October 13, 2011, 1:36 pm
![Litvinenko widow hails coroner vow]()
The widow of murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko has welcomed a coroner's pledge to carry out a wide-ranging investigation into her husband's death.
St Pancras coroner Dr Andrew Reid said the former KGB agent's inquest should have a broad scope and announced he would ask the Metropolitan Police and intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 to carry out further inquiries.
Mr Litvinenko's widow, Marina, said this decision was "very important" to her because it meant the inquest would examine allegations that the Russian state was involved in the killing.
A pre-inquest review at St Pancras Coroner's Court in north London heard that the Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering a new file of evidence about the case submitted by police in August.
Mr Litvinenko, 43, fell ill shortly after drinking tea during a meeting at a West End hotel with former KGB contacts and died in London's University College Hospital on November 23 2006.
British prosecutors have named fellow ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoy as the main suspect in his murder, but the Russian authorities have repeatedly refused to send him to face trial in the UK.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev insisted during a visit to Moscow by Prime Minister David Cameron last month that Mr Lugovoy - now a Russian MP - would never be extradited to Britain. Mr Lugovoy, who denies all involvement, suggested through his lawyer that Mr Litvinenko may have killed himself.
Ben Emmerson QC, for Mrs Litvinenko, strongly rejected these suggestions. He said: "Did Russia murder Litvinenko is a question that this inquest, if it is going to do anything in the public interest, has got to be in a position to answer."
Mr Emmerson said the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko using radioactive polonium-210 was a case of "nuclear terrorism on the streets of London".
Speaking outside court after the hearing, Mrs Litvinenko said: "I was waiting for this almost five years since my husband died. Today I actually received a very important decision. The coroner has said there will be a wide inquest into my husband's death. It will therefore include an investigation into the involvement of the Russian state in his murder, which is exactly what I want."
↧
↧
October 13, 2011, 1:39 pm
![Joanna accused 'drank champagne']()
Vincent Tabak was drinking champagne the night after killing Joanna Yeates, a court has heard.
The 33-year-old was described as "tired and disinterested" after strangling Miss Yeates with his bare hands the previous evening.
But he still found time to drink champagne as he joined girlfriend Tanja Morson at a friend's birthday party on Bristol's harbourside, the jury was told.
Miss Yeates, meanwhile, was said to have told friends she was "dreading" spending the weekend alone on December 17 last year, hours before she was strangled to death by next-door neighbour Tabak.
Linda Marland said she had chatted to Tabak the next day as her daughter Elizabeth celebrated her 24th birthday at the Pitcher and Piano. Mrs Marland told Bristol Crown Court: "Vincent sounded tired and disinterested. He was being short with his answers, not elaborating. I found it quite difficult.
"He only looked at me once. The rest of the time he was staring up the room. I got the impression Vincent was bored with my conversation... he was drinking a glass of champagne."
Dutch engineer Tabak admits manslaughter but denies Miss Yeates' murder.
The court heard from a string of friends who had drunk with Miss Yeates on the night of her death. Miss Yeates confided in one colleague of her fears at being without boyfriend Greg Reardon, who was visiting family in Sheffield.
The 25-year-old, who worked as a landscape architect at BDP, told office manager Elisabeth Chandler that she planned to spend the weekend baking.
"Jo told me that she was dreading the weekend because it was the first time she was going to be left on her own," she said in a written statement read to the jury. "Her partner Greg, who I know, was going away."
↧
October 13, 2011, 1:39 pm
![PM 'weak' over Fox, claims Miliband]()
David Cameron has shown himself to be a "weak Prime Minister" in his handling of allegations against Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Labour leader Ed Miliband has said.
Mr Miliband blasted "delay and indecision" over how to deal with claims of inappropriate links between Dr Fox and his close friend, defence lobbyist Adam Werritty, and said the Prime Minister should have called in his independent adviser on ministerial conduct, Sir Philip Mawer.
But Mr Cameron said it would have been weak for him to jump to conclusions before knowing all the facts.
His comments came as the BBC broadcast fresh allegations that wealthy backers of Dr Fox funded Mr Werritty's work and travel as he joined the Defence Secretary at meetings and conferences around the world over the past 18 months.
Questions have been asked over how Mr Werritty, who was Dr Fox's flatmate and best man at his wedding, could have afforded his globe-trotting lifestyle and why he was present at meetings despite having no official position at the Ministry of Defence.
Speaking in Aberdeen, the Prime Minister said: "A strong leader actually recognises you have to take time to get all the information, answer all the questions, and then actually make a decision."
Mr Cameron said it was right to wait for Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to complete his inquiry into the allegations, which is expected early next week after Mr Werritty has been interviewed for a second time.
Dr Fox insisted he was "back to complete normal working mode", rejecting Labour claims that the furore over his friend was distracting him from his job.
"I'm continuing to do what is needed at the moment, which is that the Defence Secretary focuses on defence issues," he told reporters.
But Mr Miliband said: "This uncertainty is not good for the country. We've got a distracted Defence Secretary and a distracted Government."
↧
October 13, 2011, 4:52 pm
![Labour urges new economic approach]()
Labour has sought to increase pressure on the Government to change its economic policy by demanding an "emergency budget" to promote jobs and growth.
Opposition leader Ed Miliband said Wednesday's rise in unemployment to a 17-year high was the clearest sign that a fresh approach was required.
Chancellor George Osborne is scheduled to set out his proposals to combat stalled growth in an autumn statement on November 29.
But Mr Miliband and shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the country could not wait that long, and announced plans to tour the country promoting their own five-point plan.
Prime Minister David Cameron refused to budge from the coalition's tough deficit-reduction strategy, claiming doing so would send the economy into a "tailspin".
The premier was highlighting industry success stories, helping unveil a £4.5 billion North Sea oil project in Scotland and opening a £400 million aerospace factory in Wales.
Mr Miliband accused him of being blind to the problems facing the UK, however. "Week by week, with every downgrade in growth, with every rise in unemployment we see, it is clear the Government's plan is not working," he told a Westminster press conference.
"Each and every day more than 1,200 people are becoming unemployed in this country and over 800 extra young people. That is an economic emergency and only a government so out of touch with what is happening in Britain's factories and Britain's high streets would fail to realise that."
The Tories seized on comments by Mr Balls about the short-term cost of the five-point plan as proof that Labour had abandoned its pre-election plans to halve the deficit in four years.
But Mr Balls said that while there were up-front costs - including the £12 billion needed to fund a temporary cut in VAT to 17.5% - there would also be benefits from the kick given to the economy.
↧
October 13, 2011, 4:52 pm
![Gove ignites A-level grades debate]()
Michael Gove has suggested limiting the number of students who achieve A* grades at A-level and raised the prospect of ranking youngsters on their results.
The Education Secretary said he was putting forward the proposals in order to "open up the debate" around the exams system.
But teachers' leaders moved quickly to raise concerns, warning such moves could set bright children up to fail.
Speaking at an Ofqual conference on standards, Mr Gove suggested that, in the future, only a certain fixed percentage of students could be awarded an A* at A-level.
This system, known as "norm referencing", was used to grade exams between 1963 and 1987, with around the top 10% awarded an A. Under the current system, any student that gains an A overall, as well as scoring at least 90% in each of their papers in the second year, achieves an A*.
