October 20, 2011, 1:33 am
![Aid cash lost to fraud 'could rise']()
The amount of British aid lost to fraud and corruption could rise because of changes to how the money is targeted, an influential committee of MPs has warned.
The Department for International Development (DfID), whose budget is rising despite massive cuts across Whitehall, is refocusing overseas aid on countries seen as fragile and in conflict, such as Somalia, Burma and Pakistan.
But the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cautioned that "operating in high-risk environments means the potential for increased risk of leakage through fraud and corruption".
"The department intends to focus more on fragile and conflict-affected states which pose higher risks in terms of poor security, delivery capacity, measurement of costs and outcomes, and leakage of funds through fraud and corruption," it said in a report.
The PAC also warned that increasing spending via multilateral organisations - such as the European Commission and the World Bank - may also mean more British money is lost to fraud and corruption.
"The department plans to increase the proportion of its funding spent via multilaterals but does not have the same visibility over the cost and performance of multilaterals' programmes as it does over its bilateral programmes," the PAC said.
"Furthermore, the strategy to increase DfID spend through multilateral programmes appears to have more to do with it being easier for DfID to do this than for it to assess the viability, effectiveness and value for money of bilateral programme proposals."
The PAC also criticised DfID's "poor understanding" of the scale and likelihood of aid being lost to fraud.
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the coalition had transformed DfID's financial management and took a "zero-tolerance" approach to fraud.
"Although accurately reflecting the position under Labour, the report appears to take little account of the huge changes the coalition has made since taking office," he said.
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October 20, 2011, 1:34 am
![Tabak to tell jury how Joanna died]()
Vincent Tabak will tell a jury for the first time in his own words how he strangled Joanna Yeates.
The 33-year-old, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, will give his own version of events in a bid to explain claims he did not intend to kill her.
Amid beefed-up security at Bristol Crown Court, Tabak is expected to say her death was "pure chance".
Tabak, who has kept his head in his hands for the previous eight days of evidence, claims he misread his next-door neighbour's signals after she invited him in for a drink. He says he put his hand to the 25-year-old's throat after she protested at his advances.
Defence QC William Clegg said Miss Yeates's death was tragic misfortune. Tabak "completely misread the situation" before "Joanna went limp", Mr Clegg claimed. "It was pure chance that Vincent Tabak and Joanna Yeates ever met on December 17 last year," the barrister told jurors on Wednesday.
Miss Yeates is said to have invited Tabak into her flat after smiling at him as he walked past her kitchen window, Mr Clegg said. Mr Clegg said Miss Yeates and Tabak were virtual strangers - but were both at loose ends at their flats in Clifton.
"If Joanna Yeates had stayed for one more drink in the Ram pub, she'd be alive today," the barrister said. "If Vincent Tabak had left half an hour earlier to go to Asda, as was his intention, he wouldn't be standing in the dock now."
Mr Clegg has said he would not try to justify Tabak's actions after her death, saying his client was "living a lie" by attending dinner parties and attempting to carry on his life as normal.
He said it was "frankly disgusting" that Tabak had tried to hide the body and "did everything he could to cover his tracks". But he urged the jury to focus on what happened in Miss Yeates's flat as Tabak takes to the stand.
Mr Clegg said: "What he is being tried for is whether when he killed Joanna Yeates that was planned, premeditated and something that he intended to do, intended to kill or cause really serious harm to her, or whether when he was responsible for her death, when he killed her, he panicked and did it without thinking of the consequences, without intending that she should die, without intending that she should suffer really serious harm. That's the issue you need to focus on."
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October 20, 2011, 1:38 am
![Queen and Duke visit flower show]()
When the Queen comes to town the fact an attraction may have closed is not a problem for the royal.
The gates to Floriade - billed as the southern hemisphere's biggest flower show - shut to the public in Canberra on Sunday.
But organisers resurrected the four-week event to allow the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh the chance to see hundreds of thousands of flowers that have been viewed by more than 400,000 visitors this year.
A team of gardeners spent the previous few days feverishly sprucing up flower beds, relaying paths and deadheading 100,000 tulips.
Tens of thousands of blooms were brought back from virtual death by watering over the past few days but signs of spent daffodils, irises and tulips could still be seen among other thriving plants.
Andrew Forster, the event's head gardener who took the Queen around the attraction, was impressed by the work of his staff.
He said: "It looks fabulous, the team of expert gardeners have gone through the event and cleaned it up and presented it how a Queen would like to see it.
"We have about 500,000 bulbs in the event and we've done a fair bid of deadheading for the tulips.
"Normally we stop watering on Saturday or Friday (in the final week) but I watered on Sunday night and Tuesday night to keep it going."
He added: "We have 76 varieties of tulips that peak towards the middle of the event, a lot of those have finished but there's still some others, which is great."
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October 20, 2011, 1:38 am
![Millions 'face environment hazards']()
Millions of people will be "trapped" in areas at increasing risk from environmental hazards, such as flooding, around the world, a report into future migration has warned.
And millions will move into places which are more vulnerable to the impacts of environmental changes brought on by global warming and pressure on resources, such as low-lying cities, the study by 300 experts from 30 countries said.
The Foresight report into environmental change and migration over the next 50 years said the focus had previously been on those who would leave areas affected by floods, droughts and extreme weather - often termed 'climate refugees'.
But the experts behind the report said the future would also see people migrating into areas which are more at risk from a range of environmental problems, with 192 million extra people predicted to be living in urban coastal floodplains in Africa and Asia by 2060.
And they warned that millions of people, particularly the poorest, would struggle to move out of areas which were at risk, raising the spectre of humanitarian disasters in the face of severe environmental shocks such as floods.
They also issued a warning against policies which attempted to prevent or constrain migration, which they said could be part of the solution to coping with environmental changes as well as part of the problem.
For example, money sent home from migrants working abroad in 2009 totalled 300 billion US dollars (£190 billion), three times the total overseas development aid provided by governments that year, with cash helping people pay for education, improve their lives and protect themselves against environmental disasters.
Professor Sir John Beddington, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said: "Environmental changes threaten to have a profound impact on communities around the world - particularly in low income countries.
"However, this report finds that the nature of the global challenge goes beyond just focusing on those that might try to move away from areas of risk.
"Millions will migrate into - rather than away from - areas of environmental vulnerability, while an even bigger policy challenge will be the millions who will be 'trapped' in dangerous conditions and unable to move to safety."
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October 20, 2011, 1:38 am
![Clearance of Dale Farm continues]()
Bailiffs are expected to begin removing homes from the UK's largest illegal travellers' site after police spent the night securing their position.
On Wednesday, riot-trained officers entered Dale Farm, Essex, at first light and quickly advanced, establishing a position which allowed them to begin removing the main scaffold gate.
By evening all protesters who had chained themselves to the gate had been removed. Essex Police made 23 arrests. There were sporadic, small-scale clashes between supporters and police during the evening.
Officers and Basildon Council-employed bailiffs remained on site and the gate is expected to be removed later. The number of supporters on site has dwindled from about 50 on Wednesday to just a handful.
About 50 travellers remained but many spent the night on the legal side of Dale Farm and others said they now wanted to leave as soon as the gate was opened.
However, resistance remains and some residents said they were determined to obstruct the eviction.
