Abram death: Man killed in 'horrendous attack'

Pic:William Livesley's mother said he would "always be my baby"/bbc/wp
Crime reporter(wp/bbc):
A 21-year-old man has died in what police said was a "horrendous attack".

William Livesley was taken to hospital after the assault on Bickershaw Lane in Abram, Wigan, on Friday night, but died the next day. Greater Manchester Police are treating the death as murder.

Mr Livesley's mother Sylvia described her son as "one in a million".

Post-mortem tests showed Mr Livesley died of a head injury. Two men arrested in connection with the attack have since been released.

A 57-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit attempted murder was earlier released while inquiries continue.

A 38-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has since been released with no further action.

'Destroyed our family'

Mr Livesley's mother said her son was "idolised" by his younger relatives.

"Billy was one in a million. Those responsible haven't just killed my son, they have destroyed me and our entire family.

"We will always love him and he will always be my baby."

Local football team Abram FC posted a tribute on Facebook, saying: "You were brilliant on the pitch and a brilliant lad off the pitch."

Det Ch Insp Stuart Wilkinson said: "This was a horrific attack on a young man who has tragically lost his life at the hands of others.

"We have specialist officers supporting Billy's family who have understandably been left completely devastated by this and my thoughts are very much with them at this incredibly difficult time."

He thanked local residents for their assistance and support, and urged anyone with information to contact the force.

Minority take up 'life-saving' free health check

Health reporter(wp/bbc):

Fewer than half of people eligible for a NHS health check in England have taken up the offer, despite it being free to everyone over 40.

The routine check can pick up heart problems early and help to prevent dementia, plus highlight the need to stop smoking, NHS England said.

The check-up takes 20 minutes and is carried out by a GP or nurse.

It involves tests on blood pressure, weight and height, and is offered every five years up to the age of 74.

Around 7.15 million people have had a free health check since 2013, yet 15 million are eligible, NHS stats show.

NHS England said identifying people with an irregular heartbeat or high blood pressure and giving them treatment would help to prevent dangerous blood clots which could lead to strokes.

And if more people went for their health check, the number of people having a stroke or other heart problems would reduce, potentially preventing thousands of cases of vascular dementia.

Who can have an NHS health check?

Anyone between the age of 40 and 74 who is generally healthy and doesn't already have any diseases.

You should automatically get an invitation through your GP surgery or local authority every five years.

After the age of 74 you can request a health check-up from your GP or nurse.

What problems can they spot?

By checking blood pressure, family history, lifestyle, height and weight, it is possible to give an idea of your risk of getting heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.

Research shows that people with a history of heart diseases are at least twice as likely to develop vascular dementia.

You will receive personalised advice on how to lower your risk of all those conditions, usually by:

• improving your diet
• taking more exercise
• taking medicines to lower blood pressure or cholesterol
• losing weight
• stopping smoking

If you are 65 or over, you will be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for.

Why this could be a 'life-saving step'

Alistair Burns, national clinical director for dementia and older people's mental health for NHS England said: "Heart disease and dementia are two of the biggest health risks facing people in our country.

"Attending a free NHS health check is a great opportunity to discuss existing health conditions, and to work out how to reduce the risk of developing dementia and other illness in the future."

He said the start of a new year was the right time to commit to "taking a simple, free and potentially life-saving step towards a healthier life".

Public Health England said the check looked at the top causes of premature death and ill health and supported people to take action to reduce their risks.

South Western Railway strike to hit New Year's Eve trains

Staff reporter(wp/bbc):

Passengers on some of the country's busiest rail routes face disruption on New Year's Eve as workers stage a day of strike action in a long-running dispute over guards on trains.

Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) workers on South Western Railway (SWR) walked out at midnight.

The RMT claimed SWR will be "bailed out" by the government for revenue lost as a result of the strike action

The rail operator said it would run a reduced service across the network.

The 24-hour strike will affect services across the south of England, including London Waterloo, the capital's busiest station.

Some rail replacement bus services will be in place and SWR said it would "do everything we can to keep customers moving and reduce disruption".

"The RMT continues to play politics with their ongoing strike action, causing misery at a time when people just want to be with friends and family or get to work," it added.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Official parliamentary answers have shown that the government is preparing to bail out South Western Railway for revenues lost as a result of strike action.

"Passengers will be outraged to know that instead of taking steps to resolve this dispute rail ministers are instead prolonging it by using tax payers' money to prop up South Western Railway on strike days."

Which services are affected?

