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Man jailed for mobile phone murder

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Man jailed for mobile phone murder A killer has been jailed for stabbing to death his teenage nephew after a petty argument over a mobile phone. Alan Cooper knifed 14-year-old Jordan in front of the victim's grandmother - the killer's mother, Susan Smith. The three were living together at her home in Newriggs, Washington, Tyne and Wear, when 32-year-old Cooper struck. After a five-day trial, a jury at Newcastle Crown Court convicted him of murder by a majority last week. He had admitted killing Jordan in February but claimed he had suffered an abnormality of mind which diminished his responsibility. The jury heard Cooper had a history of violence towards family members when drunk. Handing him a life sentence and ordering he serve at least 22 years before being considered for parole, Judge John Milford said Cooper was a "highly dangerous" man. He added: "You have been a bully since you were a small child and given to losing your temper and using violence, which is more likely when you have taken drink. You took the decision to kill Jordan, which you did not repent. You take no responsibility for your actions." The court heard that he and his nephew had bickered after the teenager used his uncle's phone to contact a girlfriend on Facebook. Cooper had teased Jordan that he would contact the girl later and an argument ensued. Mrs Smith defused the row and her grandson watched television with her in her room. As they sat in the dark, her son burst in and attacked Jordan. A statement on behalf of Jordan's family read: "This is not a victory for us. There are no winners out of this trial. It doesn't change anything. We have to live with our pain every day and the knowledge that we will never have Jordan back. "The jury came to the right decision and we are grateful to them for that. Justice has been done and now we have to try to rebuild our lives without Jordan. We are a very close family and we hope that we will now be left alone to grieve in private."

More legal challenges on Dale Farm

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More legal challenges on Dale Farm The possibility of the long-running battle over the future of the UK's largest illegal travellers' site being settled quickly has been put in doubt at the High Court. A judge was told more legal challenges were being launched as he considered whether to extend an injunction preventing Basildon Council in Essex from clearing the Dale Farm site. In addition to the legal action, it emerged that at least two applications for judicial review are planned as part of the campaign to stop the evictions of travellers. If they go ahead, the applications could add thousands of pounds more to the already huge legal bill generated by the Dale Farm saga. Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart, sitting at the High Court in London, granted a temporary injunction in favour of the travellers on Monday. On Friday lawyers for the travellers returned to court to argue that the injunction should be extended because moves to clear the site are legally flawed. At the start of the hearing, the judge said "planning avenues" had been exhausted and told the court that litigation could not be viewed as "yet another springboard for delay". He said the council had spent "substantial physical and financial resources" and courts had a duty to make sure that valuable resources were not wasted. The judge said he would not grant a "long stay of execution" to allow "minor squabbles" to be settled. But he was told by Marc Willers, appearing for the Dale Farm residents, that - quite separate from the hearing - the residents were applying for permission to seek a judicial review. It is understood the application will be brought on the grounds that the whole eviction process is "disproportionate". The judge then heard that the Dale Farm Solidarity Network, a group of protesters helping the travellers fight eviction, is about to lodge another judicial review bid. Ellen Wiles, appearing for the network, said the group was taking its own legal action on the basis that enforcement action against the travellers was "irrational". She asked the judge to allow the network to join the injunction proceedings as its members were "legitimate protesters on the site". The judge gave permission, but said the network was limited to making submissions in relation to any property it had at Dale Farm.

Light speed 'outpaced by particles'

