27 November 2012 - Latest UK news & World news

May to set minimum alcohol price Nov 27 2012

The coalition is set to unveil controversial plans to tackle "drunken mayhem" on Britain's streets by introducing a higher-than-expected minimum alcohol price of 45p per unit.Read

MPs warn PM over Leveson report Nov 27 2012

David Cameron faces fresh demands to reject statutory regulation of newspapers as he prepares to take delivery of the Leveson report.Read

Paralympics proved TV hit worldwide Nov 27 2012

The London 2012 Paralympics were a global television ratings winner, figures show.Read

Cyril Smith abused boys, say police Nov 27 2012

Police have acknowledged for the first time that the late politician Cyril Smith sexually and physically abused young boys in the 1960s.Read

Ofsted 'postcode lottery' warning Nov 27 2012

More than two million children are still receiving a sub-standard education, with many youngsters facing a postcode lottery to attend a decent school, Ofsted has warned.Read

Tesco and Asda cut petrol prices Nov 27 2012

Hard-pressed motorists received some good news tonight when two supermarkets announced cuts in the price of their petrol.Read

EA warns of more risk of flooding Nov 27 2012

The Environment Agency (EA) has warned of a continued risk of flooding across England despite a drop in rainfall.Read

Payment block costs WikiLeaks £30m Nov 27 2012

A block on processing donations by credit card companies to WikiLeaks has cost the whistle-blowing website more than £30 million, with staff having to take a 40% pay cut as a result, its founder has said.Read

Call to axe flagship Work Programme Nov 27 2012

The Government has faced calls to scrap its flagship employment scheme after new figures showed only 3.5% of those taking part had found sustainable jobs.Read

£2m cost of Savile police inquiry Nov 27 2012

The police investigation into the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal has cost around £2 million so far, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said.Read

Colleges set to become universities Nov 27 2012

Ten specialist colleges are set to become universities under the biggest expansion of higher education for 20 years, it has been announced.Read

Cameron visits flooding-hit areas Nov 27 2012

Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting flood-hit areas as many parts of the country struggle to deal with rising water levels in the wake of heavy rainfall.Read

Flood devastation 'heartbreaking' Nov 27 2012

Horrified residents of St Asaph have described the deluge which wrecked their homes.Read

'Missed chances' to help killer Nov 27 2012

Agencies missed opportunities to help a woman with a history of mental health problems who said she was going to harm someone before stabbing a 13-year-old girl to death.Read

Miliband attacks top-rate tax cut Nov 27 2012

Ed Miliband said "eye-boggling" figures showing people on seven-figure salaries will benefit from a £107,000 tax cut next year proved the Government was on the wrong track to fix the economy.Read

MMR jab uptake highest since 1998 Nov 27 2012

The proportion of children having the MMR jab is at its highest level for more than a decade, figures show.Read

OECD warns on rising unemployment Nov 27 2012

Britain will be hit with rising unemployment next year as its economic recovery is held back by eurozone woes, spending cuts and the global slowdown, a respected think-tank warned.Read

School quality 'a postcode lottery' Nov 27 2012

England's children are victims of a postcode lottery in gaining a decent education, with some facing a less than 50% chance of attending a good school, the Ofsted chief inspector has warned.Read

Vomiting bug closes hospital wards Nov 27 2012

An outbreak of a winter vomiting bug has led to the closure of 45 hospital wards in the last two weeks, health officials said.Read

Dorries must wait for whip decision Nov 27 2012

Nadine Dorries has said she will learn next week whether she is to be restored to the Conservative Party whip following her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.Read

Crime victims' compensation changed Nov 27 2012

Controversial changes to the scheme for compensating victims of crime have come into force, meaning only the most seriously hurt will be able to claim for their injuries.Read

Licence fee payer will 'bear cost' Nov 27 2012

The BBC and its licence fee payers will have to "bear the costs" of the inquiries in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, "however much they are", Lord Patten has told MPs.Read

Government defends Work Programme Nov 27 2012

The Government has defended its flagship employment scheme against fierce criticism after new figures showed only 3.5% of those taking part had found sustainable jobs, with the target being 5.5%.Read

Ex-diplomat avoids US extradition Nov 27 2012

A former high-ranking Iranian diplomat has won a High Court battle in his attempt to avoid extradition to the US.Read

Watchdog upholds Warsi complaint Nov 27 2012

A House of Lords standards watchdog has upheld a complaint against Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi over her failure to register rental income.Read

2m attend 'not good enough schools' Nov 27 2012

More than two million children are still not getting a decent education, and a youngster's chance of attending a good school is often too dependent on where they live, Ofsted warned.Read

School inequality 'unacceptable' Nov 27 2012

A child's chances of gaining a decent education are still far too dependent on where they live, with some facing a less than 50% chance of attending a good school, Ofsted's chief inspector has warned.Read

Minister hails work scheme success Nov 27 2012

More than half of people who joined the Government's flagship scheme for helping the long-term unemployed have come off benefits, ministers have said.Read

'Wrong people' gaining from Budget Nov 27 2012

Britain's top earners are set to receive a tax cut of more than £100,000-a-year, Labour leader Ed Miliband will claim.Read

Foster row couple condemn council Nov 27 2012

A couple who had three foster children removed from their care because of their membership of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) have said council leaders should consider resigning after they failed to apologise.Read

Yasser Arafat's remains exhumed Nov 27 2012

The remains of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have been exhumed from his grave so international forensic experts can search for additional clues to his death, Palestinian officials said.Read

Eurozone approves money for Greece Nov 27 2012

The 17 European Union nations that use the euro have struck an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a programme to reduce Greek debt and put Athens on the way to get the next instalment of its much-needed bailout loans.Read

Patten faces BBC pay-off grilling Nov 27 2012

The chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Patten is facing a grilling from MPs over the corporation's £450,000 pay-off to former director general, George Entwistle.Read

Heavy rain continues to wreak havoc Nov 27 2012

Thousands of drivers and residents face further chaos after heavy rain continued to fall across the UK overnight, adding to the flooding crisis.Read

UK hauliers held after heroin find Nov 27 2012

Two British lorry drivers have been arrested in Italy after 20 million euro (£16 million) worth of heroin concealed between boxes of breadsticks was discovered by police at a ferry port.Read

Euro chiefs reach Greece debt deal Nov 27 2012

Greece is on its way to getting the next instalment of its much-needed bailout loans after finance ministers from the 17 European Union countries that use the euro agreed on a programme to reduce the country's debt.Read

Don't fear sport, Ennis tells girls Nov 27 2012

Olympic heroine Jessica Ennis believes young girls are being put off sport because of worries about the impact on their body shape and being too muscular.Read

Oliver blasts Gove on school meals Nov 27 2012

TV chef Jamie Oliver has heaped more criticism on Education Secretary Michael Gove over the issue of school meals.Read

Support cut for fuel poor families Nov 27 2012

Government support to help families struggling in fuel poverty has been cut by more than a quarter in the past few years, according to a new report.Read

Call for action on apprenticeships Nov 27 2012

The Government has been urged to improve the quality of apprenticeships, including the introduction of a new work-based programme to help jobseekers.Read

Jobs scheme 'helps 20,000 a month' Nov 27 2012

Firms delivering the Government's flagship programme for helping the long-term unemployed find work have said 20,000 jobseekers are now being helped every month.Read

'Baffling' foster ruling condemned Nov 27 2012

A couple who had three foster children removed from their care because of their membership of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) say council leaders should consider resigning after they failed to apologise.Read

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UK & World News for 27 November 2012

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