Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 15.36
Aidan Brunger, left, and Neil Dalton were in the last few days of a six-week medical placement
A Malaysian court has found a local man guilty of murdering two British medical students in Borneo.
Newcastle University students Aidan Brunger and Neil Dalton, both 22, were stabbed in a bar in Kuching, Sarawak, in August 2014.
Fishmonger Zulkipli Abdullah, 23, had denied their murder, but admitted being involved in a street fight with them along with two other men.
The penalty for murder in Malaysia is a mandatory sentence of death by hanging.
In a joint statement, the parents of Mr Dalton, from Ambergate, Derbyshire, and Mr Brunger, from Hempstead, Kent, paid tribute to their sons.
Phil and Jan Dalton and Paul Brunger and Sue Hidson spoke of the devastation their deaths had caused.
"They were two exceptional young men with such promise - kind, funny and full of life. Their deaths have left their families and many good friends utterly devastated," it read.
"Our sons would soon have qualified as doctors. Their unprovoked and senseless murders as they were walking home after a night out with other medical students mean that Aidan and Neil will never have the chance to spend their lives caring for and helping others.
"They would have given so much to the world. We are so very proud of both of them and in what they achieved in their all too short lives.
"Although we are pleased that the man responsible for their murders has been held accountable, the guilty verdict does not bring our sons back."
Paul Brunger was in court and said the loss of his son was "devastating"
Jennifer Pak, BBC News, Kuching
The case itself has been very shocking to people here. Many have told us that this is a peaceful place, a tourist town where foreigners are welcome.
People said such violent incidents are rare, and they hope it will not tarnish their image and prevent tourists from coming here in the future.
We spoke to officials at the Sarawak General Hospital and they did not say any students were scared of attending the programme since these murders. They did, however, say they have warned the students to be careful about staying out too late in the bar district.
They have not added any extra security protection for them. They see this as a one-off incident, that it is not common.
Mr Dalton and Mr Brunger had almost completed a work placement at a hospital in Kuching.
They were found sprawled in the road by cafe workers in the Jalan Padungan area of the city in the early hours of 6 August last year.
The trial heard Zulkipli Abdullah admitting being involved in a fight with the two students and punched one of them.
But he denied stabbing them or carrying a knife.
He is expected to appeal against the judgement.
Zulkipli Abdullah admitted he had been in a fight with the students
Many teenagers, even those who have never smoked, are experimenting with e-cigarettes, researchers in north-west England say.
Questionnaires completed by 16,193 14 to 17-year-olds, published in BMC Public Health, showed one in five had tried or bought e-cigarettes.
The researchers said e-cigarettes were the "alcopops of the nicotine world" and needed tougher controls.
Experts said it was important to find out how many were becoming addicted.
Electronic cigarettes mimic the effects of real ones, producing a vapour that is less harmful than cigarette smoke, but the vapour usually contains nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes.
They divide opinion. Some see them as a vital tool for helping people to quit, while others argue they "normalise" smoking and may act as a gateway.
One major area of contention is the impact they have on children.
The analysis by Liverpool John Moores University showed that 19% of those who responded had tried "vaping".
E-cigarettes were used by 5% of teenagers who had never smoked, 50% of former smokers and 67% of light smokers.
The link was even stronger in children who drank alcohol or whose parents smoked.
Prof Mark Bellis told the BBC News website: "To many people the numbers we've identified might come as a bit of a shock.
"This is just being drawn into a repertoire - another drug that people can use to experiment with rather than being seen as an alternative to tobacco.
On nicotine, he said e-cigarettes were "providing a concentrated form of a highly addictive substance, with known problems associated with it, and we need to be very cautious about that and how we protect our young people."
A ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes to under-18s has been announced in England and similar measures are being considered in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Electronic cigarettes are mainly used to help smokers quit, the Office for National Statistics says
Katherine Devlin, president of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association, told the BBC: "Obviously, teenagers accessing vaping products is a serious concern.
"[However] since the survey only records a single access, it doesn't provide any information about whether or not they go on to regular use.
"Other statistical data indicate that this is unlikely. Nevertheless, we hope that the newly introduced mandated age restrictions can reduce this number."
Data from the Office for National Statistics does suggest that those who use e-cigarettes are almost entirely current or former smokers.
Dr John Middleton, of the Faculty of Public Health, said: "We need to protect children and young people from the harms of nicotine by regulating electronic cigarettes.
"Our concern is that if we wait for proof that electronic cigarettes could act as a gateway to smoking cigarettes, it will already have happened and the tobacco industry will have been given the opportunity to recruit its next generation of smokers."
Are you a teenager who has tried e-cigarettes? Tell us about your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Plaid Cymru will use its influence in a hung parliament to "unleash Wales' economic potential", party leader Leanne Wood has said.
The party launches its general election manifesto on Tuesday, and has already announced plans to negotiate jointly with the SNP and the Greens.
All three parties have already ruled out supporting a Tory government.
Plaid wants similar funding and powers to Scotland, an end to cuts, and a "rebalancing" of the UK economy.
"The four Westminster leaders offer us nothing more than further swingeing cuts to our public services and no commitment to securing an economic recovery for all," Ms Wood said.
Plaid has said that giving Wales the same level of public spending per head as Scotland for devolved services would result in an extra £1.2bn a year for the Welsh government.
Kingfisher, the owner of DIY chains B&Q and Screwfix, is to close about 60 B&Q stores in UK and Ireland over the next two years.
But it plans to open 60 new outlets under its Screwfix brand.
"Kingfisher has said for some time that B&Q UK & Ireland can adequately meet local customer needs from fewer stores and that some of the store should be smaller," it said in a statement.
