• Announcement due imminently• €3bn savings agreed at marathon talks• Angry unions call two-day strike• Greek finance minister heads to Brussels with 'hope'• Mr Monti goes to Washington• Today's agenda2.31pm: Mario Draghi won a laugh from journalists in Frankfurt when he described Greece as "unique", when explaining the European Central Bank's approach to the country.Greece is unique.Everything about Greece is unique.Draghi added that the ECB did not have a Plan B for Greece, and was confident that it will fulfill the terms for its second rescue package. As he put it:To have a Plan B is to admit defeat.The ECB president said that he "hears" that negotiations with its creditors are going well and an agreement is 'close". Draghi also denied reports that the ECB would take any losses on its Greek debts as part of the country's rescue deal, and ruled out any "legal tricks" to help Greece. I am sorry to say I cannot say anything about how our holdings of Greek bonds will be treated.Interestingly, though, Draghi did say it would be legal for the ECB to share any profits on its Greek bonds among its members (these bonds were bought at distressed prices in the secondary bond market).2.06pm: As expectation mounts in Athens we are able to finally reveal a time for the much-awaited announcement the government will make regarding "closure" of the deal. "It will be issued in less than half an hour", government spokesman Pandelis Kapsis has just told Helena Smith, our Athens correspondent.A reminder of the current situation -- Greek political leaders refused to accept around €300m of cuts to pensions in Greece, at last-night talks yesterday. That has left Greece short of the €3.3bn of austerity measures sought by international lenders in return for its second bailout.When the announcement is released, the key question will be whether leaders have changed their minds of the pensions issue, or have found another way of making the saving.1.45pm: Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank, has confirmed that the Greek government has reached a deal over the outstanding issues surrounding Greece's second bailout.Draghi told reporters in Frankfurt that Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos had phoned him in the last few minutes and declared that an agreement has been reached and endorsed by the major Greek political parties.Draghi added that the Greece austerity deal will be discussed by eurozone finance ministers in Brussels tonight.State-run TV is also now reporting that there has been an agreement.It appears that the Greek government is very keen to downplay any suggestion of failure ahead of tonight's eurogroup meeting of finance ministers. At this meeting, Greek finance minister Evangelos Venizelos will present the "last version" of the accord outlining the terms under which Athens will receive its second rescue package.1.40pm: The Greece PM's office is now confirming that a deal has been struck between the coalition leaders over the new austerity measures needed for a second bailout.But there is still a big question mark over whether George Karatzaferis, who heads up the junior coalition partner Laos, is on board.Government spokesman Pandalis Kapsis told Helena Smith in Athens that:An announcement can be expected soon.We have the two principal parties on board ... we are researching whether Georgios Karatzaferis [the leader of Laos] will also agree. Meanwhile, just to add to the suspence officials from the New Democracy party, another coalition member, are refusing to confirm or deny the rumours, says Helena.1.13pm: The Financial Times is reporting that a deal has been reached in Athens over the outstanding issues around the bailout agreement.Their Athens correspondent, Kerin Hope, states that:An official in the prime minister's office says: "There's an agreement, Mr Papademos has met with Mr Samaras and it's done. There will be a statement shortly."That's given stock markets a lift -- the FTSE 100 is now up 36 points. More as we get it....12.55pm: Over in Greece, the old idea of calling a referendum over the draconian terms of the bailout deal has once again been raised.Speaking to Flash Radio, the prominent socialist Pasok party MP Haris Kastanides said it was was "vital" that Greeks at large give their consent to the austerity measures, as successive governments will be bound by them.Kastanides said:At some point we have to seriously think about this idea again. Giving the people a say is the greatest form of democracy.I don't want to go over that painful issue again....But it is the fairest way.You may remember that back in November, Pasok leader George Papandreou flirted with the idea of a public vote on the terms of the €130bn bailout. This was a devastating political miscalulation. A roasting from German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy forced Papandreou to backtrack. He then won a midnight vote of confidence (that was a day to remember), and stepped aside in favour of Lucas Papademos.Kastanides was one of the people who persuade Papandreou to call the referendum in the first place, along with several Harvard academics. From Athens, Helena Smith says that while it might seem like old hat, the referendum idea should not be excluded.Bankers on Wall Street who watch Europe and the debt crisis closely are privately betting on a referendum eventually taking place in