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Miliband defends brother's no-show

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Miliband defends brother's no-show Ed Miliband has defended his brother David's decision to snub this year's Labour Party conference. Hundreds of party delegates will gather in Liverpool from Sunday, 12 months after Mr Miliband beat his elder brother to the party's leadership. Former foreign secretary David Miliband will not attend the five-day event as he lets his younger sibling bask in the limelight. Speaking to the New Statesman magazine, Ed Miliband admitted: "We talked about it. "David was worried about people following him around - he didn't want to attract attention or be part of a soap opera." Mr Miliband said the "big theme" of this year's conference will be the need to "rip up the rule book" and take on "a political consensus that needs to be challenged and changed". He added: "I use the phrase 'ripping up the rule book' because what I am going to be arguing is that the set of things I've talked about - the squeezed middle, what's happened to young people, responsibility at the top and bottom - they're not coincidences or accidents, they're actually part of an economic and political settlement of some decades, and that settlement's got to change. "It's about everything from inequality to the vested interests who think they're immune from democracy, to employers who don't exercise responsibility, to the triumph of finance over industry. "It's about an ethic of take what you can, something for nothing, the short term, the fast buck, and all that has got to change."

'Evil' love cheat killer gets life

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'Evil' love cheat killer gets life The father of a teaching assistant brutally murdered by her cheating partner has condemned the "evil deceit" of the killer as he was jailed for a minimum of 22 years. Andrew Lindo, 29, showed no emotion as he was jailed for life at Bradford Crown Court for the murder of Marie Stewart. As Lindo began his sentence, the victim's father, Robert Stewart, branded her killer a coward who had "lied, misled, abused, cheated and stolen from us on a monstrous scale". Lindo, who led a double life dating a string of women, strangled, battered and stabbed 30-year-old Miss Stewart to death before storing her body in a flight bag in the garage of their home in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, on December 18 last year. Hours later Lindo put their two children in his car and went to collect his latest lover, Angela Rylance, then spent the night with her in the bedroom where the murder began. Lindo, a music teacher, tried to portray himself to the jury as a downtrodden father who was devoted to his children, when in reality he was having affairs with a number of women, including an allegation he was involved with a 15-year-old girl. The victim's body was not found for seven weeks, during which time Lindo conned her family she was still alive and had deserted their two children for another man. Sentencing him, Mr Justice Andrew Smith, said Lindo had shown an "extraordinary and chilling lack of remorse". He said the parole board would have to take into account his "extraordinary cunning and facility for deceit" before he was considered for release. He condemned Lindo for blackening the victim's name and for sending her family "cruel" text messages to try to convince them she was alive.

Freed American hikers leave Iran

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Freed American hikers leave Iran Two Americans jailed in Iran as spies have left Tehran, closing a high-profile drama with Washington that brought more than two years of hope then heartbreak for the families as the Islamic Republic's hard-line rulers rejected international calls for their release. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal left Iran just as darkness fell in the capital. The men were flying to Oman's capital, Muscat, although it was not clear how long they will stay in the Gulf state before heading home to America. The case of Bauer and Fattal, who were convicted by an Iranian court of spying for the United States, has deepened strains in the already fraught relationship between Washington and Tehran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was first to mention last week that the Americans could be released, is in the United States and is scheduled to speak at the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow. The release came just minutes before US President Barack Obama addressed the UN General Assembly. There was no direct evidence that Iran timed the American's freedom to overshadow Obama's speech, but Iran has conducted international political stagecraft in the past. Most famously, Iran waited until just moments after Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in January 1981 to free 52 American hostages held for 444 days at the former US Embassy after it was stormed by militants backing Iran's Islamic Revolution. The timing was seen as a way to embarrass ex-President Jimmy Carter for his backing of Iran's former monarch. Switzerland represents American interests in Iran because the US has no diplomatic relations with Tehran and the prisoners are expected to be flown to Oman now. The two men, both 29, were driven out of the prison compound just minutes after their Iranian attorney, Masoud Shafiei, said he has completed the paperwork for their release. Bauer and Fattal were arrested along the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009 and sentenced last month to eight years each in prison. A third American arrested with them, Sarah Shourd, was freed last year on bail. The three Americans - friends from their days at the University of California at Berkeley - have maintained their innocence and denied the espionage charges against them.

