Markets hit by political upheaval

30 September 2013 Last updated at 05:07 ET

Financial markets have been hit by the prospect of a US government shutdown and a crisis for Italy's government.

Italy's stock market has fallen almost 2%, while shares in London, Frankfurt and Paris have dropped by about 1%.

The US needs to agree a new spending bill before the financial year ends at midnight on Monday. But political divisions have resulted in a stalemate.

In Italy, Prime Minister Enrico Letta is to hold a confidence vote on Wednesday.

US deadlock

There are worries over the economic impact of a shutdown of the US government.

If the government does shut down on 1 October, as many as a third of its 2.1 million employees are expected to stop work - with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is resolved.

National parks and Washington's Smithsonian museums would close, pension and veterans' benefit cheques would be delayed, and visa and passport applications would be stymied.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

For all the absence of any big economic or financial shocks for the best part of two years, substantial accidents can still happen, in a global economy that remains structurally flawed in a serious and substantive way"

End Quote

Programmes deemed essential, such as air traffic control and food inspections, would continue.

Republicans are targeting President Barack Obama's healthcare law, popularly known as Obamacare.

Early on Sunday, the Republican-run House of Representatives passed an amended version of the Senate spending bill that removed funding for the healthcare law.

US Senate Majority leader Harry Reid has vowed that his Democrat-led chamber will reject the Republican bill.

"Tomorrow, the Senate will do exactly what we said we would do and reject these measures," said Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"At that point, Republicans will be faced with the same choice they have always faced: put the Senate's clean funding bill on the floor and let it pass with bipartisan votes, or force a Republican government shutdown."

Speaking for the president, White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "Any member of the Republican Party who votes for this bill is voting for a shutdown." The president, he said, would also veto the Republican bill.

Uncertain Italy

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Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta: "If you say some prayers for Italy in the next few days, it will certainly be useful"

Meanwhile Italy's financial markets were also hit by a deepening political crisis there.

Italian shares are down almost 2% and the euro fell to the lowest level since June against the Swiss Franc.

Italy's 10-year bond yield - an indication of how much the government has to pay to borrow money - rose as high as 4.66%, the highest level in more than three months.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta plans to hold a confidence vote on Wednesday, to seek the backing of Italy's parliament.

He was forced to make that move after five ministers from Silvio Berlusconi's party stepped down at the weekend.

But those ministers have now given mixed signals as to whether they are actually leaving the government.

The crisis follows weeks of worsening ties between Mr Berlusconi's party and Mr Letta's grouping.

Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) objects to a planned increase in sales tax, which is part of a wider government policy to reduce big public debts.

The government has also been struggling with a deteriorating economy.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

There would be a fairly big impact on the economy. Economists estimate that a two-week shutdown could cut GDP growth by 0.3 percentage points."

End Quote

It is forecast to shrink by 1.4% this year according to the national statistics agency.

The agency also estimates that unemployment will reach a record high of 12.3% next year.

'Fear of the unknown'

Earlier on Monday, Worries over the US shutdown had hit Asian shares.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed 2% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 1.5%, Australia's ASX fell 1.7%, while South Korea's Kospi shed 0.7%

"It is the fear of the unknown," said David Kuo of financial website the Motley Fool. "No one knows what is really going to happen and markets don't like uncertainty."

"There is likely to be some reduction in US government spending, but we don't know what areas are going to be affected.

"Until that is resolved, we are likely to see volatility in the markets," he added.

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Firm cancels Thames tours after fire

30 September 2013 Last updated at 07:03 ET

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Eyewitness Phil Beasley-Harling: "There was a big plume of black smoke"

A tourist boat company has suspended operations on the River Thames after one of its amphibious vessels caught fire.

Thirty people were rescued from the London Duck Tours craft Cleopatra on Sunday afternoon by the emergency services and a passing tourist boat.

A statement on the firm's website said it would run a land-only service.

A rescuer said one passenger told her people found it "difficult" to get the life jackets out of their packets.

Three people were taken to hospital "as a precaution" following the fire.

In a statement on the London Duck Tours website, managing director John Bigos said: "The company acknowledges the distressing situation experienced by our passengers.

"However, we are pleased to report that all persons involved in the incident are safe and well.

"Until the cause is established, the company will not be operating on the river and should technical or safety modifications be required to our fleet, these will be introduced prior to the service recommencing."

'Fear and terror'

Mr Bigos said the incident should not be compared with the sinking of two amphibious vehicles, operated by another company in Liverpool's Albert Dock in June, as his company's procedures were of a "higher standard".

"London Duck Tours operates a fully modernised fleet of nine vehicles that have been completely rebuilt and refurbished between 2002 and 2012.

"This includes new, purpose built hulls, new engines, computerised systems and steering equipment," he added.

In 2008 another London Duck Tours craft, Mistress Quickly, caught fire.

A mechanical breakdown led to an electrical fire in the engine. The nine passengers were evacuated to a fire launch.

The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents' recommendations included making sure fire extinguishers were checked regularly and instructions were placed next to them.

Emily Farrelly, who was on a passing tourist boat with her family on Sunday, said she saw "billowing smoke" and passengers in the water.

"You could see the fear and terror in their eyes," she said.

"It was lucky the craft was close to the bank and many of the passengers were able to stand in waist-high water

"I think they were just in sheer panic at first and struggled to get [the life jackets] out.

"I spoke to one gentleman that got on to our boat and he said that getting the life jackets out of the packet was so difficult that they just fled the boat and got off because their safety was more important."

London Duck tours is yet to respond to the claims about life jackets.

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Deadly car bombs strike Baghdad

30 September 2013 Last updated at 07:25 ET

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Footage shows the aftermath of the 13 rush hour blasts, as the BBC's Rafid Jabboori reports from Baghdad

A series of car bomb blasts in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 42 people and injured many more, officials say.

The blasts targeted markets and car parks in mainly Shia Muslim districts of the city.

There has been a recent upsurge in sectarian violence, sparking fears of a return to the bloodletting of 2008.

More than 5,000 people have been killed so far this year, according to United Nations data.

Monday's blasts struck during Baghdad's morning rush hour, with reports of 13 bombs, most of them in Shia neighbourhoods.

Groups of labourers gathering ahead of the working day were among the bombers' targets.

One of the deadliest attacks was reported from the eastern Sadr City district where seven people were killed and 75 injured in a crowded vegetable market.

Another six were reported killed in Shuala, a mainly Shia area of north Baghdad.

The city neighbourhoods affected also included New Baghdad, Habibiya, Sabaa al-Bour, Kazimiya, Shaab and Ur, as well as the Sunni districts of Jamiaa and Ghazaliya, the Associated Press news agency reports.

War goes on

Continue reading the main story

• 30 September: At least 42 killed in car bombs in mainly Shia areas of Baghdad
• 21 September: At least 60 killed at funeral in Sadr City, Baghdad
• 15 September: More than 40 killed in blasts across Iraq mostly targeting Shia areas
• 3 September: At least 60 killed in mainly Shia districts of Baghdad

No-one has claimed responsibility for Monday's attacks, but Sunni Muslim insurgents have been blamed for much of the most recent violence.

The interior ministry accused rebels linked to al-Qaeda of exploiting political divisions and regional conflicts to sow violence.

"Our war with terrorism goes on," interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan told AP.

The recent upsurge in violence was triggered in April by an army raid on a Sunni Muslim anti-government protest camp near Hawija, north of Baghdad.

Many in the country's Sunni Muslim minority complain of being excluded from decision-making and of abuses by the security forces. Recent raids in Baghdad on suspected al-Qaeda hideouts in mainly Sunni districts are thought to have worsened grievances.

One of the bloodiest attacks over the past few weeks was a double bombing in a funeral marquee in Sadr City on 21 September, which left more than 60 people dead.

Several dozen people died in a wave of attacks on Sunday, including another explosion at a funeral.

A suicide bomber attacked a Shia Muslim mosque south of the city, causing the roof to collapse. More than 40 people are now known to have been killed in that incident.

Irbil, the normally stable capital of Iraq's autonomous province of Kurdistan, was hit by a series of bombings on the same day, killing six members of the security services. Officials said that violence could be linked to fighting between jihadists and Kurds in Syria.