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Light speed 'outpaced by particles' British scientists are to investigate astounding results which suggest Einstein was wrong when he said nothing could travel faster than light. Teams in the US and Japan are expected to re-run an Italian experiment that has left physicists shaking their heads in disbelief - the results suggest that sub-atomic particles called neutrinos can break the light barrier. Scientists measured the time it took for neutrinos to travel 453 miles from the European nuclear research facility at Cern, near Geneva, to a detector at Gran Sasso in Italy. It would take a light beam 2.4 milliseconds to make the journey. But more than 15,000 observations over a period of three years indicated that the neutrinos covered the distance 60 billionths of a second more quickly. If this were true, they would be breaking one of the most fundamental rules of physics. In 1905, Albert Einstein stated in his theory of special relativity that nothing can travel faster than a light beam in a vacuum - 186,282 miles per second. According to the theory, it would take an infinite amount of energy to exceed light speed. It would also violate the laws of causation. To an outside observer, a faster-than-light object would arrive at its destination before starting on its journey. Scientists agree that if the findings of the experiment are confirmed, physics would be shaken to its foundations. However, despite months of careful analysis and cross-checking, there is still a possibility that it could all turn out to be a mistake. For this reason, scientists in different locations in the world will now try to verify the results. They include British experts involved in the international Minos neutrino experiment at the Fermilab facility near Chicago in the US. Similar studies are also expected to take place at the T2K neutrino experiment in Japan, where British scientists also play a leading role. Professor Jenny Thomas, from University College London, a leading member of the Minos team, said: "The impact of this measurement, were it to be correct, would be huge. In fact it would overturn everything we thought we understood about relativity and the speed of light."

Couple quizzed over dead child

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Couple quizzed over dead child A man and a woman are being questioned by police after the decomposed body of a young child was found in a house. Officers made the grim discovery when they were called to the terraced property in Heaton, Bradford, at about 2.40pm on Wednesday. A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "Inquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of death of the child. A 40-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man have been arrested and are in custody." Police said the dead child was a boy, aged three and a half years. Officers attended the property after "concerns were raised about the occupants of the house", a police spokesman added. Detectives are not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation, and a single Police Community Support Officer was outside the mid-terrace house in Crofton Road. One neighbour said the woman who lived at the house moved in about two years ago. She said she did not know her or her large family very well but would often see her bringing in the shopping. She had not seen much of her in recent weeks. The neighbour, who has lived in the street for six years, said: "It's just such a terrible shock. This really is a quiet area. No one knows what's happened. It's just incredibly sad."

Labour urges emergency G20 meeting

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Labour urges emergency G20 meeting Labour leader Ed Miliband has called for an emergency meeting of the G20 group of rich nations to agree "a plan for growth" to steer the global economy back towards recovery. Mr Miliband's demand came after Prime Minister David Cameron warned that the world was close to "staring down the barrel" of a new economic crisis unless swift action was taken. With stock markets tumbling around the world, Mr Cameron used a speech in Canada to urge the eurozone to deal with its debt and the US to put its public finances back on a sustainable path. And he put himself at the head of a six-nation bloc of G20 leaders signing a letter calling for "decisive action to support growth, confidence, and credibility". But Mr Miliband accused the Prime Minister of "lecturing" foreign leaders, when he had no more to offer them than the same austerity package being imposed in the UK. Instead, he called for co-ordinated action by the G20 - whose members represent 85% of the global economy - to restore growth. "What we need is a plan for growth here at home and across the world," said the Labour leader. "That's the way we tackle the debt issues that we face." Mr Miliband was speaking as finance ministers of the G20, including George Osborne, gathered in Washington DC ahead of the scheduled Cannes leaders' summit in November. "The problem here in Britain is that we are relying on exporting our goods to other countries at the same time the Government is making cuts, but the problem is the other countries aren't buying from us because they are not growing either," said Mr Miliband in a broadcast interview. "That is why we need co-ordinated action and why I say to the Prime Minister 'President (Nicolas) Sarkozy is the president of the G20: get him to bring forward the G20 meeting. Have an emergency meeting, get the world leaders together and get a grip on the crisis facing the world.'"

Britain looks set for Indian summer

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Britain looks set for Indian summer Britain is in for an Indian summer which may see temperatures soar up to 27C next week, according to meteorologists. Forecasters at the Met Office say there are signs that suggest there will be several days of warm and dry weather. The south and east of the country should benefit the most, with temperatures up to 27C, compared with an average maximum of 16.1C for September. Chris Tubbs, Met Office chief forecaster, said: "It's too early to give precise detail, but the dominant signal is for much of the UK to get some fine weather from Tuesday onwards. "Temperatures could be unseasonably warm in places, certainly well above the average for this time of year. "The settled weather is set to last for several days and could carry on into the start of October, giving us a welcome respite from the windy and wet conditions which have dominated for the past few weeks." A spokeswoman for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "From next Monday there will be high pressure and it will be nice and dry, with temperatures easily into the 20s. "The parts of the country that are likely to benefit the most stretch from the Midlands to the east of England and southern parts of East Anglia." One event that might be affected by the good weather is the Great Gorilla Run 2011 on Saturday, a fun run in London which will see 1,000 participants run seven kilometres in dark furry gorilla costumes.

