForStephen on social media.

Stephen's mother also asked people to "do something that makes you and others happy".

The coordinated message-writing on Facebook and Twitter is known as a "thunderclap" and people have been posting photos of themselves doing Stephen's famous thumbs up pose.

Comedian Sarah Millican wrote: "Here is my #ThumbsUpForStephen at 11am. RIP"

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Dean of Lichfield: "Touch of the Princess Di syndrome here"

The Teenage Cancer Trust tweeted: "Incredible outpouring of support for Stephen."

Musician Toyah Wilcox tweeted: "God bless u Stephen....u inspired. Thank u."

Wolverhampton Wanderers wrote on twitter: "One big #ThumbsUpForStephen to celebrate Stephen Sutton's incredible achievements and positivity!"

Warwickshire police said: "Remembering a spirited, selfless and courageous individual today."

Stephen raised more than £4m for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity and his coffin will remain at Lichfield Cathedral until 15:00 to allow people to pay their respects.

His mother, Jane Sutton said: "We know that thousands of people have been inspired by Stephen's story. We want to give all of his friends and supporters, and especially local people who supported him from the start, the opportunity to come and say goodbye."

Stephen's body arrived to applause at the cathedral just before 19:00 on Thursday.

The coffin was then moved inside the cathedral for a short service.

At the end of the service, mourners gave Stephen's trademark thumbs up gesture as they filed silently past his coffin.

The cathedral said a book of condolence for Stephen had been opened and people were welcome to sign it and light candles.

The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, said: "People were arriving up to 23:15 last night.

"He had such a clear life force and spoke to people's hearts so eloquently."

Yellow ribbons are also adorning streets in Lichfield and in Burntwood, in his memory.

Did you give a 'thumbs up' for Stephen? Did you take part in the social media 'thunderclap'? Did you take a selfie to show your support? You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'thumbs up' in the subject.

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

Read the terms and conditions

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Fugitive 'Skull Cracker' admits raid

29 May 2014 Last updated at 13:11

A man nicknamed the "Skull Cracker" after a string of robberies has admitted three new offences while he was on the run from an open prison.

Michael Wheatley, 55, pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court to the charges including a £18,350 robbery at a Surrey building society.

He was also charged with possessing a firearm and being unlawfully at large.

Wheatley was arrested in Tower Hamlets, east London, after the raid on Chelsea Building Society in Sunbury on 7 May.

He was serving a life sentence at Standford Hill prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, when he was granted day release and failed to return on 3 May.

He appeared via video link from Belmarsh prison.

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Help to Buy supports 7,313 sales

29 May 2014 Last updated at 12:13

Some 7,313 homes have been sold so far under the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, the Treasury says.

The figures are the first comprehensive measure of the scheme since it was launched late last year.

The numbers from the Treasury also show that 80% of the properties sold went to first-time buyers.

The majority of sales were outside London, which will help the government to argue that Help to Buy has not had a major effect on house prices.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

In case anyone thinks that the bubble in the London housing market has been caused by the government's second Help to Buy scheme, today's stats show that is an absurd notion"

End Quote

Just 5% of sales under the mortgage guarantee scheme were in the capital, where prices have soared, and 14% in the South East.

The mortgage guarantee scheme is separate from the equity loan part of Help to Buy, which began in England 13 months ago. Scotland and Wales have separate equity loan schemes.

Inflation

One senior economist said the figures showed that Help to Buy was not to blame for stoking up house price inflation.

The data provides "further evidence that government subsidies are playing little direct role in driving the current rapid rate of house price growth", said Martin Beck, senior adviser to the EY ITEM club.

Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee Scheme Oct 2013 - March 2014
Region	Percentage of total completions
Scotland	13%
Wales	5%
Northern Ireland	1%
England	81%
South East	14%
London	5%
North West	14%
South West	8%
Yorkshire + Humber	9%
West Midlands	8%
East Midlands	9%
North East	4%
East	9%
source: HM Treasury

But Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable is among those who have argued that Help to Buy may be increasing house price inflation.

Prices across the UK are rising by 8% a year, according to the Office for National Statistics, and by 17% a year in London.