• Basingstoke to London Waterloo: Reduced service with one train an hour running in each direction
• Salisbury to London Waterloo: An hourly reduced service will run
• Guildford to Ascot: A bus service will be in operation
• Portsmouth to London Waterloo: Due to planned engineering works there will be a reduced service and rail replacement services between Woking, Guildford and Haslemere
• Portsmouth to Southampton: Trains will run between Southampton Central and Fareham, with one service every two hours
• London Waterloo to Reading: Two trains an hour will run between Clapham Junction and Reading
• London Waterloo to Weymouth: Hourly trains will run between Waterloo and Bournemouth, with a shuttle service between Bournemouth and Weymouth
• Salisbury to Romsey via Southampton: No services

More information is available on the South Western Railway website.

Councils 'failing' to prosecute blue badge abusers

Staff reporter(wp/reuters):

A disability charity says it is "disgraceful" councils are failing to take action against people misusing blue-badge parking permits.

Analysis by the Press Association found 94 out of 152 (62%) local authorities in England did not pursue anyone for abusing the scheme in 2017-18.

Phil Talbot, from charity Scope, said thefts of disabled permits were rising.

The Local Government Association said councils had to take "tough decisions" on enforcement with limited resources.

Mr Talbot added: "Stealing blue badges isn't a crime without consequences. They are a vital lifeline for those who genuinely need them."

The analysis of the Department of Transport data showed the number of blue badges reported stolen totalled 4,246.

Zero prosecutions

It found 31 councils did not catch anyone despite claiming to have a policy for prosecuting offenders.

Local authorities in Nottingham, Middlesbrough, Shropshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, Bournemouth and Reading were among those to record zero prosecutions.

Martin Tett, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, said gathering evidence and mounting a prosecution could be "time-consuming and expensive".

About 2.4 million disabled people in England have blue badges, which are issued by councils.

Almost every case involving the 1,215 prosecutions across the country involved drivers using someone else's blue badge.

The permits allow holders to park for free in pay and display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines, except for where there are restrictions. Holders in London are exempt from the congestion charge.

The largest number of prosecutions were made by the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham (137) and Newham (88), with Leeds (78) in third place.

Mr Tett claimed the disparity in enforcement levels across England was likely to reflect "different levels of pressures on available parking".

Bangladesh election: Sheikh Hasina wins new term as prime minister

Political reporter(wp/bbc):

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured her third consecutive term with a landslide victory, Bangladesh's Election Commission said on Monday.

Her ruling party and its allies have won 288 of the 300 parliamentary seats contested, surpassing its previous election wins.

The opposition has condemned the vote as "farcical," marred by violence, intimidation and vote rigging claims.

They won just seven seats and have demanded a new vote.

Bangladesh's parliament has 350 seats in total, 50 of which are reserved for women and allotted proportional to the overall vote.

"We urge the election commission to void this farcical result immediately," opposition leader Kamal Hossain said.

"We are demanding that a fresh election is held under a neutral government as early as possible."

• Bangladesh grows tired of its battling leading ladies
• More on life in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Election Commission told Reuters news agency that it had heard vote-rigging allegations from "across the country" and would investigate.

At least 17 people have been killed in clashes between ruling party supporters and the opposition.

What are the allegations?

Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has run Bangladesh since 2009, but one of the leading opposition parties has accused it of using stuffed ballot boxes.

A spokesman for the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) alleged there were "irregularities" in 221 of the 300 seats being contested.

Soon before polls opened, a BBC correspondent saw filled ballot boxes at a polling centre in the port city of Chittagong. The presiding officer declined to comment.

Only ruling party polling agents were present at that and several other polling centres in the second-largest city of the country.

Human Rights Watch South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly said on Twitterthat "with serious allegations of voter intimidation, restrictions on opposition polling agents and several candidates seeking a re-poll, there are concerns about the credibility" of the election.

At least 47 candidates from the main opposition alliance withdrew before polling closed, alleging vote rigging and intimidation.

Activists, observers and the opposition party had warned that the vote would not be fair, but the governing party accused the opposition of peddling false claims.

Ms Hasina told the BBC on Friday: "On the one hand, they are placing allegations. On the other hand, they are attacking our party workers, leaders. That is the tragedy in this country."

EDITORIAL:::BANGLADESH ELECTION WINNER AWAMI LEAGUE LEAD MOHAJOT

CONGRATULATION BANGLADESH&ITS GREATEST   PEOPLE WHO DONE A GREAT ELECTION AND ELECTED NEXT GOVT FOR NEXT 5 YEARS WITH A VERY PEACEFUL AND MOSTLY PARTICIPATED PEOPLE VOTING. AND THE NAME OF PARTY WHO WIN WIN THIS -IS BANGLADESH AWAMI LEGUE..PARTY CHIEF PRIME MINISTER SEIKH HASINA PLANNING TO DEVELOP VASTLY BANGLADESH IN ALL SECTOR FOR NEXT 5 YEARS WHICH SHE PROMISED IN HER ELECTION MANIFESTO.

