North Korea Warns Foreign Embassies Of Risks

By Mark Stone, on the South Korea border

The Foreign Office says it has no intention of evacuating its embassy in Pyongyang after North Korea warned foreign diplomats they may not be safe if war breaks out.

The North Korean government asked foreign embassies whether they were considering evacuating staff, saying it cannot guarantee their safety in the event of conflict from April 10.

Tensions in the region are high after reports that North Korea has now moved two missiles to its eastern coast and loaded them on mobile launchers.

The Foreign Office says it "has no immediate plans to withdraw our embassy" in Pyongyang, adding it condemned the "provocation" by the North Korean government.

Earlier, a spokesperson said: "The DPRK (The Democratic People's Republic of Korea) has responsibilities under the Vienna convention to protect diplomatic missions, and we believe they have taken this step as part of their continuing rhetoric that the US poses a threat to them.

"We are considering next steps, including a change to our travel advice."

It was not immediately clear why the date of April 10 had been mentioned, but there has been speculation that Pyongyang might schedule a firing to coincide with the birthday of the country's late founder Kim Il-Sung in mid-April.

Russia intends to "clarify the situation" before making a decision on any possible evacuation, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-Un has escalated his rhetoric

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported earlier in the day that two North Korean intermediate-range missiles had been moved by train to the country's eastern coast.

The move fuels fears of an imminent firing.

"It has been confirmed that North Korea, early this week, transported two Musudan mid-range missiles by train to the east coast and loaded them on vehicles equipped with launch pads," the agency said, quoting what it said was a top government official.

The White House said "it would not be surprised" if North Korea carried out another missile test.

Spokesman Jay Carney said: "We've obviously seen the reports that North Korea may be making preparations to launch a missile, and we're monitoring this situation closely.

US soldiers give a demonstration of their chemical equipment in South Korea

"We would not be surprised to see them take such an action. We have seen them launch missiles in the past ... And it would fit their current pattern of bellicose, unhelpful and unconstructive rhetoric and actions.

"We urge them to stop with the provocations and to focus instead on meeting their international obligations and feeding their own people. They are only making themselves more and more isolated from the rest of the world."

The Musudan missile is a mid-range weapon, meaning it is capable of reaching South Korea and Japan and perhaps also the US territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

"The range is between 3,000 to 4,000km (1,864 to 2,485 miles). There are major US military forces in Guam and a fixed number of troops to deal with the Korean peninsula, so I think these facts can reduce the possible danger there," said Kim Min-seok, South Korea's Defence Ministry spokesman.

The South Korean military during an exercise near the border

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said daily reports from Pyongyang were "really alarming and troubling" and urged North Korea to ease tensions.

"Nuclear threat is not a game, it is very serious," he said, adding that any misjudgement or miscalculation could have "very serious implications".

Speaking to Sky News, a security adviser to the South Korean government said there is no doubt that North Korea's capability is concerning.

"The technological level of North Korean weapons has become much improved and better - especially their missile capability and their long-range artilleries," Kim Byungki said.

"It is more uncertain, it is less predictable, there are more ways for them to destabilise us and there are more ways for us to respond ... so it is more complex."

North Korea which, incensed at fresh UN sanctions and South Korea-US military drills, has issued a series of apocalyptic threats of nuclear war in recent weeks.

The Musudan, which is manoeuvrable on the back of a specially designed mobile launch pad, is untested and its accuracy is unknown. Most experts believe the North Koreans lack the technological ability to mount a nuclear warhead into its tip.

The US is preparing to move an advanced missile defence system to Guam

However, it can carry a significant load of conventional explosives which could cause considerable damage.

It is not clear whether military commanders in North Korea have been given orders to fire the weapon in anger or as a test.

Given the recent level of rhetoric delivered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and the number of US and South Korean military assets that are now in the region, the missile would be shot down within minutes of any launch.

Life goes on: South Korean Army reserves do Gangnam style

The concern is that this could then lead to an uncontrollable escalation in military action by both sides.

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Man Dies Sleeping Rough In Cold For Documentary

A young documentary maker has been found dead while sleeping rough in freezing temperatures to highlight the plight of the homeless.

Lee Halpin, 26, had planned to spend a week living on the streets in his home city of Newcastle.

He began the project on Sunday but was apparently found dead three days later in a derelict building in the West End of the city.

How he died has not yet been confirmed but it is believed he may have died from hypothermia.

Speaking earlier on a YouTube video, he said the project was part of an application for an investigative journalism course to give an example of fearless reporting.