Kingfisher also announced a 15.2% fall in pre-tax profit to £644m for 2014.
And in a separate announcement, it said that Kevin O'Byrne, chief executive for B&Q UK & Ireland, would leave the firm on 15 May 2015 "allowing a smooth handover of his responsibilities" with further details to be announced "in due course".
The store closures, which will result in a £350m one-off cost, mark Veronique Laury's first major move as chief executive. The former Castorama boss took over from Sir Ian Cheshire as chief executive last September.
The firm, which currently has 360 B&Q stores, has so far confirmed the locations of six store closures: Southampton, Dundee, Baums Lane in Mansfield, Stetchford Road in Birmingham, Hyde in Greater Manchester, and Barnsley.
But it said the impact on jobs from the B&Q store closure plan is expected to broadly neutral due to the planned Screwfix openings and plans to redeploy staff to other parts of the business.
Ms Laury said it was "clear" the firm needed to organise itself "very differently to unlock our potential", and described the move as part of a set of "first sharp decisions" she was taking.
She said the group could achieve "significant benefits" from unifying the group, noting that "customers needs are already largely the same" with the markets it serves "fundamentally more similar than different".
B&Q said top executives' roles would now be more focused on the entire company, it would cut the number of products it sold, as well as unify its IT platform across the group.
Other plans include making the most of its vacant store space and it said it was in discussions with several retailers about sub-letting opportunities.
"We are getting on with this at real pace," it added.
The announcement comes a day after the group, which also owns Castorama and Brico Depot in France, walked away from its planned €275m purchase of French DIY chain Mr Bricolage after one of the latter's shareholders opposed the deal.
The firm's performance in France continued to be weak, with sales down 6.6% for the year, which it blamed on "an ongoing soft market", driven by weak consumer confidence and a declining housing and construction market.
But in the UK and Ireland, sales rose 5.4%, which it said reflected a stronger UK economy and more buoyant housing construction.
Westminster's party leaders have made new pledges on employment, taxation and health while continuing to come under pressure to be clearer about planned cuts and tax rises after the election.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has made a manifesto commitment to spend an extra £3.5bn on mental health services.
The Conservatives are promising two million more jobs by 2020 while Labour will offer rate cuts for small firms.
There are 37 days to go until the general election on 7 May.
In other key developments on day two of the official election campaign:
Plaid Cymru is to launch its manifesto with a call to "unleash the economic potential of Wales" and secure £1.2bn in extra annual funding
David Cameron defended plans to cut a further £12bn from the welfare bill and refused to rule out taxing disability benefits after Chancellor George Osborne said there would no further details before the election
The Conservative leader has also defended the number of personal attacks on Ed Miliband, saying he "makes no apology for putting Labour on the table"
UKIP leader Nigel Farage will accuse David Cameron of making a "sham promise" on immigration at the last election
Mr Clegg kicked off a series of policy announcements by Westminster's three largest parties by unveiling more plans for mental health investment by his party.
This would include £250m for new services for mothers suffering from depression and to help reduce waiting times, the party said.
In the Budget earlier this month, the coalition government said it would invest an extra £250m a year into improving mental health services for children.
'Liberal mission'
The Lib Dems say their manifesto would commit to increasing the total spend on mental healthcare to £3.5bn over the next six years.
Equality for people with mental health issues is a "liberal mission", Mr Clegg said, and the party would "make sure mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health, with money to back that up, and challenge the stigma every day".
Mr Clegg challenged the Conservatives and Labour to commit to filling the £8bn gap in overall funding facing NHS England between now and 2020, saying his party would pay for this by ensuring NHS budgets rose in line with growth in the overall economy.
Asked whether voters will know the details of the Lib Dems' planned tax rises before the election, including a new council tax band for high-value properties and raising capital gains tax, Mr Clegg replied that "on taxes we will be pretty specific".
Pollwatch
David Cowling, editor, BBC Political Research
Following the flurry caused by YouGov's 4% Labour lead this Sunday, we had three polls on Monday telling a different story. Populus had Conservative and Labour tied on 34%; Ashcroft had a 2% Conservative lead (36% versus 34%) and ComRes had a 4% Conservative lead (36% versus 32%).
Among all four polls, the average Lib Dem rating was 8%, UKIP's was 13% and the Greens at around 6%. We've barely started our long road to 7 May but perhaps this campaign will develop into a battle of methodologies - telephone versus internet polls.
The two telephone polls (Ashcroft and ComRes) had the highest Conservative ratings - 36% each; and the two internet polls (YouGov and Populus) had the lowest - 34% and 32%. YouGov represented a 5.5% swing from Conservative to Labour, enough to give Labour a majority: ComRes suggested a 1.5% swing to Labour, barely a ripple on the election pond.
Mr Cameron, who has ruled out tax rises after the election in favour of spending cuts, said the Conservatives were focusing on their "positive vision" for the country amid criticism about the frequency of his attacks on the Labour leader in recent days.
The UK could create two million more jobs by 2020 - similar to the 1.9 million created in the last Parliament under the coalition, he said.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast just under a million new jobs in the next five years but Mr Cameron said his government had a "record of economic success" and had exceeded OBR predictions since 2010.
This issue includes the wider economy and deficit reduction but also employment and the role of business.
"We have kept tax low for business, we have encouraged people to invest in our country, we have invested in skills, we have trained two million apprentices in this Parliament," he told BBC Breakfast.
"We are building an economy that can sustain these extra jobs...Just as we doubled the OBR forecast in the last Parliament, we are going to double it in the next one too."
