Immigration: PM Talks Tough On Social Housing

Immigrant families will be kept off council house waiting lists for up to five years under a crackdown being unveiled by Prime Minister David Cameron.

He is to set out a tougher approach on housing and benefits in a keynote speech today - promising to tackle the culture of "something for nothing".

Councils currently have powers to impose local residency tests for social housing but ministers are frustrated that only around half do so.

Arguing that Britain became a "soft touch" for immigrants under Labour, Mr Cameron will announce that statutory guidance is being issued.

Local authorities will have to introduce minimum residency times of between two and five years for joining waiting lists - or justify why they are not.

The Prime Minister is likely to cite figures in his speech showing that nearly one in 10 new social lettings go to foreign nationals. The proportion has risen from 6.5% in 2007-08 to 9% in 2011-12.

The harder line will please the Tory right, who have blamed the lack of action in such core areas for the party's dismal third place behind UKIP in the Eastleigh by-election.

Concerns have been rising of an influx from Bulgaria and Romania when movement restrictions are loosened at the end of this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg performed a U-turn last week by abandoning the Liberal Democrats' controversial "earned citizenship" policy, which would allow illegal immigrants to stay once they have been in the country for more than 10 years.

He said such an amnesty now risked "undermining public confidence".

Under the new rules, ministers will take steps to ensure British nationals are protected when they move for "genuine reasons" - such as work or family breakdown - by ensuring local authorities retain the ability to set exceptions.

Such protection is already legally in force for members of the Armed Forces.

Mr Cameron is also expected to use his speech to reiterate his commitment to reduce net immigration.

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'Huge Problem' Of Male Suicide Rate In UK

Nelson Fell Through The Cracks

Updated: 4:19am UK, Sunday 24 March 2013

To the outside world Nelson had the world at this feet. A professional snowboarder, on the cover of magazines, coach to the British Olympic snowboard team, as physically fit as it was possible to be, universally loved by everyone that knew him and from a loving family.

Nelson was a truly aspirational human being and a role model to many. How could someone like Nelson take his own life? He had so much to live for.

His death in the summer of 2012 sent shockwaves through the UK snowboarding community and with everyone that knew him. His family and friends were left distraught as there had been no glaring warning signs. I had seen Nelson only days before and even though I felt I knew him better than anyone, even in my darkest fears I had no idea what was coming.

Nelson did suffer from anxieties and at periods of his life had been touched by bouts of depression. Like so many men, Nelson found it very hard to openly talk about these powerful inner thoughts. He had great friends and a loving family but found it very hard to be truly honest - especially in perhaps such an image conscious sport as snowboarding?

Men as a rule are supposed to battle on through strife and illness. For a man to show weakness and say they're feeling down is frowned upon and the stigma attached to depression and other mental illnesses is huge. Nelson felt this, and often telling your close friends and family you feel depressed has its own pressures attached - I'm sure Nelson felt the worry of not letting loved ones down. It is obvious now Nelson had incredibly powerful emotions locked deep inside him that ultimately took control of him towards the end.

One of Nelson's last acts was to take himself to his local GP the day before he took his life, obviously seeking help and support. I know how much courage this must have taken for Nelson. Nelson was asked to fill in various questionnaires to assess his mood, he scored very highly for anxiety and was classed as moderately depressed. Unfortunately all the GP could do for him at the time was to tell him to return in two weeks if he still felt bad, and was given the web address of an online cognitive programme.

Like many, Nelson fell through the cracks. He died the next day. I understand how much pressure GPs are under, but also feel frustrated that he could have been given more options - a few telephone numbers maybe, a help line, a link to CALM's website or even a call to his family to say he may be at risk. This may have helped him feel he wasn't struggling alone, that there was help out there, that other guys were struggling with exactly what he was feeling. Why, for instance, is it so hard to get a referral to see a psychiatrist, my local GP told me he doesn't even know the name of his and even if he did it would take weeks for an appointment. Things have to change.

Only after this tragic event do the shattering statistics hit home. Suicide in young men is the biggest single killer in the UK right now, on average three a day and more deaths in 2011 than traffic accidents, HIV and murder alone. BUT only 1 in 10 people have any idea of these brutal stats. Awareness has to be top priority, there must be a focused strategy to suicide in the UK. The minister of care and support Norman Lamb stated that the government has a "complete responsibility to reduce men taking their own lives." Now's the time for action - not words.

