![Four jailed over yacht drugs haul]()
Four men have been jailed for trying to smuggle cannabis worth an estimated £9.8 million into Britain on board a luxury yacht.
Three-and-a-half tonnes of the drug were found hidden by investigators after they tracked the Dutch-registered vessel, MV Majestic, for 12 hours at sea.
It is believed to have set off from North Africa and came under the suspicion of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) when it was spotted off Falmouth, Cornwall.
The 56ft yacht was tailed by a UKBA patrol vessel for 100 nautical miles up the English Channel before being intercepted off the Isle of Wight and escorted into Newhaven Harbour, East Sussex, on July 24.
During a search of the £40,000 vessel, packages of cannabis were found stashed in two holding tanks accessed through deck hatches.
The haul represents the second largest cannabis seizure in the South East so far this year, said the UKBA.
Crew members Al Turner, 53, of Hargham Heath, Attleborough, Norfolk; Mark Timothy, 59, of Sandown Close, Clacton, Essex; and skipper Johna Bouma, 64, and Franciscus De Geus, 66, both from Amsterdam, pleaded guilty last month to one count each of possession of a controlled Class B drug on board a ship.
At Hove Crown Court Judge Anthony Scott-Gall jailed Turner, Timothy and Bouma to nine-and-a-half years each, and De Geus, who is suffering from terminal cancer, to five years.
All four embarked on the smuggling plan because they were in debt and were short of money, the court heard.
Following the case, Malcolm Bragg, assistant director from the UK Border Agency's criminal and financial investigation team, said: "This is an excellent example of how our efforts in securing the border stops drugs and other dangerous items from entering the UK - in this case before they even reached the British mainland."
The NHS is "holding up well" at a national level but there are significant pressures in some organisations, according to a new report.
The study, from the King's Fund, said national figures for waiting times and infection rates masked variations in performance between hospitals.
The 18-week waiting list target is being breached by a significant number of trusts, while 10% of hospitals do not see A&E patients within four hours, despite 97% of all patients nationally being seen in this timeframe.
And while levels of hospital infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C. diff) have reached an all-time low, 45 hospital trusts have reported higher levels of C. diff than in the same period last year.
There are also concerns about the Government's efficiency drive, with trusts tasked with finding up to £20 billion in savings.
A King's Fund survey of 23 finance directors for this quarter found eight were either "concerned or very concerned" about meeting productivity targets for 2011/12, while four were uncertain.
Twenty thought the measures would not harm clinical quality, while three were uncertain and 15 expected to end this year in financial surplus.
Professor John Appleby, chief economist at the King's Fund, said: "While the NHS continues to perform well, a minority of trusts are struggling to keep waiting lists down and reduce hospital-acquired infections.
"Looking ahead, the challenge will be to maintain performance and deliver productivity improvements as finances tighten further.
"Six months into an unprecedented four-year period of financial restraint, the pressures already emerging in a small number of trusts highlight the scale of the challenge facing the NHS."
A small Lucian Freud painting described as an "indisputable masterpiece" sold for more than £3 million when it went under the hammer at auction.
Boy's Head, measuring just 21.6cm by 15.9cm, was bought by an anonymous bidder for £3,177,250.
But the work - which depicts Charlie Lumley, Freud's neighbour and one of his most recognisable subjects - did not meet pre-sale estimates, which had suggested it could go for as much as £4 million.
The work, painted in 1952, shows the subject's head supported by his hand.
It led a Sotheby's sales evening which saw one private collection, entitled Italian Identity, go for a combined total of £39,456,950, in an auction of 20th-century Italian art.
This was in line with pre-sale estimates which suggested the works could reach between £34,982,000 and £48,338,000.
All prices included buyer's premium.
Vincent Tabak has wept in the dock as a jury was shown harrowing images of Joanna Yeates's strangled body.
The 33-year-old covered his face with his hands as close-up pictures of her injuries were shown on big screens.
Close-up shots of her face from post-mortem examinations showed her with blood-stained short blonde hair. Red bruise marks were shown on her neck and chin.
Mr Justice Field had warned the jury at Bristol Crown Court to prepare for the images taken after the body was found by dog walker Daniel Birch.
As the pictures were shown to the jury, pathologist Russell Delaney told the jury of a host of injuries found around her face and neck.
