December 17, 2010, 8:59 am
![Image]( "Driver's deportation win challenged")
The UK Border Agency will appeal against a tribunal ruling preventing the deportation of a failed asylum seeker who killed a 12-year-old girl in a hit-and-run driving incident, immigration minister Damian Green has said.
Mr Green's announcement that the Government would renew efforts to remove Iraqi Kurd Aso Mohammed Ibrahim from the UK came after Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his "great" anger over the case.
"We are extremely disappointed at the tribunal's decision and are appealing," Mr Green said in a statement issued by the Home Office.
"He was convicted of committing an offence that led to the tragic death of a 12-year-old child and it is our view that he should be removed."
Mr Cameron said he hoped for a successful appeal against the ruling by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
Ibrahim was told on Thursday that he can stay in the UK despite his conviction for driving while disqualified and failing to stop after the accident - which led to the death of Amy Houston - because he has subsequently had children in Britain.
Ibrahim, 33, left Amy dying under the wheels of his car in Blackburn, Lancashire, in 2003 while already banned from driving.
He was jailed for four months but allowed to remain in the UK on his release, despite having a string of criminal convictions.
Asked about the case at a press conference in Brussels earlier, Mr Cameron said: "My personal response is one of great anger that this is allowed to happen.
"Here we have an Iraqi asylum seeker convicted of an offence that led to the death of a child and yet we are being told that there is no way that this person can be deported to Iraq. I think that that is wrong and I very much hope that the UK Border Agency will be able to appeal."
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December 17, 2010, 8:59 am
![Image]( "PM tax threat to banks over bonuses")
David Cameron has threatened the banks with higher taxes if they fail to rein in lavish bonuses.
The Prime Minister signalled a new focus on banking sector tax revenues, saying that unpopular decisions on bonuses would make it difficult to keep a regime "that they might favour".
His comments backed Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's warning that the Government will not stand on the sidelines if banks refuse to restrain their pay levels.
Mr Cameron insisted the banks have to understand the "political context" to the issue of bonuses, given that the banks were bailed out by taxpayers who are now feeling the pinch.
The British public found it "very galling" to see bankers paying themselves "unjustified bonuses", he said.
"We have had to bail out the banks and use taxpayers' money in a difficult economic situation and I do believe in social responsibility, that people have to think of their responsibilities when they make these decisions.
"I think we have to start thinking more about the revenue we raise from banks. What we want is strong and sustainable revenues so that we can put those to good use."
Mr Clegg used an interview with the Financial Times to issue a call for "visible restraint" in the forthcoming bonus round.
"The banks should not be under any illusion, this Government cannot stand idly by," he said. "It is wholly untenable to have millions of people making sacrifices in their living standards, only to see the banks getting away scot-free."
The rhetoric on the banks provoked a hostile reaction from the City and some scepticism as to what action the Government could take unilaterally to curb excess.
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December 17, 2010, 11:11 am
![Image]( "Patient dies after ambulance crash")
A man has died after an ambulance left a country road in poor weather conditions and careered into a bush.
Police said the man, aged in his early 30s, received life-threatening injuries when his Mini was in a crash with a flatbed highways vehicle carrying road equipment.
The accident happened on the A271 Boreham Street, near Herstmonceux, Eastbourne, East Sussex, just before 2.30pm on Friday, Sussex Police said.
Due to the severity of the Mini driver's injuries, both the ambulance crew members treated him in the back of the ambulance while a road policing officer drove it to the Eastbourne District General Hospital.
But about 20 minutes later the ambulance crashed into a bush on Standard Hill, Ninfield.
The Sussex Police helicopter and Kent Air Ambulance attended the second crash but the Mini driver, from Horam, was pronounced dead.
One of the ambulance crew was treated at hospital for minor injuries.
A police spokesman said it was "normal practice" in such incidents for road policing officers to drive ambulances when additional medical help was needed.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was contacted by Sussex Police and asked for the inquiry to continue locally before a decision about any involvement by the police watchdog can be made on Monday.
Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man from St Leonards-on-sea, who was driving the highways vehicle operated by a contractor on behalf of East Sussex County Council, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. He is in custody.
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "No vote for longer-term prisoners")
Criminals sentenced to four years or more will be automatically excluded from the right to vote when it is extended to prisoners.
And sentencing judges will be given the discretion to stop those handed down a jail term of less than four years from casting a ballot while they are behind bars.
New legislation - due to be tabled in Parliament next year - will grant prisoners the right to vote only in elections to Westminster and the European Parliament, meaning that they will not have a voice in ballots for directly elected police chiefs.
The Government announced last month that it was throwing in the towel in a long-running legal battle in the European courts to prevent inmates voting.
But Prime Minister David Cameron made clear that he was doing so reluctantly, and would prefer to retain the ban which has been in place since 1870.
His spokesman said: "We are responding to court judgments. We have to comply with those judgments and we don't want to get into a situation where we are compensating prisoners because we have not complied.
"It is not something the Prime Minister would do if he were given a free choice on this."
Announcing the proposed restrictions on prisoners' voting rights ahead of a parliamentary statement on December 20, constitutional reform minister Mark Harper said: "The Government has brought these proposals forward as a result of a court ruling which it is obliged to implement. This is not a choice, it is a legal obligation."
The move comes after a man serving a life sentence for raping and murdering his niece lost his appeal over the right to vote while in jail.
Peter Chester - who is serving life for raping and strangling seven-year-old Donna Marie Gillbanks in Blackpool in 1977 - went to the Court of Appeal, where three judges unanimously dismissed the 55-year-old's case and refused permission to go to the Supreme Court, the highest in the land.
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "New big freeze hits early get-aways")
Swathes of Britain have ground to a halt as the big freeze made its return, throwing early Christmas getaway plans into jeopardy and threatening to leave homes without heating or presents over the festive period.
Arctic conditions meant flights were cancelled at several airports, while some rail services were axed entirely and traffic was brought to a standstill.
Plunging temperatures meant motorists faced "possibly the worst driving conditions imaginable" in Aberdeenshire as Scotland saw a near-repeat of the chaos earlier this month.
The disruption came as travel companies prepare for one of the busiest weekends of the year, with schools breaking up for the festive period and shoppers flocking to the high street.
And there is more misery for those who opted to order gifts online as many are left facing the prospect of depleted Christmas stockings after a number of retailers stopped deliveries entirely.
Weathermen have suggested some parts of south-east England could see snowfalls of up to 11.5cm on Saturday.
Aisling Creevey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said the weekend looks bleak for almost every part of the UK, with some areas experiencing "significant" snowfall.
"Pretty much everywhere in the UK will be affected by snow showers at some point this weekend and temperatures will really struggle to rise above freezing during the day," she said.
Those hoping to travel were warned they may be forced to delay their plans, with the AA warning of the impact of wintry conditions on an already busy road network.
Budget airline easyJet has already cancelled all of its flights in and out of Gatwick airport between 6am and 10am on Saturday, and warned of further disruption throughout the day.
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "Victims' mothers oppose jail plans")
Mothers of murder victims have protested against Government proposals which they claim would see killers spending less time in prison.