Mr Gove told the conference: "We can't go back to a situation where all exams are graded on the basis of norm referencing." But he added: "I think it's important to open the debate.
He suggested that alongside pupils' final A-level grades more information could be produced so it is known "how they are ranked depending on the subject".
This could mean national rankings which would show the top students in the country in each subject and allow teenagers to compare their performance with their peers.
But Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), argued: "If students meet the required standard, they should be awarded the grade. We do not want to encourage a system which sets up bright young people to fail."
Adrian Prandle, education policy adviser at the Association of Teachers and lecturers (ATL), said they would have some concerns about ranking students: "We would question whether we really want to be labelling young children and potentially destroying their self-confidence."
↧
↧
October 13, 2011, 4:52 pm
![Changes to increase in pension age]()
The Government has announced changes to the planned increase in the state pension age, saying that tens of thousands of women would benefit at a cost of more than £1 billion.
The Department for Work and Pensions said a plan to raise the state pension age to 66 in 2020 would be delayed by six months from April 2020 to October 2020.
Around 245,000 women and 240,000 men would benefit, including 33,000 women who would have experienced a two-year rise in their state pension age, said the Government.
The Pensions Bill going through Parliament would be amended from the current timetable to cap the increased wait to a maximum of 18 months, costing the Government £1.1 billion.
Under the Bill, the state pension age for women would reach 65 by November 2018 and rise to 66 for men and women by April 2020.
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: "We have listened to the concerns of those women most affected by the proposed rise in state pension age to 66 and so we will cap the increase to a maximum of 18 months. We have always made clear that we would manage any change fairly and ensure any transition is as smooth as possible."
Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said that the changes were intended to make the transition to the new system "as smooth and fair as possible".
"The policy of increasing retirement age and equalising retirement age remains, but we have acknowledged the fact that there were some transitional issues with that change and we have been looking for some time at how to deal with those," he said. "We are acknowledging that if we make these changes there are going to be different effects on different people depending on how old they are."
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said: "This is a humiliating climbdown for David Cameron, who has ordered his ministers to rush out an 11th-hour change to his Pensions Bill which faced a storm in Parliament next week. Today's announcement is just a sticking-plaster, and hundreds of thousands of women will still have to work longer and lose thousands without enough time to prepare."
Michelle Mitchell, charity director of Age UK, said: "We would have liked the changes being made to have gone further. Having faced uncertainty twice already, these women must not be affected by any further changes to their state pension age again without sufficient notice."
↧
October 13, 2011, 4:52 pm
![New blows for troubled banks sector]()
The banking sector has suffered further knocks after one of the world's biggest banks unveiled a drop in profits and two British taxpayer-backed institutions had their credit ratings cut.
US banking giant JP Morgan Chase said net income fell 4% to 4.3 billion US dollars (£2.7 billion) as its businesses were struck by the eurozone debt crisis and fragile recovery in the US.
Elsewhere, agency Fitch cut the long-term ratings for Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland by two notches to reflect weakening support for the banking sector from the Government.
JP Morgan is the first of the big US banks to release its third-quarter results, with Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reporting next week.
The investment bank cut employee compensation by 2% in the first nine months of the year to 7.7 billion US dollars (£4.9 billion), averaging 289,611 US dollars (£184,795) in annual salaries, bonuses and benefits for each of the division's 26,615 employees.
Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan's chairman and chief executive, said: "All things considered, we believe the firm's returns were reasonable given the current environment."
Meanwhile, Fitch's move follows the same decision by Moody's Investor Service to downgrade the debt of Lloyds Banking Group, Santander UK, Royal Bank of Scotland, Co-operative Bank, Nationwide and seven smaller building societies.
Fitch, which also placed Barclays on watch for a possible downgrade, said: "The banking system is not only large relative to the UK economy, but there is also more advanced political will to reduce the implicit support for the country's banks."
↧
October 13, 2011, 5:31 pm
![Library cuts challenge turned down]()
Campaigners are preparing to go to the Court of Appeal after losing their High Court challenge against library cuts.
A judge rejected their claim that decisions to close six "treasured" libraries in Brent, north-west London, were "fundamentally flawed and unlawful".
Local residents fighting the cuts are being backed by celebrities including playwright Alan Bennett, singer Nick Cave and bands Depeche Mode, the Pet Shop Boys and Goldfrapp.
The six facing closure are Kensal Rise, Barham Park, Preston Road and libraries at Neasden, Cricklewood and Tokyngton.
Brent Council says the closures will help to fund improvements to the remaining library service and contribute towards the £104 million of savings it needs to make.
The campaigners accused the council of failing to comply with its statutory duties when it decided in April to close half of its libraries while promising to provide "fewer but better resourced libraries".
But Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting at London's High Court, ruled there was no evidence to support the allegations made against the authority and dismissed the campaigners' application for judicial review.
Asking for permission to apply for permission to appeal, Helen Mountfield QC, appearing for the campaigners, said: "This case is important not only for Brent but for other libraries and public authorities generally." Refusing permission, the judge said: "I do not regard there is any real prospect of success."
Later, campaign group Brent Save Our Six Libraries said they would ask the appeal court itself to hear their case. Margaret Bailey, a children's nursery manager and one of the leaders of the anti-closure campaign, said: "We are obviously disappointed with the decision given by the judge today. We are determined to appeal if allowed to do so."
Brent Council leader Ann John said: "We are pleased that the council has been completely vindicated. The judge, having carefully considered all the complaints, has found in our favour on each and every point. It means that we can now push ahead with our exciting plans to improve Brent's library service and offer a 21st-century service for the benefit of all our residents."
↧
October 13, 2011, 5:31 pm
![Inquiry into gangs child sex abuse]()
A two-year investigation is being launched into the plight of thousands of children who are sexually exploited by street gangs.
The probe, which will be led by the deputy Children's Commissioner Sue Berelowitz, is to examine the extent of the problem in England.
Current figures suggest up to 10,000 youngsters could be subject to sexual abuse by gangs or other groups.
However, initial research carried out for the Office of the Children's Commissioner has suggested that this figure could be much higher.
Ms Berelowitz has already said that existing data is inadequate and the full extent of this type of abuse is unknown.
Maggie Atkinson, Children's Commissioner for England, said the inquiry would be "a wake-up call for us all".
The investigation team will gather evidence from police and local authorities as well as health and youth justice workers until early next year, before publishing an interim report in July. More information will then be gathered the following autumn into early 2013, and the final report will be released in September that year.
Concerns have already been raised this year about a lack of action over the sexual abuse of children. Leading children's charity Barnardo's warned in August that parents and professionals were missing telltale signs of youngsters being groomed for sex.
And in June the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre published damning research which found that two-thirds of Local Safeguarding Children Boards were not meeting national guidelines and have failed to put in place "basic processes" to stop sexual abuse.
Rebecca Einhorn, from the NSPCC's Street Matters project, said: "Many girls' lives are seriously damaged by gangs who run this type of grooming. It is a corrosive problem that needs serious research and action to help those affected. But hopefully this inquiry will give us a clearer picture of just how big the problem is and help those working in the field find solutions to protect these vulnerable children."
↧
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Government's green policies slammed]()
The Government is failing to deliver on most of its commitments to help wildlife and the countryside, a coalition of leading conservation groups has said.