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Reporter charged in computer probe

30 September 2013 Last updated at 07:31 ET

A former Sun newspaper reporter has become the first person to be charged under Operation Tuleta - a police investigation into alleged computer hacking and other privacy breaches.

Ben Ashford has been charged with one offence of possession of criminal property and one of unauthorised access to computer material.

He will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 15 October.

Operation Tuleta began in the wake of the phone hacking scandal.

It is being run by the Metropolitan Police alongside Operation Elveden, which is an investigation into inappropriate payments to public officials, and Operation Weeting, the Met's phone-hacking inquiry.

So far, 21 people have been arrested as part of Tuleta. Two have been told that no further action will be taken against them.

The offences allegedly committed by Mr Ashford are said to have taken place between 11 and 16 October 2009.

The first charge accuses him of possessing "criminal property, namely a mobile telephone... knowing or suspecting it to constitute a person's benefit from criminal conduct".

The second charge alleges that he "caused a computer to perform a function with intent to secure unauthorised access to a program or data held in a computer, knowing that such access was unauthorised".

The offences are contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and Computer Misuse Act 1990 respectively.

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Osborne in 'work for benefits' plan

30 September 2013 Last updated at 07:49 ET

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George Osborne: ''We are saying you are not going to be able to do nothing in return for your benefits'

The long-term unemployed will have to undertake work placements in return for their benefits, under tougher rules unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne.

Welfare must be "fair for those who need it and fair for those who pay for it", he told the Tory conference.

Mr Osborne also announced that fuel duty would be frozen until 2015 to help people with the cost of living.

While the UK was on the right track, he warned people their family finances would not be "transformed overnight".

The chancellor insisted the government's economic plan was working but was "far from complete" and turned his fire on Labour - accusing them of "declaring war on enterprise".

He described Labour's policy to freeze energy prices for 20 months as "phoney" and compared Ed Miliband's political philosophy to that of Karl Marx.

He said he was optimistic about the future, saying the "sun had started to rise above the hill" but much more needed to be done to raise living standards.

"There is no feeling at the conference of a task completed or a victory won," he said. "There can be no recovery for all if there is no recovery at all."

Cleaning up litter

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

He has pledged that even when the nation's books have been balanced he will keep the lid on spending in order to put aside money for the next rainy day"

End Quote

He also pledged to continue to keep control of spending even after the economic recovery was secured to avoid repeating the mistakes of "deluded" predecessors who believed they had abolished boom and bust.

By running a budget surplus in the good times, he would "fix the roof while the sun was shining".

On welfare, Mr Osborne said that while the government would not "abandon" the long-term unemployed, no-one will be able to get something for nothing.

Those who have been out of work for a long time will have to work hard to find a job, he said.

Those who have not found work after two years on the existing work programme - where contractors are paid a fee to get people into a job - will face a new scheme called help-to-work.

To still qualify for jobseeker's allowance they will have three options - work placements, such as cleaning up litter; daily visits to a job centre; or taking part in compulsory training, for example, to improve their literacy.

People would have to remain on help-to-work until they found employment - unlike the current scheme which is limited to six months.

Continue reading the main story

BACK-TO-WORK SCHEMES

• Help to Work is aimed at those who have been unable to get a job after two years on the government's Work Programme scheme.
• The scheme will last until the person has found a job.
• The Work Programme began in June 2011 and 1.31 million people have joined.
• Those without a job at the end of two years return to Jobcentre Plus.
• These people are expected to either join a training scheme, take part in a Mandatory Work Activity placement or undergo intensive work preparation.
• They are currently expected to sign on at the Jobcentre at least once a week but some are required to meet their adviser every day.
• Benefits can be docked for one month for any breach of the rules and three months for a second infringement.
• Those who regularly break the rules could lose their benefits for up to three years.
• The new proposal seems to have more specific work requirements, more daily signing on at Jobcentres, tougher penalties and is not time-limited.

Those who breach the rules will lose four weeks' worth of benefits. Anyone who breaks the rules a second time faces losing three months' worth of benefits.

'Useful work'

Mr Osborne told activists: "We are saying there is no option of doing nothing for your benefits, no something for nothing any more.

"They will do useful work to put something back into their community; making meals for the elderly, clearing up litter, working for a local charity.

"Others will be made to attend the job centre every working day.

"And for those with underlying problems, like drug addiction and illiteracy, there will be an intensive regime of support. No-one will be ignored or left without help. But no-one will get something for nothing.

"A fair welfare system is fair for those who need it and fair for those who pay for it."

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Reeves, said it had "taken three wasted years of rising long-term unemployment and a failed work programme to come up with this new scheme".

"But this policy is not as ambitious as Labour's compulsory jobs guarantee, which would ensure there is a paid job for every young person out of work for over 12 months and every adult unemployed for more than two years," she added.

A Department of Work and Pensions assessment of mandatory work activity - a similar compulsory work scheme introduced by ministers in 2011 - found it "had no impact on the likelihood of being employed".

And on the work programme, DWP figures suggested one in 10 of those seen found a long-term job.

'UKIP pact'

In developments at the conference on Sunday:

Meanwhile, the leader of the UK Independence Party has said it is open to local deals for its candidates to stand aside in seats with Eurosceptic MPs.

Nigel Farage ruled out a formal electoral pact but suggested there could be agreements at constituency level between UKIP and candidates from different parties.

Writing in the Times, Mr Farage said: "If either they, or others like them, even Labour MPs, with their local associations, chose to propose running on a joint ticket then I would leave the local UKIP association to have those associations."

A poll of Conservative councillors for BBC One's Sunday Politics had suggested nearly a quarter would support an electoral pact with UKIP at the next general election.

The conference continues until Wednesday when Mr Cameron will deliver his keynote speech.

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Deadly blast hits Pakistan market

29 September 2013 Last updated at 05:21 ET

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The attack came just one week after a deadly blast at a church in the city, as Rajesh Mirchandani reports

An explosion has ripped through a market in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, leaving at least 33 dead and dozens wounded, officials say.

Police said a bomb had exploded in the Kissa Khwani market, with shops and vehicles set alight.

The blast comes a week after a double suicide bombing that killed at least 80 people at a church in the city.

On Friday, at least 17 people were killed in the bombing of a bus carrying government employees near Peshawar.

Peshawar, the main city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been hit by numerous bomb and gun attacks blamed on Taliban insurgents in recent years.

Hospital emergency

Police said they suspected the explosion was caused by a car bomb.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper quoted the health minister as saying that the main Peshawar police station may have been the main target.

However, bomb disposal chief Shafqat Malik said it appeared the blast had taken place some way from the station.

He told Agence France-Presse that a parked car had been "converted into a remote controlled bomb".

One shop owner, Nazar Ali, told Associated Press: "It was a huge blast that was followed by fire in vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the air and splinters spread all over. I saw people lying dead and bleeding."

An emergency situation was declared at the Lady Reading Hospital as it received the injured, many of them badly burned. Officials said 76 people had been hurt.

Anxious relatives gathered outside the hospital for news.

Rising violence has hindered new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's overtures to end the insurgency through peace talks with the Taliban.

On 21 September, Pakistan released from the jail the co-founder of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

But the Pakistan Taliban have consistently rejected the country's constitution and demand the imposition of Sharia law.

Mr Sharif is in New York at the UN and is to meet Indian PM Manmohan Singh later on Sunday.

Mr Sharif strongly condemned the Peshawar bombing in a message from New York, saying: "Those involved in the killing of innocent people are devoid of humanity and all religions."

Ahead of the talks, Mr Singh said Pakistan must stop being "the epicentre of terrorism".

Last Sunday's attack on the historic All Saints church - thought to be the deadliest attack against Christians in Pakistan - sparked angry protests nationwide.

Two Islamist militant groups with Taliban links said they had ordered the attack to hit back at US drone strikes.

More than 120 people were wounded.

Friday's bus bomb targeted government employees returning home in the Gulbela area, some 15km (9 miles) north-east of the city.

In addition to those killed, at least 34 people were injured.

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End war on drugs, says police chief

29 September 2013 Last updated at 06:21 ET

Class A drugs should be decriminalised and drug addicts "treated and cared for not criminalised", according to a senior UK police officer.