Hacking probe officer faces MP quiz

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Hacking probe officer faces MP quiz MPs are planning to question a top Scotland Yard officer over the force's dropped bid to force The Guardian newspaper to reveal confidential sources for stories relating to the phone hacking scandal, sources have said. The Commons Home Affairs Select Committee will summon Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mark Simmons to give evidence in a private meeting on Friday. The Yard's attempt to identify potential police leaks was widely condemned, with the newspaper's editor Alan Rusbridger describing it as "vindictive and disproportionate". The Metropolitan Police said it "decided not to pursue" production orders against the broadsheet and one of its reporters after taking legal advice. It had intended to seek the orders in a court hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, when the committee's meeting with Mr Simmons will now take place. Mr Simmons defended the investigation into the leaks on Wednesday. He told BBC Radio 4: "We've acknowledged and I've acknowledged the role The Guardian has played in the history of what brought us to where we are now, both in terms of its focus on phone hacking itself and indeed its focus on the Met's response to that. "But in all the glare that has been thrown on to our relationships with the media, we have had to ask ourselves the question about how do we do more to ensure that public confidence in our officers treating information given to them in confidence appropriately is maintained." He added: "I think what's happened is it's thrown into the spotlight the difficulty that we have in getting a new balance in our relationship with the media, in the wake of all the issues that have been aired, very publicly, in recent months." Mr Rusbridger acknowledged Mr Simmons's remarks about the need for a new balance in relations between the press and the police, but cautioned against moves to curb responsible journalism. "I just hope that in our effort to clean up some of the worst practices we don't completely overreact and try and clamp down on perfectly normal and applaudable reporting," he told the programme.

Talks bid to avert pension strikes

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Talks bid to avert pension strikes Talks aimed at averting a wave of strikes by public sector workers in a bitter row over pensions are to be held, with the Government saying it is committed to "genuine engagement" with the unions. The meeting between ministers and union leaders follows the announcement by the TUC of a day of action on November 30 in protest at planned increases in the pension contributions of millions of workers. Several unions are now preparing to hold ballots for strikes, with the aim of co-ordinating industrial action. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "We are totally committed to genuine engagement with the unions. We have a lot to talk about and there are proposals on the table for discussion. "Thursday's meeting with the TUC is part of ongoing talks. Central discussions have been going on for several months, and the Government is committed to working with the unions to achieve necessary reforms. "It is extremely disappointing that the TUC is calling on union members to lose a day's pay and go on strike while serious talks are still ongoing. This is a genuine and meaningful dialogue, which includes discussions about how to implement the changes on contributions set out in the spending review. "The Government is committed to this dialogue in order to agree a way forward. However, the unions also need to commit to genuine engagement and make constructive proposals." Union leaders have met local government employers to discuss the dispute. A TUC spokesman said: "We are determined to do our best to end this dispute through negotiation. But, despite many hours of talks, we have had little or no movement from ministers on the substantive issues. "We hope that the obvious growing anger of staff across the public sector will help persuade the Government that they need to not just talk but start to seek agreement."

No apology for compromises: Clegg

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No apology for compromises: Clegg Nick Clegg has said he owes no apology for making painful compromises on Liberal Democrat policy and braced party members for more pain to come. As record borrowing figures intensified the economic gloom facing the UK, the Deputy Prime Minister said there is a "long, hard road ahead". In his keynote party conference speech, the Lib Dem leader insisted the worsening crisis underlines the wisdom of signing up to tough Conservative-led cuts and he urged activists reeling from a year of anger, frustration and hammerings at the polls to believe it will "all be worth it in the end". He told the meeting in Birmingham: "Hold your heads up and look our critics squarely in the eye. This country would be in deep trouble today if we had not gone into Government last year. And Britain will be a fairer nation tomorrow because we are in Government today. "Never apologise for the difficult things we are having to do. We are serving a great country at a time of great need. There are no shortcuts but we won't flinch. Our values are strong, our instincts are good: reason not prejudice; compassion not greed; hope not fear." The successful mission to "stop the NHS Bill in its tracks" demonstrated how the party was able to "hold back" the Tories and "anchor the Government in the centre ground", he said. A string of announcements made at the conference, from gay marriage and curbing executive pay to action on empty homes, bear witness to the party's ability to move things forward as well, Mr Clegg said. He claimed that even the intense anger inside and outside the party over tuition fees was more down to a failure of presentation than the abandonment of a key pre-election pledge. Mr Clegg conceded the Government has to "do more" to stimulate growth after a further downgrade of UK prospects by the International Monetary Fund heightened fears of a double-dip recession. But aides insisted that reports a £5 billion injection into infrastructure is under discussion are wrong and that the coalition is united in sticking to existing spending plans.