An assessment backed by 29 organisations has used a traffic light system to see if 16 Government pledges on the natural environment are being backed by policies which are well-designed and on track.
The Nature Check report criticises the Government over a number of controversial policies which conservationists say show ministers are failing to keep their promises on protecting nature.
They include the reliance on a badger cull to tackle bovine TB, attempts by ministers to dispose of publicly-owned forests to businesses and charities and the current row over changes to the planning system which opponents fear will lead to a return to damaging development in the countryside.
Just two of the promises outlined in the Government's coalition agreement have been given a green approval rating in the report published by the Wildlife and Countryside Link umbrella group.
The Government has earned the backing of the conservation groups for its action on pledges to oppose the resumption of commercial whaling and to press for a ban on ivory sales. A further seven commitments have been given an amber rating because the groups say ministers are failing to support positive ambition and rhetoric with effective policies.
Seven more pledges are given a red light, including promising to reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods more of a say in their local area and to create a presumption in favour of sustainable development in planning.
Other areas where the conservation groups say the Government is failing to deliver well-designed policies on time include preventing unnecessary building in flood plains and ensuring measures to look after the seas and open access to the coast are implemented effectively.
Martin Harper, conservation director of the RSPB, one of the groups in the coalition, said: "In these financially-straitened times politicians may be tempted to ignore the natural environment in favour of economic growth - but this kind of short-termist attitude won't wash with a British public which expects the Government to protect the countryside and wildlife we all hold dear."
Neil Sinden, policy and campaigns director for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said the Government would not be the greenest ever, as it claimed, if it continued with a "business as usual" approach to economic growth.
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Milly hacking 'known about in 2002']()
The police force that investigated the murder of Milly Dowler has been accused of knowing in 2002 that the schoolgirl's phone was hacked.
Claims were made by The Independent newspaper that detectives involved with the case were informed nine years ago that the News of the World (NotW) had accessed her voicemails, but that they took no action.
Allegations that the murdered teenager's phone messages were hacked only emerged publicly in early July this year. Around three weeks later it emerged that in 2002 Surrey Police had removed a detective from the probe into her disappearance after the officer passed on details of the case to a friend.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is currently investigating an allegation that a Surrey officer passed on information about the search for Milly to the NotW in 2002.
The Dowler family's solicitor, Mark Lewis, said: "Questions need to be asked why the police seemed keener on selling newspapers than solving crimes. It seems that when the public dialled 999 the police dialled NotW."
A spokeswoman for Surrey Police said: "In 2002, Surrey Police's priority was to find Milly and then to find out what had happened to her and to bring her killer to justice. Clearly there was a huge amount of professional interaction between Surrey Police and the media throughout that time.
"At this time, we must respect the primacy of the Metropolitan Police Service investigation into phone hacking to which we are providing all relevant information about the Milly Dowler case. To prevent prejudicing this inquiry, or any prosecutions which may result from it, we are unable to put all the facts into the public domain at this stage.
"Any detail, such as Surrey Police's knowledge or any contact with the News of the World in 2002, could be highly relevant to that investigation and could potentially prejudice it. Therefore it would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment on this at this time."
She said that the force itself had referred the leak allegations to the IPCC so that a "thorough and wholly independent investigation" could be carried out.
Surrey Police maintained that there was no evidence to suggest the detective constable had passed on information to a journalist, instead he had been talking to a retired police officer friend.
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Questions over Fox US fund-raiser]()
Defence Secretary Liam Fox and lobbyist Adam Werritty attended a 500 dollar-a-head dinner in Washington with senior figures from the defence industry which has not been declared by the Ministry of Defence, it has been reported.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Dr Fox and Mr Werritty were both guests at the £318-per-person fund-raising dinner last year at the Mandarin Oriental hotel attended by US defence industry lobbyists and military officials.
The event did not appear on the list of 18 occasions where Dr Fox and Mr Werritty both attended overseas engagements released earlier this week by the MoD.
A spokesman for Dr Fox said that he had been attending the event in a "private capacity" during a period of annual leave and that the visit did not involve the use of taxpayers' money.
However, the disclosure is likely to lead to claims he has still not come clean about the full extent of his contacts with Mr Werritty, despite admitting to meeting him 40 times since coming to office last year - including twice on family holidays overseas.
The event in Washington was organised by US Atlantic Bridge - the sister organisation of the now defunct charity which Mr Werritty used to head in London. The organisation's chief executive Amanda Bowman told the Telegraph: "Adam was with him (Dr Fox). He showed up that night because he was travelling with Liam. He was Liam's most trusted friend, and was at one of the top tables talking to other guests."
Other guests at the dinner were said to have included General James Mattis, commander of US Central Command, several senators, and Jeffrey Gordon, a lobbyist who served as a spokesman for the then US defence secretary Robert Gates.
A spokesman Dr Fox said: "Dr Fox took annual leave to attend an awards ceremony in a purely private capacity, no taxpayers' money was spent on this visit." The spokesman added that during the visit Dr Fox had also met Mr Gates - a meeting at which he was accompanied by two British embassy officials "and no-one else".
Meanwhile, David Cameron is under growing pressure to reach a swift decision over Dr Fox's Cabinet. The Prime Minister has said he will await the outcome of a Whitehall inquiry into the Defence Secretary's links with Mr Werritty, before deciding whether he should keep his job.
But with Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, who is leading the investigation, not expected to complete his report until next week, the Government faces the prospect of more damaging disclosures over the coming days.
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Welfare reforms timing 'disastrous']()
Thousands of families will be placed under "unfair pressure" due to welfare system reforms that are coming into force, a charity has warned.
Gingerbread urged the Government to delay plans to tell single parents not in paid work, whose youngest child is five or six-years-old, that they will be required to find a job or face potential cuts to their benefits.
The group, which campaigns on behalf of single parents, said that at a time of rising unemployment, the move could "cast adrift" 100,000 people.
Chief executive Fiona Weir said: "The proposed timing of this change is disastrous and will plunge thousands of single parents into a stagnant job market with little prospect of finding work that fits around their caring responsibilities.
"In previous years, single parents have been given plenty of notice of these changes and time to prepare, but the Government is rushing this legislation through and will catch single parents unawares.
"It makes much more sense to delay the change until 2013 when newly-announced childcare support will be available for part-time jobs, which will help single parents of young children balance work and parenting."
Gingerbread said single parents will start receiving letters from Friday telling them of changes in the conditions for receiving income support.
The charity said it was the first step to their income support ending early next year, at which point they will have to claim Jobseeker's Allowance, or another benefit, instead.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We know that many lone parents want the opportunity to get back into work earlier and that work is the best route out of poverty. This is why we are bringing forward and increasing the support we offer to lone parents.
"Getting a good balance between work and family responsibilities is important for every parent, which is why we will actively support lone parents so that they can get that balance right to take account of caring responsibilities and childcare."
↧
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Business chief warns on EU red tape]()
The UK's professional and financial services sector could suffer serious damage because of "heavy-handed" regulation from Europe, a business leader has said.
John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said a number of proposed regulations from Brussels in areas including corporate governance and taxation could hold firms back.
"The likely effect of many of Brussels' current proposals will be to damage the UK's prospects for growth. Nowhere is this more acutely the case than for professional and financial services, which are being bombarded with unwarranted regulation," he told CBI London's annual dinner.