Leanne Wood will say Wales should be entitled to an extra £1.2bn in funding every year
However, Mr Cameron said he would not stop making Labour's tax and spending plans an issue, saying the opposition had "not even reached base camp" in terms of setting out their deficit reduction plans.
"The tone was absolutely right because this election is a choice," he told Radio 4's Today.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, meanwhile, is highlighting Labour's existing plan to cut business rates for small business properties and then freeze them by promising to take action in his first Budget.
The party says the measure would save businesses an average of £400 and would be funded by cancelling a planned cut in corporation tax for large companies planned by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.
"So instead of another corporation tax cut for large companies which helps fewer than one in ten firms, we will cut and then freeze business rates for small firms instead," shadow chancellor Ed Balls will say.
"This is the right priority when money is tight. And it will mean that the tax burden on small businesses will be lower with Labour than under the Tories."
Written By Unknown on Senin, 30 Maret 2015 | 15.36
The documents were part of an investigation into BAE Systems, which manufactures defence equipment
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been fined £180,000 after thousands of confidential documents from a high-profile bribery investigation were mistakenly sent to the wrong person.
The papers, from an investigation into a BAE Systems deal, contained evidence relating to 64 people.
They were wrongly sent to a witness in the case in an "astounding" lapse, the Information Commissioner's Office said.
The SFO said it had "substantially overhauled its procedures".
It is the first time the SFO has been fined by the UK's privacy regulator.
The documents - including bank statements, hospital invoices and passport details - related to the SFO's investigation into allegations that executives at BAE received payments as part of an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
The al-Yamamah deal involved the sale of tens of billions of pounds worth of arms by BAE to Saudi Arabia, beginning in the 1980s and ending in 2006 with the sale of 72 Typhoon fighter jets.
Allegations of corruption and bribery led to an SFO investigation in 2004 but it was closed in 2006 on grounds of public interest, amid concerns that relations with Saudi Arabia were being harmed.
After it was closed, the SFO sent more than 2,000 bags of evidence to "Witness A" between November 2011 and February 2013.
It was later discovered that a "relatively inexperienced" temporary worker had mistakenly sent 407 of the bags belonging to 64 people to the witness, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said.
Despite the witness contacting the SFO to say he had wrongly received some evidence in November 2011, the SFO sent him more in May 2012, the regulator added.
This was despite the witness's concerns being raised at a "senior level".
The breach was likely to have caused "substantial distress" to witnesses, the ICO said, as there was evidence some of the information was disclosed to a national newspaper and "possibly disseminated overseas".
The SFO began investigating the breach after details were requested in response to a parliamentary question in June 2013.
At that time Labour MP Emily Thornberry told Parliament the documents had been found in a storage facility which was also being used as a cannabis farm in east London.
People will be "quite rightly shocked" the SFO failed to keep the information of so many individuals secure, ICO deputy commissioner David Smith said.
"Given how high-profile this case was - and how sensitive the evidence being returned to witnesses potentially was - it is astounding that the SFO got this wrong," he said.
The SFO has since recovered 98% of the documents and taken action to ensure adequate security checks, the ICO said.
A SFO spokeswoman said the fine was "expected", adding: "The SFO took immediate action to recover the data and, following two independent reviews, substantially overhauled its procedures to ensure this mistake could not be made again."
An investigation has been launched into claims the details of millions of people's pensions are being sold to fraudsters and cold-calling firms.
Companies are selling information about people's salaries, investment values and pension size for as little as 5p without consent, the Daily Mail said.
It is feared it will be used to scam pensioners who can access their full pension pots under new rules in April.
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said he was investigating.
He told the BBC that the claims were "very serious" and said he was in touch with the pensions regulator, the financial conduct authority and the police.
"There are lots of people out there who are trying to take advantage of leads that they get to sell you stuff," he said.
"In this particular area with large sums of money at stake because of pensions liberalisation, the very simple message is don't take big financial decisions on the back of a phone call."
The Daily Mail said its undercover reporters were able to buy pension details by claiming they were from a cold-calling company.
The ICO has previously said the pension changes coming into effect on 6 April could lead to more people being conned.
Steve Eckersley, head of enforcement at the ICO, said the information being sold could be used to target people "at a critical point in their financial lives" - and warned of a potentially "huge spike" in scam texts and calls.
He said the claims pointed to "a frequent disregard of laws that are in place specifically to protect consumers" and said the ICO would "be launching an investigation immediately".
"We're aware of allegations raised against several companies involved in the cold-calling sector, and will be making inquiries to establish whether there have been any breaches of the Data Protection Act or Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations," he said.
The ICO has the power to issue fines of up to £500,000 for the most serious breaches and can pursue criminal prosecutions around unlawfully obtaining or accessing personal data.
"We'll be speaking to the Pensions Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority and the police about the information the Daily Mail has shown us," Mr Eckersley added.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves called the revelations shocking, and urged ministers to "act quickly to protect savers from these serious threats to people's hard earned retirement income".
Councils have used public spaces protection orders to ban street drinking in some towns
A law that allows councils in England and Wales to ban certain activities in public is leading to "bizarre new criminal offences", campaigners say.
The Manifesto Club, which campaigns against over-regulation, says the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act is creating "a patchwork" of laws, with discrepancies from town to town.
Councils have used it to ban activities such as begging or drinking in places.
Council leaders say the measures help to prevent anti-social behaviour.
Under the act - which became law last year - local authorities can use public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) to ban certain activities they believe are having a "detrimental impact" on the quality of life.
People who do not comply can be required to pay a £100 fixed penalty fine or face prosecution.
