Barack Obama 'nears Afghanistan troop decision'

US President Barack Obama is close to a decision on the size of his planned withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and is expected to speak on the issue on Wednesday.

"He's finalising his decision. He's reviewing his options," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
The US has about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and Mr Obama has said troop withdrawals will start in July.
But there are deep divisions in the US over the size and speed of the pullout.
News of Mr Obama's deliberations comes a day after departing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates confirmed that the US was holding "outreach" talks with members of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
It was the first time the US had acknowledged such contact.

'Gains could be threatened'
 
Mr Obama is expected to make a public speech on Afghanistan on Wednesday, unnamed senior White House officials told US media.
US military leaders are thought to favour a very gradual reduction in troops but other advisers advocate a more significant decrease in the coming months.
Attention is expected to focus on how many troops will leave Afghanistan in July, but analysts say Mr Obama's plans for the future of the 30,000 surge forces he sent in 2009 in the country will also be closely scrutinised.
Earlier this month, Mr Gates said at Nato headquarters that "substantial progress" was being made on the ground in Afghanistan.
But he argued that "these gains could be threatened if we do not proceed with the transition to Afghan security lead in a deliberate, organised and co-ordinated manner".
"Even as the United States begins to draw down in the next month, I assured my fellow ministers there will be no rush to the exits on our part."
But some believe security gains mean a more rapid withdrawal of US forces is practical.
'Costs outweigh benefits' There is also growing political pressure for a significant withdrawal.
A bipartisan group of 27 US senators sent Mr Obama a letter last week pressing for a shift in strategy.
"Given our successes, it is the right moment to initiate a sizable and sustained reduction in forces, with the goal of steadily redeploying all regular combat troops," the senators wrote. "The costs of prolonging the war far outweigh the benefits."

While many Afghans accept that American troops are needed to defeat the Taliban, correspondents say that they resent their presence in the country.
The war is in its 10th year, civilian casualties are at an all-time high, and correspondents say the population has grown weary of the fighting. Insurgents are to blame for most of the deaths, but killings by foreign troops generate widespread outrage.
The US is due to start withdrawing its 97,000 troops from Afghanistan in July.
It aims to gradually hand over all security operations to Afghan security forces by 2014

Drink driving GP Donald Clegg 'was sleep walking

A doctor from Greater Manchester has been banned from driving after he failed to convince magistrates he had been drink driving in his sleep.


GP Donald Clegg, 59, was involved in a crash in Bury New Road in Prestwich in December. He was found behind the wheel in his dressing gown and slippers.
He claimed the sleepwalking meant he was not conscious of his actions, Bury Magistrates' Court heard.
But the bench banned Clegg, of Prestwich, from driving for 12 months.
He had admitted driving with excess alcohol and without due care and attention but only because of his state of "parasomnia".
 
'Special reasons'
 
Clegg was almost four times over the limit when he got out of bed and into his car on 8 December.

Jean Hinkley Chair of the bench

He drove for a mile while still "asleep" before crashing into parked cars. He was talking incoherently about driving to his mother's house when bystanders snapped the car key in the ignition to stop him driving away again, the court heard.

The GP claimed the first he knew of the incident was when he woke up in a police cell.
The prosecution did not dispute Clegg was sleepwalking.
Clegg's lawyer asked the court to use "special reasons" to suspend any driving ban - normally automatic for drink-driving.
A breath test showed he had 127 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

London 2012: More Olympics tickets to go on sale

Some 2.3 million tickets for London 2012 are set to go on sale next week, organisers have announced.

The tickets, for people who were unsuccessful in the initial ballot, will go on sale at 0600 BST on 24 June on a first come, first served basis.
Of these, 1.7 million are for football matches and 600,000 for other sports, including archery and hockey.
Nearly two-thirds of applicants - some 1.2 million out of 1.9 million - missed out on tickets first time around.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: "It has been a massive demand which has created huge disappointment.
"I would be hard pushed to see such a demand for any sports event in my lifetime."
Organisers were "absolutely determined" to get tickets to those who had missed out, he added.
"Our commitment is to get two-thirds of those 1.9 million people to buy a ticket for the 2012 Games if they want to - and we know... they were involved in the application process, are mad sports fans and they want to be there."
Tickets are still available for 310 sessions, 44 of which are medal events including archery, basketball, fencing, judo, synchronised swimming and table tennis.

Available sessions

Some half a million tickets will be priced at £20 or less, with a further one million priced between £20 and £50.
which they have sent to applicants who did not receive tickets in the ballot.
Applicants will find out whether they have been successful within 24 to 48 hours of applying. Payment will be taken once the sale closes at 1800 BST on 3 July.

Sports fans will be able to apply for up to three sessions and six tickets per session for most sports, although football, volleyball and race walk will have larger limits.
BBC sports news correspondent James Pearce said the ticketing system was not designed for a first come, first serve basis, so the system will not automatically know when all tickets for a session have gone.
He said staff would have to monitor sales in order to remove a session when sold out.
In the first round of sales:

FA Cup to be sponsored by Budweiser beer

US beer company Budweiser has been named as the first US sponsor of English football's FA Cup, in a three-year deal.

The amount of money paid by the firm, owned by St Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, has not been disclosed.
Budweiser has been a sponsor of the football World Cup for 25 years and also backs US motorsport.
The FA Cup had been sponsored by energy giant E.On for five years, from 2006 to 2011.
The competition will now be known as the FA Cup with Budweiser.
"We are extremely pleased to have secured an iconic brand such as Budweiser to be the lead partner of the FA Cup," said FA General Secretary Alex Horne.
The cup, currently held by Manchester City after they beat Stoke City in May's final, is the world's oldest domestic competition.
It mean's England's two domestic cups are now sponsored by beer brands, with Carling the title sponsor of the League Cup.

Air France Rio crash: Remains returned after two years

 Remains of 104 of the 228 people killed when an Air France jet crashed into the Atlantic in 2009, leaving no survivors, have arrived in France.

A ship carrying three containers of wreckage and a fourth bearing human remains from the ocean bed docked in the south-western port of Bayonne.
The harbour was closed off by the authorities out of respect for bereaved families and friends.
Fifty bodies were found just after the crash but others remain missing.
Flight AF 447 went down on 1 June 2009 after running into an intense high-altitude thunderstorm, four hours into a flight from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to the French capital Paris.
The Airbus 330 plane stalled and fell out of the sky in three-and-a-half minutes, French investigators said.
While the causes of the crash are still being investigated, one theory being pursued is that the jet's speed probes failed.
Flight recorder data have raised questions over the way the crew handled the plane when the "stall alarm" was sounded. Air France, however, insists its pilots "demonstrated a totally professional attitude".
Long wait The main wreckage of the plane was only discovered in April after a search of 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles) of sea floor.
A brief ceremony was expected to be held in the port before the bodies were removed to Paris for DNA identification, while the containers containing wreckage were to be sent to the city of Toulouse for analysis.
An AFP reporter in Bayonne reports that the salvage ship, the Ile-de-Sein, pulled into harbour at dawn in rain and fog.
Those on board the jet came from more than 30 countries, though most were French, Brazilian or German.
The identification process is likely to be lengthy as investigators will have to collect "ante mortem" information on each victim - from when they were alive - to compare it to evidence retrieved from their dead bodies, Reuters news agency reports.
It took around two months to identify the victims retrieved from the surface of the ocean just after the crash.

