Category: news

Arts Council England announces a four-year spending cuts plan, including a 64% reduction in money for some organisations.

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The UK Supreme Court is due to rule on the case

A case which could fundamentally alter the way Scots police question suspects is to conclude at the UK Supreme Court.

It will rule on the case of Peter Cadder, a teenager charged with assault and breach of the peace, who was convicted on the basis of evidence gained before he spoke to his lawyer.

Currently, police can question suspects for six hours without a lawyer present, then they must be freed or charged.

But a European court has ruled access to a lawyer is part of a fair trial.

This ruling was made by the European Court of Human Rights in 2008.

If the Crown Office loses the Peter Cadder case, other similar convictions may be reviewed or appealed.

Among them could be Luke Mitchell, who was just 14 when he was questioned without a lawyer by police investigating the murder of his girlfriend, Jodi Jones.

That aspect of his case is already being investigated by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

The Crown Office recently ordered lawyers to be allowed immediate access to arrested clients.

David McLetchie, of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “This issue is now coming to a head.

“If the Supreme Court decides in favour of Cadder and the decision is retrospective, then the Scottish Conservatives stand ready to work with the rest of parliament to limit the damage.

“As we saw with the slopping-out fiasco, ECHR can often serve the interests of the criminal, rather than the law-abiding majority.

“Its incorporation into the Scotland Act in 1998 was an error of judgment which, 12 years on, needs to be reviewed.”

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A car was burnt during the trouble on Monday evening

A bus and car have been burnt out during disorder in Newtownabbey.

About 100 youths gathered at the bottom of the O’Neill Road and threw stones at approaching police vehicles. There are also reports of further hijackings.

BBC Radio Ulster’s Will Leitch, reporting from the scene, described the situation as “tense”.

It is understood there were a number of police raids in the area earlier on Monday. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Ken Wilkinson, a representative of the UVF-linked Progressive Unionist Party, said he understood the trouble was linked to three searches in the area over the past two days by officers from the Historical Enquiries Team.

He said that “the way a lot of these searches were carried out leaves a lot to be desired”, adding that one of the houses raided belonged to a lady in bad health.

“I spoke to a district commander today and told him about the frustration that was on the ground.

“Obviously this has not been adhered to, and this is the result of it here tonight.”

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Wales narrowly misses to hit a renewable energy target to produce a certain amount of electricity from wind turbines.

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A former chief executive of S4C says the channel is wrong to “go to war” with the UK government over its funding.

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Figures released by the Department of Justice reveal that just six out of 626 people convicted of sex offences between 2002 and 2006 were jailed for the maximum term available.

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Rebecca Aylward was reported missing after failing to return home

Police are continuing to question two 15-year-old boys over the murder of a girl whose body was found in woodland.

On Monday South Wales Police were granted an extra 36 hours to hold them.

Rebecca Aylward, also aged 15 and from Maesteg, near Bridgend, died of head injuries and her body was discovered near Aberkenfig on Sunday morning.

The schoolgirl, described by her family as “happy, outgoing and bubbly” failed to return home after being dropped off to visit a friend.

She was last seen in Sarn Hill, Sarn, near Bridgend, at about 1230 BST on Saturday.

Police are desperate to speak to anyone who saw her after that time or spoke to her on a phone.

Her body was found at about 0900 BST on Sunday.

The results of a post-mortem examination found she had died as a result of head injuries.

South Wales Police said it would use “every snippet” of information to catch her killer.

In a statement issued via the force her relatives said: “Rebecca, also known as Becca, was dearly loved by all her family.

“She will be sadly missed, she was a very happy young girl, she had an outgoing and bubbly personality.

“As a family we are all devastated by her untimely death and wish to be left alone to deal with our grief in private.

“Becca can never ever be replaced.”

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Lawyers in England and Wales may in future get a cut of a claimant’s damages for the first time, the justice secretary tells the BBC.

