Arts Subjects Made Tougher In Exams Revamp

GCSE and A-level arts subjects are to be made tougher in the latest stage of a major reform of the exams system.

Nine GCSE subjects and six A-levels will be reformed, with Education Secretary Michael Gove insisting he wants schools to "nurture creative talent in every child".

In September 2016 new GCSEs in art and design, music, drama, dance, citizenship, computer science, design and technology, PE and religious studies will be introduced.

Improved A-levels in music, drama, dance, design and technology, PE and religious studies will be introduced at the same time.

"I am passionate about great art, drama, dance, music and design, and I am determined to ensure every child enjoys access to the best in our culture," Mr Gove added.

"That is why I am delighted that new high-quality qualifications in creative and cultural subjects will be made available to all students."

Music Education Council chair Richard Hallam welcomed the latest announcement.

He said: "This inclusion sends a renewed message of the educational importance of music and other arts subjects."

The new GCSEs and A-levels are part of a major programme of exam reform that will be phased in from next year.

GCSE grades in England are to be replaced with a numbered system to allow examiners to distinguish between the brightest students.

The new scale will see an extra grade added into a revamped qualifications system from one to nine - with nine being the highest mark available.

In the reforms, students taking A-levels will no longer sit exams after one year, and will instead be tested at the end of their two-year course.

AS-levels will be separated from A-levels and become a separate qualification.

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First Public Play Date For Prince George

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince George was described as "advanced for his age" who "owned the place" by parents at his first play date in Wellington.

The little chap looked interested in fellow guests

During the 30-minute gathering of under-ones, mothers and fathers in New Zealand, the animated infant managed to make one little girl cry and snatched a toy from another.

In what is described as the third in line to the throne's first public engagement, eight-month-old teething George chewed on toys and crawled around with 10 other little boys and girls at Government House.

Kate chatted informally with other parents

The Duchess of Cambridge told one parent it was the largest gathering of children George had so far experienced.

It was the Duchess' first public engagement with her son

Father Grant Colling also said the confident Royal tot, who was on the third day of a New Zealand and Australia tour with his parents, had a real command of the room.

Kate revealed her son is sleeping well

"He was his own little man and took control moving into the middle of circle of toys," he said.

George played with babies around his age

"He hunted out the biggest toys and propped himself up. He completely owned the place basically."

The gathering was held at Wellington's Government House

Sheila Lemie was struck by the little Royal's strength: "He was very strong and much more advanced than our little boy."

George was boisterous and lively during the play date

The long-awaited first public introduction of Prince George comes 31 years after a young Prince William was paraded in front of the press for the first time on the lawn of Government House in Auckland.

A fidgety William crawled unfazed towards the camped-out media, stopping only to chew on the antennae of the now famous Buzzy Bee wooden toy.

William, Kate and their son are touring New Zealand and Australia

Kensington Palace had been keen to ensure George's play date was as authentic as possible, with nothing staged for the Royal visitors.

After reducing the little girl to tears, it was clear they had achieved just that.

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HIV Fears Over Increase In Steroid Injections

By Thomas Moore, Sky News Health and Science Correspondent

The number of people who inject themselves with steroids to "bulk up" is rising so fast that drug services risk being left behind, health experts warn.

Conservative estimates by the Home Office suggest around 60,000 people aged between 16 and 59 in England and Wales have injected anabolic steroids in the last year.

And one health worker told Sky News he was seeing "at least" seven new users every week - on top of his existing workload.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says in new NHS guidance that drug services should set up clinics in gyms to reach mainly young men who are injecting steroids.

Prof Mike Kelly, Director for Public Health at Nice, said they are at significant risk of HIV and other blood-borne viruses from sharing needles, yet they do not use existing needle exchange schemes that were set up in the 1980s for other drug users.

"They do not think of themselves as drug addicts," he said.

"They are fit and healthy. They are doing it to improve their appearance.

"We have to make sure they understand that the risks of injecting those substances are the same as injecting heroin or crack or anything like that.

Nice has recommended that clinics are set up in gyms

"When people share needles they pass on blood to blood and the infection is passed on quickly."

According to Nice 1.5% of people who inject image or performance enhancing drugs have HIV.

David Rourke, harm reduction lead for the Arundel Street Project in Sheffield, said he saw at least seven new steroid injectors every week.

"They lead very normal lives - the majority are working, they have families," he said.

"So it's not looked at like heroin or crack where it can affect your entire life."

He said some parts of the country have no services at all that are aimed at steroid users.