Members of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression (Mamaa) gathered outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster, central London, to condemn the Green Paper put forward by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke.
Karen Austin, whose son Darcy was gunned down outside Wandsworth Prison in May last year, said she could not "even begin to accept" anything that might reduce sentences for murder.
She said: "Darcy's death destroyed our lives and destroyed our family. As far as I'm concerned life should mean life but we don't really have that in this country. But 30 years at least would give me the comfort that these people are off the streets.
"I have had a life sentence. If you allow these people to go free after a few years then there's no prevention, there's no punishment."
Under Mr Clarke's plan judges would be given more discretion over how long killers should spend behind bars.
The proposals would scrap guidance which sets out fixed starting points of 15 and 30 years and a whole life term for parole for different types of murder.
Instead, a "simpler, more sensible" approach would be put in place which "leaves the judge to do justice in the individual case", Mr Clarke said.
Protest organiser Cathy Franklin, whose two-year-old son Ryan was killed eight years ago, said: "We've got to make a stand. Ken Clarke seems to have done almost no consultation with the victims of crime."
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The Government has absolutely no intention whatsoever of reducing sentences for murder. We are not abolishing the mandatory life sentence for murder, nor are we sanctioning any reduction in the minimum terms imposed for murder."
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "Bank denies WikiLeaks' Sudan claim")
A part-nationalised British bank has said there is "no evidence" to back claims exposed in leaked US diplomatic cables that Sudan's president may have stolen £5.8 billion from his country and deposited it in London.
A document among tens of thousands released by the WikiLeaks website reported the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asserting that Lloyds Banking Group "may be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money".
In the cable, a US official says that Luis Moreno-Ocampo discussed the possible stash of money days after issuing an arrest warrant for president Omar Bashir, who has been indicted by the ICC on several counts of war crimes and genocide.
A Sudanese government spokesman told The Guardian - which has been publishing the WikiLeaks material - that the claim the president had taken the cash was "ludicrous" and attacked the motives of the prosecutor.
Lloyds insisted it was not aware of any link with Bashir. "We have absolutely no evidence to suggest there is any connection between Lloyds Banking Group and Mr Bashir. The group's policy is to abide by the legal and regulatory obligations in all jurisdictions in which we operate," a spokeswoman said.
In the cable reporting the conversation, the US official wrote: "Ocampo suggested if Bashir's stash of money were disclosed (he put the figure at $9bn), it would change Sudanese public opinion from him being a 'crusader' to that of a thief.
"Ocampo reported Lloyds bank in London may be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money," the cable said. "Ocampo suggested exposing Bashir had illegal accounts would be enough to turn the Sudanese against him."
Dr Khalid al-Mubarak, spokesman at the Sudanese embassy in London, told The Guardian: "To claim that the president can control the treasury and take money to put into his own accounts is ludicrous. It is a laughable claim by the ICC prosecutor. Ocampo is a maverick, and this is just part of his political agenda.
"Attempts to smear not only Bashir but Sudan as a whole are well known, and are clearly linked with anti-Arab sentiments and Islamophobia," Dr Mubarak added.
Robert Palmer of anti-corruption group Global Witness said: ""If this allegation by the ICC prosecutor is accurate, it appears that a UK high street bank bailed out by the Government is holding billions controlled by an indicted war criminal, or at the very least would be able to help trace any funds. If this story is true, I'd like to know what controls Lloyds put in place to ensure that the funds were legitimate - and I'm sure the Sudanese people would as well."
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "Migrant worker cap ruled invalid")
Government caps on migrant workers introduced by the Home Secretary this summer have been ruled invalid by the High Court.
Two judges said Theresa May had unlawfully attempted to "sidestep Parliamentary scrutiny" when setting the limits.
Lord Justice Sullivan and Mr Justice Burton declared that, as a result, no lawful limits were in place for two tiers of job applicants from abroad.
The ruling was a victory for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and English Community Care Association (ECCA), which was concerned over the position of immigrant care workers.
The interim cap on visas for Tier 1 (general) highly skilled migrants and the number of certificates of sponsorship allowed for Tier 2 skilled workers were introduced in June-July. The Government plans to introduce a permanent limit on non-EU workers next April.
Critics say the ruling is important for British business as the current cap is damaging industry in the UK.
The changes were deliberately intended to give the minister flexibility and the ability to change the numbers allowed in to work, without having to go before Parliament for scrutiny.
Lord Justice Sullivan said: "The Secretary of State made no secret of her intentions. There can be no doubt that she was attempting to sidestep provisions for Parliamentary scrutiny set up under provisions of the 1971 Immigration Act, and her attempt was for that reason unlawful."
The changes introduced were substantive and should have been laid before Parliament, he said.
The judge declared: "In my judgment no interim limits were lawfully published or specified by the Secretary of State for either Tier 1 or Tier 2... and there is not, and never has been, a limit on the number of applicants who may be admitted either under Tier 1 or the number of certificates of sponsorship that should be issued to Tier 2 sponsors."
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "Griffin defeats contempt legal bid")
BNP leader Nick Griffin has fought off a bid to have him declared guilty of contempt of court.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission accused him of failing to comply with a Central London County Court judgment ordering the removal of potentially racist clauses from his party's constitution.
Robin Allen QC, appearing for the watchdog, said the BNP was "playing with" the Commission and its officials instead of obeying the judgment.
But on Friday Lord Justice Moore-Bick and Mr Justice Ramsey, sitting at the High Court in London, refused to to take action against Mr Griffin, BNP deputy Simon Darby and party officer Tanya Lumby.
The Commission was seeking fines against them for contempt, or possibly the sequestration of party assets.
The application stemmed from the county court's ruling that the BNP constitution breached discrimination laws because of a clause banning non-white members.
The constitution underwent revision, but last March Judge Paul Collins ruled at the county court that the new version was indirectly discriminatory against those of mixed-race, because it required party applicants to oppose "any form of integration or assimilation of ... the indigenous British".
Another section required new members to submit to a two-hour vetting visit at their home by BNP officials, which Judge Collins ruled could be seen as "intimidatory".
The county judge ordered both sections to be removed from the constitution.
The Commission took the BNP to the High Court accusing it of being in contempt by failing to comply with that order. On Friday, as BNP supporters demonstrated outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Lord Justice Moore-Bick said he had reached "the clear conclusion" that the Commission's legal action could not succeed.
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December 17, 2010, 11:19 am
![Image]( "Girl, four, found stabbed to death")
A woman has been arrested and detained in a secure mental unit after a four-year-old girl was stabbed to death, Scotland Yard said.
Officers found the child's body inside a flat on the Chatsworth Estate in Clapton, east London, on Thursday.
A 36-year-old woman, believed to be girl's mother, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. She has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in a secure unit.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing shortly after 3pm.
An ambulance was sent to the flat, but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said next of kin have been informed, but are awaiting formal identification.
A post-mortem examination will take place on Saturday at Poplar mortuary in east London.
The Metropolitan Police's child abuse investigation command is leading the murder inquiry.