By tapping into organisations such as CALM, the government can educate themselves and potentially hit the key demographic and most at risk. CALM are using people, brands, musicians, artists etc that young men can associate with, a voice they respect, raising awareness. A strong communications strategy is clearly needed for the government. 

Obviously this is huge problem and not easily tackled. It will take time. Stigma amongst men, families and society in general is a huge hurdle but we have to start somewhere. It's clear from Nelson's story that there isn't a set stereotype for someone who ends their own life.  He appeared to have everything. If there is any positive to come out of his death, it's that suicide and depression can hit anyone and there is no shame in admitting you need help. Help is out there, you don't have to suffer alone, there is always hope. Ride on Nelly.

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Gallagher And Albarn Bury Hatchet For Charity

Former rivals Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn have put their differences aside for a good cause.

The Oasis and Blur singers performed alongside each other at The Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

As part of a series of concerts curated by Gallagher, the musicians were also joined by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon for a rendition of the band's 1999 song Tender.

Paul Weller also joined the star-studded line-up playing the drums for the hit.

Albarn, Gallagher and Coxon pose for pictures backstage

Fans took to Twitter to praise the stars.

User @areminder wrote: "Noel Gallagher playing Tender with Damon Albarn & Graham Coxon (& Paul Weller) is blowing my 16 year old mind."

Photographer Yui Mok, who was there to record the moment, described how the collaboration began.

He said: "To the initial chords of Blur song Tender, it seemed like everyone was on their feet and you could feel the temperature in the room rise several notches.

"It was one of those moments that are quite few and far between these days,a genuine bit of musical history."

The pair shared a microphone for two lines of a chorus, exchanging wide smiles as they sang the song, the last of Albarn and Coxon's set of the night.

Fan Catherine Morgan said of the performance: "It was electric. Who would have thought you would have seen Damon, Graham and Noel singing Tender, and with Paul Weller. on drums!

"It sounded great, true rock and roll, and for a great cause."

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Military Honours: Code-Breaker Receives MBE

A soldier who cracked codes used by Afghan insurgents to hide deadly weapons is among those recognised in the latest military honours.

Private Lewis Treloar, a 23-year-old former builder, volunteered for the role as lead IED (improvised explosive device) searcher on his second tour of Afghanistan last summer, despite his wife expecting their second baby.

"I didn't want to witness anything bad happening to anyone else," he said.

After cracking the coded warning signs used by the Taliban, Pte Treloar, of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, went on to find more than 40 stores of IEDs and weapons.

He said he was "shocked" to receive an MBE but added: "The real reward is seeing these weapons off the streets."

Pte Treloar is one of 118 members of the Armed Forces honoured for their bravery.

Others include Flight Lieutenant Christopher Gordon, who receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing 30 British and Afghan troops while under heavy fire.

Flt Lt Gordon said receiving his medal was "very humbling"

The 29-year-old flew his Chinook into an insurgent "safe haven" in Helmand Province, despite one of the helicopter's two engines being disabled.

He made his way back to Camp Bastion at a height of less than 20ft, creating a dust cloud that meant he "couldn't see anything".

On Friday, it emerged Lance Corporal Lawrence Kayser would receive the Military Cross after single-handedly clearing an entire compound of insurgents.

Medic Lance Corporal Abbie Martin receives the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service for treating a British soldier on the battlefield while under fire.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "In a changing world, the bravery and commitment to duty of our servicemen and women remains unswerving.

"Whether fighting for our security on operations abroad or rescuing mountaineers and sailors within the British Isles, they deserve our gratitude and respect.

"I hope that the awards ... go some way to underlining how much this country values the efforts and sacrifices of our Armed Forces."

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Call For More Webcams On Scottish Mountains

Webcams should be installed on Scotland's mountains to help save lives, a politician has claimed.

At the moment a few popular resorts such as Loch Ness and the Cairngorms already have the digital devices fitted where users can gauge the conditions ahead.

Scottish Conservative MSP Liz Smith said an increased number of webcams would help prevent accidents.

Mrs Smith said: "There are excellent weather forecasts available, but I think this should be expanded.

"A network of webcams would be another tool in the box to help people gauge the conditions at higher altitudes. I believe it would save lives."