"Those who inject steroids are potentially using them without the correct education or the correct equipment and this can lead to more people injecting unsafely, which can put not just their own life, but the lives of those around them, at risk," he added.

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Hard Disk Pioneer Wins €1m Technology Prize

A physicist whose discovery led to the era of small high-capacity disk drives and cloud computing has won a major technology award and a €1m (£824,000) prize.

Professor Stuart Parkin, who is originally from Watford, was awarded the Millennium Technology Prize in Helsinki, Finland, for his 1988 breakthrough.

His work in the field of spintronics - in which he developed a type of data-reading head capable of detecting weaker and smaller signals than previously possible - helped increase the capacity of disk storage.

Prof Parkin, now based at IBM in the US, said: "What this means for the typical person is that they can access vast libraries - indeed all the books ever written - they can stream movies, search for any information, go on social media and share photos with their friends, and much more."

Prof Stuart Parkin has not decided how to spend his prize

He added: "Without this device and this technology, the modern world as we know it probably wouldn't exist - the idea of disk drives and storing data in the cloud."

Previous winners of the award, given by the Technology Academy, include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man credited with the invention of the World Wide Web.

The honour is given to those judged to have invented something that has changed people's lives for the better, usually on a global scale.

Prof Parkin said he was not considered what to do with the prize money.

He gained a PhD in physics from Cambridge University in 1981 before first working with IBM in 1997, when the technology giant began to use his disk drive in their own products, making it the industry standard.

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Car Insurance 'Drops To A Four-Year Low'

Car insurance premiums are at a four-year low, a new study has claimed.

It comes after a record 19% drop in the cost last year, according to Confused.com's car insurance price index.

The study, in association with Towers Watson, said the average comprehensive car premium in the first quarter was £596 - some £140 lower than the same period in 2013.

The figure, including a 7.5% drop on the previous quarter, takes average premiums to below £600 for the first time since late 2009.

The study said the premium reductions occurred for both male and female drivers in all age groups, including young motorists.

It said the average premium for a 17-year-old fell by 39% last year, giving them a saving of £1,400 annually.

Meanwhile, an average 50-year-old has seen a 20% drop in premiums, down to £511.

However, the study warned that ongoing price reductions over recent years are unlikely to be sustained.

Premium calculations are based on age, driver history, car specifications, location and risk factors based on occupation.

Although inner London has the highest price average of £985, Merseyside and Manchester are also high-ranking locations with an average premium of £832.

Shares in car insurers fell on the London stock market, with Direct Line down 2.4% and Admiral down 0.65%.

Shore Capital analyst Eamonn Flanagan said the report of low premiums is considered "grim reading" for the car insurance sector.

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Peaches Geldof Post-Mortem 'Inconclusive'

A post-mortem examination into the death of Peaches Geldof has proved inconclusive pending the results of toxicology tests.

The 25-year-old was found dead at her home in Wrotham, Kent, on Monday and police are treating the death as "non-suspicious" and "unexplained".

A statement said: "Officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death in order to compile a report for the coroner.

"The result of a toxicology report can take several weeks."

Peaches (L) and her sister Fifi Trixibelle. Pic: fifigeldof Instagram

Ms Geldof, who had two young sons with her second husband, musician Tom Cohen, was a prolific tweeter and the final message she sent on Sunday was a picture of herself as a child with her mother, with the message "me and my mum".

In a column for Mother & Baby magazine, she wrote how she was now "happier than ever" after becoming a mother.

Mr Cohen said he would bring up Astala, 23 months, and 11-month-old Phaedra, "with their mother in their hearts every day".

Ms Geldof's body was found on Monday afternoon after officers were called "following a report of concern for the welfare of a woman", a Kent Police spokesman said.

Her father Bob released a touching tribute in which he said the family was suffering "beyond pain".

Her elder sister Fifi Trixibelle Geldof posted a picture on Instagram on Tuesday of the two of them together when they were children and wrote: "My beautiful baby sister .... Gone but never forgotten. I love you Peaches x."

Ms Geldof was just 11 when her mother, TV presenter Paula Yates, died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2000, aged 41.

She often spoke about her struggle to cope with her parents' break up when she was seven and admitted to experimenting with drugs during her teenage years.

A decision on whether to hold an inquest will be made depending on the final results of the post-mortem examination.

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Toyota In Global Recall Of 6 Million Vehicles

Toyota has issued a global recall of millions of vehicles because of safety issues.

The Japanese company said the announcement covers three issues affecting RAV4, Hilux, Yaris and Urban Cruiser models.

A total of 35,124 UK-registered vehicles are affected by the recall, of 6.4 million worldwide.