He said he had spoken to a homeless charity about the rise in the number of people on the streets and the possible repercussions of the bedroom tax.

"I'm about to go and spend a week being homeless in the West End of Newcastle.

"I will sleep rough for a week, scrounge for my food, access the services that other homeless individuals use," he said.

"I will interact with as many homeless people as possible and immerse myself in that lifestyle as deeply as I can."

He concluded the video by saying he hoped it showed his willingness to get to the heart of a story.

Mr Halpin's friend Daniel Lake told the Evening Chronicle: "No-one knows how he passed away, but we think it could have been hypothermia.

"He made the ultimate sacrifice trying to raise awareness about what was happening to other people."

A statement from Northumbria Police said: "Officers have arrested two men aged 26 and 30 on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug. They have been bailed pending further enquiries. A report is being prepared for the Coroner into the death of the man."

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HMV Rescue: Hilco Deal To Save Jobs And Shops

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

HMV, Britain's last remaining independent music retail chain, is on the verge of being rescued tonight in a £50m deal that will preserve 2,500 jobs.

I can reveal that Hilco, the specialist restructuring firm, is poised to sign a binding agreement to secure HMV's future following weeks of speculation that the chain and its historic logo could disappear from high streets.

The deal, which could be announced as early as Friday morning, will involve HMV emerging from administration, backed by a new company incorporated in the UK. Hilco will acquire roughly 130 HMV-branded stores, and all nine of the outlets which operate under the cut-price music brand Fopp.

People close to the talks said an agreement was likely to be struck on Friday although it could yet be delayed.

Hilco has been the frontrunner to become the new owner of HMV since soon after Deloitte was appointed as administrator at the end of January. Initially brought in to manage the retailer's business alongside Deloitte, the restructuring firm acquired HMV's debts just days later.

The chain is expected to be run by a combination of incumbent HMV and newly-appointed Hilco executives.

Major music companies and film studios, anxious to retain a major distribution channel on Britain's high streets, are understood to have agreed to new supply terms with HMV and have given their blessing to the deal. HMV's landlords, confronted with the prospect of scores more vacant shops, are also understood to be supportive.

Some of the shops being taken on by Hilco had been earmarked for closure by Deloitte, so the final redundancy toll from HMV's restructuring was unclear tonight. Prior to falling into administration, HMV had 230 shops in the UK.

Hilco, which has successfully turned around the performance of HMV's Canadian business since buying it two years ago, also has plans to re-establish the brand in Ireland by reopening a store on Dublin's Henry Street. HMV's 16 Irish outlets, including the famous Grafton Street shop which has hosted gigs by the likes of U2, were closed in January.

Since the turn of the year, thousands of jobs have disappeared from Britain's high streets as prominent chains including Blockbuster UK, Republic and Jessops have been forced to call in administrators. Some have been reborn in truncated form, with Jessops acquired by the Dragons' Den entrepreneur Peter Jones and Republic taken over by Mike Ashley, the Sports Direct tycoon.

Trevor Moore, who had a brief stint running HMV before its collapse into administration, had hoped to put together a bid for the company but was made redundant in February. Among the other suitors which looked at bidding for HMV were Asda, the supermarket chain, and Jon Moulton, the private equity veteran.

HMV had been struggling for several years, pinned down under a debt mountain that vastly outweighed its stock market value. Caught between the dual pressures of fast-growing competition from digital rivals and waning consumer confidence, the company had shed some of its most prized assets, including Waterstone's, the books retailer.

Hilco has had a mixed track record investing in other British retailers, having bought assets from chains including Allied Carpets, Ethel Austin and Woolworths.

Neither Deloitte nor Hilco could be reached for comment.

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Osborne In Disabled Parking Space Storm

George Osborne is facing more criticism over welfare after he was photographed getting into a car parked in a disabled space.

The picture shows the Chancellor being picked up by his official car in a restricted bay, after he stopped for lunch at the M4 service station.

Senior Conservative sources said he had been to buy food from McDonald's and was not aware the Land Rover had been illegally parked.

"George does not condone this in any way," one source said.

Richard Hawkes, chief executive of disability charity Scope, told the Daily Mirror the picture revealed "how wildly out of touch the Chancellor is with disabled people in the UK".

"They will see this as rubbing salt in their wounds," he said.

"Many are already struggling to make ends meet, yet the Chancellor's response has been to cut vital financial support and squeeze local care budgets."

The photo taken on Wednesday at Magor services, near Newport, emerged after the Chancellor linked the case of child killer Mick Philpott to the coalition's benefits shake-up.

