Rotherham Council Branded 'Not Fit For Purpose'

Rotherham Council's Cabinet is to resign after being branded "not fit for purpose" and "in denial" about its shortcomings by an independent government inspection.

They will leave their posts "as soon as transitional arrangements can be put in place", according to a statement.

The political leadership, branded "wholly dysfunctional" by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, will be replaced by government commissioners, who will be tasked with improving standards at the authority.

Early elections will also be held.

The inquiry was set up to assess Rotherham council's ability to handle revelations that 1,400 girls were subjected to sexual abuse over a period of 16 years.

It found that: "In particular, it is failing in its duties to protect vulnerable children and young people from harm."

Louise Casey's report was published as it was claimed a police officer and two local politicians have been accused of having sex with underage girls in Rotherham. 

The Independent Police Complaints Commission would not confirm that it had received an allegation of sexual abuse by a police constable but said that so far there had been 20 complaints against ten South Yorkshire officers in relation to their handling of the child sexual exploitation investigation in the South Yorkshire town.

Rotherham's entire council cabinet has resigned

The National Crime Agency also refused to say if it was investigating two councillors but said it was expanding its investigation in light of the new findings.

The report described an "unhealthy" culture within the South Yorkshire authority, with evidence of sexism, bullying and suppressing bad news.

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1. Gallery: Who's Who in The Rotherham Abuse Scandal

   Roger Stone - Leader of Rotherham Borough Council from 2003 to 2014. Resigned when the report was published in August last year.

Shaun Wright - Former Police & Crime Commissioner and Cabinet Member for Children's Services until 2010. Resigned following intense pressure, three weeks after the report was published.

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One In Two Britons Will Get Cancer, Say Experts

Video: Fifty Percent Chance Of Cancer

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

One in two people in the UK will get cancer at some point in their lives, according to the latest forecast by experts.

Cancer Research UK announced the new figure - which replaces the longstanding previous estimate of one in three - as it warned the country faces a "crisis" if it does not plan ahead.

The charity says the increase in cases is largely attributed to people living longer, but that the number of people surviving the disease has never been higher.

Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary University of London, is the author of the study published in the British Journal of Cancer that produced the figure.

"Cancer is a disease of old age," he said.

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1. Gallery: Why Are More People Getting Cancer?

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"The longer you live the more likely you are to get cancer and we think two thirds of the increase is because of increased longevity, the other third is because cancer rates are actually increasing."

While Cancer Research UK said there will "never be one single magic bullet" to cure all cancers, it called for a boost to public health and the NHS to meet looming demands for better diagnostics, treatments and earlier diagnosis.

The country's cancer survival rate has doubled over the last 40 years and around half of patients now survive the illness for more than 10 years.

Video: Most Cancers Down To Bad Luck

The lifetime cancer risk for women (47.55%) is lower than that of men (53.5%), while the combined lifetime risk is 50.5%.

In 1980 the combined risk was 27.2%, in 1990 it was 32.7%, in 2000 it was 37.1% and in 2010 it was 41.8%.

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: "We're living longer and that means we're more likely to develop a range of age-related health issues.

Video: 25 Cancer Treatments Cut In England

"We need to plan ahead to make sure the NHS is fit to cope. If the NHS doesn't act and invest now, we will face a crisis in the future - with outcomes from cancer going backwards.

"There will never be one single magic bullet that treats ... cures all cancers.

"I cannot foresee a time when that's going to be the case. But already we're able to cure a number of cancers now."

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Gunman Hunted Over Shooting On London Street

A murder investigation has been launched after a 38-year-old man was shot dead on a street in Uxbridge, west London.

Police were called by London Ambulance Service to Vine Lane following reports of a shooting shortly before 7pm.

The victim, found with gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead at the scene an hour later.

Officers are in the process of informing next of kin and a post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

Scotland Yard said no arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing.

Local road closures remain in place.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 358 0300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Jury In Gary Glitter Sex Abuse Trial Retires

The jury in the trial of Gary Glitter has retired to consider its verdicts.

The former glam rock star, whose real name is Paul Gadd faces 10 charges.

He is accused of attempted rape and an indecent assault on a girl under the age of 13 in 1975.

He is also accused of four counts of indecent assault on a second complainant and of giving the same child alcohol with the intention to "stupefy or overpower" her to have sex with him between January and May of the same year.

The former star denies the charges

It's also alleged that Gadd had unlawful intercourse with the girl.

The 70-year-old also faces two charges of indecent assault against a third person between October 1979 and December 1980.

He denies all the charges against him.

While giving evidence, Gadd told the court he had no interest in sexually abusing young girls.

He had previously admitted possessing sexual images of children and was jailed for the offence in 1999. The jury were warned by the judge not to allow that to influence their decision in this trial.

Gadd was the first person to be arrested by detectives working on Operation Yewtree, the inquiry which was set up following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

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Sky Beats Forecasts With Strong UK Growth

The UK's biggest pay-television company underlined continuing growth opportunities in its home market on Wednesday with a strong set of half-year results.