Writing in the Observer, Chief Constable Mike Barton of Durham Police said prohibition had put billions of pounds into the hands of criminals.

He called for an open debate on the problems caused by drugs.

The Home Office reiterated its stance and said drugs were illegal because they were dangerous.

'Controlled'

The chief constable - who is the intelligence lead for the Association of Chief Police Officers - said he believed decriminalisation of Class A drugs would take away the income of dealers, destroy their power, and that a "controlled environment" would be a more successful way of tackling the issue.

He said when faced with the "extremely damaging" impacts of alcohol, his argument to decriminalise drugs may appear weakened, but called for an open and honest debate on the matter.

A petition is calling on the government to follow the advice of the Home Affairs Committee and introduce a Royal Commission on drug law reform.

Mr Barton said: "If an addict were able to access drugs via the NHS or something similar, then they would not have to go out and buy illegal drugs.

"Buying or being treated with, say, diamorphine is cheap. It's cheap to produce it therapeutically.

Continue reading the main story

Addiction to anything is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains"

End Quote Mike Barton Durham Constabulary chief constable

"Not all crime gangs raise income through selling drugs, but most of them do in my experience. So offering an alternative route of supply to users cuts their income stream off.

"What I am saying is that drugs should be controlled. They should not, of course, be freely available."

Mr Barton compared drugs prohibition to the ban on alcohol in the US in the 1920s which fuelled organised crime.

Mr Barton told the Observer: "Have we not learned the lessons of prohibition in history?"

"The Mob's sinister rise to prominence in the US was pretty much funded through its supply of a prohibited drug, alcohol. That's arguably what we are doing in the UK."

'Revenue for villains'

He said some young people saw drug dealers as glamorous gangsters and envied their wealth.

The officer said drug addicts must be treated and cared for and encouraged to break the cycle of addiction - they did not need to be criminalised.

He said: "I think addiction to anything - drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc - is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains.

"Since 1971 [the Misuse of Drugs Act] prohibition has put billions into the hands of villains who sell adulterated drugs on the streets.

"If you started to give a heroin addict the drug therapeutically, then we would not have the scourge of hepatitis C and Aids spreading among needle users, for instance. I am calling for a controlled environment, not a free-for-all."

According to UK-wide figures released on Friday by Public Health England, 120 of 6,364 newly-diagnosed HIV cases in 2012 were said to have been acquired through injecting drugs.

New laws were announced in July by Home Secretary Theresa May to allow drug treatment providers the opportunity to offer addicts foil - used as a surface to heat up drugs like heroin - as part of efforts to get addicts into treatment, and to protect their health.

The number of heroin and crack cocaine users in England have fallen below 300,000 for the first time, according to figures by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.

The figure peaked at 332,090 in 2005-06 before dropping to 298,752 in 2010-11.

War on drugs

Mr Barton said if the "war on drugs" meant trying to reduce illicit supply then it had failed.

There were 43 organised crime groups on their radar in the Durham Constabulary area alone, he added.

Mr Barton is among a small number of top police officers in the UK who have called for a major review of drugs policy.

Danny Kushlick, of Transform Drug Policy Foundation, said the group was delighted to see a serving chief constable willing to stand up and "tell the truth ", that prohibition does not work.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Drugs are illegal because they are dangerous. They destroy lives and blight communities.

"The UK's approach on drugs remains clear, we must help individuals who are dependent by treatment, while ensuring law enforcement protects society by stopping the supply and tackling the organised crime that is associated with the drugs trade."

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UK to create cyber defence force

29 September 2013 Last updated at 07:17 ET

The UK is to create a new cyber unit to help defend national security, the defence secretary has announced.

The Ministry of Defence is set to recruit hundreds of reservists as computer experts to work alongside regular forces in the creation of the new Joint Cyber Reserve Unit.

The new unit will also, if necessary, launch strikes in cyber space, Mr Hammond said.

Recruiting for reservists to join the unit will start next month.

The role of the unit is to protect computer networks and safeguard vital data.

'New frontier'

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the "creation of the "Joint Cyber Unit (Reserve) will allow it to draw on individuals' talent, skills and expertise gained from their civilian experience to meet these threats".

Continue reading the main story

Our commanders can use cyber weapons alongside conventional weapons in future conflicts"

End Quote Philip Hammond

Mr Hammond told the Mail on Sunday clinical "cyber strikes" could disable enemy communications, nuclear and chemical weapons, planes, ships and other hardware.

He told the newspaper: "People think of military as land, sea and air. We long ago recognised a fourth domain - space. Now there's a fifth - cyber.

"This is the new frontier of defence. For years, we have been building a defensive capability to protect ourselves against these cyber attacks. That is no longer enough.

"You deter people by having an offensive capability. We will build in Britain a cyber strike capability so we can strike back in cyber space against enemies who attack us, putting cyber alongside land, sea, air and space as a mainstream military activity.

"Our commanders can use cyber weapons alongside conventional weapons in future conflicts."

The MoD said the recruitment of reservists will target regular personnel leaving the armed forces, current and former reservists with the required skills and civilians with the appropriate technological skills and knowledge.

Cyber attacks and crime have become more common in recent years.

In July, British intelligence agency GCHQ told the BBC, the UK is seeing about 70 sophisticated cyber espionage operations a month against government or industry networks.

In a written statement in December last year, Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said 93% of large corporations and 76% of small businesses had reported a cyber breach in 2012.

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Cautions for serious crimes scrapped

29 September 2013 Last updated at 07:32 ET

Serious offenders will no longer pay for their crimes with just a caution, the justice secretary has announced.

Chris Grayling said he was scrapping the use of simple cautions in England and Wales for crimes such as rape, manslaughter and robbery.

Last year, 493 cautions were issued for crimes that would have been heard at crown court if they had gone to trial.

The Association of Chief Police Officers said cautions for such crimes were used in exceptional circumstances.

However, Mr Grayling said that the fact some of the most serious crimes resulted in "just a slap of the wrist" was "unacceptable and unfair".

Simple cautions, issued at the discretion of police, are an immediate way to deal with people who commit an offence and admit guilt.

They were designed to be used for low-level offending. They do not result in any punishment or rehabilitation and offenders do not have to go to court.

However, it is added to an offender's criminal record and can be used for reference in any future criminal proceedings.

The other type of caution is a conditional caution, which has conditions attached to it that an offender must comply with or face prosecution for the original offence.

All cautions will be brought to a prospective employer's attention if an individual's criminal record is checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Weapons and prostitution

Mr Grayling announced on Sunday that police guidance will be amended in England and Wales so simple cautions will no longer be available for indictable-only offences - the most serious offences that cannot be tried at magistrates' court, only crown court.

Simple cautions will also be scrapped for other offences, including possession of any offensive weapon, supplying or procuring Class A drugs, child prostitution and pornography and possession or supply of indecent photographs of children.

Currently, simple cautions can be signed off by officers at sergeant rank, although the Crown Prosecution Service is consulted when cautions are given for indictable-only offences.

Only in the most exceptional circumstances can simple cautions be given for serious offences - and they have to be signed off by senior police officers not below the rank of superintendent.

Mr Grayling's announcement follows a review announced in April.

Speaking ahead of the Conservative Party conference, he said: "Last year nearly 500 offenders who admitted committing some of the most serious crimes escaped with just a slap on the wrist.

"Quite simply this is unacceptable and unfair on victims. That is why I am scrapping simple cautions for all of the most serious offences and a range of other offences that devastate lives and tear apart communities.

"Alongside this, the home secretary and I are launching a review into the use of all out-of-court disposals - their use can be inconsistent, confusing and something the public, and victims, have little confidence in."

Out-of-court disposals include cautions and a range of penalty notices, such as cannabis warnings, conditional cautions and penalty notices for disorder (PND).

'Not suitable'

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) was one of the partners that worked with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on the review.

Continue reading the main story

Simple cautions can be an appropriate way for the police to deal with low-level offending. However they are not suitable for criminals who commit serious offences like rape or robbery which can ruin victims' lives."

End Quote Damian Green Policing and criminal justice minister

Acpo's lead on out-of-court disposals, Lynne Owens said: "Today's announcement has reinforced both the importance of discretion and the responsibility for oversight when simple cautions are being used in indictable only offences.