Travellers move back to Dale Farm

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Travellers move back to Dale Farm Travellers who fled the UK's largest illegal site amid fears of eviction have moved back in as the barricaded main gate was opened following an 11th-hour court victory. Residents of Dale Farm in Essex won a court injunction on Monday, preventing the clearance of 51 unauthorised plots until Friday. The injunction required Basildon Council to give a plot-by-plot breakdown of how they plan to clear Dale Farm in Essex. In return, the authority wanted residents to stop blocking access to the site and to discourage non-travellers from protesting there. Travellers at the site opened up its main gate, allowing access for emergency services - and a stream of travellers who had left to come back. But the move was criticised by Basildon Council leader Tony Ball, who said it was "irresponsible" for travellers who had previously left peacefully to return. "No efforts have been made to take the main barricade at Dale Farm down either - the gates have simply been opened to allow travellers to return," he said. "The fact that this main barricade has not yet been removed and is unlikely to be shows a blatant disregard for the law and the obligations of the injunction. "We must not forget that the travellers have used the law to their advantage at numerous times over the past decade and most recently on Monday, yet they seem to want to pick and choose what parts of the law they obey. These actions clearly go against the court order. We have done our bit, and I would continue to urge the travellers to do theirs." While some families returned to Dale Farm, others were thought to have relocated to other parts of the country, including Luton, where Bedfordshire Police said some 20 caravans had pitched up at Stockswood Park, a large public park on the outskirts of the town. Luton council said it was made aware of the encampment on Monday and immediately started legal procedure for eviction.

Protests as prison execution nears

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Protests as prison execution nears Supporters of death row inmate Troy Davis in the US and Europe tried just about anything to spare him from lethal injection on Wednesday night for killing a Georgia policeman, a crime he and others have insisted for years that he did not commit. Supporters planned vigils around the world. They'll be outside Georgia's death row prison in Jackson and at US embassies in Europe. The 42-year-old's most realistic, though slim, chance for reprieve is through the courts, and his lawyers are trying. His backers have tried increasingly frenzied measures: offering for Davis to take a polygraph test, urging prison workers to strike or call in sick, posting a judge's phone number online, urging people to call and ask him to put a stop to the execution. They've even considered a desperate appeal for White House intervention. Supporters include former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict and a former FBI director, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, as well as conservative figures. The US Supreme Court even gave him an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence last year, but ultimately didn't hear the merits of the case. Several witnesses have recanted their accounts that it was Davis who pulled the trigger in the 1989 murder of Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, and some jurors have said they've changed their minds about his guilt. Still, prosecutors have backed the verdict and state and federal courts have repeatedly upheld his conviction. MacPhail was off-duty working security at a bus station on August 19, 1989, and rushed to the aid of Larry Young, a homeless man that prosecutors say Davis was bashing with a handgun after asking him for a beer. When Mr MacPhail got there, they say Davis had a smirk on his face as he shot the officer to death in a Burger King car park. Others have claimed the man with him that night has said he actually shot the 27-year-old officer. No gun was ever found, but shell casings were linked, prosecutors say, to an earlier shooting for which Davis was convicted. Witnesses placed Davis at the crime scene and identified him as the shooter. However, no other physical evidence found, including blood or DNA, tying Davis to the crime. As time ticked toward the execution, an upbeat and prayerful Davis turned down an offer for a special last meal and planned to spend his final hours meeting with friends, family and supporters. Meanwhile, two attempts to prove his innocence were rejected: a polygraph test and another hearing before the pardons board. His attorney Stephen Marsh said Davis would only submit to a polygraph test if pardons officials would take it seriously. "He doesn't want to spend three hours away from his family on what could be the last day of his life if it won't make any difference," Mr Marsh said. His lawyers, meanwhile, are trying the legal avenues left to them, filing a motion in a county court challenging the ballistics evidence and eyewitness testimony. A judge could at least delay the execution, which has happened three times before. Most believe arguments on the merits of the case have been exhausted, however.