Mick Philpott received a life sentence for the manslaughter of his children

Mr Osborne will hope the episode does not prove damaging for him, amid claims that welfare reforms - including housing benefit cuts for people with spare rooms - will hit the disabled.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls had earlier accused the Chancellor of "nasty and divisive" tactics for his comments about the Philpott case.

Mr Osborne had said: "... I think there is a question for government and for society about the welfare state, and the taxpayers who pay for the welfare state, subsidising lifestyles like (Philpott's). And I think that debate needs to be had."

Philpott, who was jailed for life for killing six of his children in a fire, lived in a council house in Derby, claimed thousands of pounds in benefit and refused to get a job.

The latest storm surrounding the Chancellor follows the row he was embroiled in last year over whether he had tried to travel first class using a standard ticket.

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Argentina Floods: Dozens Die As Rain Continues

At least 52 people have drowned in their homes and cars, or were electrocuted as floods swamped Buenos Aires.

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes

At least 46 died on Wednesday in and around the city of La Plata. Six deaths were reported a day earlier in Argentina's capital.

Many people climbed onto their roofs in the pouring rain after storm sewers flooded forcing water into houses.

"It started to rain really hard in the evening, and began to flood," Augustina Garcia Orsi, a 25-year-old student, said.

"I panicked. In two seconds, I was up to my knees in water. It came up through the drains - I couldn't do anything."

Many claim officials have not done enough

The rains also flooded the country's largest oil refinery, causing a fire that took hours to put out.

The La Plata refinery suspended operations as a result, and Argentina's YPF oil company said an emergency team was evaluating how to get it restarted.

"Such intense rain in so little time has left many people trapped in their cars, in the streets, in some cases electrocuted," Governor Daniel Scioli said.

"We are giving priority to rescuing people who have been stuck in trees or on the roofs of their homes."

The region of Buenos Aires has been worst affected

President Cristina Fernandez visited Tolosa, a La Plata neighborhood where she grew up and where her mother was among those evacuated.

She announced security measures to combat vandalism, help for identifying the dead, and three days of national mourning for the victims.

At least 2,500 people were evacuated from their homes to about 20 centres in the La Plata area, which is about 37 miles (60km) southeast of Argentina's capital.

The rains are expected to ease later

The flooding threatened to ruin food supplies across La Plata's metropolitan area, which has nearly one million people.

National Planning Minister Julio de Vido estimated that 280,000 people remain without power across the city and surrounding province of Buenos Aires, where most Argentines live.

"Our job is focused on restoring service, but we're going to wait until the equipment dries to guarantee the safety of the electricity workers, because we don't want any deaths," he said.

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North Korea Army: 'War Could Break Out Today'

The North Korean military says it has "ratified" a merciless attack against the United States, potentially involving a "cutting-edge" nuclear strike.

"The moment of explosion is approaching fast," the army said in a statement on state news agency KCNA.

War could break out "today or tomorrow," the statement said, quoting a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army.

"The merciless operation of (our) revolutionary armed forces in this regard has been finally examined and ratified.

"The US had better ponder over the prevailing grave situation."

The North's rhetoric has been met by a display of US military strength

Pyongyang's latest pronouncement came as Washington scrambled to reinforce its Pacific defences, preparing to move an advanced missile defence system to the island of Guam.

The land-based weapon, which is primed to shoot down short and medium-range missiles, will be sent to the US territory to defend its bases there.

The Pentagon has already sent bombers, stealth aircraft and ships.

Tensions have been soaring on the Korean peninsula since the North launched a long-range rocket in December and conducted its third nuclear test in February.

Mr Hagel said North Korea posed a "real and clear danger"

North Korea has threatened missile and nuclear strikes against the US and South Korea in response to UN sanctions and joint military drills.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said earlier on Wednesday that North Korea's "bellicose dangerous rhetoric" posed a "real and clear danger" to America and its allies South Korea and Japan.

"They have nuclear capacity now, they have missile delivery capacity now," he said.

"We take those threats seriously, we have to take those threats seriously.

"We are doing everything we can, working with the Chinese and others to defuse that situation on the peninsula.

"I hope the North will ratchet its very dangerous rhetoric down."

A military checkpoint linked to the Kaesong joint industrial complex

And in another escalation in the crisis, North Korea on Wednesday blocked access to the key Kaesong joint industrial zone with South Korea.

Any move on Kaesong - established in 2004 and a crucial source of hard currency for North Korea - carries enormous significance.

