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EU leaders call for reform in Egypt

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Image Europe's leaders have delivered a warning to the Egyptian authorities to answer their people with "political reform, not repression". As protests continued in central Cairo, a statement agreed at a Brussels EU summit stopped short of calling on President Hosni Mubarak to step aside. Instead it challenged the regime to honour the terms of a £150 million-a-year EU "Association Agreement", under which Egypt is committed to push through political and economic reforms in return for trade concessions and financial aid. The EU statement came as Barack Obama's US administration said it was in talks with Egyptian officials about the possibility of Mr Mubarak resigning straight away, and the formation of an interim government before free and fair elections later this year. Prime Minister David Cameron "played a significant role" in forging the summit declaration and was satisfied with the result, said a Downing Street spokesman. Mr Cameron spoke several times in summit talks on the exact wording as officials kept an eye on live television coverage of unfolding events in Cairo, where tens of thousands marched to bolster their campaign to oust the president. The Prime Minister "toughened the text in several areas", said Downing Street, amid differences over how far to go in condemning the regime. "There were always going to be differences of views," said a British diplomatic source. The declaration emphasised the right to free and peaceful demonstration and said any attempt to restrict the free flow of information, including aggression and intimidation against journalists and "human rights defenders", was "unacceptable". The text urged the Egyptian authorities "to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people with political reform, not repression". It said: "All parties should show restraint and avoid further violence and begin an orderly transition to a broad-based government. The European Council underlined that this transition process must start now."

Ex-prison warder wins stress payout

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Image A former prison officer has been awarded a six-figure sum in damages for stress he suffered after listening to sex offenders' accounts of their crimes, his lawyer has said. Steven Heaven, 44, claimed the harrowing "therapeutic community" sessions, in which sex offenders described their crimes in detailed and graphic terms, disturbed him so much that he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition often associated with soldiers returning from war. His case was settled, for an undisclosed six-figure sum, following a three-year legal battle after the prison would not accept that his illness had been caused by his working conditions, said his solicitors Moore Blatch Resolve. Mr Heaven, of Bridgwater, Somerset, said: "I knew it would be an extremely difficult case, but I decided I had to fight their decision and make a stand. "It was awful having to hear the prisoners' descriptions and I'll never be able to forget what I heard. "I feel like a real weight has been lifted from my shoulders, as I have been under a lot of pressure for so long. "I'll never be able to operate in such a high-pressure environment again, but I finally feel some closure and that I can now positively move on to the next chapter of my life." Mr Heaven's problems started when he was required to take part in the therapeutic sessions with sex offenders at HMP Grendon, a category B therapeutic prison in Buckinghamshire, towards the end of his 15 years as a prison officer. Despite having no experience as a clinician and no qualifications as a therapist, his job required him to listen to the prisoners' descriptions of their crimes, which were often expressed "in detailed and graphic terms". His lawyer Ciaran McCabe said: "It was a complex claim and in winning this case I feel we have achieved a landmark settlement."

Teenager guilty of father's murder

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Image A teenager has broken down in tears after a jury found her guilty of murdering her father. Antiques dealer Antoni Robinson, 61, was stabbed 15 times as he slept in bed at his home in Old Colwyn, North Wales, Mold Crown Court was told. A jury of seven women and five men unanimously found Gordon Harding, 20, and Mr Robinson's daughter, Ashleigh Robinson, 19, guilty of murder. The trial heard Harding launched the attack "supported and encouraged" by his girlfriend. Robinson broke down in tears as the verdict was announced, while Harding held his head in his hands. Harding and Robinson, of Llanelian Road, Old Colwyn, were accused of murder along with Sacha Roberts, 19, of Woodland Road West, Colwyn Bay, and a 16-year-old girl who cannot be identified because of her age. Verdicts have not yet been returned in relation to Roberts and the 16-year-old girl. Andrew Thomas QC previously told the court that the attack happened in the early hours of July 7 last year when the four defendants gained access to Mr Robinson's home as he slept. He told the jury that Mr Robinson suffered wounds to his face, neck and upper body, including four stab wounds to his back. The jugular veins on both side of his neck were severed and he died within minutes of the attack, said Mr Thomas. He said Robinson "encouraged and supported" Harding as he carried out the murder, adding: "This killing was the tragic result of family disputes over money, jewellery and property." Harding admitted stabbing Mr Robinson, but told the court that he was acting in self-defence. The jury was sent home and will continue its deliberations in relation to the remaining defendants on Monday.

