HS2 Should Be Put On Hold, MPs' Committee Says

The HS2 rail project has "serious shortcomings" and should be put on hold, according to a powerful Commons committee.

MPs suggested the controversial scheme should not proceed until the Government produces fresh analysis on whether it offers value for money.

The Treasury Select Committee said a "more convincing" economic case was needed for the project, which is now estimated to cost £42.6bn - 17% higher than previous predictions.

The Government has insisted its costings are "robust" and that the link will be vital to addressing the "urgent capacity needs" on train services.

But a recent study suggested the eventual cost could climb to £80bn and it has been branded a "grand folly" and "foolish" by critics.

The first phase of HS2 from London to Birmingham

Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie said: "There appear to be serious shortcomings in the current cost-benefit analysis for HS2. The economic case must be looked at again.

"The Bill should not proceed until this work has been done and the project has been formally reassessed by the Government ...

"A more convincing economic case for the project is needed. We need reassurance that it can deliver the benefits intended and that these benefits are greater than those of other transport schemes - whether in the department's project pipeline or not - which may be foregone."

The concerns were raised as part of the committee's inquiry into the 2013 spending round that set departmental settlements for the 2015/16 financial year.

It also questioned plans for a cap on annually managed expenditure, predicting it could have a "significant impact" on benefits paid to the most needy.

And it raised fresh concerns about the Help to Buy mortgage scheme, the latest phase of which started this week, warning any mistakes could "distort" the housing market.

The risk of ring-fencing NHS, schools and international aid budgets was also flagged, amid fears it could hit resources for other areas and lead to less discipline on spending.

Labour says HS2 has been "totally mismanaged"

Newly-appointed shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh claimed the HS2 project had been "totally mismanaged".

She said: "David Cameron and George Osborne have made clear they will go full steam ahead with this project whatever the cost. Labour will not take this irresponsible approach.

"There will be no blank cheque for this project or for any project, because we need to ensure it is the best way to spend £50bn for the future of our country."

But a Government spokesman said: "HS2 is absolutely vital for this country if we are to meet the urgent capacity needs we face. The project is on course, under control and will be delivered within the agreed budget.

"We are confident that our analysis is robust and conforms with government spending guidance.

"The case for HS2 will be further improved when we publish shortly the updated strategic case - including cost benefit analysis - which will show high value for money for the project."

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Kevin Pietersen Payout Over 'Bat Tamper' Ad

England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has accepted substantial libel damages over an advert which implied he might have tampered with his bat during the Ashes.

The batsman was not at London's High Court for the settlement of his action against the optician services group Specsavers over the "serious and defamatory allegation".

His solicitor, Louise Prince, told Mr Justice Tugendhat that the "Should've gone to Specsavers" advert was published on the company's Twitter account and Facebook page in August, and also appeared in various newspapers and magazines.

Accompanied by a photo of Pietersen, it contained the statement: "'Bat tampering' in the #Ashes? Apparently Hot Spot should've gone to Specsavers."

Ms Prince said the allegation of bat tampering was completely untrue and without any foundation whatsoever.

Pietersen shakes the Queen's hand at Lord's

Hot Spot is an infra-red imaging system used in cricket to determine whether the ball has struck the batsman, bat or pad.

Specsavers Optical Group Ltd accepted that Pietersen did not behave in the manner suggested, apologised and had already removed the advert from circulation.

It had also agreed to pay him substantial damages and his legal costs.

The group's solicitor, Niri Shan, said it did not intend to imply that Pietersen may have tampered with his bat. It acknowledged that the allegation was untrue and apologised for the distress and embarrassment caused.

England retained the Ashes this year but a row erupted after an Australian TV channel accused players, including Pietersen, of using silicone tape on their bats to prevent edges showing up on Hot Spot.

At the time Pietersen reacted to the report by tweeting: "Horrible journalism yet again! My name brought up in Hot Spot crisis suggesting I use silicon to prevent nicks showing! Such hurtful lies."

The England and Wales Cricket Board said it would take legal action against Channel 9, and has since received an apology.

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Prince Harry Speaks Arabic At Dubai Dinner

Prince Harry has tried his hand at speaking Arabic while giving a speech at a fundraising dinner in Dubai for his charity Sentebale.

The prince, dressed in black tie for the event, told guests their money would not disappear into a "box" but would support a "unique initiative" and "change lives".

