Miliband To Set Out 10-Year Strategy For Britain

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband is expected to use his Labour conference speech to unveil his 10-year plan to bolster the health service and rebuild Britain.

The centrepiece of his speech is expected to be a major spending pledge on the NHS, likely to be funded with an extra £1bn from a "mansion tax" on homes worth more than £2m announced by Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls in his conference speech earlier.

The Labour leader will spell out a "national mission" with six goals for the country's future, including the doubling of the number of people buying their first home to 400,000 per year.

Other goals will be the boosting of apprenticeships until they match the number of people going to university, halving the number of low-paid workers and creating a million new "green technology" jobs.

Dismissing claims the "mansion tax" move would fail to win back voters in the South East, shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, told Sky News it would only hit a "very tiny minority".

He said: "The idea of owning a £2m property is very far off for many of your listeners, as much as people will aspire to do that.

"We are talking about a very small number of homes and this does not affect many people at all, doesn't affect the mainstream majority who have been struggling over the last years."

Speaking on Monday, Mr Balls said the party would do "whatever it takes" to protect the NHS and Mr Miliband will echo the pledge to create a "world class 21st Century health and care service".

Referring to the close vote in the Scottish independence referendum, he will say many Scots wanted independence "because they felt they had nothing left to lose" by quitting the UK.

"Our task is to restore people's faith in the future," he will say. "But the way to do it is not to break up our country. It is to break with the old way of doing things, break with the past."

Mr Balls said Labour will do 'whatever it takes' to protect the NHS

Outlining plans to double the numbers getting on the housing ladder - partly through a pledge to be building 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 - Mr Miliband will say property ownership is "that most British of dreams" but has faded for too many young people priced out of the market.

The Labour leader will promise a "revolution in apprenticeships" to ensure as many school leavers go into one as now go on to study for a degree.

At present four times as many go to university, "leaving both young people and businesses without the skills they need to succeed for the future", he will add.

Mr Miliband will also promise help for "the growing army of our self-employed, five million working people, so often the most entrepreneurial, go-getting people in our country".

He will add: "They don't want special treatment. But they do deserve a fair shot: two thirds have no pension, one in five is stopped from getting a mortgage. It is time to end this modern injustice."

Setting out the battleground for the general election campaign, Mr Miliband will declare: "The Tories are the party of wealth and privilege. Labour is once again the party of hard work fairly-paid."

Responding to Mr Miliband's speech, Tory chairman Grant Shapps said: "Ed Miliband forgets that he was at the heart of a Labour government which had three terms, 13 years - and left Britain on its knees at the end of it."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Alice Search Continues As Forensics Test Knife

Police divers are continuing to search a river in the hunt for missing Alice Gross as forensic tests are carried out on a knife found in the water.

The search for the 14-year-old, who went missing in west London on August 28, is the biggest operation of its kind since the 7/7 bombings in 2005.

Attention is focusing on the River Brent and its banks near Ealing Hospital in west London where the knife was recovered.

Scotland Yard has issued a further appeal for information on her whereabouts and that of prime suspect Arnis Zalkalns.

A spokesman said: "The knife will be taken away for analysis but it is too early to say if it's connected. We are focusing on the same area as we were yesterday."

The force has come under fire for taking four days to ask Latvian authorities for help in finding Zalkalns, who served seven years in prison after he was convicted of killing his wife, Rudite Zalkalns.

He went missing six days after Alice was last seen walking alongside the Grand Union Canal.

Arnis Zalkalns could have returned to Latvia by road

Zalkalns has not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone since September 3, nor has he returned home to his partner and young child.

His passport was left at his house and police in Latvia have confirmed he has not entered the country by plane.

They have however acknowledged it is possible he could have got in undetected if he travelled by car or coach.

Zalkalns was seen on CCTV footage cycling along a path by the Grand Union Canal 15 minutes after the last sighting of Alice.

Detectives believe he is likely to have seen Alice as they were both going north along the canal towpath.

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for anyone who has information that leads detectives to find Alice.

Zalkalns is white, 5ft 10ins and stocky, with dark brown hair that he normally wears tied in a pony tail.

Police have said that he "potentially poses a risk to the public" and have asked anyone who sees him not to approach him and to dial 999.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rail Passengers Unhappy With Delay Information

Only one in three rail passengers says they are satisfied with the way train companies deal with delays and cancellations, according to a customer survey.

Passengers complained Twitter provided better information than station staff and only 17% were aware of rail disruption before arriving at their station.

The survey by Passenger Focus revealed passengers wanted honest, reliable and up-to-the-minute information that painted a realistic picture of problems as they unfolded.

Passengers said they needed delay information as quickly as possible

Passenger Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: "Despite improvements, it is clear that many passengers are still dissatisfied with the way the rail industry deals with delays.

"Passengers need information as quickly as possible - ideally before leaving home. Only 17% knew about the disruption before arriving at the station.