Continue reading the main story

Help to Buy (mortgage guarantee)

• Covers all UK
• Covers "second-hand" homes up to £600,000
• Began October 2013
• Ends December 2016

The mortgage guarantee figures officially cover the first three months of 2014, but include all applications since October 2013, when homebuyers were first able to register for the scheme.

Guarantees

At the same time, new figures on the first part of Help to Buy - the equity loan scheme- show that 20,548 new homes have been sold through the scheme in England in the 13 months since it began.

In total, 27,861 homes have now been sold under the two parts of Help to Buy.

That is a small proportion of the total number of homes sold over the same period.

Between October 2013 and the end of March 2014, roughly 500,000 homes were sold in the UK.

But only 7,313 homes were sold under the mortgage guarantee scheme during that time.

Ernst and Young calculated that amounted to just 1.2% of total house sales, and said the overall impact of the scheme was "distinctly underwhelming".

Continue reading the main story

Help to Buy (equity loan scheme)

• England. Started April 2013. New homes up to £600,000. Ends March 2020
• Scotland. Started September 2013. Ends 2016. New homes up to £400,000
• Wales. Started January 2014. Ends March 2016. New homes up to £300,000

Under the equity loan scheme, buyers are able to buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 5%, and can borrow up to 15% of the property's value from the government. The government then owns a stake in the property.

Under the mortgage guarantee scheme, buyers can purchase any home up to the value of £600,000, and up to 15% of their loan is underwritten by the Treasury.

As with the equity loan scheme, buyers need to put down a deposit of at least 5%. The English scheme began in April 2013, but the Scottish and Welsh schemes started later.

Options

Fears that the Help to Buy scheme has driven a surge in house prices has led to speculation that the Bank of England could seek to modify it.

Earlier this month, Bank governor Mark Carney warned of the dangers the booming housing market posed to long-term financial stability, and said the Bank was considering providing advice on "changing the terms" of the Help to Buy scheme.

One option for the Bank's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) is to recommend a change in the rules, so that only properties under the value of £300,000, for example, would qualify for the scheme.

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David Cameron: "We're getting people on to the housing ladder, achieving their dreams"

At the moment any property worth less than £600,000 is eligible.

Rob Wood, the chief UK economist with Berenberg Bank, believes the Bank should now try to cut the scheme back.

"We expect the Bank to recommend watering down the scheme in its annual review in September," he said.

However, others think it more likely that the FPC will recommend other measures to control the housing market - such as requiring lenders to hold more capital to protect themselves against risky loans - or limiting the amount they can lend in relation to a borrower's salary.

Lloyds has already announced that it will lend no more than four-times salary on mortgages above £500,000.

Have you, or are you planning to use, the Help to Buy scheme? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'help to buy' in the subject.

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Syal not Steinbeck in English GCSE

29 May 2014 Last updated at 10:22 By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent

Wolverhampton-born Meera Syal and Indian-born George Orwell rub shoulders with Shakespeare and Dickens in a new GCSE English literature book list.

But the AQA exam board's proposed set texts for England's schools do not include any American novels or plays.

There have been protests and online petitions over the OCR exam board's dropping of US authors such as John Steinbeck or Arthur Miller.

Education Secretary Michael Gove rejected claims of any "ban".

Sherlock Holmes also makes an appearance in the AQA's draft list, in The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle, Alan Bennett's History Boys is a drama option and Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade thunders in as a set text for poetry.

Mockingbird row

Earlier this week, Mr Gove wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the reforms to GCSEs had been intended to widen the range of literature taught in secondary schools.

Continue reading the main story

AQA GCSE English literature

Shakespeare plays:

• Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest

19th Century novel:

• Charles Dickens - Great Expectations
• Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
• Robert Louis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
• Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
• Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
• Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Sign of Four

Post-1914 drama and prose

• JB Priestley - An Inspector Calls
• Alan Bennett - The History Boys
• Willy Russell - Blood Brothers
• Dennis Kelly - DNA
• Shelagh Delaney - A Taste of Honey
• Simon Stephens - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (drama adaptation)
• William Golding - The Lord of the Flies
• George Orwell - Animal Farm
• Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go
• Meera Syal - Anita and Me
• Stephen Kelman - Pigeon English

Beyond a set of core requirements, Mr Gove said exam boards had no restrictions on their choice of authors and suggestions of a book ban for works such as To Kill a Mockingbird were "rooted in fiction".