"Tonight, as you have already been told, you can be part of something very special, and 'why is that' I hear you say? Well, since February this year we at Sentebale have been on a fundraising campaign across the globe and it's basically so that we can build the first purpose-built Mamohato Children's Centre of Excellence within Lesotho, just outside Maseru, the capital," he said in English.

The prince greets singer Joss Stone and presenter Denise Van Outen

"This is essentially an opportunity to support a unique initiative. Your money is not being thrown into a box where you never know where it is going to go which I know happens a lot around the world," he continued.

"The beauty of this is you know where your money is going - it's going into a foundation, into brickwork as such and it will be there forever and it will be a home to thousands of children coming through for a two-week programme, being able to essentially change their lives."

The prince then thanked guests for their support and wished the United Arab Emirates (UAE) well in its bid to host the World Expo 2020.

"Thank you for your attendance. I wish Dubai 2020 success," he said in Arabic.

Earlier, the prince met singer Joss Stone and TV presenter Denise Van Outen at a reception ahead of the Forget Me Not charity dinner.

The Dubai visit follows a two-day trip to Australia where the prince joined in the celebrations to mark the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy.

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BBC Director-General Sets Out His Vision

Viewers will be able to watch more shows on BBC iPlayer before they are broadcast on TV under changes planned by the company's new director-general.

Tony Hall set out his vision for the BBC's future as he gave his first major address since taking over at the corporation in April.

He said he wanted the BBC, which has been hit by the Jimmy Savile scandal and controversy over pay-offs to executives, to offer a bespoke service to viewers and listeners.

Lord Hall said he wanted to see a BBC that was "more simply run, with a renewed commitment to producing world-class programming".

"I want the BBC of the future to have a much closer relationship with audiences," he said.

"We should be treating them like owners not just as licence fee-payers. People should not be saying 'the BBC', but 'my BBC', 'our BBC'."

Lord Hall, who took over following the resignation of George Entwistle, who lasted just 54 days in the job, announced plans for viewers to access content on the "next generation" iPlayer before broadcast and "at times that suit them".

The BBC has already debuted some shows such as the sitcom Bad Education and Peter Kay's Car Share, which will be made available online first, on iPlayer, but plans to make this more routine.

Lord Hall's predecessor George Entwistle

Under Lord Hall's "vision", viewers will also have 30 days instead of seven to catch-up on content on the service for BBC TV and radio programmes which was launched in 2007.

A new service, BBC Store, will allow people in the UK to buy, watch and keep a selection of shows.

Lord Hall also said he wanted to introduce a new digital service, BBC Playlister, for listeners to pick and tag any piece of music they hear on the BBC and listen to it later.

He wants the BBC to link to streaming services such as Spotify so that listeners can keep their favourite music in one place, listening to it across whatever devices they have.

Lord Hall, who used to run the Royal Opera House, is planning an extra 20% investment on arts programming.

He also announced an emphasis on live performances of events such as the Winter Olympics, the World Cup, the FA Cup, Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh Festival and Glastonbury, on TV, computer, mobile and tablet.

The broadcaster wants to double the BBC's global audience by 2022 - when the BBC will be 100 years old - from 250 million users a week to 500 million.

In his speech at New Broadcasting House, Lord Hall said: "As we head towards our centenary in 2022, I want us to be much more confident about the mission Lord Reith gave us 100 years before.

"Still confidently informing, educating and entertaining, but in a much more personalised way. I want a BBC that everyone can be proud of, whose best days lie ahead of it."

Lord Hall's proposals come against the background of ongoing job cuts as a result of the licence fee being frozen.

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Nobel Prize Awarded To Higgs Boson Scientists

A British scientist, who proposed the existence of the Higgs boson, or 'God Particle', has won the Nobel Prize for Physics.

Professor Peter Higgs shares the prestigious accolade and £780,000 prize with Belgian physicist Francois Englert, who developed the same theories about sub-atomic particles and mass.

The pair, who were tipped to win the prize, were honoured for "the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of sub-atomic particles, and which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle," the jury said.

Higgs Boson was found after examining sub-atomic proton collisions

In a statement released by the University of Edinburgh, where he is based, Prof Higgs said: "I am overwhelmed to receive this award and thank the Royal Swedish Academy. 

"I would also like to congratulate all those who have contributed to the discovery of this new particle and to thank my family, friends and colleagues for their support.