Weather conditions can change rapidly in the Scottish Highlands

In January four people died in an avalanche while descending the 3,658ft Bidean nam Bian near Glencoe.

Two of the victims, Dr Rachel Majumdar, 29, and Tom Chesters, 28, met at university and were making plans for a future together in Leeds.

They died alongside Lancashire ocean mapping PhD student Christopher Bell, 24, and 25-year-old junior doctor Una Finnegan, who originally came from Co Antrim.

The four died on January 19 when an avalanche struck around 2pm without warning and swept them 1,000ft down the mountainside.

A fifth member of the party was taken to hospital and a sixth person is thought to have survived after he used an ice axe to anchor himself after jumping clear.

Last month another climber died after falling more than 160ft on Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain.

But the Mountaineering Council for Scotland (MCS) questioned the benefit of the webcams.

Spokesman David Gibson said: "It's great that politicians are taking an interest in mountain safety.

"But webcams are more likely to encourage people without the sufficient skills and experience to venture onto the mountains.

"We have a publicly funded avalanche service which provides excellent information and there is a mountain weather information service."

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'Overweight Riders Putting Horses At Risk'

Horses are becoming the latest victims of Britain's obesity crisis, according to experts.

A report in the Sunday Telegraph says a third of recreational riders are too fat to be using their horses, sparking fears that animals could be injured.

Researchers who carried out a survey found that only 5% of riders were the optimum weight for their mounts.

Dr Hayley Randle, an equitation scientist involved in the research, said the findings should alarm horse owners.

She said: "People tend to think that as horses are such big animals they must be OK, and not to take notice of the weight issue for riders, but the health impact on the horse can be quite extreme.

"It seems to be a growing problem."

The study comes after the first saddle designed specifically for plus-sized riders went on sale earlier this year.

The study of riders' weight was published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour.

Around 150 horses and their riders from stables in Devon and Cornwall were assessed.

Researchers found that just eight of the riders weighed less than 10% of the weight of their animal - the amount considered 'optimum' by vets

Ninety-five (62%) weighed between 10% and 15% - the amount considered 'satisfactory'.

Forty-nine riders (32%) weighed more than 15% of the weight of their horse, the ratio at which welfare experts say there is an increased risk of injury.

Ms Randle, who carried out the study with her fellow researcher Emma Halliday from the Duchy College Cornwall, said it showed horses needed to be protected.

She said: "The problem is that these ratios are not widely known to people in the horse industry. People do seem generally to be a bit too heavy for horses. That is just a consequence, I suppose, of our average weights going up."

As well as back pain, the consequences of an overweight rider being carried by a horse can include lameness and behavioural problems.

Keith Chandler, president of the British Equine Veterinary Association, said that many of the problems seen by its members were caused by riders using the wrong horses.

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British Tourist Tells Of Indian 'Rape' Ordeal

A British woman, who jumped from a hotel balcony in India believing she was going to be raped, has spoken to Sky News to warn women about the dangers of travelling alone.

Jessica Davies, 31, was forced to leap from a hotel balcony after two men tried to force their way into her room.

At the time she had been preparing to leave the city of Agra, where she had been to see the Taj Mahal.

Her terrifying experience, which has left the hotel owner facing a charge of harassment, follows an increasing number of gang rapes and sex attacks, including one in which a student died after being subjected to horrific attack on a bus.

It has led to protests and demands to end sexual violence against women in the country.

Miss Davies told Sky New's Lorna Dunkley she felt it was important to highlight what was happening in India.

She said: "I'm lucky. I'm not another statistic. I actually survived. I wasn't raped or worse.

"I've got a voice and I want to use it to say there is no shame about speaking out on sexual violence and harassment.

"I think there is a problem in India. There is a taboo against women who are assaulted sexually and this needs to be made more aware. My hope is that help is made available."

She said she had received no warning signs.

She said: "I had been staying in the hotel for two nights and ... on my final evening I had arranged with the hotel owner for a taxi driver to take me to a station the next morning.

"At a quarter to four he was knocking on my door. When I opened the door he was stood there with two bottles of oil and approaching the door as if to come in saying he wanted to give me a massage and a shower.

"I was trying to push him out of the room. I managed to push him back, lock and bolt the door, but he continued to scratch and bang on the door.