"We also fully support the conclusion that the most serious cases should always be heard in court.

"It should be noted that the use of simple cautions for indictable-only offences represent a fraction of 1% of the total issued. Therefore the police service would take the view that these are only used in exceptional circumstances currently."

Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green said it was important for the use of simple cautions for serious offences to be clamped down on for the public to have confidence in the criminal justice system.

"Simple cautions can be an appropriate way for the police to deal with low-level offending. However they are not suitable for criminals who commit serious offences like rape or robbery which can ruin victims' lives," he said.

When the review was announced in April, the chairman of the Magistrates' Association, John Fassenfelt, said his group, which has about 28,000 members and represents more than 80% of serving volunteer magistrates, had been appealing to the government for about four years to deal with the issue of cautions.

He said that one reason for the use of cautions could be that they are "cheaper" for police as "they don't have to prepare so much paperwork to bring it to court."

Mr Fassenfelt added that "every crime has a victim, usually, and every victim deserves some paperwork".

There were 167,758 simple cautions issued to adults in 2012, according to MoJ figures.

Among those, there were 962 cautions for possession of knives, 1,543 for possession of weapons, seven for child pornography and prostitution, 1,560 for cruelty to or neglect of children, 268 for possessing indecent photographs of children and 54 for supplying or offering to supply Class A drugs.

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Mortgage help scheme brought forward

29 September 2013 Last updated at 08:05 ET

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David Cameron: "I'm not going to stand back while people's aspirations to get on the housing ladder... are being trashed"

A controversial scheme allowing people in England to take out 95% mortgages will be launched next week - three months earlier than planned.

PM David Cameron made the announcement as the Conservatives gathered in Manchester for their annual conference.

He rejected fears the Help to Buy scheme will fuel a housing bubble.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show the market was "recovering from a very low base" and first-time buyers needed help to get on the housing ladder.

"As prime minister I am not going to stand by while people's aspirations to get on the housing ladder are being trashed."

He added: "If we don't do this it will only be people with rich parents to help them who can get on the housing ladder - that is not fair, it is not right."

'Trust'

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Chris Leslie, shadow treasury minister: "Where is the help to build in the government's strategy?"

He rejected concerns - raised by Business Secretary Vince Cable among others - of an unsustainable boom in house prices, particularly in the south-east of England.

The prime minister urged people to "trust" the Bank of England, which has been given an enhanced role in monitoring the effect of the scheme on prices.

And he said mortgage-lenders, including the Halifax, RBS and Nat West, had already signed up to it.

Mr Cameron also used his Andrew Marr interview to stress that there would be no "mansion tax" if he his prime minister after the next election, making it clear that this would be a so-called "red line" - a point he would refuse to concede - in coalition negotiations.

A property tax on more valuable homes - known as a mansion tax - is a key demand of the Liberal Democrats.

In other developments:

• Mr Cameron told Andrew Marr he is ready to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights if he believes it is necessary to the country's safety
• Televised leaders' debates in the 2015 general election could be staged before the actual campaign begins to prevent them "overshadowing" the campaign, said Mr Cameron
• The government is looking at ways to support institutions, such as schools and the courts, who wanted to prevent Muslim women wearing full-face veils, but Mr Cameron ruled out a ban on the Niqab in public places
• New guidelines will scrap the issuing of police cautions for rape, manslaughter, robbery, child sexual abuse and other serious offences
• Defence Secretary Philip Hammond appealed for IT experts to join up as military reservists to help protect the UK's computer networks from cyber attack
• Mr Hammond also announced plans to offer interest-free home loans to armed forces personnel

Mr Cameron admitted to mistakes in the way the government handled the gay marriage issue, saying: "I don't think I expected quite the furore that there was."

He said he understood and respected people's difficulties with the policy and said the government had failed to convey the fact the policy would not affect what happened in churches, mosques and synagogues.

'Build more homes'

The Conservatives will use their week in Manchester to unveil a series of policies aimed at showing they are "on the side of hard working people". Other policy announcements are set to include a crackdown on welfare payments and an expansion of free schools.

Labour extended its lead in the opinion polls after announcing at its conference last week that it would freeze energy prices and increase corporation tax to pay for a cut in business rates for small firms.

Mr Cameron dismissed Labour leader Ed Miliband's economic strategy as "nuts," arguing that increasing tax on big business risked choking off the recovery.

He said the only way to "sustainably raise living standards is to keep the recovery going, and the economy is now moving, to keep on creating jobs...to keep on cutting the deficit."

Under Help to Buy scheme, the government will give homebuyers equity loans of up to 20% of the price of a property worth up to £60,000.

Homebuyers will need to contribute at least 5% of the property price as a deposit, with a 75% mortgage to cover the rest.

Applications for loans from the scheme will now be brought forward to the week beginning 7 October but the loans will not be paid out until 1 January. Anyone hoping to complete on their home purchase using the second phase of Help to Buy before before 2014 will not be able to.

Continue reading the main story

You can't deal with the cost of living crisis without building more homes, so it's no wonder that for millions of families this is no recovery at all"

End Quote Labour

The first phase of Help to Buy, launched in April, only applied to the purchase of new properties. The second phase, which had been due to launch in January 2014 but has been brought forward, will apply to all property sales.

Adam Marshall, of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "With all the concern expressed about Help to Buy - rushing into it seems less than responsible on part of government."

House prices rose at their fastest rate in more than six years in September, according to property analysts Hometrack.

Labour said the government needed to build more houses to ease shortages.

"Unless David Cameron acts now to build more affordable homes, as Labour has urged, then soaring prices risk making it even harder for first time buyers to get on the housing ladder," said Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls.

"You can't deal with the cost of living crisis without building more homes, so it's no wonder that for millions of families this is no recovery at all.

It comes as a poll of more than 1,400 Conservative councillors in England and Wales for BBC One's Sunday Politics suggested nearly a quarter would support an electoral pact with the UK Independence Party (UKIP) at the next general election.

A Tory source said: "80% of our councillors didn't respond to this survey so it's hardly representative. It should be taken with a large pinch of salt."

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a trade union protests march and rally in Manchester against government austerity policies, particularly those affecting the NHS.

The conference will open on Sunday with a tribute to former Prime Minster Baroness Thatcher, who died aged 87 in April, and close with Mr Cameron's keynote speech on Wednesday.

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PM unveils marriage tax breaks plan

28 September 2013 Last updated at 07:37 ET

Plans for some married couples to get tax breaks worth up to £200 a year have been announced by David Cameron.

The prime minister said four million couples would benefit from a £1,000 transferable tax allowance from 2015.

The move, announced ahead of the Tory conference, comes after a deal with the Liberal Democrats to introduce free school meals for children under eight.

Labour said Mr Cameron was "out of touch" if he thought the people would get married "for £3.85 a week".

The tax break would apply if couples are both basic rate tax payers and would also include 15,000 couples in civil partnerships, from April 2015.

The basic tax rate of 20% is currently in place for up to £32,010 of taxable income. That means that - including a personal allowance - at current rates people would have to earn less than £41,451 a year to be eligible.

'Happiest day'

Benefits from the scheme would come through initially at the end of the tax year in 2016.

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David Cameron: "Other countries recognise marriage properly in the tax system and that's what we're doing too"

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Cameron said: "I believe in marriage. Alongside the birth of my children, my wedding was the happiest day of my life.

"Since then, Samantha and I have been a team. Nothing I've done since - becoming a Member of Parliament, leader of my party or prime minister - would have been possible without her.

"There is something special about marriage: it's a declaration of commitment, responsibility and stability that helps to bind families.

"The values of marriage are give and take, support and sacrifice - values that we need more of in this country."

He later tweeted: "The £1000 marriage tax allowance will apply to straight and gay couples, as well as civil partners. Love is love, commitment is commitment."

Election pledge

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby praised the initiative, saying in a statement: "We welcome all support for married life and we're pleased that this initiative includes both married couples and those in civil partnerships."

Mr Cameron said stay-at-home mothers and women who worked part-time would be the main winners.

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He promised tax breaks for married couples when he ran for the leadership of his party in 2005, and it was also part of the Conservative election manifesto in 2010.

