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Hairdresser's Kim Jong-Un Poster Angers N Korea

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 15 April 2014 | 23.17

Two men claiming to be North Korean officials have confronted a London hairdresser who filled his salon window with a poster of Kim Jong-Un, alongside the words: "Bad Hair Day?"

Police told Sky News they had also received a complaint from the North Korean embassy about the advertisement displayed at M&M Hair Academy in South Ealing, west London.

The salon is not being investigated over the poster, which showed the smiling dictator and his distinctive hairstyle and offered a month-long discount on gents' cuts.

However, the eye-catching display has now been removed because of "overwhelming" interest from passers-by and because it "covered up the window", blocking out light.

Hairdresser Karim Nabbach told Sky News his father Mo, who runs the salon, was confronted by the men, neither of whom showed official identification or sported hairstyles identical to the North Korean leader's.

"They didn't introduce themselves and demanded to speak to the manager," he said.

"They told him, 'We want your name'."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang The North Korean leader sporting his distinctive hairstyle

Mr Nabbach said staff at the salon did not realise the North Korean embassy - which is run from an unassuming property in nearby Gunnersby Drive - is just 10 minutes' walk from their shop.

He said his father went to Ealing police station in case the visit led to any repercussions, but "nothing happened".

"It's been pretty hectic since we put up the poster," he said.

"It's become something of a tourist attraction - people have been coming down to the salon to take pictures.

"It was never meant to cause controversy ... it was just something to entertain our customers."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers had "spoken to all parties involved" but added: "No offence has been disclosed."

Mr Kim's hairdo made the news last month after it was claimed all male university students in North Korea would be required to have identical haircuts.

It is thought they were previously able to choose from an official list of styles approved by Pyongyang.


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Children 'Damaged By 10-Hour School Days'

Pupils as young as four are spending 10 hours a day in school turning them into "ghost" children who talk to no-one, regularly fall asleep and lag behind, teachers have warned.

The long-hours culture means children are regularly either in school or after-school care from 8am to 6pm, according to research by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

Family life is being damaged by the pressures of modern life, forcing parents to abandon time with their children for work or other priorities, they claim.

More than half of the school staff questioned (56%) said they thought children spent a lot less time with their families than 20 years ago, and 94% thought it was because of work.

An early years teacher in a North Yorkshire state school said: "Some children are placed in before and after-school care from 8am to 6pm.

Elizabeth Truss Education Minister Liz Truss wants children to start school at two

"These children walk around like ghosts, do not talk to anyone, fall asleep frequently, do not progress as quickly as their peers. Their parents are also 'too busy' to support them in an adequate way at home."

Steve Wood, a state secondary school teacher from Kirklees, said: "The pressures on family time have grown considerably and work-life balance for many parents is an increasingly difficult area.

"The necessity to stay in work means time spent with children isn't always a priority."

ATL members, who are holding their annual conference in Manchester, are expected to back a resolution saying proposals calling for longer school days and shorter school holidays do not put children first.

Education minister Liz Truss has been pushing for children to start school from the age of two, backed by the head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw.

Education Secretary Michael Gove is encouraging schools to stay open for 10 hours.

The survey of 1,300 staff found that most teachers thought children should start school at the age of four, and the primary school day should be five hours, the secondary school day, six.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Extending school nursery hours from 8-6 will give more flexibility to parents and enable more of them to use these high quality facilities to ensure their children start learning basic skills, such as number and letter recognition, from a young age. This can have a real and lasting impact on their development and life chances."


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House Price Concern As Wider Inflation Eases

There has been more good news for household budgets with confirmation that price growth eased further in March though property costs accelerated.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) charted a fall in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation to an annual rate of 1.6% - down from 1.7% in the previous month - which marked a new four-year low.

This was driven, the ONS said, by falling pressures from fuel costs.

A car being filled with petrol Petrol prices were unchanged between February and March

Furniture and clothing also made downward contributions - with discounting in women's fashion leading the way.

Upward contributions to inflation came from factors including higher bills for overnight hotel stays and more expensive alcoholic spirits.

The figures raised hopes that a milestone in the UK's economic recovery could be reached as early as Wednesday, when the ONS releases the latest unemployment and wage statistics.

Many economists believe they will show pay packets rising at a faster level than inflation.

george Osborne George Osborne has welcomed easing inflation figures

Earnings have not increased at a higher rate than inflation since a brief spike in March and April 2010 and have not consistently been improving since 2008.

However, separate ONS figures on Tuesday pointed to a steep rise in annual house price inflation of 9.1% over the 12 months to February.

It represented the biggest increase since June 2010 and was up sharply on the 6.8% rise measured in January as London's rapid price growth started to be mirrored outside the capital.