Moat accused 'wrote secret note'

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Image One of two men accused of helping shotgun killer Raoul Moat during his murderous rampage wrote a secret note for his girlfriend in a "crude attempt" to get her to help his defence, a court has been told. Karl Ness, who hid the letter in his shoe while he was on remand, wanted his partner to back up his story that Moat forced him and co-defendant Qhuram Awan to assist him, and that they were being held hostage, Newcastle Crown Court heard. Obsessive Moat shot his ex-girlfriend Sam Stobbart, killed her new boyfriend and the next day blinded unarmed Pc David Rathband after going hunting for police officers. Ness, 26, from Dudley, North Tyneside, denies murdering Chris Brown, who was executed with three shots by Moat. Both defendants deny conspiracy to murder, the attempted murder of Pc Rathband, a firearms offence and robbery of a Northumberland fish and chip shop. Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, told the jury the note was found during a routine search at Holme House Prison where Ness was being held on remand. The letter, which was intended to be passed on to his girlfriend during a visit, instructed her in his version of events after Moat had carried out the double shooting, the jury heard. Ness wrote to her: "At roughly 3.30am Raoul turned up at yours going crazy and telling you what he did and what he had done!" In his version, she then summoned him to come to her home with Awan. "I got there and there was Raoul pointing a gun at you. He told me everything what he had done and me and Shaun (Awan's nickname) were in shock." Ness added: "He said he was taking us for insurance. That's the last you seen of us!!! Raoul said if the police come to you don't tell the truth or you're f****d." The case was adjourned until Monday when the first witness is due to give evidence.

Murder defendant 'dubbed Dr Death'

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Image A man accused of murdering his first wife and trying to kill his second was given the nickname "Doctor Death" by one of his former lovers, a court has been told. Malcolm Webster, 51, is accused of murdering Claire Morris in Aberdeenshire in May 1994 and pocketing more than £200,000 in insurance payouts after her death. He denies drugging her, deliberately crashing a car she was a passenger in, and then setting fire to it. He is also accused of trying to kill his second wife Felicity Drumm in New Zealand five years later to obtain £750,000 from separate insurance policies. The trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard the nurse was given the nickname "Doctor Death" while he was enrolled on a course in assisted death and euthanasia. The 50-year-old told the court that one of her friends had thought of the nickname, but she used it in jest. Advocate Depute Derek Ogg QC asked her about Webster's studies. He said: "He was studying palliative care or care of the dying?" Ms Hancock replied: "Yes." He asked: "Was the course called assisted death and euthanasia?" Ms Hancock, from Northampton, first met Webster in Glasgow in 2004 but did not begin a relationship with him until late 2007. But the relationship ended after Ms Hancock was contacted by the police who warned her about her partner. She was given a letter from the chief constable of Grampian Police. Taking a moment to compose herself, Ms Hancock described how she was left in a state of "shock" by the letter. "I just didn't believe it was true," she said. "I didn't recognise the person they were talking about." She later called Webster, who admitted that he still had a wife and son in New Zealand. She said she was left "too upset" to take in what he was saying. Webster denies the charges against him. The trial, before Lord Bannatyne, was adjourned until Monday.