Purple bruising above Miss Yeates's right eye and a graze on her cheek were found by Dr Delaney, the court heard. Injuries on her nose and lip were also suffered while Miss Yeates was still alive, he said.
Andrew Mott, a forensic officer who reached the scene after police arrived shortly after 9am, told how he tried to prevent Miss Yeates's body thawing out.
Tabak's QC, William Clegg, questioned why photographs were not taken of a broom being used to arrange straps underneath the body so her body could be taken away.
"I can't comment on why that was the case," Mr Mott said.
"The straps that we used are hooked around the broom so it would have to be the straps that come into contact with the body."
The Princess Royal's son Peter Phillips and his wife are expecting their second child, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
Canadian Autumn Phillips is due to have her baby in March. The couple already have a daughter, Savannah, who is 12th in line to the throne.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Autumn's family, have been informed and are delighted with the news."
Mr and Mrs Phillips attracted media attention when they sold their wedding photos to Hello! magazine in 2008.
At the time Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb called the move "a serious error of judgment".
Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin has apologised after being caught dumping sensitive official documents in a park bin.
Mr Letwin was photographed by the Daily Mirror disposing of papers - including correspondence on terrorism and constituents' private details - near Downing Street on five separate occasions.
Labour accused the Tory policy chief of treating the public "with contempt" by handling material in a "cavalier" fashion. Downing Street admitted the behaviour had not been "sensible" but also stressed that none of the information was classified.
According to the newspaper, there were more than 100 papers dating from July 2010 to September 2011, and included five Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) letters.
In one, MP Andrew Tyrie reportedly tells ISC chairman Sir Malcolm Rifkind the committee "failed to get to the truth on UK involvement in rendition". Another discarded document was said to refer to al Qaida links to Pakistan.
David Cameron, his Liberal Democrat deputy Nick Clegg and Chancellor George Osborne are all said to feature, as are organisations including the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and the NHS.
The West Dorset MP reportedly tore up the documents but did not shred them, leaving them still legible. In one picture Mr Letwin was seen dropping papers into a bin while talking on a mobile phone, and in another he appears to hand some to a passing cleaner.
A spokeswoman for Number 10 said that the Cabinet Office was "looking into" whether any secret material had been compromised.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "I think it's treating important papers with contempt, really." He added: "It's very strange behaviour. I think most people would think, actually, you're dealing with sensitive papers, you're dealing with sensitive correspondence, you should treat it in a sensitive way."
Mr Letwin said the story was "embarrassing". He said: "I was walking around dictating responses and simply wanted to make sure the pieces of paper were not weighing me down. I have to apologise to constituents who have written to me because, on reflection, I shouldn't have disposed of them (the papers) in that way."
Philip Hammond has been appointed Defence Secretary following the resignation of Liam Fox.
Justine Greening has taken Mr Hammond's place as Transport Secretary, becoming the fifth woman in David Cameron's Cabinet.
The appointments came in a mini-reshuffle forced upon the Prime Minister by Dr Fox's decision to hand in his resignation after more than a week of controversy over his links with defence lobbyist Adam Werritty. Assistant whip and Norwich North MP Chloe Smith, 29, is promoted to economic secretary to the Treasury, while Chelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands, 45, takes her place in the whips' office.
Mr Hammond's promotion to one of the most high-profile posts in the Cabinet comes after 17 months as Transport Secretary in which he gave the go-ahead to the controversial High Speed 2 rail link and faced down critics of the decision to award the contract for Thameslink rolling stock to Siemens rather than UK-based Bombardier.
In a statement issued by the MoD later, Mr Hammond said: "I have always been a huge admirer of the professionalism and the dedication of our armed forces, so it is a real honour and privilege to be asked by the Prime Minister to take on this role and work with them in maintaining our nation's security
"This is a particularly important time for defence. The priorities are the continuing operations overseas and the transformation of the way defence is organised.
"I am obviously saddened by the circumstances in which this opportunity arises. I think Liam Fox did a brilliant job in turning round the chaos that Labour left behind and in starting to build a sustainable future for our armed forces.
"I look forward to picking up the baton from Liam and working closely with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and International Development Secretary to ensure that our defences are robust and that the finances that lie behind them are equally robust.
"Finally, I pay tribute to our armed forces and the civilian personnel who support them. Their dedication, professionalism and heroism is unquestionable and I look forward to working with them to help shape defence for the better."