But there have been protests that the requirements set out for exam boards - "fiction or drama from the British Isles from 1914 onwards" - effectively exclude American modern classics from writers such as Arthur Miller, F Scott Fitzgerald or Tennessee Williams.

But a Department for Education spokesman said the requirements represent "only the minimum pupils will be expected to learn" and that exam boards could still include modern writers from outside the British Isles.

"It doesn't ban any authors, books or genres," said the DfE spokesman.

In response, the AQA said "technically it would not be impossible to add additional texts beyond the essential requirements, to do so would place an unacceptable assessment burden on teachers and students".

The titles on the AQA's list for prose and drama are from British-born or British-based writers, including Willy Russell, Alan Bennett and Kazuo Ishiguro.

The reforms to the English literature GCSE exam aim to ensure that pupils read a wider range of literary work, across a range of eras, and to prevent an over-emphasis on a handful of over-used texts.

Michael Gove says that in one year "280,000 candidates studied just one novel for the AQA GCSE" - and that the "overwhelming majority" of these were using John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

The new requirements also specify that pupils study "whole texts in detail" because of concerns that novels were being studied in disconnected chunks, chasing marks rather than the comprehension of a full work.

The set texts from the AQA exam board are divided into the categories required by the revamped GCSE.

As well as post-1914, there are selections of Shakespeare plays and 19th Century novels. These include hardy perennials from Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, alongside Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

The exam board visited over 250 schools to test the views of teachers on what should be included - and the inclusion of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein reflected the preference of teachers.

Teachers back inspector

Among modern works, teachers' favourites included Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies and An Inspector Calls.

The poetry selection from AQA, with a requirement to include the Romantics, has a strong emphasis on British and Irish writers.

Heaney, Hardy, Hughes and Owen are included. But there is no Dylan Thomas or WB Yeats and there are no American poets such as TS Eliot, Robert Lowell, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath.

With both the AQA and OCR exam boards having revealed their selections, the authors of the new classic exam texts for teenagers are emerging.

Continue reading the main story

AQA GCSE English literature poetry

• Byron, Shelley, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Thomas Hardy, Maura Dooley, Charlotte Mew, C Day Lewis, Charles Causley, Seamus Heaney, Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Owen Sheers, Daljit Nagra, Andrew Waterhouse, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Tennyson, Wilfred Owen, Ted Hughes, Simon Armitage, Jane Weir, Carol Ann Duffy, Imtiaz Dharker, Carol Rumens, Beatrice Garland, John Agard

It won't be Thomas Hardy, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh or JD Salinger, but instead Meera Syal's Anita and Me appears on both lists, along with George Orwell's Animal Farm, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Dennis Kelly's DNA.

Andrew Hall, AQA's chief executive, said: "We know that everyone will have an opinion about which texts should be studied and that we can't please everyone.

"However, the combination and choice we have included on our set text lists has been guided by the feedback we have had from English teachers, whose job it is to bring literature to life."

"We want to make sure that we include a combination of titles that will engage and appeal to students of all abilities at the same time as allowing us to create stimulating exam papers."

The proposals from AQA have now been submitted to the regulator Ofqual for accreditation.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "In the past, English literature GCSEs were not rigorous enough and their content was often far too narrow."

The revised qualification will "ensure pupils will learn about a wide range of literature".

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Cable: I'm supporting party leader

29 May 2014 Last updated at 12:30

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Vince Cable: "I was not given any information about these polls"

Vince Cable has denied acting disloyally after one of his closest allies attempted to get Nick Clegg sacked as Liberal Democrat leader.

Lord Oakeshott commissioned polls suggesting the party would do better without Mr Clegg at the helm.

Mr Cable admits knowing about some of the polling, but denied knowing about ones in Mr Clegg's own constituency.

He denied wanting Mr Clegg's job before the next election telling BBC News: "I am supporting the party leader."