Man killed as storms batter UK

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Image Britain has been battered by gales which left a man dead and caused damage and disruption to roads and buildings. Winds of more than 100mph were recorded in Scotland, while Wales, Northern Ireland and northern England also experienced strong winds. Forecasters said the weather pattern is set to continue overnight with a band of rain moving southwards on Saturday, along with slightly lighter winds. A 51-year-old motorist was killed on a rural road when his car was struck by a tree uprooted by high winds in Staffordshire. The man, who has not yet been named, was driving a Mercedes Vaneo on the A458 Bridgnorth Road near Stourton at about 11.30pm on Thursday. A police spokesman said: "In high winds, a tree on the grass verge has been uprooted and fallen across the carriageway, colliding with the vehicle. The driver received fatal injuries." Meanwhile drivers of high-sided and other vulnerable vehicles were urged by the Highways Agency to avoid the M6 between junctions 38 and 40 in Cumbria with wind speeds gusting beyond 65mph. In Scotland, the wind blew down trees and tore roofs from buildings, while oil workers were airlifted from a North Sea installation after several anchor chains failed in severe weather. And in Shetland - where gusts reached 93mph at 10pm on Thursday night - coastguards had to help secure a 25-metre fishing boat that broke free from its moorings. In exposed mountain areas, wind speeds broke 115mph. The Met Office said its calculator at the top of the Cairngorms, which shuts down at this speed, went out of action for four hours on Thursday night. Parts of northern England were also affected by the wind, with a block of flats in Leeds evacuated after its roof became loose. West Yorkshire Police also warned people living around Lombardy House to stay inside as engineers assessed the damage. In Sheffield, the top deck of the Tinsley Viaduct - which carries the M1 over the Lower Don Valley, close to the Meadowhall Shopping Centre - was closed after a lorry was blown over as winds topped 70mph. And all parks in York were closed by the city council as a precaution due to high winds.

EU leaders call for reform in Egypt

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Image Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak continues to resist calls for his immediate resignation today as hundreds more Britons prepared to flee the troubled country. Egypt's "day of departure" saw tens of thousands of demonstrators gather peacefully in Tahrir Square in central Cairo, again demanding the president must go, but Mr Mubarak, 82, has he will serve out the remaining seven months of his term to ensure a stable process. He has warned that chaos would ensue if he were to leave now and said he told US president Barack Obama: "You don't understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now." A second Foreign Office-chartered flight will take off by 4pm on Saturday from Cairo to London's Gatwick Airport with up to 165 passengers on board. A spokesman said it had received 160 "expressions of interest" to board the 165 seater plane, with 100 people already confirmed on the flight. Demonstrations were also set to take place in London on Saturday in solidarity with the people of Egypt. Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The protests that we have seen have shown that popular desire for change is unstoppable and fundamental political change is inevitable." He said he hoped the peaceful demonstrations "have shown that there is a yearning for serious democracy and rights that we take for granted". The Prime Minister restated his call for the transition of power to "start now" and said Europe should "move fast to support it, including through assistance with preparing free and fair elections". "This is not happening in some far-flung part of the world, this is Europe's back yard," he said. The Prime Minister said he did not support the Muslim Brotherhood, "but the choice should not be between the (Egyptian) government not giving people the rights and freedoms they are yearning for, and having an extremist Islamist regime." He went on: "And people who say that sticking with the status quo is a guarantee of stability are wrong."

Disabled MP was 'mocked' in Commons

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Image An MP with cerebral palsy has described how he was mocked about his disability as he tried to speak in the House of Commons. Paul Maynard, who was elected as the Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys last May, accused Labour MPs of "pulling faces" at him in an apparent mimic. In an interview with The Times, he said: "They were constantly intervening, trying to put me off my stride, which may be just normal parliamentary tactics. "But some were pulling faces at me, really exaggerated gesticulations, really exaggerated faces." He added: "Only they know for certain whether they were taking the mick out of my disability. But it felt like it." Other MPs confirmed that the incident had taken place, during a debate about the abolition of the child trust fund. The incident calls into question the sometimes highly aggressive and confrontational nature of the Commons. It may also undermine efforts to increase diversity in parliament. On his personal website, Mr Maynard describes his cerebral palsy as "very mild" and says it does not especially affect the way he lives. But he acknowledges: "It probably affects the way some people see me, and there will always be people who write you off because of it - but I've never let them stop me." He was diagnosed with epilepsy too when he was 22, an event he says was "a shock" and forced him to give up alcohol.