Sky plc, the owner of Sky News, said that adjusted operating profit in the six months to December 31 rose by 16% to £675m, with revenue up 5% to just over £5.6bn.

The performance beat City forecasts, and featured a number of notable achievements, including Sky's highest customer growth in nine years and the addition of 1m product sales, the highest level for four years.

Sky, which has just launched Fortitude, the most expensive drama it has ever produced, also said that new revenue streams such as its Sky Store on-demand service had performed well.

Last year, the company struck separate deals costing around £7bn to acquire control of its namesake operations in Italy and Germany.

It said that growth in Germany had hit a record level with 214,000 new customers and the highest growth in 12 quarters in Italy.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky's chief executive, said the results represented "an excellent operational and financial performance".

"The strength of our performance in the UK and Ireland shows that our approach to segmenting the market with the complementary Sky and NOW TV brands is working," he said.

"Across the board, customers are responding to our investment in more high-quality TV and innovative new services.

"This has resulted in the highest customer growth in nine years, the highest total product growth in four years and the lowest churn in a decade."

Since the end of 2014, Sky has announced a partnership with Telefonica Europe that will allow it to offer mobile voice and data services to customers.

Those services are expected to launch next year.

More immediately, Sky faces a crucial test of its ability to retain its position as the leading broadcaster of live Premier League football.

An auction of seven packages of matches for the three years from 2016-17 is scheduled to get under way on Friday.

BT, the other incumbent rights-holder, and Discovery Communications, which has a controlling stake in Eurosport, are also expected to bid.

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Iraq Inquiry Report Out 'As Soon As Possible'

The chairman of the inquiry into the Iraq War has said he is unable to say when his long-awaited report will be published.

Sir John Chilcot faced questions from MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee about why the document has yet to be released.

He said the aim is to release it "as soon as we possibly can".

The draft report is said to be around one million words in length, and more than £9m has been spent on the inquiry.

The inquiry, which was set up in 2009, heard evidence from its last witness in 2011.

Video: Timeline Of Iraq Inquiry

Concluding the public evidence sessions four years ago, Sir John said it would take "some months" to write the conclusions.

David Cameron is among those who have expressed frustration at the delay, and last week some MPs demanded that the existing text and key evidence be handed over to be published immediately.

In his opening statement, Sir John said: "My committee and I want, and intend, to deliver our report to the Prime Minister as soon as we possibly can.

"But as I said to the Prime Minister ... I see no realistic prospect of doing so before the General Election.

"We have to maintain the principles by which we have operated throughout: fairness, thoroughness and impartiality.

"It is our duty to deliver a report which gives the Government, Parliament, the public, and particularly all those who have been deeply affected by events in Iraq, the answers they deserve."

Video: Jan: Anger Grows Over Chilcot Delay

He told MPs part of the reason for the delay is the Maxwellisation Process - the practice of giving those due to be criticised in a report time to respond.

Sir John defended the time it has taken for the report to be finalised, saying it was a "massive task" of "constructing a reliable account" based on information that was "interlinked by a web of advice, discussion and debate".

"Quite difficult exchanges" about the release of Government documents had also held up publication, he said.

The finger for the delay has often been pointed at Tony Blair, who was Prime Minister at the time of the conflict.

But Mr Blair has repeatedly insisted that he has nothing to do it, and Sir John told MPs: "As of today I don't think anyone involved in the Maxwellisation process is seeking to spin it out."

Sir John quipped that he had "tried very hard not to rue" the day he accepted the job.

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1. Gallery: Protests At Tony Blair's Chilcot Appearances In 2010 And 2011

   Protesters gather outside Westminster's Queen Elizabeth II building for Tony Blair's appearances before the Chilcot Inquiry in 2010 and 2011

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McIlroy Settles Multi-Million Pound Lawsuit

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

Golfer Rory McIlroy and his former manager have reached a settlement in their multi-million pound legal dispute.

It means the 25-year-old world number one will be spared cross-examination in Dublin High Court.

Talks continued for seven hours after Mr Justice Cregan postponed the opening of the case overnight when he was told lawyers for both parties were making progress on issues.

McIlroy was suing his former management company for £4.5m, alleging he was coerced into signing an "unconscionable" contract at a Christmas party.

Horizon Sports Management was counter-suing him for £13m, alleging breach of contract and unpaid fees for negotiating some of his lucrative sponsorship deals.

Video: August - The World's Best Golfer?

At the start of 2013, McIlroy signed a deal with Nike worth $100m (£65m) over five years.

in a joint statement, the two sides said: "The legal dispute between Rory McIlroy and Horizon Sports Management has been settled to the satisfaction of both parties who wish each other well for the future."  

The terms of the settlement were not revealed.

The dispute had rumbled on for 18 months and a previous attempt at arbitration proved unsuccessful. With legal costs included, the lawsuit had run to an estimated £40m.