Kathleen McCarthy said she would be there until the end. She added: "I've seen residents with blood dripping down their face, and another who has been put in hospital by police batoning. The way in which the police are acting has shocked and outraged everyone here. We hope the world is watching."
There are 54 unauthorised plots on the illegal half of Dale Farm, although a court order dictates that six will remain. Other plots can be only partially removed.
The multimillion-pound clearance descended into violence on Wednesday, with two people Tasered and missiles thrown at police. An ambulance service spokesman said one resident had been taken to hospital and another was receiving treatment. Four others refused treatment.
Police said they had decided to lead the operation after it became clear that bailiffs would be met by violence.
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October 20, 2011, 1:38 am
![Undercover policing report delayed]()
An undercover police officer who was deployed among green activists took part in a criminal trial under a false name, it has been claimed.
A defence solicitor alleged that Jim Boyling, a specialist operations detective constable with the Met Police, maintained an alias throughout court proceedings. The allegations have forced the postponement of the publication of a review into the future of undercover policing and the actions of another officer who infiltrated protest groups.
Mike Schwarz, of law firm Bindmans, said he had discovered he represented Dc Boyling under the name Jim Sutton, along with other protesters. The undercover officer went on trial for public order offences with other activists from pro-cycling campaign group Reclaim The Streets following a demonstration at the headquarters of London Underground in 1996.
The lawyer said the revelation raised concerns about the "confidentiality" of discussions between the officer's co-defendants and their legal representatives. He told The Guardian: "This case raises the most fundamental constitutional issues about the limits of acceptable policing, the sanctity of lawyer-client confidentiality, and the integrity of the criminal justice system. At first sight, it seems that the police have wildly overstepped all recognised boundaries."
Activist John Jordan, who was convicted of assaulting a police officer and given a conditional discharge after being arrested with "Jim Sutton", is appealing against the verdict following the allegations.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been reviewing issues regarding the deployment of undercover officers and the policy and practices in place at the time of the events described in the Guardian. The MPS acknowledges that these are serious matters and is continuing to review the situation, and will take account of any additional information that becomes available."
The latest allegations led to the postponement of an investigation to assess what went wrong after the case against six protesters accused of planning to invade a power station collapsed in January. They claimed an undercover officer offered to give evidence on their behalf.
Mark Kennedy, who spent seven years posing as long-haired drop-out climber Mark "Flash" Stone, also had sexual relationships with at least two women during the operation. He has since said he now fears for his life, describing the world of undercover policing as "grey and murky", adding: "There is some bad stuff going on. Really bad stuff."
The review, launched by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in January, was reportedly set to rule out tough judicial oversight of the deployment of undercover officers, wanted by some police chiefs. A HMIC spokesman said: "In light of the allegations in the media today we are delaying the launch of our report. This is so we can consider the relevance of this information to the recommendations for improvement in undercover policing tactics that we are making in our review."
The review was carried out by Bernard Hogan-Howe, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, while he worked at HMIC before taking up Britain's top policing job last month.
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October 20, 2011, 9:35 pm
![Gaddafi death a 'momentous day']()
US President Barack Obama said the death of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was a "momentous day" in the history of Libya but warned there will be "difficult days ahead" on the road to full democracy in the country.
Mr Obama also urged the Libyan people to respect the human rights of those they had detained.
He said the Nato mission in Libya will soon come to an end.
"This marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya who now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny in a new and democratic Libya," he said.
"For four decades the Gaddafi regime ruled the Libyan people with an iron fist.
"Basic human rights were denied, innocent civilians were detained, beaten and killed and Libya's wealth was squandered, enormous potential of Libyan people was held back and terror was used as a political weapon.
"Today we can definitively say that the Gaddafi regime has come to an end. This is a momentous day in the history of Libya.
"The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted and with this enormous promise the Libyan people now have a great responsibility to build an inclusive and tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke to Gaddafi's dictatorship.
"We call on our Libya friends to continue to work with the international community to secure dangerous materials and to respect the human rights of all Libyans, including those who have been detained.
"We are under no illusions. Libya will travel a long and winding road to full democracy. There will be difficult days ahead. But the United States, together with the international community, is committed to the Libyan people."
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October 20, 2011, 9:35 pm
![Deported Britons released by police]()
Two British teenagers arrested and deported from Kenya have been released by the Metropolitan Police without charge after being detained under the Terrorism Act.
Mohamed Mohamed Abdallah, of Somali descent, and Iqbal Shahzad, of Pakistani descent, were arrested by anti-terror officers in Kenya at the weekend.
Both went missing from their homes in Cardiff, south Wales, more than a week ago, and it was feared that they had been radicalised by militant Islamists.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said two 18-year-old men were detained after arriving at Heathrow Airport from Kenya at approximately 5pm on Wednesday, before being released six hours later without arrest.
Abdirhman Haji Abdallah has spoken of his desperate dash to Kenya fearing son Mohamed planned to join Islamist rebel group al Shabab.
He met the authorities in Kenya, identifying the teenagers to the police and passing a photograph of his son to them.
Both teenagers were arrested before crossing the border into neighbouring Somalia. They were escorted on to a plane in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and deported.
Police revealed that both were under surveillance from the moment they arrived in Kenya.
A joint statement released by the Muslim Council of Wales, the Somali Advice and Information Centre and Cardiff's Nur Al Islam Mosque read: "The two youths from Cardiff are back from Kenya and now are with their families.
"They are well and pleased to be with their families and communities. The Muslim community and the wider community welcomed this good news."
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October 20, 2011, 9:35 pm
!['Too thin to conceive' women warned]()
Being too thin can be just as damaging as being too fat when it comes to getting pregnant, according to new research.
Thinness is associated with fertility problems in couples trying to conceive naturally, often due to underweight women having irregular periods and producing low levels of the hormone oestrogen.
Obesity can also affect the chances of conception, with excess weight linked to irregular periods and conditions such as polycystic ovaries. But while lots of research has focused on the negative impact of obesity, a new study suggests being underweight is just as bad if not more so.
Experts in Chicago analysed data from 2,362 cycles of IVF involving women under the age of 40. For women who were underweight - with a body mass index (BMI) of between 14 and 18 - the chance of delivering a healthy baby was 34%.
It was significantly higher (50%) in healthy or slightly overweight women (with a BMI of 19 to 28), and was 45% in very overweight and obese women (BMI of 29 to 43).
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) for the NHS say women should ideally have a BMI of 19 to 30 to be accepted for IVF. However, many primary care trusts (PCTs) set their own weight restrictions on who they will and will not treat.
Dr Richard Sherbahn, from the Advanced Fertility Centre of Chicago, conducted the study and presented his findings at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in Orlando.
He said other research had shown that being too thin was not good for fertility but it was unclear why this should be the case with IVF, when women were given drugs to make them produce eggs. This should bypass any problems a thin woman may have with period irregularity.
Dr Sherbahn said it was possible, in evolutionary terms, that being too thin may mean the body does not think it is the best time to reproduce. There may also be differences in the womb's receptiveness to an embryo depending on a woman's weight.
Charles Kingsland, a consultant gynaecologist at the Liverpool Women's Hospital and member of the British Fertility Society, echoed this, and added: "There are so many things people can do to help themselves before they intervene and start seeking medical advice. It's important to look at body weight, having a good diet which is full of fruit and veg and vitamins and minerals, reducing alcohol, stopping smoking and trying to be active."