He highlighted the "damaging consequences" for London of the proposed financial transaction tax, which he dismissed as "a Brussels revenue-raising exercise".
Mr Cridland added: "The tax would be an incredibly blunt instrument, one that would increase the cost of capital for businesses, hold back their growth potential and raise minimal revenue in return.
"It's a policy that will penalise the UK as Europe's leading financial centre, diverting activity to financial hubs like New York, Singapore or Hong Kong."
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Increase in overcrowded homes found]()
Families are squeezing into homes they have outgrown but do not have the money to move out of, heralding a return to overcrowding in UK housing, according to a new study.
Finance firm LV= said that after decades of overcrowding declining across the country, the trend had now reversed, with the average family losing 11 sq ft of living space in the past three years.
One in eight children now live in overcrowded homes while a similar number of families had made potentially unsafe modifications to their houses to create more space, the report said.
A survey of more than 1,000 households found that one in 12 families could not move for financial reasons while a similar number carried out work to create extra space, such as converting lofts or partitioning rooms.
One in 50 people modifying their homes admitted contravening building regulations with alterations that could be unsafe.
The research also found that the number of people working from home has increased by a fifth since 2008, with makeshift workspaces being used in corridors, cupboards and under the stairs.
London families were said to be the worst affected, with around one in seven families living in overcrowded homes, twice the UK average.
John O'Roarke, managing director of LV= Home Insurance, said: "British families are feeling the squeeze as they are being forced to live in smaller homes than are suitable for their needs.
"High property prices have forced many families to remain in a house that they have outgrown and many are resorting to desperate measures to create extra space. The research found that hundreds of thousands of families are now living with makeshift modifications, which could be illegal and also unsafe.
"Building regulations are designed to ensure that home modifications are safe and we urge all those considering modifying their home to ensure any changes they are planning to make meet regulation standards."
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Phones 'contaminated with bacteria']()
One in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated with faecal matter, according to new research.
Experts said the most likely reason for the potentially harmful bacteria festering on so many gadgets was people failing to wash their hands properly with soap after going to the toilet.
The findings of the UK-wide study by scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London also revealed a tendency among Britons to lie about their hygiene habits.
Although 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, 92 of hands had bacteria on them. Worryingly, 16 of phones were found to harbour E.coli - bacteria of a faecal origin.
Harmful E.coli (Escherichia coli) is associated with stomach upsets and has been implicated in serious cases of food poisoning such as the fatal O157 outbreak in Germany in June.
Dr Val Curtis, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "This study provides more evidence that some people still don't wash their hands properly, especially after going to the toilet.
"I hope the thought of having E.coli on their hands and phones encourages them to take more care in the bathroom - washing your hands with soap is such a simple thing to do but there is no doubt it saves lives."
The findings were released ahead of the annual Global Handwashing Day on Saturday.
In developed countries, hand washing with soap helps to prevent the spread of viral infections, such as norovirus, rotavirus and influenza.
Global Handwashing Day - which is held on October 15 every year - aims to transform the action of washing hands with soap into an automatic behaviour, deeply set in our daily lives.
↧
October 13, 2011, 8:15 pm
![Minister bins documents in park]()
Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin has been dumping government documents in park waste paper bins, it has been reported.
The Daily Mirror reported that Mr Letwin had been seen disposing of papers at a park close to Downing Street on five separate occasions.
The newspaper - which ran a picture of Mr Letwin apparently about to drop papers into a bin while talking on a mobile phone - said they included correspondence on terrorism and national security as well as constituents' private details.
One document was said to describe how intelligence chiefs "failed to get the truth" on Britain's involvement in controversial terrorist interrogations.
The Mirror described his actions as a "security breach", but a spokesman for the minister insisted that the papers did not contain any sensitive material.
"Oliver Letwin does some of his parliamentary and constituency correspondence in the park before going to work and sometimes disposes of copies of letters there. They are not documents of a sensitive nature," the spokesman said.
↧
↧
October 14, 2011, 2:55 am
![Pathologist due at Jo murder trial]()
The pathologist who recorded 43 injuries on Joanna Yeates's body is to give evidence at her murder trial.
Dr Russell Delaney is said to have found 12 wounds to her head and neck, three to her trunk and 12 to her right arm.
Jurors are also due to hear evidence from Daniel Birch, the dog walker who discovered her frozen corpse on Christmas Day.
Mr Birch made the grim discovery during an early-morning wander in Failand, near Bristol.
Prosecution barrister Nigel Lickley QC says Mr Birch and his partner had opened presents early and set off for a walk.
"They walked past a mound of snow," Mr Lickley said. "Something triggered in the mind of the man.
"From a distance he saw features that indicated that a human body was buried in the snow... a patch of skin and some denim."
Vincent Tabak, 33 - who admits manslaughter but denies murdering 25-year-old Miss Yeates - was drinking champagne the night after her death, Bristol Crown Court has heard.
Miss Yeates, meanwhile, was said to have told friends she was "dreading" spending the weekend alone at her Clifton home on December 17 last year.
Hours later she was strangled to death by next-door neighbour Tabak, the jury was told.
↧
October 14, 2011, 2:55 am
![Some miscarriage tests 'unreliable']()
Hundreds of viable wanted pregnancies are being lost to British women each year because of unreliable miscarriage tests, new research suggests.
The precise numbers are unclear but scientists believe there could be 400 errors every year with the potential to result in terminations. This is more than the estimated 300 cot deaths reported each year in the UK.
Experts have called for more research and improved professional guidelines to minimise the chances of such tragedies occurring.
Pain or bleeding, or a previous history of miscarriage, may prompt doctors to carry out an ultrasound investigation early in pregnancy.
Common practice is to measure the size of the gestational sac and the embryo it contains. If a sac of a certain size appears empty, or an embryo reaches a certain stage of development with no heartbeat, a diagnosis of miscarriage is made.
When there is doubt about the results, physicians are advised to re-measure the gestational sac seven to 10 days later. If the sac does not grow during that time, it is assumed a miscarriage has occurred. A termination may then follow.
But according to the new findings, from a series of research papers published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics, the margin of error is so high that some perfectly viable pregnancies are being lost.
One study revealed an up to 20% variation in the size of gestational sacs reported by different clinicians measuring the same pregnancies.
Professor Tom Bourne, from Imperial College London, who led a study of more than 1,000 women suspected of miscarrying, said: "Currently there is a risk that some women seeking reassurance with pain or bleeding in early pregnancy may be told they have had a miscarriage and choose to undergo surgical or medical treatment when the pregnancy is in fact healthy."
Each year an estimated 500,000 women have miscarriages in the UK. Research suggests around 30% of these women undergo early ultrasound scans.
↧
October 14, 2011, 2:55 am
![Skills worry limits apprenticeships]()
Only one in five firms has taken on an apprentice in the past year and even fewer will change their hiring plans amid increasing concern about poor basic skills such as numeracy and literacy, a report has revealed.
A survey of 6,000 firms by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) discovered that almost half said it was difficult to find a suitable candidate for a vacancy.
Many firms complained that jobseekers did not have the right skills, including poor timekeeping, communication, numeracy and literacy.
Business also lacked confidence in qualifications including degrees and A-levels while only one in five firms was happy about taking on a public sector worker.