Examples of PSPOs include:
Restrictions placed on motorists entering a retail park in Colchester, Essex after 18:00 if they are not using shops and facilities
Young people in Oxford being banned from entering a tower block unless they are a visitor or resident
Making it a crime to beg for money in certain areas of Poole, in Dorset
A ban on the consumption of alcohol and legal highs in public spaces in the city centre by Lincoln Council
Making it a crime to have an open container of alcohol in Cambridge
The Manifesto Club said there were eight PSPOs in force in England and Wales. Another four PSPOs are out for public consultation and 19 are under consideration across the country.
They include proposals to ban the use of amplified music, unlicensed busking, pigeon feeding and the sale of lucky charms.
Josie Appleton, director of the campaign group, said the powers were "so broad" they allowed councils to ban "pretty much anything".
"The result is a patchwork of criminal law where something is illegal in one town but not in the next, or in one street but not the next.
"This makes it hard for the public to know what is criminal and what is not."
Poole Borough Council has banned begging in some areas
However, councils have defended the use of the orders.
Colchester Borough Council said its order to restrict motorists entering a retail park after 18:00 prevented anti-social car meets and nuisance motorists.
Oxford City Council, which has prohibited some people under 21 from entering a tower block, said the "unacceptable behaviour of a few has caused a great deal of misery".
"It is important that we tackle this problem robustly," Councillor Dee Sinclair said.
Councillor Ric Metcalfe, leader of City of Lincoln Council, said the authority recognised there was a problem with street drinking and the use of legal highs, saying: "We want our city centre to be a safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike."
Poole Borough Council, which has banned begging in some areas, said it had not had any reported breaches of the order.
In Cambridge, where open containers of alcohol are prohibited in some places, council leader Lewis Herbert said the three community areas subjected to the orders had suffered "a decade of being taken over by groups of drunks".
The team, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the UCL Institute of Child Health, gave questionnaires to nearly 3,000 families asking if their child was obese, overweight, underweight or a healthy weight.
The results showed that nearly a third, 31%, of parents underestimated the weight of their child.
An accurate diagnosis kicked in only at the very high end of the scales.
Prof Russell Viner, from the Institute of Child Health, told the BBC News website: "Modern parents don't recognise children as obese.
"If parents don't recognise a child is obese then they're very unlikely to do anything to help their child move to a more healthy weight.
"Then it's a potential major public health crisis being stored up."
The main explanation for parents not identifying their child's weight problem is that society as a whole has become so fat we have collectively lost our sense of a healthy weight.
The chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, raised this issue of overweight becoming the new norm in her annual report last year.
"We need to find some tool to educate parents, when their child is born, what they should expect a child's size to be and not to be afraid of talking to parents over fears they, or the child, will react badly," Prof Viner said.
'Role models'
Commenting on the findings, the chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, Shirley Cramer, said: "School education from a young age should focus on the importance of active lifestyles and healthy diets to ensure our society is one that understands the relationship between diet and good health.
"Parents are key role models for their children and it is imperative they are aware of all the factors that can influence health.
"However, it is not just the role of the parents, society as a whole needs to help enforce messages about eating well."
She said restricting junk food advertising would help as would better calorie labelling on food.
Tam Fry, from the Child Growth Foundation, told the BBC: "To the obesity specialist it is incomprehensible that parents cannot tell if their children are overweight.
"You sometimes have to wonder if they are in total denial, but when you realise that even health professionals may often have difficulty in recognising obesity in their patients, the enormity of our obesity epidemic sinks in.
"The knock-on risk of extreme overweight to the individual's and country's health cannot be emphasised enough."
Are you concerned about the weight of your child? Are you engaged in your child's diet and exercise? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are available to talk to a BBC journalist please include a telephone number.
Mr Cameron will have an audience with the Queen before campaigning gets under way
David Cameron is to tell voters they face a "stark choice" between him and Labour's Ed Miliband as the election campaign officially gets under way.
The PM will visit the Queen for a final audience ahead of the 7 May poll, formally marking the end of the five-year coalition government.
Later, he is expected to say the UK is on the "right track" and a Labour government would be "economic chaos".
Mr Miliband will say the Conservatives pose a clear "danger" to UK firms.
Setting out Labour's policies on business, he is expected to warn that the PM's promise of a referendum on Britain's EU membership also risks an "extraordinary loss of British influence".
Following months of unofficial campaigning, the five-and-a-half week race for No 10 begins in earnest after Parliament was dissolved under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.
In other key developments on Monday:
Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said his party would occupy the "reasoned centre ground" during the campaign
Business Secretary Vince Cable said he expected Mr Clegg to stay on as leader after the election and would not rule out a deal with either the Tories or Labour
UKIP leader Nigel Farage said his party offered a "radical choice" and a decisive break from the "Westminster political class"
Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until a new administration is formed but MPs will cease to be members of Parliament and writs will be issued for elections in all 650 constituencies.
Issues likely to dominate the campaign include the economy and spending cuts, Britain's EU membership and immigration.
Analysis by political editor Nick Robinson
It's all about you. Not them. You. That's worth remembering if/when you tire of all those politicians, soundbites and photo opportunities that will fill the airwaves - and your inbox - from the formal start of the campaign today, until polling day.
About you because a general election is one of those rare times when your voice counts as much as anyone else's.
About you because you have the chance to help choose who represents you and your community in Parliament.
About you because you can influence who will run the country for the next five years and, therefore, help shape what sort of country you live in.
Rarely has there been a choice so wide or one with an impact which could be so dramatic.
What are the top issues for each political party at the 2015 general election?
Mr Cameron will say the "next prime minister walking through that door will be me or Ed Miliband" and a Conservative government would oversee "an economy that grows, that creates jobs, that generates the money to ensure a properly funded and improving NHS".