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Westco is registered to the council’s Town Hall address

A London council set up a private company using public money and drew up plans allowing it to split 25% of its profits between staff, BBC London has learned.

Under the Local Government Act 2003, all authorities were allowed to set up trading companies.

The idea was that profits would be pumped back into front-line services for residents.

In 2007, Conservative-run Westminster Council set up Westco, a private company registered to its Town Hall address.

It sells communications advice to Harrow, Basildon and Leicestershire councils.

But the BBC has obtained a document written last year detailing the possibility of splitting a quarter of its profits between the organisation’s 10 staff.

While Westminster Council stressed it had not paid Westco staff bonuses, the document, by the council’s director of finance Pete Carpenter, and entitled Westco Incentive Scheme, states: “The minutes of the committee meeting agreed the principle of making a bonus payment of 25% of profits.

“The incentive will be based on 25% of the profit before tax.

“The payment will be made to the department and it is their decision whether to pay this as a bonus to the staff or reinvest in their service.”

Because it is a private company – not a public body – Westco does not have to respond to Freedom of Information requests.

The document clearly states 25% of profits can be used as a staff bonus

But the BBC saw a copy of its accounts for the tax year 2009/2010 showing a payment of £45,110 was made under the heading “Incentive scheme”.

The council insists this money was not paid to employees as bonuses, and instead used on training.

But Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of Westminster Labour Party, said: “Residents will be asking how they could even contemplate giving 25% of the profit of this council-owned company to a few already very highly paid council staff.

“The activities of Westco have remained a closely guarded secret.

“Opposition councillors have little knowledge of the goings on of this company, and it’s no surprise there is confusion as to its precise activities.”

Westco has no website and inquiries from the public about its nature have been regularly turned down.

The disclosure comes as councils across the country digest a massive cut in funding from central government following the Spending Review.

“Residents will be asking how they could even contemplate giving 25% of the profit of this council-owned company to a few already very highly paid council staff”

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg Westminster Labour Party

Councils are having funding slashed by 26% over four years, leading to job losses and cuts in services.

Communities and Local Government Minister Eric Pickles is believed to favour councils using profits from private companies to plug the shortfall, Simon Parker of the New Local Government Network (NLGN) said.

Nigel Keohane, of the NLGN, said running companies allowed councils to “generate income for their localities”.

He added: “This latter point is obviously becoming increasingly important with the reduction in central government grant.”

Westminster was already grappling with a £22m overspend even before the funding cut.

Emma Boon, campaign manager at pressure group the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s scandalous Westco have established a facility to potentially divert profit away from services to line the pockets of their own staff.

“Even if the bonuses were not paid this year there is nothing to stop any future payments being made now that this facility exists.

“This will anger taxpayers at a time when they face being on the receiving end of spending cuts at Westminster Council, which set up the company.”

Explaining why councils are allowed to set up private companies, Andy Sawford, of the think-tank the Local Government Information Unit, said: “The critical thing is they have to use their profits in an appropriate way, not paying substantial bonuses.

Westco’s accounts show more than £45,000 was paid out to the ‘Incentive Scheme’

“There are no simple rights and wrongs. The only test is whether it’s in the interest of the taxpayer.”

None of the other 31 London councils contacted by the BBC had a similar scheme.

Westminster Council insists it was never their intention to pay bonuses to Westco staff.

After being contacted by the BBC, the authority said it would be “re-writing the wording” of the policy so it would not allow bonuses to be paid.

Councillor Melvyn Caplan, chairman of Westco, said: “We do not pay staff bonuses through Westco or at Westminster Council.

“The majority of any surplus generated from our trading company Westco is ploughed straight back into council services while a portion is set aside for staff training and development.

“We will be rewriting the wording of this policy to make sure it is completely clear and to eliminate any further misunderstandings on this issue.”

It is not the first time Westminster Council has faced criticism over financial decisions.

In May there were calls for an inquiry after it emerged a hedge fund owned by council leader Colin Barrow went bust, owing the authority almost £20,000 in unpaid business rates.