Authors to stage library read-ins

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Image Library lovers across the country are to take part in a series of "read-ins" in protest over threatened closures. Save Our Libraries Day will see more than 80 events held across the UK to bring attention to proposed government spending cuts. More than 350 libraries are understood to be under threat of closure. The events will be attended by authors including Philip Pullman and the musician Billy Bragg. As well as quiet reading, some events will see storytelling, writing workshops and music. Cambridge Central Library will see a flash mob book reading and Leeds City Library is asking people to dress as their favourite character from literature His Dark Materials author Pullman will take part in an event at Oxford Central Library and Bragg will bring his guitar to Charmouth Library in Dorset. Children's author John Dougherty will take part in a "flying authors" tour through several libraries in Gloucestershire. The day of campaigning comes after a study revealed children who used their local library were twice as likely to be above average readers. The National Literacy Trust report, based on a survey of more than 17,000 eight to 16-year-olds, revealed that almost two-thirds (64.5%) of those who use the library are reading above the expected level for their age. For non-library users, this figure is just 35.5%.

Barclays chief 'could receive £9m'

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Image The row over banker's pay has been reignited after reports Barclays boss Bob Diamond could be in line to receive a bonus package of more than £9 million. Members of Barclays' remuneration committee have discussed giving the package to the new chief executive although a decision will not be made until next Thursday when the full board meets and the final figure could be amended. Although Barclays received no direct bail-out from the Government, such a large rewards package would be likely to fan flames of public anger about the bonus culture in the banking sector. Mr Diamond, who is estimated to be worth £95 million, was once described as the unacceptable face of banking by Lord Mandelson because of his legendary riches. Sir Richard Broadbent, the senior independent director and chairman of the bank's remuneration committee, has disclosed the plans to some of Barclays' largest investors, Sky News said. A spokeswoman for Barclays stressed no decision has yet been taken. Barclays is also likely to say the proportion of its revenues it pays out to staff has risen from 38% to "a figure between 40% and 45%", when it reports full-year results on Tuesday February 15, Sky News said. Mr Diamond recently told a Treasury Select Committee of MPs: "There was a period of remorse and apology for banks and I think that period needs to be over." He said he had waived his bonus for the past two years but told the committee he would need to discuss with his family whether to do so again. Mr Diamond was previously chief executive of Barclays Capital, the bank's investment banking arm, before taking over from John Varley at the start of 2011. In his new job Mr Diamond receives an annual salary of £1.35 million, up from the £250,000 he was paid every year since 1999, with a potential annual bonus of up to £3.375 million. He is also entitled to long-term performance-based incentive shares worth £6.75 million next year. The bonus package he is due to receive is from his work at Bar Cap in 2010, which is believed to have put in a strong performance last year, said Sky. Under new rules imposed by the Financial Services Authority clamp down on the bonus culture, Mr Diamond will only be able to receive 20% of his bonus upfront in cash. The rest will be paid in shares or bonds.

Crisp sales soar amid downturn

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Image Britons scoffed 208 million more bags of crisps in 2010 than the year before as the economic downturn led to a more "relaxed" attitude to health, experts have suggested. Sales of crisps rose 5.7% to 134,622 tonnes - a 7,300-tonne increase on 2009 - according to data from Kantar Worldpanel, as consumers turned to comfort food and small treats as the economic crisis took effect, The Grocer reported. Experts said much of the sales increase was driven by changes in consumer behaviour in the recession. Mintel analyst Kiti Soinien said many consumers saw crisps as indulgent yet affordable while the downturn led to a more "relaxed" approach to healthy eating. She told the trade magazine: "The recession saw a clear increase in the tendency to treat oneself to less healthy foods, with a shift from the boom mode of self-improvement through healthy eating towards comfort food. "In many ways, crisps are seen as the perfect little treat for these times." Crisps are the UK's third most popular snack after fresh fruit and chocolate.