Ms Greening joins the Cabinet at the age of 42, six years after entering Parliament as MP for Putney in 2005. Her elevation follows a solid performance as economic secretary to the Treasury since the formation of the coalition Government.
Energy companies have been hit by a new storm over prices after it was claimed their average profit per customer had jumped to £125 a year.
Regulator Ofgem's latest price report indicated profits on a standard dual fuel deal had risen from £15 in June following a spate of price hikes in recent weeks.
The average dual fuel bill now costs £1,345 and although Ofgem expects profit margins to drop next year, chief executive Alistair Buchanan said it was "not the case" that customers could be confident that prices are "being set by companies competing in a fully competitive market".
Rising wholesale prices have been cited by suppliers for the recent spate of tariff hikes and while Ofgem said such prices had risen by 40% to £115 per customer over the past year, it added that a combination of confusing tariffs, poor behaviour from energy suppliers and lack of transparency meant that "radical change" was still needed in the sector.
As a first move, a new simplified standard tariff will be introduced. There are more than 400 different tariffs available at present but in future firms will have to offer a no-frills version featuring just the unit price for energy used and the standing charge.
Energy firms hit back at Ofgem's claims and said the methods used by the regulator to calculate their profit margins were wrong.
Perth-based SSE said it "did not recognise in any way" Ofgem's calculation of profits of £125 for a dual fuel domestic customer and estimated the figure for its own customers at £62, and British Gas also said Ofgem was wrong and its methodology "flawed".
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, who is due to meet energy companies, consumer groups and the regulator on Monday to ensure that households are given help in saving money on their energy bills this winter, welcomed Ofgem's review proposals, which could come into force by next winter.
He said: "Both the Government and Ofgem are working to boost transparency in billing and increase competition in the energy market to help keep prices down."
Consumer Focus chief executive Mike O'Connor said: "Consumers are faced with a thicket of energy tariffs that can seem designed to confuse all but the most persistent and numerate consumers. More than 60 new tariffs have appeared so far this year, despite all the pressure for fewer and simpler tariffs."
Three more cases of Legionnaires' disease have been confirmed in UK residents who have visited Corfu, bringing the total number of cases to 12, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has said.
The HPA said three other possible cases in people who travelled to the Greek island in the past three months are still under investigation.
As a precautionary measure, the HPA is looking into the possibility of a UK source but a spokeswoman said preliminary investigations have so far not found a common link between the patients - whose ages range from 39 to 79 - other than they all visited Corfu, albeit different parts of the island.
Greek health authorities have sent two teams to Corfu and over the past week water samples have been taken from hotels and other venues.
Professor Nick Phin, head of the HPA's Legionnaires' department, said Legionnaires was uncommon and cannot be spread from person to person but warned residents to be aware of the risks.
"As we are still seeing cases of Legionnaires in UK residents returning from Corfu, we want them to be aware of this potential risk, but we are not suggesting that people change their holiday plans," Mr Phin said.
He said it was difficult to pinpoint the cause behind the Legionnaires' cluster.
"Sometimes a source for the infection is never found, because the bacteria can live in a very wide variety of types of water supply," he said.
The HPA is working with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, UK colleagues and the Greek Public Health authorities to identify the source of the Legionnaires' cluster.
People going on holiday to Corfu are being told to be aware of the signs and symptoms of Legionnaires' disease, which is a form of pneumonia which is spread through water droplets. Symptoms may start between two and 14 days after exposure to the bacterium, often with an initial flu-like illness leading on to pneumonia.
Liam Fox has resigned as Defence Secretary in the face of intense pressure over his links with his close friend, the lobbyist Adam Werritty.
In a letter to David Cameron, Dr Fox accepted that he had allowed the distinction between his personal interests and Government activities to become "blurred".
The Prime Minister moved swiftly to reorder his top team, moving right-winger Philip Hammond to take over at Defence and bringing Justine Greening into the Cabinet to replace Mr Hammond at Transport.
Dr Fox's decision to step down came amid reports that Mr Werritty's jet-set lifestyle following him around the world had been funded by a company bankrolled by wealthy right-wing backers of the Defence Secretary.
The prominent venture capitalist Jon Moulton said that he had been approached by Dr Fox following last year's general election to provide funds for Pargav, a not-for-profit company set up by Mr Werritty.
It was not clear whether it was the prospect the allegation that he sought funding for his friend's company could be about to surface that finally convinced Dr Fox he could no longer carry on in office.