Cameron in talks over Palestine bid

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Cameron in talks over Palestine bid David Cameron will hold talks with world leaders at the United Nations as the Government weighs its response to an expected push for Palestinian statehood. The Prime Minister arrived in New York amid reports of a split in the coalition over whether to back an application for Palestine to join the United Nations. The United States has already said it would veto such a move. Mr Cameron is expected to meet President Barack Obama as part of a series of bilateral talks planned alongside the UN general assembly. The Prime Minister is also expected to hold discussions with Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. The meetings take place against a backdrop of frantic diplomatic efforts at the UN to persuade Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas not to table a Security Council statehood bid. Sources close to the UK negotiating team said late on Tuesday that finding a solution before Friday's speech by Mr Abbas would be "very difficult". But they added that "efforts to find a way out of the crisis" were continuing. Speaking in New York, Foreign Secretary William Hague said there was "no progress to report on" but the diplomatic push continued. Mr Hague said: "Of course we are talking about how we can get back into negotiations, get Israelis and Palestinians back into negotiations. "That is our objective, it is the objective of all the European Union countries and is supported really by the whole international community."

No pensions action for now: doctors

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No pensions action for now: doctors Doctors' leaders have ruled out industrial action "at this point" in the bitter dispute over public sector pensions despite voicing support for the TUC's day of action in November. The British Medical Association Council said it was "not appropriate" to ballot its members, but added that it was not ruling out industrial action of some kind in the future. The announcement came ahead of crucial talks on Thursday between union leaders and the Government in a bid to avert widespread strikes later in the year over controversial plans to increase pension contributions for millions of workers. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA Council, said: "We share the intense anger of all NHS staff about the way in which the Government is attempting to bring about wide-ranging changes to our pensions without genuine negotiation. "Doctors and other NHS staff will be expected to work longer, pay higher monthly contributions, and yet receive a considerably lower pension, and all this is despite a complete overhaul of the NHS pension scheme in 2008 which protects the taxpayer from future cost increases and leaves the scheme delivering a surplus to the Treasury. "We are continuing to make sure our members understand what the complex changes will mean for their pensions and ensure their views are fed back to Government. "We are certainly not ruling out industrial action of some kind in the future but, for doctors especially, it will always be a last resort in order to protect their patients. "In the meantime, we will be looking at ways to encourage and guide our members in showing their strength of feeling about the unfairness of public sector pension changes on the day of action." Several unions are now preparing to hold ballots for strikes ahead of the November 30 day of action, with the aim of co-ordinating stoppages. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "We are totally committed to genuine engagement with the unions. We have a lot to talk about and there are proposals on the table for discussion."

Cameron in talks with Obama at UN

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Cameron in talks with Obama at UN David Cameron has met Barack Obama at the United Nations as the Palestinians prepare to bid for statehood. The Prime Minister held talks with the US President as the Government weighs its response to an expected push by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday. Mr Cameron, who earlier revealed that he would make his first prime ministerial visit to Saudi Arabia, said it was good to be in New York so close to the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, and said the relationship between Britain and the US was "as strong as it's ever been". Speaking at the start of their bilateral talks on the fringes of the UN, Mr Obama said he was "very fortunate" that he and Mr Cameron had developed "an excellent friendship" over the past 16 months. The president went on: "That's part of what makes the alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom so important. It's grounded not only in shared values and a broad-based agreement on policy, but it's also based on the individual relationships that we have and the friendships and joint traditions we have." He said he and the Prime Minister had "a lot to talk about", including the situation in Libya and their response to the global financial crisis. President Obama added: "We are keenly interested in finding a resolution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. "On all these issues I have always found Prime Minister Cameron to be an outstanding partner and so I am very grateful for his friendship, his hard work and his dedication on the global stage." Mr Cameron said it was "great to be back in America", adding: "It's great to be back in New York, particularly on this the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a reminder of how our countries always work together in defeating terror, in trying to make our world a safer place." He said he believed the allies were "getting to a good conclusion" in Libya, with "a real chance of freedom and democracy".

