19 December 2012 - Latest UK news & World news

PM's concern over Mitchell email Dec 19 2012

David Cameron has expressed concern that a police officer tried to "blacken the name" of former Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell amid mounting questions over the initial account of the row that ultimately led to his resignation.Read

Man bailed in Savile abuse inquiry Dec 19 2012

A man in his 70s arrested by detectives investigating the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal has been bailed.Read

Councils told to make more savings Dec 19 2012

Local authorities have been urged to make more savings, including cutting pay, scrapping chief executive posts and ending councillor pensions under fresh austerity moves.Read

Ex-UBS traders charged over Libor Dec 19 2012

Two former UBS traders have been charged by United States prosecutors in connection with efforts to manipulate Libor interest rates.Read

Relief as rail strikes called off Dec 19 2012

Planned strikes by workers at two train operators, which would have caused travel chaos in the run up to Christmas, have been called off.Read

New inquest due over Hillsborough Dec 19 2012

Campaigning relatives of Hillsborough victims won a new inquest into their deaths after a battle for justice lasting almost quarter of a century - on the day a new police inquiry into the disaster was announced.Read

Binning Savile story 'caused chaos' Dec 19 2012

The decision to drop a Newsnight report into Jimmy Savile's decades-long campaign of sexual abuse plunged the BBC into "chaos and confusion", revealing a corporation where "leadership and organisation seemed to be in short supply", according to a review by former Sky News executive Nick Pollard.Read

Committee demands answers on Syria Dec 19 2012

An influential parliamentary committee has written to Foreign Secretary William Hague demanding to know whether the Government was making preparations for "imminent" UK involvement in military action in Syria.Read

Residents warned of more flooding Dec 19 2012

Parts of the UK have been warned to brace themselves for further flooding as successive bands of heavy rain move across the country.Read

Christmas rail strikes called off Dec 19 2012

Planned strikes by workers on ScotRail, which would have caused travel chaos in the run-up to Christmas, have been called off.Read

Veterans 'died waiting' for medal Dec 19 2012

Scores of Arctic Convoy veterans have missed out on getting a new medal because they "died waiting" for Prime Minister David Cameron to act, the leading campaigner for recognition said.Read

Hillsborough: Charges back on table Dec 19 2012

Criminal charges over the Hillsborough disaster are back on the table as a fresh police investigation is launched.Read

Councils' spending power cut 1.7% Dec 19 2012

Councils in England will see their spending power cut by 1.7% next year, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has announced.Read

Four-runway airport plan revealed Dec 19 2012

An ambitious plan to build a £39 billion offshore airport to serve London has been unveiled.Read

Medal for Arctic Convoy heroes Dec 19 2012

Veterans of the Second World War Arctic Convoys have won their long fight for recognition as David Cameron announced they would get medals.Read

Record number of ADHD prescriptions Dec 19 2012

A record number of people have been given drugs to combat ADHD, figures show.Read

EU outlines smoking crackdown plans Dec 19 2012

Plans for a new Europe-wide crackdown on smoking include a ban on menthol and larger written and picture warnings covering three-quarters of each cigarette packet.Read

3,800 troops to quit Afghanistan Dec 19 2012

Around 3,800 British troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan during 2013, David Cameron has announced.Read

Travellers jailed for forced labour Dec 19 2012

Five members of the same traveller family who lived a luxurious lifestyle at the expense of vulnerable men forced to work for a pittance have all been jailed.Read

New police probe into Hillsborough Dec 19 2012

A new police investigation into the Hillsborough Disaster has been announced by the Home Secretary.Read

Man arrested in Savile abuse probe Dec 19 2012

Detectives investigating the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal have arrested a man in his 70s, police have said.Read

UBS fined £940m for rate-rigging Dec 19 2012

Swiss bank UBS has been fined £940 million by regulators for "extensive and widespread" attempts to rig interbank lending rates.Read

New bid to evict travellers planned Dec 19 2012

A second operation to evict travellers displaced by the clearance of Europe's largest illegal site will be carried out.Read

Sick kids' stolen presents replaced Dec 19 2012

Christmas presents for sick children that were stolen from Great Ormond Street Hospital have been replaced.Read

UBS to pay £940m over Libor scandal Dec 19 2012

Swiss bank UBS has agreed to pay £940 million to regulators in the biggest penalty yet from the industry's Libor-rigging scandal.Read

Obama will back assault weapons ban Dec 19 2012

President Barack Obama is "actively supportive" of reinstating an assault weapons ban, the White House said, as the United States wrestled with the treacherous issue of gun control in the aftermath of the Connecticut primary school massacre.Read

Hillsborough verdict may be quashed Dec 19 2012

The High Court is being asked today to quash the original accidental death inquest verdicts returned after 96 Liverpool football fans died in the crush at Hillsborough 23 years ago.Read

PM signals speedier Afghan pull-out Dec 19 2012

David Cameron is expected to signal a stepping up of Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan amid speculation that the force size could be nearly halved next year.Read

'False claim' fuelled plebgate row Dec 19 2012

The "plebgate" row that engulfed Andrew Mitchell was fuelled by a police officer who posed as a member of the public and falsely claimed to have witnessed the events, it has been alleged.Read

Nissan plant to build luxury model Dec 19 2012

Car giant Nissan is to build a new luxury model in the UK, creating 1,000 jobs with a £250 million investment.Read

Olympic ceremony in top TV moments Dec 19 2012

Danny Boyle's triumphant Olympic opening ceremony has been hailed as one of the most inspiring TV moments of all time second only to the moon landing, according to an audience survey.Read

Action on police social media urged Dec 19 2012

More needs to be done to uphold the integrity of police forces including a further clampdown on use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, inspectors have found.Read

Internet message 'crimes' clarified Dec 19 2012

Fewer criminal charges are likely to be brought against people who post offensive messages on Twitter or Facebook, under new guidelines set out by Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC.Read

'Half of men to get cancer by 2027' Dec 19 2012

Half of all British men are likely to be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime by the year 2027, experts have predicted.Read

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UK & World News for 19 December 2012

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