The business secretary, who is on a trade mission in China, said he wanted the "in-fighting" in the party to end, saying: "There is absolutely no leadership issue. We have a united team."

Asked about the polls suggesting the party would do better under his leadership, Mr Cable said he was not going to "speculate" about "abstract possibilities".

BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said that despite Mr Cable's pledge of loyalty "lingering" questions remained because the business secretary knew that the polls had asked about whether a change of leader would improve the party's fortunes but appears not to have told Mr Clegg.

The polls, which suggested the party would lose fewer seats at the next election if Mr Cable or, to a lesser extent Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander, was the leader instead of Mr Clegg were leaked to The Guardian in the wake of disastrous local and European election results for the party.

The man who paid for them, Lord Oakeshott, has been agitating for the removal of Mr Clegg for some time. He has now quit the party, claiming it is "heading for disaster" under Mr Clegg.

In his resignation statement he said Mr Cable knew about the polls - including the one in Mr Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency - some weeks ago.

That Sheffield Hallam poll

The ICM poll commissioned by Lord Oakeshott in Nick Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency, which Mr Cable insists he knew nothing about, was carried out between 29 April and 4 May. It asked 500 of Mr Clegg's constituents: "I would like you to think again about a General Election to the Westminster Parliament being held in your area tomorrow. Suppose for a moment that Nick Clegg stepped down as Liberal Democrat leader, and the business secretary Vince Cable moved into the job. If Vince Cable were leader of the Liberal Democrats and there were a General Election tomorrow, which party do you think you would vote for?" Some 22% said they would vote for the Lib Dems - just 1% more than said they would vote Lib Dem if Mr Clegg was the leader at the next election. The Lib Dems would retain the seat, however, beating the Conservatives, on 21%, into second place. With Mr Clegg as leader Labour, on 22%, would win the seat, according to the survey. Mr Clegg retained Sheffield Hallam in 2010 with 53.4% of the vote and a majority of 15,284.

The business secretary has repeatedly denied this, insisting he knew about Lord Oakeshott's polling in his Twickenham constituency and some other areas, but not in Mr Clegg's constituency or fellow minister Danny Alexander's Inverness constituency.

Mr Cable said there was "no disloyalty whatever" and he had made clear that the polling carried out in Mr Clegg's constituency and Inverness was "quite wrong".

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Mr Clegg said of Mr Cable: "He clearly didn't know at all about a poll being conducted in Sheffield."

He added that Mr Cable had been "very critical" about the poll having taken place.

Mr Clegg admitted the party had lost support since joining the coalition in 2010, but that to leave now - as Lord Oakeshott wants - "would harm the Liberal Democrats for a generation".

He added: "Clearly, we had some really, really bad election results last week. That, of course, quite rightly means there's a lot of questions and soul searching about what we do as a party over the next year."

Prime Minister David Cameron defended Mr Cable, saying he was "playing an important role" as business secretary.

Asked whether he trusts Mr Cable, in the wake of the allegations surrounding Lord Oakeshott, he said: "I judge my ministers on the results they are delivering."

Lib Dem party sources conceded that continued turmoil could threaten to destabilise the party but they said Lord Oakeshott's departure had put an end to what they called a "ham-fisted coup attempt".

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Nick Clegg: "Vince Cable clearly didn't know a thing about the poll being conducted"

Mr Clegg has faced calls to step down from 300 activists while a number of constituency associations, including Liverpool and Cambridge, are to hold meetings to discuss their leader's future.

He has said it was "wholly unacceptable" that a senior member of the party "rather than trying to go out and win votes was spending money and time trying to undermine the fortunes of the party".

It emerged on Tuesday that Lord Oakeshott had paid for an ICM poll into Mr Clegg's electoral appeal, with results suggesting the Lib Dems would pick up votes in four seats, including Mr Clegg's, if Mr Cable or other figures replaced Mr Clegg as leader.

The poll suggested the party was on course to lose Sheffield Hallam and three other seats - Cambridge, Redcar and Wells - next year unless there was a change at the top.