He will say Labour leader Mr Miliband "pays lip service to working people while planning to hike taxes and increase debt".
Parliament has been officially dissolved under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act
But in a speech later setting out Labour's "business manifesto", Mr Miliband will say the Tories represent a "clear and present danger" to jobs and prosperity by risking an exit from Europe.
Setting out Labour's commitment to UK membership of the EU, he will also promise to "return Britain to a leadership role" in Brussels.
Labour has said the economic recovery under the coalition has been the slowest in more than 100 years and resulted in a cost-of-living crisis.
It has pledged to raise living standards of "everyday working people by ensuring those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden" while cutting the deficit and securing the future of the NHS.
But Labour's economic credentials have been questioned by one of its leading donors, Dr Assem Allam, who told the Daily Telegraph that its plans for a "mansion tax" and a rise in the top rate of tax were "alienating" wealth-creators.
Labour would take a "leadership role" in Europe, Ed Miliband will say Nick Clegg said his party backed an EU referendum but only at the right time
Mr Clegg will have a separate audience with the Queen in his capacity as Lord President of the Council before visiting a hospital in the Midlands.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today that his party would cut £50bn less than the Conservatives and borrow £70bn less than Labour.
"There is a real danger that British politics is being pulled to the right and the left," he said. "You see Labour haring off to the left, sticking its head in the sand and not dealing with the deficit.
"You see the Conservatives chasing after UKIP on the right and indulging in plans for ideological cuts to public services."
Both David Cameron and Ed Miliband have conceded the election is on a "knife edge" with opinion polls suggesting there is little to split the Conservatives and Labour.
A ComRes survey for ITV News and The Daily Mail on Monday suggested the Conservatives were leading Labour by 36% to 32% but a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times suggested the reverse, putting Labour on 36% and the Tories on 32% nationally.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 29 Maret 2015 | 15.36
The teachers claim some games contain inappropriate levels of violence
Head teachers in Cheshire have warned parents they will report them to the authorities if they allow their children to play computer games rated for over-18s.
The letter was sent by the Nantwich Education Partnership group to parents from 16 schools in the county.
The heads claim games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty contain unsuitable levels of violence.
They warn parents they could be reported for neglect in some cases.
The heads state that playing such games or accessing certain social media sites can increase early sexualised behaviour in youngsters and leave them vulnerable to grooming for sexual exploitation.
Mary Hennessy Jones, the head who drafted the letter, said: "We are trying to help parents to keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era.
"It is so easy for children to end up in the wrong place and parents find it helpful to have some very clear guidelines."
Prime Minister David Cameron announced this month that adults in positions of responsibility could face prison sentences of up to five years if they failed to report allegations of the neglect or abuse of children.
Do you let your children play games rated for over-18's? Are you a teacher concerned about children playing these games? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience. Please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
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Encrypted communications are the biggest problem for police, says European police chief
A European police chief says the sophisticated online communications are the biggest problem for security agencies tackling terrorism.
Hidden areas of the internet and encrypted communications make it harder to monitor terror suspects, warns Europol's Rob Wainwright.
Tech firms should consider the impact sophisticated encryption software has on law enforcement, he said.
Mr Wainwright was talking to 5 Live Investigates.
A spokesman for TechUK, the UK's technology trade association, said: "With the right resources and cooperation between the security agencies and technology companies, alongside a clear legal framework for that cooperation, we can ensure both national security and economic security are upheld."
Mr Wainwright said that in most current investigations the use of encrypted communications was found to be central to the way terrorists operated.
"It's become perhaps the biggest problem for the police and the security service authorities in dealing with the threats from terrorism," he explained.
"It's changed the very nature of counter-terrorist work from one that has been traditionally reliant on having good monitoring capability of communications to one that essentially doesn't provide that anymore."
Mr Wainwright, whose organisation supports police forces in Europe, said terrorists were exploiting the "dark net", where users can go online anonymously, away from the gaze of police and security services.
Secret messaging
But he is also concerned at moves by companies such as Apple to allow customers to encrypt data on their smartphones.
And the development of heavily encrypted instant messaging apps is another cause for concern, he said.
Edward Snowden revealed that the UK's GCHQ was also involved in widespread surveillance of communications
This meant people could send text and voice messages which police found very difficult or impossible to access, he said.
"We are disappointed by the position taken by these tech firms and it only adds to our problems in getting to the communications of the most dangerous people that are abusing the internet.
"[Tech firms] are doing it, I suppose, because of a commercial imperative driven by what they perceive to be consumer demand for greater privacy of their communications."
Surveillance
Mr Wainwright acknowledged this was a result of the revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who exposed how security services were conducting widespread surveillance of emails and messages.
He said security agencies now had to work to rebuild trust between technology firms and the authorities.
The TechUK spokesman told the programme: "From huge volumes of financial transactions to personal details held on devices, the security of digital communications fundamentally underpins the UK economy.
"Encryption is an essential component of the modern world and ensures the UK retains its position as one of the world's leading economies.
"Tech companies take their security responsibilities incredibly seriously, and in the ongoing course of counter-terrorism and other investigations engage with law enforcement and security agencies."
The programme also found evidence that supporters of the Islamic State (IS) are using encrypted sites to radicalise or groom new recruits.
Europol director Rob Wainwright says IS is believed to have up to 50,000 different twitter accounts
On one blogging website, a 17-year-old girl who wants to become a "jihadi bride" is told that if she needs to speak securely she should use an encrypted messaging app.
The family of 15-year-old Yusra Hussein from Bristol, who went to Syria last year, also believe she was groomed in this way.