In his resignation letter, Dr Fox said the consequences of his involvement with Mr Werritty "have become clearer in recent days". He added: "I have also repeatedly said that the national interest must always come before personal interest. I now have to hold myself to my own standard."
In his response, Mr Cameron paid tribute to the "superb job" which Dr Fox had done at the Ministry of Defence. "I understand your reasons for deciding to resign as Defence Secretary, although I am very sorry to see you go," he said.
Dr Fox telephoned the Prime Minister in his Oxfordshire constituency to inform him of his decision to quit. It is understood Mr Cameron had been prepared to let him carry on until an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell was complete - despite the prospect of another weekend of damaging headlines - before reaching a decision.
Sir Gus had been charged by Mr Cameron with investigating whether Dr Fox's close links with Mr Werritty contravened the Ministerial Code of Conduct. The relationship between the two men has been under scrutiny since it emerged Mr Werritty had been distributing business cards describing himself as Dr Fox's adviser, even though he had no official role at the MoD or with the Tory Party.
An elderly British holidaymaker has died after she was hit by a runaway bus in Canada.
Jean Shepperdley was walking along a street in Port Carling, Ontario, when she was hit by the bus on September 28.
She was airlifted to hospital in Toronto suffering from serious injuries where she died on October 5, Ontario Provincial Police have said.
Constable Peter Leon said: "A chartered school bus was picking up passengers at the Port Carling Locks.
"While the driver was boarding, the bus was somehow set in motion. The driver was unable to fully board the bus as it rolled backwards toward the Indian River.
"The bus driver was dragged for a short distance before the bus came to a stop against a stone wall. A passenger took to the driver's seat and secured the runaway bus.
"A female pedestrian was struck by the bus and sustained serious injuries, she was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital.
"On October 5, 74-year-old Jean Shepperdley succumbed to her injuries. Police are investigating the cause of the incident."
Mrs Shepperdley, a retired district nurse from New Milton, Hampshire, had flown out to Canada with her husband Bob to attend a surprise 70th birthday party for her brother-in-law, according to a report in the Lymington Times newspaper.
Former colleague Joyce Willett, 73, told the newspaper: "I will miss her dreadfully. It's such a terrible shock. We saw each other every week and I was looking forward to her coming home. Jean's death is a huge loss."
Four men have been jailed for trying to smuggle cannabis worth an estimated £9.8 million into Britain on board a luxury yacht.
Three-and-a-half tonnes of the drug were found hidden by investigators after they tracked the Dutch-registered vessel, MV Majestic, for 12 hours at sea.
It is believed to have set off from North Africa and came under the suspicion of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) when it was spotted off Falmouth, Cornwall.
The 56ft yacht was tailed by a UKBA patrol vessel for 100 nautical miles up the English Channel before being intercepted off the Isle of Wight and escorted into Newhaven Harbour, East Sussex, on July 24.
During a search of the £40,000 vessel, packages of cannabis were found stashed in two holding tanks accessed through deck hatches.
The haul represents the second largest cannabis seizure in the South East so far this year, said the UKBA.
Crew members Al Turner, 53, of Hargham Heath, Attleborough, Norfolk; Mark Timothy, 59, of Sandown Close, Clacton, Essex; and skipper Johna Bouma, 64, and Franciscus De Geus, 66, both from Amsterdam, pleaded guilty last month to one count each of possession of a controlled Class B drug on board a ship.
At Hove Crown Court Judge Anthony Scott-Gall jailed Turner, Timothy and Bouma to nine-and-a-half years each, and De Geus, who is suffering from terminal cancer, to five years.
All four embarked on the smuggling plan because they were in debt and were short of money, the court heard.
Following the case, Malcolm Bragg, assistant director from the UK Border Agency's criminal and financial investigation team, said: "This is an excellent example of how our efforts in securing the border stops drugs and other dangerous items from entering the UK - in this case before they even reached the British mainland."
Guidance on how private schools justify their charitable status must be "corrected", judges have ruled after concluding that parts of the Charity Commission's guidance were "erroneous".
The Independent Schools Council (ISC), which brought the case, said it is "delighted" that the Upper Tribunal has ruled in its favour.
The ISC represents eight organisations collectively educating almost half a million children in 1,270 schools, of which approximately 980 are charities.