Two charged over Joss Stone robbery plot in Devon

Two men have been charged with conspiracy to harm and rob the Brit award-winning singer Joss Stone at her Devon home.

Kevin Liverpool, 33, and Junior Bradshaw, 30, from Manchester, were arrested after a suspicious vehicle was seen in the Cullompton area on Monday.
The 24-year-old singer was said to be aware of the arrests and was described as "absolutely fine".
It has not been disclosed if Miss Stone was at the property at the time.
The men face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
Both are due appear before Exeter Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
Miss Stone's publicist said she was being kept informed of developments by Devon and Cornwall Police.

US lawmakers file suit against Barack Obama over Libya

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has filed a lawsuit against President Barack Obama in federal court for taking military action in Libya without authorisation from Congress.

Ten members of the House of Representatives signed the lawsuit, saying Mr Obama violated the constitution in bypassing Congress.
The War Powers Resolution, passed after US withdrew from the Vietnam War, rules that involvement in combat operations unauthorised by Congress must be terminated after 60 days.
The suit, which also targets Defence Secretary Robert Gates, challenges "policy that any president can take the US to war unilaterally", Democratic lawmaker Dennis Kucinich said.
"We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies," he added.
Some of the plaintiffs in the suit also include Democratic Representatives John Conyers and Michael Capuano and Republicans Walter Jones, Howard Coble and Ron Paul.
The politicians have said they want President Obama to explain whether he intends to follow the War Powers Act and ask for Congressional approval for continued action in Libya.
The War Powers Resolution rules that involvement in combat operations unauthorised by Congress must be terminated after 60 days and troops must be withdrawn after 90 days. Sunday marks the 90-day deadline.
Last month, White House lawyers were said to be looking at ways US action in Libya can continue without contravening the resolution

Barack Obama makes rare visit to Puerto Rico

US President Barack Obama is making a rare visit to Puerto Rico, marking the first official trip to the island by a sitting US president since 1961.

The visit is being seen by some as an indirect bid for the votes of Puerto Ricans in the swing-state of Florida during next year's presidential poll.
The 3.8 million residents of the US Caribbean territory are US citizens but cannot vote for the president.
During his stay, Mr Obama will attend a Democratic National Committee event.
The president visited the island in 2008 during his campaign for the Democratic nomination, promising to return if elected president.
"Although my hair is a little greyer than during my first visit, I am glad to be able to keep that promise to the people of Puerto Rico," Mr Obama said as he greeted a crowd gathered in an aircraft hanger.
The president is scheduled to meet Puerto Rico's governor on Tuesday to discuss the political status of the territory.
Mr Obama told the crowd on Tuesday that when Puerto Rico had made a "clear decision" on their future political status, "my administration will stand by you".
The Obama administration has asked Puerto Rico to hold two referendums, the first on whether the territory should be independent or part of the US.
A second referendum would then ask Puerto Ricans if they would prefer the island to be independent, a US state, a free association or a commonwealth.

Targeting voters
 
On Tuesday, Mr Obama also spoke briefly about the impact the economic crisis had on Puerto Rico, saying Puerto Ricans and Americans on the mainland shared the same concerns about the economy.
The BBC's Julian Miglierini in San Juan says many people there believe the visit is aimed at courting mainland America's Puerto Rican electorate - and Hispanic voters in general - as they could hold the key to Mr Obama's re-election in 2012.
The president has called for broad reform of the US immigration system, an issue affecting many Hispanics with ties to the 11 million US illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, roughly 20 pro-independence demonstrators held an all-night vigil in San Juan ahead of the president's visit, calling for the release of three Puerto Rican nationalists imprisoned in the US.

Mobile firms did not contact alleged hacking victims

Two leading mobile phone networks have admitted that they did not contact more than 80 of their customers to warn them their phones may have been hacked into.

Vodafone and Orange/T-Mobile told MPs the police had not asked them to do so and they were worried about prejudicing the inquiry conducted at the time.
They also said the police did not respond to a request for guidance after the case was reopened in January.
Several public figures are taking civil action against the News of the World.
Four alleged victims of phone hacking have already reached out-of-court settlements with the newspaper.
Earlier this month, it agreed to pay actress Sienna Miller £100,000 damages and costs and apologised for the "harassment and distress" it had caused by illegally accessing messages left on her phone.
The Metropolitan Police reopened its inquiry in January into claims that staff at the newspaper had hacked into the phone messages of public figures, including a number of MPs, following criticism of its previous enquiry dating back to 2006.

'Serious risk'

Several of those alleged to have been targeted, including former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott, have called for a public inquiry into the episode.

From some of the conversations with the customers, it would lead you to believe that there were reasons why people may want to get their information”

Adrian Gorham 02

Giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, representatives from four leading phone companies were asked about the earlier police investigation and what they had done upon learning that their customers may have had their messages hacked into.
The head of fraud prevention at Vodafone, the UK's biggest mobile phone network, said it had written to customers in general to remind them of the importance of voicemail security but had not contacted the 40 customers on its network thought to be potential victims.
"We worked closely with the Metropolitan Police and, as in all cases, so as not to jeopardise the police inquiry, we did not contact our customers directly," Julie Steele told MPs.
She said she had "no recollection" of the police ever asking Vodafone to inform its customers.
Everything Everywhere, the company which owns Orange UK and T-Mobile, said it had an "assumption" that it would not contact potential victims - of which there were 45 on its network - in such cases.
"We would never contact customers as part of a police investigation," James Blendis, the company's vice president of legal affairs, said. "Our understanding is that there is a serious risk of prejudicing an investigation if we take an action like that."
Mr Blendis said the operator could not be sure that the person it spoke to owned the phone as many celebrities' phones were also used by assistants and PR people.
But O2 said it had contacted about 40 people which an internal investigation suggested may have been affected, believing there was an "obligation" to do so.
"We made a decision we would contact those customers and tell them the results of the investigation," Adrian Gorham, the firm's head of fraud and security, said.
"On none of the cases did ever I see any evidence they were definitely hacked. From some of the conversations with the customers, it would lead you to believe that there were reasons why people may want to get their information."

Juror admits contempt of court over Facebook contact

 A juror, who contacted a defendant via Facebook, has admitted in the first case of its kind in the UK involving the internet.

