Jobless Total Up As Income Squeeze Tightens

The unemployment total has risen for the second month in a row while average pay increases were found to be at their weakest on record.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people without work rose 70,000 in the three months to the end of February to reach 2.56 million - pushing the jobless rate up to 7.9%.

The number of people in work fell by 2,000 over the period to just under 30 million - the first time the figure has dipped since autumn 2011.

There were 900,000 out of work for more than a year, an 8,000 increase on the three months to November, while the number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds rose by 20,000 to 979,000.

However, those claiming unemployment benefit fell by 7,000 in March.

While the jobless figures suggested a reversal in the resilience of the UK labour market amid the UK's weak economic growth, it was the pay statistics that will most worry those who are seeking a pick-up in consumer spending to boost output.

Pay, excluding bonuses, rose by 1% between November and February compared to a year earlier which was the smallest on record, the ONS said.

With CPI inflation currently measured at an annual rate of 2.8%, the pay figure demonstrates that prices are continuing to rise at a faster pace than wage growth at a time when energy bills and many other costs have soared.

Employers have been limiting pay increases as a way of managing to keep hold of staff amid the flat-lining economy.

The move has been cited by some economists as a key reason why unemployment levels fell last year: companies wanting to be ready for when recovery came.

While the Government hailed falling jobseeker's allowance claims it admitted there was much still to do to help get people back to work.

GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny said: "The Chancellor should heed IMF advice to change course to grow the economy to end this needless waste of human talent."

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Home Office To Appeal Over Qatada Ruling

The Home Office has asked the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal over a decision to allow Abu Qatada to stay in the UK.

The move to appeal to the Supreme Court comes after judges last month rejected the latest in a long line of attempts to deport the radical cleric to Jordan.

In March, Court of Appeal judges backed an earlier ruling that Qatada, also known as Omar Othman, could not be deported over fears that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government remains committed to deporting this dangerous man and we continue to work with the Jordanians to address the outstanding legal issues preventing deportation."

The Government has now been trying to deport Qatada to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999, for nearly eight years.

The Home Secretary's lawyers challenged a ruling made last November by immigration judges on the grounds that Qatada was a "truly dangerous" individual who had escaped deportation through "errors of law".

Qatada on his release from prison last November

But three Court of Appeal judges said the Special Immigration Appeals Commission was entitled to conclude that disputed statements would be used against Qatada.

And, in reaching their conclusion, they added it was not "relevant" that terror suspect Qatada was regarded as "extremely dangerous".

Qatada, who featured in sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers, has ultimately thwarted every Government attempt to deport him.

A resident in the UK since September 1993, he was returned to jail last month after being arrested for alleged bail breaches.

A hearing over whether he should be granted bail again was due to be held last month but was delayed.

Police say he is being investigated over extremist material following a search of his London home.

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Tesco Confirms US Exit And Profit Fall

Tesco has confirmed its first fall in annual profits for 20 years and writedowns totalling more than £2.5bn as it moves to concentrate on improving its UK supermarket business.

The retailer confirmed it is exiting its loss-making Fresh & Easy operation in the United States, with a resulting £1.2bn writedown a major factor behind its 51.5% fall in pre-tax profit to £1.96bn in the year to February 13.

Tesco was also hit by costs related to its turnaround plan for the UK while its bank's exposure to the payment protection insurance scandal grew to £115m.

A writedown of £804m was also confirmed on the value of its UK property portfolio as it scrapped more than 100 store developments to focus on store revamps, convenience stores and improved delivery to online customers.

Tesco is seeking a buyer for its Fresh & Easy operations

A £495m 'goodwill impairment' relating to its operations in Poland, the Czech Republic and Turkey was announced too.

Tesco's chief executive Philip Clarke said that the actions would put the company "back on the right track" to deliver long-term growth for shareholders though its share price took a 2.8% hit when trading opened in London.

He continued: "The large stores we have are great and we are doing a lot of work to make them more vibrant and relevant for today's customers, but we won't need many more of them because growth in future will be multi-channel - a combination of big stores, local convenience stores and online."