Only one in 10 said they were confident about recruiting someone who had been unemployed for six months or longer.
With youth unemployment almost reaching a million, the BCC report called for changes to the education system to improve school-leavers' skills.
The BCC called for business economics to be taught in schools, and said communication skills must be improved.
The survey found that only 20% of businesses took on an apprentice in the year to April 2011 and fewer will be hired in the coming year despite the Prime Minister urging businesses to take on more apprentices.
Of those businesses that had not taken on an apprentice, over half said they were not relevant to their sector, suggesting the apprenticeship system is not tailored to the needs of business, said the report.
John Longworth, director general of the BCC, said: "We applaud the Government's commitment to apprenticeships. Yet our statistics show that the quality level of many apprenticeships is not high enough, and too few businesses see apprenticeships as relevant to their sector."
↧
The widow of murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko has welcomed a coroner's pledge to carry out a wide-ranging investigation into her husband's death.
St Pancras coroner Dr Andrew Reid said the former KGB agent's inquest should have a broad scope and announced he would ask the Metropolitan Police and intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 to carry out further inquiries.
Mr Litvinenko's widow, Marina, said this decision was "very important" to her because it meant the inquest would examine allegations that the Russian state was involved in the killing.
A pre-inquest review at St Pancras Coroner's Court in north London heard that the Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering a new file of evidence about the case submitted by police in August.
Mr Litvinenko, 43, fell ill shortly after drinking tea during a meeting at a West End hotel with former KGB contacts and died in London's University College Hospital on November 23 2006.
British prosecutors have named fellow ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoy as the main suspect in his murder, but the Russian authorities have repeatedly refused to send him to face trial in the UK.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev insisted during a visit to Moscow by Prime Minister David Cameron last month that Mr Lugovoy - now a Russian MP - would never be extradited to Britain. Mr Lugovoy, who denies all involvement, suggested through his lawyer that Mr Litvinenko may have killed himself.
Ben Emmerson QC, for Mrs Litvinenko, strongly rejected these suggestions. He said: "Did Russia murder Litvinenko is a question that this inquest, if it is going to do anything in the public interest, has got to be in a position to answer."
Mr Emmerson said the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko using radioactive polonium-210 was a case of "nuclear terrorism on the streets of London".
Speaking outside court after the hearing, Mrs Litvinenko said: "I was waiting for this almost five years since my husband died. Today I actually received a very important decision. The coroner has said there will be a wide inquest into my husband's death. It will therefore include an investigation into the involvement of the Russian state in his murder, which is exactly what I want."
Vincent Tabak was drinking champagne the night after killing Joanna Yeates, a court has heard.
The 33-year-old was described as "tired and disinterested" after strangling Miss Yeates with his bare hands the previous evening.
But he still found time to drink champagne as he joined girlfriend Tanja Morson at a friend's birthday party on Bristol's harbourside, the jury was told.
Miss Yeates, meanwhile, was said to have told friends she was "dreading" spending the weekend alone on December 17 last year, hours before she was strangled to death by next-door neighbour Tabak.
Linda Marland said she had chatted to Tabak the next day as her daughter Elizabeth celebrated her 24th birthday at the Pitcher and Piano. Mrs Marland told Bristol Crown Court: "Vincent sounded tired and disinterested. He was being short with his answers, not elaborating. I found it quite difficult.
"He only looked at me once. The rest of the time he was staring up the room. I got the impression Vincent was bored with my conversation... he was drinking a glass of champagne."
Dutch engineer Tabak admits manslaughter but denies Miss Yeates' murder.
The court heard from a string of friends who had drunk with Miss Yeates on the night of her death. Miss Yeates confided in one colleague of her fears at being without boyfriend Greg Reardon, who was visiting family in Sheffield.
The 25-year-old, who worked as a landscape architect at BDP, told office manager Elisabeth Chandler that she planned to spend the weekend baking.
"Jo told me that she was dreading the weekend because it was the first time she was going to be left on her own," she said in a written statement read to the jury. "Her partner Greg, who I know, was going away."
David Cameron has shown himself to be a "weak Prime Minister" in his handling of allegations against Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Labour leader Ed Miliband has said.
Mr Miliband blasted "delay and indecision" over how to deal with claims of inappropriate links between Dr Fox and his close friend, defence lobbyist Adam Werritty, and said the Prime Minister should have called in his independent adviser on ministerial conduct, Sir Philip Mawer.
But Mr Cameron said it would have been weak for him to jump to conclusions before knowing all the facts.
His comments came as the BBC broadcast fresh allegations that wealthy backers of Dr Fox funded Mr Werritty's work and travel as he joined the Defence Secretary at meetings and conferences around the world over the past 18 months.
Questions have been asked over how Mr Werritty, who was Dr Fox's flatmate and best man at his wedding, could have afforded his globe-trotting lifestyle and why he was present at meetings despite having no official position at the Ministry of Defence.
Speaking in Aberdeen, the Prime Minister said: "A strong leader actually recognises you have to take time to get all the information, answer all the questions, and then actually make a decision."
Mr Cameron said it was right to wait for Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to complete his inquiry into the allegations, which is expected early next week after Mr Werritty has been interviewed for a second time.
Dr Fox insisted he was "back to complete normal working mode", rejecting Labour claims that the furore over his friend was distracting him from his job.
"I'm continuing to do what is needed at the moment, which is that the Defence Secretary focuses on defence issues," he told reporters.
But Mr Miliband said: "This uncertainty is not good for the country. We've got a distracted Defence Secretary and a distracted Government."
Labour has sought to increase pressure on the Government to change its economic policy by demanding an "emergency budget" to promote jobs and growth.
Opposition leader Ed Miliband said Wednesday's rise in unemployment to a 17-year high was the clearest sign that a fresh approach was required.
Chancellor George Osborne is scheduled to set out his proposals to combat stalled growth in an autumn statement on November 29.
But Mr Miliband and shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the country could not wait that long, and announced plans to tour the country promoting their own five-point plan.
Prime Minister David Cameron refused to budge from the coalition's tough deficit-reduction strategy, claiming doing so would send the economy into a "tailspin".
The premier was highlighting industry success stories, helping unveil a £4.5 billion North Sea oil project in Scotland and opening a £400 million aerospace factory in Wales.
Mr Miliband accused him of being blind to the problems facing the UK, however. "Week by week, with every downgrade in growth, with every rise in unemployment we see, it is clear the Government's plan is not working," he told a Westminster press conference.
"Each and every day more than 1,200 people are becoming unemployed in this country and over 800 extra young people. That is an economic emergency and only a government so out of touch with what is happening in Britain's factories and Britain's high streets would fail to realise that."
The Tories seized on comments by Mr Balls about the short-term cost of the five-point plan as proof that Labour had abandoned its pre-election plans to halve the deficit in four years.
But Mr Balls said that while there were up-front costs - including the £12 billion needed to fund a temporary cut in VAT to 17.5% - there would also be benefits from the kick given to the economy.
Michael Gove has suggested limiting the number of students who achieve A* grades at A-level and raised the prospect of ranking youngsters on their results.
The Education Secretary said he was putting forward the proposals in order to "open up the debate" around the exams system.
But teachers' leaders moved quickly to raise concerns, warning such moves could set bright children up to fail.
Speaking at an Ofqual conference on standards, Mr Gove suggested that, in the future, only a certain fixed percentage of students could be awarded an A* at A-level.