London's High Court heard that Joanne Fraill, 40, contacted Jamie Sewart, 34, who had already been acquitted in a drugs trial costing £6m in Manchester.
However, the jury was still considering charges against other defendants and the contact led the judge to discharge the jury, and the case collapsed.
Sewart was found to be in contempt.

She had admitted the contact took place but denied it amounted to an offence.

Facebook comment by Joanne Fraill

The case, brought by the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC, was heard by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and two other judges.

Sentencing is expected to take place on Thursday.
The maximum penalty for contempt is two years imprisonment but Lord Judge told Sewart, from Bolton, that any prison term imposed on her would be suspended because she has a three-year-old child.
Lord Judge warned mother-of-three Fraill, from Blackley, Greater Manchester, that she faced jail.
But he said he would not be able to decide on the correct sentence for her until a linked appeal against conviction brought by another defendant in the case - who was potentially affected by her actions - was concluded.
At the High Court hearing, Fraill admitted she had made online contact with Sewart and discussed the case with her while the jury's deliberations were continuing.
She also admitted revealing details of the jury's deliberations during that online conversation - contrary to Contempt of Court Act 1981 - and conducting internet research into a defendant whose case she was trying as a juror during the trial.
That was despite the judge reminding all the jurors that they must decide the case solely on the evidence given in court.

'Home and dry'

Fraill was on a jury in a case which had already been halted twice.
On 3 August last year, the judge in the third trial of the alleged drugs gang gave jurors the option of deciding the verdict by a majority rather than unanimously.

Peter Wright QC

But the High Court was told the trial was stopped the following day when Sewart's solicitor informed the court that his client and Fraill had been in contact by Facebook.

The court heard the initial contact came after Fraill went on the social networking website and tracked down Sewart, saying: "You should know me - I've cried with you enough."
Fraill was said by her lawyer to have felt "considerable empathy" for Sewart as the trial ""gathered in momentum and intensity".
"Can't believe they had u on remand," she said in another one of their conversations, a transcript released by the court shows.

Fire at landmark London building Marconi House

A fire at a landmark building in London's West End has been tackled by about 75 firefighters.

Twenty fire engines were sent to tackle the fire on top of Marconi House, at the junction of the Strand and Aldwych, at about 1100 BST.
The blaze affected about a quarter of the 1,076sq ft (100sq m) roof, London Fire Brigade said.
There were no reports of people trapped or injured and the cause of the blaze is unknown.
London Ambulance Service sent paramedics and five specialist hazardous area response team units as a precaution.
The fire sent smoke across the London skyline.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "We now have 20 fire engines at the fire in the Strand.
"There is still a lot of smoke so we advise (people in) nearby buildings to keep windows closed."
Hotel conversion It caused major disruption to traffic in the area, with Transport for London closing parts of the Strand, the Mall and Waterloo Bridge and putting in place diversions.
The 10-storey building is being converted to a five-star hotel and 86 luxury flats to a design by Norman Foster's architectural firm.
The A4 in Aldwych was closed due to the fire, while southbound traffic on Kingsway from High Holborn was blocked.
All traffic from Waterloo Bridge is being diverted down the Strand to Trafalgar Square.
London Underground is accepting bus tickets within Zone 1, with bus routes 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 26, 76, 87 and 139 being affected

Libya: Gaddafi investigated over use of rape as weapon

he International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor says there is evidence that Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi ordered the rape of hundreds of women as a weapon against rebel forces.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo said rape was a new aspect of Colonel Gaddafi's repression.
He said he was also looking at possible evidence that pro-Gaddafi security forces had been given medication such as Viagra to enhance their sex drive.
There has so far been no comment on the allegations by the Libyan authorities.
Last month, Mr Moreno-Ocampo asked ICC judges to approve arrest warrants for Col Gaddafi, his Saif al-Islam, and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi.
He accused them of committing two categories of crimes against humanity - murder and persecution - and said they bore the greatest responsibility for attacks on civilians at the beginning of the anti-government uprising in February, when between 500 and 700 are thought to have been killed.
The Libyan government dismissed those allegations.
It does not recognise the ICC jurisdiction.

'New aspect of repression'

On Wednesday, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said that if the arrest warrants were issued, he might add the charge of rape to the case.
He told reporters at the UN in New York that he had collected evidence suggesting the Libyan leader had decided to punish women by using rape as a weapon in the hope that it would instil fear and curb dissent.
"It was never the pattern he used to control the population. The rape is a new aspect of the repression. And that's why we had doubts at the beginning but now we are more convinced," he said.
He said it was difficult to know how widespread the use of rape was.
"In some areas we had a number of 100 people raped. The issue for us was, can we attribute these rapes to Gaddafi himself, or is it something that happened in the barracks," he explained.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo also said some witnesses had confirmed that the Libyan government was buying containers of Viagra-type drugs to carry out the policy, and to "enhance the possibility to rape".
"We are trying to see who was involved," he added.

Doncaster Rovers mascot sacked for underwear pose

A woman who parades as the mascot Donny Dog at Doncaster Rovers has been sacked after posing in her underwear with the costume in a national newspaper.

Tracy Chandler, 40, said she received an email dismissal from the unpaid job after she appeared in the Sunday Sport in return for a donation to a children's charity.
She is urging fans to write to the club in an effort to get her role back.
Doncaster Rovers have refused to comment.
Ms Chandler said: "The photos were tongue-in-cheek and not seedy."
Although there had been no written contract with the club, she had been working as a mascot for over three years, she added.
"I did not tell the club I was going to do the photo as it all happened very quickly.
"I have put blood, sweat and tears into being Donny Dog and doing the charity work, and this is how they treat me."
Ms Chandler, who claims she is the only woman mascot in the country, was approached to pose for the photos after an article about her appeared in another newspaper

Man stabbed to death for £12 on birthday in Fulham

A man has been stabbed to death on his birthday in west London by robbers who made off with £12.

Chef Krzysztos Rusek was in a park in Fulham, celebrating his 30th birthday early on Tuesday with his
girlfriend and some other friends, when a group of people tried to rob them.
Police said the robbers then stabbed Mr Rusek. He was taken to hospital but later died there.
His friend was stabbed in the leg but was saved from injury by his wallet.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said Mr Rusek, who lived in Willesden, north-west London, left his work at the Ibis hotel in Lillie Road with three male colleagues at around midnight and met up with his girlfriend.

 

The group brought some drinks and went to a quiet garden area, next to the Fulham Centre in Lillie Road, to celebrate his birthday. One of his friends then went home.