The total bill is forecast to cost the company more than £300m.

The carmaker said: "Worldwide, there have been no reports of any accidents or injuries relating to these issues.

"Toyota is conducting the recalls according to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) code of practice."

The firm said it would provide a "prompt inspection and repair programme" without charge to owners.

Customers can check if their vehicle is affected by using a registration number look-up function on its website.

It said a spiral cable assembly issue had been identified on airbag modules of some RAV4 and Hilux vehicles.

There is a risk that when the steering wheel is turned damage may occur to the circuitry.

"If connectivity is lost, the airbag warning light will illuminate on the instrument panel and the driver's airbag may be deactivated," Toyota said.

The RAV4 and Hilux vehicles were manufactured between June 2004 and December 2010.

Toyota's Prius Hybrids were recalled last February

The world's largest carmaker also found a fault in the seat adjustment rail for Yaris and Urban Cruisers could fail after repeated usage.

It said: "Should the spring break, the seat may not lock into its adjusted position, and could move in the event of a crash."

The affected Yaris and Urban Cruiser models were built between January 2005 and August 2010, covering 10,339 UK-registered cars.

Toyota said there was a potential fault in the tilt or telescopic steering column of some second generation Yaris and Urban Cruisers.

It said: "Toyota is aware that the weld which connects the steering column bracket to the instrument panel on some Yaris and Urban Cruiser models might break when the steering wheel is repeatedly turned with full force.

"The driver may hear an abnormal noise from the bracket area and if the vehicle continues to be driven, it is possible that the bracket will fail, causing the steering column to tilt out of position. However, the driver will not lose steering control."

The potential steering issue affected 1,293 UK cars built between September 2005 and February 2009.

The company said: "Vehicle owners will be contacted by Toyota within the coming weeks by post or telephone and asked to make an appointment to bring their car to their nearest Toyota Centre, in accordance with DVSA guidelines."

Tokyo-listed shares for the company were down more than 3% on the Nikkei after the news was announced on Wednesday, before easing to 2.1% down.

Some of the affected vehicles were made in France, with the majority built in Japan.

The recall of 6.4 million vehicles includes 297,000 in Australia - where it recently announced a decision to stop making vehicles.

Toyota was once renowned for impeccable build quality but that reputation has been hit in recent years.

In 2012, it recalled more than 3 million vehicles over safety issues and last February 1.9 million Prius Hybrids were recalled.

The Toyota announcement is the latest in a series of high-profile recalls to hit the sector.

General Motors (GM) recently recalled more than 2.4 million North American vehicles over ignition switch issues - with its CEO grilled by politicians in Washington DC - while the world's second biggest carmaker, Volkswagen, recalled 2.6m vehicles late last year.

GM has been fined $7,000 (£4,200) a day until they provide all sufficient information required by lawmakers.

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Nigel Evans Sex Assault Trial: Jury Retires

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

The jury in the trial of Nigel Evans MP has retired to consider its verdicts.

Evans denies allegations of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, indecent assault and rape.

During the trial at Preston Crown Court, seven men have told the jury they were assaulted by the MP.

The judge, Mr Justice King, has spent more than a day reminding jurors of what they have heard during the trial which has lasted almost five weeks.

He told the jury they must not treat the evidence they heard from Evans differently to evidence they have heard from other witnesses.

He said: "You have to assess Mr Evans in the same way you assess any other witness. Don't in any way treat him differently because he's come from the dock.

"Equally, don't treat him differently because he's a Member of Parliament."

The prosecution alleges Evans used his "powerful" political position, as the MP for Ribble Valley and deputy speaker, to take advantage of young men.

All of the alleged assaults are said to have taken place when Evans had been drinking.

One man alleges Evans put his hand down his trousers in a bar in Soho.

Alleged assaults are said to have taken place on other men at the Tory conference in 2003, in the Strangers Bar at the House of Commons and in the kitchenette on the deputy speaker's corridor.

The MP denies that any of those events took place.

Evans accepts he "made a pass" at a young Westminster worker who was staying on the sofa at the MP's constituency home after a party, but denies it was sexual assault.

The judge reminded the jury the account given to them by a student who claims Evans raped him was "quite different" to Evans' account of what went on.

The 22-year-old man, who was staying at Evans' home in Pendleton in Lancashire, says he woke to find Evans on top of him.

Evans says the pair had consensual sex in his bedroom.

He faces one charge of rape, two of indecent assault and six of sexual assault, said to have taken place on various dates between 2002 and last year.