The Liberal Democrats are opposed to the measure but under the coalition agreement they would not be able to vote against it in any parliamentary vote but could abstain.

It has been suggested the Lib Dems were able to announce plans for every child in England between reception and year two to get free school lunches in exchange for the Conservative's proposed tax break.

The free school meals policy will begin in September next year and will be worth about £437 per child.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that each political party had launched policies which were roughly equal in their cost.

"So the Liberal Democrats had something on free school meals, Labour had something on childcare, the Conservatives have got something on tax allowances," he said.

"Each one is a small lollipop in the context of £25bn of cuts being expected over the following two years - none of them have said much about how they're going to do that."

'All families'

Labour said the Conservatives were "out of touch" and the move was outweighed by higher VAT and cuts to child benefit and tax credits.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves said: "David Cameron's so-called marriage tax break won't even help two-thirds of married couples, let alone millions of people who are separated, widowed or divorced.

"He's so out of touch he thinks people will get married for £3.85 a week."

But Conservative Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the policy recognised the value of the institution of marriage.

"It is an institution that is the building block of our society and we want to recognise that and this is a measure that's going to help four million hard working couples where life is pretty tough."

Dr Samantha Callan, the director of families at the think tank Centre for Social Justice that seeks to address poverty and its causes, also welcomed the announcement.

"We've been calling for this since 2007," she said.

"We did a report into the state of the nation and why family breakdown is such a problem in the UK today. Half of all children born today will not still be with both their parents by the time they're 15 and marriage is a more durable relationship."

She added: "Ninety-three percent of all couples still together by the time the child is 15 are married."

'Promoting a fantasy'

Tim Yeo, the Conservative MP for South Suffolk, told BBC Radio Suffolk that while he welcomed any institutions that support stability in society, in 2013 marriage "is not the only model for a family".

"I don't see why, for example, someone who has been widowed, whether it's a man or a woman, at a young age, and is trying to bring up children perhaps on a relatively low income, I regret the fact that the current proposal may exclude those people," he said.

Campaign group Don't Judge My Family criticised the move as "promoting a fantasy 1950s family" and it would not benefit many of the families who needed most support..

The Conservative Party conference takes place in Manchester from Sunday. Mr Cameron will close the conference with his keynote speech on Wednesday.

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Conservative vice-chairman arrested

28 September 2013 Last updated at 02:36 ET

A Conservative vice-chairman has been arrested on suspicion of rape, relating to an alleged offence more than 40 years ago.

Alan Lewis, 75, was arrested by Greater Manchester Police after a woman claimed she was attacked in the late 1960s.

Mr Lewis was appointed vice-chairman for business relations by David Cameron in 2010. He has been released on bail.

A party spokesman said: "This is an ongoing police matter so we are not able to make any comments."

Mr Lewis is a successful entrepreneur who owns the Crombie clothing chain, and is one of nine Conservative Party vice-chairmen.

In 1990, he was made a CBE for his services as chairman of the Confederation of British Industry's initiative to prepare British businesses to the single market.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "A 75-year-old man was arrested following a complaint received earlier this year of an historic rape that occurred in the Manchester area in the late 60s.

"The man was later bailed pending further inquiries."

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Cancer drugs fund 'to be extended'

28 September 2013 Last updated at 07:09 ET

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Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said cancer sufferers in Wales were renting homes in England to access drugs

A £200m-a-year fund for life-enhancing cancer drugs is to continue until 2016, the prime minister has announced.

The Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) was set up in 2011 to help patients in England access certain drugs before they get approval for widespread NHS use.

The scheme was due to end next year, but David Cameron has pledged £400m to keep it running.

Cancer charities have welcomed the move, but Labour accused the prime minister of "letting down" patients.

Head of policy at Cancer Research, Sara Osborne, praised the valuable role the fund would play in battling the disease and highlighted the tens of thousands of people who received treatment because of it.

She said: "There's about 30 drugs that are available on the Cancer Drugs Fund, and over the last three years about 34,000 patients have had treatment that they would not have otherwise had, had the fund not existed."

'Special case'

The aim of the CDF was to make it easier for medics to prescribe treatments even if they have not yet been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).

Continue reading the main story

An extension of the Cancer Drugs Fund in England means a radical overhaul in the NHS drugs pricing system is now unlikely.

Next year was meant to mark the start of value-based pricing, a system proposed by former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to promote a closer link between the price the NHS pays and the value a medicine offers.

It could have led to higher price thresholds for medicines for diseases with a greater burden of illness or in areas where there is un-met need, or if it could be demonstrated that there would be wider benefits, such as getting people back to work.

Some of these elements are to be incorporated into the work of the drugs advisory body the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence from January.

But this announcement effectively signals a light-touch version of what was first envisaged.

The scheme was set to run until 2014 and campaigners raised concerns about where patients would turn for help when the funding ceased.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the CDF had been a "massive success" and added that should he be re-elected he would recommend that it be continued beyond 2016.

"People have lived longer and in some cases it has saved people's lives," he said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government had made an exception for cancer because they considered it "the number one killer"

"And we do think that we had a particular problem with a lack of access to these drugs," he added.

Andrew Wilson, chief executive of the Rarer Cancers Foundation, said: "This is a compassionate, common sense announcement which will be warmly welcomed by many thousands of cancer patients."

The Rarer Cancers Foundation estimates that 16,500 extra patients will benefit each year as a result of the extension.

Mr Cameron said the government would also be partnering with Cancer Research UK to conduct new research into the effectiveness of cancer drugs.

"It is only because we have protected health spending that we can afford these life saving treatments," he added.

But another charity, Target Ovarian Cancer, said while the news was "positive", it warned it was "just a stop-gap".

It highlighted the case of Jenny Bogle who failed to meet CDF criteria for Avastin, a drug shown to delay recurrence.

Ms Bogle said: "I have a wealthy friend and an oncologist who are determined to keep me going for as long as possible so I was able to access Avastin privately in the end.

"I'm lucky to be here but it's just not fair.

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Cancer patient Steve Evans: "For me, what's important is the facility for someone to make that decision quickly"

"It shouldn't be a matter of luck. If I were living in a different postcode, were vulnerable or less pushy or didn't have the support, I would have probably died years ago."

BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle said the move also raised questions about the introduction of a new way of assessing drugs that had been expected to start next year.

Next year was meant to mark the start of value-based pricing, a system proposed by previous health secretary Andrew Lansley to ensure there is a closer link between the price the NHS pays and the value that a medicine offers.

There will now be no full blown overhaul although drug advisory body NICE will be looking to make some changes to improve the assessment process from January.

Shadow health minister Liz Kendall highlighted the fact that expert cancer networks - set up to improve access to high quality services - were scrapped during the reorganisation of the NHS earlier this year.

She added: "David Cameron should also stand up to the tobacco lobby rather than caving in to them over standardised cigarette packaging, which experts say would be a powerful weapon in the long-term fight against cancer."

Alongside plans to extend the fund, Mr Cameron also announced that Genomics England - a government-owned organisation tasked with mapping the DNA of 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases - will begin a partnership with Cancer Research UK.

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Crackdown on Greek far-right party

28 September 2013 Last updated at 07:11 ET

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The BBC's Mark Lowen: "It is really an extraordinary crackdown"

Greek police have arrested the leader of the far-right Golden Dawn party, Nikolaos Michaloliakos, on charges of forming a criminal organisation.

Three more Golden Dawn MPs, a party leader in an Athens suburb and 12 other people have also been arrested.

The arrests come amid anger over the murder on 18 September of anti-racist musician, Pavlos Fyssas.

A man held for the stabbing told police he was a Golden Dawn supporter, though the party strongly denies any link.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Not since the end of Greece's military dictatorship in 1974 has there been a mass arrest of MPs. It is an extraordinary clampdown by a government long accused of taking a soft touch towards Golden Dawn.

Some 154 racist attacks were recorded here last year and 104 so far this year - most attributed to Golden Dawn members. Two immigrants have been killed, again blamed on the party. But only now, after the killing of the hip hop artist Pavlos Fyssas, have authorities moved in hard and fast.

The government says it is this crime that has definitively exposed a direct chain of command to the party leadership, providing the basis for Golden Dawn to be classified as a criminal group.