It had argued that the commission's guidance must be quashed because it was too vague, and claimed the commission was guilty of "micro-managing" individual charities. The commission had argued that its guidelines were clear and it had only provided "supportive assistance" to help charity trustees keep their charitable status.
It is understood that following the ruling, there needs to be an agreement from both parties on how the guidance is changed. If an agreement is not reached, there could be another court hearing to decide if the parts of the guidance challenged by the ISC should be quashed and rewritten, or amended.
Matthew Burgess, ISC's general counsel, said the organisation would be seeking to have the parts of the guidance contested quashed. The Charity Commission insisted that the tribunal's decision had confirmed its interpretation of the law on public benefit and private schools.
The case before the Upper Tribunal centred on the 2006 Charities Act which removed the presumption that all charities providing education also provide a public benefit. Under the new rules private schools must prove they benefit children who cannot afford their fees in order to keep their charitable status and the tax breaks that come with it.
Mr Justice Warren, president of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), sitting with Judge Alison McKenna and Judge Elizabeth Ovey, said they had "every sympathy" with the Charity Commission "in the difficulty of the task it faced in producing guidance on this area of the law".
It concluded that a charitable independent school would be failing to act for the public benefit if it failed to provide some benefits for its potential beneficiaries other than its fee-paying students.
It also decided each case depended on its own facts and it was a matter for the trustees of a charitable independent school - rather than the Charity Commission or the tribunal - to decide how trustees' obligations might best be fulfilled in the light of their circumstances.
George Osborne has urged world leaders to put the global economy back on track by containing the eurozone crisis.
Arriving for this weekend's meeting of G20 finance ministers in Paris, the Chancellor said solving the problems would provide a major boost to growth.
The gathering is expected to back moves by European leaders and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to expand bailout funds that could rescue heavily-indebted nations such as Greece.
The eurozone has set up a European financial stability facility (EFSF) worth 440 billion euro. But many economists believe a fund of around two trillion euro will be needed fully to reassure anxious investors.
Final decisions are not likely to be taken until the main G20 meeting in Cannes next month.
Mr Osborne said: "The countdown to the Cannes summit of world leaders begins this weekend. The biggest boost to global and British growth would be a resolution to the eurozone crisis. Momentum is now finally building towards that. We should use this weekend to keep up the pressure and step up the pace."
On Friday G20 finance chiefs wrangled over whether the eurozone should cover the whole bill for the growing debt crisis or whether the rest of the world should contribute more. The IMF has so far funded about a third of costs of bailing out Greece, Portugal and Ireland.
Although some argue that Europe can afford to spend its way out of the crisis, there are calls for more support as the eurozone's debt troubles risk sparking another global recession.
Talks are expected to centre on Greece, amid fears the crisis could spread to other heavily indebted eurozone countries such as Spain and Italy if it defaults on its debt.
Spain suffered a blow on Thursday as credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's reduced the country's long-term rating by one notch - a week after Fitch also cut Spain's rating.
Protests against the global financial system which have seen huge demonstrations in New York's Wall Street are set to spread to the City of London.
A number of campaign organisations, including direct action group UK Uncut, say they will support an occupation of the heart of the capital's financial centre as part of a "global movement for real democracy" to highlight social and economic injustice.
The Occupy London Stock Exchange collective said a Facebook page on the protest had attracted more than 13,000 followers, with more than 5,000 confirmed attendees.
Laura Taylor, a supporter of the so-called OccupyLSX, said: "Why are we paying for a crisis the banks caused? More than a million people have lost their jobs and tens of thousands of homes have been repossessed, while small businesses are struggling to survive.
"Yet bankers continue to make billions in profit and pay themselves enormous bonuses, even after we bailed them out with £850 billion."
Another supporter, Kai Wargalla, said: "We want to make our voices heard against greed, corruption and for a democratic, just society. We stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, protesters in Spain, Greece and the Middle East who started this movement. They have inspired people all over the world to step forward and make their voices heard."
UK Uncut supporter Peter Hodgson said: "The success of the square occupations across Spain in calling for democracy and an end to austerity, alongside the rapid growth of the Wall Street occupation, has shown that this is what is needed in London and the UK. The Government is ignoring its electorate as they impose these austerity measures."
OccupyLSX issued a statement which said: "The words corporate greed ring through the speeches and banners of protests across the globe.