BANGLADESHI PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY AND HOPE THEY GET VERY GOOD GOVERNMENT WHOM WORK CONTINUE AS THEY DID LAST 10 YEARS OF THEIR POWER.

WORLD LEADER ACROOS THE WORLD WELCOME AND CONGRATULATION NEW GOVERNMENT AND SEIKH HASINA FOR GREAT WIN. 

BANGLADESH WILL DIGITAL COUNTRY IN RECENT YEARS .A DIGITAL WORLD NATION EXPLORE AND PEOPLE HOPE FREEDOM FIGHTER WHOSE ARE   NATIONAL HEROES LIFE THOUSE ARE SECRIFICE FOR  COUNTRIES IN 1971 BLOODY FIGHT AND MAKE INDEPENDENCE FROM PAKISTAN THEY  DREAM A RESPECTFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD -ARE SUCESSFULLY RESPECT BY PEOPLE REFLECET THEIR OPINION AND VIEW BY ELECTION VOTING YESTERDAY AND REJECT WAR CRIMINALS AND VILOENCE DONE BY PAST YEARS .

WE HOPE BANGLADESH WILL BE GREAT COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE HONOURED WORLDWIDE BY  EVERYPEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD.WE WANT TO SEE THAT DAYS

EDITORIAL:::31ST NIGHT&THE WORLD

WORLD CELEBRATE 31ST NIGHT WIDELY .ALL TYPE  OF PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED FOR THIS GREAT CELEBRATION.

PEOPLE ARE GIVE FAREWELL 31ST NIGHT AND READY FOR NEW HOPE NEW ERA NEW YEAR.

WE HOPE PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD CELEBRATE   31ST NIGHT PROPERLY.

WE WAIT FOR NEW YEARS NEW HOPE..PEACEFULL,WAR FREE WORLD

UK watchdog plans to overhaul treatment of whistleblowers

Business correspondent(wp/reuters):

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that it would announce details of the plan in the new year but was looking at how it maintains whistleblower confidentiality; how information is shared between supervision and enforcement teams; and how it can enhance senior oversight of investigations.

The plan was first reported by the Financial Times.

The watchdog has called for better protection of people who come forward but has also faced criticism for its own treatment of whistleblowers.

Earlier this year, it was told to apologize to a former Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) employee for having revealed his identity to the bank in a whistleblower case in 2013.

The Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner, which handles complaints against watchdogs, said that the FCA had failed to take sufficient care to establish whether the complainant had sought anonymity.

Last month, the FCA said that most British banks are not assessing and escalating whistleblower concerns consistently, adding that some of them need to improve arrangements to protect those who lift the lid on wrongdoing from victimization.

The regulator received its highest number of disclosures from whistleblowers after its director for supervision, Megan Butler, warned financial firms in May about failing to tackle sexual harassment.

The disclosures related to racism, physical bullying and homophobia, as well as issues around gender, Christopher Woolard, the FCA executive director for strategy and competition, said this month.

($1 = 0.8741 euros)

Hammond accused of failing to release funding for no-deal Brexit - The Telegraph

Political reporter(wp/reuters):

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has been accused by his colleagues in the cabinet of failing to release the necessary funding required to prepare Britain for a no-deal Brexit, the Telegraph newspaper reported late on Sunday.

British Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has written to the Treasury saying his department was given 35 million pounds for helping councils prepare for Brexit, the amount being less than half of what had been requested, the newspaper reported.

At least another department had made a similar complaint about Hammond’s failure to release more money, the newspaper reported without mentioning further details.

Brokenshire said his department does not have enough to prepare for Brexit whether Britain leaves the European Union with or without a deal, the report added, citing the British Communities Secretary’s letter to the Treasury sent shortly before Christmas.