The party has already had the immunity provided for Greek MPs lifted and one of those arrested on Saturday was tried earlier in the year in a separate incident. But with these arrests and several suspensions of police officers accused of links to Golden Dawn, the government has done more against the party this week than it has in the past year.

One of the MPs arrested on Saturday was party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris.

Another, Ilias Panayiotaros, told reporters before giving himself up: "Shame on them, the people will lift Golden Dawn higher."

A number of other warrants are believed to have been issued. The arrests were made by the anti-terrorism unit.

Golden Dawn has called on its supporters to rally outside the police headquarters in Athens and has vowed to fight back.

A text message read: "We call upon everyone to support our moral and just struggle against the corrupt system!"

Some 200 Golden Dawn members later rallied at the police HQ in the capital.

'Bodyguard' held

The killing of Pavlos Fyssas, 34 - whose stage name was Killah P - has sparked protests in Athens and across Greece.

George Roupakias, 45, who said he was a supporter of Golden Dawn, was arrested. He was charged with voluntary manslaughter and illegal possession of a weapon.

The government launched a crackdown, including raids on Golden Dawn premises.

Two senior police officials resigned for "personal reasons" after the killing and another two were suspended. Seven other police officers were suspended.

Continue reading the main story

Golden Dawn - key dates

• Began 1980 but more formally established 1985
• Party banner is a Greek decorative border, often compared with Nazi insignia
• In 1996 elections, won just 4,487 votes - 0.07%. European election performance in 2004 was 0.17%, in 2009 0.46%
• Nikolaos Michaloliakos wins place on Athens Municipal Council in 2010 with 5.29%
• Breakthrough in May 2012 election with 441,018 votes and 21 deputies, cut to 18 MPs in June re-run
• June 2012 - Party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris throws water and slaps rival politician on TV
• Sept 2013 - George Roupakias (above), self-proclaimed supporter, arrested for murder of musician Pavlos Fyssas
• Sept 2013 - Leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos and other party members arrested

Greek police also arrested one of their own colleagues who was reportedly working as a bodyguard for the party, during a raid on its offices in the western town of Agrinio on Tuesday.

The government also began an inquiry into the activities of Golden Dawn, which won nearly 7% of the vote in 2012 elections.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has vowed not to let the party "undermine" democracy, and government officials say it must now be treated as a "criminal organisation".

Golden Dawn, Greece's third most popular party, has accused the government of carrying out a witch-hunt over the Fyssas killing.

Mr Michaloliakos, 56, said last week: "We will exhaust any means within our legal constitutional rights to defend our political honour. If the country enters a cycle of instability, it is those who demonise Golden Dawn who will be responsible."

On Friday, Golden Dawn threatened to pull its 18 MPs out of the 300-strong Hellenic Parliament.

Mr Samaras's coalition, which has 155 seats, would then face by-elections.

On Saturday, Mr Samaras ruled out the possibility of early elections, adding that the Golden Dawn case was "now in the hands of the justice system".

In recent months, Golden Dawn has been accused of perpetrating attacks on migrants and political opponents - including an attack on Communist Party members earlier this month which is said to have left nine people in hospital.

Golden Dawn officially denies being a neo-Nazi movement, though its badge resembles a swastika, some senior members have praised Adolf Hitler, and its members wear black T-shirts and combat trousers at anti-immigrant demonstrations.

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Rivals rally as Rouhani returns

28 September 2013 Last updated at 07:25 ET

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been met by hardline protesters chanting "Death to America" on his return from the UN forum in New York.

During his trip, President Rouhani had suggested a shift in tone on Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

This culminated in a phone call with US President Barack Obama - the first such top-level conversation in 30 years.

Hundreds of people gathered at Tehran airport, with supporters hailing the trip and opponents throwing shoes.

'US initiative'

An Agence France-Presse journalist said some 200-300 supporters gathered outside the airport to thank Mr Rouhani for his efforts.

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US President Barack Obama: "The test will be meaningful, transparent and verifiable actions"

But opposite them were about 60 people shouting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".

Mr Rouhani raised his hand to the crowds as he was driven off.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

The hardline protesters are angry at the prospect of a detente between Tehran and Washington, which they see as contrary to the principles of the Islamic Revolution.

Although a minority in number, the hardliners have always spoken out loudly against any rapprochement with the US. Their presence, with or without the support of the higher echelons of the regime, will serve to keep Mr Rouhani in check, reminding him that he cannot go too far in this on his own.

On the other hand, social media in Iran is awash with messages supporting the phone call between the two presidents. It may be that social media can now give Iranians in favour of change the kind of voice their hardline rivals have enjoyed in the past.

A New York Times reporter described the scene as chaotic, with dozens of hardliners hurling eggs and shoes at the president's convoy.

The Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), said: "A crowd of young people and students gathered at Mehrabad airport to show support for the president's remarks and his stance during the trip to New York."

It said Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and a number of cabinet members also welcomed the president.

The call with Mr Obama was made just before Mr Rouhani left New York.

Mr Rouhani, quoted by the Fars news agency, said it was the US that had initiated the call, contradicting some reports in the US.

"Yesterday, as we were getting ready to head to the airport, the White House called and expressed willingness to set up a phone call between the American president and me," Fars quoted Mr Rouhani as saying upon arrival in Tehran.

"On our way a call was made to our ambassador's cell phone. The conversation mostly focused on the nuclear issue," he was quoted as saying.

After the call, Mr Obama said: "While there will surely be important obstacles to moving forward and success is by no means guaranteed, I believe we can reach a comprehensive solution."

Mr Rouhani, who is regarded as a moderate and was elected in June, has said he wants to reach a deal over the nuclear issue in three to six months.

He has also asserted that Iran does not seek a nuclear bomb, as Western powers have long suspected.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

If Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani can deliver what he has been saying in New York - and if the world's big powers can reciprocate - then there's a real chance to make progress"

End Quote

Mr Rouhani said initial discussions had taken place in an environment that was "quite different" from the past.

The US and China have said they expect Iran to respond to an existing offer by the US, Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany, who form a negotiating group known as the P5+1.

The group has asked Iran to halt production and stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20% - a step away from achieving a nuclear weapons capability.

It also demanded Iran shut down the Fordo underground enrichment facility, near Qom.

Substantive negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 are due to take place on 15 October, and Mr Rouhani said Iran would bring a plan to that meeting, though he did not give details.

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UN '95% sure' humans cause warming

27 September 2013 Last updated at 05:12 ET By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News, Stockholm

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Michel Jarraud from the World Meteorological Organization issued stark warnings about the impact of global climate change

A landmark report says scientists are 95% certain that humans are the "dominant cause" of global warming since the 1950s.

The report by the UN's climate panel details the physical evidence behind climate change.

On the ground, in the air, in the oceans, global warming is "unequivocal", it explained.

It adds that a pause in warming over the past 15 years is too short to reflect long-term trends.

The panel warns that continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all aspects of the climate system.

To contain these changes will require "substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions".

After a week of intense negotiations in the Swedish capital, the summary for policymakers on the physical science of global warming has finally been released.

The first part of an IPCC trilogy, due over the next 12 months, this dense, 36-page document is considered the most comprehensive statement on our understanding of the mechanics of a warming planet.

It states baldly that, since the 1950s, many of the observed changes in the climate system are "unprecedented over decades to millennia".

Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth's surface, and warmer than any period since 1850, and probably warmer than any time in the past 1,400 years.

"Our assessment of the science finds that the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, the global mean sea level has risen and that concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased," said Qin Dahe, co-chair of IPCC working group one, who produced the report.

Speaking at a news conference in the Swedish capital, Prof Thomas Stocker, another co-chair, said that climate change "challenges the two primary resources of humans and ecosystems, land and water. In short, it threatens our planet, our only home".

Since 1950, the report's authors say, humanity is clearly responsible for more than half of the observed increase in temperatures.

Continue reading the main story

Document

PDF download IPCC Summary for Policymakers_[3MB]

Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader

But a so-called pause in the increase in temperatures in the period since 1998 is downplayed in the report. The scientists point out that this period began with a very hot El Nino year.

"Trends based on short records are very sensitive to the beginning and end dates and do not in general reflect long-term climate trends," the report says.

Prof Stocker, added: "I'm afraid there is not a lot of public literature that allows us to delve deeper at the required depth of this emerging scientific question.