Clues point to Knox guilt - lawyer

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Clues point to Knox guilt - lawyer "All clues" point to Amanda Knox's guilt in the murder of Meredith Kercher, prosecutors have said as they urged jurors in her appeal to consider the victim's family. Making his closing speech, prosecutor Giancarlo Costagliola denounced an "obsessive media campaign" for stoking sympathy for American Knox. The 24-year-old was sentenced in 2009 to 26 years in prison for killing the British student, along with her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 26, who was jailed for 25 years. A verdict in the appeal is expected at the end of this month or early next month. Addressing a packed courtroom in the Italian town of Perugia, where the murder took place four years ago, Mr Costagliola said: "As you make your decision, I wish that you jurors feel a little bit like the parents of Meredith Kercher, a serious, studious girl whose life was taken by these two kids from good families." He added: "All clues converge toward the only possible result of finding the defendants guilty." Miss Kercher's sister, Stephanie Kercher, expressed regret that the media had become focused solely on Knox and Sollecito. Speaking on Italian television show Porta a Porta, she said: "In these four years, Meredith has been completely forgotten. But we need to find justice for her, we need to find the truth for her. "There's not much of Meredith in the media. There aren't photos of her in the media. The focus has completely moved away from Meredith to Amanda and Raffaele." University of Leeds student Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon in Surrey, was found dead on November 2, 2007 in her bedroom at the house in the Umbrian hilltop town she shared with Knox and others. The 21-year-old's throat had been slit and her semi-naked body was partially covered by a duvet. Ivory Coast-born drifter and small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede was also jailed for the murder after being prosecuted in a separate, fast-track trial. Italy's highest criminal court has upheld his conviction and his 16-year-prison sentence.

News Corp faces US hacking lawsuit

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News Corp faces US hacking lawsuit American lawyers are set to launch action against News Corporation over the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. Proceedings will be lodged in New York next week in a bid to seek statements from the media giant, according to Mark Lewis, the lawyer for the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. Mr Lewis, who negotiated a multimillion-pound payout for the Dowler family from News International over hacking claims, said its parent company could also be held responsible for activities at the paper. "Potentially it has very serious ramifications for News Corporation because the American damages for civil claims are far higher than anything in an English court," Mr Lewis said. Mr Lewis, of Taylor Hampton, is understood to have instructed Norman Siegel, a New York-based lawyer who represents about 20 families of 9/11 victims. "The action will be looking at News Corp's liability for action as far as its subsidiaries," Mr Lewis added. "It will raise issues of corporate governance." The announcement comes days after News International confirmed it was in advanced settlement talks with the parents of Milly over police claims that the 13-year-old's mobile phone was hacked after she went missing. A total package of around £3 million is being finalised, including a £1 million donation from Rupert Murdoch to charity. So far 16 people have been arrested on suspicion of phone hacking offences at the axed tabloid.