The group said fourth quarter sales at British stores open over a year, excluding fuel and VAT, grew 0.5% - a slowdown from growth of 1.8% in the six weeks to January 5.

Philip Clarke has signalled an end to 'store wars' by halting new building

Mr Clarke admitted that sales over the past few months had been impacted by the horsemeat scandal as customers steered clear of frozen meat products.

Tesco had to withdraw four products from sale amid the crisis, but said the effect on overall sales was minimal and stressed that trading was now "back to normal".

While still well ahead of its supermarket rivals in terms of market share, Tesco has been facing a greater challenge from the likes of Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.

They had been investing in their UK operations at a time when Tesco had concentrated on diversifying its business.

Tesco apologised in January for horsemeat in some of its burgers

Last year, Mr Clarke pledged a £1bn investment to upgrade its stores and customer service offering - at one stage taking personal charge of the turnaround plan.

Capital expenditure fell by 19% or £0.7bn to £3bn in the financial year.

Recent surveys have suggested the supermarket chain is still struggling to win round customers, with a study by Which? in February suggesting that Tesco was the most complained-about.

Researchers Espirito Santo said this week that customer perceptions of Tesco had deteriorated since November, with the horsemeat scandal a contributory factor.

It found that views on Tesco's quality, prices, promotions and overall value for money had all fallen while a net 16% of Tesco customers chose to shop more elsewhere because of horsemeat.

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Lake District: Walker Dies In Ravine Plunge

A Swiss walker has died after plunging 100 metres (330ft) into a ravine in the Lake District.

Elisabeth Huber, 68, had been on holiday and was walking with a group of people when the accident happened on Tuesday afternoon.

She fell from a path in the Dungeon Ghyll area of the Great Langdale valley in Cumbria.

Rescue teams were called but Ms Huber, from Heimberg, Switzerland, was pronounced dead at at the scene.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria Constabulary said: "Police are not treating her death as suspicious at this stage and have passed the case on to the coroner.

"Police officers in Cumbria are working with Interpol to support Ms Huber's family in Switzerland."

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Mother's Toddler Murder Conviction Quashed

A woman has had her conviction for murdering her toddler son quashed by appeal judges.

No reason was given for the decision to overturn Kimberley Hainey's life sentence, which was issued in December, 2011, for the murder of her son Declan in their home in Paisley in Renfrewshire.

It is expected the court will hear the opinion of judges Lord Clarke, Lord Mackay of Drumadoon and Lord Drummond Young on Thursday.

Hainey, 38, was originally told she would serve a minimum of 15 years for the murder.

Declan's mummified body was was discovered in March 2010, when he would have been 23 months old.

He was last seen alive when he was 15 months old.

During the judge's sentencing, Lord Woolman told Hainey: "Declan's first birthday took place in April, 2009, he appeared to have all his life in front of him.

"He was surrounded by a loving family and people thought you were a loving mother. A few months later he was dead.

"You were Declan's carer. You did not allow others to get close to him. Instead you isolated him from your family, your neighbours, your friends and from the welfare services.

"None of them thought that Declan's life was at risk. You engineered that situation.

"You embarked on a systematic and elaborate course of conduct to prevent people knowing, or suspecting, that Declan was dead.

"It was a lengthy course of deceit that prevented proper inquiries being made."

The judge acknowledged that Hainey had struggled with drink and drugs and that her son's death was a "huge tragedy" for her, as she said she loved the boy "more than anything in the world".

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Lowestoft: Death Fall Mum 'Cared Too Much'

A heavily pregnant woman who fell to her death before her three young children were found dead was "beautiful and intelligent", her family have said.

Fiona Anderson had suffered from mental illness

Fiona Anderson, 23, has now been formally identified after she suffered fatal head injuries at a multi-storey car park on Monday morning.

Officers investigating the incident later found the children - named by neighbours as Levina, three, Addy, two, and 11-month-old baby Kyden - at their home in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

In a statement issued by Suffolk police, Ms Anderson's mother Kerry, father Michael and sisters Claire and Laura said she "cared passionately", but had suffered with mental illness from a young age.