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December 18, 2010, 2:38 pm
![Image]( "'Keep the Queen's head on stamps'")
A business minister is "extremely confident" the Queen's head would remain on postage stamps even if the Royal Mail was sold off to a foreign firm.
The Government is in talks with Buckingham Palace after it was discovered legislation paving the way for a sell-off failed explicitly to guarantee the practice.
But postal services minister Ed Davey - who discovered the loophole - said he was sure a solution would be found before the Bill finishes its passage through Parliament.
The Mail on Sunday suggested there was "anger" at the Palace over the omission and suggested it could try to delay the legislation until after the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee - claims Mr Davey denied.
While the Bill contains a clause giving the Queen a veto over any use of her image on stamps or other products, it does not insist that her head be shown.
Mr Davey said he queried the lack of specific protection with officials months ago but was told it was not being sought by the Palace and that dropping the monarch's image would be "commercial suicide".
Unhappy with that answer, Mr Davey said, he initiated talks with the Palace - which were "positive and friendly" - to decide how to firm up the protection.
"Any company would be absolutely stark staring mad to decide not to have the Queen's head on its stamps," he said, pointing out that there was no such guarantee in the previous Labour government's draft Bill. "I was told we did not need it but I said several months ago I was not happy with that. I'm extremely confident that the Queen's head will remain on our stamps."
A Palace spokesman told the newspaper there were "no outstanding issues on the Bill from our side".
But shadow business secretary John Denham claimed the legislation was deliberately vague. "They are not leaving glaring loopholes like this for no reason. They think the fewer strings they attach, the more money they will get from a foreign buyer," he said.
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December 18, 2010, 3:19 pm
![Image]( "Labour MP 'threatened to out' Evans")
Tory Nigel Evans has said he hoped his decision to publicly admit he is gay will help others be open after revealing a Labour MP had threatened to "out" him.
Mr Evans, a deputy speaker in the Commons, declared his homosexuality on the eve of the launch of a new help group for politicians and Westminster staff.
The MP for Ribble Valley, whose sexual orientation was an open secret to many in Parliament, would not name the MP concerned but said he wanted to help end such "nastiness".
"The MP was saying to anyone who would listen, 'Why is it that Nigel Evans leads a life whereby he is gay to some people and not others?'," he told the Mail on Sunday.
"I could not afford it to be used as leverage against me. I couldn't take the risk. I don't want any other MP to face that kind of nastiness again."
"I am sure there are other gay MPs who would like to be open about their sexuality but are fearful of the consequences. I hope this new group will help them to do so."
Mr Evans, who becomes the 22nd openly gay MP in the Commons, is a vice-president of the ParliOut initiative which will be launched on Sunday by Commons Speaker John Bercow.
The first support group for gay politicians, their staff and other parliamentary workers, it was set up with the help of gay rights charity Stonewall.
He told the Mail on Sunday that the spur to his decision finally to come out was a fellow Tory MP asking if he should include his name on a list of the most powerful gay politicians.
"I thought, this is just daft. I am not going to live a lie any more," he said.
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December 18, 2010, 3:19 pm
![Image]( "Big freeze tightens grip on Britain")
Britain has been faced with travel chaos after heavy snow paralysed swathes of the country and the big chill returned with a vengeance.
Motorists struggled on treacherous roads, planes were grounded and rail services cancelled on what is traditionally one of the busiest weekends of the year.
It wrecked Christmas travel arrangements and shopping expeditions for people across the country.
On the roads, hundreds of motorists were stuck after snow rendered the M6 in Greater Manchester impassable.
Drivers were warned to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary as the mercury plummeted well below zero - reaching minus 15.5C in Aviemore, Scotland.
The AA attended more than 11,000 breakdowns by 5.30pm, with calls peaking at 1,200 every hour - around twice the normal rate. By the end of the day, it expected to have dealt with some 16,000 calls, compared to 9,000 on an average Saturday pre-Christmas.
Train services were also subject to problems, with operators in the south, including Southeastern, South West Trains and Southern Railway, running reduced services.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Birmingham airports all grounded planes for at least part of the day while staff battled to clear snow from the runways.
Passengers also faced disruption at Exeter, London City, Aberdeen, Belfast International and Cardiff airports, while Belfast City and Southampton were also closed for a time.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The weather over the last twenty four hours has been exceptionally severe. Government continues to monitor all aspects of the situation."
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December 18, 2010, 3:19 pm
![Image]( "At-risk 'avoid swine flu vaccine'")
Young people are at a greater risk from swine flu than the over-60s but are more reluctant to get vaccinated, an expert has warned.
Professor John Oxford, from Queen Mary, University of London, said pensioners would have been exposed to the virus in the 1940s and 1950s.
He explained older people are usually more vulnerable to flu in general but they have a tolerance to the swine flu strain.
Prof Oxford said: "That's the paradoxical thing. There were fewer deaths across those age groups compared to younger people last year. The only thing is, younger people can't be persuaded to have the vaccine."
Asked why fewer young people are getting inoculated, he said: "The problem is that on websites like Twitter people are saying we're all going to die from the vaccine, but that is utter nonsense."
The virologist said people should listen to expert advice, rather than rumours from unqualified sources on the internet.
An estimated 67.2% of over-65s and 41.5% of under-65s in at-risk groups have had the flu jab in England.
At-risk groups from the flu virus include people over 65, those suffering from a chronic heart or chest complaint, people with asthma, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and those with lowered immunity due to cancer.
Figures out earlier this week revealed 17 people have died from flu so far this winter. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said 14 deaths were from swine flu and another three from flu type B. All were under 65, with six deaths among children under 18.
At least eight of the 17 were in an "at-risk" group. None was pregnant and none had been vaccinated.
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December 18, 2010, 4:35 pm
![Image]( "Anger at 'pay cut or jobs axe' deal")
Unions have accused NHS bosses of putting a gun to NHS workers' heads over threats to lay off tens of thousands of staff unless further pay restraint is accepted.
Just over a million employees earning up to £34,189 are being asked to give up annual increments - on top of an existing two-year pay freeze - in return for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
The Observer reported the number facing the axe if the deal was rejected had been set by NHS Employers - which represents primary care trusts and other providers - at 35,000.
Increments were previously excluded from the original public sector pay freeze, which affects all but those earning less than £21,000, and are worth up to a few thousand pounds a year. Ending them for two years would, NHS Employers calculates, save £3.8 billion as part of the effort to secure £20 billion of efficiency savings in the health service by 2014/15.
Karen Reay, national officer for health at the Unite trade union, told the newspaper: "If you don't accept these swingeing proposals, other people may lose their jobs. This is a blunt threat by employers and a negatively emotive way of trying to do business.
"Staff who are loyal to the NHS and aren't paid too much to start with are now being asked to take another hit. It's unfair. Many are angry that, after the two-year pay freeze, they are expected to lose their pay increments for two years as well."
The deal was first proposed earlier this week, with doctors' leaders saying it exposed Government claims the NHS budget was being protected were false and expressing doubts about the offered job loss guarantee.