This system, known as "norm referencing", was used to grade exams between 1963 and 1987, with around the top 10% awarded an A. Under the current system, any student that gains an A overall, as well as scoring at least 90% in each of their papers in the second year, achieves an A*.
Mr Gove told the conference: "We can't go back to a situation where all exams are graded on the basis of norm referencing." But he added: "I think it's important to open the debate.
He suggested that alongside pupils' final A-level grades more information could be produced so it is known "how they are ranked depending on the subject".
This could mean national rankings which would show the top students in the country in each subject and allow teenagers to compare their performance with their peers.
But Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), argued: "If students meet the required standard, they should be awarded the grade. We do not want to encourage a system which sets up bright young people to fail."
Adrian Prandle, education policy adviser at the Association of Teachers and lecturers (ATL), said they would have some concerns about ranking students: "We would question whether we really want to be labelling young children and potentially destroying their self-confidence."
The Government has announced changes to the planned increase in the state pension age, saying that tens of thousands of women would benefit at a cost of more than £1 billion.
The Department for Work and Pensions said a plan to raise the state pension age to 66 in 2020 would be delayed by six months from April 2020 to October 2020.
Around 245,000 women and 240,000 men would benefit, including 33,000 women who would have experienced a two-year rise in their state pension age, said the Government.
The Pensions Bill going through Parliament would be amended from the current timetable to cap the increased wait to a maximum of 18 months, costing the Government £1.1 billion.
Under the Bill, the state pension age for women would reach 65 by November 2018 and rise to 66 for men and women by April 2020.
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: "We have listened to the concerns of those women most affected by the proposed rise in state pension age to 66 and so we will cap the increase to a maximum of 18 months. We have always made clear that we would manage any change fairly and ensure any transition is as smooth as possible."
Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said that the changes were intended to make the transition to the new system "as smooth and fair as possible".
"The policy of increasing retirement age and equalising retirement age remains, but we have acknowledged the fact that there were some transitional issues with that change and we have been looking for some time at how to deal with those," he said. "We are acknowledging that if we make these changes there are going to be different effects on different people depending on how old they are."
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said: "This is a humiliating climbdown for David Cameron, who has ordered his ministers to rush out an 11th-hour change to his Pensions Bill which faced a storm in Parliament next week. Today's announcement is just a sticking-plaster, and hundreds of thousands of women will still have to work longer and lose thousands without enough time to prepare."
Michelle Mitchell, charity director of Age UK, said: "We would have liked the changes being made to have gone further. Having faced uncertainty twice already, these women must not be affected by any further changes to their state pension age again without sufficient notice."
The banking sector has suffered further knocks after one of the world's biggest banks unveiled a drop in profits and two British taxpayer-backed institutions had their credit ratings cut.
US banking giant JP Morgan Chase said net income fell 4% to 4.3 billion US dollars (£2.7 billion) as its businesses were struck by the eurozone debt crisis and fragile recovery in the US.
Elsewhere, agency Fitch cut the long-term ratings for Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland by two notches to reflect weakening support for the banking sector from the Government.
JP Morgan is the first of the big US banks to release its third-quarter results, with Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reporting next week.
The investment bank cut employee compensation by 2% in the first nine months of the year to 7.7 billion US dollars (£4.9 billion), averaging 289,611 US dollars (£184,795) in annual salaries, bonuses and benefits for each of the division's 26,615 employees.
Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan's chairman and chief executive, said: "All things considered, we believe the firm's returns were reasonable given the current environment."
Meanwhile, Fitch's move follows the same decision by Moody's Investor Service to downgrade the debt of Lloyds Banking Group, Santander UK, Royal Bank of Scotland, Co-operative Bank, Nationwide and seven smaller building societies.
Fitch, which also placed Barclays on watch for a possible downgrade, said: "The banking system is not only large relative to the UK economy, but there is also more advanced political will to reduce the implicit support for the country's banks."
Campaigners are preparing to go to the Court of Appeal after losing their High Court challenge against library cuts.
A judge rejected their claim that decisions to close six "treasured" libraries in Brent, north-west London, were "fundamentally flawed and unlawful".
Local residents fighting the cuts are being backed by celebrities including playwright Alan Bennett, singer Nick Cave and bands Depeche Mode, the Pet Shop Boys and Goldfrapp.
The six facing closure are Kensal Rise, Barham Park, Preston Road and libraries at Neasden, Cricklewood and Tokyngton.
Brent Council says the closures will help to fund improvements to the remaining library service and contribute towards the £104 million of savings it needs to make.
The campaigners accused the council of failing to comply with its statutory duties when it decided in April to close half of its libraries while promising to provide "fewer but better resourced libraries".
But Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting at London's High Court, ruled there was no evidence to support the allegations made against the authority and dismissed the campaigners' application for judicial review.
Asking for permission to apply for permission to appeal, Helen Mountfield QC, appearing for the campaigners, said: "This case is important not only for Brent but for other libraries and public authorities generally." Refusing permission, the judge said: "I do not regard there is any real prospect of success."
Later, campaign group Brent Save Our Six Libraries said they would ask the appeal court itself to hear their case. Margaret Bailey, a children's nursery manager and one of the leaders of the anti-closure campaign, said: "We are obviously disappointed with the decision given by the judge today. We are determined to appeal if allowed to do so."
Brent Council leader Ann John said: "We are pleased that the council has been completely vindicated. The judge, having carefully considered all the complaints, has found in our favour on each and every point. It means that we can now push ahead with our exciting plans to improve Brent's library service and offer a 21st-century service for the benefit of all our residents."
A two-year investigation is being launched into the plight of thousands of children who are sexually exploited by street gangs.
The probe, which will be led by the deputy Children's Commissioner Sue Berelowitz, is to examine the extent of the problem in England.
Current figures suggest up to 10,000 youngsters could be subject to sexual abuse by gangs or other groups.
However, initial research carried out for the Office of the Children's Commissioner has suggested that this figure could be much higher.
Ms Berelowitz has already said that existing data is inadequate and the full extent of this type of abuse is unknown.
Maggie Atkinson, Children's Commissioner for England, said the inquiry would be "a wake-up call for us all".
The investigation team will gather evidence from police and local authorities as well as health and youth justice workers until early next year, before publishing an interim report in July. More information will then be gathered the following autumn into early 2013, and the final report will be released in September that year.
Concerns have already been raised this year about a lack of action over the sexual abuse of children. Leading children's charity Barnardo's warned in August that parents and professionals were missing telltale signs of youngsters being groomed for sex.
And in June the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre published damning research which found that two-thirds of Local Safeguarding Children Boards were not meeting national guidelines and have failed to put in place "basic processes" to stop sexual abuse.
Rebecca Einhorn, from the NSPCC's Street Matters project, said: "Many girls' lives are seriously damaged by gangs who run this type of grooming. It is a corrosive problem that needs serious research and action to help those affected. But hopefully this inquiry will give us a clearer picture of just how big the problem is and help those working in the field find solutions to protect these vulnerable children."
The Government is failing to deliver on most of its commitments to help wildlife and the countryside, a coalition of leading conservation groups has said.
An assessment backed by 29 organisations has used a traffic light system to see if 16 Government pledges on the natural environment are being backed by policies which are well-designed and on track.