13 years for murder bid student

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13 years for murder bid student An A-level student who launched a ferocious knife attack on his 14-year-old ex-girlfriend near her school gates has been sentenced to 13 years in youth custody. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Samuel Gayzer-Tomlinson disguised himself by dyeing his hair before stabbing Chloe West at least 20 times outside Ridgewood High School in Stourbridge in April. Judge John Warner told the 18-year-old, who admitted attempted murder, that the "horrific" incident was aggravated by Chloe's young age and the fact that it happened in front of other pupils. Gayzer-Tomlinson, of Turls Hill Road, Sedgley, West Midlands, also pleaded guilty to wounding 16-year-old Ben Hudson, who intervened during the attack. The teenager, who was said to be "obsessed" with Chloe after she lost interest in their relationship and ignored his calls, drove to the scene in a Volkswagen Golf. The court heard that Chloe had ended the relationship in the middle of March and told Gayzer-Tomlinson she did not want to speak to him. Opening the facts of the case, prosecutor Hugh O'Brien-Quinn said: "The defendant was unable to take this rejection and, it seems, began to plan his revenge." Gayzer-Tomlinson dyed his hair a "blacky blue" colour and drove to Park Road West to confront her. The student began to attack her at about 8.45am as she walked to school with friends. Witnesses to the subsequent knife attack, including a parent dropping off a child, described how Gayzer-Tomlinson punched, kicked and repeatedly stabbed Chloe. Gayzer-Tomlinson was handed a restraining order, as well as a 12-year sentence for attempted murder, and ordered to serve a further year of detention in a Young Offenders' Institution for wounding. But he was told that he will be released on licence after serving half of the sentences, which will run consecutively.

Footsie up after turbulent week

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Footsie up after turbulent week Britain's leading shares index has brought a turbulent week to a close as world leaders failed to ease global recession fears. The FTSE 100 Index lost 5.6% or £78 billion from its value this week, which is the second worst weekly fall this year, despite a last-minute push which saw it close 0.5% higher on the day. A gloomy outlook from America's central bank, weak Chinese and eurozone economic data and the enduring sovereign debt crisis battered investors' confidence throughout the week.

Traveller site injunction extended

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Traveller site injunction extended Residents facing the threat of eviction from the UK's largest illegal travellers' site have been given more breathing space over the weekend. A judge continued an existing injunction until 4pm on Monday to prevent Basildon Council in Essex from clearing the Dale Farm site. Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart is having to decide whether the injunction should be continued further and said he hopes to give his decision on Monday. Sitting at London's High Court the judge said: "This is a very difficult area and I can quite assure everyone I am giving it the most anxious consideration."

Man held over contaminated Nurofen

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Man held over contaminated Nurofen A man has been arrested by police investigating how packs of Nurofen Plus were found to contain anti-psychotic and anti-epileptic drugs, Scotland Yard said. The 30-year-old is from Bromley in south London. A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed he had been arrested on suspicion of contamination of goods, and was being questioned at a south London police station. Reckitt Benckiser, the drug's manufacturer, recalled the product on August 26 and halted distribution after discovering five boxes contained other companies' medicines. It estimated some 250,000 packets were still in customers' hands. Scotland Yard's specialist crime directorate, which tackles serious and organised crime, launched a probe after four boxes were found to contain the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XL 50mg and one packet contained Pfizer's anti-epileptic medication, Neurontin, in 100mg capsules. Examinations are covering the entire production chain in a bid to identify how some packs of Nurofen Plus came to contain strips of the potentially harmful drugs. Seroquel XL is a prescription-only anti-psychotic drug used to treat several disorders including schizophrenia, mania and bipolar depression. People who accidentally take the drug may experience sleepiness and are advised not to drive or operate any tools or machinery until they know how the tablets have affected them. Neurontin, used to treat epilepsy and long-lasting pain caused by damage to the nerves, can also result in drowsiness and lack of co-ordination. Common side-effects of the prescription-only drugs, which may be seen in more than one person in 100, include pneumonia, depression, loss of vision, breathing difficulties and nausea. Nurofen Plus is for pain relief and contains codeine. The affected packs all contain 32 tablets. The large capsules of Seroquel XL 50mg tablets have gold and black packaging while Neurontin, which comes in a two-piece, white capsule, is stored in white and silver blister packs. Nurofen Plus capsules have silver and black packaging.