Neither of the Koreas has allowed previous crises to significantly affect the complex, which is the only surviving example of inter-Korean cooperation and seen as a bellwether for stability on the Korean peninsula.

China, the North's sole major ally, appealed for "calm" from all sides, repeating Beijing's oft-declared position.

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Derby Fire: Philpotts Guilty Of Child Deaths

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

Mick Philpott and his wife Mairead have been found guilty of the manslaughter of six children in a fire at their house in Derby.

Their friend Paul Mosley was also convicted of manslaughter over the petrol-fuelled blaze that engulfed the semi-detached house at Allenton, Derby in May last year.

Mick Philpott stared straight ahead as his guilty verdict was read out, but when his wife was convicted he shook his head. She looked down at the floor, clasping a tissue in her hands.

Mosley showed no emotion as he heard the verdicts.

Mick and Mairead Philpott had an uncoventional lifestyle

Moments later the court was cleared because a spectator, believed to be one of Mairead Philpott's sisters, shouted: "You murdering b******".

As he was led from the dock, Mick Philpott shouted: "Not over yet, mate!"

The 56-year-old was attempting to frame his ex-mistress and win custody of his other offspring when he set the fire, the court heard. Lisa Willis, 28, had left the house with her five children and the Philpotts wanted them back.

But the jury at Nottingham Crown Court was told "the plan went horribly wrong".

Five of the children, who died of smoke inhalation as they slept, were Mick and Mairead Philpott's; Jade, 10; John, nine; Jack, eight; Jesse, six; and Jayden, who was five.

Duwayne, 13, who was Mairead Philpott's child from a former partner, died in hospital three days later.

Paul Mosley showed no emotion as the verdicts were read

Paul Mosley told friends they had "actually rehearsed" the fire six weeks earlier and the plan was for him to rescue the children. He would break in the back door while the Philpotts were out front.

The jury heard a disturbing and chaotic 999 call made by the Philpotts. In it Mick Philpott was heard to say: "I can't get in." He had tried to punch and smash his way through an upstairs window, but had been beaten back by the smoke.

While it was being played, he said: "I can't listen to it." He tried to leave the dock but he was stopped by prison guards and sat sobbing with his head in his hands.

As the bodies were being carried from the house, Mick Philpott immediately began to blame Ms Willis, who he had earlier reported to police for allegedly threatening him and his family.

The names of the children can be seen on Mairead's arm in a police van

Samantha Shallow, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Today's verdict shows that the children died as a result of the actions of Michael and Mairead Philpott and Paul Mosley when they set the fire.

"It was started as a result of a plan between the three of them to turn family court proceedings in Mr Philpott's favour. It was a plan that went disastrously and tragically wrong.

"Amid all the details of the defendants' personal lives that have come out in court, it should not be forgotten that at the heart of this case were the deaths of six innocent children."

Six-year-old Jesse's coffin is carried at the funeral

In a statement read by police on the steps of Nottingham Crown Court, Mick Philpott's sister Dawn Bestwick, said: "My family and I have attended court each and every day and listened objectively to all the evidence in this trial to understand what happened to our six beautiful children on May 11 2012.

"Following today's verdict, we the family of Michael Philpott, believe justice has been served."

Anthony Latham QC, prosecuting, said that people at the hospital noted that Mick Philpott was "spotlessly clean" for someone who had been caught up in a house fire.

He told the court that afterwards he had sex and smoked cannabis to try to blot out the horror of what had happened.

"I was finding it hard to cope," said Philpott. "Having sex and smoking cannabis was one way of blocking it out. It was my idea, not my wife's."

Mick Philpott said tried to get back in through an upstairs window

After the blaze police bugged their hotel room and a police vehicle.

Mick Philpott was heard to say to Mairead: "Don't worry, we will walk through it. I promise you that, unless you want me to blab about it ... don't say nothing now, don't say nothing."

In another part of the recording he is alleged to have said: "I didn't mean to do it, on my life."

The court was told of the unconventional lifestyle at the house in Victory Road, Allenton.

Mairead Philpott and Ms Willis took it in turns to sleep with Mick Philpott in his caravan on the drive. He said he preferred Ms Willis, but believed that at one time they had been one "big happy family".

The wages or benefits of both women were paid into Mr Philpott's account. He was said to have had complete control over both of them.

A glove and an empty plastic bottle found near the scene

At times Mairead Philpott had sex with her husband and co-defendant Paul Moseley. The Philpotts also went dogging together. Mairead it was was the only time her husband gave her proper attention.