"I hope this recognition of fundamental science will help raise awareness of the value of blue-sky research."

Prof Englert said he was "very happy to have received the prize".

Both physicists theorised about the existence of an invisible force field and associated sub-atomic particle that permeates all things, working like glue to give form to stars, planets and even humans, in the 1960s.

The Higgs particle was considered the missing cornerstone of physics and without it, the universe would have remained like a soup, the theory says.

Staff at the CERN research centre cheer the announcement Pic: CERN

Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – the 'Big Bang' particle accelerator at the Cern research centre near Geneva, Switzerland, which recreates conditions a billionth of a second after the birth of the universe - declared last July they had discovered the particle, which lends mass to matter and holds the universe together.

They immediately congratulated the recipients of the Nobel Prize on Twitter, saying: "Congratulations from CERN, @ATLASexperiment & @CMSexperiment to François Englert & Peter Higgs for 2013 Physics #NobelPrize #BosonNobel."

Britain's David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said: "I congratulate Professor Peter Higgs on his Nobel Prize. This is the 23rd Nobel Prize for Physics to come to the UK and continues a long tradition of scientific discovery.

"We should also celebrate the efforts of the thousands of scientists and engineers all over the world who have worked on the Large Hadron Collider and who have participated in the long search for the Higgs Boson.

"Our new Nobel Laureate thoroughly deserves his prize. It's an incredible endorsement of the quality of UK science."

Professors Peter Higgs (R) and Francois Englert

The principal of Edinburgh University, Professor Timothy O'Shea, said the institution was "delighted".

He said: "The discovery of the Higgs particle will underpin the next generation of physics research, and this accolade is worthy recognition of its significance.

"Professor Higgs' work will continue to inspire scientists at Edinburgh and beyond."

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, which decides the winners in a majority vote, delayed its announcement by an hour on Tuesday. It gave no immediate reason, other than tweeting that it was "still in session".

Famous past winners of the prize include Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1901 for his discovery of X-rays, Guglielmo Marconi in 1909 for his contribution to radio communications, Max Planck in 1918 for quantum theory, Albert Einstein for his theory of relativity in 1921 and Enrico Fermi in 1938 for his work on induced radioactivity.

In line with tradition, this year's winners will receive their prize at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.

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EDL: Tommy Robinson 'Quits Far-Right Group'

English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson has announced he is quitting the far-right group.

Mr Robinson, who set up the anti-Islamist organisation in 2009, said the EDL no longer represents "what I've stood for".

"When some moron lifts up his top and he's got the picture of a mosque saying 'boom' and it's all over the national newspapers it's me," he said.

"It's when I pick up my kids from school the parents are looking at me, judging me on that. And that's not what I've stood for and my decision to do this is to be true to what I stand for.

"And whilst I want to lead a revolution against Islamist ideology, I don't want to lead a revolution against Muslims," he told BBC Five Live.

"I believe that the revolution needs to come from within the Islamic community and they need to stand up. And I believe this is a step forward not a step back."

EDL co-founder Kevin Carroll is also leaving the group, Quilliam claimed

Anti-extremism think tank Quilliam said in a statement that it was "proud" to reveal that Robinson and his EDL co-founder Kevin Carroll had decided to leave the organisation.

The statement added: "Having set up the EDL, infamous for its street protests, in 2009, they wish to exit this group, because they feel they can no longer keep extremist elements at bay."

In a statement released through Quilliam - which claimed to have facilitated the pair's departure - Mr Robinson said he acknowledged "the dangers of far-right extremism".

Mr Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - confirmed the news on Twitter, posting a link to the Quilliam statement and telling his followers: "Hope people listen to my reasons."

Quilliam said it hopes to encourage "his critique of Islamism as well as his concern with far-right extremism" and called on his EDL followers as well as leaders of extreme Islamist groups to quit.

Quilliam chairman Maajid Nawaz said: "We have been able to show that Britain stands together against extremism regardless of political views and hope to continue supporting Tommy and Kevin in their journey to counter Islamism and neo-Nazi extremism."

Quilliam was founded in 2008 by three former members of hardline Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which campaigns for the unification of Muslim countries under Sharia law.

It opposes Islamic extremism and has worked with government to oppose radicalization of young Muslims - but has come under fire for "smearing" moderate Muslim groups and for receiving around £1m of public money in its early days.