Greece, say my sources who are in close contact with financiers there.12.45pm: The European Central Bank has voted to leave interest rates unchanged across the eurozone, at 1%.Like the Bank of England 45 minutes ago, the ECB acted in line with expectations. Monetary policymakers must feel this isn't a day for surprising the market.The interesting stuff will happen in 45 minutes time, when ECB head Mario Draghi answers questions from the media. Expect a grilling on whether the ECB might exchange its Greek bonds for securities issued by the EFSF.12.20pm: Even by the standards of Greek political theatre, little can be ruled out in the 72 hours between now and the time the tough bailout agreement will be brought to the Greek parliament on Sunday, says Helena Smith in Athens. "The whole situation is in flux," Nikos Vasilliades , a press spokesman at the small nationalist Laos party has just told Helena.Vasilliades continued:Logically the agreement should go to parliament to be voted on this Sunday but who knows? Our president [Laos leader George Karatzaferis] has made it clear that he will not be signing anything until he is assured that the measures being asked of us are legal. Karatzaferis wanted "cast iron" guarantees from three institutions: Greece's High Court, its Central Bank and the European Parliament. The party is now awaiting the response of letters the 66-year-old Karatzaferis had sent all three.Spokesman Vasilliades claimed that many of the measures in the draft bailout agreement "violate international labour law" and breach the Lisbon Treaty:They will affect an entire nation for the next 15, 20 years so we need to be sure, we need to have an answer. Yes, you could say we are buying time.12.10pm: The Bank of England cited the "significant margin" of slack in the British economy as a key reason for creating another £50bn of electronic money to spend on UK government bonds. It warned that "tight credit conditions" and "fiscal consolidation" were presenting a "headwind", slowing economic growth.Katie Allen has the full story about the Bank of England's latest QE injection, here.12.00pm: Breaking -- the Bank of England has increased its quantitative easing programme by another £50bn, to £325bnThe Bank also left interest rates unchanged at 0.5% -- where borrowing costs have been pegged since March 2009.Both decisions were broadly in line with City forecasts. Next up -- the ECB at 12.45pm GMT.11.54am: Vodafone has revealed this morning that it is pulling takings out of its Greek subsidiary "every night".Chief Financial Officer Andy Halford told reporters that the mobile network giant is repatriating cash to the UK on a daily basis, and also making contingency plans for a Greek disorderly defauly.Ealier, Vodafone had reported that weaker trading in Italy and Spain had undermined a stronger performance in Northern Europe. Severeal major corporates are protecting themselves from a collapse in the eurozone. On Tuesday, GlaxoSmithKline admitted that it is shifting cash out of European banks and back into Britain.11.46am: The European Union has been briefing journalists in Brussels about the latest developments in Greece.EU spokesman Amadeu Altafaj told reporters that there was "some room for flexibility" in the ongoing negotiations. However he declined to confirm the claim that Athens has 15 days to find the missing €300m -- which rather backs up Dow Jones's claim that they've only got until Sunday.Altafag also told the briefing that the negotiations with Greece are concluded – the eurogroup must now decide whether it has met its side of the deal.11.37am: Greece may not have 15 days to find €300m in missing savings.... Dow Jones is reporting that they've only got until Sunday:We are told #Greece has till Sunday to find EUR300mil to cut in its 2012 budget, need not be from pensions spending @djfxtrader @WSJ— Matina Stevis (@MatinaStevis) February 9, 201211.23am: Mario Monti's visit to America today is a crucial opportunity for Europe to persuade the US that it is serious about fixing the eurozone crisis.Monti's stock is pretty high since replacing Silvio Berlusconi as Italy's prime minister. With a responsible adult at the helm, Italy's bond yields have dropped (thanks also to that other Mario in the ECB). EU insiders say that Monti's credibility means his calls for a larger European bailout fund, and a focus on growth, carry plenty of weight.Italian government officials are briefing that Monti will use his meeting with Obama to promote the idea of a new European growth strategy, which would probably involve some debt and deficit targets being relaxed.This argument could be welcome in Washington, where the Obama administration has taken a more Keynesian approach to the crisis, and is now seeing robust economic growth.Philippe Moreau-Defarges, a researcher at Paris-based French Institute of International Affairs, told Bloomberg that Monti will be batting for Europe:There's no European more important for Obama to meet right now to understand that European leaders are aware of the problems and are dealing with them.11.04am: Tomorrow's strike action has been called amid heated debate in Athens this morning, as the rhetoric from trade unionists increases.As this picture shows, militants from the power power corporation (DEH) have already taken to the streets, our correspondent Helena Smith reports:To a man, commentators