He had mentioned divorcing his wife to marry his mistress but Lisa Willis lost her patience with the arrangement in Victory Road and left the home with her five children three months before the fire.

On the day of the fire, Ms Willis and Mick Philpott were due in court to discuss custody of the children.

All three will be sentenced on Wednesday at 10.30am.

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North Korea: US In Nuclear State Warning

The United States has said it will "not accept" North Korea as a nuclear state - as Pyongyang raised tensions by refusing the South entry to a joint industrial complex.

The North says it will restart all nuclear facilities including its mothballed Yongbyon reactor, which is able to produce bomb-grade plutonium

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un insisted it was only seeking a deterrent and did not repeat recent threats to attack South Korea and the US.

But the North delayed the daily opening of its Kaesong industrial zone with South Korea on Wednesday morning, in a move that could represent a sharp escalation of tensions between the two countries.

The North had previously threatened to close the joint complex as part of a stand-off with Washington and Seoul.

"We are waiting for access from the North Korean authorities," a Unification Ministry official said.

More than an hour after the time the daily entry clearance is normally granted, the ministry said 861 South Korean workers were in the industrial complex while 179 workers awaited access.

Vehicles wait to cross the border to the Kaesong complex

The complex is a rare lucrative source of income for the impoverished North since it was established as a form of joint-Korean cooperation in 2002.

Sky News' Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said the site was the only place where relations between the two countries existed.

"As with everything, it's hard to know whether this is more game-playing or whether they plan to keep it closed for a while," he said.

"But a number of analysts who have studied the Korean problem for some time said last week that while the park remained open, the situation was not overly worrying. Now it appears to be shut."

Both Washington and Seoul stressed their countries' military readiness and said denuclearisation was the only way forward for North Korea.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "What Kim Jong-un has been choosing to do is provocative, it is dangerous, reckless and the United States will not accept (North Korea) as a nuclear state."

He said the Barack Obama administration's deployment of advanced aircraft and warships to South Korea was a signal "that the United States will defend our allies and that we will not be subject to irrational or reckless provocation".

South Korean soldiers in drills near the zone separating the two Koreas

Kerry, who will visit South Korea next week, reminded the North Koreans that "they have an option, and that option is to enter into negotiations for denuclearisation ... and to begin to focus on the needs of their people".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for dialogue and negotiation to resolve the crisis.

"Nuclear threats are not a game," he said.

"Aggressive rhetoric and military posturing only result in counter-actions, and fuel fear and instability."

A speech by the North's young leader, Kim Jong-un, given on Sunday but published in full by KCNA on Tuesday, appeared to dampen any prospect of a direct confrontation with the US by emphasising that nuclear weapons would ensure the country's safety as a deterrent.

"Our nuclear strength is a reliable war deterrent and a guarantee to protect our sovereignty," Kim said.

"It is on the basis of a strong nuclear strength that peace and prosperity can exist and so can the happiness of people's lives."

The crisis flared after Pyongyang was hit with US sanctions for conducting a third nuclear test in February, before America and South Korea staged military drills that North Korea viewed as "hostile".

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Sunderland's Di Canio Hits Back In Fascism Row

New Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio has hit back after criticism over his appointment, saying it was "stupid and ridiculous" to call him a racist.

Di Canio has broken his silence after David Miliband quit as the club's vice-chairman "in the light of the new manager's past political statements".

The Italian has previously admitted to having fascist leanings, and has been photographed several times making a so-called Roman salute while playing for Italian club Lazio.

In 2005, he told the Italian news agency ANSA: "I am a fascist, not a racist".

In a statement on Monday, former West Ham striker Di Canio, 44, said: "I don't have a problem with anyone.

"I haven't had a problem in the past and I don't know why I have to keep repeating my story, to be defending myself on something that doesn't belong to me every time I change clubs.

"Talk about racism? That is absolutely stupid, stupid and ridiculous."

Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne said "it's been very disappointing to read some of the reaction to Paolo's appointment".

Di Canio gestures towards Lazio fans with a so-called Roman salute

Ms Byrne added: "To accuse him now ... of being a racist or having fascist sympathies, is insulting not only to him but to the integrity of this football club."

Di Canio said the comments that led to Mr Miliband's resignation were from an interview "many years ago" and said his "expression (was taken) in a very, very negative way".

The manager also said in the statement: "What I can say is that if someone is hurt, I am sorry. But this didn't come from me, it came from a big story that people put out in a different way to what it was.