More details about the departures are expected to be revealed at a news conference later on Tuesday.

The EDL started in response to a demonstration by Muslim extremists as soldiers marched through Luton.

It has become infamous for marches through UK towns and cities, often marred by violence as its members clashed with opposing groups such as Unite Against Fascism.

It is unclear whether the EDL's latest protest - scheduled for October 12 in Bradford - will still go ahead.

Home Affairs Select Committee chair Keith Vaz said: "Any resignation from the EDL is welcome. Mr Robinson and Mr Carroll have previously engaged, promoted and expounded extreme views.

"Leaving the organisation is an acceptance that their opinions incite hatred and their previous actions have unnecessarily cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds."

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Paedophile Neil Wilson Gets Two Year Jail Term

A paedophile who walked free from court after his 13-year-old victim was branded "predatory" has been ordered to serve a two-year jail term.

Neil Wilson escaped with a 12-month suspended sentence despite pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child, making indecent images of a child and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

The Attorney General ordered a review of the case after outcry following comments from prosecuting barrister Robert Colover, who said that Wilson's victim was "predatory" and "sexually experienced".

Judge Nigel Peters QC also came in for criticism after he said he had taken account of the girl looking older than 13 when he sentenced 41-year-old Wilson.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the non-custodial punishment was "unduly lenient" and imposed an immediate two-year jail sentence.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas and two other judges ordered Wilson, who was not present in court, to surrender to police in York, where he lives, by 6pm tonight.

Speaking after the hearing, Attorney General Dominic Grieve said: "Neil Wilson exploited a young and vulnerable girl. He pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child, making indecent photographs of a child and possessing extreme pornography. 

"I asked the Court of Appeal to examine whether the sentence was appropriate, given the seriousness of the offences, and I am pleased that they have found that this sentence was unduly lenient and have imposed an immediate sentence of imprisonment."

Judge Nigel Peters QC (L) and barrister Robert Colover were criticised

Wilson admitted abusing the girl at his home in Romford, Essex, where police also found images of child sex abuse on a computer.

Police were alerted to his actions after his victim told a friend.

Mr Colover, who was representing the CPS at the sentencing hearing at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court, said: "The girl is predatory in all her actions and she is sexually experienced."

Prime Minister David Cameron hit out at the barrister's choice of words and said: "We need a criminal justice system that stands up properly for victims. The victims of crime should always be at the centre of our thinking."

After a CPS review of the case, Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said the language used to describe the teenager was "grossly inappropriate".

Mr Colover agreed to resign from the Crown Prosecution Service's rape panel of advocates, admitting his description of the girl was "inappropriate".

Complaints about Judge Nigel Peters' sentencing remarks are being "considered" by the Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office.

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Baby P's Mother To Be Released From Prison

Baby P's mother, Tracey Connelly, is to be freed from prison on the order of the Parole Board.

Connelly was jailed indefinitely with a minimum of five years in May 2009 for causing or allowing her son Peter's death.

The Parole Board has recommended her release following a second review of her case.

A statement from the board said: "We can confirm that a three-member panel of the board has directed the release of Tracey Connelly.

"Tracey Connelly first became eligible for parole in August 2012, and at that time a Parole Board panel made no recommendation to release.

Baby P died with over 50 injuries

"This is the second parole review for Tracey Connelly. The decision to release is a matter for the board, which is independent.

"Arrangements and the date of the release are a matter for the Secretary of State."

Baby P died on August 3, 2007 aged 17 months with more than 50 injuries.

This was despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months.

Connelly admitted the offence soon after being charged and served several hundred days on remand.

The house where Connelly lived with Baby P

It is thought she is currently being held at Low Newton jail near Durham.

Connelly was given a so-called imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence, which carries a minimum term.

An IPP sentence prisoner is eligible to be considered for release by the Parole Board when the minimum term is served.

When making its decision, the Parole Board takes into account a variety of matters including the nature of the offence, the prisoner's offending history and their behaviour in prison.

Reports from psychologists, probation officers and prison officers are also taken into consideration.

Connelly's boyfriend Steven Barker (L) and his brother Jason Owen

Connelly will remain on licence for the rest of her life and would likely be recalled to custody if she breaches any of the conditions.

Her son died at his home in Tottenham, north London, a day after police told Connelly she would not be prosecuted for abusing him.

Connelly was jailed along with her boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen, who were convicted of the same offence.