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October 20, 2011, 9:35 pm
!['£2.8bn hole' in Osborne's Plan A]()
Rising unemployment and increased spending on social security has created a near-£3 billion "hole" in the Government's deficit target, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has claimed.
A study of official figures by the union organisation showed that the rising jobless total and "faltering" economic growth left tax revenues running a third below the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast made in March.
The combination of £1.8 billion in lost tax revenues and £1 billion in higher social security spending accounted for more than half the Government's overspend so far this financial year, said the TUC.
Official forecasts for wage, employment and output growth all look increasingly optimistic, according to the TUC's analysis.
General secretary Brendan Barber said: "The Government labels anyone that disagrees with its economic strategy a deficit-denier. But as the dole queues grow and our economy stagnates, the Chancellor's plan A is fast becoming a deficit failure.
"Deep, rapid spending cuts have sent unemployment spiralling to a 17-year high, are depressing living standards and adding billions to public borrowing. Even defenders of plan A admit it's going to get worse before it gets better.
"We need a new approach that prioritises jobs and decent wages, funded by making those that benefited most from the boom pay their fair share of tax.
"Getting people back into work is the only way to get consumers spending again, businesses growing and the deficit down."
The TUC said the Government should start working on a plan B, based on jobs and decent wages, warning that the coalition's programme of spending cuts was compounding the UK's economic problems.
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October 20, 2011, 9:50 pm
![Police aware of Milly phone hack]()
Surrey Police was aware that Milly Dowler's phone was hacked by someone working for the News of the World (NoTW) in 2002, the force's chief has said.
Chief Constable Mark Rowley said the now-closed Sunday newspaper made a call to the police operation room coordinating the inquiry into the schoolgirl's disappearance in April 2002 which made it apparent it had accessed her voicemail.
But officers only "focused on retrieving any evidence the NotW had that could assist in the investigation into Milly Dowler's disappearance" as that was the priority, Mr Rowley said.
No criminal investigation was launched into how the News International newspaper came by the information it provided and Surrey Police "neither arrested nor charged anyone" in connection with the hacking, he added.
In a letter to the Commons Home Affairs select committee, Mr Rowley said an inquiry was under way into why this was the case.
He added it appeared his force also failed to pass this information on to the Metropolitan Police's original phone hacking investigation in 2006.
Keith Vaz, the committee's chairman, said: "Had Surrey Police acted in 2002, it may have prevented the culture of hacking becoming endemic at News of the World. This was a serious omission. The committee will be investigating further the reasons why Surrey Police did not follow up on this evidence, and why Sussex Police did not flag it up in their review of Operation Ruby."
In his letter, Mr Rowley said: "From that call it was apparent that person(s) working for, or on behalf of, the NotW had accessed Milly Dowler's voicemail."
Mr Rowley added: "At that time, the focus and priority of the investigation was to find Milly, who had then been missing for over three weeks and significant resources were deployed to achieve this objective.
"I can confirm that Surrey Police did not launch a criminal investigation into how the NotW came by the information it provided Operation Ruby with in April 2002 and that Surrey Police neither arrested nor charged anyone in relation to accessing Milly Dowler's voicemail. The inquiry team is currently looking into why this was the case."
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October 20, 2011, 9:50 pm
![Probe into DC false name claim]()
Scotland Yard has called in the police watchdog over allegations that an undercover officer took part in a criminal trial under a false name.
Jim Boyling, a specialist operations Detective Constable with the Met Police, is accused of maintaining an alias throughout court proceedings after being arrested following a demonstration in 1996.
Scotland Yard has contacted the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) "with a view to making a formal referral to them tomorrow", a force spokesman said.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "The MPS has tonight, Thursday October 20, contacted the IPCC with a view to making a formal referral to them tomorrow.
"This follows consideration today of allegations relating to historic covert police deployments."
The allegations forced the postponement of the publication of a review of the future of undercover policing, which was scheduled for Thursday, and had been compiled by new Scotland Yard Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe before he took the force's top job last month.
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October 20, 2011, 9:50 pm
![£6,000 spent on life's 'essentials']()
British households typically spent £5,850 over the last year on "lifestyle essentials" such as holidays, take-aways and haircuts, a survey has found.
Despite feeling the squeeze from the rising cost of living, LV found that Britons still managed to spend £149 billion on such little luxuries, up £5.7 billion on the previous year.
The research found the "lifestyle essentials" had an overall inflation rate of 3.6% in the 12 months to August 2011, more than the increase in the nation's pay packets of 2.9% over the same period, LV said.
More than three-quarters (77%) of those surveyed are making financial cutbacks to afford the little treats which they deem as important to their lifestyles.
Nearly half (47%) said they were buying cheaper food or food that was not a well-known brand, while a third take their own lunch to work. Just over one in 10 take their coffee or tea to work in a flask.
The LV Lifestyle Inflation Index was constructed by research carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research using Office for National Statistics data as well as a survey of more than 2,000 people.
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October 20, 2011, 9:50 pm
![Disabled childcare costs criticised]()
Exorbitant childcare costs are hurting parents of disabled children and denying them time off during the holidays, charities have warned.
One in three parents of disabled children last summer could not afford holiday childcare, a survey of more than 1,000 parents across England found.
The survey by disabled children's charity Kids and disability support group Mencap also found one in 10 disabled children were refused childcare places because of their impairments.
About 19% of respondents said they faced up to £11,700 per year in childcare costs, compared to the national average of £5,028.
While 19% of those surveyed were able to maintain a full-time job while caring for their disabled child, nearly half (41%) said they needed childcare to be able to work.
The lack of affordable and appropriate childcare was cited as the main reason why 43% of parents were unemployed.
Mencap spokesman David Congdon said local authorities have a duty to help families with disabled children.
"Too often families of disabled children are let down during the holidays because of the inability of local authorities to provide suitable childcare for a fair price," Mr Congdon said.
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October 20, 2011, 9:50 pm
![PM hails future without Gaddafi]()
Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya with an iron fist for 42 years, has been killed as rebel troops overran the last pockets of loyalist resistance in his home-town Sirte.
Gruesome images of a blood-stained man thought to be Gaddafi being dragged through the streets of Sirte were shown on Libyan television. Some of the images suggested he was alive when captured.
It is understood that his body was later moved to a mosque in the town of Misrata, scene of some of the fiercest fighting earlier in the rebellion which ousted him from power.
Gaddafi's death was announced by the prime minister of the country's National Transitional Council (NTC) government Mahmoud Jibril, who told a press conference in the capital Tripoli: "We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Muammar Gaddafi has been killed."
In London, David Cameron said it was a moment to remember his many victims, including those who died when Pan-Am flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in 1988, Wpc Yvonne Fletcher, who was gunned down outside the Libyan embassy in 1984, and those killed by the IRA using Semtex explosives supplied by Gaddafi
In a statement notably free of any hint of triumphalism, the Prime Minister said he was "proud" of the role Britain played in helping the Libyan people liberate their country.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street minutes after Mr Jibril confirmed Gaddafi's death, Mr Cameron said: "People in Libya today have an even greater chance, after this news, of building themselves a strong and democratic future. I'm proud of the role that Britain has played in helping them to bring that about and I pay tribute to the bravery of the Libyans who have helped to liberate their country. We will help them, we will work with them, and that is what I want to say today."