"The people who know me can change that idea quickly. When I was in England my best friends were Trevor Sinclair and Chris Powell, the Charlton manager. They can tell you everything about my character.

"I don't want to talk about politics because it's not my area. We are not in the Houses of Parliament, we are in a football club. I want to talk about sport.

"I want to talk about football, my players, the board and the fans. I don't want to talk any more about politics - I am not a politics person."

He later told Sky Sports News: "Some interview that I made many years ago was twisted, people picked some words and they didn't use all the interview."

David Miliband quit the Sunderland board after Di Canio's appointment

Former Swindon chairman Jeremy Wray, who gave Di Canio his first chance in management, dismissed Mr Miliband's stance as a "sad knee-jerk reaction".

Di Canio replaces Martin O'Neill who was dismissed on Saturday evening following the club's 1-0 home defeat against Premier League leaders Manchester United.

That result left the Black Cats without a win in eight games and just a point clear of the relegation zone.

With seven games remaining, Di Canio faces a fight to keep Sunderland in the top flight, particularly with top scorer Steven Fletcher out for the rest of the season with an ankle ligament injury.

Unite Against Fascism's joint national secretary, Weyman Bennett, said his appointment was "an insult" to the people of Sunderland who died fighting fascism.

Mr Bennett said: "If he wants to be a manager and wants to be a public figure, he needs to make it clear he accepts these views are completely inappropriate."

Sunderland City Council's deputy leader, Councillor Henry Trueman, called for Di Canio to "leave his politics aside" during his time at the club.

"Everyone has political views but extremism is the last thing we need in football," he said.

Sunderland fan Stan Simpson, a season ticket holder for 40 years and a Sunderland AFC Supporters' Club member, said some fans would be "wary" about the Italian's appointment.

He said: "As long as he doesn't express any political opinions I can cope with it. I've got no problem with him being there.

"But if he expresses those sort of opinions while he's there, he should be sacked, it doesn't matter how or where. It's not acceptable in this country."

Another long-time fan Janet Rowan said: "I think with some people, his appointment probably will leave a bad taste but I hope that the majority of fans are going to put Sunderland football club ahead of everything."

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Fort William Fire: Highlands Blaze Near Homes

A wild fire stretching three miles has consumed land close to homes in the Highlands.

The flames could be seen for miles around

Around 45 firefighters and officers along with eight appliances have been battling the blaze north of Fort William.

First reported on Monday evening, the fire is on grassland and heath north of the B8004 road.

Although wind was blowing smoke in the direction of residential properties, no buildings were on fire or had been evacuated.

Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at around 4pm

A spokesman for the fire service said they along with police would oversee any evacuations, in the event that they are needed.

"The actual fire front is about five kilometres (three miles) long and the wind is swirling around so people are smelling smoke and asking what to do," he said.

The fire continues throughout the night

"But what we are saying is unless informed by the police or directly involved in a fire, which no properties are, then they are OK.

"Our challenge is the breadth of the fire. We need the eight appliances just to ensure that they can cover the five kilometres because the aim is prevent it spreading south."

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Tory Chairman: Bedroom Tax 'Is Common Sense'

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has insisted that withdrawing benefits from social housing tenants with spare rooms, which comes into effect today, is "common sense".

Social tenants with one spare room will be deducted 14% and those with more lose a quarter - removing what the Government calls a "spare room subsidy" not available to private tenants.

The controversial move, dubbed a "bedroom tax" by opponents, is part of a package of welfare reforms that has become the focus for protests.

Ministers say the change - affecting around 660,000 claimants - will save the taxpayer £500m a year and free up unused space for people on waiting lists.

But they have been forced to make concessions to protect foster parents and armed forces families and face a legal challenge on behalf of disabled children.

Grant Shapps' Hertfordshire home

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Shapps said: "It is wrong to leave people out in the cold with effectively no roof over their heads because the taxpayer is paying for rooms which aren't in use. It's just a common-sense reform which in the end will help house more people."

Mr Shapps went on to use his own four-bedroom Hertfordshire home to defend the policy, saying: "People share rooms quite commonly - my boys share a room."

Sky's political correspondent Sophy Ridge said his comments have provoked jibes and criticism from Labour MPs and others on Twitter.

"The problem is the debate over welfare has become so political charged, emotional even, that the backlash on Twitter has already begun and some Labour MPs are saying it is not appropriate for Mr Shapps, who is a millionaire, to compare themselves with people on low paid jobs for instance," she said.

Labour said freedom of information responses showed local councils had sufficient one and two bedroom properties to house only one in 20 of those families with spare rooms.