As the group of four sat in the garden four to five men entered the park area and tried to rob them and Mr Rusek was stabbed.
The spokesman said two of the robbers had the lower part of their faces covered and that just £12 in total had been taken.
Det Ch Insp Nick Scola said: "This is a tragic waste of a young life, especially as Krzysztos was out celebrating his 30th birthday at the time.
"What started out as good natured night out with his girlfriend and colleagues has ended horrifically for the sake of a small sum of money."
Mr Rusek, a Polish national, had lived in the UK for the past eight years.
A post-mortem examination was due to be carried out on Wednesday

Leeds cable burns man 'unrecognisable'

A self-confessed metal thief who was seriously burned trying to steal live power cables said his injuries were so bad his daughter did not recognise him in hospital.

James Sorby, 22, of Cavalier Close, Cross Green, Leeds, was left close to death after being hit with a 21,000 volt shock at a power sub-station.
The impact blew part of his skull off, leaving his brain exposed.
Leeds magistrates gave him a 12-month community service order for burglary.
He said the exact detail of what happened during the incident at Skelton Grange earlier this year was unclear.
He said: "All I can remember is going into the empty warehouse.

Clothes cut off

 

"I definitely didn't grab the cabling with my hands because I wouldn't do something like that, but I accept I was there to steal the cabling because there was no other reason for me to be there.

"The next thing I remember is the ambulance arriving. I was in a bad way."
Sorby said ambulance staff cut off his clothes.
"There was blood everywhere. It was coming out of the top of my head, my ears, my nose, and from my gums.
"I was taken to hospital, and the first 48 hours were crucial because that's the time when you're said to 'cook' inside.
"The pain was unbelievable and the doctors told me I only survived because I am so young and fit, which also means my injuries won't take as long to heal.
Stuck to pillow "If I had been older it would have been a lot worse.
"The skin grafts were horrible and they had to take the staples out of my skin while I was awake.
"One morning when I woke the skin which had been grafted on to my face had stuck to the pillow, and it had to be done again."
He said he had not seen his three-year-old daughter until eight weeks after the incident because he was so badly injured.
He said: "When I finally got to see her, she didn't know who I was.
"It wasn't until she could smell me and hear my voice that she realised I was her dad and not some stranger.
"It was a horrible experience to realise that your own daughter didn't know who you were."

E. Coli outbreak: EU proposes 150m Euros to aid farmers

The European Commission has proposed a 150m euro (£134m; $220m) aid package to help farmers whose products have been hit by the current E. coli outbreak.

Producers of salad vegetables have seen sales plummet in the outbreak, which has killed 22 people and sickened more than 2,400.
EU agriculture ministers are holding crisis talks in Luxembourg.
The EU health commissioner said the outbreak was limited to north Germany and did not need Europe-wide controls.
John Dalli also warned against releasing unproven information on the outbreak, saying it had spread fear and adversely affected farm producers.
But there has been growing criticism of the way the outbreak has been handled, with MEPs accusing the authorities of a lack of communication and co-operation.

'Regaining trust'

 
European agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos told journalists ahead of the Luxembourg talks: "I will propose 150m euros today.
"I hope that the authorities will be able to give an answer on the source of the infection as quickly as possible.
"Without this answer, it will be difficult to regain the trust of consumers, which is essential for the market to regain its strength."

Compensation will cover the period from late May to late June, he said, but the amount paid could change once each country's reported losses are known.

Spain has been demanding 100% compensation from Germany for huge losses suffered by its farmers because of the false accusation that the outbreak began in Spanish cucumbers.
Spain's fruit and vegetables exporters association has estimated losses at 225m euros (£200m) a week.
All the deaths from the outbreak, bar one in Sweden, have been in Germany. Twelve countries have been affected, with the cases outside Germany linked to travel there.
The latest focus for the source has been on bean sprouts from a German organic farm in Uelzen, 100km (62 miles) south of Hamburg. However, of 40 samples examined from the farm, the first 23 tested negative.
Officials say the results of the final 17 tests will not be known until Wednesday at the earliest because of the complicated nature of the testing process.

IMF says no changes are needed to UK economic policy

 The government has welcomed an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report which has said that no changes are needed to UK economic policy.

The IMF said weak economic growth and rising inflation had been "unexpected", but that they were "largely temporary".
But its annual report also warned that there were still "significant risks" which may need a policy response.
It predicted the UK economy would grow 1.5% in 2011, down from its forecast of 1.7% in April and 2% in November 2010.
But it maintained its medium-term forecast at 2.5%.
In an interview with the BBC's Newsnight programme, to be broadcast at 2230 BST on Monday, Mr Lipsky said: "The current slowdown in our view is temporary and the current policy mix is appropriate."
The Chancellor George Osborne said: "I welcome the IMF's continued strong support for our overall macroeconomic policy mix, including our deficit reduction strategy."
"The IMF have publicly asked themselves the question 'whether it is time to adjust macroeconomic policies' - in other words, is it time to change course? And they have concluded definitively that 'the answer is no'."
But shadow chancellor Ed Balls said Mr Osborne should not take too much comfort from the IMF report.
"It says it all about George Osborne that he hails an IMF forecast that implies rising unemployment and predicts slower growth. His complacency about the state of the economy is concerning," Mr Balls said.

High uncertainty

 

The IMF pointed to rising commodity prices and the increase in VAT as temporary problems for inflation.
It predicted that inflation would remain above 4% for most of the year, but would return to its target rate of 2% by the end of 2012 as oil and food prices settle down.
At a news conference, IMF deputy director John Lipsky warned that, "uncertainty around the central forecasts remains high", as it does in many other economies.
Policies suggested by the IMF if growth remained low for an unacceptably long time included expanding the Bank of England's programme of asset purchases, known as quantitative easing, or having a temporary tax cut.
Mr Lipsky added that "the unemployment rate remains unacceptably high but it seems to have stabilised".
The chancellor will have been cheered by the IMF's conclusion that his programme of spending cuts and tax rises remains "essential".
But the IMF's analysis is unlikely to end calls for alternative economic plans.
"It's probably not surprising that you're getting a lot of nervousness about what the UK government is doing, which is still unique in an international context," Aidan Manktelow from the Economist Intelligence Unit told the BBC.
"I think the government's going to have to live with nervousness over its approach and calls for a more growth-supporting strategy for some time now."

Vince Cable warns GMB against co-ordinated strikes

Business Secretary Vince Cable was booed and heckled as he warned delegates at the GMB union's conference that co-ordinated strike action may lead to tougher union laws.

Unions say there could be significant public sector strikes on 30 June.
Mr Cable said that if the level of strikes remained low there would not be a compelling case for tighter laws.
But he warned that the pressure on him to act would ratchet up if there was widespread disruption.
Mr Cable was heckled, and met with boos and jeers at various points throughout his speech, the only cheers coming when he mentioned the prospect of a day of industrial action across significant parts of the public sector.
The 700,000-member GMB union represents workers across all industries in both the private and public sectors.
But the general secretary GMB, Paul Kenny, said Mr Cable's speech may have increased the chance of widespread disruption.