The incident happened at the Hotel Agra Mahal in Agra

"After about ten minutes I started kicking the door and screaming really loudly for someone to come and help me, but nobody came.

"Then there was a power cut in the room so everything went completely dark and there was no phone.

"After about half an hour another man joined him outside and there were two men trying to break into the room and I knew there was no choice but to jump down from the balcony."

She got into a rickshaw and told the driver to take her to a police station but another rickshaw driver pulled up alongside and told him to take her back to the hotel.

She ran off but the first rickshaw driver caught up with her and took her to the police station where he translated for the next three or four hours.

She said had asked the owner for help with booking flights on a few occasions but didn't believe she had done anything to give him the impression he could take advantage of her.

She was also sure she had done everything possible to follow all the recommended safety advice.

"I took care of myself," she said. "Everyday all my friends at home knew where I was. If I was getting a late train I was trying to keep people informed.

"I was putting photos up of my journey so I wasn't unaccounted for. I dressed appropriately. I stayed in my room at night if I was on my own, I didn't walk around at night in the dark by myself.

"The only thing I could have done differently was not let him know that I was going to get an early train. These people are opportunists. If they see an opportunity they are going to take it."

She said she would go back, but if she did, it would be as part of a group.

"It's a fascinating country. What happened to me, doesn't represent India. It represents a problem in India. I would go back, but I wouldn't go back on my own, I'd go back in a group."

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Man Injured As Car Ploughs Into House

A man was seriously injured when a car crashed into a house in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

The Audi TT is thought to have left the road, hit a vehicle on the drive and smashed into the northern corner of the home in Long Meadow Walk.

Emergency services were called to the scene, at the road's junction with Uplands Road North at around 1.45am, and found a man in his 20s trapped in the vehicle.

Police closed the road before the injured man was taken to James Paget Hospital with serious head injuries.

The injured man has since been transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

Structural engineers have been called to attend the property.

According to police there were people in the house at the time, but no-one was hurt.

"Just shocked", said a spokesman.

The road has now been reopened.

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Berezovsky Death: Body Found Lying On Floor

An employee of Boris Berezovsky has told police he forced open a bathroom door at the Russian exile's home and discovered the oligarch's body on the floor.

The employee called the ambulance service after he became concerned about the 67-year-old's welfare, having not seen him since about 10.30pm the night before.

He then forced open the bathroom door, which was locked from the inside, according to a statement released by Thames Valley Police.

Police say the employee was the only other person in the Ascot home when the body was discovered.

A paramedic who attended the scene declared Mr Berezovsky to be dead.

Police say that upon leaving the property, the paramedic's personal electronic dosimeter (PED) was triggered.

The PED is a health and safety device used by the emergency services. It is not known whether the device was triggered by the paramedic on purpose.

"As a result of this, specialist CBRN officers were asked to confirm that the scene was safe and clear to work in, which they subsequently did," police said.

A police investigation is taking place at Mr Berezovsky's mansion

Chemical, biological and nuclear experts searching the home have also given the scene the all clear after finding "nothing of concern".

Most of the cordon which had been put in place around the perimeter of the property in Ascot, Berkshire, has also been lifted.

Officers are carrying out a "full and thorough investigation" at the property to find out the circumstances surrounding Mr Berezovsky's "unexplained" death.

It has been reported the oligarch, who had been a strong critic of President Vladimir Putin's rule in Russia, was discovered in the bath after taking his own life, but this has not been confirmed.

He was a friend of murdered dissident Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London after consuming radioactive polonium in 2006.

Mr Berezovsky's lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky told Russian state television he had been informed by contacts in London that Mr Berezovsky had killed himself.

He said: "Berezovsky has been in a terrible state as of late. He was in debt. He felt destroyed. He was forced to sell his paintings and other things."

Mr Berezovsky had fallen out with Russian President Vladimir Putin

It is thought he had done badly in the financial crisis. In 2009 his wealth was estimated at £450m, but he is thought to have spent £100m on the £3.7bn lawsuit against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich last year, which he lost.

In an interview with Forbes Russia magazine on the eve of his death, Mr Berezovsky said he had lost "meaning" from his life and wanted to return to Russia.

He said he had "underestimated how important" Russia was to him, and he felt uncomfortable as an immigrant in Britain.