Twitter terrorism
The extent of the challenge faced by security services is shown in the scale of social media use by IS.
Mr Wainwright revealed that IS is believed to have up to 50,000 different Twitter accounts tweeting up to 100,000 messages a day.
Europol is now setting up a European Internet Referral Unit to identify and remove sites being used by terrorist organisations.
Mr Wainwright also says current laws are "deficient" and should be reviewed to ensure security agencies are able to monitor all areas of the online world.
"There is a significant capability gap that has to change if we're serious about ensuring the internet isn't abused and effectively enhancing the terrorist threat.
"We have to make sure we reach the right balance by ensuring the fundamental principles of privacy are upheld so there's a lot of work for legislators and tech firms to do."
All UK babies will soon have access to a vaccine against meningitis B, after a deal with drug manufacturers, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced.
The agreement with GlaxoSmithKline will mean the vaccine can be introduced on the NHS "this year", Mr Hunt said.
Government advisers said in 2014 that every child over two months old should be given the vaccine, but negotiations over costs have delayed this process.
Mr Hunt said it was important to get value for money.
Campaigners had warned the delays put children's lives at risk.
The drug will now be added to the national childhood immunisation scheme, meaning babies will receive the first vaccine at two months old, followed by two further doses.
Scotland's health secretary, Shona Robison, said the vaccine would be provided to all infants in Scotland "as quickly as possible" following the deal - which was also made on behalf of the devolved government.
Price negotiations
Mr Hunt said he was "delighted" to have secured an agreement with GSK - the company that now manufactures the vaccine.
It followed lengthy negotiations with another supplier - Novartis - which used to own the vaccine, called Bexsero.
GSK acquired the vaccine from Novartis, which resulted in the price of the vaccine being reduced and the deal being struck, Mr Hunt said.
Case study
Ten-year-old Sofia Crockatt lost her left leg below the knee to meningitis when she was two. Despite this, she has no mobility issues and runs, goes horse riding, and takes part in athletics.
Her father Nick said the day she became sick in 2007 was "one of the worst days of our life".
"Sofia went from being ill with what looked like a regular flu bug, to fighting for her life within hours. The speed of it is scary.
"We found out a year ago that the vaccine was available and was ready to go - we then celebrated a year ago that this vaccine was available.
"It's just frustrating and disappointing that some people have lost their lives and limbs and bits and pieces as a result of this vaccine not being available."
Announcing the agreement, the health secretary said he was "very proud that we will be the first country in the world to have a nationwide MenB vaccination programme".
He said that although it was "disappointing" the deal had taken so long, it was important to follow the advice of independent scientific advisors on vaccines and their costs.
"We follow that advice, because we can't afford every single medicine, every single new vaccine on the NHS."
Mr Hunt added: "[The deal] means we can now go ahead this year with rolling out the meningitis B vaccine and I think that's something that families, particularly ones with young children, will really welcome."
Sue Davie, chief executive of charity Meningitis Now, said: "To know that babies will be protected against MenB is fantastic and another great step forward in our fight against meningitis."
Chris Head, chief executive of the Meningitis Research Foundation, said: "We are delighted that vaccinating all babies against this devastating disease is now within sight, cementing the UK's position as a world leader in meningitis prevention."
Meningitis B is a bacterial infection that particularly affects children under the age of one. It commonly affects children under five years of age, and is also common among teenagers aged 15 to 19.
There are about 1,870 cases of meningitis B each year in the UK.
Symptoms include a high fever with cold hands and feet, confusion, vomiting and headaches. Most children will make a full recovery with early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment.
It is fatal in one in 10 cases. About one in four of those who survive is left with long-term problems, such as amputation, deafness, epilepsy and learning difficulties.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an infection of the meninges - the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord
Meningococcal bacteria are common and carried harmlessly in the nose or throat by about one in 10 people
They are passed on through close contact
Anyone can get meningitis but babies and young children are most vulnerable
Symptoms include a high fever with cold hands and feet, agitation, confusion, vomiting and headaches
Scottish retailers have called for a "fundamental review" of business rates, ahead of a 2% rise which is due to come into effect on Wednesday.
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) claimed the current rates system was hampering Scottish economic growth.
It said the latest rise was worth an extra £150m in tax revenues, bringing the total business rates take in Scotland to £2.8bn.
But the Scottish government said figures quoted by SRC were incorrect.
The rates increase in Scotland from 1 April has been capped at 2%, in line with England and Wales.
The Scottish government's decision to match the English poundage rates for 2015-16 was announced to the Scottish Parliament in December by the deputy first minister.
It claimed the rise would hit retailers particularly hard, as they contributed about a quarter of the amount paid annually by Scottish firms.
SRC argued that since 2009, business rate revenues "derived from retail" had increased by more than 30%, while there were about 1,800 fewer shops.
The consortium recently outlined its arguments for reform, claiming that the overall rates burden was "too onerous" and that the current system was out of line with other taxes.
It also argued that the "current panoply of reliefs is inefficient and unclear".
'Not fit for purpose'
SRC director David Lonsdale said: "The current system of business rates is not fit for purpose and acts as a drag on Scottish economic growth.
"It acts as a disincentive to invest and as this recent tax hike demonstrates it fails to flex with economic circumstances and only ever rises.
"This has manifestly been to the disadvantage of businesses and town centres right across Scotland."
He added: "The UK government has launched a fundamental review of business rates in England and we would encourage the Scottish government to do the same.
"After all, the Scottish government's recently announced review of the council tax proves that reform of local government finance is not impossible.