"After huge bailouts and in the face of unemployment, privatisation and austerity, we still see profits for the rich on the increase. But we are the 99%, and on October 15 our voice unites across gender and race, across borders and continents, as we call for equality and justice for all.
"In London, we will occupy the Stock Exchange, reclaiming space in the face of the financial system and using it to voice ideas for how we can work towards a better future, a future free from austerity, growing inequality, unemployment, tax injustice and a political elite who ignores its citizens, and work towards concrete demands to be met."
Larry Hagman has been diagnosed with cancer.
The 80-year-old actor is famous for playing JR Ewing on Dallas.
In a statement, he said: "As JR I could get away with anything - bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer."
Hagman declined to specify what kind of cancer he has, but said it is "a very common and treatable form".
The actor plans to continue working on a revamped Dallas for TNT, which is due to begin production.
The new Dallas focuses on the Ewing offspring as they clash over the future of the family dynasty.
The original prime-time soap opera aired from 1978 to 1991.
Hagman underwent a liver transplant in the mid-1990s.
Hagman said: "As we all know, you can't keep JR down!"
David Cameron faced the prospect of more damaging headlines this weekend after Defence Secretary Liam Fox finally quit, forcing him to make his first significant Cabinet reshuffle.
Dr Fox departed on Friday night as fresh allegations emerged about his involvement in securing funding for self-styled "adviser" and lobbyist Adam Werritty.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Fox accepted that he had allowed the distinction between his personal interests and government activities to become "blurred".
For his part, Mr Cameron paid tribute to the "superb job" which Dr Fox had done. "I understand your reasons for deciding to resign as Defence Secretary, although I am very sorry to see you go," he said.
Despite the likelihood of another weekend of damaging newspaper headlines, it is understood that Mr Cameron had been prepared to let him carry on until an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary was complete before reaching a decision. However, the Prime Minister moved swiftly to carry out the first major reordering of his top team since taking power 17 months ago.
Right-winger Philip Hammond has been installed at Defence, while Justine Greening enters the Cabinet to take his place at Transport.
Dr Fox's decision to step down came amid reports that Mr Werritty's jet-set lifestyle following him around the world was funded by a company bankrolled by wealthy Tory backers. The prominent venture capitalist Jon Moulton claimed he had been approached by the Defence Secretary following last year's general election to provide funds for Pargav, a not-for-profit company set up by Mr Werritty.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell is still expected to complete his probe into Dr Fox's links with Mr Werritty - who appeared to be effectively acting as an aide even though he had no official role at the MoD or with the Tory party.
Earlier this week, an interim report by MoD Permanent Secretary Ursula Brennan disclosed that Mr Werritty had met Dr Fox 22 times at the department and joined him on 18 overseas trips since he came to office last year.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said that Dr Fox's resignation had been "unavoidable and inevitable". "Governments must have rules and ministers must have standards. Liam Fox fell foul of the standards and he broke the rules. It was clear early on that he had breached the Ministerial Code," he said.
More fans are expected to turn out at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to watch Wales's Rugby World Cup semi-final match on giant TV screens than the actual match in New Zealand.
The Welsh Rugby Union said around 65,000 free tickets have now gone to people who want to watch the game in the Cardiff. Eden Park, the venue in Auckland where Wales play France holds only 60,000.
Officials say they have been amazed by demand to watch the game at the home of Welsh rugby.
The match has been billed as one of the biggest in Welsh sporting history, as it is only the second time the national side has reached the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup.
If Wales manage to overturn France, it will be the first time they have reached the tournament's final. The other semi-final is between Australia and favourites New Zealand.
The excitement has reached fever-pitch across the principality, with rugby clubs and bars stocking up on supplies ready for the game.
Welsh captain Sam Warburton said the players in New Zealand were amazed at the support back home.
He said: "We are delighted with the level of support we keep hearing about from Wales. It is amazing to think the Millennium Stadium will be so crowded for a game we are playing thousands of miles away."
Ahead of the game, many workplaces allowed members of staff to wear Welsh rugby jerseys and the Welsh Assembly changed the flags outside its Ty Hywel offices so only Welsh ones are flying.
Officials at the Millennium Stadium, the home of Welsh rugby, have also been putting final touches to their plans. An additional giant screen is being erected with around 25,000 spectators expected to watch the match on the floor of the stadium and the rest in the seats in the middle and upper levels.
