January 24, 2011, 3:38 am
![Image]( "35 dead in Moscow airport blast")
A suicide bomber has killed at least 35 people and injured scores more at Moscow's busiest airport.
The city immediately went on high terrorist alert and stepped up patrols on the Metro underground system, a previous terrorist target, after the blast at Domodedovo Airport.
Thousands of people were in the terminal at the time of the blast, which happened in the international arrivals hall.
Mark Green, a British Airways passenger who had just arrived at the airport, told the BBC he heard the huge explosion as he was leaving the terminal.
"Literally, it shook you," he said. "As we were putting the bags in the car a lot of alarms... were going off and people started flowing out of the terminal, some of whom were covered in blood."
"One gentleman had a pair of jeans on that was ripped and his thigh from his groin to his knee was covered in blood," he said.
Domodedovo is generally regarded the most up-to-date of Moscow's three commercial airports, but its security procedures have been questioned. Built in 1964, the airport is 26 miles south-east of the centre of Moscow and handled over 22 million travellers last year.
In 2004 two suicide bombers were able to board planes at Domodedovo by buying tickets illegally from airport personnel. The bombers blew themselves up in mid-air, killing all 90 people aboard the two flights.
Terrorists have targeted other transportation centres in Moscow. In more recent suicide bombings, twin blasts in the Metro last March killed 39 people and wounded more than 60 people.
President Dmitry Medvedev later said: "from the preliminary information we have it was a terror attack."
↧
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:38 am
![Image]( "Stand-off gunman dies at scene")
A gunman has died after apparently shooting himself in the head following a 16-hour stand-off with police.
Paramedics spent more than three hours trying to save the man after at least one shot was fired on Leagrave Common, in Luton.
Eyewitnesses said the man was holding a sawn-off shotgun to his chin before the blast rang out shortly before midday on Monday.
Bedfordshire Police said one marksman may have also discharged a shot during the confrontation.
A spokesman said the man was pronounced dead by doctors at the scene some time after 3pm.
He said: "We confirm that the man involved in the shooting incident in the Sundon Park Road area of Luton has been pronounced dead after being treated at the scene.
"It would appear at this time the man discharged a weapon on himself, a shotgun has been recovered at the scene and it appears that it was in his possession at the time.
"The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Bedfordshire Police are co-operating fully."
↧
January 24, 2011, 6:47 am
![Image]( "Prosecutors widen phone hack probe")
Prosecutors will expand their review of evidence gathered during the phone hacking inquiry to include fresh claims swirling around the scandal, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said.
Keir Starmer said any evidence from "recent or new substantive allegations" will be assessed by a senior barrister as part of an ongoing inquiry into material already held by Scotland Yard.
The decision means officials at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) could advise the Met to reopen the inquiry into fresh claims that the mobile phones of high-profile individuals were hacked.
The review, overseen by Alison Levitt QC, may yet also lead to lawyers deciding that enough evidence already exists to bring charges against others implicated in the scandal.
In a statement, Mr Starmer said he has asked Ms Levitt to take a "robust approach" to her review of hundreds of documents and subsequent advice to senior police officers or prosecutors.
↧
January 24, 2011, 6:47 am
![Image]( "Two Britons 'among Moscow victims'")
Two British nationals are among more than 30 people killed by a suicide bomber at Moscow's busiest airport, according to Russian investigators.
A Foreign Office spokesman said he was aware of the reports but could not confirm the deaths.
He said: "We have a consular team on the ground and we are urgently investigating."
Russian investigative committee spokesman Vladimir Markin has not identified the British victims who died in the explosion at Domodedovo airport.
The blast saw more than 30 people killed and almost 170 injured.
↧
January 24, 2011, 6:47 am
![Image]( "CBI boss slams coalition on economy")
The departing head of the country's biggest business group has taken a surprise swipe at the Government, accusing it of failing to put forward its vision for the economy.
Sir Richard Lambert, who stands down as director general of the CBI on Friday, said business supported the "ruthless" approach to spending cuts, agreeing they were essential for the long-term stability of the economy.
But in his last major speech after four-and-a-half years in the job, Sir Richard said the Government had not been so consistent and focused on its plans for economic growth.
"It's failed so far to articulate in big picture terms its vision of what the UK economy might become under its stewardship. And it's taken a series of policy initiatives for political reasons, apparently careless of the damage they might do to business and to job creation."
Sir Richard said ministers were yet to set out a vision of what a successful growing economy would look like, adding: "The growth White Paper that was expected last autumn never materialised, and the impression was given that there simply weren't enough good ideas around to justify such a publication.
"Rather than a big picture of the kind of economic eco-system the Government wants to champion, we are left with a few rather vague ideas about the scope supporting a number of predictable sectors, and the promise that more ideas will be forthcoming at the time of the spring budget.
"When it comes to micro policy initiatives, politics appear to have trumped economics on too many occasions over the past eight months."
Sir Richard said the Business Department had been "understandably preoccupied" with the "dramas" of higher education in recent months, but he said: "Perhaps it is time for a hard look at the role of the Department of Business. We need a department that is seriously knowledgeable about everyday business needs. Less of a talking shop, more of an action-oriented growth champion."
David Cameron's official spokesman said: "Richard Lambert, it seems to me, is making many of the arguments you would expect a business lobby group to be making. The Government has made no apology about the fact that the deficit has to be addressed. We are also looking across the board at what more we can do to promote growth in the economy."
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "These are damning criticisms from such a respected figure in the business world. As Sir Richard says, the Conservative-led Government has no plan for growth and has taken decisions for political reasons regardless of the consequences for job creation and business."
↧
↧
January 24, 2011, 7:34 am
![Image]( "Two Britons 'among Moscow victims'")
Two British nationals are among more than 30 people killed by a suicide bomber at Moscow's busiest airport, according to Russian investigators.
A Foreign Office spokesman said he was aware of the reports but could not confirm the deaths.
He said: "We have a consular team on the ground and we are urgently investigating."
Russian investigative committee spokesman Vladimir Markin has not identified the British victims who died in the explosion at Domodedovo airport.
The blast saw more than 30 people killed and almost 170 injured.
David Cameron offered Britain's "complete support" in dealing with the terror attack in a telephone call with Mr Medvedev, Downing Street said.
"The Prime Minister utterly condemned today's explosion at Domodedovo airport. He offered his condolences and sympathies to all those who had been affected by what he described as an appalling attack," a Number 10 spokeswoman said.
"The Prime Minister assured President Medvedev of his complete support and said that the Russian authorities could count on Britain for any assistance they needed.
"The Prime Minister made clear that the people of Britain stood with the people of Russia in the face of these events and said that 'we should never allow the terrorists to win'."