Levina

They said: "Fiona was a beautiful, intelligent girl and a loving and caring person, but she had suffered from mental illness since she was young and we believe she was driven to her actions yesterday.

"This was not our Fiona - she was not herself. She cared passionately about others but often brought stress on herself by caring too much.

"She was gentle but ended up under too much pressure.

Addy

"As a family we were close but she would often push us away, keen to do her own thing and not to listen when we offered support. Life was sometimes overwhelming for her.

"She was really popular but just didn't believe she was and had forgotten there were people there that could help her.

"We wish more had been done to recognise her mental health problems, which could be masked by her intelligence and creativity. She would often make costumes for the children, who she loved very much."

Kyden

The family added that Ms Anderson would be remembered as a "girlie girl" who was also a very private person.

Post-mortem examinations have failed to ascertain how the children died and further tests will be carried out, police said.

Neighbours said Ms Anderson was eight months pregnant with a baby girl she had planned on calling Evalie.

CCTV images show Fiona Anderson shortly before her death

She was seen entering the car park in Battery Green Road, Lowestoft, shortly before 8am on Monday.

CCTV footage showed Ms Anderson walking around Lowestoft holding a teddy bear shortly before she was found.

Detective Superintendent John Brocklebank said the force was "conducting a meticulous investigation" into the tragedy.

The IPCC said it was awaiting details of the case from Suffolk police.

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Thatcher Funeral: Pockets Of Protests

There have been some protests - though smaller than expected - at the funeral of Baroness Thatcher.

Rows broke out between supporters of Lady Thatcher and demonstrators outside the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand.

A pensioner called Phil Williams, who was dressed in a suit and black tie, was holding a banner saying "Rest in Shame" and a "piece of s***", drawing loud cheers.

"Sorry, but it needs saying, they're burying an old woman," said the 58-year-old former power station worker from Shotton in Flintshire.

Protesters set fire to a coffin containing an effigy of Lady Thatcher

He added: "No one's ever heard of Shotton apart from the fact that they lost 8,000 jobs when the steelworks closed in the early 80s.

"Look at what she did to the North, steelworks, mining, the poll tax. She trialled all these things in the North and made criminals out of a million people. I have no regard for the woman."

Protester Charmain Kenner, 58, had her back turned as Lady Thatcher's coffin went past Trafalgar Square in the hearse.

She said: "Thatcher's policies were all about individualistic materialism. She created a much greater divide between rich and poor, she ruined many communities and many industries.

A protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice

"Basically, she ruined this country and, to add insult to injury, we're expected to pay for her funeral."

A protester who gave her name only as Helen stood outside St Paul's during the funeral service, wearing a mask of Lady Thatcher's face.

"It would be lovely if other pensioners could spend their last days in luxury at the Ritz," she said.

"I don't really care about Thatcher's death. She obviously didn't really care about the poor or elderly, or those with dementia when she was prime minister.

Some demonstrators wore Lady Thatcher masks

"I think it's really scandalous that we've spent all this money and time on her funeral. It just adds insult to injury."

Sky's Mick McCarthy, in the former coal town of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire, said: "There is a truly unique atmosphere. As much of the nation mourns, the mood among former miners and their families in many former coalfields is upbeat and celebratory.

"More than 1,000 people have turned up for what has been described as a death party - unlike any other event I can remember with babies wearing The Witch is Dead t-shirts and a parade lead by a mock hearse and coffin."

In Durham, dozens of ex-miners arrived at a club in Easington Colliery, with many of them saying they were there to celebrate Baroness Thatcher's death.

A protest referring to Lady Thatcher's famous phrase

Hundreds are expected to attend the event, which will also commemorate the end of mining in the town.

Dave Douglass, who worked at Doncaster coalfield for 35 years, said he was there to mourn her birth.

"She wanted to smash the union and sell off whatever was profitable," he said.

"I'm here to mourn her birth as she represents the system that we are all still suffering under.