The performance renewed fears the UK housing market is at risk of overheating though policymakers have repeatedly pledged to remain vigilant.

The housing charity Shelter said: "Today's figures are yet more evidence that house prices are spiralling out of control.

"Apart from the lucky few who can rely on the bank of mum and dad, our runaway housing market is forcing a generation to watch a home of their own become an increasingly distant dream, no matter how hard they work or save."

European economist at Schroders, Azad Zangana, told Sky News he expected the Bank of England to intervene on house price inflation in the summer.

Frances O'Grady at the TUC conference The TUC leader Frances O'Grady says a cost of living crisis remains

The wider inflation numbers - which strip out housing costs - were welcomed by the Chancellor.

George Osborne said: "Lower inflation and rising job numbers show our long term plan is working, and bringing greater economic security."

The general secretary of the union organisation the TUC, Frances O'Grady, said workers remained £40-a-week worse off than before the financial crisis.

UK economist at Scotiabank, Alan Clarke, said the latest CPI reading was likely to mark the low point in UK inflation as a rebound is likely to come from the impact of Easter holidays on airfares.

However, he saw real-terms wage growth accelerating to counter that effect.

He said: "At the moment, consumer spending growth is being boosted by falling savings and rising borrowing.

"If real incomes continue to improve over the coming quarters (as we expect), then spending growth will be increasingly underpinned by solid fundamentals rather than the feel-good factor associated with a booming housing market."


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Economy Fragile As High Street Spending Falls

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

A fall in high street spending for the second month in a row has underlined the fragile nature of the long-awaited economic recovery.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium show like-for-like sales dropped by 1.7% in March compared with the same period in 2013, with the later timing of Easter this year blamed for the fall.

Online sales rose 12.8% last month, helped by the lack of Easter holidays, which tend to drive consumers out of the house and to the shops.

Meanwhile, for the three-month period to March, food sales were down 2.7% on the year before.

The figures come a few days after economic forecasters EY ITEM Club predicted consumer spending will lead the recovery in 2014.

They expect wages to rise in real terms for the first time in six years, with pay up by 1.7% and inflation falling to 1.6%.

Shoppers at Browns Department Store In York. Consumer spending is predicted to drive the economic recovery

The conflicting reports are echoed at Browns department store in York where managing director Nick Brown says he is selling more big ticket items like furniture.

But customers are increasingly taking the option of interest free credit which reduces profit margins.

Many shoppers in the store said they did not feel any better off than they did this time last year.

Economist Nida Broughton from the Social Market Foundation warned consumers are still suffering after losing a decade of growth.

"Real wages have taken a cut of 7% since 2008 so we're nowhere near where we were.

"We're still poorer than we were. In fact real wages are at the level they were at in 2004, so we've got a lost decade to make up for."

The mixed picture for retailers was evident in results from JD Sports Fashion and Debenhams on Tuesday.

Britain's second largest department store made pre- tax profits of £85.2m in the six months to March - down 24.5% - largely because of heavy discounting at Christmas.

JD Sports said full year group profits were up 5% - helped by an exceptional performance in Sport and a reduction in the losses in its Outdoor division.


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Imperial Tobacco To Close Nottingham Factory

Up to 900 jobs are to be lost under plans by Imperial Tobacco to close factories in Nottingham and Nantes in France.

The company said it wanted to shut both its production plant and distribution centre in Nottingham, which together employ around 540 people - almost a third of its UK workforce.

The move would represent an end to cigarette production in the UK.

Its statement blamed "declining industry volumes in Europe, impacted by tough economic conditions, increasing regulation and excise and growth in illicit trade".

Imperial, whose brands include Golden Virginia and Lambert & Butler, said the Nottingham factory has capacity to make 36 billion cigarettes a year but will only produce 17 billion in 2014.

It said production would be moved to other European factories and distribution outsourced.

The Nantes plant, which employs 320 staff, would suffer the same fate while its research facility at Bergerac was also under threat.

The company said it was working on the proposals with unions.

Chief executive Alison Cooper said: "These projects are an essential part of securing the sustainable future of the business.

"The prospect of job losses is always regrettable and we will be doing all we can to support employees and ensure that they are treated in a fair and responsible manner."

The company, which has 46 manufacturing sites worldwide, closed a cigar factory in Bristol in 2010.


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Coulson 'Knew Nothing' Of Milly Dowler Hacking

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Former News of the World Editor Andy Coulson has denied he played any part in the hacking of the mobile phone messages of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

It was the revelation the Sunday tabloid had accessed the 13-year-old's voicemail messages, after her disappearance in 2002, which led to the closure of the newspaper.

The Old Bailey phone hacking trial has heard how Andy Coulson was the News of the World's deputy editor at that time of the teenager's disappearance, but had taken charge of the paper as then editor Rebekah Brooks was on holiday in Dubai.