↧
January 24, 2011, 8:33 am
![Image]( "Giffords accused denies charges")
The man accused of carrying out the mass shooting in Arizona has pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to kill politician Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides.
The plea by Jared Lee Loughner marked his second court appearance since he allegedly shot the congresswoman and 18 others at Ms Giffords' meet-and-greet event on January 8 outside a grocery store in Tucson. Six people died and 13 were wounded.
Loughner faces federal charges of trying to assassinate Giffords and attempting to murder two of her aides. He will later face state charges dealing with the other victims.
At least eight US Marshals were present at the hearing in the Phoenix courthouse as Loughner entered smiling and wearing an orange prison suit and glasses.
Investigators have said Loughner was mentally disturbed and acting increasingly erratically in the weeks leading up to the shooting. If his attorney uses mental competency questions as a defence, Loughner could be sent to a mental health facility instead of being sentenced to prison or death.
US District Judge Larry Burns of San Diego asked Loughner's attorney Judy Clarke whether there was any question about her client's ability to understand the case against him.
"We are not raising any issues at this time," Ms Clarke said.
Prosecutor Wallace Kleindienst said he would know within the next 30 days whether additional federal charges would be filed against Loughner. Mr Kleindienst said prosecutors provided defence lawyers with records taken from Loughner's computer and documents of about 250 interviews made in the case.
The judge did not rule on prosecutors' request to move the federal case back to Tucson so that victims and witnesses do not have to make the four-hour round trip drive to Phoenix to attend court hearings. The case was moved because one of those killed was a federal judge.
The judge set a March 9 hearing to consider motions in Loughner's case.
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:11 pm
![Image]( "New phone hack claims to be probed")
Prosecutors will expand their review of evidence gathered during the phone hacking inquiry to include fresh claims swirling around the scandal, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said.
Keir Starmer said any evidence from "recent or new substantive allegations" will be assessed by a senior barrister as part of an ongoing inquiry into material already held by Scotland Yard.
His announcement came as former MP Paul Marsden stated that his phone may have been hacked by a journalist at the Daily Mirror in 2003.
Mr Marsden - who was elected for Labour in 1997 before defecting to the Liberal Democrats - told the BBC he was keen to pursue court action if the claims were true. However, a spokesman for the newspaper group said: "Trinity Mirror's position is clear: our journalists work within the criminal law and the PCC code of conduct."
The Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) decision to widen its review means officials could advise the Met to reopen its inquiry into claims that the mobile phones of high-profile individuals were hacked. The review, overseen by Alison Levitt QC, may also lead to lawyers deciding that enough evidence already exists to bring charges against others implicated in the scandal.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Starmer said he has asked Ms Levitt to take a "robust approach" to her review of hundreds of documents and subsequent advice to senior police officers or prosecutors.
Mr Starmer said: "It has been agreed following a meeting with Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin and Acting Deputy Commissioner John Yates that any evidence resulting from recent or new substantive allegations made to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) of mobile voicemail interception arising from the Goodman and Mulcaire case should be subject to the same rigorous assessment as Alison Levitt QC is applying to material already in the possession of the Metropolitan Police Service."
The Met is under intense pressure to reopen its investigation into the phone hacking scandal following the departure of Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson, who has faced a barrage of difficult questions about his conduct while editor of the News of the World. The paper's former royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, was jailed in 2007 along with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
It has been claimed former prime minister Gordon Brown contacted the Met last summer to ask if his phone had also been targeted, but his office declined to comment on the reports.
The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee is to hold a hearing on the phone hacking allegations. Witnesses will include Lord Lester of Herne Hill, who is taking a private members bill on press regulation and libel through the Lords and former Law Lord Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, who sat in Naomi Campbell's privacy case against the Daily Mirror.
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:11 pm
![Image]( "Yeates murder accused in bail bid")
The man accused of killing Joanna Yeates is expected to apply for bail.
Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak, Miss Yeates' next door neighbour, appeared in court on Monday accused of her murder.
The 32-year-old was remanded in custody at Bristol Magistrates' Court charged with killing the 25-year-old landscape architect.
Tabak, of Canynge Road, Clifton, Bristol, was remanded in custody to appear at Bristol Crown Court next Monday. He is charged with murdering Miss Yeates some time between December 16 and December 26.
She disappeared on December 17 and her body was discovered on Christmas Day.
Paul Cook, representing Tabak, confirmed that his client wished to apply for bail and said Tabak would be present for that application at the Crown Court today.
Tabak's arrest was the second to be made by detectives since Miss Yeates' frozen body was found dumped in a lane on the outskirts of Bristol by a couple walking their dog. She had been strangled.
The university graduate disappeared after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues at her architectural firm in Bristol.
Her boyfriend, Greg Reardon, 27, reported her missing after he returned to the rented flat they shared on December 19 following a weekend away visiting family in Sheffield.
A huge police operation swung into action after her body was found on the verge in Longwood Lane, Failand, North Somerset.
↧
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:11 pm
![Image]( "Figures to reveal growth slowdown")
The strength of the economy as it enters the age of austerity is to be revealed as official growth figures are released.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is expected to reveal the rate of GDP growth - a broad measure for the health of the total economy - slowed to 0.4% in the three months to December.
This compares to 0.7% in the previous three months and 1.1% in the second quarter.
The end of the construction blip - which has boosted growth in previous quarters - and the impact of the snow on economic activity in December are both expected to hit GDP in the quarter.
But Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said there was considerable uncertainty over how much December's severe weather hit overall activity, so the range of forecasts is quite wide, from 0.2% to 0.6%.
Mr Archer warned dismal retail figures for December released on Friday could see GDP undershoot his forecast of 0.4%.
While there are still signs of robust growth in the UK, a further slowdown will do little for prospects for the economy over the next year and its ability to withstand the Government's deficit-busting austerity measures.
Chancellor George Osborne unveiled an £81 billion package of spending cuts - leading to hundreds of thousands of job losses - last year to tackle the creaking public finances.
The ONS will also release public borrowing figures for December, which are expected to reveal Britain fell further into the red by £21 billion, leading to a total for the financial year to date of around £125 billion.
Last month, higher-than-expected borrowing figures prompted some economists to warn the coalition it was in danger of exceeding the annual target set by the tax and spending watchdog, while the Treasury said the figures reinforced the need for fiscal tightening.
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:29 pm
![Image]( "Firth carries UK hopes for Oscars")
The nominations for this year's Oscars are set to be announced - with Colin Firth carrying the weight of British expectations.
The actor is considered a frontrunner to land the best actor prize at the ceremony next month for his role as stammering monarch King George VI.
The movie is expected to land a best film nomination when the nods are announced at the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.