"I'm also here to commemorate the loss of this pit and every pit in Great Britain.

"If people say it's in bad taste to do this, I would say it was in bad taste when miners were killed on the picket lines.

Protesters in London during the funeral

"I have been watching so much psychotic drivel on the news this morning talking about the names of each horse in the funeral. It's the kind of stage-managed stuff we see in North Korea."

In Liverpool, the city council made the decision not to show the funeral on the big screen in the town centre in Clayton Square.

A spokesman said: "We considered the potential issues and the decision was made not to screen the funeral."

Lady Thatcher was seen as a particularly divisive politician by many on Merseyside due to her attack on the unions which affected thousands of dockers and her perceived lack of interest in the city's problems in the wake of the 1981 Toxteth riots.

Grimethorpe Colliery has not forgotten its anger

At Cumnock in East Ayrshire, the Glenmuir Arms hosted a "funeral party".

Landlord Jim McMahon, a former miner, decked out his pub in Union Flag bunting for a celebration of Lady Thatcher's death in an area where the mining industry was decimated during the years of her reign.

Pub televisions were switched off as a protest against the money spent on the funeral.

Speakers, including former MSP Tommy Sheridan, gave their address from a stage above a pair of papier-mache legs protruding from a sealed box, alongside a witch's broom.

Pub-goers at the Glenmuir Arms in Cumnock celebrate with champagne

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Baroness Thatcher's Funeral At St Paul's

Baroness Thatcher has been given a ceremonial funeral at St Paul's Cathedral as Britain remembers a famous but divisive prime minister.

The Queen, her presence effectively raising it to a state event, joined dignitaries from around the world and all Lady Thatcher's successors.

It was the first time the monarch had attended the funeral service of a former prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

The UK's first and so far only female prime minister was given full military honours, her coffin brought to St Paul's on a gun carriage drawn by six black horses.

Lady Thatcher's family on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral

Security across the capital was tight but there appeared to be far smaller crowds than expected, with some areas where barriers were erected almost empty.

Scotland Yard said no arrests were made in London during the morning, although many onlookers were furious that taxpayers were paying most of the funeral bill.

Inside the famous church, more than 2,300 guests paid tribute, led by the former politician's children Mark and Carol and her two grandchildren Michael and Amanda.

Sitting a few rows behind them among today's parliamentarians was Chancellor George Osborne, who had tears running down his face.

An aerial view of St Paul's as the coffin arrived

Aides to the Cabinet minister declined to elaborate on his emotional response, saying it "speaks for itself".

More than 30 members of the Iron Lady's cabinets, including Lord Heseltine and Lord Howe who played a key role in her downfall, were at the service.

Alongside them were dignitaries from around 170 countries, including two heads of state and 11 serving prime ministers.

No-one from the White House was there, but former US vice-president Dick Cheney and ex-secretary of state Henry Kissinger attended in a private capacity.

More than 50 guests were associated with the Falklands, including one of the conflict's most well-known veterans Simon Weston.

Chancellor George Osborne shedding a tear during the service

Figures from the entertainment world included Sir Terry Wogan, Jeremy Clarkson, Katherine Jenkins, Joan Collins and Lord Lloyd-Webber.

The main service was conducted with more pomp and ceremony than any funeral seen in London since the death of the Queen Mother in 2002.

Lady Thatcher had planned it to the last detail and at her express wish, her granddaughter Amanda read the first lesson.

David Cameron read from the Gospel and the Bishop of London gave an address which deliberately steered clear of talking about her political legacy.

He said: "The storm of conflicting opinions centres on the Mrs Thatcher who became a symbolic figure - even an "ism".

"Today the remains of the real Margaret Hilda Thatcher are here at her funeral service. Lying here, she is one of us, subject to the common destiny of all human beings.

"There is an important place for debating policies and legacy; for assessing the impact of political decisions on the everyday lives of individuals and communities.

David Cameron doing a reading in front of the coffin

"Parliament held a frank debate last week - but here and today is neither the time nor the place."