Evans stood down as deputy speaker of the House of Commons after he was charged in connection with the allegations. He remains the independent MP for Ribble Valley.

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PC Blakelock Murder Accused Not Guilty

The man accused of stabbing PC Keith Blakelock during the 1985 Tottenham riots has been found not guilty of murder.

Nicky Jacobs, who was 16 at the time of the attack, had maintained his innocence throughout.

There were cheers from the public gallery as the verdicts were returned by a jury, who took just six hours to clear the 45-year-old with a majority of 10-2.

PC Blakelock was killed by a mob armed with knives and machetes at the height of the riots at the Broadwater Farm estate in 1985.

Estates were devastated during the riots

The 40-year-old was among a group of officers sent out without cover on the night of Sunday, October 6 to protect firemen tackling fires.

He suffered 43 wounds and was left with a knife embedded in his neck.

Mr Jacobs stood and punched the air as he was cleared, before breaking down in tears.

Those supporting him in the public gallery included Winston Silcott, whose conviction for the murder of PC Blakelock was quashed in 1991.

Mr Silcott shouted "Yeah, yeah" and "Brother, brother" from the gallery. Once outside he told reporters: "The police are bitter about what happened, that's why they brought this case.

"Vengeance, that's what the police were out to get."

Winston Silcott at the Old Bailey

PC Blakelock's family, who were in court, have said they are "extremely sad and disappointed at the verdict".

Police have justified pursuing Mr Jacobs almost three decades after the riots in north London and pledged to continue to seek justice for PC Blakelock's death.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: "No matter how difficult an investigation it has been to carry out - given the many years that have passed, the lack of forensic evidence and CCTV, plus the main witnesses to Keith murder's being those taking part in the riot - it was important we exhausted every possible lead we could.

"Sadly, Keith's widow, family and friends still have not seen anyone brought to justice for his murder. The dignity, extraordinary patience and courage they have shown in their nearly 30-year quest for justice is humbling.

"We will not give up on bringing Keith's killers to justice.

"There are people who know exactly who took part in the attack on Keith and people who took part themselves. It is not too late for you to come forward. Almost 30 years on, people's lives are very different, their allegiances broken or shifted. Help us now."

PC Keith Blakelock's widow, Elizabeth Johnson

The Crown Prosecution Service also insisted "it was right" to bring a case because "there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it was in the public interest". 

The trial heard from three anonymous witnesses who claimed to have seen Mr Jacobs take part in the killing.

During investigations into the attack on PC Blakelock a decision was made to give immunity to so-called "kickers" - those who were involved in the attack but did not use weapons.

In exchange they would cooperate with prosecutions, and the jury was told that some witnesses received payments.

Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, who led the investigation for 14 years, insisted: "No-one has been rewarded for this trial."

The defendant had written a rap poem during his time in a juvenile detention centre in which he boasted about "chopping" at the officer.

Police made numerous arrests at the time

Defending, Courtenay Griffiths QC said: "Bob Marley wrote I Shot The Sheriff but I have not heard of him being put on trial for murder."

Mr Jacobs had previously been convicted of affray in 1986 and was photographed at the scene throwing petrol bombs at the police.

The riots on Broadwater Farm are among the worst civil disturbances ever seen in Britain.

Violence erupted on October 5, 1985 after Cynthia Jarrett died of a heart attack following a police search of her home in Tottenham

This came a week after police had shot a black woman in Brixton.

Mr Jacobs was the seventh person to be tried for the Blakelock killing.

Three men, including Mr Silcott, were convicted in 1987 but later cleared on appeal after allegations of fabricated evidence. Three juveniles were acquitted before their case reached the jury.

Stafford Scott, from the Tottenham Rights Group, said the police should now close the case.

Stafford Scott from the Tottenham Rights Group

"This time around we've been given justice. We hope this puts an end to the case," Mr Scott said outside court.

"We feel sorry for the family of PC Blakelock but they shouldn't have been drawn through this because this case should never have happened.

"They've investigated this for 10 years and we've seen a jury release Nicky Jacobs in less than seven hours.

"I think that for the police this really is the end of the route."

Mr Jacobs will be released from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.

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Maria Miller Resigns As Culture Secretary

Maria Miller has been warned accepting a £17,000 pay-off would be a "further insult" to the taxpayer and she should turn it down.

The former Culture Secretary is entitled to three months' pay on leaving her post under law, however, she can refuse the amount.

The sum is significantly more than the £5,800 she has been ordered to repay in wrongly-claimed expenses and the Labour MP John Mann has said that given her conduct the payment would be "inappropriate".