"For instance, a fallen tree across a railway is just that, not an 'obstruction'. Passengers told the full reasons for the delay are likely to be less frustrated than those who are not.

"Passengers now receive information from a range of sources, so train companies must ensure that staff at stations and on trains are ahead of the information game."

Train operators said they had worked hard to make improvements

The survey findings were based on responses from 1,020 passengers who had experienced a delay in the previous seven days.

A total of 34% of those who answered said the disruption had been handled either very or fairly well, with another 36% saying neither well nor badly and 29% either fairly or very poorly.

One customer said: "I'd have liked an announcement from a human, rather than numbers on a board."

Another said: "Just the facts - the live departure information is often just a joke. Why cannot Southeastern be honest and just say 'no trains' rather than raising hopes?"

Passenger Focus accepted the tone of announcements needed to signal the train company was "on the passengers' side" and could be as important as the content of the messages.

A fallen tree should not be described as an 'obstrution' said the survey

Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Network Rail and rail operators, said rail companies had worked hard to make improvements.

"Passengers are at the heart of what we do and we know they want the industry to provide them with clear, accurate and timely information so they can make informed journey choices," he said.

"That is why we have worked hard to make improvements and are already committed to implementing many of the report's key recommendations.

"The industry will shortly produce a revised plan that includes more prominent service information on websites, earlier notification of any changes to the following day's timetable and measures to boost awareness of how to claim compensation for delayed journeys."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police Hunt For More Body Parts After Leg Found

Police have launched an investigation after a dog walker found a human leg near Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Lancashire police are using sniffer dogs to search the area after the adult limb was found on land behind Healey Conservative Club in Whitworth on Sunday.

A police spokesman said: "Police were called at shortly before 2.45pm to a report that a member of the public had found a human leg on land behind Healey Conservative Club at Whitworth.

"Police are now searching the area to see if there are any further body parts and inquiries are ongoing to try to establish to whom the leg belongs."

It is not clear how long the leg has been there or whether it belonged to a man or a woman.

The Conservative Club declined to comment.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Alice Gross: Police Ask For File On Suspect

Police have asked colleagues in Latvia for the case file of Arnis Zalkalns, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Alice Gross, Sky sources say.

The hunt for the 14-year-old, who went missing in west London on August 28, is the biggest search operation since the 7/7 bombings in 2005.

Zalkalns, a Latvian national, has been named as the main suspect by police after he, too, went missing from his home, in Ealing on September 3.

Zalkalns was spotted on CCTV cycling along a path by the Grand Union Canal

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt says police have denied they linked the builder with the case only after a reporter made the connection.

It has emerged that the 41-year-old was jailed in his native country in the late 1990s for murdering his wife and burying her in a forest after a dispute about her sexuality.

He was also arrested in London five years ago on suspicion of indecent assault on a 14-year-old girl, but was never charged.

Police in the garden of builder Arnis Zalkalns

Zalkalns' ex-girlfriend has told The Daily Telegraph he was accused of drugging and molesting the girl.

Search teams, including dogs and divers, have been deployed across west London looking for Alice, who is from Hanwell.

Some 630 officers from eight police forces have been involved.

They have searched 25 square kilometres (9.6 square miles) of open land and 5.5km of canals and rivers.

Police load a bike into a van during the search for Alice

On Friday, police recovered a bicycle belonging to Zalkalns after searching one of his former homes in Hanwell.

Zalkalns has not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone since September 3, nor has he returned home to his partner and young child.

He was seen on CCTV footage cycling along a path by the Grand Union Canal 15 minutes after the last sighting of Alice.

Detectives believe he is likely to have seen Alice as they were both going north along the canal towpath.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Major Incident Declared After School Bus Crash

A major incident has been declared after a school bus and a car were involved in a crash in Drumquin, Co Tyrone.

More than 50 people, mostly children, have been injured after the collision on Omagh Road, but Sky News understands none of them are seriously injured.

The bus and the car ended up on their sides in a field.

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesman John McPoland said: "52 people were treated at the scene but none of their injuries were serious. The vast majority were checked as a precaution because of their age.

"Six people have slightly more than minor injuries. This would include children who banged their heads off the bus windows but no one went through any windows."

These children, and the occupants of the car, have been taken to the South West Acute Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital.

Omagh Road has been closed between Segully Road and Drumrawan Road.

More follows...

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Briton's Body Found After Mexico Hurricane

The body of a British woman who went missing while travelling on a yacht off the coast of Mexico has been found.

The Foreign Office confirmed one Briton had died after a search operation was launched earlier this week for couple Paul Whitehouse and Simone Wood in the aftermath of Hurricane Odile.

The pair, from London and Wolverhampton, were reported missing on Friday after their yacht overturned in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez.

Mr Whitehouse is still missing. Pic: Facebook

The couple are thought to have been living in La Paz, Mexico, for a year.

