Lords to debate controversial NHS shake-up bill. 11 October 2011Last updated at 16:26 ET Live coverage from the House of Lords The government's bill overhauling the NHS in England could be killed off altogether if peers vote to delay it, a health minister has warned.
Health Minister Earl Howe said the plans, which will increase competition and give clinicians control of budgets, were vital for patients. His warning came as the House of Lords debated the controversial bill. BBC accused of 'overstaffing' as protesters pull out of Dale Farm. The BBC claimed that they had about 20 official staff on the site though this did not include a handful of local reporters and independent crews working on documentaries.
"The eviction at Dale Farm is a major rolling news story and we have around 20 people there including reporters and technical staff, covering the story locally and nationally for TV, radio and online," said a spokesman. Meanwhile, the second day of the eviction saw bailiffs use a mechanical diggers to tear down the scaffold tower at the front of the encampment which had become symbolic of the travellers' struggle against eviction. The last five protesters who had "locked on" to barriers and scaffolding were also released and led away by police.
Families in large houses win most from council tax freeze. Only nine pay council tax in enclave for super-rich. Only nine of the 62 apartments sold in One Hyde Park – the world's most expensive residential block – have been registered for council tax.
The ownership of the Knightsbridge apartments, which range in price from £3.6m for a one-bedroom flat to £136m for a penthouse, is now under investigation by Westminster city council, which is determined to pursue the monies owed by the secretive owners of the apartments. Council records show that only four owners are paying the full council tax of £755.60 a year plus £619.64 to the Greater London Authority, while five are paying the 50% discounted council tax owed on a second home.
British graduates not fit to start work, say majority of bosses. Calculators in schools: Pupils face limits. 1 December 2011Last updated at 16:27 Children learn basic sums early in primary school Ministers are planning to limit the use of calculators in primary schools to stop children becoming dependent on them.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb announced a review of their use, saying children should not "reach for a gadget every time they need to do a simple sum". Instead, he said, children should master arithmetic using written methods. GCSE results 'hit by football tournaments' 3 December 2011Last updated at 01:04 By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter Eyes on the prize?
Big football tournaments can distract pupils from revision Many students who take GCSEs during international football tournaments get worse results than they would in a football-free summer, a study suggests. GCSE exams happen in May and early June, and often overlap with the World Cup or European Championships. How Job Seekers Are Using Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]
The jobless rate is hovering above 9%, and job seekers have to be more savvy than ever to land a job.
![How Job Seekers Are Using Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]](http://cdn.pearltrees.com/s/pic/th/seekers-mobile-infographic-19215772)
In fact, 77% of job-seekers are using mobile apps in their search. Why mobile? For one thing, people almost always have their phones on them, which means they can get job leads on the fly and respond faster than on their not-as-portable laptops. NUS: Students turning to prostitution to fund studies. 14 December 2011Last updated at 06:00 By Kieran Turner and Owen Phillips BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast The NUS says it has anecdotal evidence of students taking to the streets to earn money Greater numbers of students in England are turning to prostitution to fund their education, the National Union of Students (NUS) claims.
The NUS also says students are turning to gambling and taking part in medical experiments to fund their studies. It says increased living costs and fees, and cuts to the education maintenance allowance, play a part. But the government says it offers students a "generous package" of financial support. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Breakfast programme, Estelle Hart, the NUS's national women's officer, said government cuts had put more pressure on students.
Worst education cuts since the 1950s. The economic research institute said that public spending on education would fall by more than 13 per cent in real terms by 2014-15 - the largest cut in education spending over a four-year period since the 1950s.
The cuts will be deepest for higher education, which is expected to be reduced by 40 per cent, and capital spending, which will be cut in half. Education for 16-19-year-olds and for "early years" - nursery pupils and playgroups - will also be hit hard, with spending cuts of around 20 per cent, said the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Spending on schools will see the smallest real terms cut of about 1 per cent. Last November, the government announced that universities would be able to charge students tuition fees of up to £9,000, which will offset spending cuts. The key question is what these cuts in financial resources will mean for the outputs of the education system, such as young people's exam results or earnings potential. Majority of schools affected. Fifth of final-year primary pupils in London are obese. News Corp faces revolt by quarter of shareholders. Rupert Murdoch with his sons Lachlan and James at a News Corp annual general meeting.