BBC London learned Councillor Barrow, who has £350,000 invested in another fund, refused to reimburse his own council for its losses.

And in January it emerged the council investigated how it could make more profit from parking enforcement, an apparent breach of the law.

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A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand has admitted a manslaughter charge, becoming one of the country’s youngest killers.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 12 when he shot his 11-year-old friend with a semi-automatic rifle in July last year.

He was initially charged with murder.

But the indictment was changed after police experts said they could not exclude the possibility that the weapon discharged accidentally.

The shooting happened on a remote farm in the country’s North Island.

On Tuesday, the High Court in Gisborne heard how the boy told his victim – who also cannot be named – not to “get cheeky” during an argument about who should take a knife on a hunting trip.

The weapon then went off.

The bullet entered the victim’s left shoulder and went through his right armpit. The victim’s trachea was destroyed and he died immediately, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reports.

Judge Forrest Miller later ruled that it was appropriate to convict the boy after hearing experts’ evidence that the boy was capable of distinguishing right and wrong.

On Tuesday, the boy’s father also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after admitting that he had tried to cover up for his son.

The two are expected to be sentenced on 7 December.

In 2001, another 12-year-old boy in New Zealand was convicted of manslaughter after the fatal beating of a pizza delivery man.

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The government’s various strategies for economic recovery come under scrutiny in most of the newspapers.

The Daily Telegraph reports on David Cameron’s hint at the CBI that the cap on skilled workers entering the UK may be eased to help firms short on staff.

The Sun says the prime minister piled pressure on banks to make more loans available to small businesses.

While the Financial Times says business leaders liked Mr Cameron’s CBI promise of a “relentless” growth focus.

Labour leak

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, is criticised in the Daily Mirror for saying there is no alternative to spending cuts.

It claims investment, growth and a slower deficit reduction programme would safeguard jobs.

The Times says it has seen an internal Labour Party document which admits its economic policy lacks meat.

It is also said to warn the coalition’s cuts may not be much deeper than those once proposed by Alistair Darling.

Champagne lifestyle

The Daily Mail describes the spending cuts as “vital”, saying the challenge now is to stick to the agreed strategy.

The Independent says the NHS will face a £6bn funding gap by the year 2015 as the rising cost of drugs and wages outstrip relative budget protections.

And the Daily Telegraph tells us anti-psychotic drugs given to dementia sufferers are to be greatly reduced.

The Daily Star directs its anger at photographs of Wayne Rooney in Dubai, sipping champagne at £50 a glass.

Sony Walkman

A new contraceptive gel could take over from the pill as it is so easy to use and has no side effects, according to the Daily Express.

Hormones to prevent pregnancy are absorbed through the skin.

The Times marks the end of the road for the first mass market portable music device, the Sony Walkman.

Finally, the Guardian reports the death of the much-loved reggae musician from Jamaica, Gregory Isaacs, 59, who had been suffering from cancer.

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Ms Nafeek’s family await news of her case from Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to appeal to the king of Saudi Arabia to revoke the death sentence on a Sri Lankan maid, officials say.

Rizana Nafeek was convicted three years ago of killing a baby in her care.

The Saudi Supreme Court recently rejected an appeal against the verdict by the maid’s family.

Human rights groups say international law prohibits the death penalty for crimes committed before the age of 18 – which Nafeek was when the baby died.

A humanitarian worker who recently visited Nafeek said she was being treated properly in jail.

Nafeek had originally confessed to killing the four-month-old Saudi boy in 2005 but later retracted her statement saying it had been made under duress.

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Savers have suffered from low interest rates for some months

Savers are losing out on a possible £12bn in interest payments by staying with low-rate accounts, according to to consumer magzine Which?.

It said that nearly half of 1,200 savings accounts in the UK paid interest of 0.5% or less.

Which? said if all savers switched to accounts with the highest rates they could receive an extra £12bn a year.

The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) said that details of savings rates were readily available.