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Ukraine helicopter downed - 14 dead

29 May 2014 Last updated at 13:19

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A Ukrainian general was among those killed in the attack, the BBC's Mark Lowen reports

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have shot down a military helicopter near Sloviansk, killing 14 people, the country's outgoing president says.

Olexander Turchynov said the rebels used a Russian-made anti-aircraft system, and a senior general was among the dead.

The town of Sloviansk has seen fierce fighting between separatists and government forces in recent weeks.

President-elect Petro Poroshenko has vowed to tackle "bandits" in the east.

The BBC's Mark Lowen in the region says Thursday's incident was a major blow to the Ukrainian army as it pursues its offensive against the separatists.

The helicopter was hit during heavy fighting between Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, reportedly after it had dropped off troops at a military base.

President Turchynov said the 14 dead included Gen Serhiy Kulchytskiy, head of combat and special training for Ukraine's National Guard.

It is one of the worst losses of life for government forces in the conflict so far. Last week at least 14 soldiers died in a rebel attack on an army checkpoint near Donetsk, some 130km (80 miles) from Sloviansk.

Earlier this month the separatists shot down two army helicopters, also near Sloviansk, killing a pilot and another serviceman.

Missing monitors

Mr Poroshenko, a confectionery magnate, won 54.7% of the vote in last Sunday's presidential election, according to final results announced on Thursday,

After the poll, he called the separatists "terrorists" intent on maintaining a "bandit state". He vowed to tackle them "in hours", not months.

The conflict has intensified in recent days. The rebels say they lost up to 100 fighters when they tried to seize Donetsk airport on Monday.

Sloviansk has long been the centre of heavy fighting. Pro-Russia militiamen seized four international monitors there on Monday.

The four - a Dane, an Estonian, a Turk and a Swiss national - are members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The self-proclaimed mayor of Sloviansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, told Russia's Interfax news agency they were safe and well and could be released soon.

The OSCE has said it does not know the monitors' whereabouts, but Mr Ponomaryov told another Russian news agency they were being held in the village of Makeyevka.

Pro-Russian separatists in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after referendums on 11 May, which were not recognised by Kiev or its Western allies.

The separatists took their cue from a disputed referendum in Crimea, which led to Russia's annexation of the southern peninsula.

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Harris's daughter 'smashed paintings'

29 May 2014 Last updated at 13:01

Rolf Harris's daughter smashed two of his paintings in anger when she first heard claims he had sexually abused one of her friends, a court has heard.

The 84-year-old TV entertainer said Bindi Harris had been "beside herself" after her friend made the allegations.

Southwark Crown Court heard Bindi confronted him in a phone call.

Mr Harris denies 12 indecent assaults between 1968 and 1986. He says he had a consensual relationship with the friend when she was an adult.

Seven of the counts relate to the friend of his daughter.

She claims he first assaulted her when she was 13 while on holiday, but Mr Harris, from Bray, in Berkshire, contests this.

In court

Sarah Falkland, BBC News

It's 9am on day 13 of the Rolf Harris trial and the press are photographing the entertainer arriving at court with his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi..

Mr Harris has told the jury it was a way for them to "show support".

But the court has heard how furious Bindi was when a friend first told her Mr Harris had abused her from the age of 13. She was so angry she smashed two of her father's paintings.

Sasha Wass QC continues to be robust in her cross-examination, wagging her finger at Mr Harris in the witness box.

Mr Harris's voice is low and hushed at times and he's been asked to speak up by the judge as he defends himself from the allegations.

'Shock'

On his third day in the witness box, Mr Harris said his daughter had not confronted him "face to face" but instead over the telephone after her friend made the allegations.

In cross examination, Prosecutor Sasha Wass QC asked Mr Harris why he did not tell his daughter that nothing happened with her friend until she was 18.

However, Mr Harris said he could not remember what he told his daughter during that conversation.

The prosecutor said Bindi Harris was "beside herself with shock" when she found out what was alleged, which Mr Harris agreed had been the case.

He added: "I don't recall her being angry with me in person but I recall her breaking some paintings I had given her so I assumed she was very angry."

'All lies'

Mr Harris also denied ever meeting alleged victim Tonya Lee, who has waived her right to anonymity.