He admitted he had been "idealistic" about the prospects of creating democracy in Russia, and about the type of democracy that existed in the West, and his views had changed.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV that Mr Berezovsky had recently written to the president to ask for a pardon and to say that he wanted to return to Russia.

He said: "He asked Putin for forgiveness for his mistakes and asked him to obtain the opportunity to return to the motherland."

Speaking to Sky News, a friend of Mr Berezovsky, said she did not think his death was suspicious.

Sasha Nerozina said: "There is nothing to be suspicious about, as far as I understand. It is shocking, terrible news. It is not something you expect. He was full of life and love ... we expected him to outlive us all."

A police car near the oligarch's home

She said Mr Berezovsky had been left "demoralised" by losing the high-profile legal battle with Mr Abramovich in 2012.

Dr Yuri Felshtinsky, author of The Putin Corporation and a close associate of Mr Berezovsky, said he recently spoke to him and "he was looking forward to the future and did not seem to be suicidal".

Superintendent Simon Bowden from Thames Valley Police said: "The CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) officers found nothing of concern in the property and we are now progressing the investigation as normal."

Mr Berezovsky, a former mathematics professor, made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s when he bought up state assets which were being sold off cheaply.

He had lived in Britain from 2000, having fled from Russia after falling out with Mr Putin.

In fear of his life, he sought political asylum and moved to the South East of England, buying upmarket properties in Knightsbridge, London, and Berkshire.

The businessman survived a number of assassination attempts, including a bomb in his car that decapitated his chauffeur.

He became a vocal and strong critic of Mr Putin's rule in Russia, where had become a wanted man.

James Nixey, head of Chatham House's Russia programme, said: "He is the most virulently anti-Kremlin, anti-Putin of the oligarchs.

"He was certainly willing to spend his money, what little he had left, in an attempt to use it to end the current regime in Russia.

"He had bodyguards, there were attempts on his life that even the security service in the UK had warned him about.

"It's certainly not the first case of Russians and people from the former Soviet Union, more broadly, who have been involved in difficult, embarrassing disputes with the Kremlin, to have died in relatively mysterious circumstances."

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Snow And Ice: Thousands Still Without Power

At least 20,000 people are still without power after heavy snow, with the RAF called out to help in some of the worst affected areas.

Engineers are working to restore supplies to around 12,500 homes in Northern Ireland and 10,000 in Scotland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

A search and rescue team from RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, was drafted in to help police in Northern Ireland.

RAF Valley's mountain rescue team prepare to fly to Northern Ireland

They also landed on the Isle of Arran to fly an elderly woman suffering from hypothermia to hospital.

Squadron Leader Dave Webster, of RAF Search and Rescue, said its fleet of helicopters remained on stand-by but added: "There have been remarkably few call outs considering the disruption that's been caused."

The freezing weather is thought to have led to the death of a 27-year-old man who was trying to get home after a night out with friends in Lancashire.

A 57-year-old hill walker died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

Cutting through snow at Saddleworth Moor (Pic: Oldham Mountain Rescue Team)

On Friday, police in Looe, Cornwall, found a body in a block of flats that had been flattened by a landslide thought to have been triggered by torrential rain.

Northern Ireland Electricity said conditions were improving but warned some customers may be without power for several days.

Spokesman Julia Carson said: "Some roads are still impassable - access has been restricted because of drifting snow and abandoned vehicles."

In Cumbria, police said around 40 people who left their cars on the roadside were given shelter in hotels in Millom, Waberthwaite and Bootle, while in Staffordshire, snow ploughs have been battling through drifts of up to 12ft on some exposed routes.

Work to restore power supplies in Northern Ireland

In Kent, a section of the White Cliffs of Dover, as well as a cliff-top bench and fencing, collapsed into the English Channel. The collapse is thought to have been triggered by high winds and freezing rain water, which causes cracks in the cliffs to expand.

Meanwhile, the Met Office warned of a risk of ice, despite lifting its yellow "be aware" weather alert.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a spokesman said.

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

The weather has wreaked havoc across the transport network over the last two days, with delays on roads, railways and at airports including Leeds Bradford and Doncaster's Robin Hood.

Snow and ice are causing treacherous driving conditions in many places

Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said the snow would become "less of a concern after today" but added: "The risk of more unsettled conditions with rain and further snow increases towards the Easter weekend."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours. If it does snow, it would be the first white Easter in five years.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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