Photograph: Reuters Up to 25% of shareholders are expected to protest against Rupert, James and Lachlan Murdoch retaining their positions on the News Corporation board at the embattled media group's annual meeting in Los Angeles next week. Jerusalem Holy Site Excavations Unearth History, Controversy. Nov. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Excavations at a Jerusalem site holy both to Jews and Muslims have revealed new facts about the dating of its construction, Israeli archaeologists said.
Royal Mail: The shameful betrayal of the British post. By Dominic SandbrookUPDATED: 15:18 GMT, 3 December 2011 With less than two weeks to go before the last posting date for Christmas parcels, millions of us will spend the next few days waiting bleakly in a Post Office queue. Public discontent with the postal service has probably never been higher. To the pioneers who first built Royal Mail three centuries ago — and to the postmen who, once upon a time, brought deliveries a staggering six times a day — the state of the service today would appear nothing less than a tragedy. And for many of us, too, our disappointment is all the more acute because we remember the Post Office as one of our nation’s great institutions, one of the sinews that held British life together.
Royal Mail warning on festive tips. The organisation's My Royal Mail website, under the heading Christmas and the Bribery Act, said: "It's the season of goodwill. Liam Fox resignation exposes Tory links to US radical right. The look on Lansley's face tells you that this govt is not listening to those on the street. NHS operations cancelled as strike looms. Emergency services and life saving treatments will be prioritised as health service staff prepare for strike action 29th November 2011 - Thousands of patients face having their non-urgent operations cancelled as NHS staff prepare to take industrial action over changes to their pensions.
Routine procedures and diagnostic tests will be rescheduled if the strike goes ahead, but health service bosses say life-saving treatment and other urgent services like 999 calls and maternity care are unlikely to be affected. Pension changes. Strikes: How will I be affected? 1 December 2011Last updated at 12:46 Thousands of public sector workers took industrial action on Wednesday in protest at planned changes to their pensions.
The strike caused schools to close and the cancellation or postponement of many non-emergency hospital appointments. Tory MP is 'secretly taped claiming Cameron will be ousted in spring' Patrick Mercer was sacked as a shadow minister by David Cameron in 2007. Uncil bosses use credit cards for lavish lifestyles. Health funds 'could be raided to pay for road repairs' 2 November 2011Last updated at 07:01 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News. Treasury to close loophole that allows VAT-free DVDs. 9 November 2011Last updated at 00:02. Millions of taxpayers money spent on tackling climate change abroad. Social tenants to miss £120 solar savings. 21 October 2011Last updated at 16:53 By Simon Gompertz Personal finance correspondent, BBC News.
Olympics ambassador girl, 18, gets two years for rioting in London. Revealed: how police lost control of summer riots in first crucial 48 hours. If you have never clicked on a twitpic in your life.. You s. Christmas lights go dim amid Britain's economic gloom. Christmas lights are shining in Edinburgh, but many local authorities cannot justify the cost. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images To light or not to light is proving a major seasonal dilemma for local authorities across the UK, with many deciding to pull the plug on the traditional displays of Christmas street decorations.
Latest news, sport and comment from the Guardian. Boxing day hit by Tube strike... and three more walkouts in new year. Christmas list: Spoilt girl, 13, demands presents or says 'Santa Claus will die' By Lucy Buckland Created: 08:53 GMT, 14 December 2011. Reindeer Spotted on Texas Freeway. Dec 15, 2011 2:09pm Two reindeer escaped a trailer and took off running on a Houston area highway this week. Toddlers banned from making 'rude' star sign. Female soldier killed Taliban in fire-fight.
IPCC rules Smiley Culture died of self inflicted wounds; no police officers charged. Essex police treat concrete drop from A12 bridge as attempted murder. Images shown of concrete blocks thrown on to car in Essex. New law to protect girls from sex abuse by boyfriends. Women sue police over undercover officer relationships. Abcnews.go.