The Nature Check report criticises the Government over a number of controversial policies which conservationists say show ministers are failing to keep their promises on protecting nature.
They include the reliance on a badger cull to tackle bovine TB, attempts by ministers to dispose of publicly-owned forests to businesses and charities and the current row over changes to the planning system which opponents fear will lead to a return to damaging development in the countryside.
Just two of the promises outlined in the Government's coalition agreement have been given a green approval rating in the report published by the Wildlife and Countryside Link umbrella group.
The Government has earned the backing of the conservation groups for its action on pledges to oppose the resumption of commercial whaling and to press for a ban on ivory sales. A further seven commitments have been given an amber rating because the groups say ministers are failing to support positive ambition and rhetoric with effective policies.
Seven more pledges are given a red light, including promising to reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods more of a say in their local area and to create a presumption in favour of sustainable development in planning.
Other areas where the conservation groups say the Government is failing to deliver well-designed policies on time include preventing unnecessary building in flood plains and ensuring measures to look after the seas and open access to the coast are implemented effectively.
Martin Harper, conservation director of the RSPB, one of the groups in the coalition, said: "In these financially-straitened times politicians may be tempted to ignore the natural environment in favour of economic growth - but this kind of short-termist attitude won't wash with a British public which expects the Government to protect the countryside and wildlife we all hold dear."
Neil Sinden, policy and campaigns director for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said the Government would not be the greenest ever, as it claimed, if it continued with a "business as usual" approach to economic growth.
The police force that investigated the murder of Milly Dowler has been accused of knowing in 2002 that the schoolgirl's phone was hacked.
Claims were made by The Independent newspaper that detectives involved with the case were informed nine years ago that the News of the World (NotW) had accessed her voicemails, but that they took no action.
Allegations that the murdered teenager's phone messages were hacked only emerged publicly in early July this year. Around three weeks later it emerged that in 2002 Surrey Police had removed a detective from the probe into her disappearance after the officer passed on details of the case to a friend.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is currently investigating an allegation that a Surrey officer passed on information about the search for Milly to the NotW in 2002.
The Dowler family's solicitor, Mark Lewis, said: "Questions need to be asked why the police seemed keener on selling newspapers than solving crimes. It seems that when the public dialled 999 the police dialled NotW."
A spokeswoman for Surrey Police said: "In 2002, Surrey Police's priority was to find Milly and then to find out what had happened to her and to bring her killer to justice. Clearly there was a huge amount of professional interaction between Surrey Police and the media throughout that time.
"At this time, we must respect the primacy of the Metropolitan Police Service investigation into phone hacking to which we are providing all relevant information about the Milly Dowler case. To prevent prejudicing this inquiry, or any prosecutions which may result from it, we are unable to put all the facts into the public domain at this stage.
"Any detail, such as Surrey Police's knowledge or any contact with the News of the World in 2002, could be highly relevant to that investigation and could potentially prejudice it. Therefore it would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment on this at this time."
She said that the force itself had referred the leak allegations to the IPCC so that a "thorough and wholly independent investigation" could be carried out.
Surrey Police maintained that there was no evidence to suggest the detective constable had passed on information to a journalist, instead he had been talking to a retired police officer friend.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox and lobbyist Adam Werritty attended a 500 dollar-a-head dinner in Washington with senior figures from the defence industry which has not been declared by the Ministry of Defence, it has been reported.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Dr Fox and Mr Werritty were both guests at the £318-per-person fund-raising dinner last year at the Mandarin Oriental hotel attended by US defence industry lobbyists and military officials.
The event did not appear on the list of 18 occasions where Dr Fox and Mr Werritty both attended overseas engagements released earlier this week by the MoD.
A spokesman for Dr Fox said that he had been attending the event in a "private capacity" during a period of annual leave and that the visit did not involve the use of taxpayers' money.
However, the disclosure is likely to lead to claims he has still not come clean about the full extent of his contacts with Mr Werritty, despite admitting to meeting him 40 times since coming to office last year - including twice on family holidays overseas.
The event in Washington was organised by US Atlantic Bridge - the sister organisation of the now defunct charity which Mr Werritty used to head in London. The organisation's chief executive Amanda Bowman told the Telegraph: "Adam was with him (Dr Fox). He showed up that night because he was travelling with Liam. He was Liam's most trusted friend, and was at one of the top tables talking to other guests."
Other guests at the dinner were said to have included General James Mattis, commander of US Central Command, several senators, and Jeffrey Gordon, a lobbyist who served as a spokesman for the then US defence secretary Robert Gates.
A spokesman Dr Fox said: "Dr Fox took annual leave to attend an awards ceremony in a purely private capacity, no taxpayers' money was spent on this visit." The spokesman added that during the visit Dr Fox had also met Mr Gates - a meeting at which he was accompanied by two British embassy officials "and no-one else".
Meanwhile, David Cameron is under growing pressure to reach a swift decision over Dr Fox's Cabinet. The Prime Minister has said he will await the outcome of a Whitehall inquiry into the Defence Secretary's links with Mr Werritty, before deciding whether he should keep his job.
But with Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, who is leading the investigation, not expected to complete his report until next week, the Government faces the prospect of more damaging disclosures over the coming days.
Thousands of families will be placed under "unfair pressure" due to welfare system reforms that are coming into force, a charity has warned.
Gingerbread urged the Government to delay plans to tell single parents not in paid work, whose youngest child is five or six-years-old, that they will be required to find a job or face potential cuts to their benefits.
The group, which campaigns on behalf of single parents, said that at a time of rising unemployment, the move could "cast adrift" 100,000 people.
Chief executive Fiona Weir said: "The proposed timing of this change is disastrous and will plunge thousands of single parents into a stagnant job market with little prospect of finding work that fits around their caring responsibilities.
"In previous years, single parents have been given plenty of notice of these changes and time to prepare, but the Government is rushing this legislation through and will catch single parents unawares.
"It makes much more sense to delay the change until 2013 when newly-announced childcare support will be available for part-time jobs, which will help single parents of young children balance work and parenting."
Gingerbread said single parents will start receiving letters from Friday telling them of changes in the conditions for receiving income support.
The charity said it was the first step to their income support ending early next year, at which point they will have to claim Jobseeker's Allowance, or another benefit, instead.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We know that many lone parents want the opportunity to get back into work earlier and that work is the best route out of poverty. This is why we are bringing forward and increasing the support we offer to lone parents.
"Getting a good balance between work and family responsibilities is important for every parent, which is why we will actively support lone parents so that they can get that balance right to take account of caring responsibilities and childcare."
The UK's professional and financial services sector could suffer serious damage because of "heavy-handed" regulation from Europe, a business leader has said.
John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said a number of proposed regulations from Brussels in areas including corporate governance and taxation could hold firms back.
"The likely effect of many of Brussels' current proposals will be to damage the UK's prospects for growth. Nowhere is this more acutely the case than for professional and financial services, which are being bombarded with unwarranted regulation," he told CBI London's annual dinner.
He highlighted the "damaging consequences" for London of the proposed financial transaction tax, which he dismissed as "a Brussels revenue-raising exercise".
Mr Cridland added: "The tax would be an incredibly blunt instrument, one that would increase the cost of capital for businesses, hold back their growth potential and raise minimal revenue in return.