Tom Hooper, who made the movie, is expected to be nominated for best director, against fellow Briton Christopher Nolan for box office smash Inception.
Helena Bonham Carter is being tipped for the best supporting actress category for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film, set in Britain on the cusp of the Second World War.
Welsh-born Christian Bale is being considered a favourite for best supporting actor for his role as a boxer turned crack addict in The Fighter. Other potential nominees include Andrew Garfield, who was born in the US but raised in Britain, in the supporting category for Facebook movie The Social Network.
In the best actress category, Natalie Portman is considered a shoo-in for her role as a disturbed ballerina in the thriller Black Swan. Her rivals Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are also being tipped for their roles in comedy drama The Kids Are All Right, about a lesbian couple whose children are conceived using a sperm donor.
Firth, 50, who has just won a Golden Globe for best actor, has been Oscar-nominated once before. He was in the running for best actor last year for A Single Man but went home empty-handed.
The King's Speech recently upped its chances of winning the best film Oscar after being crowned best movie at the Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards. The past three PGA winners, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, and No Country For Old Men, went on to take the Academy Award for best film.
The Oscars, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, take place on Sunday February 27 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:29 pm
![Image]( "Sky presenter's apology to official")
Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has telephoned assistant referee Sian Massey to apologise for his off-air comments about her at the weekend.
Keys and Andy Gray were dropped from Monday's line-up for the match between Bolton and Chelsea after the row over sexist remarks.
The pair caused controversy after agreeing female officials "don't know the offside rule" and predicting Massey would drop a clanger during Wolves' home game against Liverpool on Saturday. She ended up correctly calling a crucial borderline decision.
Keys' telephone call to Massey, who was said to have accepted the apology, was confirmed by a spokesman for Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO).
Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said earlier that Keys and Gray had been disciplined and dropped from coverage of the Bolton vs Chelsea match.
He said: "I have spoken directly to both Richard Keys and Andy Gray this morning. It has been made clear to each of them that their comments were totally unacceptable. Those views are inexcusable, entirely inconsistent with our ethos as a business and employer, and will rightly offend many of our customers, our people and the wider public. They are inexcusable from anyone at Sky, regardless of their role or seniority."
Former Everton striker Gray and Keys are both long-standing front men of Sky Sports' football coverage. They thought their conversation was private but it was obtained by the Mail on Sunday.
The duo agreed that someone should get pitchside to explain the offside rule to Massey. Keys added: "I can guarantee you there'll be a big one today. (Liverpool manager) Kenny (Dalglish) will go potty."
Then, referring to West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady's piece about sexism in a Saturday newspaper, Keys added: "See charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Yeah. Do me a favour, love."
Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, who is a qualified Football Association coach, told ITV News at Ten: "I think they are particularly stupid and ignorant. I think the girls' and women's game has increased so much that actually what they show is that they spend too much time in their glass commentary box and not enough time outside in the real world. I think that they should be forced to commentate on all future England women's internationals."
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:29 pm
![Image]( "Police release 'most wanted' images")
The faces of Britain's most wanted alleged doorstep criminals are being published in a bid to bring them to justice.
Police want to trace 10 men suspected of preying on elderly and vulnerable people in their homes.
Investigators said the number of so-called distraction burglaries, in which criminals pretend to be workmen or officials, often soars in February and March.
They brought together a list of suspects including offenders who claimed to be emergency plumbers, roofers and even friends of their neighbour.
Among those on the list is serial offender Patrick Connors, 30, who seriously injured a pedestrian he hit in a vehicle while escaping from police.
Connors, who has links in Coventry and Ireland and uses the alias William Ward, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison in his absence.
Another wanted man, Joseph Lowther, 26, allegedly stole £3,000 cash from one elderly victim in Lancashire after claiming he needed the money for materials to repair a roof.
The rogue trader is wanted for a string of similar suspected offences across the north-west of England.
The most wanted list was brought together by the Operation Liberal specialist police unit that monitors distraction burglaries and distributed by charity Crimestoppers.
It echoes other successful publicity drives targeting violent criminals, suspects thought to have fled to Spain and missing paedophiles.
↧
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:29 pm
![Image]( "Call to abandon alcohol duty rise")
There have been fresh calls for the Government to abandon its policy of increasing the duty on alcoholic drinks after new figures revealed falling beer sales are costing the Treasury £257 million a year in lost taxes.
Successive above-inflation rises in alcohol duty have been blamed for a 3.9% decline in beer sales in 2010, the sixth annual drop in consumption, according to British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) figures.
Pubs bore the worst of the hit, recording a 7.5% drop in beer sales, the biggest annual fall since 2008, but sales through supermarkets and off-licences increased by 0.6% as consumers looked for ways to cut the cost of a pint.
The BBPA said the rising tax levels and the subsequent fall in beer sales is not only damaging communities by causing the closure of pubs but is causing the Government to lose tax revenues.
BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "Huge tax rises are having a big impact on beer sales. Beer has always been a rich revenue source for Government - but they may now be cooking the golden goose.
"As beer duty has increased so dramatically over the last few years, the amount of beer produced and sold in Britain has fallen."
Alcohol duty has risen 26.1% since March 2008 when the Labour Government introduced a "duty escalator" that saw the tax rate increase by 2% above the retail prices index (RPI) every year. Two increases in VAT, which have seen the rate increase from 15% to 20% in the past 13 months, have also hit prices.
Pub beer sales have fallen by 20.2% over the past three years as the trade has been hit by the economic downturn, the smoking ban and increased taxes. Beer sales have also declined as a result of pub closures, with up to 40 pubs a week shutting at the height of the recession.
As beer has become more expensive, consumers have increasingly been buying it at supermarkets, where it can be purchased at a fraction of the price.
Mrs Simmonds added: "The Government should abandon plans for above-inflation hikes in beer tax in the Budget as further rises are simply unsustainable. This would create a win-win situation, with a boost for lower-strength, pub-based drinks like beer and more revenues for the Treasury."
↧
January 24, 2011, 3:29 pm
![Image]( "Support call for dementia patients")
About 50,000 people with dementia will be forced into care homes early because of a lack of support in their own homes, experts have warned.
Most people with dementia would prefer to live in the community yet there is inadequate help with everyday tasks such as shopping, washing and dressing, according to a report.
The study, from the Alzheimer's Society, said thousands of people with dementia are admitted to hospital or care homes when they could be supported at home.
For each "avoidable" month these people spend in care homes, the state will face a bill of at least £70 million, the study said. Care homes cost an average of about £559 per week.
There are 750,000 people living with dementia in the UK, two thirds of whom live in their own homes, with the remainder living in care homes.
For the study, the charity received responses from almost 1,400 carers of people with dementia and 48 people living with the condition. Another 989 care home workers also provided information to the charity.