Serious damage'

Addressing delegates in Brighton, Mr Cable said: "We are undoubtedly entering a difficult period. Cool heads will be required all round. Despite occasional blips, I know that strike levels remain historically low, especially in the private sector.
"On that basis, and assuming this pattern continues, the case for changing strike law is not compelling.
"However, should the position change, and should strikes impose serious damage to our economic and social fabric, the pressure on us to act would ratchet up.
"That is something which both you, and certainly I, would want to avoid," he said to loud jeers from the audience, at which point the chair had to intervene.
Mr Cable conceded that feelings were running high in the trade union movement, as demonstrations in March showed.
But he called for unions and the government to work together to deal with economic challenges.
"I want a mature and productive relationship with trade unions.
 

  'Double standards'

 

Unions reacted angrily to the speech.

"Government ministers come onto the TV and the media, saying it's ok to have protests and strikes in Egypt but when it comes to workers' protests in this country we think we should legislate them out of business," the GMB's Paul Kenny said.
"It's double standards. They wouldn't apply the same rules they're talking about applying for trade union ballots as they would do in electing MPs, or even the recent AV referendum," he added.
Len McCluskey, general secretary of the UK's largest union Unite, said Mr Cable ought to be ashamed.
"How can a professed liberal seek to crack down on human rights?" he said.
"Talking tough about cracking down on working people is a circus engineered by a government that is clueless about the real problems facing this country, which is how do we breathe life back into our shops, businesses and High Streets and how do we get the millions on the dole back to work."
Ahead of the conference, the Chancellor, George Osborne, said Mr Cable was voicing the coalition's position.

London 2012: More than half did not get tickets

More than half of people who applied for London 2012 Olympic Games tickets did not receive any in the ballot, BBC London has learnt.

Some 1.8 million people applied for the 6.6 million public tickets available. About 55% of applicants missed out.
There is a second ballot for the million who were unsuccessful but no tickets remain for the opening and closing ceremonies or athletics finals.
London 2012 said those who missed out will have priority in the next ballot.
BBC London's Olympics correspondent Adrian Warner said the big events had sold out but added that cheaper events like BMX and archery had also all gone.
He said: "Even though people will be entered into a second ballot, the cheaper tickets have gone.
"So, for example, if you do want to watch track and field it will be the preliminaries and it will cost between £40, which is double the cheapest available, and £150."
A London 2012 spokesman said: "Those who were unsuccessful in the initial process will have priority in the next round of sales which start later this month and they will be contacted soon to inform them about the next steps.
"There are still plenty of tickets available to see great Olympic sport across all price points."
Chris Townsend, London 2012's director responsible for tickets, said last week: "The ballot was run on a session basis, a separate ballot was run for each price point that was oversubscribed in the session.
"For example, for the 100m final, five separate ballots were run, one for each price point."

Braintree shooting incident: Woman and child found dead

A double murder inquiry has begun after the bodies of a woman and a young child were found following a shooting incident in Essex.

Officers were called to reports of a firearms incident in Bartram Avenue, Braintree, shortly before 0300 BST.
A man was taken to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, and is under police guard. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.
Neighbours said another child had escaped out of a back window.
'Horror film' Essex Police has referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The IPCC said there is sufficient concern about the shooting to send two of its officers to Essex to decide whether to launch a full investigation.
The BBC's Mike Cartwright said neighbours told him an eight-year-old who was in the property climbed out of the window and went to a nearby house.
He said neighbours described the victims as a woman aged in her 30s and her two-year-old daughter.
Police have not released details of how the woman and child died.
The man is being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds.
Officers spent almost two hours negotiating with the man.
Neighbour Karen Ballisat told BBC Look East: "I was woken by police saying 'your house is surrounded, don't move or we'll shoot you'.
"I looked out the window and saw police with guns and it looked like something out of a horror film."
She the woman was "lovely, always laughing, a lovely lady", while the child was "a very happy, bubbly little girl".
Loud bangs'
Angela Bass, 47, who was staying with her mother, 78-year-old Sylvia Bass, in Bartram Avenue, said she had been woken by the sound of police dogs barking in the street.
"I looked out of my window and saw police cars, ambulances and fire engines," she said.
She said she had heard two "very loud bangs".
"I thought at first it was police getting the front door to open. I don't think it was the front door now, I believe it was gunshots."
Essex Police said in a statement: "Officers were called to an address at Bartram Avenue, Braintree, in the early hours of today where they found the bodies of a woman and a child.
"Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate are at the scene and inquiries are continuing into the circumstances leading up to this incident."
A spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) said: "EEAS crews were called at 0316 BST to an address in Braintree to reports of serious injuries following a shooting incident.
"A woman and a child were found deceased on scene. A man was taken to hospital with injuries.

West Bromwich crash leaves four people dead

Four people have been killed in a two-car collision in the West Midlands.

The crash happened in Greets Green Road, in West Bromwich, close to an industrial estate and a canal bridge, at about 0045 BST on Sunday.
West Midlands Police said three women, aged 28, 35 and 40, and a 21-year-old man died and four people were injured.
A spokesman for the force said the two cars involved in the crash were a Citroen Saxo and a Ford Fiesta, both containing four people.
He said an 11-year-old girl was recovering in hospital.
The 28 and 35-year-old women who died were in the Fiesta and the 40-year-old woman and 21-year-old man were in the Saxo.
The other casualties are two women, aged 28 and 36, and a 19-year-old man.
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said they used specialised cutting equipment to free some of the casualties who were then taken to hospital.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Despite the best efforts of ambulance crews, nothing could be done for two persons, who were declared dead at the scene."
Police said the other two who were fatally injured died in hospital.
The road was closed while police were in attendance at the scene but has since reopened.
Officers have asked for witnesses to come forward.

Adam Catherick Sentenced Over Wingham Meerkat Theft

A teenager who stole a meerkat from a Kent wildlife park to take home as a pet after watching an insurance advert has been given a suspended jail term.

Adam Catherick, 19, from Sandwich, took the animal during a visit to Wingham Wildlife Park in December.
The meerkat was later found dead after it was hit by a car.
Catherick told Folkestone magistrates it was a "spur of the moment decision". He was given a 60-day suspended term and told to pay £1,000 compensation.
The park said the animal died because of his actions.
Russian accent Tony Binskin, owner of the park near Canterbury, said: "I'm happy that he got sentenced.
"I think he should have got done for cruelty to animals as well. The animal died because he stole it. If he hadn't have stolen it, it would still be alive and still be here."
Catherick, of Laburnum Avenue, had admitted theft at an earlier hearing.
After the meerkat went missing, park staff feared it had been stolen because of a surge in the animals' popularity following a TV advertising campaign for the Compare the Market insurance comparison website.
The campaign features an animated meerkat with a Russian accent.
Body in bin After leaving the wildlife park, Catherick took the animal home and kept it in a dog cage until it escaped and was hit by a car.
Appeals to find the missing meerkat led to the wildlife park receiving a telephone call from someone who had seen it being hit by a car in St Bart's Road, Sandwich.
The body was later found in a council dog waste bin in nearby Birch Avenue.
A microchip confirmed the animal, worth between £1,200 and £1,500, came from Wingham.
In addition to the suspended term handed to Catherick on Thursday and the order to pay the park compensation, he was told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
He also admitted a separate charge of cannabis possession, for which he was handed another 60-day suspended sentence, to run concurrently with the first.
The park said meerkats were among its most popular attractions.
It said it would be installing CCTV as an extra security measure to protect the animals.