Mr Whitehouse, who is believed to be a scuba instructor, is reportedly still missing.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national, reported missing along with another British national earlier this week off the coast of Mexico.

The hurricane affected power and water supplies

"The Embassy is working with the local authorities and consular staff are providing assistance to both families at this very difficult time."

Hurricane Odile left a trail of destruction when it hit the Baja California Peninsula last Sunday.

Three other people have been confirmed dead following the storm - two Korean citizens and a German man who reportedly died from a heart attack.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boy, 2, Seriously Hurt In Hotel Balcony Fall

A two-year-old boy has suffered head injuries after plunging from a balcony on the first floor of a hotel in Liverpool.

The toddler, who is in serious condition in hospital, fell from the mezzanine floor to the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in the centre of the city at about 4pm on Saturday.

Hotel staff gave first aid to the child before emergency services arrived.

A spokesperson for the hotel chain said: "We can confirm that an incident occurred this afternoon at Hilton Liverpool whereby a child was injured on the hotel premises.

"Team members from the hotel were on hand and immediately administered first aid before an ambulance arrived.

"The safety and security of our guests is of paramount importance and we are liaising closely with the child's parents, police and local hospital.

"Our primary concern is the child's wellbeing and we continue to offer our support during this difficult time."

Merseyside police has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the fall.

A force spokesman said: "Emergency services were called at about 4pm to the Hilton Hotel on Thomas Steers Way to a report a two-year-old boy had fallen from the mezzanine floor of the hotel into the lobby.

"Police and paramedics attended at the scene and the child was taken to hospital for treatment.

"The child sustained head injuries as a result of the fall and he remains in a serious condition in hospital at this time."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband Sets Out Plan For £8 Minimum Wage

Labour leader Ed Miliband has pledged to raise the national minimum wage to at least £8 an hour if he becomes Prime Minister.

The minimum wage is due to rise from £6.31 an hour to £6.50 on October 1, but Mr Miliband plans to add £1.50 an hour on to that by 2020.

The increase would add around £60 a week, or £3,000 a year, to the pay packets of workers currently on the minimum wage.

One in five UK workers - more than five million people - are categorised as being on low pay, defined as wages of less than £7.71 an hour.

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Miliband said: "Too many working people have made big sacrifices but in this recovery they're not seeing the rewards for their hard work because, under the Tories' failing plan, the recovery is benefiting a privileged few far more than most families.

"One in five of the men and women employed in Britain today do the hours, make their contribution, but find themselves on low pay.

"But if you work hard, you should be able to bring up your family with dignity."

Mr Miliband added: "This week Labour's Plan for Britain's Future will show how we can change and how we can become a country that rewards hard work once again. Because Labour is the party of hard work, fairly paid."

The announcement comes on the eve of Labour's annual conference in Manchester - the last before next year's general election.

The planned increase, which would affect around 1.4 million jobs, would be introduced in annual stages by the Low Pay Commission before October 2019.

The promised rate is said to be similar to that in force in Australia and EU countries such as Belgium and Germany, but still lower than in France and New Zealand.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK Hostage Murder Threat 'Against Sharia'

A group of Muslim scholars has made a direct appeal to Islamic State (IS) militants to release British hostage Alan Henning.

In a video message posted online, the men told the 47-year-old's captors that killing him would be against Islamic law.

Mr Henning, a taxi driver from Salford, was delivering aid in Syria when he was captured in December near the town of al Dana.

Shaykh Haitham al Haddad, a qadi or judge in the Sharia council in London, said: "This is to confirm that executing this man is totally haram (sinful), is impermissible, prohibited according to Sharia for a number of reasons."

Ustadh Abu Eesa, director at Prophetic Guidance in Manchester, said Mr Henning had joined a Muslim charity convoy because he "passionately believes in helping the most needy".

He said: "No matter what our differences, no matter how differently we see the world, what there is no doubt about is that the killing of an innocent man is not permitted in the religion of Allah.

"It is not permissible whatsoever to harm a person who believes that he is safe among the people he is working with. This safety must be honoured."

Mr Henning, 47, had driven an ambulance to Syria to deliver aid

A third scholar, Imam Shakeel Begg from the Lewisham Islamic Centre, said Mr Henning was innocent.

He added: "Whatever your grievance, whatever your cause, this man is innocent."

It comes after more than 100 Muslim leaders signed a statement pleading for IS to release Mr Henning and branding them "monsters" for the murder of fellow hostage David Haines.

In a letter in the Independent newspaper, they said: "We, the undersigned British Muslim Imams, organisations and individuals, wish to express our horror and revulsion at the senseless murder of David Haines and the threat to the life of our fellow British citizen, Alan Henning."

Mr Henning appeared at the end of a video released by IS militants last Saturday in which Mr Haines was beheaded. The video contained a threat that he would be killed next.

Separate video footage - filmed before his capture - showed him saying it was "all worthwhile" to ensure aid got to where it was most needed in Syria.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More