US stocks plunge after Fed decision

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US stocks plunge after Fed decision The Federal Reserve has done what investors expected by saying said it would buy Treasury bonds to help the US economy. The Fed said it would buy long-term Treasurys and sell short-term ones to help the economy regain momentum. It surprised investors when it said it would include more 30-year bonds in its purchases than expected. Financial analysts said stocks dropped as investors came to the conclusion that the Fed expects the economy to take years to recover. The major indexes fluctuated as they often do after major Fed announcements. The losses accelerated in the last hour of trading. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 283.82 points, or 2.5%, and closed at 11,124.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 35.33, or 2.9%, to 1,166.76. The Nasdaq composite fell 52.05, or 2%, to 2,538.19. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to a record low of 1.86% from late yesterday's 1.93%. After a two-day meeting, the Fed said it would buy 400 billion US dollars (£258 billion) in six-year to 30-year Treasurys by June 2012. Over the same period, it plans to sell 400 billion US dollars of Treasurys maturing in three years or less. The move is intended to drive down interest rates on long-term government debt, and could lower rates on mortgages and other loans. Those purchases are intended to send long-term rates down. The inclusion of more 30-year bonds than expected indicated that the Fed sees a need to keep rates lower for an extended period. And that took investors by surprise, Mr Pursche said. "When the Fed decides to take this type of action, it's because things are serious," Mr Pursche said.

Death row man in last-ditch appeal

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Death row man in last-ditch appeal Troy Davis, the condemned inmate who has convinced hundreds of thousands of people - but not the justice system - of his innocence has filed an eleventh-hour plea asking the US Supreme Court to stop Georgia authorities from executing him for the murder of an off-duty police officer. Though his lawyers say seven of nine key witnesses against him have disputed all or parts of their testimony, state and federal judges have repeatedly ruled against granting him a new trial. As the court losses piled up, his offer to take a lie detector test was rejected and the pardons board refused to give him one more hearing. Davis's supporters tried increasingly desperate measures, urging prison workers to stay at home and even posting a judge's phone number online, hoping people will press him to put a stop to the lethal injection. Many of them declared "I am Troy Davis" on signs, T-shirts and the internet, hoping to sway authorities. "They say death row; we say hell no!" a crowd of about 200 people chanted outside the Jackson prison where Davis was to be executed. About 10 counter-demonstrators were showing support for the death penalty and the family of Mark MacPhail, the man Davis was convicted of killing in 1989. Many of the demonstrators carried signs emblazoned with Davis' face. "Everyone who looks a little bit at the case knows that there is too much doubt to execute him," Nicolas Krameyer of Amnesty International said at the protest. Davis' execution has been stopped three times since 2007, but on Wednesday the 42-year-old appeared to be out of legal options. As his last hours ticked away, an upbeat Davis turned down an offer for a special last meal as he met with friends, family and supporters. "Troy Davis has impacted the world," his sister Martina Correia said. "They say, 'I am Troy Davis,' in languages he can't speak." The US Supreme Court gave Davis an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence in a lower court last year, though the high court itself did not hear the merits of the case. He was convicted in 1991 of killing Mr MacPhail, who was working as a security guard at the time. He had rushed to the aid of a homeless man who prosecutors said Davis was hitting with a handgun after asking him for a beer. Prosecutors said Davis had a smirk on his face as he shot the officer in a Burger King car park in Savannah. No gun was found, but prosecutors say shell casings were linked to an earlier shooting for which Davis was convicted. Witnesses identified him as the gunman, but several have recanted their accounts and some jurors say they are now not sure of his guilt. Others say a man who was with Davis that night has told people he shot the officer.

Police to probe child cage fighting

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Police to probe child cage fighting Police are to investigate whether children as young as eight were put at risk by taking part in a cage fight. The fight, involving two boys, took place at Greenlands Labour Club in Preston, Lancashire, on September 10 in front of a 250-strong adult audience. A video of the bout posted on the internet shows the two boys fighting in a cage without protective padding or head gear and receiving medical attention. Lancashire police said they would be looking into "whether there were issues surrounding the safety of children", while a children's charity described the fight as "disturbing". But club owner Michelle Anderson defended her decision to stage the event - and Nick Hartley, the father of one of the boys, told the BBC his son was not at risk of harm. Mr Hartley said: "He loves the sport. It's not one bit dangerous, it's a controlled sport. He likes to do it, he's never forced to do it, he wants to do it, so leave him to do it. "He'll never get hurt, it's a controlled sport, he could never get hurt. Until he gets a bit older and he starts doing physical contact, kicking and punching, then maybe, but at his age it's wrestling, like grappling." Ms Anderson, 39, added: "The children were not doing cage fighting, they were just grappling, there was no punching, kicking or striking. The event was perfectly legal. There was only one fight for kids, which was a demonstration fight, the other fights were for adults." A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "There is no issue with the club's licence to stage such events. However, we will be looking into whether there were issues surrounding the safety of children." Chris Cloke, head of child protection awareness at the NSPCC, said: "We would strongly discourage parents from letting their children take part in this kind of fighting. It's quite disturbing that some of those involved in the bouts were as young as eight, an age when they are still developing, physically and mentally."