Coventry City Centre Fight: Hundreds Dispersed

Five men have been arrested over a mass brawl in Coventry which started after fighting between two men inside a nightclub spilled on to the streets.

Police were called to disperse a crowd of about 300 people outside the Escape Club in Hales Street at about 0400 BST.
Dog handlers and a helicopter were deployed and the area was cleared by about 0500 BST. One officer was hurt.
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire presenter Marian McNamee, who witnessed the brawl, described a "swarm" of people.
One of the arrested men is from Essex, two are from London and one is from Northampton. It has not been confirmed where the fifth man comes from.
One of the men is said to be recovering in hospital.
West Midlands Police said the officer had received only minor injuries.

'Pockets of fighting'

Ms McNamee, who along with fellow presenter Shane O'Connor was preparing for a radio show, saw a large crowd gathering in Hales Street.She said: "We just saw a swarm of people completely fill this area right the way from the supermarket there down to the end of the park
"People were spilling out of the club and within that there were pockets of fighting breaking out within different parts of the crowd."
Mr O'Connor said: "It looked like... one of those exercises with police and ambulance and fire service that they do when there's a terrorism threat."A police investigation is under way and witnesses have been urged to come forward.
Ch Insp Kerry Blakeman said: "We certainly weren't aware of the event before it occurred.
"It would appear to be a gathering of people from across the country.
"It started off as a fight between two people within the premises that then spilled out on to the road.

Rave night

"My officers reacted quickly within 45 minutes to restore calm, making five arrests." The force said it believed the crowd had gathered at the club venue for a specific club night.On the social networking site Twitter, people were talking about a "rave" event at the club called One Night Stand which they said had got out of hand when fighting broke out.One Twitter user said she felt scared and had wanted to go home after glasses were smashed and thrown.

Pilot's Final Words Before Jet Crashes Into Kent House

A pilot's final words before his doomed private jet plunged into a house in Kent have been replayed at an inquest into the deaths of its five occupants.

Michael Roberts reported a problem within a minute of take-off from Biggin Hill airport en route to Pau in France.
The Cessna ploughed into a house in nearby Farnborough, catching fire. Nobody was in the house at the time of the crash, on 30 March 2008.
Mr Roberts, from Effingham, Surrey, and the other four on board all died.
The inquest in Bromley, south-east London, heard that Mr Roberts, one of two people on board who were qualified to fly the Cessna, reported engine vibrations within a minute of taking off.
'Extremely fortuitous' He asked permission to return to the airport telling air traffic control: "We have a major problem, a major problem. It looks as though we're going in, we're going in."
Witnesses reported seeing the jet flying low over homes before crashing into the house in Romsey Close.
Coroner Roy Palmer said it was "extremely fortuitous" that no one was in the house at the time and through "great good fortune" that no one was killed on the ground.
With Mr Roberts, 63, on board were co-pilot Michael Chapman, 57, of Shoreham, West Sussex; Dumfries-born David Leslie, 54, a former racing driver; Richard Lloyd, 63, from Brackley, Northamptonshire and Christopher Allarton, 25, of Coventry. All five died at the scene.
The inquest heard that when asked by air traffic controllers what the problem was that prompted him to return to the airport, Mr Roberts said: "Er, don't know, sir. We're getting engine vibration. We'll come straight back."
Moments later Mr Roberts reported the "major problem" during his final transmission before the aircraft started to descend

Manchester United Premier League Trophy Parade

Tens of thousands of Manchester United fans gathered to cheer their team on an open-top bus tour to parade the Premier League trophy.

The supporters lined the rain-soaked streets of Manchester as the players travelled a 4.5-mile route to celebrate their record 19th league title.
Fans cheered as the bus set off from Manchester Cathedral at 1000 BST.
The parade headed out of town and as it reached Old Trafford Sir Alex Ferguson thanked fans for their support.
The bus bore a number 19 to mark the number of times they have now won the league.
It travelled down Deansgate to Chester Road, along Bridgewater Way, Wharfside Way and Sir Matt Busby Way, then went on towards Trafford Town Hall and Stretford Mall, where the parade ended at 1245 BST.

A number of roads were closed to traffic to accommodate the crowds.
United were defeated 3-1 by Barcelona in the Champions League final at Wembley stadium on Saturday, but despite this fans were out in force to welcome the team home.
Among the players on the bus were Michael Owen and Paul Scholes - who are both out of contract - and leading scorer Dimitar Berbatov who was left out of the squad for the Champions League final.Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Manchester United winning their 19th top flight title is a remarkable and historic achievement."
Damian Martin, 43, from Salford, at the parade with his son, Damian, five, and nephew Dylan, eight, said: "The weather could have been better and it's a bit early on a Bank Holiday to be up and out of bed, but the kids really wanted to come.
"They are United daft and it's great to see the players enjoying themselves. They've done us proud this season."
Dave Edgar, 33, from Salford, added: "I'm not disappointed at all - it's not 'only' one trophy. "City and Liverpool can say what they want, we are the best in Britain and we'll have another crack at Barcelona next season. United have done Manchester proud."

Dead Red Cross Worker Angela Hoyt Was Being Harassed

 A Red Cross worker found dead at her home in Hertfordshire had days earlier complained to police about being harassed, it has been revealed.

Angela Hoyt, 34, was found at Glebeland in Hatfield, at 1730 BST on Tuesday.
Police are now searching for Martin Collett, 35, her former boyfriend in connection with the death.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has begun an inquiry into Hertfordshire Police's response to Ms Hoyt's complaint.
IPCC commissioner Sarah Green said: "The IPCC is independently investigating Hertfordshire Police's response to a report of harassment made at Hatfield Police Station on the afternoon of 20 May 2011."The woman who made the allegation, Angela Hoyt, was subsequently murdered and there is an ongoing police operation to trace her former partner.
"Therefore at this stage we will not be issuing any further information, and I would encourage any members of the public who can help the police find him to contact them immediately."About 30 specialist officers scoured the grounds of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire on Friday after receiving information about a man seen in the are at
 has also emerged that Mr Collett was a former briefing manager for former Labour home secretaries David Blunkett and Charles Clarke.Ms Hoyt worked as a junior member of the Home Office media team at around the same time Mr Collett was employed.A Home Office spokesman said: "They both did work in the Home Office."