EDITORIAL:::GREAT BRITAIN FRIEND COUNTRY SOUTH ASIAN RISING SUN BANGLADESH NATIONAL ELECTION HELD

GREAT BRITAIN FRIEND COUNTRY SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRY RISING SUN BANGLADESH NATIONAL ELECTION HELD TODAY.
A FREEDOM FIGHTER LED PARTY BANGLADESH AWAMI LEGUE MOHAJOOT LEAD PARTY AS WELL ARE ESPECTED TO WIN WHICH PRIME MINISTER SEIKH HASINA.THEY ARE IN POWER FOR LAST 10 YEARS.THEY WORK LOTS FOR BANGLADESH.FREEDOM FIGHTER MINDED PEOPLE ARE SUPPORT THEM LOTS.MOST OF ARE SUCH THIS KIND OF VOTER ACROSS BANGLADESH.THIS PARTIES CHIEF WAS BANGLADESH FOUNDER FATHER OF NATION BANGABANDHU SEIKH MAJIBUR RAHMAN.NOW LEAD HIS DAUGHTER SEIKH HASINA

OTHERSIDE OIKKOFRONT LEAD BNP AND ITS ALLIENCE PERTICIFIATE BY LEAD DR.KAMAL HOSSAIN A OXFORD GRADUATE BANGLADESHI INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS LAWYEAR .

THERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT MATTER IS THAT BANGLADESHI PEOPLE STRUGLED FOR THEIR COUNTRY FROM 1952 TO 1971.ITS NEED TO MENTION THAT 21ST FEBRUARY BANGLA LANGAUGE MOVEMENT ARE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY RECOGNISED BY UN..AND 16 TH DECEMBER 1971 IS NATIONAL INDEPENDENT DAY OF BANGLADESH.

HEART TOUCING VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION 11TH BANGLADESH NATIONAL ELECTION WHERE MOST OF BANGLADESHI PEOPLE GIVEN VOTE FARELY&PROUDLY.

WE HOPE BANGLADESH WILL GO HIGH WORLD STAGE IN EVERY ESPECT INCLUDING-ECONOMICAL,EDUCATIONAL,GENDER EQUALITY,FOOD,HEALTH,HOUSING,BUSINESS,SC&TECH,IT ETC.
BANGLADESHI PEOPLE MAKE SMILE FOR DEDICATION FOR SUPER HERO FREEDOM FIGHTERS WHOME ARE GIVEN THEIR LIFEAND BLOOD FOR COUNTRY.

BANGLADESH GO AHED AND BE SUPER POWER IN WORLD STAGE................ 

New Year Honours 2019: 'Super model' Daphne Selfe receives British Empire Medal

Entertainment reporter(wp/bbc):

A 90-year-old fashion model who helped boost opportunities for older women in the industry has received the British Empire Medal.

Daphne Selfe, of Baldock, Hertfordshire, began modelling in 1949.

Her long career has helped to challenge negative views of ageing which has helped put older people in front of the camera as models, she said.

Official recognition in the New Year Honours now stands beside her industry-accepted status as a "super model".

After she was photographed for the leading fashion and style magazine Vogue at the age of 70 - the first time it had featured an older model - she was approached by leading organisations to do more work.

This has helped inspire agents, photographers and clothing designers to consider older people as models.

'Building confidence'

"Older people have money to buy nice clothes and want to see people of their age wearing them in the magazines," she said.

She has no plans to retire because she enjoys what she does so much and can look back on career highlights such as being photographed by David Bailey and modelling for Dolce and Gabbana.

The Daphne Selfe Academy was founded in 2015 so women of all ages could benefit from her industry experience and what she called her personal values of professionalism, etiquette, positive thinking and healthy living.

"The academy helps them to build confidence to do what they want to do," she said.

The academy also aims to develop young models and encourage women from all walks of life to improve themselves.

Mrs Selfe, whose husband Jim died in 1997 after 43 years of marriage, has three children and four grandchildren.

The British Empire Medal was founded as a military honour in 1917 and was revived for civilians in 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Gatwick drones: Sussex Police 'sorry' for arrested couple

staff reporter(wp/bbc):
Sussex Police's chief constable has said he feels "really sorry" for the couple who were held for 36 hours over the Gatwick Airport drones chaos.

Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, who were released without charge, said they felt "violated" after their home was searched and their identities exposed.

Giles York told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "convinced the grounds for arrest were well-founded".

Two drones found near the airport have been ruled out of being involved.

Mr York defended the decision to hold Mr Gait for an extended period, despite his employer saying he was at work during the drone flights.

He added: "I'm really sorry for what [Mr Gait] has experienced and the feeling of violation around it.

"[But] what might have been worse as an experience for him would have been to be released under investigation still.

"We were able to exhaust all our lines of inquiry on that first instance and were able to release him from police custody saying he was no longer a suspect."

About 1,000 flights were affected during the chaos between 19 and 21 December when drones were seen near the runway.

A suggestion by a senior Sussex police officer that there may have been no drones was later dismissed as a "miscommunication".