"A fundamental reform of business rates is urgently required in order that we can have a system that better supports economic growth and job creation."
'Best deal in UK'
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said: "The revenue figures quoted today by the SRC are incorrect.
"Scotland's business rates increase was capped again this year, mirroring the English rate, with most of the revenue uplift due to other factors such as new properties.
"We work closely with the SRC and major retailers, and in recent discussions have requested evidence regarding the sector's business rates, which we await.
"Small and medium retailers in Scotland already receive the best deal in the UK, with over 96,000 properties estimated to benefit this year from the Small Business Bonus Scheme, and the prospect of rates relief up to £4,800 in 2015-16."
She added: "Unlike previous administrations, this government has never set a higher rates poundage than in England.
"An estimated 64% of retail premises in Scotland pay zero or reduced rates, and our 2015-16 rates relief package estimated at £618m will help Scotland retain the most competitive business tax environment in the UK.
"The UK government's consultation on the other hand offers little new thinking or prospect of reform.
"The Scottish government will monitor that debate, but more importantly we will build on our 20-point plan to deliver improvement actions following our own review, reflecting feedback from businesses and maintaining a competitive edge for ratepayers."
Alleged death threats made against BBC director general Tony Hall are being investigated by the Met Police.
Lord Hall is reported to have received a threatening email after dropping presenter Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear because he had punched a producer.
The Mail on Sunday also reported Lord Hall and his wife were under 24-hour protection from security guards at their Oxfordshire home.
The Met said the email appeared to have been sent from outside the UK.
"Police in Westminster are investigating an allegation of threats to kill," a Met spokesman said.
"The allegation was reported to police on Wednesday, 25 March. The threat was made by email."
He said inquiries were continuing to establish from where the email was sent.
No arrests have been made.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We wouldn't comment on security matters."
Lord Hall announced his decision not to renew Clarkson's contract on Wednesday - after an internal inquiry found the presenter had subjected producer Oisin Tymon to an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack" at a North Yorkshire hotel.
Mr Tymon, who suffered a split lip, did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses following the incident, and was suspended.
The row - which took place on 4 March - was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day's filming.
Lord Hall said he had not taken his decision lightly, but insisted "a line has been crossed".
More than a million people signed an online petition to reinstate Clarkson.
The BBC's director general said Clarkson had "crossed a line"
The Mail claimed the death threats were made to Lord Hall via email the same day as his announcement.
It also published photographs of security guards outside his home.
Mr Tymon, who previously described Clarkson as a "unique talent", has himself come under sustained abuse on social media for his involvement in the dispute.
Speaking outside his home on Thursday, Clarkson asked fans to show restraint.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 27 Maret 2015 | 15.36
UK housing market activity has "remained subdued", the Nationwide says, as annual house price growth slowed for the seventh month in a row.
Annual price growth fell to 5.1% in March, down from 5.7% the month before.
House prices edged up 0.1% in March itself, the building society said, taking the average price to £189,454.
While price growth moderated across the UK, London and the south east of England continued to see the strongest growth.
However, Nationwide noted there was a "noticeable softening this quarter, particularly in London".
Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said: "Economic conditions have remained supportive, with labour market conditions continuing to improve and mortgage interest rates close to all-time lows.
"Nevertheless, the pace of housing market activity has remained subdued, with the number of mortgages approved for house purchase in January around 20% below the level prevailing one year ago."
The effect is found even in people who class themselves as fit, such as those who cycle to work, if they also spend long periods of time sitting.
Prolonged sitting is thought to slow the metabolism and affect the way the body controls sugar levels, blood pressure and the breakdown of fat.
The campaign is a partnership between the group Get Britain Standing and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) charity.
Their survey of 2,000 office workers suggested:
45% of women and 37% of men spend less than 30 minutes a day up on their feet at work
More than half regularly eat their lunch at their desk
78% office workers felt they spent too much time sitting down
Nearly two-thirds were worried sitting at work was having a negative impact on their health
Gavin Bradley, from Get Britain Standing, told the BBC News website: "We're all victims of our environment, we've taken a lot of activity out of the workplace and we're sitting longer and longer.
"We need new and innovative ways of addressing the issue.
"Stand up when you're on the phone or in meetings, do everything you can to avoid sitting."
Other ideas including using the stairs instead of a lift, eating lunch away from your desk, taking a break from your computer every 30 minutes and walking to a colleague's desk rather than phoning or emailing them.
Get Britain Standing says standing burns an extra 50 calories per hour than being seated.
Dr Mike Loosemore, head of exercise medicine at University College Hospital, told the BBC: "Inactivity and sedentary behaviour is one of the biggest challenges we have in public health today.
"Compared with 100 years ago, our levels of activity are tiny, the number of manual jobs are continually reducing, even if you dig a road up you sit in a little tractor.
"It's about changing attitudes to how people behave at work and changing the culture of the workplace that just means moving around at little bit more, even just standing up can make a big difference to calories burned and how alert, creative and productive you are."
Lisa Young, project manager for the BHF's Health at Work programme, said: "We're all guilty of being too glued to our screens sometimes, but these results show just how far the couch potato culture has infiltrated the workplace.
"Too many of us are tied to our desks at work, which could be increasing our risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
"That's why we want workers to get up and get moving on 24 April and take a stand against cardiovascular disease.
"A bit of healthy competition in the workplace could go a long way to reversing this trend whilst raising vital funds for our ground-breaking research."
The officer was arrested at a private address near Northamptonshire Police's HQ
A serving police officer has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife.
The 49-year-old man, who has not been identified, is an officer with the Northamptonshire force.