Giving evidence for a second day in the witness box, Mr Coulson said he had never engaged in illegal hacking activity, nor known about attempts to tap into the Dowlers' messages.

Milly Dowler Milly Dowler was abducted on her way home from school in 2002

The 46-year-old was asked by his legal counsel, Timothy Langdale, what his reaction might have been had he known that anyone at the newspaper had hacked into the schoolgirl's phone messages.

Mr Coulson said: "I would have been very concerned. My instinctive reaction would have been to think this was interference in a police investigation."

The witness said he was aware of the practice of phone hacking in "very vague terms. I think it was in the ether. It was something that was gossiped about maybe".

He was asked: "Were you ever party to or in agreement with phone hacking at the News of the World?"

Coulson said: "No I was not."

Rebekah Brooks. Rebekah Brooks was away on holiday when Milly Dowler went missing

In the spring of 2002, Coulson said he was not aware that to access someone else's voicemail messages was a crime.

But he said: "I would have thought it was intrusive, I would have thought that it was a breach of privacy, and I also would have thought that it was lazy journalism.

Coulson resigned from the News of the World in 2007 shortly after a hacking scandal involving the paper's former royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glen Mulcaire.

He went on to become David Cameron's Downing Street communications director, before having to resign from that job in the wake of the Milly Dowler hacking revelations.

He is charged with conspiring to hack phones with Rebekah Brooks and Stuart Kuttner and conspiring with Clive Goodman to commit misconduct in public office.

Seven defendants are on trial at the Old Bailey, all deny the charges against them.


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Nigel Farage: 'Expenses Claims Are Erroneous'

Nigel Farage has hit back over EU expenses claims saying as an MEP he can spend his taxpayer-funded allowances as he likes.

The UKIP leader is facing an investigation over how he uses £15,500 of yearly allowances he receives from the European Union, according to The Times newspaper.

The money was used to run his constituency office in Lyminster, West Sussex, according to UKIP records, however, he pays no rent as the property was gifted to him by party supporters.

Speaking to Sky News he said The Times' claims were "erroneous", adding that under EU rules he did not have to account for how he used the £60,000 of allowances he had received since 2009.

He said like all MEPs he was given a general allowance of £3,580 a month to spend "as I see fit" and he did not have to provide receipts.

Mr Farage accused the newspaper of "conflating" his EU allowances with the row over expenses claimed by MPs at Westminster, which he said was an entirely different matter.

He said: "I haven't bought a house or vintage wine."

Romanee-Conti wine Farage: 'I haven't bought vintage wine'

Mr Farage told Dermot Murnaghan: "They are not expenses. We don't actually claim for anything. I have not claimed for an office. I have not claimed this figure of £15,000.

"The Times, who are the pro-establishment newspaper have deliberately tried to conflate the expenses row at Westminster, where people have been using taxpayers' money to buy houses and make large capital gains with the way the system works in the EU.

"I'm not defending the system, I want it to end but I get given, as does every other British MEP, £3,850, every month to spend in the UK and in my constituency as I see fit."

Mr Farage said there was a list of "expenses" and he could spend the money on newspapers, on books, hotel rooms and restaurants.

He added: "We do not have to provide any receipts, any explanation for how that money is spent so what The Times has written is wholly erroneous."

The Times quoted former office manager David Samuel-Camps as saying it only cost £3,000 a year to run Mr Farage's office, rather than the £1,000 the UKIP leader claims.

However, Mr Farage pointed out Mr Samuel-Camps had written to the newspaper complaining that he had been misquoted and stating it cost £8,400 a year to run the office - closer to Mr Farage's figure.

When asked what the allowance had been spent on, Mr Farage claimed the annual electricity bill was £3,000 - the average bill for a family home is only £1,000 - and said this was because of the machines.

He also said the money was spent on burglar alarms, insurance and dealing with his increasingly heavy postbag.

In a robust response to the newspaper story on the UKIP website the party claimed the story was politically motivated because of its success in polls over the weekend.


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Donations Flood In After Marathon Runner's Death

Donations have been flooding in following the death of a man who collapsed just after completing the London Marathon.

Robert Berry, 42, collapsed after crossing the finishing line and received medical attention, but was pronounced dead when he arrived at hospital.

He was raising money for the National Osteoporosis Society, which issued a statement expressing "heartfelt condolences" to his family.

By Tuesday afternoon, Mr Berry's Just Giving page has received more than £49,000 following his tragic death.

Claire Severgnini, the charity's chief executive, said in a statement: "Our immediate concerns are for Mr Berry's family. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them at this tragic time."

In a statement, the event's organisers, Virgin Money, expressed their "sincere condolences" to his family.