Mrs Miller resigned this morning after a week of mounting pressure following an investigation into the expenses claims she made for a second home.

Mr Mann, who made the initial complaint about her allowances claims, said: "It is a ridiculous and outdated practice to pay off ministers when they return to the backbenches.

"In light of Maria Miller's conduct, it would now be inappropriate for her to claim severance pay following her resignation. For her to accept a payoff would be a further insult to the taxpayer."

Mrs Miller has insisted she was not pushed from her role as Culture Secretary but had to go because the scandal over her expenses was becoming a "distraction".

Maria Miller's 32-second apology in the Commons was incendiary

In an interview after her resignation, a clearly upset Mrs Miller said she took "full responsibility" for her decision to step down.

She said: "This has been a really difficult 16 months. Because I was cleared of the central allegation made about me by a Labour Member of Parliament, I hoped that I could stay. But it has become clear to me in recent days that it has become an enormous distraction.

"It is not right that I am distracting from the incredible achievements of this Government."

She denied she thought there had been a "witch-hunt" against her because of her role overseeing the reforms on press freedom suggested in the Leveson report, as had been claimed by her aide on Tuesday.

Asked if she was sorry, she replied: "I have made it clear and apologised unreservedly to the House of Commons and made sure that it was clear to everybody that I took full responsibility for those findings.

"I want to make that the situation is clear to everybody and make sure that I can move on."

In her resignation letter to David Cameron, Mrs Miller, 48, told him she was "very grateful" for his personal support during the growing row over her expenses.

Mr Cameron repeatedly backed his Culture Secretary

Mr Cameron, who consistently offered public support for his minister, said he was saddened by her departure but hoped the Basingstoke MP could make a return "in due course".

Mrs Miller finally stepped down six days after she was forced to apologise in the House of Commons for her attitude to an inquiry into the allowance claimed on her second home.

The Prime Minister had been under pressure in recent days to sack her from Tory activists and MPs, and Mrs Miller's position had become untenable.

Following criticism over his handling of the case from both Tory and Labour MPs Mr Cameron robustly defended his actions at Prime Minister's Questions.

When Labour leader Ed Miliband asked him what he had learned from the situation, he said: "I hope that one lesson that won't be learned is that the right thing to do as soon as someone has to answer allegations is just to instantly remove them, rather than give them a chance to clear their name and get on with their job.

"If people clear themselves of a serious offence, you let them get on with their job, you let them try to do their job. That is actually the right thing to do.

The second home at the centre of the row

"Firing someone at the first sign of trouble ... that is not actually leadership, that is weakness."

Mrs Miller's camp had, on Tuesday night, attempted a fightback after days of newspaper headlines and the faltering support for her from within Government.

Her aide, Mary Macleod, appeared on Sky News to claim she was a victim of a witch-hunt because she was dealing with press reforms recommended in the Leveson report. She had sent a text to MPs attempting to garner support for Mrs Miller.

She also claimed that Mrs Miller was unpopular because she was responsible for steering through the legislation on gay marriage.

In her resignation letter Mrs Miller said: "Of course, implementing the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson on the future of media regulation, following the phone hacking scandals, would always be controversial for the press.

"Working together with you, I believe we struck the right balance between protecting the freedom of the press and ensuring fairness, particularly for victims of press intrusion, to have a clear right of redress."

Mr Cameron has announced that Sajid Javid, MP for Bromsgrove, is to become the new Culture Secretary.

Nicky Morgan will replace him as Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Andrea Leadsom will become Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Mrs Miller's departure leaves three women in the Cabinet: Home Secretary Theresa May, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, and International Development Secretary Justine Greening. Baroness Warsi sits in the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio as is Ms Morgan, in her role.

Conservatives in Mrs Miller's constituency voiced disappointment at her departure.

Stephen Marks, a Conservative councillor on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said: "She did Leveson on press complaints and I feel the press were going to get their own back on her. I am saddened that she had to resign, but that is the way it is."

Mrs Miller issued a much-derided 32-second apology on Thursday after Parliament's sleaze watchdog upbraided her for her attitude to an expenses inquiry into claims for a second home.

She was also ordered to pay back £5,800 of wrongly-claimed allowances on the house in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she sold for a £1.2m profit in February.

However, it emerged that the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards had found that Mrs Miller should have paid back £45,000 in expenses claimed on the home but this was overruled by the Standards Committee of 10 MPs and three independent members, who do not have a vote.

It led to calls for an end to a system where MPs are allowed to police their own expenses, with the head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Sir Ian Kennedy, saying they should not "mark their own homework".

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