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the death marked "an historic transition for Libya" and called on combatants on all sides to lay down their arms.
NTC officials said that Gaddafi died when he was shot in the head and legs after trying to flee Sirte in a convoy which was targeted by Nato warplanes.
However the precise details of how he met his death remained shrouded in uncertainty. There were reports that the 69-year-old, who ruled Libya as his personal fiefdom for more than four decades, may have been found cowering in a concrete pipe and begged not to be shot when found by NTC troops.
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October 20, 2011, 9:50 pm
![Travellers leave Dale Farm site]()
Travellers and their supporters have walked out of the UK's largest illegal site, ending a two-day stand off against bailiffs and police.
Chanting "Save Dale Farm", more than 100 people left through the gap opened up after bailiffs demolished the main gate, which had become a symbol of resistance.
Resident Kathleen McCarthy said: "Our message is that, as supporters and residents, we leave with our heads held high. It is a terrible moment, very sad, but the time has come. Our message to the council is shame on the council - you have left us homeless. We are proud people and we only ever wanted to leave peacefully. We are not the thugs they made us out to be, we are not law-breaking people."
Most residents plan to relocate to Oak Road, on the neighbouring legal site. They are expected to disperse across Essex and the region over the coming days.
Earlier in the day, residents - who had previously said they would chain themselves to their homes - said they were ready to leave after being shocked by the violent start to the clearance on Wednesday.
Resident Mary Sheridan said: "Leaving with supporters today is about our own dignity and our appreciation of the support we've received. We're leaving together as one family, and we are proud of that - you can't take away our dignity".
The mass walk-out leaves the site free of people except legal observers, who are required to make sure the bailiffs comply with the law.
Ali Saunders, a Dale Farm supporter, added: "We have held off eviction for over a month, and our sense of togetherness has been amazing. Anyone who has visited the community cannot fail to see the importance of a movement to promote the rights of travellers. Dale Farm will have a legacy for years to come."
Bailiffs, employed by Basildon Council, began demolishing the first plot shortly before the walk-out. Work will continue on Friday.
The walk out brings to an end a decade-long row over unauthorised plots on the six acre site near Basildon.
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October 21, 2011, 7:11 am
![Mobile use 'not linked to cancer']()
There is no link between the long-term use of a mobile phone and getting brain cancer, research suggests.
In what has been described as the largest study on the subject, researchers found that cancer rates in the central nervous system were almost the same in both long-term mobile phone users and people who do not use the handsets, the study published on bmj.com found.
There are more than five billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide and people have expressed fears that the electromagnetic fields emitted by holding a handset to the ear may cause adverse health affects.
But researchers, from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, studied the whole Danish population aged over 30 and born in Denmark after 1925 by gathering information from the Danish phone network operators and from the Danish Cancer Register.
They analysed data of 10,729 central nervous system tumours between 1990 and 2007 and discovered that long-term mobile users - who had used the devices for 13 years or more - had similar cancer rates to non-subscribers.
The researchers said they observed no overall increased risk for tumours of the central nervous system or for all cancers combined in mobile phone users.
The authors said: "The extended follow-up allowed us to investigate effects in people who had used mobile phones for 10 years or more, and this long-term use was not associated with higher risks of cancer.
"However, as a small to moderate increase in risk for subgroups of heavy users or after even longer induction periods than 10-15 years cannot be ruled out, further studies with large study populations, where the potential for misclassification of exposure and selection bias is minimised, are warranted."
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October 21, 2011, 7:11 am
![Boost for Osborne's deficit plans]()
Chancellor George Osborne's deficit reduction plans have received a boost after Government borrowing fell by more than expected in September.
Public sector borrowing, excluding financial interventions such as bank bail-outs, dropped to £14.1 billion in the month, down from £15.4 billion in the same month a year ago.
Figures for August have also been revised lower by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). August's borrowing figure was downgraded to £13.7 billion from a record £15.9 billion after Government expenditure was £1 billion less than previously thought and income and capital gains taxes were revised upwards.
Economists have questioned whether the Treasury will meet the Government's tax and spending watchdog's forecast for borrowing of £122 billion this financial year, compared with the £137 billion recorded the previous year.
The chances of hitting the target are in jeopardy because the economy is growing more slowly than previously forecast, which is reducing income from taxes. The growing number of people out of work also means the Government is spending more on benefits.
The Government's coffers were boosted during September after tax receipts rose 4.2% to £40 billion, boosted by the 20% rate of VAT.
The rise in receipts outstripped a 0.5% increase in spending to £51.2 billion, despite record September interest payments on the Government's debt, which rose 17.5% to £2.7 billion.
The Government's net investment declined 18% to £2.9 billion as it cut spending, including on building and civil engineering works.
The UK's net debt rose to £966.8 billion, up from £833 billion, and now accounts for 62.6% of GDP. The Government has borrowed £63.5 billion so far this financial year, down £7.5 billion on the same period a year ago.
A Treasury spokesman said: "One year on from the spending review, and despite the global economic turbulence stemming from the crisis of confidence in the eurozone, today's figures show the Government's progress in delivering its deficit reduction plan. At the halfway point in the fiscal year, half of the fall in borrowing forecast for the whole year has been achieved."
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October 21, 2011, 7:11 am
![Joanna 'cheery' before killing]()
Joanna Yeates was cheery and happy before Vincent Tabak strangled her to death, he has told a jury.
Tabak, 33, denied claims that the attack was sexually motived - but said he was attracted to his 25-year-old victim.
Under cross-examination, Tabak was questioned about the "flirty" comment he said Miss Yeates made about her cat "getting everywhere".
"She was cheery, happy," Tabak told Bristol Crown Court. "She made the comment (about the cat)."
During a second day of questioning from prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC, Tabak - who denies murder but admits manslaughter - claimed he believed she was attracted to him.
"We were standing close to each other, she invited me in for a drink. She made a flirty comment. I thought she was flirtatious."
Tabak showed no emotion as he was shown an image of Miss Yeates's body in a foetal position at Flax Bourton mortuary, in Somerset.
He said he "cannot remember" how his arms were scarred as he denied claims there had been a struggle with Miss Yeates as he strangled her. "There was no fight," he told the court. "There was no struggle."
Tabak admitted he had misled police as a search was launched for her body and apologised for raising suspicions about landlord Christopher Jefferies. "I am sorry I dragged him into this," he told the jury.
Tabak said he was "in a state of panic, turmoil" after dumping her body on a snowy verge in Failand, Somerset, on December 17. "I was exhausted that evening after moving Joanna's body," he said.
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October 21, 2011, 7:11 am
![Notice served on Dale Farm homes]()
Council officials have served 48-hour notices detailing how they will remove homes from the UK's largest illegal travellers' site.
Despite a mass walk-out of travellers and supporters from Dale Farm, Essex, on Thursday, between 20 and 30 people spent the night inside the site. Among them was mother-of-two Margaret Flynn, who is entitled to keep her caravan on the site, although the hard-standing beneath it will be removed.
She said: "We hardly slept last night, the kids just kept thinking about what had happened and how the police came into the site. I'm entitled to stay but it is not home any more. It felt very lonely in here."
Basildon Council officers, escorted by police and bailiffs, toured the site on Friday morning, placing notices on structures. The notices inform residents what will be removed. This includes demolishing fences and walls to allow access, although these will be reinstated.