"For example, there are not sufficient observations of the uptake of heat, particularly into the deep ocean, that would be one of the possible mechanisms to explain this warming hiatus."

"Likewise we have insufficient data to adequately assess the forcing over the last 10-15 years to establish a relationship between the causes of the warming."

However, the report does alter a key figure from the 2007 study. The temperature range given for a doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere, called equilibrium climate sensitivity, was 2.0C to 4.5C in that report.

In the latest document, the range has been changed to 1.5C to 4.5C. The scientists say this reflects improved understanding, better temperature records and new estimates for the factors driving up temperatures.

Continue reading the main story

What is the IPCC?

In its own words, the IPCC is there "to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts".

The offspring of two UN bodies, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, it has issued four heavyweight assessment reports to date on the state of the climate.

These are commissioned by the governments of 195 countries, essentially the entire world. These reports are critical in informing the climate policies adopted by these governments.

The IPCC itself is a small organisation, run from Geneva with a full time staff of 12. All the scientists who are involved with it do so on a voluntary basis.

In the summary for policymakers, the scientists say that sea level rise will proceed at a faster rate than we have experienced over the past 40 years. Waters are expected to rise, the document says, by between 26cm (at the low end) and 82cm (at the high end), depending on the greenhouse emissions path this century.

The scientists say ocean warming dominates the increase in energy stored in the climate system, accounting for 90% of energy accumulated between 1971 and 2010.

For the future, the report states that warming is projected to continue under all scenarios and is likely to exceed 1.5C by 2100.

"We have found in our assessment analysing these model simulation[s] that global surface temperature change for the end of the 21st Century is likely to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius relative to 1850 for all scenarios. This is a statement that is adopted by the governments of the world," Prof Stocker told reporters.

Prof Sir Brian Hoskins, from Imperial College London, told BBC News: "We are performing a very dangerous experiment with our planet, and I don't want my grandchildren to suffer the consequences of that experiment."

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Two plead not guilty to Rigby murder

27 September 2013 Last updated at 06:08 ET

Two men accused of murdering soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, have pleaded not guilty.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, from Romford, east London, and Michael Adebowale, 22, from Greenwich, south-east London, denied the charges at the Old Bailey.

They are accused of murdering Fusilier Rigby near Woolwich barracks on 22 May.

The men also denied attempting to murder a police officer on that day, as well as planning to murder a police officer on or before that day.

Mr Adebolajo has asked to be known as Mujaahid Abu Hamza in court, while Mr Adebowale wants to be called Ismail Ibn Abdullah.

The men appeared via videolink from HMP Belmarsh, with Mr Adebowale sitting in front of a prison sign.

Fusilier Rigby's widow, Rebecca Rigby, was in court for the hearing.

A trial date has been provisionally set for 18 November.

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Royal Mail sale by mid-October

27 September 2013 Last updated at 06:49 ET

Royal Mail shares are to be sold by mid-October, before postal workers have a chance to strike over the move.

The company is valued at £2.6bn to £3.3bn, the government said on Friday.

The Department for Business said Royal Mail would list on the London Stock Exchange next month. BBC business editor Robert Peston says that the privatisation should be complete by 15 October.

He adds that this is "long before" a possible strike could happen.

Postal workers will on Friday begin voting on whether to take industrial action to oppose the plan.

In a statement, the government said that 10% of the shares, priced between 260p and 330p, would be given to about 150,000 "eligible UK-based Royal Mail employees".

The government will also sell between 40.1% and 52.2% of the Royal Mail under its privatisation proposal.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

There is perhaps a Thatcherite confrontational tint to the whole exercise, unusual for a government led by David Cameron, whose own ideological roots seem more Blairite than Iron Lady"

End Quote

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "This will give Royal Mail access to the private capital it needs to modernise, as envisaged under successive governments and enshrined in law by Parliament two years ago. "

Moya Greene, chief executive of Royal Mail, said that the company would "not change".

"We will now be better able to compete in what is a fast changing and intensely competitive market," she added.

Strikes?

Members of the public can apply for Royal Mail shares online until 8 October. So-called "conditional dealings" in shares on the London Stock Exchange will begin on 11 October, while "unconditional dealings" will commence on 15 October.

The minimum application for the public wishing to purchase shares is £750, or £500 for eligible Royal Mail employees.

Continue reading the main story

500 years of the post office

1512 - In February the first 'Master of the Posts', Brian Tuke, is appointed by Cardinal Wolsey, then chancellor to a young Henry VIII.

1635 - A postal service is made available to the public, with the cost being paid by the recipient. The fee is determined by the distance the letter travelled and the number of sheets.

1840 - The Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postal stamp is sold nationally

1853 - Post boxes go nationwide in Britain, having previously only existed in Jersey

1968 - Introduction of second class stamps

1974 - UK postcodes finalised

1986 - The Post Office's functions are split into Royal Mail Letters, Parcels and Counters.

2001 - The Post Office Group was temporarily renamed Consignia at a cost of £2 million. 15 months later it returned to using Royal Mail.

2006 - Postcomm, the regulator at the time, opens the postal market to outside competition.

2010 - The government announces its plan to sell the delivery arm of the Royal Mail.

Source: Royal Mail website

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is balloting 100,000 of its members on a nationwide strike over the privatisation, as well as on changes to salary and pensions.

The CWU on Friday in statement said it "criticised" the government for pressing ahead with what it called an "unpopular" privatisation.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "It seems remarkable that the prospectus is being issued on the same day that postal workers are being sent ballot papers for strike action."

Mr Hayes added: "Royal Mail is profitable and can continue to be successful in the public sector. The sale is driven by political dogma, not economic necessity, and postal workers and the CWU will continue to fight to save services as well as defend their terms and conditions."

Voting in the strike ballot will close on 16 October. The earliest a strike could take place is 23 October.

'Priced to sell'

Our business editor adds that this is a "very big moment" in the history of the 500-year-old postal service, describing the government's programme as "ambitious".

He adds: "Remember that industrial relations are pretty terrible at the moment, and the government's timetable for this means it is now impossible for there to be a strike before the privatisation is done. It will be in the private sector before there can be a strike."

Business minister Michael Fallon told the BBC that the six-day-a-week delivery, or "universal service", was "completely protected," but private investment would help the Royal Mail improve that service.

"It's a business that needs access to private capital," he added.

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Business minister Michael Fallon: "This is a huge day for Royal Mail"

Postal economist David Stubbs told the BBC that the pricing of the shares was "low".

"Under some scenarios, this looks cheap. If the Royal Mail is able to keep its market share and to keep its industrial relations issues under control, then this pricing is low.

"It looks like the price reflects the government's desire for a quick sale."

Mr Stubbs added, however, that if there were continuing problems with its labour relations, and if competitors began to gain an advantage, the value would be less than the range given by the government on Friday.

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Thousands of drink-drivers reoffend

27 September 2013 Last updated at 07:02 ET By Nicola Beckford BBC Radio 4, The World at One

As new figures show the number of people killed in drink-driving crashes rose by 17%, the BBC has discovered that thousands of drink-drivers are repeat offenders.

A fifth of those on a DVLA "high-risk register" have been on it before.

There are calls for more stringent checks before offenders are given back their licences.

The government said it had tightened up rules, and drivers now had to prove they were no longer alcohol-dependent.

Drink-drivers who are more than two and a half times over the legal limit, who have two or more drink-drive offences within a 10-year period or who refuse to give breath, blood or urine samples, are classed by the DVLA as "high-risk offenders".

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the BBC discovered there are currently 230,149 banned drivers on the DVLA's scheme and of these, 42,207 drivers had been on it before.

Their licences had been returned because they were considered safe to drive when their initial ban expired.

But under rules introduced in June, when a ban expires, offenders can reapply for their licence only when they have passed a medical test to prove they are no longer alcohol-dependent.

However, this will apply only to new offenders - those convicted earlier can drive after reapplying for their driving licence.

Provisional figures released on Thursday show that 280 people were killed in drink-drive accidents in 2012, an increase of about 17% compared with 2011. This accounts for 16% of all road deaths in Britain. Overall, deaths were down 8% on 2011, at 1,754.