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1. Gallery: A Look At The Rise Of A Golf Prodigy

   Born in Holywood, Northern Ireland, a young Rory McIlroy was introduced to golf by his father. He won the 2003 Ulster Boys Championship at 13 and the European Amateur title in 2006

In 2007, at the age of 17, McIlroy won the trophy for best amateur player in the 136th British Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland

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CCTV Shows Carjacker Dragging Woman Into Road

A carjacker has been captured on CCTV stealing a woman's Mini from her own driveway – and dragging her into a busy main road as she clings on to try and stop him.

Nikki Law-Priddey had left the engine running to de-ice her car when the opportunistic thief sprinted into view and jumped into the driver's seat.

As the criminal began to drive off, the 30-year-old opened the car door in an attempt to seize control of the £16,200 vehicle.

But moments later, she slipped underneath the wheels and lost her grip, leaving her abandoned in the middle of the road.

The victim claims she was 'left for dead' in the middle of the road

On Facebook, Ms Priddey wrote: "To say I am in total shock and disbelief about what happened to me on my own doorstep, in broad daylight, is an understatement.

"My car has been recovered by the police and is in forensics. Do not leave your car running to de-ice it – scum like this wait for people just like me to make this mistake.

"Never in a million years did I think this would happen to me."

The business developer, from Birmingham, was left with a broken hand and bruising after the ordeal.

Since she began appealing for witnesses on social media, West Midlands Police have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of robbery.

A spokesman said: "We'd like to remind people there are always opportunistic thieves around looking for an easy steal, and not to leave cars unlocked and unattended with keys in the ignition."

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Cold Weather And Flu Send Death Rates Soaring

Cold weather and an aggressive strain of the flu virus have led to unusually high death rates in January, figures show.

There were 28,800 deaths registered in England and Wales in the fortnight ending 23 January – a 32% increase on the average number of deaths in this period over the previous five years.

Even when the time of year is accounted for, mortality rates among the over-65s have been higher than expected for the past six weeks, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Dr Richard Pebody of Public Health England said: "In recent weeks, we have seen evidence of significant excess mortality.

"Two important causes of excess deaths during the winter are influenza and cold snaps, although estimating exactly how much can be attributed to each takes more time.

"The main type of flu that has been circulating this winter so far is well recognised to particularly impact groups such as the elderly and those with underlying chronic health problems – resulting in increases in hospitalisations and deaths.

"That is why we recommend these groups receive flu vaccines each year – ideally before the flu season starts."

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New Zealand Judge To Chair Child Abuse Inquiry

New Zealand high court judge Justice Lowell Goddard has been named as the latest chair of the troubled child abuse inquiry.

Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement to MPs that a new statutory inquiry will be established, meaning the current panel will be dissolved.

Current members have been encouraged to reapply for their roles, and the panel has been asked to produce a report on its work so far.

The terms of reference are also being looked at, meaning that the investigations could potentially go back beyond 1970.

However, Mrs May suggested the remit is unlikely to be extended beyond England and Wales

Video: Oct: Woolf Quits Abuse Inquiry

The Home Secretary said she was "more determined than ever" to expose those who had failed victims, and thanked survivors "for their patience, their determination and their willingness to help us get this right".

The first chair of the inquiry was Baroness Butler-Sloss, who stood down in July amid questions over the role of her late brother, Lord Havers, who was attorney general in the 1980s.

Her replacement, Dame Fiona Woolf, resigned after criticism of her links to the establishment, most notably in relation to former home secretary Leon Brittan, who died last month.

The inquiry will be put on a statutory footing under the 2005 Inquiries Act, Mrs May confirmed, with the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.

Mrs May said she had spoken with many victims since making her last statement on the issue, and that she was "grateful to all of them" for speaking out.

"I am now more determined than ever to expose the people behind these despicable crimes and the people in institutions that knew about abuse but didn't act, that failed to help when it was their duty, sometimes their very purpose to do so," she said.

"And the people and institutions that in some cases positively covered up evidence of abuse."

While Mrs May conceded "not every survivor" would agree with what has been announced, she said there was a great deal of consensus on what the inquiry needed.

Video: July: Sex Abuse Inquiry Judge Quits

Mrs May also confirmed that a previously top-secret file containing allegations of "unnatural sexual behaviour", that named the late British diplomat Sir Peter Hayman, was not seen by a probe into the Home Office's handling of historic sex abuse claims.

She said the Cabinet Office file was similar to a Home Office file that was examined by the review, but confirmed it had additional information.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has been campaigning on the issue, told Sky News he welcomed the appointment of Justice Goddard and said it "looks like a good appointment".

Alison Millar, from the law firm Leigh Day, which is representing some of the victims, said: "We are very pleased to see that the inquiry will have a much wider remit and the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.

"Clearly a lot of thought has gone into the choice of chairperson and it is a brave step by the Home Secretary to appoint a non-UK based judge to oversee this essential inquiry."

Ben Emmerson QC will continue as the inquiry's legal counsel.

He said: "Justice Goddard has all the key qualities necessary to lead the Inquiry's work - absolute independence from the executive, a proven track record of holding state and non-state institutions to account, and the forensic skills necessary to digest and analyse vast quantities of evidence."

Justice Goddard will appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee for a pre-appointment hearing next Wednesday.

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