Mr York said police received 115 reports of sightings, including 93 confirmed as coming from "credible people", which he later said included a pilot, airport staff and police officers.

He admitted police drones launched to investigate could have caused "some level of confusion".

However, the Sussex force later denied the use of police drones had caused any disruption.

Mr York revealed two drones found by police near the airport had now been ruled out of causing the chaos, which saw flights cancelled or diverted.

Despite searches of 26 potential sites, he said: "I don't think we have found the drone responsible."

However, he said he was "absolutely certain that there was a drone flying throughout the period that the airport was closed".

• Miscommunication blamed for drone confusion
• Gatwick drones pair 'no longer suspects'
• Labour calls for inquiry into Gatwick drones

He confirmed military technology had been installed following the incidents, "dramatically" improving security at the airport, but said he could not rule out future disruption of the same kind.

Sussex Police has renewed its appeal for help to find "the criminal whose activities led to widespread disruption".

Mr York said: "Public safety remains a priority and what we are dealing with is both unprecedented and challenging.

"There will be information relevant to this inquiry within the community and, with a £50,000 reward on offer for information from Gatwick Airport Limited, it is vital that people come forward so we can bring to justice the person responsible for this criminal act."

One dead and 23 hurt in minibus crash in Scottish Borders

Pic:Bus accident(wp)
Staff reporter(wp/bbc):

One man died and 23 people were injured when a minibus overturned in the Scottish Borders.

They were travelling in the private bus from Newtongrange to Kelso when the accident happened at about 10:50.

A major incident was declared after emergency services were called to the crash on the A6089 between Carfraemill and Gordon, near Lauder.

One man was pronounced dead at the scene, while 22 passengers and the driver were taken to hospital.

They were treated at Borders General Hospital in Melrose, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The bus was carrying a group of people from Newtongrange on an outing to Kelso Races.

Ch Insp Steven Duncan said: "We're providing ongoing support to the family of the man who tragically lost his life, along with those who have been injured and their families.

"Our road policing unit, together with partners, are currently working to establish the full circumstances surrounding this.

"We'd ask anyone who may be concerned that a loved one has been affected, or anyone who could help with our investigation, to get in touch immediately via 101 and quote incident number 1369 of 29th December."

Photographs from the scene show the upturned bus in a field next to the road.

An air ambulance and four fire engines were among emergency service vehicles sent to the scene of the accident.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "Due to the number of passengers requiring assistance, we dispatched a large number of resources to the scene including our air ambulance, trauma and Special Operations Response Teams (SORT).

"Sadly, there was one male fatality and our thoughts go out to his family for their tragic loss. Twenty three other patients were treated by our crews and transported to Borders General Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow for further treatment and care."

Police said the NHS and Scottish Borders were also providing assistance to the force and those affected by the accident.

UK mortgage approvals show first annual rise in 14 months - UK Finance

Business correspondent(wp/reuters):
A decline in the number of mortgages approved by British high-street banks flattened out last month, with the first year-on-year rise since September 2017, figures from industry group UK Finance showed on Friday.

Britain’s housing market has slowed since the country voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, and other surveys this month have shown anxiety among consumers and businesses ahead of the planned departure on March 29.

Friday’s data showed British banks approved 39,403 mortgages for house purchase in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 39,640 in October but up by 0.2 percent from November 2017 — the first annual rise in 14 months.

“The housing market is struggling for momentum in the face of still relatively limited consumer purchasing power, fragile consumer confidence and, possibly, wariness over higher interest rates,” Howard Archer, chief economist at consultants EY ITEM Club, said.

Many economists expect house prices to be flat or marginally higher next year, as weakness in London and surrounding areas weighs on faster price growth in other parts of Britain, though the Bank of England has said falls of as much as a third are possible if Brexit descends into chaos.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government plans to seek parliamentary approval for her Brexit deal in the week starting Jan. 14, after scrapping a vote before Christmas due to opposition from lawmakers of all parties.

Without a deal, Britain faces major economic disruption from the reintroduction of tariffs and customs checks at its borders.

UK Finance said credit card lending picked up slightly last month, though this mostly reflected a shift in preferred payment means rather than higher borrowing, with credit cards offering better consumer protection for purchases such as holiday travel.

Net lending to non-financial businesses fell by the most since May, dropping by 656 million pounds ($829 million).

“Overall lending to businesses has remained subdued in this period of economic uncertainty,” UK Finance’s managing director for commercial finance, Stephen Pegge, said.

The Bank of England will publish November mortgage and consumer credit data from a wider range of lenders on Jan. 4.

($1 = 0.7910 pounds)