Locals baffled as boy's body found

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Locals baffled as boy's body found People in a quiet suburban street have said they could not understand how a family may have been living in a house with the decomposing body of a young boy. Police made the grim discovery of the body of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy when they were called to a mid-terrace house in Crofton Road in the Heaton area of Bradford on Wednesday afternoon. Officers have given out few details about how or where the youngster was found, but it is understood he may have been dead for a considerable period of time - possibly even months. Neighbours said the house was occupied by a woman and her large family, and that they had lived at the property for about two years. West Yorkshire Police are questioning a 41-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man. Officers said they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation. One neighbour, who has lived in the street for six years, said: "It's just such a terrible shock. This really is a quiet area. No-one knows what's happened. It's just incredibly sad." On Friday, forensic officers wearing white protective suits went into the house to continue their investigations. Outside, police community support officers guarded the front and back entrances while plain-clothes police conducted door-to-door inquiries in the street. Bradford Council leader councillor Ian Greenwood said: "Clearly, this is a terrible tragedy. "The discovery of this child's body has been upsetting and shocking for all of us. The police are keeping us fully informed and we will continue to work closely with them as the investigations continue."

Details of miners' deaths revealed

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Details of miners' deaths revealed Four miners killed in a tragic colliery disaster were all exposed to flooded pit contents under pressure, post-mortem examinations have revealed. Detailed examination results relating to each man are likely to take a further eight to 12 weeks. Phillip Hill, 45, Garry Jenkins, 39, David Powell, 50, and Charles Breslin, 62, died when water engulfed Gleision Colliery near Pontardawe, in South Wales. Rescuers battled throughout the night and into the next day in the hope that all four men had survived the disaster on September 15. Initial post-mortem results were released exactly one week after final confirmation came last Friday that all four men had died. Exhaustive examination of the scene of the tragedy is ongoing at the Swansea Valley colliery and will continue for several weeks. South Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive are conducting a joint inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the disaster. "Post-mortem examinations have been carried out and have confirmed that all four men were exposed to flooded pit contents under pressure," a police spokesman said. "Specific information on each of the victims will be known following further investigation which is likely to take eight to 12 weeks." He added that inquests into the four deaths will be opened next Tuesday afternoon. Details are to be confirmed.

Coulson to sue over legal fees

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Coulson to sue over legal fees Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson is suing News Group Newspapers, a subsidiary of News International, over their decision to stop paying his legal fees. Mr Coulson resigned from his position as Prime Minister David Cameron's spin chief in January. He has since been arrested on suspicion of corruption and phone hacking and released on police bail until October. A source said papers were served at the High Court "regarding the termination of the payment for his legal action". News International declined to comment. A spokesman for law firm DLA Piper, which represents Mr Coulson, said: "We can confirm that proceedings have been issued." Despite resigning as editor of the now-defunct News of the World in 2007, Mr Coulson has consistently maintained he had been unaware of the practice of phone hacking, claiming it was confined to one "rogue" reporter - former royal editor Clive Goodman. Conservative MP Louise Mensch, a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee that grilled key News International figures over phone hacking, said: "There is a feeling that News Corporation shouldn't be paying these fees. But then there is also contractual obligation and promises to employees." The Prime Minister has said he would make a "profound apology" if it turned out Mr Coulson - who has already been questioned by police - had lied to him about his involvement in phone hacking when he gave him the job of director of communications in 2007. He had been hired six months after quitting as editor of the News of the World when Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for their roles in the hacking scandal. Last month it was reported that News International was paying DLA Piper for their legal advice to Mr Coulson following his arrest. The Financial Times said the payments formed part of a deal between Mr Coulson and his former employer. It has also been reported that Mr Coulson received several hundred thousand pounds from News International for several months after he started working for the Conservatives. The severance package was said to have included continued access to healthcare and the retention of his company car.