Ms Hoyt is believed to have died some time between 22 and 24 May.Det Ch Insp Mark Ross, of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said: "It is vitally important we trace Martin Collett as soon as possible."Ms Hoyt's family have paid tribute to the "very ambitious and driven girl".

'Strong opinions'

"She had a passion for human rights and wanted to use her work to help improve the lives of those less fortunate.
"She had strong opinions and convictions."
Ms Hoyt was born in Windsor in Ontario, Canada, and moved to the UK in 1999.
She had recently returned from a three-month role in Pakistan as part of her work with the Red Cross.Officers have not released any further details about how Ms Hoyt died.

Ratko Mladic Denies Srebrenica Massacre Role - Son

Ex-Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic says he did not order the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, according to his son.
 
Darko Mladic made the statement a day before his father is due to lodge an appeal against being trasferred to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.Some 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed at Srebrenica, and the massacre is a key charge against Gen Mladic, 69, arrested on Thursday.
Thousands have gathered to support Gen Mladic in Serbia's capital Belgrade.
Darko Mladic spoke out after visiting his father, who is in detention at Serbia's war crimes court after 16 years on the run.
"He said that whatever was done in Srebrenica, he had nothing to do with it.
"He saved so many women, children and fighters... His order was first to evacuate the wounded, women and children and then fighters. Whoever did what behind his back, he had nothing to do with it."

'Regime of traitors'

To some Serbs Gen Mladic remains a national hero, and his son's statement came as more than 10,000 supporters of the general began protests in Belgrade to voice their opposition to his arrest and likely extradition.Sunday's rally is taking place outside parliament in Belgrade.Demonstrators listened to nationalist songs played by loudspeaker and waved flags describing Gen Mladic as a Serb hero.Far-right group 1389 urged its supporters to "show to this regime of traitors that we are not afraid of their threats and repression and that we are ready to defend Serbian heroes".
An association of former Bosnian Serb soldiers held a separate protest against Gen Mladic's arrest in the Bosnian village of Kalinovik, where he was born.The BBC's Nick Thorpe, in Kalinovik, said several thousand people had gathered and were protesting peacefully.Gen Mladic's lawyer Milos Saljic has said his client knew he would be transferred to a UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.Mr Saljic is to appeal against the transfer on Monday, after a court said Gen Mladic was fit to be extradited.
Speaking on Sunday he maintained that Gen Mladic's health had deteriorated in the two days since the court's decision. I can tell you that his health condition today is much worse then yesterday. It is worse psychologically," the told the Associated Press.

Liverpool Women's Concedes Incontinence Negligence Cases

 A hospital being sued by hundreds of women, who claim their incontinence was made worse by a surgeon, has admitted liability or agreed to pay compensation in 50% of claims processed so far.

George Rowland, a former consultant urogynaecologist at Liverpool Women's NHS Trust, is accused of performing inappropriate operations on the women.
About 400 are suing the trust. More than 70 cases have been processed.
It is one of the largest group actions ever taken against an NHS trust.
A spokeswoman for Liverpool Women's NHS Trust confirmed that Mr Rowland no longer worked at the hospital and said the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) was progressing the claims. The General Medical Council (GMC) has imposed conditions on Mr Rowland's licence to practise. They are in place until May 2012.

Barcelona Gave Us A Hiding, Says Man United Boss Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson labelled Barcelona "the best team I have faced" after his side's 3-1 defeat in the Champions League final


The Spanish club put on a stunning display of passing, movement and clinical finishing at Wembley to lift the European Cup for the fourth time.Wayne Rooney equalised after Pedro scored, but goals from Lionel Messi and David Villa left United well beaten."Nobody's given us a hiding like that but they deserve it," Ferguson said."They play the right way and they enjoy their football. They do mesmerise you with their passing and we never really did control Messi. But many people have said that.
"In my time as manager, it's the best team I've faced."
Having already experienced defeat by Barcelona in a Champions League final - in Rome in 2009 - Ferguson was desperate not for history to repeat itself.But his side were outplayed and outclassed, with Messi at the heart of everything good about Barcelona - and there was plenty that was good.Ferguson compared Saturday's loss to the famous 4-0 drubbing United received from Barcelona at the Nou Camp in 1994, a result which helped redefine his team's approach to European competitions."It's not going to be easy, but that's the challenge," Ferguson said. "You shouldn't be afraid of a challenge. The one thing we have shown is that we are consistent in Europe."This may be the kind of stepping stone that we had some years ago when we got beaten 4-0. We improved after that and we want to improve after tonight."
Barcelona's victory was their second triumph in the Champions League in three years - and their third in six seasons.Ferguson admitted that Barcelona would be difficult to beat so long as their star players Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez remained in their ranks.

Libya Nato Planes Target Gaddafi's Tripoli Compound

 British jets have struck a compound where Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi sometimes lives.


RAF Typhoons and other Nato jets fired guided weapons to destroy guard towers on the perimeter of the Bab al-Aziziya complex, said the Ministry of Defence.
A spokesman said it sent a clear message that the regime's leadership was no longer "hidden away from the Libyan people behind high walls".
On Thursday the UK announced plans to send four Apache helicopters to Libya.
The Bab al-Aziziya compound was badly damaged by US planes in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan attacked the Gaddafi regime after Libya was blamed for a bombing at a nightclub in Germany that killed two US servicemen.

Council credit cards 'used for luxury junkets

Eric Pickles said councils would have to give details of their expenditure in future

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Council in credit cards blunder
• Council warned over spending data

Council staff have used taxpayer-funded credit cards to pay for top hotels and first-class flights, a newspaper says.

The Daily Telegraph said documents showed cards had been used to spend millions of pounds on hospitality, travel, iPads and even llamas.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told it: "Some councils have been enjoying the high life paid for by you and me."
But local government groups said proper use of credit cards was "entirely appropriate" and could cut red tape.
Local Government Association (LGA) chairman Baroness Margaret Eaton said: "The use of credit cards for legitimate purposes is entirely appropriate and transparent.
"It helps reduce red tape by removing the need to invoice businesses and helps the cash-flow of regular suppliers who receive more prompt payment.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

It is outrageous that the - often handsomely rewarded - people on the top floor at County Hall are lavishing vast sums on travel, hotels, home cinema systems and even £1,000 on 'pure silk ties'”

End Quote Jeremy Rowe Cornwall Council Lib Dem opposition leader

"The £100m spent on council credit cards in the last three years represents less than 0.03% of the £350bn local authority budget over that time.