The results showed that 83% of carers thought being able to live in their own home was very important to the person with dementia.
However, 50% reported that the dementia patient was not receiving sufficient support and care to meet their needs. This can lead to early admission to long-term care and avoidable in-patient stays in hospital.
The report said: "Current hospital and long-term care costs resulting from dementia are unsustainable and represent a significant opportunity for resources to be used more effectively while achieving better outcomes."
Carers also reported being under stress, suffering depression and having illnesses themselves.
↧
January 24, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Image]( "Election due after deal struck")
Irish voters look set for a general election on Friday, February 25, after the minority Government and main opposition parties struck a deal to put Budget 2011 into law.
After more than an hour of crunch talks, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan revealed all parliamentary business would be cleared for the week to fast-track the Finance Bill.
"I think it's a good day's work. I think it's important for the country that we are seen to unite," he said.
The Dail will review the legislation for three days from Tuesday before it goes to the Seanad, where further amendments can be made.
Mr Lenihan warned that the Government - left in a minority after the Greens withdrew support on Sunday - will face a motion of no confidence if the Bill is not signed into law by next Tuesday.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen is expected to dissolve the Dail any time between Saturday and Tuesday with a general election to be held within 18-25 days, excluding Sundays and holidays.
The main opposition parties, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens, had heaped pressure on the Taoiseach and Mr Lenihan to set down a speedy timetable or face the prospect of being voted out of power.
But Sinn Fein refused to back the plan, and spokesman Pearse Doherty claimed his party was asked to leave round table talks in the Department of Finance only to refuse and sit in silence after lashing out at the government-opposition consensus.
Green TD Eamon Ryan said it was time for national politics, not party politics, and new reforms on the tax status of couples in civil partnerships, championed by the Greens, have been abandoned in order to fast-track the Finance Bill.
Labour's Joan Burton said her party's no confidence motion had been deferred until next week, and she said she believed the election will be held on February 25.
↧
January 24, 2011, 8:20 pm
![Image]( "Briton among Moscow blast victims")
At least one Briton was among the 35 people killed in Monday's suicide bomb blast at Moscow's busiest international airport.
The Foreign Office confirmed the victim as Gordon Campbell Cousland and said it was urgently investigating reports that a second British national had died.
According to a list of victims released by the Russian authorities, a second Briton, named Kirill Budrashov, was also killed in the attack. The Foreign Office has not confirmed that Mr Budrashov, who was born in 1972, was a UK citizen.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry said eight foreign citizens were among those killed, and a preliminary casualty list published by the ministry shows a German and a Bulgarian among the dead, along with one person each from the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine.
No claim of responsibility has been made for the devastating blast which sprayed shrapnel, screws and ball bearings through the international arrivals hall at Domodedovo airport, injuring another 110 people. But Chechen militants behind many other terrorist acts in Russia, including last year's double suicide bombing on the Moscow subway that killed 40, are the main suspects.
The Foreign Office in London said: "Initial indications are that one British national was killed in the explosion at Domodedovo Airport. We are in contact with next of kin and providing consular assistance. The consular team is continuing to investigate reports that a second British national was killed but we have no information to confirm this at this time."
Two flights from London Heathrow arrived at the airport shortly before the explosion in the crowded hall at about 4.30pm local time yesterday, while one British Airways plane en-route to the Russian capital was turned back towards the UK.
Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the latest tragedy as an "appalling attack," while Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed to track down and punish those responsible.
Following the attack Mr Medvedev ordered security at Moscow's two other commercial airports and other key transport facilities to be put on high alert. He also said that officials at the airport must bear responsibility for security failures, but airport management contend Russian transport police were in charge.
Reports on Russian television suggested the suspected bomber was carrying a suitcase and shouted "I'll kill you all!" before detonating an explosive device as he walked through the passenger-filled hall.
↧
↧
January 24, 2011, 8:20 pm
![Image]( "Hunt 'intends to refer BSkyB bid'")
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that he intends to refer News Corporation's bid for full control of BSkyB to the Competition Commission.
Mr Hunt said the merger may operate against the public interest in media plurality, but added that he would first consider undertakings from News Corp before confirming the reference to the Commission.
A report by media watchdog Ofcom previously recommended that the proposed deal should be investigated further by the Commission.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp - which also owns papers including The Sun and The Times - made an approach in June to buy the 61% of BSkyB it does not already own, but Business Secretary Vince Cable stepped in to refer the deal to Ofcom on public interest grounds.
News Corp has told Mr Hunt it wishes him to consider special "undertakings in lieu", which it hopes will allay his fears and prevent him from referring the matter to the Commission.
Recent media reports have suggested that News Corp has told the Government it might be prepared to make concessions to avoid a lengthy consultation, with separating Sky News from BSkyB one option said to be under review.
Mr Hunt said: "News Corporation says that it wishes me to consider undertakings in lieu which it contends could sufficiently alleviate the concerns I have such that I should accept the undertakings instead of making a reference."
Mr Hunt has requested that the Office of Fair Trading is involved in the process. If the undertakings are accepted, a 15-day consultation period will commence when parties will be able to express their views.
Business Secretary Vince Cable, who was stripped of media regulatory powers after telling undercover reporters he was "at war" with Mr Murdoch, said he was confident Mr Hunt would follow due process.
Mr Cable told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I was dealing with that issue, I no longer am. It's been handed over to one of my colleagues and I have complete confidence he's going to deal with this in accordance with due process. It's not helpful or appropriate for me to charge into the controversy."
↧
January 24, 2011, 8:20 pm
![Image]( "Four stabbed during disturbance")
A man was stabbed to death and three others suffered knife wounds during a street fight between two groups of people, police said.
Officers were called to Marine Terrace in Folkestone, Kent, just before 8.30pm on Monday after the large brawl erupted outside a house party.
Four people were rushed to hospital with stab wounds following the clash between the two groups of people from Middle Eastern origin.
One of the victims later died from his wounds, while another remains in a critical condition.
Kent Police have detained one man in connection with the incident and said officers expected to make a number of other arrests.
A police spokeswoman said: "We are continuing to investigate a large disturbance which began at around 8.30pm(on Monday). It is believed that a group of men gathered outside a flat in Marine Terrace where a party was being held.
"A fight took place between the group outside and the people from the party. Four people sustained stab wounds and were taken to hospital. Several other people also sustained a range of injuries."
Marine Terrace remains closed off while police investigators scour the crime scene for clues. Diversions have been put in place around the street.
Chief Supt Chris Hogben said: "We are investigating this serious incident which appears to be the result of a dispute between two groups of Middle Eastern people. We also have specialist officers working within the community to reduce these tensions."