PM: Tougher stand on extremists

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Image David Cameron is to signal a tougher Government stance towards groups which promote Islamist extremism in a speech in which he calls for "muscular liberalism" in defence of Western values. The Prime Minister will say that the doctrine of multi-culturalism has failed and he will blame the radicalisation of Muslim youths and the phenomenon of home-grown terrorism on the authorities' "hands-off tolerance" of groups which peddle separatist ideology. Ministers should refuse to share platforms or engage with such groups, which should be denied access to public money and barred from spreading their message in universities and prisons, he will argue. Speaking to a security conference in the German city of Munich on Saturday, Mr Cameron will say that the threat of terrorism must be confronted not only though intelligence and surveillance, but by taking on the ideology of Islamist extremism at home. "Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism," the Prime Minister will say. While a "passively tolerant" society allows its citizens to do what they like, so long as they do not break the law, a genuinely liberal country "believes in certain values and actively promotes them," Mr Cameron will say. "Freedom of speech. Freedom of worship. Democracy. The rule of law. Equal rights, regardless of race, sex or sexuality. It says to its citizens: This is what defines us as a society. To belong here is to believe these things. Each of us in our own countries must be unambiguous and hard-nosed about this defence of our liberty." Mr Cameron's speech comes on the day of a planned march in Luton by the far-right English Defence League. But aides rejected suggestions that his comments might fuel racial or religious tensions. The Prime Minister will stress that right-wing extremists and Christian fundamentalist preachers of hate must also be condemned, they said. He will also insist that a clear distinction must be made between the religion of Islam and the political ideology of Islamist extremism.

Britain braced for wild weather

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Image Britain is braced for a wet and windy day as the weather continues to wreak havoc. Gales have battered parts of the country in recent days, with winds of more than 100mph recorded. One man has died and the high winds have also caused damage and disruption to roads and buildings. Forecasters said a band of rain - including some heavy downpours - will hit northern parts of the UK, gradually moving southwards to the Midlands by this evening. There is a risk of drizzle in the southern half of England, while the wind will also continue to be a feature of the weather although it is not likely to be as strong as Friday. A 51-year-old motorist was killed on a rural road when his car was struck by a tree uprooted by high winds in Staffordshire. The man, who has not yet been named, was driving a Mercedes Vaneo on the A458 Bridgnorth Road near Stourton at about 11.30pm on Thursday. In Scotland, the wind blew down trees and tore roofs from buildings, while oil workers were airlifted from a North Sea installation after several anchor chains failed in severe weather on Friday. In exposed mountain areas, wind speeds broke 115mph. The Met Office said its calculator at the top of the Cairngorms, which shuts down at this speed, went out of action for four hours on Friday night. Clare Allen, a forecaster with Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the wind reached speeds yesterday of 114mph in the Cairngorms, 90mph at Lake Vyrnwy in Wales, 84mph in Great Dun Fell in Cumbria, 83mph in Orlock Head in Northern Ireland and 80mph on the Yorkshire coast. She said the windy conditions were caused because the British Isles were sandwiched between a high-pressure system over western parts of mainland Europe and an area of low pressure near Iceland.

Massive police presence for protest

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Image Thousands of English Defence League (EDL) supporters will descend on the town that spawned the movement for a protest on Saturday. The group will gather in Luton, where counter-demonstrations have been organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and sections of the town's Muslim community. A massive police operation has been launched with more than a thousand officers on the streets at a cost of more than £800,000. Senior EDL members claim more than 4,000 supporters from across Britain and overseas will converge on Luton for a march and rally. The event has been billed with the slogan "Back to Where It All Began" alongside images of EDL members in balaclavas. Founder Stephen Lennon, 28, said on Friday he was warned his life was in danger if he led the protest. He has claimed he has been issued an Osman warning by Bedfordshire Police and is under police protection. Bedfordshire Police, which have been preparing for the demonstration for weeks, declined to comment on Mr Lennon's claim. The EDL has been controversial ever since its formation almost two years ago. The street protest movement opposes what it sees as the spread of Sharia law and militant Islam in England. Their regular protests in towns and cities across the country frequently descend into violence as they are met by counter-demonstrations, often organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF). The movement originated from a group known as the United Peoples of Luton. They were formed in response to a Muslim protest at a parade in Luton, in March 2009, for troops from 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment returning from Iraq. Islamic activists waved banners with slogans including: "Anglian Soldiers: Butchers of Basra" and "Anglian Soldiers: cowards, killers, extremists."