"Councils are the most transparent part of the public sector, publishing details of spending in excess of £500. We would like to see that matched in all central government departments which, with one exception, currently only publish spending in excess of £25,000."
Gucci bags The Daily Telegraph said it had unearthed the information after making a number of requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
It comes as councils are trying to cut their spending by 28% over the next four years.
In addition to travel and hospitality, the paper said, some councils had bought luxury gifts, including Tiffany jewellery, Gucci bags and silk ties.
And it said Conservative-run Horsham Council in West Sussex had spent £1,150 on two llamas to graze on communal land.
The Telegraph said Cornwall Council's total credit card bill of £8.97m was the largest of any of the councils for which it had obtained details, and included £1,145,160 spent on hotels since 2008.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

...the culture of wild overspends which became the norm under Labour, will hopefully become a thing of the past”

End Quote Eric Pickles Communities Secretary Eric Pickles

Cornwall Council officers had made trips to Goa in India, Bangkok in Thailand and Kyoto in Japan.

In a statement, Conservative-led Cornwall Council said it was one of the largest local authorities in the country and its overall budget for the same three year period was more than £3.5bn.
The council said the figures quoted in the Daily Telegraph were still being checked but at least £1.3m of the costs for overseas travel and hotels were "wrong".
"One example of this is a figure of £114,142 for hotel costs in India for an educational exchange involving teachers from Cornish schools. This amount was actually in Indian rupees and would have been £1,645 in UK currency," the statement said.
Council leader Alec Robertson added: "Cornwall Council is committed to achieving the best possible value for money for council taxpayers in Cornwall.
"However, while we are committed to being open and transparent, this incident shows the importance of analysing raw data carefully and responsibly.
"We are disappointed that, having told the journalist that the information was inaccurate, they did not give us the time to provide them with the accurate information".
Cornwall's Liberal Democrat opposition leader Jeremy Rowe told the BBC: "At a time when Cornwall's lowest paid workers are having their pay frozen it is outrageous that the - often handsomely rewarded - people on the top floor at County Hall are lavishing vast sums on travel, hotels, home cinema systems and even £1,000 on 'pure silk ties'.
"It really is time the Tories, instead of merely posturing about keeping council spending under control, decided to get a grip on this astounding level of expenses on the taxpayers' credit card."
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "Now that we are forcing councils to release details of their expenditure, the culture of wild overspends and excess which became the norm under Labour, will hopefully become a thing of the past.

Tom Daley's father Rob loses battle with cancer

Teenage British Olympic diver Tom Daley's father Rob has died after losing his battle with cancer.

The 17-year-old's agent confirmed to BBC Radio Devon that Rob Daley, 40, had passed away on Friday evening.
Rob's health had deteriorated since February when it was confirmed that a brain tumour had returned.
A statement from British Swimming read: "Rob, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2006, passed away peacefully with his family at his side."
Rob, who gave up his electrician's business to follow Tom to events around the world, watched his then 15-year-old son become Britain's first individual diving world champion, when he won the 10m platform event in Rome in 2009.
Plymouth-born Tom followed that success with double Commonwealth gold in the 10m platform and 10m synchro event in Delhi in October 2010.
However, for the first time, Rob was not with Tom because he had been undergoing chemotherapy and doctors had advised him not to travel.
Rob, who had 80% of a fist-sized brain tumour removed in 2006 and had been in remission until a routine health check in 2010 discovered a tumour had returned, He watched events unfold on television and was phoned by Tom "within a minute" of him winning gold.
Tom, who was with his father on Friday, wrote on Twitter: "I love you so much Dad."
And on Saturday, he said: "If I could be half the dad that my dad was to me then that would be my best achievement! I love you! Xx"

Dad causes blushes for gold-winner Daley

The British Swimming statement continued: "Tom Daley's father, Rob Daley lost his battle with cancer yesterday, 27 May, at 9.35pm.
"His health has been fluctuating since February but he continued to fight until the last day, defying doctors' expectations.
"The family have asked for respect to their privacy during this very difficult period."
David Sparkes, chief executive of British Swimming added: "On behalf of everyone at British Swimming, I would like to express our condolences to the Daley family at this very sad time.
"We will be doing all we can to ensure the whole family has the right support structures in place to help them through this difficult time.
"Rob will be remembered as a dedicated father, a fan of diving and a passionate and effervescent character who will be greatly missed."
Several high-profile divers and swimmers have posted their own messages on Twitter.
Tom's 10m synchro diving partner Pete Waterfield said: "R.I.P Rob our thoughts are with you @TomDaley1994 love the Waterfield family."
And Australia's Olympic gold medal winning diver Matthew Mitcham tweeted: "@TomDaley1994 my thoughts are with you *hugs*"
Britain's doube Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington said: "My thoughts are definitely with @TomDaley1994 and his family at this horrible time! Such awful sad news. We're all here for you tom x"
Tom is one of Britain's biggest prosepcts for a medal at next year's Olympics and last October, in an interview for a BBC documentary, Rob said: "London 2012 is a massive motivation for me. Am I going to be there? Tom is the oil in my lamp and he's going to keep me burning."
Last month Rob defied his illness to watch Tom and his new synchro partner Waterfield win a World Series event in Sheffield.
Rob wore a t-shirt to the meeting which read "Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning" with Tom saying after the event: "I am his oil."
Rob leaves his wife Debbie and three sons, Tom, William and Ben.
.

Champions League: Rooney Will Relish Final - Ferguson

Ferguson said United are well prepared and "have a great chance" of reversing their loss in the 2009 final, when Rooney was subdued.
"We have players who will all like this stage," added the Scot."In terms of Rooney's progress in Europe, he is much more mature than he was in 2009. And others too."Rooney played wide on the left in the 2009 Champions League final when United lost 2-0 to the Catalan side, but he is expected to start in a more central role on Saturday.Although he suffered a poor start to the season, the 25-year-old has struck up a formidable partnership with strike partner Javier Hernandez and the pair could begin the match at Wembley if Ferguson decides to name an attacking line-up.United defender Rio Ferdinand is also sure that Rooney can have an impact, and cited Rooney's overhead kick against Manchester City earlier in the season as evidence he could deliver on the big stage.

Champions League Police Ops In Manchester And London

Major policing operations are taking place in London and Manchester as thousands of fans prepare for the Champions League final at Wembley.
Extra patrols are being carried out in Manchester city centre as supporters fill pubs and bars to watch the match.
In London, officers from Manchester and Spain are working with the Metropolitan Police to spot trouble and anyone trying to take flares to the stadium.
The Manchester United v Barcelona game is due to kick off at 1945 BST.
Each club has 25,000 supporters with match tickets, although an estimated 110,000 football fans will be travelling to London for the final.
Pubs in the area will be closed an hour before kick off and no alcohol is being permitted inside the stadium.
The Metropolitan Police has revealed that officers from the Spanish force will be on duty in London during the game.

Flares warning

"A Catalan speaking officer from the Met will be liaising with the Spanish police during the event and will be on hand to assist with fans if required," a spokesman said.
"Police spotters from Greater Manchester Police and Spanish police will be working alongside uniformed Met spotters.