The Australian woman said Mr Harris assaulted her while she was on a theatre group trip to the UK in 1986, when she was 15.

But he told the jury: "I can't imagine why she would say that, but it's all lies."

He also said another woman who claims she was groped at a community centre in Portsmouth while getting an autograph from him was "lying".

Mr Harris said: "It never happened, I wasn't there. I wasn't there, she must be making it up."

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Robinson 'did not mean Islam insult'

29 May 2014 Last updated at 13:14

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'A lot of what has been hyped up over the last 24 hours does not reflect what I actually said'

First Minister Peter Robinson has said he would never "want to insult or cause distress" to Muslims in Northern Ireland.

The DUP leader said comments he made in support of remarks by a pastor about Muslims were "misinterpreted".

Mr Robinson had told the Irish News on Wednesday he would not trust Muslims involved in violence or devotees of Sharia law.

But he said he would "trust them to go to the shops" for him.

'Ongoing support'

However, on Thursday he said his remarks had been "given a meaning that was never intended".

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"For the avoidance of any doubt, I make it clear that I welcome the contribution made by all communities in Northern Ireland, and in the particular circumstances, the Muslim community," he said.

"I very much value their contribution at every level to our society and I will take the opportunity to meet with local Muslim leaders to demonstrate my ongoing support for them as integral law abiding citizens in Northern Ireland."

When asked if he owed the Muslim community in Northern Ireland an apology, Mr Robinson said: "If I said anything that was derogatory, of course I would apologise.

"I've indicated very clearly that I would be hurt if any of them felt that I was showing any disrespect for them or was not supportive of them.

"That's why I want to meet Muslim leaders and assure them that they have my ongoing support."

Mr Robinson's remarks to the Irish News have been widely condemned by the Muslim community across the UK and by many Northern Ireland politicians.

The first minister had told the paper it was a duty of any preacher to denounce what he described as "false prophesy".

He went on to say that he would not trust Muslims either, particularly with regard to those who had been involved in violence, or those who are "fully devoted to Sharia law, I wouldn't trust them for spiritual guidance".

Continue reading the main story

• Sharia law is Islam's legal system
• It acts as a code of conduct for all aspects of a Muslim's life
• It is derived from both the Koran, Islam's central text, and fatwas - the rulings of Islamic scholars
• Sharia literally means "the clear, well-trodden path to water"
• Sharia law acts as a code for living that all Muslims should adhere to, including prayers, fasting and donations to the poor
• However, Sharia differs enormously in its various implementations throughout the Islamic world

However, Mr Robinson said he would trust Muslims to "go down to the shops" for him or to deal with a number of other "day to day issues".

Alliance Party assembly member Anna Lo, who was born in China but has lived in Northern Ireland for 40 years, told BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show she was considering leaving the country after what Mr Robinson had said, as the comments could "escalate even more of the racist tension".

Raied Al-Wazzan, of the Belfast Islamic Centre, said he would accept Mr Robinson's invitation to meet the local Muslim community.

"We welcome his support for the Muslim community, and his statement is a little bit more clear than the last one," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback.

"We also support freedom of speech - everybody has the right to criticise Islam - but we can debate any issue. The point we stand for is that you cannot label all Muslims as untrustworthy, and I hope he can explain that in a better way."

He added: "People are afraid of what's happening here and we need to calm things down."

The initial controversy came about when Pastor James McConnell of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in north Belfast, described Islam as "heathen" and "satanic", and said he did not trust Muslims.

Police said they were investigating "a hate crime motive" after complaints about Mr McConnell's remarks.

In his statement on Thursday Mr Robinson said: "I strongly believe that Pastor James McConnell has the right to freedom of speech.

"I will defend his right just as I defend the right of others to express views with which I disagree.

"People have the right to express their differing views and indeed the essence of democracy is the ability to do so in a way that is free from fear and intimidation."

Mr Robinson added: "No part of me would want to insult or cause distress to local Muslims.

"I can assure members of the Islamic community I respect their contribution to our society.

"I believe in building a peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland and have always endeavoured to work for the betterment of all the people of Northern Ireland.

"I look forward to meeting with representatives of the Muslim community as soon as it can be arranged."

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