He was arrested shortly after 13:00 GMT at the couple's home in Wootton Hall Park, Northampton, close to the force's headquarters.
The murder investigation team "will not include anyone from Northamptonshire Police", a statement said.
The overall investigation will be led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, headed by Det Supt Kate Meynell and including officers drafted in from across the region.
No details were released about the victim, but a post-mortem examination was due to be carried out in Leicester.
The matter has also been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission "as a matter of course".
Det Supt Meynell said: "A full and proper investigation is taking place."
David Cameron and Ed Miliband have been put on the spot over immigration, the EU and spending plans in the first set-piece TV broadcast of the election.
The PM said he had "turned the economy around" while the Labour leader said he was "tough enough" to be PM.
Jeremy Paxman began the Channel 4/Sky programme by grilling Mr Cameron about food banks and zero hours contracts.
Mr Miliband said his relationship with brother David was "healing" after their bruising leadership battle.
At the end of Mr Miliband's interview, host Paxman was caught on microphone: "Are you OK, Ed?"
The programme was not a direct debate between the two leaders. Rather, each man faced a separate interview with Channel 4's Paxman and also answered questions from a studio audience, moderated by Sky's Kay Burley.
Both parties claimed afterwards that their man did best, but an early ICM opinion poll for the Guardian suggested Mr Cameron shaded it, with 54% of of the 1,123 viewers surveyed saying they thought the PM "won".
Mr Cameron said he wanted an economy "that does not just look good on the page", and said he could not live on an exclusive zero hours contract, of the kind the coalition government has banned.
He also said:
When he spoke in support of fired Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, he had not known what had happened
He had given an "honest answer to an honest question" when he said he would not seek a third term as prime minister
A Conservative government would be able to find a further £10bn in welfare savings, but would not specify where they would be made
Asked by an audience member how severe future spending cuts would be, Mr Cameron said they would be "manageable and doable", but that "efficiencies" would be needed.
Mr Miliband, when asked by Paxman whether he was tough enough to be prime minister, responded "hell yes", before adding: "Let them underestimate me".
He said he was "not going to get into a bargaining game" with the SNP's Alex Salmond and that public spending was "likely" to fall under Labour.
During the audience question-and-answer session, he said he believed wealth creation was "incredibly important".
Mr Miliband, who is set to officially launch Labour's campaign with a speech at London's Olympic Park on Friday, also said Labour had been "wrong" in the way it regulated the banks.
He said he did not care when Paxman said he was seen as a "North London geek" and added: "I don't care what the newspapers write about me, because what I care about is what happens to the British people, and I know that this country could be so much better."
David Cameron was the first leader to face questions
Meanwhile in the "spin room" alongside the studio, party heavyweights and journalists watched the action before giving their version of events.
Former Conservative leader William Hague said Mr Cameron had "got the economic message across from beginning to end and that is the central message in this election."
But Labour's general election co-ordinator Douglas Alexander said the performances of the two leaders "explains why David Cameron has been so keen to avoid a head-to-head" debate.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who also attended the event, thought Mr Miliband had shaded it, saying: "Taking policy out of it, on personality, for me, Miliband was ahead."
The schedule
26 March: Live question-and-answer programme on Channel 4 and Sky News featuring David Cameron and Ed Miliband, presented by Jeremy Paxman and Kay Burley
2 April: Debate with seven party leaders on ITV, moderated by Julie Etchingham
16 April: Debate between five opposition party leaders on the BBC, moderated by David Dimbleby
30 April: BBC Question Time programme with David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, presented by David Dimbleby
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said Ed Miliband had not been clear about his policies on the economy.
But Labour's Jim Murphy reacted with criticism over David Cameron's performance, saying the prime minister "genuinely didn't tell us why we should vote for him the next time round".
The programme - Cameron and Miliband Live: The Battle for Number 10 - was the first of a series of television events agreed by the broadcasters and political parties following protracted negotiations.
Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will also feature separately in a BBC Question Time special on 30 April, just a week before the nation goes to the polls.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the charge will ensure those who commit crime "pay their way"
Convicted criminals in England and Wales will have to pay up to £1,200 towards the cost of their court case under new rules, it has been revealed.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the Criminal Courts Charge would ensure criminals "pay their way".
The fees, which come into force on 13 April, are not means-tested and will start at £150.
The Magistrates Association warned the new charge could place a burden on people with little income.
It also warned that innocent people could be encouraged to plead guilty to avoid the risk of higher payments, as those who admit their offences will pay less than those convicted after a trial.
It said the scheme should be reviewed after six months.
The fee will be paid on top of fines, compensation orders and defendants' own legal charges.
It will not be linked to the sentence given, but will be set according to its type of case, with the minimum charge for magistrates courts and the maximum level for crown court cases.
The charge can be paid by instalments.
A government assessment suggested that in 2020 the system could raise £135m after costs.
But it warned that by then the court service will be owed £1bn in unpaid fees.
Courts already have the power to award "costs" against criminals as part of their punishment, but that is to reimburse any expenditure by the prosecution team that the court decides it would be "just and reasonable" to have paid by a losing defendant.
The new charge will mean that offenders are making a direct contribution to the costs of running the court itself.
Under the current rules, convicted criminals can also be ordered to make payments to cover compensation for victims, as well as a Victim Surcharge - which funds victims' services.
All of this is separate from the sentence itself, which in some cases can be a fine.
Mr Grayling said: "We're on the side of people who work hard and want to get on, and that is why these reforms will make sure that those who commit crime pay their way and contribute towards the cost of their court cases."
Richard Monkhouse, Magistrates' Association chairman, said: "Now that this is law, relevant agencies need to ensure proper processes are in place to make this work."