"This proposal makes clear that the NHS is in fact facing a real-terms cut in funding over the next two years and it appears NHS staff are expected personally to bridge the funding gap in some way," Hamish Meldrum, chairman of British Medical Association Council said in a letter to members.
The guarantees "appear to be very limited and will be left to local agreement", he noted.
A Department of Health spokesman was not immediately able to confirm the 35,000 figure.
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December 18, 2010, 4:35 pm
![Image]( "Punters back jockey for honour")
The UK's top sports stars hoping to add the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award to their trophy cabinets.
People will be able to vote for the sportsman or woman they think should win after the show starts at 7pm on BBC1, live from Birmingham.
This year's stand-out favourite is AP McCoy, who finally won the Grand National this year on Don't Push It. The 36-year-old has been champion jockey a record 15 times in a row and has ridden more than 3,000 winners.
Graham Sharpe from bookmaker William Hill said: "This year's award has really struck a chord with punters, and with the racing industry getting behind McCoy's cause we have seen a wholesale gamble on Tony McCoy winning.
"If he does we face a six-figure hammering, but as Tony is such a great ambassador for racing, and therefore betting, we won't be unhappy to pay out. One online McCoy fan has gambled the biggest ever Sports Personality bet of £7,000 on McCoy at odds of even money."
Coming up behind the jockey in the list of favourites are golfer Graeme McDowell, who became Europe's first US Open champion for 40 years when he won his maiden major title at Pebble Beach, and darts player Phil Taylor, who collected six majors this year, including the World Championship, Premier League and World Matchplay crowns.
Outside bets are Amy Williams, Britain's first individual Winter Olympics gold medalist for 30 years, Lee Westwood, the world's number one golfer, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, cricketer Graeme Swann, 16-year-old diver Tom Daley, cyclist Mark Cavendish and boxing heavyweight David Haye.
Former England captain David Beckham is to receive the BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement award. The midfielder is 35 and still plays professional football for US side Los Angeles Galaxy. He is England's most capped outfield player and won six Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester United. In 2001 Beckham was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
At the end of a year in which England football fans expected so much from the national team at the World Cup in South Africa, there are notably no footballers on the shortlist.
Last year the award was won by Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs.
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December 18, 2010, 4:35 pm
![Image]( "Dewani relatives attack allegations")
Anguished relatives of Shrien Dewani have revealed how he had been "torn apart" by "ridiculous" allegations that he plotted to kill his wife while they were on honeymoon.
They spoke out after the businessman was subjected to a stream of slurs following the brutal murder of his bride Anni - ranging from his alleged payment to her killers to a rumoured homosexual affair with a rent boy.
Mr Dewani's family and supporters also insisted he has been scapegoated by South African authorities who are anxious to protect the country's tourism industry, describing the police case against him as "flimsy" and "flawed".
Speaking to the Independent newspaper, a close relative said: "Shrien is torn apart by it all. He has been robbed of the love of his life and is grieving, and now he must deal with all these ridiculous allegations."
Relatives and friends denied the widower fled South Africa to deny justice and claimed he had been painted in an "inaccurate" and biased light by the world's media.
They also pointed to claims by a lawyer acting for the two men accused of the murder that his clients were "tortured by police" before signing confessions.
Care home owner Mr Dewani, 30, believes the murder allegations are based on evidence from men "who have everything to win and nothing to lose from inventing a story", according to his supporters.
His lawyers are planning legal action against those responsible for spreading allegations he had homosexual liaisons with a German rent boy, they said.
Mr Dewani is also said to be frustrated that the media could not talk openly to his family due to legal constraints.
A video of the couple's Hindu wedding ceremony, in which they are seen singing Bollywood love film lyrics to each other, was released on Saturday by relatives, adding to their claims that Mr Dewani was "deeply in love" with his Swedish-born wife.
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December 18, 2010, 4:35 pm
![Image]( "Knox wins murder evidence review")
Amanda Knox's family have expressed their delight after a court allowed a review of the evidence used to convict her of Meredith Kercher's murder.
The American student is serving a 26-year prison sentence in Perugia for the brutal killing, which prosecutors said followed a bungled sex game.
Now appealing in the Italian hilltop town, her hopes of having the verdict overturned were given a boost by yesterday's decision to grant a re-examination of crucial DNA evidence.
The court also gave permission for defence lawyers to introduce two new witnesses to the appeal process, giving another boost to 23-year-old Knox's chances.
Her stepfather Chris Mellas described it as "the first step in the right direction".
The 36-year-old said: "We're all pleased. It's nice to have the first good decision in three years. Amanda is definitely hopeful. We've always had a little bit of that hope but this is the first time we have a reason for it."
The evidence to be reviewed includes disputed DNA traces found on a knife allegedly used as the murder weapon and on the clasp of Miss Kercher's bra.
Lawyers representing Knox's Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, sentenced to 25 years for the murder in the same trial last year, also requested a fresh look at this evidence.
Both legal teams say the evidence was inconclusive and have also argued it may have been contaminated when analysed.
University of Leeds student Miss Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found dead on November 2, 2007 in her bedroom at the Perugia house she shared with Knox and others during her year abroad.
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December 18, 2010, 4:35 pm
![Image]( "Harry to lay Berlin Wall wreath")
Prince Harry is to lay a wreath to commemorate those who died trying to cross the infamous Berlin Wall.
Harry flew to the German capital on Saturday to collect an award in recognition of his charity work and immediately declared himself unworthy of the honour.
The prince said he felt "hugely humble" to receive the Golden Heart during a televised fundraising gala in Berlin - Ein Herz fur Kinder (A Heart for Children).
He explained that compared with others who dedicate their lives to helping vulnerable youngsters, "I have done very little", and accepted the trophy on their behalf.
Harry will visit the Bernauer Strasse Wall Memorial, tour the memorial museum and exhibition, and lay a wreath during his visit to the area.
The memorial is in the centre of Berlin at an historic site that contains the last piece of Berlin Wall with the preserved grounds behind it, sometimes known as the "death strip".
During his visit to the German capital, which ends today, Harry will also visit the Brandenburg Gate and learn about the history of the monument and surrounding area.
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December 18, 2010, 4:35 pm
![Image]( "One in five back violent protests")
One in five voters believes students and others have every right to resort to violent protests if politicians break promises, an opinion poll has suggested.
But a large majority were against anything but peaceful protests with almost two-thirds backing the use by police of water cannon to quell any disorder.
The latest survey by ComRes also revealed the extent of public disillusion with politicians - all three major party leaders suffering negative performance ratings.
Ed Miliband fared particularly badly in the poll - for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror - with just 17% saying he was turning out to be a good leader. Only 39% of Labour's own supporters backed him but he may take hope from the fact that half of those questioned had not made up their minds. His party also slipped a point in the overall party standings but retains a two-point advantage - 39% to 37% - over the Conservatives who gained one.
The Liberal Democrats slipped one point to 11%, their lowest in a ComRes poll, with leader Nick Clegg facing the largest proportion - 48% - of voters expressing negative views of his leadership.