Responses from 37 authorities across Britain revealed 96,041 households faced losing benefit but there were only 3,688 smaller homes available.

Mr Shapps has defended his plans for children to share bedrooms

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: "These shocking new figures reveal the big lie behind this Government's cruel bedroom tax.

"They say it's not a tax but 96% of people have nowhere to move to. In the same week that millionaires get a huge tax cut, hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people will be hit by a vicious tax they can't escape.

"This wicked bedroom tax is going to rip neighbour from neighbour, force vulnerable people to food banks and loan sharks, and end up costing Britain more than it saves as tenants are forced to go homeless or move into the expensive private rented sector."

Council tax benefit is also replaced today by a new system run by local authorities but with 10% less funding.

Anti-poverty campaigners say around 2.4 million poor families face an average £138 a year rise in their bills, with nearly two million having to pay for the first time.

The 'bedroom tax' move will affect around 660,000 claimants

Working-age benefits and tax credits will rise by a below-inflation 1% from the start of the tax year on April 6 - the start of a three-year cap that represents a real-terms cut.

On April 8, disability living allowance begins to be replaced by the personal independence payment, which charities say will remove support from many in real need.

And later in the month, trials begin of a £500-a-week cap on any household's benefits in four London boroughs and of the new Universal Credit system.

Mr Shapps insists the wide-ranging reforms are vital to tackle the deficit, will encourage people off benefits and into work, and help ease housing shortages.

But charities and churches say the reforms will lead to homelessness and rising demand for food banks, and that vulnerable people will be paying a "disproportionate price" under the coalition's austerity drive.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hospitals Could 'Grind To Halt' In Shake-Up

Health experts have warned that NHS is "not ready" for the raft of changes implemented under the controversial health reforms - which come into effect today.

The Health and Social Care Act, which became law after a tortuous passage through Parliament, is expected to cost the taxpayer between £1.5bn and £1.6bn to implement.

Nick Black, professor of health service research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that he did not believe the health service was prepared for such a huge structural change.

He warned that hospitals could "grind to a halt" as cuts to social care budgets mean that doctors are unable to discharge patients who do not need to be on the wards.

And Labour said that the reforms have exposed the health service to risk because they have been implemented during a time of huge financial pressure.

When asked whether the NHS is ready for such a big change, Prof Black said: "Not really no. It could really do without this.

"What we have got at the moment is a perfect storm with three major things happening - the changes in the structure, the fall out from Francis and the Nicholson challenge (where the NHS has been tasked with making #20 billion in efficiency savings during the four years to 2015)."

"At one level patients won't notice anything dramatic on Monday morning. But the biggest thing that patients will notice will be the knock-on effect from the cuts in social care funding. It is clear that our hospitals are already struggling to discharge patients. One manager who I spoke to last week said that 100 beds in his hospitals could be discharged if there was the care in the community.

"Hospitals could cease to function and the system could grind to a halt because of people who do not need to be there."

The main aim of the health reforms was to make the NHS more accountable to patients and to release frontline staff from excessive bureaucracy and top-down control.

One of the biggest changes is the move from primary care trusts (PCTs) to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), which will be led by GPs and other clinicians who will take on responsibility for commissioning care. The move will see 211 CCGs replace 151 PCTs across England.

But last week it was announced that only half of of the new CCGs will be fully ready to start work when the changes come into effect .

However, the Department of Health said that for the first time health and social care services will be "designed around the needs of the local community".

Health Minister Lord Howe said: "From April 1 local nurses and doctors, who best know what their patients need will have the power, freedom and budget to decide what care and services are best for their local communities and how taxpayers' money is spent.

"Patients will be able to choose who provides their care  so everyday health checks like hearing and blood tests can be carried out at a time and place convenient for them, such as at a pharmacy on the high street instead of a hospital.

"Health and care services will be better joined up by bringing together the NHS, local councils and patients. Patients will have a greater influence in changes to their local health and care services through the patient led inspections and the friends and family test.

"Through these changes, the health service will improve, work smarter and, importantly, build an NHS that delivers high quality, compassionate care for patients."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Benefits Shake-Up 'To Cost Families Hundreds'

By Tadhg Enright, Sky Reporter

Changes to the welfare system will cost the average family £891 over the next year, according to research by Labour and the Insistute for Fiscal Studies.

The Conservatives have responded by saying the biggest shake-up of the welfare state in history has already had an effect with a third of those claiming incapacity benefit giving it up to avoid a medical to prove their entitlement.