Security Council sent Palestine bid

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Security Council sent Palestine bid The Palestinian statehood application has been relayed to the Security Council, the United Nations spokesman's office said. Washington has threatened to veto the measure if the Palestinians can muster the required support of nine of the Council's 15 members. The US, like Israel, says a Palestinian state must be negotiated by the two sides to the conflict. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was greeted by sustained applause and appreciative whistles from the delegations in the General Assembly hall as he outlined his people's hopes and dreams of becoming a full member of the United Nations. In a scathing denunciation of Israel's settlement policy, Mr Abbas declared that negotiations with Israel "will be meaningless" as long as it continues building on lands the Palestinians claim for that state. Invoking what would be a nightmare for Israel, he went so far as to warn that his government could collapse if the construction persists. "This policy is responsible for the continued failure of the successive international attempts to salvage the peace process," said Mr Abbas, who has refused to negotiate until the construction stops. "This settlement policy threatens to also undermine the structure of the Palestinian National Authority and even end its existence." To another round of applause, he held up a copy of the formal membership application and said he had asked UN chief Ban Ki-moon to expedite deliberation of his request to have the United Nations recognise a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Shortly after, Mr Ban announced that he had referred the application to the Security Council, where it is expected to founder under the weight of US opposition and a possible veto. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the General Assembly shortly after Mr Abbas, said his country was "willing to make painful compromises". "I extend my hand to the Palestinian people, with whom we seek a just and lasting peace," Mr Netanyahu said, to extended applause. Palestinians, he added, "should live in a free state of their own, but they should be ready for compromise" and "start taking Israel's security concerns seriously". Also hanging heavy in the air was the threat of renewed violence over frustrated Palestinian aspirations, in spite of Mr Abbas' vow - perceived by Israeli security officials as genuine - to prevent Palestinian violence. The death of 35-year-old Issam Badram, in gunfire that erupted after Jewish settlers destroyed trees in a Palestinian grove, was the type of incident that both Palestinians and Israelis had feared would spark widespread violence.

Osborne sets debt crisis deadline

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Osborne sets debt crisis deadline Eurozone countries have just six weeks to devise a long-promised solution to the debt crisis, Chancellor George Osborne has warned. Mr Osborne said a meeting of the G20 nations in France in November remained the deadline for action to tackle the crippling crisis. Speaking after meeting with fellow finance ministers from the group of developed and developing nations, he said there was a recognition of the need for urgency. Labour leader Ed Miliband, though, renewed his calls for an earlier emergency meeting to agree "a plan for growth" to steer the global economy back towards recovery. Speaking in Washington, Mr Osborne said: "There is now a recognition that they are at the epicentre of the global debt crisis and that they have got weeks, not months, to sort it out. "All the world leaders are going to be gathering in France in early November. That will be the moment where we need to see the comprehensive solution that we have been promised for a while," he said. Turmoil continued on markets across the globe as world leaders failed to ease global recession fears sparked by a gloomy outlook from America's central bank, weak Chinese and eurozone economic data and the enduring sovereign debt crisis. Prime Minister David Cameron used a speech in Canada to urge the eurozone to deal with its debt and the US to put its public finances back on a sustainable path. And he put himself at the head of a six-nation bloc of G20 leaders signing a letter calling for "decisive action to support growth, confidence, and credibility". But Mr Miliband accused Mr Cameron of "lecturing" foreign leaders, when he had no more to offer them than the same austerity package being imposed in the UK. Instead, he called for co-ordinated action by the G20 - whose members represent 85% of the global economy - to restore growth.

First-time buyers younger in north

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First-time buyers younger in north First-time buyers are four years younger on average in the North, Wales and Scotland than in London, according to a new report. The average age for a first time-buyer is 28 in these areas, compared with 32 in London, with almost a decade's difference between Harrow (34) at the top and bottom-placed Selby (25) in Yorkshire, according to mortgage lender Halifax. Also near the bottom of the list, with an average age between 26 and 27, were Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees in the North East, Barrow-in Furness and South Ribble in the North West, Bolsover in the East Midlands and Bridgend in Wales. Halifax said the age of first-time buyers reflects both lower house prices but also a low ratio of earnings to property prices in some areas. Nitesh Patel, housing economist at the Halifax, added: "Most of these areas are in northern England, where house prices are typically lower both in absolute terms and in relation to earnings, helping to limit the size of the deposit needed." In the south, Swale in Kent and south Gloucestershire also have an average first-time buyer age of 27, with south Gloucestershire also the only place where younger first timers pay above the UK's average house price of £135,100. An average property in Selby costs £114,113 or the equivalent of 2.9 times salary while someone buying in Harrow would need £262,634 and pay an average 6.5 times their income. The average age overall that someone buys their first property is 29, a figure that had only risen by one year since 1983 despite the upward surge in property prices, though Halifax said there has been a sharp rise in parental support to help buy a first property. The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates 84% of first timers received helped with their deposit in 2010 against 34% in 2005, while Halifax said the age of those trying to buy without any help with their deposit has risen from 28 to 31 over the same period.