Prime Minister David Cameron had the smallest gap between fans and critics - 38% approving of his premiership so far and 40% disagreeing - and Mr Clegg the biggest at minus 23 points. Half of those who voted Lib Dem at the general election disapproved of his leadership as he continues to attract anger over joining the coalition and broken promises on university tuition fees.
That issue has sparked scenes of violence on the streets of London in recent weeks as protests against moves to almost treble the cap on fees have descended into rioting.
The poll found that 20% of voters backed violent protest, including 40% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 32% of Labour supporters, but 70% disagreed.
Recent scenes have led to calls for the police to use water cannon to disperse protesters - a technique ruled out by the Met three years ago but now under consideration. According to the poll, 64% - including a majority of supporters of each major party - want to see them used, with 22% opposed.
ComRes interviewed 2,017 adults online between December 15 and 16.
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The UK Border Agency will appeal against a tribunal ruling preventing the deportation of a failed asylum seeker who killed a 12-year-old girl in a hit-and-run driving incident, immigration minister Damian Green has said.
Mr Green's announcement that the Government would renew efforts to remove Iraqi Kurd Aso Mohammed Ibrahim from the UK came after Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his "great" anger over the case.
"We are extremely disappointed at the tribunal's decision and are appealing," Mr Green said in a statement issued by the Home Office.
"He was convicted of committing an offence that led to the tragic death of a 12-year-old child and it is our view that he should be removed."
Mr Cameron said he hoped for a successful appeal against the ruling by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
Ibrahim was told on Thursday that he can stay in the UK despite his conviction for driving while disqualified and failing to stop after the accident - which led to the death of Amy Houston - because he has subsequently had children in Britain.
Ibrahim, 33, left Amy dying under the wheels of his car in Blackburn, Lancashire, in 2003 while already banned from driving.
He was jailed for four months but allowed to remain in the UK on his release, despite having a string of criminal convictions.
Asked about the case at a press conference in Brussels earlier, Mr Cameron said: "My personal response is one of great anger that this is allowed to happen.
"Here we have an Iraqi asylum seeker convicted of an offence that led to the death of a child and yet we are being told that there is no way that this person can be deported to Iraq. I think that that is wrong and I very much hope that the UK Border Agency will be able to appeal."
David Cameron has threatened the banks with higher taxes if they fail to rein in lavish bonuses.
The Prime Minister signalled a new focus on banking sector tax revenues, saying that unpopular decisions on bonuses would make it difficult to keep a regime "that they might favour".
His comments backed Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's warning that the Government will not stand on the sidelines if banks refuse to restrain their pay levels.
Mr Cameron insisted the banks have to understand the "political context" to the issue of bonuses, given that the banks were bailed out by taxpayers who are now feeling the pinch.
The British public found it "very galling" to see bankers paying themselves "unjustified bonuses", he said.
"We have had to bail out the banks and use taxpayers' money in a difficult economic situation and I do believe in social responsibility, that people have to think of their responsibilities when they make these decisions.
"I think we have to start thinking more about the revenue we raise from banks. What we want is strong and sustainable revenues so that we can put those to good use."
Mr Clegg used an interview with the Financial Times to issue a call for "visible restraint" in the forthcoming bonus round.
"The banks should not be under any illusion, this Government cannot stand idly by," he said. "It is wholly untenable to have millions of people making sacrifices in their living standards, only to see the banks getting away scot-free."
The rhetoric on the banks provoked a hostile reaction from the City and some scepticism as to what action the Government could take unilaterally to curb excess.
A man has died after an ambulance left a country road in poor weather conditions and careered into a bush.
Police said the man, aged in his early 30s, received life-threatening injuries when his Mini was in a crash with a flatbed highways vehicle carrying road equipment.
The accident happened on the A271 Boreham Street, near Herstmonceux, Eastbourne, East Sussex, just before 2.30pm on Friday, Sussex Police said.
Due to the severity of the Mini driver's injuries, both the ambulance crew members treated him in the back of the ambulance while a road policing officer drove it to the Eastbourne District General Hospital.
But about 20 minutes later the ambulance crashed into a bush on Standard Hill, Ninfield.
The Sussex Police helicopter and Kent Air Ambulance attended the second crash but the Mini driver, from Horam, was pronounced dead.
One of the ambulance crew was treated at hospital for minor injuries.
A police spokesman said it was "normal practice" in such incidents for road policing officers to drive ambulances when additional medical help was needed.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was contacted by Sussex Police and asked for the inquiry to continue locally before a decision about any involvement by the police watchdog can be made on Monday.
Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man from St Leonards-on-sea, who was driving the highways vehicle operated by a contractor on behalf of East Sussex County Council, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. He is in custody.
Criminals sentenced to four years or more will be automatically excluded from the right to vote when it is extended to prisoners.
And sentencing judges will be given the discretion to stop those handed down a jail term of less than four years from casting a ballot while they are behind bars.
New legislation - due to be tabled in Parliament next year - will grant prisoners the right to vote only in elections to Westminster and the European Parliament, meaning that they will not have a voice in ballots for directly elected police chiefs.
The Government announced last month that it was throwing in the towel in a long-running legal battle in the European courts to prevent inmates voting.
But Prime Minister David Cameron made clear that he was doing so reluctantly, and would prefer to retain the ban which has been in place since 1870.
His spokesman said: "We are responding to court judgments. We have to comply with those judgments and we don't want to get into a situation where we are compensating prisoners because we have not complied.
"It is not something the Prime Minister would do if he were given a free choice on this."
Announcing the proposed restrictions on prisoners' voting rights ahead of a parliamentary statement on December 20, constitutional reform minister Mark Harper said: "The Government has brought these proposals forward as a result of a court ruling which it is obliged to implement. This is not a choice, it is a legal obligation."
The move comes after a man serving a life sentence for raping and murdering his niece lost his appeal over the right to vote while in jail.
Peter Chester - who is serving life for raping and strangling seven-year-old Donna Marie Gillbanks in Blackpool in 1977 - went to the Court of Appeal, where three judges unanimously dismissed the 55-year-old's case and refused permission to go to the Supreme Court, the highest in the land.
Swathes of Britain have ground to a halt as the big freeze made its return, throwing early Christmas getaway plans into jeopardy and threatening to leave homes without heating or presents over the festive period.
Arctic conditions meant flights were cancelled at several airports, while some rail services were axed entirely and traffic was brought to a standstill.
Plunging temperatures meant motorists faced "possibly the worst driving conditions imaginable" in Aberdeenshire as Scotland saw a near-repeat of the chaos earlier this month.
The disruption came as travel companies prepare for one of the busiest weekends of the year, with schools breaking up for the festive period and shoppers flocking to the high street.
And there is more misery for those who opted to order gifts online as many are left facing the prospect of depleted Christmas stockings after a number of retailers stopped deliveries entirely.
Weathermen have suggested some parts of south-east England could see snowfalls of up to 11.5cm on Saturday.
Aisling Creevey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said the weekend looks bleak for almost every part of the UK, with some areas experiencing "significant" snowfall.