Nearly half of allegations made against teachers are malicious, unsubstantiated or unfounded, research suggests.
Almost a fifth of teachers who faced accusations in 2009/10 were suspended while claims were investigated, with many waiting weeks for a conclusion.
The survey, commissioned by the Department for Education, examined the number and nature of allegations of abuse referred to 116 English councils between April 1 2009 and March 31 2010. The findings show that of 12,086 allegations referred, 2,827 (23%) were against school teachers.
This is "substantially higher" than in a similar survey conducted in 2007, the research found, although the figures are not directly comparable.
A further 1,709 allegations of abuse were made against non-teaching staff in schools, the latest survey found.
The majority of allegations were of a physical nature, the survey found (56 for non-teaching staff). Some 17% of physical allegations against teachers and non-teaching staff related to them using authorised physical intervention or restraint on a pupil.
Almost half (47%) of all allegations made against teachers, and two fifths (41%) of those made against non-teaching staff members were found to be unsubstantiated, malicious or unfounded. But 18 of non-teaching staff were suspended while accusations were investigated. And one in eight teachers (12%) and nearly a fifth of those non-teaching members of staff (19%) faced a criminal investigation.
Just 3% of concluded investigations against teachers resulted in a criminal caution or conviction, for non-teaching staff this figure was 5%, the survey found. This is based on information held by councils rather than the police.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said the Government's plans, which are contained in an Education Bill currently going through Parliament, are a "small step in the right direction." But she raised concerns that it is too specific, and does not cover support staff. "It's a small step in the right direction, but it needs to have a wider application and its provisions are very limited," Ms Keates said.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "This research shows why the Coalition Government's plan to give teachers a legal right to anonymity when allegations are made by pupils is so important. We will back teachers as they seek to maintain discipline in schools and raise academic standards."
A six-year-old girl has undergone surgery after she was savaged by a large "Staff-type" dog near a playground, police said.
The youngster, who has not been named, lost teeth and suffered a one inch cut to the lip when she was bitten on the face on Thursday afternoon as children made their way home from school.
She was taken to hospital following the attack at Heathfield Recreation Ground in Twickenham, south-west London, and was said to be in shock.
Her condition is described as stable.
Police are searching for a man, believed to be the dog's owner, who took the animal away shortly after the attack, which happened between 4pm and 5pm.
Det Chief Insp Martin Ward, of Richmond Police, said: "This was an unprovoked attack on a very young child. We are making extensive inquiries to trace the owner and are appealing for witnesses, or anyone who may know who the owner of this dangerous animal is, to please come forward."
The dog, which has been likened to a Staffordshire bull terrier, is described as having a large head and a short tan coloured coat with white fur under its jaw and on the chest area.
Its owner is believed to be in his thirties and is said to be of Mediterranean appearance with black hair.
Staffordshire bull terriers are known to become aggressive if they are not handled or trained correctly. The breed has become something of a status symbol in recent years, with thousands being abandoned across Britain.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 020 8247 7218 or Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555.
Scottish independence now has majority backing north of the border and in the UK as a whole, according to a new poll.
Research by ComRes for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror found that support for the move had risen sharply over recent months.
The results are a boost for First Minister Alex Salmond as his Scottish National Party prepares to hold its autumn conference in Inverness.
In the UK overall, 39% of those surveyed agreed that Scotland should be an independent country - an increase of six points since May. The number disagreeing with the statement had fallen four points to 38%.
In Scotland, the proportion supporting independence was up 11 points over the period at 49 disagreed - down by nine points.
The SNP, which won an unprecedented overall majority in May elections, has promised to hold a referendum on independence towards the end of its five-year term.
ComRes surveyed 2,004 adults online on October 12 and 13. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of the population and by past vote recall.
SNP campaigns director and MP Angus Robertson said: "This is an excellent poll that shows support, in both Scotland and England, for our nations having a new relationship of equality as two independent countries, sharing a head of state and working together as partners in Europe."
The Scotland Office pointed out that the sample for Scotland was small at just 176 people this month, and 183 in May.
"This poll is based on a very small sample of less than 200 Scots and we simply don't believe it reflects the wider picture accurately," a spokesman said. "The Scottish Government has yet to put any detail on its plans for independence to the people of Scotland and we will continue to demand they do so, while at the same time making the strong and positive case for remaining part of the United Kingdom."