Music by British composers was played at the beginning and end of the service, and the hymns reflected aspects of Lady Thatcher's life.

They included He Who Would Valiant Be, Love Divine All Loves Excelling to mark the influence of her Methodist upbringing and I Vow To Thee My Country because of her love for the nation.

At the end, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave the blessing before the coffin was removed by bearers from units linked to the Falklands War.

The Queen greeting Mark and Carol Thatcher outside the church

The waiting crowd gave three cheers as it emerged, after which the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh joined Lady Thatcher's family on the Cathedral steps.

The ceremony followed a sombre procession through central London, which was on lockdown with 4,000 police officers on duty in case of any unrest.

Many among those lining the streets appeared to be Thatcher supporters, although others booed or performed a silent protest as the coffin passed.

The honours had started at dawn with the lowering of flags over government buildings all around the country, where they will remain until dusk.

Big Ben then fell silent at 9.45am and did not chime again until 1pm, in a mark of respect from the institution that made Lady Thatcher's name.

Her coffin, which had rested in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Westminster overnight, was removed from Parliament at 10am.

The Blairs and the Camerons were in the congregation

People applauded as the hearse made its way up Whitehall past Downing Street - the politician's home for more than a decade.

A hand-written card from her two children placed in a single large white flower arrangement resting on the coffin read: "Beloved mother, always in our hearts".

Transferred to a gun carriage outside St Clement Danes Church, it was then escorted by hundreds of troops to St Paul's for the service.

The 1.5 ton carriage travelled at 70 steps per minute - its wheels changed from steel to rubber so that it ran more quietly along the road.

During the procession, a gun salute was fired at one-minute intervals from the Tower of London.

Among the three 105mm light guns operated by the Honourable Artillery Company were two used in the Falklands and last fired in anger at Goose Green and the final assault on Port Stanley.

(L-R) Lords Tebbit, Howe and Heseltine outside St Paul's

At St Paul's, the cortege was met by a guard of honour from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards on the steps which were lined by members of all three services and 16 Chelsea pensioners.

As crowds packing the pavements applauded warmly, a single half-muffled bell tolled before the 55-minute service began.

After the ceremony, Lady Thatcher's family and guests went to a reception in the City of London ahead of a private cremation in Mortlake, south-west London. Her ashes will be interred at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Ahead of the service, David Cameron insisted that his predecessor had settled divisions by winning the big arguments - declaring: "In a way, we are all Thatcherites now."

He added: "She was the first woman prime minister, she served for longer in the job that anyone for 150 years, she achieved some extraordinary things in her life."

Outside St Paul's supporter John Loughrey, from Wandsworth, said: "She saved Britain. She gave my father the opportunity to buy his council house.

"We had all sorts of problems and Mrs Thatcher put it all back together again. We needed the Iron Lady."

The gun carriage entering Fleet Street

Margaret Kittle, 79, had travelled all the way from Canada to pay her respects and was in place on Tuesday to ensure a good view.

She said: "My family came to Churchill's and I wanted to come to Maggie's because they are the two greats of history. We will never see the likes of Mrs Thatcher again."

But student David Winslow, 22, was among the critics in the crowd.

"The message is that spending £10m on such a divisive figure in times of austerity, especially when austerity is being imposed on the poor, is wrong, especially when harm is being caused to the disabled and the NHS," he said.

There was also tension between supporters and protesters near the Royal Courts of Justice, where pensioner Phil Williams held a banner saying "Rest in Shame".

A 45-year-old protester called Helen, who was wearing a mask of Lady Thatcher's face, said: "I think it's really scandalous that we've spent all this money and time on her funeral. It just adds insult to injury.

"I think she ruined Britain's manufacturing industry, which is something the current Government are always harping on about.

"I think she started the culture of vilifying the poor and the disabled and I just think the current Government are following Thatcher's policies."

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said the cost of the funeral to the taxpayer would be "much, much less" than the £10m reported.

Protesters angry that taxpayers' paid for most of the funeral

Many mining towns ignored the funeral but in Goldthorpe, an effigy of the former prime minister in a noose was paraded and residents plan to burn a coffin later.