"Pretty much everywhere in the UK will be affected by snow showers at some point this weekend and temperatures will really struggle to rise above freezing during the day," she said.
Those hoping to travel were warned they may be forced to delay their plans, with the AA warning of the impact of wintry conditions on an already busy road network.
Budget airline easyJet has already cancelled all of its flights in and out of Gatwick airport between 6am and 10am on Saturday, and warned of further disruption throughout the day.
Mothers of murder victims have protested against Government proposals which they claim would see killers spending less time in prison.
Members of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression (Mamaa) gathered outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster, central London, to condemn the Green Paper put forward by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke.
Karen Austin, whose son Darcy was gunned down outside Wandsworth Prison in May last year, said she could not "even begin to accept" anything that might reduce sentences for murder.
She said: "Darcy's death destroyed our lives and destroyed our family. As far as I'm concerned life should mean life but we don't really have that in this country. But 30 years at least would give me the comfort that these people are off the streets.
"I have had a life sentence. If you allow these people to go free after a few years then there's no prevention, there's no punishment."
Under Mr Clarke's plan judges would be given more discretion over how long killers should spend behind bars.
The proposals would scrap guidance which sets out fixed starting points of 15 and 30 years and a whole life term for parole for different types of murder.
Instead, a "simpler, more sensible" approach would be put in place which "leaves the judge to do justice in the individual case", Mr Clarke said.
Protest organiser Cathy Franklin, whose two-year-old son Ryan was killed eight years ago, said: "We've got to make a stand. Ken Clarke seems to have done almost no consultation with the victims of crime."
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The Government has absolutely no intention whatsoever of reducing sentences for murder. We are not abolishing the mandatory life sentence for murder, nor are we sanctioning any reduction in the minimum terms imposed for murder."
A part-nationalised British bank has said there is "no evidence" to back claims exposed in leaked US diplomatic cables that Sudan's president may have stolen £5.8 billion from his country and deposited it in London.
A document among tens of thousands released by the WikiLeaks website reported the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asserting that Lloyds Banking Group "may be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money".
In the cable, a US official says that Luis Moreno-Ocampo discussed the possible stash of money days after issuing an arrest warrant for president Omar Bashir, who has been indicted by the ICC on several counts of war crimes and genocide.
A Sudanese government spokesman told The Guardian - which has been publishing the WikiLeaks material - that the claim the president had taken the cash was "ludicrous" and attacked the motives of the prosecutor.
Lloyds insisted it was not aware of any link with Bashir. "We have absolutely no evidence to suggest there is any connection between Lloyds Banking Group and Mr Bashir. The group's policy is to abide by the legal and regulatory obligations in all jurisdictions in which we operate," a spokeswoman said.
In the cable reporting the conversation, the US official wrote: "Ocampo suggested if Bashir's stash of money were disclosed (he put the figure at $9bn), it would change Sudanese public opinion from him being a 'crusader' to that of a thief.
"Ocampo reported Lloyds bank in London may be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money," the cable said. "Ocampo suggested exposing Bashir had illegal accounts would be enough to turn the Sudanese against him."
Dr Khalid al-Mubarak, spokesman at the Sudanese embassy in London, told The Guardian: "To claim that the president can control the treasury and take money to put into his own accounts is ludicrous. It is a laughable claim by the ICC prosecutor. Ocampo is a maverick, and this is just part of his political agenda.
"Attempts to smear not only Bashir but Sudan as a whole are well known, and are clearly linked with anti-Arab sentiments and Islamophobia," Dr Mubarak added.
Robert Palmer of anti-corruption group Global Witness said: ""If this allegation by the ICC prosecutor is accurate, it appears that a UK high street bank bailed out by the Government is holding billions controlled by an indicted war criminal, or at the very least would be able to help trace any funds. If this story is true, I'd like to know what controls Lloyds put in place to ensure that the funds were legitimate - and I'm sure the Sudanese people would as well."
Government caps on migrant workers introduced by the Home Secretary this summer have been ruled invalid by the High Court.
Two judges said Theresa May had unlawfully attempted to "sidestep Parliamentary scrutiny" when setting the limits.
Lord Justice Sullivan and Mr Justice Burton declared that, as a result, no lawful limits were in place for two tiers of job applicants from abroad.
The ruling was a victory for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and English Community Care Association (ECCA), which was concerned over the position of immigrant care workers.
The interim cap on visas for Tier 1 (general) highly skilled migrants and the number of certificates of sponsorship allowed for Tier 2 skilled workers were introduced in June-July. The Government plans to introduce a permanent limit on non-EU workers next April.
Critics say the ruling is important for British business as the current cap is damaging industry in the UK.
The changes were deliberately intended to give the minister flexibility and the ability to change the numbers allowed in to work, without having to go before Parliament for scrutiny.
Lord Justice Sullivan said: "The Secretary of State made no secret of her intentions. There can be no doubt that she was attempting to sidestep provisions for Parliamentary scrutiny set up under provisions of the 1971 Immigration Act, and her attempt was for that reason unlawful."
The changes introduced were substantive and should have been laid before Parliament, he said.
The judge declared: "In my judgment no interim limits were lawfully published or specified by the Secretary of State for either Tier 1 or Tier 2... and there is not, and never has been, a limit on the number of applicants who may be admitted either under Tier 1 or the number of certificates of sponsorship that should be issued to Tier 2 sponsors."
BNP leader Nick Griffin has fought off a bid to have him declared guilty of contempt of court.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission accused him of failing to comply with a Central London County Court judgment ordering the removal of potentially racist clauses from his party's constitution.
Robin Allen QC, appearing for the watchdog, said the BNP was "playing with" the Commission and its officials instead of obeying the judgment.
But on Friday Lord Justice Moore-Bick and Mr Justice Ramsey, sitting at the High Court in London, refused to to take action against Mr Griffin, BNP deputy Simon Darby and party officer Tanya Lumby.
The Commission was seeking fines against them for contempt, or possibly the sequestration of party assets.
The application stemmed from the county court's ruling that the BNP constitution breached discrimination laws because of a clause banning non-white members.
The constitution underwent revision, but last March Judge Paul Collins ruled at the county court that the new version was indirectly discriminatory against those of mixed-race, because it required party applicants to oppose "any form of integration or assimilation of ... the indigenous British".
Another section required new members to submit to a two-hour vetting visit at their home by BNP officials, which Judge Collins ruled could be seen as "intimidatory".
The county judge ordered both sections to be removed from the constitution.
The Commission took the BNP to the High Court accusing it of being in contempt by failing to comply with that order. On Friday, as BNP supporters demonstrated outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Lord Justice Moore-Bick said he had reached "the clear conclusion" that the Commission's legal action could not succeed.
A woman has been arrested and detained in a secure mental unit after a four-year-old girl was stabbed to death, Scotland Yard said.
Officers found the child's body inside a flat on the Chatsworth Estate in Clapton, east London, on Thursday.
A 36-year-old woman, believed to be girl's mother, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. She has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in a secure unit.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing shortly after 3pm.
An ambulance was sent to the flat, but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said next of kin have been informed, but are awaiting formal identification.