Police and road safety campaigners say the system of dealing with drink-drivers needs to be re-examined.

'Bitter experience'

Insp Richard Auty, who has investigated collisions for the Metropolitan Police for 17 years, said he was surprised by the DVLA figure, adding that it was "quite large".

He expressed doubts that the new testing system would address the problem.

"I suspect from the people that I've dealt with that whilst it will deal with the worst offenders, the binge drinkers that are able to control it will clearly not turn up to a medical drunk, so it won't effectively deal with those people. So I would suggest a mandatory driving test or extended driving test before you get your licence back would be a much greater deterrent."

In 2009, Anish Patel's wife, Catriona, 39, was killed by a serial offender while cycling to work. She was crushed under the wheels of his lorry outside Oval tube station in south London.

The driver had three previous drink-driving convictions, had been disqualified 20 times and had three previous convictions for reckless driving.

Mr Patel said: "It was just a normal day and a few phone calls later and hours later your whole life gets turned upside down and changed forever. She was my best friend, she was the love of my life, she was my soulmate, we did absolutely everything together."

He felt angry and bitter when he learned about the driver's previous convictions.

"I just thought the biggest thing that shouldn't have happened that day was him being on the road and driving a 40-tonne tipper truck fully laden through one of the busiest junctions through central London.

"These people obviously are not operating by the same rules of the vast majority of the population operate by and I think that there has to be something done about serial offenders. It is too common an occurrence that people get convicted of drink-driving and they are back on the road either illegal or unfortunately legally. "

'Get carried away'

Johnny, a former serial drink-driver who stopped drinking through Alcoholics Anonymous, was caught three times in nine weeks.

He was banned for two years and continued to drink-drive for 15 years but was never caught again.

He said: "I always thought of the consequences but unfortunately just the following morning. I was just going out for one or two drinks, get a bit carried away and invariably I'd end up drink-driving.

"I'm not convinced that a tougher sentence would have made any difference. How much tougher do you want it to be? You're going to lose your liberty, you're going to lose your job, you're going to lose your home. You're going to lose everything basically if you do it again. That never stopped me from driving."

Amy Aeron-Thomas, executive director of RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, said it was time to review driving bans and increase the number of breathalyser tests.

"There is public support for a five-year ban for first-time offenders. Now you are talking about repeat offenders, big-risk offenders - they deserve lengthy driving bans if not losing their licence permanently.

"We know with the decrease in road policing there are fewer breathalyser tests being given so there is a greater chance of them getting away with it."

Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond said: "Drink-drivers are a menace and it is right that we do everything we can to keep the most high-risk offenders off the road.

"That is why we have tightened up the rules which mean that they now have to take medical tests to prove they are no longer alcohol-dependent before being allowed to drive."

You can hear more on this report on BBC Radio 4's World at One at 13:00, or listen to it online here.

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New Syria chemical claims probed

27 September 2013 Last updated at 08:07 ET

UN chemical weapons inspectors are investigating whether three chemical attacks were carried out in Syria after the 21 August Damascus incident that sparked threats of US military action.

A UN statement said that, in all, seven alleged incidents of chemical weapons use were under investigation.

A UN team currently in Syria is set to complete its work on Monday.

A UN resolution on making Syria's stockpile safe is expected soon, after the US and Russia agreed the text.

Experts from the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), are then expected to begin inspecting Syria's stockpile by Tuesday, a draft agreement has said.

The OPCW text is due to be voted on at a meeting in The Hague later on Friday.

UN list

The UN team lead by Ake Sellstrom arrived in Syria on 25 August to continue investigating allegations of chemical weapons use.

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The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner examines what we know about the Syria attack on 21 August

The deployment followed a US-Russia brokered deal under which Syria has agreed to eliminate all chemical weapons by mid-2014.

The UN statement listed the seven chemical attacks alleged to have taken place this year and which are under investigation:

• Khan al-Assal, 19 March
• Sheikh Maqsoud, 13 April
• Saraqeb, 29 April
• Ghouta, 21 August
• Bahhariyeh, 22 August
• Jobar, 24 August
• Ashrafiah Sahnaya, 25 August

The US threatened the Syrian government with military action over the Ghouta incident, which left hundreds of people dead.

A UN report on the attack published later confirmed that the nerve agent sarin had been used in a rocket attack there, although it did not apportion blame.

Syria has pushed for the investigation of the post-21 August incidents.

Its envoy to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, accused "militants" of using chemical gas against the army in Bahhariyeh, Jobar and Ashrafiah Sahnaya.

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China to execute toddler thrower

25 September 2013 Last updated at 04:38 ET

A court in China has sentenced a man to death for killing a two-year-old girl in Beijing over a parking space row, state media report.

Han Lei, 39, pulled the toddler out of her pram and threw her to the ground after her mother refused to make way for his car in July.

He fled the scene but was captured. The girl later died from her injuries.

He said the killing was unintentional, as he was drunk and had thought the pram was a shopping trolley.

"I did not know there was an infant inside," he previously said.

The case has provoked an outcry in China, with many people expressing their anger online, state media reported.

Many in China were shocked that an argument over a parking space could come to such a violent end, says the BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing.

The trial started on 16 September at the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Prosecutors had recommended the death sentence for Han, who committed the crime within a year of being released from prison, the Xinhua news agency said.

Han also beat the girl's mother during the altercation in Beijing's Daxing district.

Another man, Li Ming, who drove Han away from the scene, has been jailed for five years.

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Kenya mourns mall attack victims

25 September 2013 Last updated at 07:02 ET

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Armoured troops have moved in to clear the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, from where Mike Wooldridge reports

Kenya has begun three days of national mourning following the end of the four-day siege by Islamist militants on Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said 67 people had died, including six security personnel.

Five militants were killed and 11 suspects arrested, he added.

Al-Shabab, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said 137 hostages had died. But the statement cannot be verified.

As the clearing of the mall continues, the death toll is expected to rise.

Several bodies, including those of some attackers, are thought to be trapped under rubble after three floors of the building collapsed following a blaze.

Continue reading the main story

I never realised how loud a gun was and how scary and threatening they are"

End Quote Zachary Yach, survivor

Kenya's Standard newspaper reported that dozens of bodies were removed from the building on Tuesday evening.

The building has been sealed off as forensic experts collect evidence.

'Cowards will meet justice'

Journalists and onlookers were kept behind a security cordon but police let some people retrieve cars from the scene.

In his address, the president praised the response of ordinary Kenyans, calling it exemplary and overwhelming.

"We have ashamed and defeated our attackers," he said. "Kenya has stared down evil and triumphed."

He did not confirm earlier reports that several of the attackers were American and British.

"Intelligence reports had suggested that a British woman and two or three American citizens may have been involved in the attack," said Mr Kenyatta.

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New footage from inside Westgate shows a family being rescued

"We cannot confirm the details at present. Forensic experts are working to ascertain the nationalities of the terrorists."

He added: "These cowards will meet justice, as will their accomplices and patrons, wherever they are."

The UK Foreign Office said that one British national had been arrested in Nairobi, without giving further details.

The BBC's Will Ross reports from Nairobi that one of the people arrested is understood to have been in the shopping centre, though it is not clear whether they were armed, or among the 10-15 attackers that Kenyan authorities have spoken of.

At least 18 foreigners are among the dead. They include six Britons as well as citizens from France, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China.

About 175 people were wounded, including 62 who remain in hospital.

"Now it is for the forensic and criminal experts," said police spokesman Masoud Mwinyi.

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Survivor Lynsey Khatau: "I want to take my family home"

Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.

The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately on shoppers and staff.

Twitter posts on an al-Shabab account said the group's militants had held 137 people hostage, and claimed the hostages had died after security forces fired chemical agents to end the siege.

The posts could not be verified. A government spokesman denied any chemical agents were used, and authorities called on Kenyans to ignore militant propaganda.

Both sides blamed the other for causing part of the shopping centre to collapse.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.

There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia as part of an African Union force supporting Somali government forces.

Al-Shabab is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.

Despite being pushed out of key cities in the past two years, it remains in control of smaller towns and large swathes of the countryside.

UN special representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay called on Tuesday for a fresh surge in African troops to Somalia to counter an estimated 5,000 al-Shabab fighters.

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