Some residents have asked bailiffs to remove their homes, and one mobile home has already been placed inside the council compound. The police presence on site was low key, made up largely of community officers and commanders dressed in normal uniform.
The majority of the clearance is likely to get underway on Monday. A council spokesman said properties would be removed "with care" and not demolished. Hard-standings and roads will then be torn up.
The majority of the travellers spent the night on the legal side of Dale Farm. Council leader Tony Ball said he was not aware of any travellers trespassing on private land on Thursday night.
Basildon Council said its objectives for the day were to maintain access to and from the site and help with voluntary departures. A spokesman said: "When appropriate, the council contractors will secure a certain area of the site and start work on clearing individual plots - these zones will be subject to construction design and management regulations and access will be restricted."
Mr Ball said: "I am pleased that it was a quiet night on site, with no issues reported. Now that the protesters have left, we can talk to the traveller families remaining about their options and help those who wish to leave. We remain committed to carrying out the site clearance in a safe and professional manner."
The clearance brings to an end a decade-long row over unauthorised plots. The majority of the 51 plots will be removed, although some will stay, either entirely or in part, in accordance with the High Court ruling.
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The amount of British aid lost to fraud and corruption could rise because of changes to how the money is targeted, an influential committee of MPs has warned.
The Department for International Development (DfID), whose budget is rising despite massive cuts across Whitehall, is refocusing overseas aid on countries seen as fragile and in conflict, such as Somalia, Burma and Pakistan.
But the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cautioned that "operating in high-risk environments means the potential for increased risk of leakage through fraud and corruption".
"The department intends to focus more on fragile and conflict-affected states which pose higher risks in terms of poor security, delivery capacity, measurement of costs and outcomes, and leakage of funds through fraud and corruption," it said in a report.
The PAC also warned that increasing spending via multilateral organisations - such as the European Commission and the World Bank - may also mean more British money is lost to fraud and corruption.
"The department plans to increase the proportion of its funding spent via multilaterals but does not have the same visibility over the cost and performance of multilaterals' programmes as it does over its bilateral programmes," the PAC said.
"Furthermore, the strategy to increase DfID spend through multilateral programmes appears to have more to do with it being easier for DfID to do this than for it to assess the viability, effectiveness and value for money of bilateral programme proposals."
The PAC also criticised DfID's "poor understanding" of the scale and likelihood of aid being lost to fraud.
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the coalition had transformed DfID's financial management and took a "zero-tolerance" approach to fraud.
"Although accurately reflecting the position under Labour, the report appears to take little account of the huge changes the coalition has made since taking office," he said.
Vincent Tabak will tell a jury for the first time in his own words how he strangled Joanna Yeates.
The 33-year-old, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, will give his own version of events in a bid to explain claims he did not intend to kill her.
Amid beefed-up security at Bristol Crown Court, Tabak is expected to say her death was "pure chance".
Tabak, who has kept his head in his hands for the previous eight days of evidence, claims he misread his next-door neighbour's signals after she invited him in for a drink. He says he put his hand to the 25-year-old's throat after she protested at his advances.
Defence QC William Clegg said Miss Yeates's death was tragic misfortune. Tabak "completely misread the situation" before "Joanna went limp", Mr Clegg claimed. "It was pure chance that Vincent Tabak and Joanna Yeates ever met on December 17 last year," the barrister told jurors on Wednesday.
Miss Yeates is said to have invited Tabak into her flat after smiling at him as he walked past her kitchen window, Mr Clegg said. Mr Clegg said Miss Yeates and Tabak were virtual strangers - but were both at loose ends at their flats in Clifton.
"If Joanna Yeates had stayed for one more drink in the Ram pub, she'd be alive today," the barrister said. "If Vincent Tabak had left half an hour earlier to go to Asda, as was his intention, he wouldn't be standing in the dock now."
Mr Clegg has said he would not try to justify Tabak's actions after her death, saying his client was "living a lie" by attending dinner parties and attempting to carry on his life as normal.
He said it was "frankly disgusting" that Tabak had tried to hide the body and "did everything he could to cover his tracks". But he urged the jury to focus on what happened in Miss Yeates's flat as Tabak takes to the stand.
Mr Clegg said: "What he is being tried for is whether when he killed Joanna Yeates that was planned, premeditated and something that he intended to do, intended to kill or cause really serious harm to her, or whether when he was responsible for her death, when he killed her, he panicked and did it without thinking of the consequences, without intending that she should die, without intending that she should suffer really serious harm. That's the issue you need to focus on."
When the Queen comes to town the fact an attraction may have closed is not a problem for the royal.
The gates to Floriade - billed as the southern hemisphere's biggest flower show - shut to the public in Canberra on Sunday.
But organisers resurrected the four-week event to allow the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh the chance to see hundreds of thousands of flowers that have been viewed by more than 400,000 visitors this year.
A team of gardeners spent the previous few days feverishly sprucing up flower beds, relaying paths and deadheading 100,000 tulips.
Tens of thousands of blooms were brought back from virtual death by watering over the past few days but signs of spent daffodils, irises and tulips could still be seen among other thriving plants.
Andrew Forster, the event's head gardener who took the Queen around the attraction, was impressed by the work of his staff.
He said: "It looks fabulous, the team of expert gardeners have gone through the event and cleaned it up and presented it how a Queen would like to see it.
"We have about 500,000 bulbs in the event and we've done a fair bid of deadheading for the tulips.
"Normally we stop watering on Saturday or Friday (in the final week) but I watered on Sunday night and Tuesday night to keep it going."
He added: "We have 76 varieties of tulips that peak towards the middle of the event, a lot of those have finished but there's still some others, which is great."
Millions of people will be "trapped" in areas at increasing risk from environmental hazards, such as flooding, around the world, a report into future migration has warned.
And millions will move into places which are more vulnerable to the impacts of environmental changes brought on by global warming and pressure on resources, such as low-lying cities, the study by 300 experts from 30 countries said.
The Foresight report into environmental change and migration over the next 50 years said the focus had previously been on those who would leave areas affected by floods, droughts and extreme weather - often termed 'climate refugees'.
But the experts behind the report said the future would also see people migrating into areas which are more at risk from a range of environmental problems, with 192 million extra people predicted to be living in urban coastal floodplains in Africa and Asia by 2060.
And they warned that millions of people, particularly the poorest, would struggle to move out of areas which were at risk, raising the spectre of humanitarian disasters in the face of severe environmental shocks such as floods.
They also issued a warning against policies which attempted to prevent or constrain migration, which they said could be part of the solution to coping with environmental changes as well as part of the problem.
For example, money sent home from migrants working abroad in 2009 totalled 300 billion US dollars (£190 billion), three times the total overseas development aid provided by governments that year, with cash helping people pay for education, improve their lives and protect themselves against environmental disasters.
Professor Sir John Beddington, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said: "Environmental changes threaten to have a profound impact on communities around the world - particularly in low income countries.
"However, this report finds that the nature of the global challenge goes beyond just focusing on those that might try to move away from areas of risk.
"Millions will migrate into - rather than away from - areas of environmental vulnerability, while an even bigger policy challenge will be the millions who will be 'trapped' in dangerous conditions and unable to move to safety."
Bailiffs are expected to begin removing homes from the UK's largest illegal travellers' site after police spent the night securing their position.