Detectives have already spoken to a number of witnesses, but appealed for anyone else with information to come forward.
↧
January 24, 2011, 8:20 pm
![Image]( "Four children killed in house fire")
Four young children have died in a house fire, police said.
Emergency services were called to a house in Hulland Ward, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, at 11.30pm on Monday.
Derbyshire Police said that, when the blaze at the house in Highfield Road was extinguished, four children were found to have died.
A spokesman said: "Four young children, two girls and two boys, have died."
He said there was also "significant damage" to the house.
"There is currently a joint investigation ongoing between Derbyshire Constabulary and Derbyshire Fire Service to establish the cause of the fire, which at this time is still unknown."
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue service said it was called to the "severe house fire" at a semi-detached house in Highfield Road at around 11.30pm.
A spokeswoman said four fire engines attended the scene, adding: "The fire was well developed on arrival."
↧
A suicide bomber has killed at least 35 people and injured scores more at Moscow's busiest airport.
The city immediately went on high terrorist alert and stepped up patrols on the Metro underground system, a previous terrorist target, after the blast at Domodedovo Airport.
Thousands of people were in the terminal at the time of the blast, which happened in the international arrivals hall.
Mark Green, a British Airways passenger who had just arrived at the airport, told the BBC he heard the huge explosion as he was leaving the terminal.
"Literally, it shook you," he said. "As we were putting the bags in the car a lot of alarms... were going off and people started flowing out of the terminal, some of whom were covered in blood."
"One gentleman had a pair of jeans on that was ripped and his thigh from his groin to his knee was covered in blood," he said.
Domodedovo is generally regarded the most up-to-date of Moscow's three commercial airports, but its security procedures have been questioned. Built in 1964, the airport is 26 miles south-east of the centre of Moscow and handled over 22 million travellers last year.
In 2004 two suicide bombers were able to board planes at Domodedovo by buying tickets illegally from airport personnel. The bombers blew themselves up in mid-air, killing all 90 people aboard the two flights.
Terrorists have targeted other transportation centres in Moscow. In more recent suicide bombings, twin blasts in the Metro last March killed 39 people and wounded more than 60 people.
President Dmitry Medvedev later said: "from the preliminary information we have it was a terror attack."
A gunman has died after apparently shooting himself in the head following a 16-hour stand-off with police.
Paramedics spent more than three hours trying to save the man after at least one shot was fired on Leagrave Common, in Luton.
Eyewitnesses said the man was holding a sawn-off shotgun to his chin before the blast rang out shortly before midday on Monday.
Bedfordshire Police said one marksman may have also discharged a shot during the confrontation.
A spokesman said the man was pronounced dead by doctors at the scene some time after 3pm.
He said: "We confirm that the man involved in the shooting incident in the Sundon Park Road area of Luton has been pronounced dead after being treated at the scene.
"It would appear at this time the man discharged a weapon on himself, a shotgun has been recovered at the scene and it appears that it was in his possession at the time.
"The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Bedfordshire Police are co-operating fully."
Prosecutors will expand their review of evidence gathered during the phone hacking inquiry to include fresh claims swirling around the scandal, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said.
Keir Starmer said any evidence from "recent or new substantive allegations" will be assessed by a senior barrister as part of an ongoing inquiry into material already held by Scotland Yard.
The decision means officials at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) could advise the Met to reopen the inquiry into fresh claims that the mobile phones of high-profile individuals were hacked.
The review, overseen by Alison Levitt QC, may yet also lead to lawyers deciding that enough evidence already exists to bring charges against others implicated in the scandal.
In a statement, Mr Starmer said he has asked Ms Levitt to take a "robust approach" to her review of hundreds of documents and subsequent advice to senior police officers or prosecutors.
Two British nationals are among more than 30 people killed by a suicide bomber at Moscow's busiest airport, according to Russian investigators.
A Foreign Office spokesman said he was aware of the reports but could not confirm the deaths.
He said: "We have a consular team on the ground and we are urgently investigating."
Russian investigative committee spokesman Vladimir Markin has not identified the British victims who died in the explosion at Domodedovo airport.
The blast saw more than 30 people killed and almost 170 injured.
The departing head of the country's biggest business group has taken a surprise swipe at the Government, accusing it of failing to put forward its vision for the economy.
Sir Richard Lambert, who stands down as director general of the CBI on Friday, said business supported the "ruthless" approach to spending cuts, agreeing they were essential for the long-term stability of the economy.
But in his last major speech after four-and-a-half years in the job, Sir Richard said the Government had not been so consistent and focused on its plans for economic growth.
"It's failed so far to articulate in big picture terms its vision of what the UK economy might become under its stewardship. And it's taken a series of policy initiatives for political reasons, apparently careless of the damage they might do to business and to job creation."
Sir Richard said ministers were yet to set out a vision of what a successful growing economy would look like, adding: "The growth White Paper that was expected last autumn never materialised, and the impression was given that there simply weren't enough good ideas around to justify such a publication.
"Rather than a big picture of the kind of economic eco-system the Government wants to champion, we are left with a few rather vague ideas about the scope supporting a number of predictable sectors, and the promise that more ideas will be forthcoming at the time of the spring budget.
"When it comes to micro policy initiatives, politics appear to have trumped economics on too many occasions over the past eight months."
Sir Richard said the Business Department had been "understandably preoccupied" with the "dramas" of higher education in recent months, but he said: "Perhaps it is time for a hard look at the role of the Department of Business. We need a department that is seriously knowledgeable about everyday business needs. Less of a talking shop, more of an action-oriented growth champion."
David Cameron's official spokesman said: "Richard Lambert, it seems to me, is making many of the arguments you would expect a business lobby group to be making. The Government has made no apology about the fact that the deficit has to be addressed. We are also looking across the board at what more we can do to promote growth in the economy."
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "These are damning criticisms from such a respected figure in the business world. As Sir Richard says, the Conservative-led Government has no plan for growth and has taken decisions for political reasons regardless of the consequences for job creation and business."
Two British nationals are among more than 30 people killed by a suicide bomber at Moscow's busiest airport, according to Russian investigators.
A Foreign Office spokesman said he was aware of the reports but could not confirm the deaths.
He said: "We have a consular team on the ground and we are urgently investigating."
Russian investigative committee spokesman Vladimir Markin has not identified the British victims who died in the explosion at Domodedovo airport.
The blast saw more than 30 people killed and almost 170 injured.
David Cameron offered Britain's "complete support" in dealing with the terror attack in a telephone call with Mr Medvedev, Downing Street said.
"The Prime Minister utterly condemned today's explosion at Domodedovo airport. He offered his condolences and sympathies to all those who had been affected by what he described as an appalling attack," a Number 10 spokeswoman said.