Poison probe focuses on seven cases

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Poison probe focuses on seven cases Police believe four more people were poisoned by contaminated saline at Stepping Hill Hospital. Following the release of nurse Rebecca Leighton, Greater Manchester Police said they are looking at around 40 potential victims who may have been harmed by the contaminated saline. It is understood they now believe that seven within that pool were poisoned - including Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, and Alfred Derek Weaver, 83. Fifteen of those potential victims have been eliminated from the inquiry, while the cases of 20 others are still being assessed. Sources confirmed that a "Cracker"-style criminal profiler was brought in by police to help identify the mystery poisoner. The forensic clinical psychologist, who has assisted various police forces in several recent high-profile murder cases, was called in at the beginning of the major inquiry into who sabotaged saline at the Stockport hospital. He is not currently part of the investigation but initially aided detectives in drawing up the likely background of the saboteur. A police source said: "He was brought in at the early stages of the investigation and helped draw up a profile of the perpetrator. He is currently not helping with our inquiries." The source did not disclose how useful that information was or whether it played any role in the detention of Miss Leighton. The 27-year-old spent more than six weeks in custody but was dramatically freed on September 2 after proceedings against her were discontinued due to insufficient evidence.

Clarke will not stand for Commons

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Clarke will not stand for Commons Former home secretary Charles Clarke has announced he will not stand for Parliament at the next general election. The 61-year-old ex-Norwich South MP announced his decision in a statement to his local paper, the Eastern Daily Press. Mr Clarke said he will not be putting his name forward for the seat in 2015 saying: "It is now time to pass the Labour baton to another candidate. "I am confident that Labour will regain Norwich South at the general election." Mr Clarke was first elected in the 1997 Labour landslide, securing a majority of more than 14,000. As education secretary, he oversaw the introduction of university top-up fees, before playing a key role in changes to counter-terrorism laws during his time at the Home Office. He also served as minister without portfolio and Labour chairman. He was effectively dismissed as home secretary in 2006 after it emerged that more than 1,000 foreign prisoners had been freed without deportation being considered, and refused to accept another cabinet post. At the last general election he lost his seat to Liberal Democrat Simon Wright by 310 votes.

Car production races ahead by 10%

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Car production races ahead by 10% Car production accelerated ahead last month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). A total of 86,250 cars were made in the UK in August - a 10.7% rise on the same month last year. Commercial vehicle (CV) production was also up, rising 9.3% to 6,433. Car production for the first eight months of 2011 is up 4.4% compared with the January-August 2010 period but CV production, despite last month's rise, is down by 4%. UK engine production rose 14.4 for the year so far. The production figures follow news earlier this week that Jaguar Land Rover is to invest £355 million to build low-emission engines in Wolverhampton, potentially creating thousands of jobs. Also, UK automotive company CPP Global Holdings announced it would build a new version of iconic 1960s sports car the Jensen Interceptor at Jaguar's former Browns Lane site in Coventry. SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "A manufacturing-led recovery is taking shape, with August's automotive output up more than 10% and a recent wave of private investment securing long-term growth for the UK sector. "We are on target to exceed 2010 production volumes this year, with more growth to come in 2012. Government must continue to encourage and incentivise private sector investment in research and development, skills and capital equipment to maintain momentum and deliver lasting opportunities for the UK supply base."