On Wednesday, riot-trained officers entered Dale Farm, Essex, at first light and quickly advanced, establishing a position which allowed them to begin removing the main scaffold gate.
By evening all protesters who had chained themselves to the gate had been removed. Essex Police made 23 arrests. There were sporadic, small-scale clashes between supporters and police during the evening.
Officers and Basildon Council-employed bailiffs remained on site and the gate is expected to be removed later. The number of supporters on site has dwindled from about 50 on Wednesday to just a handful.
About 50 travellers remained but many spent the night on the legal side of Dale Farm and others said they now wanted to leave as soon as the gate was opened.
However, resistance remains and some residents said they were determined to obstruct the eviction.
Kathleen McCarthy said she would be there until the end. She added: "I've seen residents with blood dripping down their face, and another who has been put in hospital by police batoning. The way in which the police are acting has shocked and outraged everyone here. We hope the world is watching."
There are 54 unauthorised plots on the illegal half of Dale Farm, although a court order dictates that six will remain. Other plots can be only partially removed.
The multimillion-pound clearance descended into violence on Wednesday, with two people Tasered and missiles thrown at police. An ambulance service spokesman said one resident had been taken to hospital and another was receiving treatment. Four others refused treatment.
Police said they had decided to lead the operation after it became clear that bailiffs would be met by violence.
An undercover police officer who was deployed among green activists took part in a criminal trial under a false name, it has been claimed.
A defence solicitor alleged that Jim Boyling, a specialist operations detective constable with the Met Police, maintained an alias throughout court proceedings. The allegations have forced the postponement of the publication of a review into the future of undercover policing and the actions of another officer who infiltrated protest groups.
Mike Schwarz, of law firm Bindmans, said he had discovered he represented Dc Boyling under the name Jim Sutton, along with other protesters. The undercover officer went on trial for public order offences with other activists from pro-cycling campaign group Reclaim The Streets following a demonstration at the headquarters of London Underground in 1996.
The lawyer said the revelation raised concerns about the "confidentiality" of discussions between the officer's co-defendants and their legal representatives. He told The Guardian: "This case raises the most fundamental constitutional issues about the limits of acceptable policing, the sanctity of lawyer-client confidentiality, and the integrity of the criminal justice system. At first sight, it seems that the police have wildly overstepped all recognised boundaries."
Activist John Jordan, who was convicted of assaulting a police officer and given a conditional discharge after being arrested with "Jim Sutton", is appealing against the verdict following the allegations.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been reviewing issues regarding the deployment of undercover officers and the policy and practices in place at the time of the events described in the Guardian. The MPS acknowledges that these are serious matters and is continuing to review the situation, and will take account of any additional information that becomes available."
The latest allegations led to the postponement of an investigation to assess what went wrong after the case against six protesters accused of planning to invade a power station collapsed in January. They claimed an undercover officer offered to give evidence on their behalf.
Mark Kennedy, who spent seven years posing as long-haired drop-out climber Mark "Flash" Stone, also had sexual relationships with at least two women during the operation. He has since said he now fears for his life, describing the world of undercover policing as "grey and murky", adding: "There is some bad stuff going on. Really bad stuff."
The review, launched by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in January, was reportedly set to rule out tough judicial oversight of the deployment of undercover officers, wanted by some police chiefs. A HMIC spokesman said: "In light of the allegations in the media today we are delaying the launch of our report. This is so we can consider the relevance of this information to the recommendations for improvement in undercover policing tactics that we are making in our review."
The review was carried out by Bernard Hogan-Howe, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, while he worked at HMIC before taking up Britain's top policing job last month.
US President Barack Obama said the death of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was a "momentous day" in the history of Libya but warned there will be "difficult days ahead" on the road to full democracy in the country.
Mr Obama also urged the Libyan people to respect the human rights of those they had detained.
He said the Nato mission in Libya will soon come to an end.
"This marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya who now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny in a new and democratic Libya," he said.
"For four decades the Gaddafi regime ruled the Libyan people with an iron fist.
"Basic human rights were denied, innocent civilians were detained, beaten and killed and Libya's wealth was squandered, enormous potential of Libyan people was held back and terror was used as a political weapon.
"Today we can definitively say that the Gaddafi regime has come to an end. This is a momentous day in the history of Libya.
"The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted and with this enormous promise the Libyan people now have a great responsibility to build an inclusive and tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke to Gaddafi's dictatorship.
"We call on our Libya friends to continue to work with the international community to secure dangerous materials and to respect the human rights of all Libyans, including those who have been detained.
"We are under no illusions. Libya will travel a long and winding road to full democracy. There will be difficult days ahead. But the United States, together with the international community, is committed to the Libyan people."
Two British teenagers arrested and deported from Kenya have been released by the Metropolitan Police without charge after being detained under the Terrorism Act.
Mohamed Mohamed Abdallah, of Somali descent, and Iqbal Shahzad, of Pakistani descent, were arrested by anti-terror officers in Kenya at the weekend.
Both went missing from their homes in Cardiff, south Wales, more than a week ago, and it was feared that they had been radicalised by militant Islamists.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said two 18-year-old men were detained after arriving at Heathrow Airport from Kenya at approximately 5pm on Wednesday, before being released six hours later without arrest.
Abdirhman Haji Abdallah has spoken of his desperate dash to Kenya fearing son Mohamed planned to join Islamist rebel group al Shabab.
He met the authorities in Kenya, identifying the teenagers to the police and passing a photograph of his son to them.
Both teenagers were arrested before crossing the border into neighbouring Somalia. They were escorted on to a plane in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and deported.
Police revealed that both were under surveillance from the moment they arrived in Kenya.
A joint statement released by the Muslim Council of Wales, the Somali Advice and Information Centre and Cardiff's Nur Al Islam Mosque read: "The two youths from Cardiff are back from Kenya and now are with their families.
"They are well and pleased to be with their families and communities. The Muslim community and the wider community welcomed this good news."
Being too thin can be just as damaging as being too fat when it comes to getting pregnant, according to new research.
Thinness is associated with fertility problems in couples trying to conceive naturally, often due to underweight women having irregular periods and producing low levels of the hormone oestrogen.
Obesity can also affect the chances of conception, with excess weight linked to irregular periods and conditions such as polycystic ovaries. But while lots of research has focused on the negative impact of obesity, a new study suggests being underweight is just as bad if not more so.
Experts in Chicago analysed data from 2,362 cycles of IVF involving women under the age of 40. For women who were underweight - with a body mass index (BMI) of between 14 and 18 - the chance of delivering a healthy baby was 34%.
It was significantly higher (50%) in healthy or slightly overweight women (with a BMI of 19 to 28), and was 45% in very overweight and obese women (BMI of 29 to 43).
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) for the NHS say women should ideally have a BMI of 19 to 30 to be accepted for IVF. However, many primary care trusts (PCTs) set their own weight restrictions on who they will and will not treat.
Dr Richard Sherbahn, from the Advanced Fertility Centre of Chicago, conducted the study and presented his findings at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in Orlando.
He said other research had shown that being too thin was not good for fertility but it was unclear why this should be the case with IVF, when women were given drugs to make them produce eggs. This should bypass any problems a thin woman may have with period irregularity.