"The Prime Minister assured President Medvedev of his complete support and said that the Russian authorities could count on Britain for any assistance they needed.
"The Prime Minister made clear that the people of Britain stood with the people of Russia in the face of these events and said that 'we should never allow the terrorists to win'."
The man accused of carrying out the mass shooting in Arizona has pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to kill politician Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides.
The plea by Jared Lee Loughner marked his second court appearance since he allegedly shot the congresswoman and 18 others at Ms Giffords' meet-and-greet event on January 8 outside a grocery store in Tucson. Six people died and 13 were wounded.
Loughner faces federal charges of trying to assassinate Giffords and attempting to murder two of her aides. He will later face state charges dealing with the other victims.
At least eight US Marshals were present at the hearing in the Phoenix courthouse as Loughner entered smiling and wearing an orange prison suit and glasses.
Investigators have said Loughner was mentally disturbed and acting increasingly erratically in the weeks leading up to the shooting. If his attorney uses mental competency questions as a defence, Loughner could be sent to a mental health facility instead of being sentenced to prison or death.
US District Judge Larry Burns of San Diego asked Loughner's attorney Judy Clarke whether there was any question about her client's ability to understand the case against him.
"We are not raising any issues at this time," Ms Clarke said.
Prosecutor Wallace Kleindienst said he would know within the next 30 days whether additional federal charges would be filed against Loughner. Mr Kleindienst said prosecutors provided defence lawyers with records taken from Loughner's computer and documents of about 250 interviews made in the case.
The judge did not rule on prosecutors' request to move the federal case back to Tucson so that victims and witnesses do not have to make the four-hour round trip drive to Phoenix to attend court hearings. The case was moved because one of those killed was a federal judge.
The judge set a March 9 hearing to consider motions in Loughner's case.
Prosecutors will expand their review of evidence gathered during the phone hacking inquiry to include fresh claims swirling around the scandal, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said.
Keir Starmer said any evidence from "recent or new substantive allegations" will be assessed by a senior barrister as part of an ongoing inquiry into material already held by Scotland Yard.
His announcement came as former MP Paul Marsden stated that his phone may have been hacked by a journalist at the Daily Mirror in 2003.
Mr Marsden - who was elected for Labour in 1997 before defecting to the Liberal Democrats - told the BBC he was keen to pursue court action if the claims were true. However, a spokesman for the newspaper group said: "Trinity Mirror's position is clear: our journalists work within the criminal law and the PCC code of conduct."
The Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) decision to widen its review means officials could advise the Met to reopen its inquiry into claims that the mobile phones of high-profile individuals were hacked. The review, overseen by Alison Levitt QC, may also lead to lawyers deciding that enough evidence already exists to bring charges against others implicated in the scandal.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Starmer said he has asked Ms Levitt to take a "robust approach" to her review of hundreds of documents and subsequent advice to senior police officers or prosecutors.
Mr Starmer said: "It has been agreed following a meeting with Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin and Acting Deputy Commissioner John Yates that any evidence resulting from recent or new substantive allegations made to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) of mobile voicemail interception arising from the Goodman and Mulcaire case should be subject to the same rigorous assessment as Alison Levitt QC is applying to material already in the possession of the Metropolitan Police Service."
The Met is under intense pressure to reopen its investigation into the phone hacking scandal following the departure of Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson, who has faced a barrage of difficult questions about his conduct while editor of the News of the World. The paper's former royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, was jailed in 2007 along with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
It has been claimed former prime minister Gordon Brown contacted the Met last summer to ask if his phone had also been targeted, but his office declined to comment on the reports.
The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee is to hold a hearing on the phone hacking allegations. Witnesses will include Lord Lester of Herne Hill, who is taking a private members bill on press regulation and libel through the Lords and former Law Lord Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, who sat in Naomi Campbell's privacy case against the Daily Mirror.
The man accused of killing Joanna Yeates is expected to apply for bail.
Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak, Miss Yeates' next door neighbour, appeared in court on Monday accused of her murder.
The 32-year-old was remanded in custody at Bristol Magistrates' Court charged with killing the 25-year-old landscape architect.
Tabak, of Canynge Road, Clifton, Bristol, was remanded in custody to appear at Bristol Crown Court next Monday. He is charged with murdering Miss Yeates some time between December 16 and December 26.
She disappeared on December 17 and her body was discovered on Christmas Day.
Paul Cook, representing Tabak, confirmed that his client wished to apply for bail and said Tabak would be present for that application at the Crown Court today.
Tabak's arrest was the second to be made by detectives since Miss Yeates' frozen body was found dumped in a lane on the outskirts of Bristol by a couple walking their dog. She had been strangled.
The university graduate disappeared after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues at her architectural firm in Bristol.
Her boyfriend, Greg Reardon, 27, reported her missing after he returned to the rented flat they shared on December 19 following a weekend away visiting family in Sheffield.
A huge police operation swung into action after her body was found on the verge in Longwood Lane, Failand, North Somerset.
The strength of the economy as it enters the age of austerity is to be revealed as official growth figures are released.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is expected to reveal the rate of GDP growth - a broad measure for the health of the total economy - slowed to 0.4% in the three months to December.
This compares to 0.7% in the previous three months and 1.1% in the second quarter.
The end of the construction blip - which has boosted growth in previous quarters - and the impact of the snow on economic activity in December are both expected to hit GDP in the quarter.
But Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said there was considerable uncertainty over how much December's severe weather hit overall activity, so the range of forecasts is quite wide, from 0.2% to 0.6%.
Mr Archer warned dismal retail figures for December released on Friday could see GDP undershoot his forecast of 0.4%.
While there are still signs of robust growth in the UK, a further slowdown will do little for prospects for the economy over the next year and its ability to withstand the Government's deficit-busting austerity measures.
Chancellor George Osborne unveiled an £81 billion package of spending cuts - leading to hundreds of thousands of job losses - last year to tackle the creaking public finances.
The ONS will also release public borrowing figures for December, which are expected to reveal Britain fell further into the red by £21 billion, leading to a total for the financial year to date of around £125 billion.
Last month, higher-than-expected borrowing figures prompted some economists to warn the coalition it was in danger of exceeding the annual target set by the tax and spending watchdog, while the Treasury said the figures reinforced the need for fiscal tightening.
The nominations for this year's Oscars are set to be announced - with Colin Firth carrying the weight of British expectations.
The actor is considered a frontrunner to land the best actor prize at the ceremony next month for his role as stammering monarch King George VI.
The movie is expected to land a best film nomination when the nods are announced at the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.
Tom Hooper, who made the movie, is expected to be nominated for best director, against fellow Briton Christopher Nolan for box office smash Inception.