Barker was sentenced to life with a minimum of 10 years for raping a two-year-old girl and given a 12-year term to run concurrently for his "major role" in Peter's death.

Owen was jailed indefinitely with a minimum three-year term but later won an appeal to lower it to a fixed six-year term.

He was freed in August 2011 but was then recalled to prison again in April this year.

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Woman Denies Child Prostitution Charges

A 22-year-old woman has pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to arranging child prostitution.

Amanda Spencer appeared at Sheffield Crown Court along with three men who each denied related offences.

The charges against Spencer allegedly involve eight different children.

She also denied a single count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Spencer, who has long black hair, stood in the dock wearing a blue body warmer over a white hoodie and jeans.

She was joined in court by Lee Unwin, Kareem Ahmed, and a third man, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Unwin, 26, denied one count of paying for the sexual services of children.

Ahmed, 29, denied one count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

The man who cannot be named denied two counts of sexual assault and another of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

Two other men, John McLachlan, 55, and Bashdar Hamadamin, 26, are also charged with related offences but did not appear in court.

All the defendants are on bail.

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Politicians Reject Press Self-Regulation Bid

Press Regulation: An Explainer

Updated: 3:50pm UK, Tuesday 08 October 2013

A guide to how the press regulation row has developed and the key arguments on either side.

The Leveson Report

Lord Justice Leveson conducted an inquiry into press ethics in the wake of the phone hacking scandal and reported last November.

He made a series of recommendations but these were not binding on the Government or the newspaper industry.

The publication of his report therefore sparked a new round of wrangling about how and to what extent his proposals should be implemented.

The Government's proposals

A cross-party deal was reached on a royal charter back in March after negotiations between the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour.

This would create a "recognition panel" to verify the work of a new independent self-regulation body to replace the Press Complaints Commission.

The new regulator would resolve complaints about newspaper stories but the panel would be able to withdraw recognition if it did not consider it effective or independent enough.

Agreement was reached at a late-night meeting in Whitehall but attracted controversy because it was attended by members of campaign group Hacked Off.

The idea of a royal charter was dreamt up by Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin as a compromise to address industry concerns about statutory oversight of the new regulator.

The press position

Publishers of some of the country's biggest newspapers put forward proposals for a rival charter in April.

It is similar in many ways to the cross-party version and also proposed a new regulator called the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

This charter prevents Parliament making amendments without the unanimous agreement of the recognition panel, regulator and trade associations.

It also allows former editors to serve on the recognition panel and requires at least one board member to have experience of the newspaper industry.

The regulator would have the power to "require" corrections and apologies rather than to "direct them".

The bar is also set higher for the consideration of group complaints that result from a petition or letter-writing campaign about a particular article.

The Guardian, Financial Times and Independent were the only national newspapers not to sign up to the proposals.

Campaigners complained that the press approach falls short of the Leveson recommendations and leaves too much power in the hands of the press.

What happens now?

Ministers have taken care to follow all the correct procedures by considering the press charter before deciding whether to go-ahead with the cross-party version.

A sub-committee of the Privy Council has met to look at the proposals and is meeting again on Tuesday before a full Council meeting on Wednesday.

There are reports the sub-committee has rejected the press plan as "flawed" and Culture Secretary Maria Miller is due to update the Commons later.

However, it is unclear whether the Privy Council will immediately approve Parliament's charter if this is the case - or whether further attempts at compromise will be launched.

What is the Privy Council?

The Council is formally made up of several hundred senior advisers to the Queen, mostly current and former politicians.

In practice, its day-to-day business is carried out by ministers who are members and monthly meetings are only attended by Her Majesty and a handful of Government ministers.

Orders in Council are signed by the Queen, but are agreed in advance by ministers.

There is some concern over whether the Queen should be asked to put her name to a royal charter which remains the subject of considerable contention.

Will the industry be forced to sign up?

If the Government's charter is approved, there is nothing to stop the press industry creating its own regulator without seeking recognition from the panel set up by the royal charter.

Some politicians fear that a watchdog endorsed by the recognition panel under the cross-party scheme would find itself with no newspapers to regulate.

Leveson proposed incentives to encourage newspapers to sign up, including protection from exemplary damages in the event of a serious libel or breach of privacy.

If the industry decided to go it alone with its own unrecognised regulator, papers would miss out on those safeguards.

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