One home in the town displayed a huge sign saying: "The Lady's not for turning but tonight she'll be for burning."

Meanwhile in Glasgow, a rally was being held to remember the "industries and communities who suffered" during her premiership.

Prominent left-winger Tommy Sheridan, who helped lead the protests against the poll tax in Scotland, will speak at the event.

However, in Lady Thatcher's hometown of Grantham, dozens gathered to watch the funeral and to pay their respects.

Christine Taylor, 66, said: "I think people forget the way Britain was before she came to power. They forget the winter of discontent."

"I felt Mrs Thatcher was somebody who was going to stand up for people. I know she has been divisive but I think she was a great leader."

The hearse passing by the gates of Downing Street

In Belfast, Unionists marked the funeral in the traditional fashion by flying the Union Flag at half-mast on the City Hall despite recent tensions over a vote to reduce the number of days it is flown.

But Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said Republicans were preparing for evening protests.

On Falls Road in west Belfast, they will honour 14 IRA hunger strikers who died when Lady Thatcher refused to grant them political prisoner status in 1981.

By mid-afternoon, a small group of Republicans - around 50-75 people - had already started protesting at Free Derry Corner in Londonderry.

Ken Clarke, who held a series of senior roles in Lady Thatcher's Cabinets, dismissed people celebrating her death as "adolescents making silly points".

Of the funeral service, he said: "Being as objective as I can be, she was the first woman prime minister. She was the longest-serving prime minister in modern times.

"And she changed the country on a scale which no other prime minister came near. She was a huge national personality so I think it was entirely suitable."

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Measles Outbreak: Mass Vaccination Underway

By Isabel Webster, Correspondent

Mass vaccination has begun in schools in Swansea on a scale never seen before in South Wales as health officials try to put an end to the measles outbreak.

Some 5,000 children have been identified as at risk in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot and five schools in the area are offering immunisations over the next three days to try and halve that figure.

Rebecca Higgins, 14, was one of 20 students at Bishop Gore school to contract the virus and was one of the first to get the MMR jab today.

She said: "I've never been so ill in my life. I couldn't move or eat, I couldn't stand light and it was just horrendous. So, I wanted to get the jab ASAP - I never want to go through that again."

Sara Hayes, the Director of Public Health for Abertawe Bro Morganwg University Health Board said she's never known a measles epidemic like it in her career.

She said: "I don't think it's reached the peak yet - it still seems to be growing.

"I'm very concerned about that. We will see clusters of cases ongoing - it's a waiting game really - we just hope we're ahead of that with our vaccination programme."

Public Health Wales has recorded a 10% rise in cases of the virus since last week bringing the total number affected since the start of the outbreak in November to 765.

Of those, 77 have had to receive some form of hospital treatment.

The latest figures, which will be updated on Thursday, are expected to show another increase.

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Pinewood Studio Confirms China Expansion

Pinewood Shepperton has signed a joint venture with a Chinese media entrepreneur as it seeks to expand its production services into the fast-growing Chinese market.

The venture partnership with Bruno Wu's Seven Stars company will be called Song Lin and looks to make co-productions, run film courses, develop financing for Chinese productions and create film-themed entertainment venues.

Pinewood, which is the home of the James Bond movie franchise and owns Europe's largest film studio, said the deal could realise "significant opportunities" for movie and TV producers in the UK.

A sharp rise in box office revenues in China, boosted by an emerging middle class making more trips to the cinema, has encouraged foreign film producers to seek local partners to help them crack the market.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has sought to woo emerging nations as markets for British exports, welcomed the news.

"Pinewood is leading the way, taking advantage of China's thriving entertainment and media sector and building on Britain and China's growing trade relationship," he said.

Pinewood, which has expanded its presence across large parts of the world, recently submitted a fresh proposal to develop its main site in Buckinghamshire after it was previously rejected by planners.

The original Project Pinewood proposals included homes, sports facilities and city street sets as part of a £200m investment.

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