Helena Bonham Carter is being tipped for the best supporting actress category for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film, set in Britain on the cusp of the Second World War.
Welsh-born Christian Bale is being considered a favourite for best supporting actor for his role as a boxer turned crack addict in The Fighter. Other potential nominees include Andrew Garfield, who was born in the US but raised in Britain, in the supporting category for Facebook movie The Social Network.
In the best actress category, Natalie Portman is considered a shoo-in for her role as a disturbed ballerina in the thriller Black Swan. Her rivals Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are also being tipped for their roles in comedy drama The Kids Are All Right, about a lesbian couple whose children are conceived using a sperm donor.
Firth, 50, who has just won a Golden Globe for best actor, has been Oscar-nominated once before. He was in the running for best actor last year for A Single Man but went home empty-handed.
The King's Speech recently upped its chances of winning the best film Oscar after being crowned best movie at the Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards. The past three PGA winners, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, and No Country For Old Men, went on to take the Academy Award for best film.
The Oscars, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, take place on Sunday February 27 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has telephoned assistant referee Sian Massey to apologise for his off-air comments about her at the weekend.
Keys and Andy Gray were dropped from Monday's line-up for the match between Bolton and Chelsea after the row over sexist remarks.
The pair caused controversy after agreeing female officials "don't know the offside rule" and predicting Massey would drop a clanger during Wolves' home game against Liverpool on Saturday. She ended up correctly calling a crucial borderline decision.
Keys' telephone call to Massey, who was said to have accepted the apology, was confirmed by a spokesman for Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO).
Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said earlier that Keys and Gray had been disciplined and dropped from coverage of the Bolton vs Chelsea match.
He said: "I have spoken directly to both Richard Keys and Andy Gray this morning. It has been made clear to each of them that their comments were totally unacceptable. Those views are inexcusable, entirely inconsistent with our ethos as a business and employer, and will rightly offend many of our customers, our people and the wider public. They are inexcusable from anyone at Sky, regardless of their role or seniority."
Former Everton striker Gray and Keys are both long-standing front men of Sky Sports' football coverage. They thought their conversation was private but it was obtained by the Mail on Sunday.
The duo agreed that someone should get pitchside to explain the offside rule to Massey. Keys added: "I can guarantee you there'll be a big one today. (Liverpool manager) Kenny (Dalglish) will go potty."
Then, referring to West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady's piece about sexism in a Saturday newspaper, Keys added: "See charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Yeah. Do me a favour, love."
Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, who is a qualified Football Association coach, told ITV News at Ten: "I think they are particularly stupid and ignorant. I think the girls' and women's game has increased so much that actually what they show is that they spend too much time in their glass commentary box and not enough time outside in the real world. I think that they should be forced to commentate on all future England women's internationals."
The faces of Britain's most wanted alleged doorstep criminals are being published in a bid to bring them to justice.
Police want to trace 10 men suspected of preying on elderly and vulnerable people in their homes.
Investigators said the number of so-called distraction burglaries, in which criminals pretend to be workmen or officials, often soars in February and March.
They brought together a list of suspects including offenders who claimed to be emergency plumbers, roofers and even friends of their neighbour.
Among those on the list is serial offender Patrick Connors, 30, who seriously injured a pedestrian he hit in a vehicle while escaping from police.
Connors, who has links in Coventry and Ireland and uses the alias William Ward, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison in his absence.
Another wanted man, Joseph Lowther, 26, allegedly stole £3,000 cash from one elderly victim in Lancashire after claiming he needed the money for materials to repair a roof.
The rogue trader is wanted for a string of similar suspected offences across the north-west of England.
The most wanted list was brought together by the Operation Liberal specialist police unit that monitors distraction burglaries and distributed by charity Crimestoppers.
It echoes other successful publicity drives targeting violent criminals, suspects thought to have fled to Spain and missing paedophiles.
There have been fresh calls for the Government to abandon its policy of increasing the duty on alcoholic drinks after new figures revealed falling beer sales are costing the Treasury £257 million a year in lost taxes.
Successive above-inflation rises in alcohol duty have been blamed for a 3.9% decline in beer sales in 2010, the sixth annual drop in consumption, according to British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) figures.
Pubs bore the worst of the hit, recording a 7.5% drop in beer sales, the biggest annual fall since 2008, but sales through supermarkets and off-licences increased by 0.6% as consumers looked for ways to cut the cost of a pint.
The BBPA said the rising tax levels and the subsequent fall in beer sales is not only damaging communities by causing the closure of pubs but is causing the Government to lose tax revenues.
BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "Huge tax rises are having a big impact on beer sales. Beer has always been a rich revenue source for Government - but they may now be cooking the golden goose.
"As beer duty has increased so dramatically over the last few years, the amount of beer produced and sold in Britain has fallen."
Alcohol duty has risen 26.1% since March 2008 when the Labour Government introduced a "duty escalator" that saw the tax rate increase by 2% above the retail prices index (RPI) every year. Two increases in VAT, which have seen the rate increase from 15% to 20% in the past 13 months, have also hit prices.
Pub beer sales have fallen by 20.2% over the past three years as the trade has been hit by the economic downturn, the smoking ban and increased taxes. Beer sales have also declined as a result of pub closures, with up to 40 pubs a week shutting at the height of the recession.
As beer has become more expensive, consumers have increasingly been buying it at supermarkets, where it can be purchased at a fraction of the price.
Mrs Simmonds added: "The Government should abandon plans for above-inflation hikes in beer tax in the Budget as further rises are simply unsustainable. This would create a win-win situation, with a boost for lower-strength, pub-based drinks like beer and more revenues for the Treasury."
About 50,000 people with dementia will be forced into care homes early because of a lack of support in their own homes, experts have warned.
Most people with dementia would prefer to live in the community yet there is inadequate help with everyday tasks such as shopping, washing and dressing, according to a report.
The study, from the Alzheimer's Society, said thousands of people with dementia are admitted to hospital or care homes when they could be supported at home.
For each "avoidable" month these people spend in care homes, the state will face a bill of at least £70 million, the study said. Care homes cost an average of about £559 per week.
There are 750,000 people living with dementia in the UK, two thirds of whom live in their own homes, with the remainder living in care homes.
For the study, the charity received responses from almost 1,400 carers of people with dementia and 48 people living with the condition. Another 989 care home workers also provided information to the charity.
The results showed that 83% of carers thought being able to live in their own home was very important to the person with dementia.
However, 50% reported that the dementia patient was not receiving sufficient support and care to meet their needs. This can lead to early admission to long-term care and avoidable in-patient stays in hospital.
The report said: "Current hospital and long-term care costs resulting from dementia are unsustainable and represent a significant opportunity for resources to be used more effectively while achieving better outcomes."