A post-mortem examination will take place on Saturday at Poplar mortuary in east London.
The Metropolitan Police's child abuse investigation command is leading the murder inquiry.
A business minister is "extremely confident" the Queen's head would remain on postage stamps even if the Royal Mail was sold off to a foreign firm.
The Government is in talks with Buckingham Palace after it was discovered legislation paving the way for a sell-off failed explicitly to guarantee the practice.
But postal services minister Ed Davey - who discovered the loophole - said he was sure a solution would be found before the Bill finishes its passage through Parliament.
The Mail on Sunday suggested there was "anger" at the Palace over the omission and suggested it could try to delay the legislation until after the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee - claims Mr Davey denied.
While the Bill contains a clause giving the Queen a veto over any use of her image on stamps or other products, it does not insist that her head be shown.
Mr Davey said he queried the lack of specific protection with officials months ago but was told it was not being sought by the Palace and that dropping the monarch's image would be "commercial suicide".
Unhappy with that answer, Mr Davey said, he initiated talks with the Palace - which were "positive and friendly" - to decide how to firm up the protection.
"Any company would be absolutely stark staring mad to decide not to have the Queen's head on its stamps," he said, pointing out that there was no such guarantee in the previous Labour government's draft Bill. "I was told we did not need it but I said several months ago I was not happy with that. I'm extremely confident that the Queen's head will remain on our stamps."
A Palace spokesman told the newspaper there were "no outstanding issues on the Bill from our side".
But shadow business secretary John Denham claimed the legislation was deliberately vague. "They are not leaving glaring loopholes like this for no reason. They think the fewer strings they attach, the more money they will get from a foreign buyer," he said.
Tory Nigel Evans has said he hoped his decision to publicly admit he is gay will help others be open after revealing a Labour MP had threatened to "out" him.
Mr Evans, a deputy speaker in the Commons, declared his homosexuality on the eve of the launch of a new help group for politicians and Westminster staff.
The MP for Ribble Valley, whose sexual orientation was an open secret to many in Parliament, would not name the MP concerned but said he wanted to help end such "nastiness".
"The MP was saying to anyone who would listen, 'Why is it that Nigel Evans leads a life whereby he is gay to some people and not others?'," he told the Mail on Sunday.
"I could not afford it to be used as leverage against me. I couldn't take the risk. I don't want any other MP to face that kind of nastiness again."
"I am sure there are other gay MPs who would like to be open about their sexuality but are fearful of the consequences. I hope this new group will help them to do so."
Mr Evans, who becomes the 22nd openly gay MP in the Commons, is a vice-president of the ParliOut initiative which will be launched on Sunday by Commons Speaker John Bercow.
The first support group for gay politicians, their staff and other parliamentary workers, it was set up with the help of gay rights charity Stonewall.
He told the Mail on Sunday that the spur to his decision finally to come out was a fellow Tory MP asking if he should include his name on a list of the most powerful gay politicians.
"I thought, this is just daft. I am not going to live a lie any more," he said.
Britain has been faced with travel chaos after heavy snow paralysed swathes of the country and the big chill returned with a vengeance.
Motorists struggled on treacherous roads, planes were grounded and rail services cancelled on what is traditionally one of the busiest weekends of the year.
It wrecked Christmas travel arrangements and shopping expeditions for people across the country.
On the roads, hundreds of motorists were stuck after snow rendered the M6 in Greater Manchester impassable.
Drivers were warned to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary as the mercury plummeted well below zero - reaching minus 15.5C in Aviemore, Scotland.
The AA attended more than 11,000 breakdowns by 5.30pm, with calls peaking at 1,200 every hour - around twice the normal rate. By the end of the day, it expected to have dealt with some 16,000 calls, compared to 9,000 on an average Saturday pre-Christmas.
Train services were also subject to problems, with operators in the south, including Southeastern, South West Trains and Southern Railway, running reduced services.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Birmingham airports all grounded planes for at least part of the day while staff battled to clear snow from the runways.
Passengers also faced disruption at Exeter, London City, Aberdeen, Belfast International and Cardiff airports, while Belfast City and Southampton were also closed for a time.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The weather over the last twenty four hours has been exceptionally severe. Government continues to monitor all aspects of the situation."
Young people are at a greater risk from swine flu than the over-60s but are more reluctant to get vaccinated, an expert has warned.
Professor John Oxford, from Queen Mary, University of London, said pensioners would have been exposed to the virus in the 1940s and 1950s.
He explained older people are usually more vulnerable to flu in general but they have a tolerance to the swine flu strain.
Prof Oxford said: "That's the paradoxical thing. There were fewer deaths across those age groups compared to younger people last year. The only thing is, younger people can't be persuaded to have the vaccine."
Asked why fewer young people are getting inoculated, he said: "The problem is that on websites like Twitter people are saying we're all going to die from the vaccine, but that is utter nonsense."
The virologist said people should listen to expert advice, rather than rumours from unqualified sources on the internet.
An estimated 67.2% of over-65s and 41.5% of under-65s in at-risk groups have had the flu jab in England.
At-risk groups from the flu virus include people over 65, those suffering from a chronic heart or chest complaint, people with asthma, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and those with lowered immunity due to cancer.
Figures out earlier this week revealed 17 people have died from flu so far this winter. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said 14 deaths were from swine flu and another three from flu type B. All were under 65, with six deaths among children under 18.
At least eight of the 17 were in an "at-risk" group. None was pregnant and none had been vaccinated.
Unions have accused NHS bosses of putting a gun to NHS workers' heads over threats to lay off tens of thousands of staff unless further pay restraint is accepted.
Just over a million employees earning up to £34,189 are being asked to give up annual increments - on top of an existing two-year pay freeze - in return for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
The Observer reported the number facing the axe if the deal was rejected had been set by NHS Employers - which represents primary care trusts and other providers - at 35,000.
Increments were previously excluded from the original public sector pay freeze, which affects all but those earning less than £21,000, and are worth up to a few thousand pounds a year. Ending them for two years would, NHS Employers calculates, save £3.8 billion as part of the effort to secure £20 billion of efficiency savings in the health service by 2014/15.
Karen Reay, national officer for health at the Unite trade union, told the newspaper: "If you don't accept these swingeing proposals, other people may lose their jobs. This is a blunt threat by employers and a negatively emotive way of trying to do business.
"Staff who are loyal to the NHS and aren't paid too much to start with are now being asked to take another hit. It's unfair. Many are angry that, after the two-year pay freeze, they are expected to lose their pay increments for two years as well."
The deal was first proposed earlier this week, with doctors' leaders saying it exposed Government claims the NHS budget was being protected were false and expressing doubts about the offered job loss guarantee.
"This proposal makes clear that the NHS is in fact facing a real-terms cut in funding over the next two years and it appears NHS staff are expected personally to bridge the funding gap in some way," Hamish Meldrum, chairman of British Medical Association Council said in a letter to members.
The guarantees "appear to be very limited and will be left to local agreement", he noted.
A Department of Health spokesman was not immediately able to confirm the 35,000 figure.