Briton held after relative's death

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Image A British man has been arrested in Spain after a hotel room brawl in which a man believed to be his brother-in-law died. The fight broke out between David Keith Brennan and Stephen Storey at the four-star Hotel Silken near Barcelona's famous Ramblas street in the early hours of Friday. The pair were reported to have travelled to the city from Neath, South Wales, for a stag do. Brennan, 49, was initially being held on suspicion of murdering Mr Storey, 47, but local police said later they were still investigating the cause of death and had yet to establish if it was murder. Spanish newspaper reports suggested Mr Storey, who is thought to be originally from Liverpool had had a heart attack. A spokeswoman for the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalonian police force, said: "The Mossos d'Esquadra have arrested David Keith B, 49. "At 2am (yesterday) the force received a call about a fight that had broken out between two relatives in a hotel room. "As a result of the fight one of the men, a 47-year-old, died. The cause of his death is under investigation." Brennan, who was being questioned "in connection with the death", is expected to appear in court today, when a judge will decide whether to charge him, she added. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Barcelona on February 4. We have notified next of kin and are providing consular assistance. We can confirm the arrest of a British national and we are also providing consular assistance. Consular officials in Barcelona are in touch with police and local authorities about the case."

Anti-paedophile checks to be eased

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Image Millions of people are to be spared criminal records checks before they can work with children. According to The Daily Telegraph, only those with intensive contact with children or vulnerable people will have to submit themselves to vetting procedures under the Government's plans. An announcement on the vetting and barring scheme introduced by the former Labour government is expected shortly following a review instituted by the coalition last October. Home Secretary Theresa May initially called a halt to the programme, which would have required more than nine million people to register themselves with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). Under the proposals to be announced, about half that figure would be vetted, the Telegraph reported. At the same time, the Government is to announce that criminal record checks are to be sent to individuals first - before they go to potential employers - to allow them to challenge any mistakes, the paper said. Criticisms have included more than 12,000 innocent people being labelled as paedophiles, violent thugs and thieves through an error, councils banning parents from playgrounds saying only vetted "play rangers" would be allowed in, and parents running into difficulties when trying to share the responsibilities of the school run. The review has been led by the Government's independent adviser for criminality information management, Sunita Mason. Among the factors being considered has been whether the disclosure of minor offences and police intelligence to prospective employers within the criminal records check should still form part of the process. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We are due to make more detail available shortly." The ISA scheme was developed in response to the murder of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by caretaker Ian Huntley. It was designed to prevent unsuitable people working with children and vulnerable adults, with employers facing prosecution for breaches. An independent review of the scheme took place under Labour following complaints that volunteers were being discouraged because the registration net was too wide. As a result, ministers agreed to vet adults only if they saw the same group of children or vulnerable people once a week or more, rather than once a month as originally proposed.

May Day bank holiday 'could move'

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Image The May Day bank holiday could be scrapped and replaced with a new holiday in the autumn, under plans being considered by the Government. The possible move to an October bank holiday - potentially called UK Day or Trafalgar Day - follows calls from the tourism industry for a better spread of public holidays across the year. But unions accused the Tories of attacking the celebration of international workers' day on May 1. Government sources denied there was any political dimension to the proposal and stressed that it was subject to consultation. It will be contained in a forthcoming tourism strategy. Tourism Minister John Penrose said: "Tourism businesses in the UK are brilliant at providing a quality experience for their customers all year round, but Government should play its part in helping them do so. "An autumn bank holiday, possibly to be branded as a new UK Day, would not only help the industry but also give us all a new focus for celebrating the best of what this country does, and all the things that make us a world-class nation. "But before we try to take this further, it's really important that everyone has a chance to consider it properly. "If people decide they'd rather hang on to the May Day holiday, then so be it, but we ought to consider the options in a sensible way before the country reaches a collective decision." Any change would not take place before 2013. There are additional bank holidays this year and next year to celebrate the royal wedding and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee respectively. The Government is studying the move because the Easter holidays can fall very close to the May Day bank holiday, while an autumn holiday - during the half-term break - would help promote the tourism industry in the later part of the year.