Carers also reported being under stress, suffering depression and having illnesses themselves.
Irish voters look set for a general election on Friday, February 25, after the minority Government and main opposition parties struck a deal to put Budget 2011 into law.
After more than an hour of crunch talks, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan revealed all parliamentary business would be cleared for the week to fast-track the Finance Bill.
"I think it's a good day's work. I think it's important for the country that we are seen to unite," he said.
The Dail will review the legislation for three days from Tuesday before it goes to the Seanad, where further amendments can be made.
Mr Lenihan warned that the Government - left in a minority after the Greens withdrew support on Sunday - will face a motion of no confidence if the Bill is not signed into law by next Tuesday.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen is expected to dissolve the Dail any time between Saturday and Tuesday with a general election to be held within 18-25 days, excluding Sundays and holidays.
The main opposition parties, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens, had heaped pressure on the Taoiseach and Mr Lenihan to set down a speedy timetable or face the prospect of being voted out of power.
But Sinn Fein refused to back the plan, and spokesman Pearse Doherty claimed his party was asked to leave round table talks in the Department of Finance only to refuse and sit in silence after lashing out at the government-opposition consensus.
Green TD Eamon Ryan said it was time for national politics, not party politics, and new reforms on the tax status of couples in civil partnerships, championed by the Greens, have been abandoned in order to fast-track the Finance Bill.
Labour's Joan Burton said her party's no confidence motion had been deferred until next week, and she said she believed the election will be held on February 25.
At least one Briton was among the 35 people killed in Monday's suicide bomb blast at Moscow's busiest international airport.
The Foreign Office confirmed the victim as Gordon Campbell Cousland and said it was urgently investigating reports that a second British national had died.
According to a list of victims released by the Russian authorities, a second Briton, named Kirill Budrashov, was also killed in the attack. The Foreign Office has not confirmed that Mr Budrashov, who was born in 1972, was a UK citizen.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry said eight foreign citizens were among those killed, and a preliminary casualty list published by the ministry shows a German and a Bulgarian among the dead, along with one person each from the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine.
No claim of responsibility has been made for the devastating blast which sprayed shrapnel, screws and ball bearings through the international arrivals hall at Domodedovo airport, injuring another 110 people. But Chechen militants behind many other terrorist acts in Russia, including last year's double suicide bombing on the Moscow subway that killed 40, are the main suspects.
The Foreign Office in London said: "Initial indications are that one British national was killed in the explosion at Domodedovo Airport. We are in contact with next of kin and providing consular assistance. The consular team is continuing to investigate reports that a second British national was killed but we have no information to confirm this at this time."
Two flights from London Heathrow arrived at the airport shortly before the explosion in the crowded hall at about 4.30pm local time yesterday, while one British Airways plane en-route to the Russian capital was turned back towards the UK.
Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the latest tragedy as an "appalling attack," while Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed to track down and punish those responsible.
Following the attack Mr Medvedev ordered security at Moscow's two other commercial airports and other key transport facilities to be put on high alert. He also said that officials at the airport must bear responsibility for security failures, but airport management contend Russian transport police were in charge.
Reports on Russian television suggested the suspected bomber was carrying a suitcase and shouted "I'll kill you all!" before detonating an explosive device as he walked through the passenger-filled hall.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that he intends to refer News Corporation's bid for full control of BSkyB to the Competition Commission.
Mr Hunt said the merger may operate against the public interest in media plurality, but added that he would first consider undertakings from News Corp before confirming the reference to the Commission.
A report by media watchdog Ofcom previously recommended that the proposed deal should be investigated further by the Commission.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp - which also owns papers including The Sun and The Times - made an approach in June to buy the 61% of BSkyB it does not already own, but Business Secretary Vince Cable stepped in to refer the deal to Ofcom on public interest grounds.
News Corp has told Mr Hunt it wishes him to consider special "undertakings in lieu", which it hopes will allay his fears and prevent him from referring the matter to the Commission.
Recent media reports have suggested that News Corp has told the Government it might be prepared to make concessions to avoid a lengthy consultation, with separating Sky News from BSkyB one option said to be under review.
Mr Hunt said: "News Corporation says that it wishes me to consider undertakings in lieu which it contends could sufficiently alleviate the concerns I have such that I should accept the undertakings instead of making a reference."
Mr Hunt has requested that the Office of Fair Trading is involved in the process. If the undertakings are accepted, a 15-day consultation period will commence when parties will be able to express their views.
Business Secretary Vince Cable, who was stripped of media regulatory powers after telling undercover reporters he was "at war" with Mr Murdoch, said he was confident Mr Hunt would follow due process.
Mr Cable told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I was dealing with that issue, I no longer am. It's been handed over to one of my colleagues and I have complete confidence he's going to deal with this in accordance with due process. It's not helpful or appropriate for me to charge into the controversy."
A man was stabbed to death and three others suffered knife wounds during a street fight between two groups of people, police said.
Officers were called to Marine Terrace in Folkestone, Kent, just before 8.30pm on Monday after the large brawl erupted outside a house party.
Four people were rushed to hospital with stab wounds following the clash between the two groups of people from Middle Eastern origin.
One of the victims later died from his wounds, while another remains in a critical condition.
Kent Police have detained one man in connection with the incident and said officers expected to make a number of other arrests.
A police spokeswoman said: "We are continuing to investigate a large disturbance which began at around 8.30pm(on Monday). It is believed that a group of men gathered outside a flat in Marine Terrace where a party was being held.
"A fight took place between the group outside and the people from the party. Four people sustained stab wounds and were taken to hospital. Several other people also sustained a range of injuries."
Marine Terrace remains closed off while police investigators scour the crime scene for clues. Diversions have been put in place around the street.
Chief Supt Chris Hogben said: "We are investigating this serious incident which appears to be the result of a dispute between two groups of Middle Eastern people. We also have specialist officers working within the community to reduce these tensions."
Detectives have already spoken to a number of witnesses, but appealed for anyone else with information to come forward.
Four young children have died in a house fire, police said.
Emergency services were called to a house in Hulland Ward, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, at 11.30pm on Monday.
Derbyshire Police said that, when the blaze at the house in Highfield Road was extinguished, four children were found to have died.
A spokesman said: "Four young children, two girls and two boys, have died."
He said there was also "significant damage" to the house.
"There is currently a joint investigation ongoing between Derbyshire Constabulary and Derbyshire Fire Service to establish the cause of the fire, which at this time is still unknown."
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue service said it was called to the "severe house fire" at a semi-detached house in Highfield Road at around 11.30pm.
A spokeswoman said four fire engines attended the scene, adding: "The fire was well developed on arrival."