From Monday, millions of low income families will see an increase in their council tax bills.

The so-called bedroom tax will see extra charges levied on council house tenants with more bedrooms than they need.

And from next Saturday, the annual increase in tax credits and other working-age benefits will be cut to just 1%, well below the rate of inflation.

The personal allowance for those aged under 65 will rise to £9,440 but the higher rate threshold will fall to £41,450.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls

The top rate of income tax will also fall from 50p to 45p which Labour claims will shave £100,000 off the annual tax bills of 13,000 people who earn more than £1m a year.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP said: "These shocking figures show the huge hit millions of families are facing at the very same time as David Cameron and George Osborne are giving millionaires an average £100,000 tax cut.

"And while Ministers trumpet the small rise in the income tax personal allowance, they should admit that it is hugely outweighed by things like cuts to tax credits and child benefit, higher VAT, the bedroom tax and the granny tax.

"They are giving with one hand, but taking away much more with the other."

Mum-of-two Emma Kingsbury is one of 660,000 council house tenants who will have to pay the so-called "bedroom tax" because she only needs two of the three bedrooms in her home,

She told Sky News: "I've only ever needed two bedrooms and now, after placing us in this three bedroom when I didn't need or ask for it, they want us to pay for this room that we rarely use."

The bedroom tax will cost Emma and her boys £15 a week.

The bedroom tax has prompted a number of protests

"The boys will have to stop some of their extra curricular activities, outings for Easter," she said.

"They haven't given anybody any time to try and downsize, I've had a month."

The government insists it is vital to break the cycle of dependency on benefits and has claimed that welfare reforms have already succeeded in reducing spurious claims.

Out of 1.44m medical assessments carried out on claimants of incapacity benefit, 837,000 were found to be fit enough to return to work.

A further 878,300 chose to give up their benefit instead of facing a medical to prove their entitlement.

Conservative party chairman, Grant Shapps MP said: "Welfare makes up a third of this country's spending - so it's our job to make sure it's getting to the people who really need it.

"Our reforms are about freeing people from a system of dependency that's trapped them and their families for decades - and people are getting back into work as a result.

"These figures demonstrate how the welfare system was broken under labour and why our reforms are so important."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Plebgate: Mitchell's Scotland Yard Complaint

Ex-cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell has lodged a formal complaint against Scotland Yard over the apparent leaking of its report into the "Plebgate" affair.

The senior Tory MP has written to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) accusing the Metropolitan Police of a continued campaign to "destroy" his career.

Mr Mitchell took the action after newspaper reports suggested a police file passed to the Crown Prosecution Service contained no evidence that officers lied about his behaviour.

He strongly denies calling officers "plebs" during an altercation over their refusal to allow him to ride his bike through the Downing Street gates last year.

And the politician - who quit as chief whip amid the storm over the incident - claims he is the victim of a conspiracy by officers to "toxify" the Tories and blacken his name.

In a letter to IPCC deputy chairman Deborah Glass, he wrote: "We are deeply dismayed that the Metropolitan Police appear to have leaked part of their Report prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to certain members of the Press and spun it to the advantage of the Police officers involved.

"This was an Enquiry into a dishonest and illicit attempt to blacken my name and destroy my career. It would appear that this police enquiry continues precisely that process."

Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, said the latest development showed it was wrong for Scotland Yard to lead the inquiry into its own officers and called for the whole investigation to be taken over by the IPCC.

Scotland Yard is trying to find out how the Sun and Daily Telegraph obtained information about the "Plebgate" row and if it came from police.

It is also looking at a police officer's claim to have witnessed the altercation and allegations by Mr Mitchell that police had lied in a log of the event.

Three officers from the Diplomatic Protection Group have so far been arrested as part of the investigation. All three remain suspended.

Some 30 detectives have taken statements from all 800 officers in the DPG, which is tasked with protecting government officials.

Papers related to the case were passed to prosecutors on Thursday, but the CPS said it was not "a full file of evidence" and that is expected more.

"We now await the conclusion of the police investigation before considering charges," it said in what was seen as a rebuke to the force.

A number of newspapers subsequently reported sources as saying the file did not contain any evidence to back Mr Mitchell's claim of a conspiracy by officers.

Mr Vaz said the committee had argued from the start that Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe was wrong to allow Scotland Yard to conduct the investigation.

Britain's most senior police officer promised a "ruthless" investigation into the alleged conspiracy "no matter where the truth takes us".

It is being supervised by the IPCC and the commissioner invited the Greater Manchester force to provide an external review.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More