Dr Sherbahn said it was possible, in evolutionary terms, that being too thin may mean the body does not think it is the best time to reproduce. There may also be differences in the womb's receptiveness to an embryo depending on a woman's weight.
Charles Kingsland, a consultant gynaecologist at the Liverpool Women's Hospital and member of the British Fertility Society, echoed this, and added: "There are so many things people can do to help themselves before they intervene and start seeking medical advice. It's important to look at body weight, having a good diet which is full of fruit and veg and vitamins and minerals, reducing alcohol, stopping smoking and trying to be active."
Rising unemployment and increased spending on social security has created a near-£3 billion "hole" in the Government's deficit target, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has claimed.
A study of official figures by the union organisation showed that the rising jobless total and "faltering" economic growth left tax revenues running a third below the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast made in March.
The combination of £1.8 billion in lost tax revenues and £1 billion in higher social security spending accounted for more than half the Government's overspend so far this financial year, said the TUC.
Official forecasts for wage, employment and output growth all look increasingly optimistic, according to the TUC's analysis.
General secretary Brendan Barber said: "The Government labels anyone that disagrees with its economic strategy a deficit-denier. But as the dole queues grow and our economy stagnates, the Chancellor's plan A is fast becoming a deficit failure.
"Deep, rapid spending cuts have sent unemployment spiralling to a 17-year high, are depressing living standards and adding billions to public borrowing. Even defenders of plan A admit it's going to get worse before it gets better.
"We need a new approach that prioritises jobs and decent wages, funded by making those that benefited most from the boom pay their fair share of tax.
"Getting people back into work is the only way to get consumers spending again, businesses growing and the deficit down."
The TUC said the Government should start working on a plan B, based on jobs and decent wages, warning that the coalition's programme of spending cuts was compounding the UK's economic problems.
Surrey Police was aware that Milly Dowler's phone was hacked by someone working for the News of the World (NoTW) in 2002, the force's chief has said.
Chief Constable Mark Rowley said the now-closed Sunday newspaper made a call to the police operation room coordinating the inquiry into the schoolgirl's disappearance in April 2002 which made it apparent it had accessed her voicemail.
But officers only "focused on retrieving any evidence the NotW had that could assist in the investigation into Milly Dowler's disappearance" as that was the priority, Mr Rowley said.
No criminal investigation was launched into how the News International newspaper came by the information it provided and Surrey Police "neither arrested nor charged anyone" in connection with the hacking, he added.
In a letter to the Commons Home Affairs select committee, Mr Rowley said an inquiry was under way into why this was the case.
He added it appeared his force also failed to pass this information on to the Metropolitan Police's original phone hacking investigation in 2006.
Keith Vaz, the committee's chairman, said: "Had Surrey Police acted in 2002, it may have prevented the culture of hacking becoming endemic at News of the World. This was a serious omission. The committee will be investigating further the reasons why Surrey Police did not follow up on this evidence, and why Sussex Police did not flag it up in their review of Operation Ruby."
In his letter, Mr Rowley said: "From that call it was apparent that person(s) working for, or on behalf of, the NotW had accessed Milly Dowler's voicemail."
Mr Rowley added: "At that time, the focus and priority of the investigation was to find Milly, who had then been missing for over three weeks and significant resources were deployed to achieve this objective.
"I can confirm that Surrey Police did not launch a criminal investigation into how the NotW came by the information it provided Operation Ruby with in April 2002 and that Surrey Police neither arrested nor charged anyone in relation to accessing Milly Dowler's voicemail. The inquiry team is currently looking into why this was the case."
British households typically spent £5,850 over the last year on "lifestyle essentials" such as holidays, take-aways and haircuts, a survey has found.
Despite feeling the squeeze from the rising cost of living, LV found that Britons still managed to spend £149 billion on such little luxuries, up £5.7 billion on the previous year.
The research found the "lifestyle essentials" had an overall inflation rate of 3.6% in the 12 months to August 2011, more than the increase in the nation's pay packets of 2.9% over the same period, LV said.
More than three-quarters (77%) of those surveyed are making financial cutbacks to afford the little treats which they deem as important to their lifestyles.
Nearly half (47%) said they were buying cheaper food or food that was not a well-known brand, while a third take their own lunch to work. Just over one in 10 take their coffee or tea to work in a flask.
The LV Lifestyle Inflation Index was constructed by research carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research using Office for National Statistics data as well as a survey of more than 2,000 people.
Exorbitant childcare costs are hurting parents of disabled children and denying them time off during the holidays, charities have warned.
One in three parents of disabled children last summer could not afford holiday childcare, a survey of more than 1,000 parents across England found.
The survey by disabled children's charity Kids and disability support group Mencap also found one in 10 disabled children were refused childcare places because of their impairments.
About 19% of respondents said they faced up to £11,700 per year in childcare costs, compared to the national average of £5,028.
While 19% of those surveyed were able to maintain a full-time job while caring for their disabled child, nearly half (41%) said they needed childcare to be able to work.
The lack of affordable and appropriate childcare was cited as the main reason why 43% of parents were unemployed.
Mencap spokesman David Congdon said local authorities have a duty to help families with disabled children.
"Too often families of disabled children are let down during the holidays because of the inability of local authorities to provide suitable childcare for a fair price," Mr Congdon said.
Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya with an iron fist for 42 years, has been killed as rebel troops overran the last pockets of loyalist resistance in his home-town Sirte.
Gruesome images of a blood-stained man thought to be Gaddafi being dragged through the streets of Sirte were shown on Libyan television. Some of the images suggested he was alive when captured.
It is understood that his body was later moved to a mosque in the town of Misrata, scene of some of the fiercest fighting earlier in the rebellion which ousted him from power.
Gaddafi's death was announced by the prime minister of the country's National Transitional Council (NTC) government Mahmoud Jibril, who told a press conference in the capital Tripoli: "We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Muammar Gaddafi has been killed."
In London, David Cameron said it was a moment to remember his many victims, including those who died when Pan-Am flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in 1988, Wpc Yvonne Fletcher, who was gunned down outside the Libyan embassy in 1984, and those killed by the IRA using Semtex explosives supplied by Gaddafi
In a statement notably free of any hint of triumphalism, the Prime Minister said he was "proud" of the role Britain played in helping the Libyan people liberate their country.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street minutes after Mr Jibril confirmed Gaddafi's death, Mr Cameron said: "People in Libya today have an even greater chance, after this news, of building themselves a strong and democratic future. I'm proud of the role that Britain has played in helping them to bring that about and I pay tribute to the bravery of the Libyans who have helped to liberate their country. We will help them, we will work with them, and that is what I want to say today."
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the death marked "an historic transition for Libya" and called on combatants on all sides to lay down their arms.
NTC officials said that Gaddafi died when he was shot in the head and legs after trying to flee Sirte in a convoy which was targeted by Nato warplanes.
However the precise details of how he met his death remained shrouded in uncertainty. There were reports that the 69-year-old, who ruled Libya as his personal fiefdom for more than four decades, may have been found cowering in a concrete pipe and begged not to be shot when found by NTC troops.
Travellers and their supporters have walked out of the UK's largest illegal site, ending a two-day stand off against bailiffs and police.
Chanting "Save Dale Farm", more than 100 people left through the gap opened up after bailiffs demolished the main gate, which had become a symbol of resistance.