Mubarak holds talks over economy

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Image Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak is holding talks with his economy team as thousands of anti-government protesters remained camped out on Cairo's Tahrir Square. The political crisis that engulfed the country since January 25 has cost Egypt an estimated $3.1 billion (£1.9 billion), with the ensuing violence driving a nation once seen as a pillar of stability to the brink of chaos. The state MENA news agency said Mr Mubarak's meetings took place on Saturday morning in the presidential palace in Heliopolis, a Cairo suburb miles away from the events in the city centre. The report said the oil minister, the financial minister, the Central Bank governor and other top economy officials were present. Meanwhile, protest leaders said they had met with Egypt's prime minister to discuss ways to ease Mr Mubarak out of office so negotiations can begin on the nation's future. Abdel-Rahman Youssef, a youth activist, said he and other protest figures met with Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq late on Friday. He said the meeting dealt only with ways to arrange Mr Mubarak's departure and that protests will continue until that happens. Under one proposal, Mr Mubarak would deputise vice president Omar Suleiman with his powers and step down "in some way, either in a real departure or a political one," Mr Youssef said. On Friday, a rally of nearly 100,000 anti-government protesters failed to force the ruler of 30 years to relinquish power despite pressure internationally for a swift exit to allow for a path toward democracy. The mood among the crowd of several thousand in Tahrir Square was calm, in a marked contrast to clashes earlier in the week between anti-government protesters and Mubarak supporters.

Multiculturalism has failed: PM

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Image David Cameron has declared that multiculturalism had failed in the UK as he called for a "muscular liberalism" that challenges Islamist extremism more forcefully. In a major speech on tackling the threat of terrorism, the Prime Minister warned that the "hands-off tolerance" of unacceptable practices by non-white communities had only served to encourage extremism. His intervention angered some Muslim groups and comes as the far-right English Defence League is holding a major demonstration in Luton. Speaking to a security conference in the German city of Munich, Mr Cameron said that the threat of terrorism must be confronted not only though intelligence and surveillance, but by taking on the ideology of Islamist extremism at home. "Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism," the Prime Minister said. While a "passively tolerant" society allowed its citizens to do what they like, so long as they do not break the law, a genuinely liberal country "believes in certain values and actively promotes them," Mr Cameron said. "Freedom of speech. Freedom of worship. Democracy. The rule of law. Equal rights, regardless of race, sex or sexuality. It says to its citizens: This is what defines us as a society. To belong here is to believe these things. "Each of us in our own countries must be unambiguous and hard-nosed about this defence of our liberty." Jack Straw, a former Labour home secretary, said: "Mr Cameron's suggestion that the previous Government had gone in for 'casual tolerance' of extremism is simply absurd - and sits oddly for a man who used to criticise us for being too tough in respect of our counter-terrorist measures, not too soft. "Nor is it remotely true that the previous government in any way encouraged or acquiesced in the 'separation' of which he speaks. The overwhelming majority of British citizens of the Muslim faith want the same for their families as everyone else, and subscribe to the same values, including an abhorrence of terrorism."

Man held over school sex assaults

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Image Detectives investigating a series of indecent assaults at a school during the 1980s have arrested a man. A spokeswoman for Suffolk Police said a 59-year-old man from Stowmarket had been detained in connection with the alleged incidents at St George's School in Great Finborough, Suffolk. The man was in police custody waiting to be questioned.
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