"It's a policy that will penalise the UK as Europe's leading financial centre, diverting activity to financial hubs like New York, Singapore or Hong Kong."
Families are squeezing into homes they have outgrown but do not have the money to move out of, heralding a return to overcrowding in UK housing, according to a new study.
Finance firm LV= said that after decades of overcrowding declining across the country, the trend had now reversed, with the average family losing 11 sq ft of living space in the past three years.
One in eight children now live in overcrowded homes while a similar number of families had made potentially unsafe modifications to their houses to create more space, the report said.
A survey of more than 1,000 households found that one in 12 families could not move for financial reasons while a similar number carried out work to create extra space, such as converting lofts or partitioning rooms.
One in 50 people modifying their homes admitted contravening building regulations with alterations that could be unsafe.
The research also found that the number of people working from home has increased by a fifth since 2008, with makeshift workspaces being used in corridors, cupboards and under the stairs.
London families were said to be the worst affected, with around one in seven families living in overcrowded homes, twice the UK average.
John O'Roarke, managing director of LV= Home Insurance, said: "British families are feeling the squeeze as they are being forced to live in smaller homes than are suitable for their needs.
"High property prices have forced many families to remain in a house that they have outgrown and many are resorting to desperate measures to create extra space. The research found that hundreds of thousands of families are now living with makeshift modifications, which could be illegal and also unsafe.
"Building regulations are designed to ensure that home modifications are safe and we urge all those considering modifying their home to ensure any changes they are planning to make meet regulation standards."
One in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated with faecal matter, according to new research.
Experts said the most likely reason for the potentially harmful bacteria festering on so many gadgets was people failing to wash their hands properly with soap after going to the toilet.
The findings of the UK-wide study by scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London also revealed a tendency among Britons to lie about their hygiene habits.
Although 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, 92 of hands had bacteria on them. Worryingly, 16 of phones were found to harbour E.coli - bacteria of a faecal origin.
Harmful E.coli (Escherichia coli) is associated with stomach upsets and has been implicated in serious cases of food poisoning such as the fatal O157 outbreak in Germany in June.
Dr Val Curtis, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "This study provides more evidence that some people still don't wash their hands properly, especially after going to the toilet.
"I hope the thought of having E.coli on their hands and phones encourages them to take more care in the bathroom - washing your hands with soap is such a simple thing to do but there is no doubt it saves lives."
The findings were released ahead of the annual Global Handwashing Day on Saturday.
In developed countries, hand washing with soap helps to prevent the spread of viral infections, such as norovirus, rotavirus and influenza.
Global Handwashing Day - which is held on October 15 every year - aims to transform the action of washing hands with soap into an automatic behaviour, deeply set in our daily lives.
Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin has been dumping government documents in park waste paper bins, it has been reported.
The Daily Mirror reported that Mr Letwin had been seen disposing of papers at a park close to Downing Street on five separate occasions.
The newspaper - which ran a picture of Mr Letwin apparently about to drop papers into a bin while talking on a mobile phone - said they included correspondence on terrorism and national security as well as constituents' private details.
One document was said to describe how intelligence chiefs "failed to get the truth" on Britain's involvement in controversial terrorist interrogations.
The Mirror described his actions as a "security breach", but a spokesman for the minister insisted that the papers did not contain any sensitive material.
"Oliver Letwin does some of his parliamentary and constituency correspondence in the park before going to work and sometimes disposes of copies of letters there. They are not documents of a sensitive nature," the spokesman said.
The pathologist who recorded 43 injuries on Joanna Yeates's body is to give evidence at her murder trial.
Dr Russell Delaney is said to have found 12 wounds to her head and neck, three to her trunk and 12 to her right arm.
Jurors are also due to hear evidence from Daniel Birch, the dog walker who discovered her frozen corpse on Christmas Day.
Mr Birch made the grim discovery during an early-morning wander in Failand, near Bristol.
Prosecution barrister Nigel Lickley QC says Mr Birch and his partner had opened presents early and set off for a walk.
"They walked past a mound of snow," Mr Lickley said. "Something triggered in the mind of the man.
"From a distance he saw features that indicated that a human body was buried in the snow... a patch of skin and some denim."
Vincent Tabak, 33 - who admits manslaughter but denies murdering 25-year-old Miss Yeates - was drinking champagne the night after her death, Bristol Crown Court has heard.
Miss Yeates, meanwhile, was said to have told friends she was "dreading" spending the weekend alone at her Clifton home on December 17 last year.
Hours later she was strangled to death by next-door neighbour Tabak, the jury was told.
Hundreds of viable wanted pregnancies are being lost to British women each year because of unreliable miscarriage tests, new research suggests.
The precise numbers are unclear but scientists believe there could be 400 errors every year with the potential to result in terminations. This is more than the estimated 300 cot deaths reported each year in the UK.
Experts have called for more research and improved professional guidelines to minimise the chances of such tragedies occurring.
Pain or bleeding, or a previous history of miscarriage, may prompt doctors to carry out an ultrasound investigation early in pregnancy.
Common practice is to measure the size of the gestational sac and the embryo it contains. If a sac of a certain size appears empty, or an embryo reaches a certain stage of development with no heartbeat, a diagnosis of miscarriage is made.
When there is doubt about the results, physicians are advised to re-measure the gestational sac seven to 10 days later. If the sac does not grow during that time, it is assumed a miscarriage has occurred. A termination may then follow.
But according to the new findings, from a series of research papers published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics, the margin of error is so high that some perfectly viable pregnancies are being lost.
One study revealed an up to 20% variation in the size of gestational sacs reported by different clinicians measuring the same pregnancies.
Professor Tom Bourne, from Imperial College London, who led a study of more than 1,000 women suspected of miscarrying, said: "Currently there is a risk that some women seeking reassurance with pain or bleeding in early pregnancy may be told they have had a miscarriage and choose to undergo surgical or medical treatment when the pregnancy is in fact healthy."
Each year an estimated 500,000 women have miscarriages in the UK. Research suggests around 30% of these women undergo early ultrasound scans.
Only one in five firms has taken on an apprentice in the past year and even fewer will change their hiring plans amid increasing concern about poor basic skills such as numeracy and literacy, a report has revealed.
A survey of 6,000 firms by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) discovered that almost half said it was difficult to find a suitable candidate for a vacancy.
Many firms complained that jobseekers did not have the right skills, including poor timekeeping, communication, numeracy and literacy.
Business also lacked confidence in qualifications including degrees and A-levels while only one in five firms was happy about taking on a public sector worker.
Only one in 10 said they were confident about recruiting someone who had been unemployed for six months or longer.
With youth unemployment almost reaching a million, the BCC report called for changes to the education system to improve school-leavers' skills.
The BCC called for business economics to be taught in schools, and said communication skills must be improved.
The survey found that only 20% of businesses took on an apprentice in the year to April 2011 and fewer will be hired in the coming year despite the Prime Minister urging businesses to take on more apprentices.
Of those businesses that had not taken on an apprentice, over half said they were not relevant to their sector, suggesting the apprenticeship system is not tailored to the needs of business, said the report.
John Longworth, director general of the BCC, said: "We applaud the Government's commitment to apprenticeships. Yet our statistics show that the quality level of many apprenticeships is not high enough, and too few businesses see apprenticeships as relevant to their sector."