Resident Kathleen McCarthy said: "Our message is that, as supporters and residents, we leave with our heads held high. It is a terrible moment, very sad, but the time has come. Our message to the council is shame on the council - you have left us homeless. We are proud people and we only ever wanted to leave peacefully. We are not the thugs they made us out to be, we are not law-breaking people."
Most residents plan to relocate to Oak Road, on the neighbouring legal site. They are expected to disperse across Essex and the region over the coming days.
Earlier in the day, residents - who had previously said they would chain themselves to their homes - said they were ready to leave after being shocked by the violent start to the clearance on Wednesday.
Resident Mary Sheridan said: "Leaving with supporters today is about our own dignity and our appreciation of the support we've received. We're leaving together as one family, and we are proud of that - you can't take away our dignity".
The mass walk-out leaves the site free of people except legal observers, who are required to make sure the bailiffs comply with the law.
Ali Saunders, a Dale Farm supporter, added: "We have held off eviction for over a month, and our sense of togetherness has been amazing. Anyone who has visited the community cannot fail to see the importance of a movement to promote the rights of travellers. Dale Farm will have a legacy for years to come."
Bailiffs, employed by Basildon Council, began demolishing the first plot shortly before the walk-out. Work will continue on Friday.
The walk out brings to an end a decade-long row over unauthorised plots on the six acre site near Basildon.
There is no link between the long-term use of a mobile phone and getting brain cancer, research suggests.
In what has been described as the largest study on the subject, researchers found that cancer rates in the central nervous system were almost the same in both long-term mobile phone users and people who do not use the handsets, the study published on bmj.com found.
There are more than five billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide and people have expressed fears that the electromagnetic fields emitted by holding a handset to the ear may cause adverse health affects.
But researchers, from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, studied the whole Danish population aged over 30 and born in Denmark after 1925 by gathering information from the Danish phone network operators and from the Danish Cancer Register.
They analysed data of 10,729 central nervous system tumours between 1990 and 2007 and discovered that long-term mobile users - who had used the devices for 13 years or more - had similar cancer rates to non-subscribers.
The researchers said they observed no overall increased risk for tumours of the central nervous system or for all cancers combined in mobile phone users.
The authors said: "The extended follow-up allowed us to investigate effects in people who had used mobile phones for 10 years or more, and this long-term use was not associated with higher risks of cancer.
"However, as a small to moderate increase in risk for subgroups of heavy users or after even longer induction periods than 10-15 years cannot be ruled out, further studies with large study populations, where the potential for misclassification of exposure and selection bias is minimised, are warranted."
Chancellor George Osborne's deficit reduction plans have received a boost after Government borrowing fell by more than expected in September.
Public sector borrowing, excluding financial interventions such as bank bail-outs, dropped to £14.1 billion in the month, down from £15.4 billion in the same month a year ago.
Figures for August have also been revised lower by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). August's borrowing figure was downgraded to £13.7 billion from a record £15.9 billion after Government expenditure was £1 billion less than previously thought and income and capital gains taxes were revised upwards.
Economists have questioned whether the Treasury will meet the Government's tax and spending watchdog's forecast for borrowing of £122 billion this financial year, compared with the £137 billion recorded the previous year.
The chances of hitting the target are in jeopardy because the economy is growing more slowly than previously forecast, which is reducing income from taxes. The growing number of people out of work also means the Government is spending more on benefits.
The Government's coffers were boosted during September after tax receipts rose 4.2% to £40 billion, boosted by the 20% rate of VAT.
The rise in receipts outstripped a 0.5% increase in spending to £51.2 billion, despite record September interest payments on the Government's debt, which rose 17.5% to £2.7 billion.
The Government's net investment declined 18% to £2.9 billion as it cut spending, including on building and civil engineering works.
The UK's net debt rose to £966.8 billion, up from £833 billion, and now accounts for 62.6% of GDP. The Government has borrowed £63.5 billion so far this financial year, down £7.5 billion on the same period a year ago.
A Treasury spokesman said: "One year on from the spending review, and despite the global economic turbulence stemming from the crisis of confidence in the eurozone, today's figures show the Government's progress in delivering its deficit reduction plan. At the halfway point in the fiscal year, half of the fall in borrowing forecast for the whole year has been achieved."
Joanna Yeates was cheery and happy before Vincent Tabak strangled her to death, he has told a jury.
Tabak, 33, denied claims that the attack was sexually motived - but said he was attracted to his 25-year-old victim.
Under cross-examination, Tabak was questioned about the "flirty" comment he said Miss Yeates made about her cat "getting everywhere".
"She was cheery, happy," Tabak told Bristol Crown Court. "She made the comment (about the cat)."
During a second day of questioning from prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC, Tabak - who denies murder but admits manslaughter - claimed he believed she was attracted to him.
"We were standing close to each other, she invited me in for a drink. She made a flirty comment. I thought she was flirtatious."
Tabak showed no emotion as he was shown an image of Miss Yeates's body in a foetal position at Flax Bourton mortuary, in Somerset.
He said he "cannot remember" how his arms were scarred as he denied claims there had been a struggle with Miss Yeates as he strangled her. "There was no fight," he told the court. "There was no struggle."
Tabak admitted he had misled police as a search was launched for her body and apologised for raising suspicions about landlord Christopher Jefferies. "I am sorry I dragged him into this," he told the jury.
Tabak said he was "in a state of panic, turmoil" after dumping her body on a snowy verge in Failand, Somerset, on December 17. "I was exhausted that evening after moving Joanna's body," he said.
Council officials have served 48-hour notices detailing how they will remove homes from the UK's largest illegal travellers' site.
Despite a mass walk-out of travellers and supporters from Dale Farm, Essex, on Thursday, between 20 and 30 people spent the night inside the site. Among them was mother-of-two Margaret Flynn, who is entitled to keep her caravan on the site, although the hard-standing beneath it will be removed.
She said: "We hardly slept last night, the kids just kept thinking about what had happened and how the police came into the site. I'm entitled to stay but it is not home any more. It felt very lonely in here."
Basildon Council officers, escorted by police and bailiffs, toured the site on Friday morning, placing notices on structures. The notices inform residents what will be removed. This includes demolishing fences and walls to allow access, although these will be reinstated.
Some residents have asked bailiffs to remove their homes, and one mobile home has already been placed inside the council compound. The police presence on site was low key, made up largely of community officers and commanders dressed in normal uniform.
The majority of the clearance is likely to get underway on Monday. A council spokesman said properties would be removed "with care" and not demolished. Hard-standings and roads will then be torn up.
The majority of the travellers spent the night on the legal side of Dale Farm. Council leader Tony Ball said he was not aware of any travellers trespassing on private land on Thursday night.
Basildon Council said its objectives for the day were to maintain access to and from the site and help with voluntary departures. A spokesman said: "When appropriate, the council contractors will secure a certain area of the site and start work on clearing individual plots - these zones will be subject to construction design and management regulations and access will be restricted."
Mr Ball said: "I am pleased that it was a quiet night on site, with no issues reported. Now that the protesters have left, we can talk to the traveller families remaining about their options and help those who wish to leave. We remain committed to carrying out the site clearance in a safe and professional manner."
The clearance brings to an end a decade-long row over unauthorised plots. The majority of the 51 plots will be removed, although some will stay, either entirely or in part, in accordance with the High Court ruling.