The UK's top sports stars hoping to add the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award to their trophy cabinets.
People will be able to vote for the sportsman or woman they think should win after the show starts at 7pm on BBC1, live from Birmingham.
This year's stand-out favourite is AP McCoy, who finally won the Grand National this year on Don't Push It. The 36-year-old has been champion jockey a record 15 times in a row and has ridden more than 3,000 winners.
Graham Sharpe from bookmaker William Hill said: "This year's award has really struck a chord with punters, and with the racing industry getting behind McCoy's cause we have seen a wholesale gamble on Tony McCoy winning.
"If he does we face a six-figure hammering, but as Tony is such a great ambassador for racing, and therefore betting, we won't be unhappy to pay out. One online McCoy fan has gambled the biggest ever Sports Personality bet of £7,000 on McCoy at odds of even money."
Coming up behind the jockey in the list of favourites are golfer Graeme McDowell, who became Europe's first US Open champion for 40 years when he won his maiden major title at Pebble Beach, and darts player Phil Taylor, who collected six majors this year, including the World Championship, Premier League and World Matchplay crowns.
Outside bets are Amy Williams, Britain's first individual Winter Olympics gold medalist for 30 years, Lee Westwood, the world's number one golfer, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, cricketer Graeme Swann, 16-year-old diver Tom Daley, cyclist Mark Cavendish and boxing heavyweight David Haye.
Former England captain David Beckham is to receive the BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement award. The midfielder is 35 and still plays professional football for US side Los Angeles Galaxy. He is England's most capped outfield player and won six Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester United. In 2001 Beckham was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
At the end of a year in which England football fans expected so much from the national team at the World Cup in South Africa, there are notably no footballers on the shortlist.
Last year the award was won by Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs.
Anguished relatives of Shrien Dewani have revealed how he had been "torn apart" by "ridiculous" allegations that he plotted to kill his wife while they were on honeymoon.
They spoke out after the businessman was subjected to a stream of slurs following the brutal murder of his bride Anni - ranging from his alleged payment to her killers to a rumoured homosexual affair with a rent boy.
Mr Dewani's family and supporters also insisted he has been scapegoated by South African authorities who are anxious to protect the country's tourism industry, describing the police case against him as "flimsy" and "flawed".
Speaking to the Independent newspaper, a close relative said: "Shrien is torn apart by it all. He has been robbed of the love of his life and is grieving, and now he must deal with all these ridiculous allegations."
Relatives and friends denied the widower fled South Africa to deny justice and claimed he had been painted in an "inaccurate" and biased light by the world's media.
They also pointed to claims by a lawyer acting for the two men accused of the murder that his clients were "tortured by police" before signing confessions.
Care home owner Mr Dewani, 30, believes the murder allegations are based on evidence from men "who have everything to win and nothing to lose from inventing a story", according to his supporters.
His lawyers are planning legal action against those responsible for spreading allegations he had homosexual liaisons with a German rent boy, they said.
Mr Dewani is also said to be frustrated that the media could not talk openly to his family due to legal constraints.
A video of the couple's Hindu wedding ceremony, in which they are seen singing Bollywood love film lyrics to each other, was released on Saturday by relatives, adding to their claims that Mr Dewani was "deeply in love" with his Swedish-born wife.
Amanda Knox's family have expressed their delight after a court allowed a review of the evidence used to convict her of Meredith Kercher's murder.
The American student is serving a 26-year prison sentence in Perugia for the brutal killing, which prosecutors said followed a bungled sex game.
Now appealing in the Italian hilltop town, her hopes of having the verdict overturned were given a boost by yesterday's decision to grant a re-examination of crucial DNA evidence.
The court also gave permission for defence lawyers to introduce two new witnesses to the appeal process, giving another boost to 23-year-old Knox's chances.
Her stepfather Chris Mellas described it as "the first step in the right direction".
The 36-year-old said: "We're all pleased. It's nice to have the first good decision in three years. Amanda is definitely hopeful. We've always had a little bit of that hope but this is the first time we have a reason for it."
The evidence to be reviewed includes disputed DNA traces found on a knife allegedly used as the murder weapon and on the clasp of Miss Kercher's bra.
Lawyers representing Knox's Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, sentenced to 25 years for the murder in the same trial last year, also requested a fresh look at this evidence.
Both legal teams say the evidence was inconclusive and have also argued it may have been contaminated when analysed.
University of Leeds student Miss Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found dead on November 2, 2007 in her bedroom at the Perugia house she shared with Knox and others during her year abroad.
Prince Harry is to lay a wreath to commemorate those who died trying to cross the infamous Berlin Wall.
Harry flew to the German capital on Saturday to collect an award in recognition of his charity work and immediately declared himself unworthy of the honour.
The prince said he felt "hugely humble" to receive the Golden Heart during a televised fundraising gala in Berlin - Ein Herz fur Kinder (A Heart for Children).
He explained that compared with others who dedicate their lives to helping vulnerable youngsters, "I have done very little", and accepted the trophy on their behalf.
Harry will visit the Bernauer Strasse Wall Memorial, tour the memorial museum and exhibition, and lay a wreath during his visit to the area.
The memorial is in the centre of Berlin at an historic site that contains the last piece of Berlin Wall with the preserved grounds behind it, sometimes known as the "death strip".
During his visit to the German capital, which ends today, Harry will also visit the Brandenburg Gate and learn about the history of the monument and surrounding area.
One in five voters believes students and others have every right to resort to violent protests if politicians break promises, an opinion poll has suggested.
But a large majority were against anything but peaceful protests with almost two-thirds backing the use by police of water cannon to quell any disorder.
The latest survey by ComRes also revealed the extent of public disillusion with politicians - all three major party leaders suffering negative performance ratings.
Ed Miliband fared particularly badly in the poll - for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror - with just 17% saying he was turning out to be a good leader. Only 39% of Labour's own supporters backed him but he may take hope from the fact that half of those questioned had not made up their minds. His party also slipped a point in the overall party standings but retains a two-point advantage - 39% to 37% - over the Conservatives who gained one.
The Liberal Democrats slipped one point to 11%, their lowest in a ComRes poll, with leader Nick Clegg facing the largest proportion - 48% - of voters expressing negative views of his leadership.
Prime Minister David Cameron had the smallest gap between fans and critics - 38% approving of his premiership so far and 40% disagreeing - and Mr Clegg the biggest at minus 23 points. Half of those who voted Lib Dem at the general election disapproved of his leadership as he continues to attract anger over joining the coalition and broken promises on university tuition fees.
That issue has sparked scenes of violence on the streets of London in recent weeks as protests against moves to almost treble the cap on fees have descended into rioting.
The poll found that 20% of voters backed violent protest, including 40% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 32% of Labour supporters, but 70% disagreed.
Recent scenes have led to calls for the police to use water cannon to disperse protesters - a technique ruled out by the Met three years ago but now under consideration. According to the poll, 64% - including a majority of supporters of each major party - want to see them used, with 22% opposed.
ComRes interviewed 2,017 adults online between December 15 and 16.