"Mr Berry was immediately taken to one of our medical facilities where he was treated by four consultants, including one in emergency medicine," the statement said.

"He was transferred to St Mary's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

"We would like to continue to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Berry and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them all at this difficult time."

It was the first death at the event since 30-year-old hairdresser Claire Squires collapsed just a mile from the finishing line in 2012 before dying of cardiac failure.

She had been raising money for the Samaritans and donations to the charity soared to more than £1m in the weeks after her death.

A total of 36,000 competitors took part in the 26.2 mile event, which started at Blackheath and Greenwich parks and ended on The Mall.

Runners were advised to take on plenty of water as bright sunshine and light breeze meant conditions were warm, reaching 16C in St James's Park.

The men's race was won by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, while compatriot Edna Kiplagat finished first in the women's event.


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Crohn's Sufferer Loses Fertility Funding Fight

A Crohn's disease sufferer has lost a High Court challenge to win funding for her eggs to be frozen before she has chemotherapy.

Elizabeth Rose, 25, from Margate in Kent, had claimed it was "unlawful" for Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group to refuse to provide NHS-funded fertility preservation treatment for her.

Miss Rose, an artist, believes the "imminent" bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy treatment she faces will leave her infertile.

Clinicians at King's College Hospital in southeast London had earlier applied on her behalf for funding so her eggs could be frozen in advance of the treatment.

The Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design fine art graduate argued she was the victim of a "postcode lottery" as the treatment is available to single women in other parts of the country.

Mr Justice Jay, sitting in London, who reviewed the case as a matter of urgency, said Miss Rose had suffered from a severe form of Crohn's disease since she was 14.

Her condition had worsened and doctors had recommended the course of treatment "with the expectation of bringing the disease into remission".

He said: "Unfortunately, it is a probable outcome of this gonadotoxic therapy that the claimant will be rendered infertile and suffer early onset of the menopause.

"Understandably, the claimant wishes to secure the best chance of having her own genetic children, and she therefore seeks NHS funding for oocyte cryopreservation before the chemotherapy begins."

He said her application for funding had been refused on more than one occasion, giving rise to the application for judicial review.

Miss Rose, who had worked in an art gallery before she became too ill to continue, was "in no position to afford the sum of £4,050 which is the anticipated cost of this Assistive Reproduction Technique (ART)", the judge said.

But he dismissed the action, finding in favour of Thanet CCG, saying Miss Rose had "failed to demonstrate any public law unlawfulness".


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Anti-Terror Chief To Probe 'Muslim School Plot'

A former anti-terror chief has been appointed to investigate allegations of a hardline Islamist takeover plot of Birmingham schools, sparking criticism it would send the wrong message.

One of Britain's top police officers said Michael Gove's appointment of Peter Clarke, previously head of the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit, was "desperately unfortunate".

Mr Clarke, who led the investigation into the July 7 bombings, is to work with Birmingham City Council to "analyse evidence of extremist infiltration in both academies and council-run schools".

West Midlands Chief Constable Chris Sims said: "This is a desperately unfortunate appointment. Peter Clarke has many qualities but people will inevitably draw unwarranted conclusions from his former role as national co-ordinator for counter terrorism.

"I am a strong supporter of open and inclusive education for all children in Birmingham and across the West Midlands and am committed to the process adopted by Birmingham City Council with educational and social inclusion at its heart."

Education Secretary Michael Gove Education Secretary Michael Gove is 'extremely concerned' about the claims

Mr Clarke's appointment comes the day after it emerged 25 schools were being investigated over an alleged Muslim extremist plot, called Operation Trojan Horse, to force out governors and headteachers.

Whistleblowers - including former staff - have made a number of allegations against schools in Birmingham since the accusations came to light, including one claim the teachings of an al-Qaeda-linked preacher were praised in front of pupils.

Other complaints include the alleged segregation of boys and girls in lessons and assemblies, a ban on sex education and bullying of non-Muslim staff.

Mr Gove said he was "extremely concerned" about the allegations that first emerged when an anonymous letter detailing the scheme was leaked.

He said: "These allegations need either to be substantiated and firm action taken, or to be shown to be baseless.

"We cannot allow uncertainty for parents or pupils to persist."

Ofsted is inspecting a number of schools of concern.

Birmingham City Council is setting up a review group and has already announced it is appointing a new chief adviser to handle at least 200 complaints relating to Operation Trojan Horse.

Mr Clarke is due to report back with his findings on the city's 430 schools in the summer.

Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Labour's Bob Jones, said: "This appointment gives the clear impression that the issues around Trojan Horse are predominantly around counter-terrorism issues."

Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore, said: "Peter Clarke will need to give careful consideration to building a strong relationship with us and, given his recent counter-terrorism responsibilities in London, ensure that his investigation does not undermine the confidence of our communities."


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