E.ON will cut 500 support jobs

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E.ON will cut 500 support jobs Energy giant E.ON is to cut 500 jobs in its UK support functions to reflect the "changed nature of the business" following the sale of its distribution arm earlier this year. The company said it is seeking up to 500 voluntary redundancies, likely to impact mainly at its head office in Coventry and other sites near Nottingham. The announcement follows the sale of E.ON's distribution arm, Central Networks, in March and the subsequent concentration on the customer-facing business. Chief executive Paul Golby said: "We had to undertake a deep and rigorous review of how much money we spend in order to ensure we keep costs as low as possible for our customers, become a more agile organisation and build a sustainable business in the UK. "While I'm very aware that this will be a difficult time for our colleagues, it is our aim to keep uncertainty to a minimum and to achieve these redundancies by voluntary means." The German-owned utility group said that due to the voluntary nature of the planned redundancies, it is not possible to say how many people at each site will be affected by the changes. The company employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide.

Hospitals 'face collapse over PFIs'

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Hospitals 'face collapse over PFIs' More than 60 hospitals cannot afford the rising cost of private finance initiative schemes and are being left "on the brink of financial collapse", according to the Health Secretary. Andrew Lansley said he has been contacted by 22 NHS trusts which claim their "clinical and financial stability" is at risk because of the spiralling cost of PFI contracts. Under the schemes, which were expanded by the previous Labour government, private capital is used to fund public infrastructure projects such as schools and hospitals. The public sector body then repays the private firm with interest over an agreed time period and in some cases the costs of maintaining the buildings. However, the trusts say they are now unable to pay for their schemes - believed to be worth more than £5.4 billion in total - because the payments of their "NHS mortgages" have inflated during the recession. Mr Lansley told The Daily Telegraph: "Over the last year, we've been working to expose the mess Labour left us with, and the truth is that some hospitals have been landed with PFI deals they simply cannot afford. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that hospitals would not be allowed to collapse financially, he said, adding that the 22 trusts affected had a PFI commitment for £5.5 billion. "My point is that we have looked since the election and are working together with individual trusts to arrive at a place where they are financially, and in terms of the quality of their services, sustainable for the future. We can only do that if we work closely with them." The Department of Health said there are £12.6 billion of PFI contracts in the NHS, with some trusts paying off the scheme until 2050. It added that the Government was making an independent assessment of PFI schemes. The 22 trusts whose PFI contracts are said to be putting them at financial risk have been identified as: St Helens and Knowsley, South London Healthcare, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Wye Valley, Barking, Havering and Redbridge, Worcester Acute Hospitals, Oxford Radcliffe and NOC, Barts and the London, University Hospitals of North Staffordshire, Dartford and Gravesham, North Cumbria University Hospitals, Portsmouth Hospitals, Buckinghamshire Healthcare, West Middlesex University Hospital, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals, Walsall Hospitals, North Middlesex, North Bristol, Mid Essex Hospital, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, Sandwell and West Birmingham, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital

PM urges UN to act amid Arab Spring

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PM urges UN to act amid Arab Spring Prime Minister David Cameron is to challenge world leaders to seize the "massive opportunity" presented by the Arab Spring, as he flies the flag for interventionism. At the United Nations general assembly in New York, Mr Cameron will say the "historic" events in Libya and across the Arab states of northern Africa show that the UN "needs a new way of working". The PM will argue that "where action is necessary", the UN should step in at all times. "To fail to act is to fail those who need our help," he will tell delegates. Drawing on the experience of the Arab Spring and his own visits to the region, Mr Cameron will say that events have provided "a massive opportunity to spread peace, prosperity, democracy and vitally security" but only if nations seize it. He will continue: "The UN has to show that we can be not just united in condemnation, but united in action, acting in a way that lives up to the UN's founding principles and meet the needs of the people." In a call for greater action among member states, Mr Cameron will ask: "You can sign every human rights declaration in the world, but if you stand by and watch people being slaughtered in their own country, when you could act, then what are those signatures really worth?" He will argue that the people of the Arab world have made their aspirations clear, in that they desire greater freedom, more accountable governments and an end to corruption. Moreover, it is a global obligation to help them achieve these goals, Mr Cameron will suggest. On Wednesday, Mr Cameron met US president Barack Obama at the UN as Palestinians prepares to bid for statehood. He held talks with the US President as the Government weighs its response to an expected push by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Friday. Speaking at the start of their bilateral talks, Mr Obama said he was "very fortunate" that he and Mr Cameron had developed "an excellent friendship" over the past 16 months. President Obama added: "We are keenly interested in finding a resolution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
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