Labour sets out energy split plans

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Labour sets out energy split plans Giant energy firms should be forced to pool all the electricity and gas they produce to encourage smaller operators to join the market and force down spiralling domestic bills, plans to be unveiled by Labour leader Ed Miliband suggest. Mr Miliband will use his party conference speech on Tuesday to paint his party as the only one prepared to take tough action to protect consumers through a plan compared by party sources to the planned "break-up" of the banking sector. As well as stopping the "big six" firms from selling what they produce directly to their own supply arms, he will say the price paid for energy from the pool would also have to be disclosed so that consumers could see the scale of the mark-up in a further bid to increase pressure for lower bills. The Opposition leader was accused by the Government of seeking a return to a system abandoned by Tony Blair's Labour government in 2001 after it failed to reduce prices and was "easily gamed" by the industry. Consumer groups have been pressing for action to protect consumers amid evidence that four out of five are paying more than they need to for their household energy. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne told the Liberal Democrat conference last week that energy suppliers would in future have to pay customers unlimited refunds to compensate for "bad behaviour" and said it would be made easier for customers to switch suppliers. Mr Miliband will also pledge to sweep away complex tariffs and replace them with a standing charge similar to telephone line rental and a set unit cost for energy. "People who work hard and do the right thing are not being rewarded while powerful firms from electricity companies to banks and train firms seem to do what they want," the source said in what is expected to be a running theme for the Labour conference in Liverpool which begins on Sunday. A Government source said: "The coalition Government is determined to get tough with the big six energy companies to ensure that the consumer gets the best possible deal. We want simpler tariffs, clearer bills and quicker switching and, with Ofgem, we are cracking down on any bad practice that could smack of being anti-competitive. "Ed Miliband is so devoid of ideas he wants a return to the pre-2001 energy market, which was abolished because it failed to bring prices down. Instead of sniping from the sidelines he should get behind the electricity market reforms being introduced by government and Ofgem which will bring about real competition and lower prices."

Man held over Nurofen drug mix-up

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Man held over Nurofen drug mix-up A man has been arrested by police investigating how packs of Nurofen Plus were found to contain anti-psychotic and anti-epileptic drugs, Scotland Yard said. The 30-year-old is from Bromley in south London. A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed he had been arrested on suspicion of contamination of goods, and was being questioned at a south London police station. Reckitt Benckiser, the drug's manufacturer, recalled the product on August 26 and halted distribution after discovering five boxes contained other companies' medicines. It estimated some 250,000 packets were still in customers' hands. Scotland Yard's specialist crime directorate, which tackles serious and organised crime, launched a probe after four boxes were found to contain the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XL 50mg and one packet contained Pfizer's anti-epileptic medication, Neurontin, in 100mg capsules. Examinations are covering the entire production chain in a bid to identify how some packs of Nurofen Plus came to contain strips of the potentially harmful drugs. Seroquel XL is a prescription-only anti-psychotic drug used to treat several disorders including schizophrenia, mania and bipolar depression. People who accidentally take the drug may experience sleepiness and are advised not to drive or operate any tools or machinery until they know how the tablets have affected them. Neurontin, used to treat epilepsy and long-lasting pain caused by damage to the nerves, can also result in drowsiness and lack of co-ordination. Common side-effects of the prescription-only drugs, which may be seen in more than one person in 100, include pneumonia, depression, loss of vision, breathing difficulties and nausea. Nurofen Plus is for pain relief and contains codeine. The affected packs all contain 32 tablets. The large capsules of Seroquel XL 50mg tablets have gold and black packaging while Neurontin, which comes in a two-piece, white capsule, is stored in white and silver blister packs. Nurofen Plus capsules have silver and black packaging.
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