are saying that Greece has been unfairly cornered - faced with the option of two brutal choices, bankruptcy or the sort of belt-tightening that will thow it further into "economic Armageddon," a fiscal dark age of no growth, no development and no prospect of productivity or salvation on the horizon. "We are bankrupt but in order not to call us bankrupt they are giving us this money on terms that are so punitive that it will make us even more bankrupt," said Spyros Haritatos, one of the country's most popular radio show hosts. "They are doing this to ensure that we don't make others [in Europe] bankrupt. With such measures how will Greeks survive? How will they be able to even marry?"10.34am: Union leader have called a two-day strike starting tomorrow, as anger in Greece over the deal agreed last night bubbles away.The two major Greek unions, GSEE and ADEDY – who represent around half of all Greek workers – announced the walkout as part of a "social uprising" against the austerity measures that were agreed by Lucas Papademos, George Papandreou, Antonis Samaras and George Karatzaferis.The industrial action will come just three days after a general strike across Greece. The unions plan to hold protest rallies outside parliament on Friday and Saturday, and will return on Sunday when MP are likely to vote on the plan.ADEDY secretary general Ilias Iliopoulos told Reuters:The painful measure that creat misery for youth, unemployed and pensioners do not leave us much room. We won'e accept them.We are moving to a social uprising.10.22am: Greek youth unemployment rate has now reached 48%, according to this morning's data (see also 10.05am). That's up from 22.4% back in 2008 when the financial crisis began.10.05am: Grim economic news from Greece this morning -- the unemployment rate hit 20.9% in November, a new record high. Industrial output tumbled by 11.3% in December, compared with a year ago..Another sign of Greece's continuing economic contraction. Duncan Weldon, economist and TUC senior policy advisor, pointed out that the data shows the country will struggle to grow its way out of the crisis:Meanwhile - Greek industrial production down over 11% year on year. Not much hope of an improving trade balance at this rate.— Duncan Weldon (@DuncanWeldon) February 9, 20129.45am: Katie Allen, my colleague on the economics desk, explains what today's UK trade and industrial/manufacturing data (see 9.35am) means:The numbers for both industrial production and trade are ahead of forecasts and should help allay fears that Britain is headed into recession - technically two consecutive quarters of contraction. The official data from the fourth quarter of 2011 indicated the economy shrunk 0.2%.Not only did manufacturing output rise 1% in December, November's contraction was revised up to -0.1% from -0.2% previously reported by the ONS.Still, two notes of caution:Manufacturing makes up only 10.2% of the economy. The wider industrial sector, which also covers mining and utilities, makes up 15.4% of the economy. Secondly, the improvement in the trade balance was largely driven by a drop in imports - not exactly proof of burgeoning domestic demand. The pick-up in exports was very slight, a blow to government hopes for overseas trade to drive recovery and a longer-term rebalancing away from dependence on domestic demand.9.35am: Britain's manufacturing output has jumped, beating City forecasts.Data just released showed that manufacturing output rose by 1% in December, with output across all industry (including energy utilities) growing by 0.5%.That could ease fears that Britain will suffer a double-dip recession. However the Office for National Statistics also reported that industrial production fell by 1.4% during the final three months of 2011 (it declined in October and November) - slightly more than predicted by the ONS when it estimated that UK GDP fell by 0.2%.As economics editor Larry Elliott points out:The bounce back in manufacturing output had been predicted because the survey evidence for December had been strong. Seperately, the UK total trade gap in goods and services has dropped to its lowest in almost a decade -- £1.1bn in December 2011. Mainly due, though, to falling domestic demand rather then resurgent exports.The trade gap in goods declined in December to £7.111bn, the smallest level since February 2010. That was mainly due to a decline in imports – down from £34.25bn in November to £32.67bn in December. Exports inched a little higher – from £25.34bn to £25.56bn.The UK also ran a services trade surplus of slightly above £6bn in December.9.12am: Quite a packed agenda today, with plenty of British economic data this morning, and the interest rate/QE decisions at lunchtime.The Super Mario Brothers will be busy - while ECB head Mario Draghi fields questions in Frankfurt, Italian PM Mario Monti will be visiting the US.• UK industrial+manufacturing production stats for December - 9.30am GMT• UK trade balance - 9.30am GMT• Bank of England interest rate/QE decision - noon GMT• European Central Bank interest rate decision - 12.45pm GMT / 1.45pmCET• ECB press conference with Mario Draghi - 1.30pm GMT / 2.30pm CET• US weekly initial jobless claims data - 1.30pm GMT / 8.30am EST • Eurogroup meeting in Brussels - 5pm GMT / 6pm CET• Mario Monti speaks at the Peterson Institute - 5.30pm GMT / 12.30pm ESTThere don't appear to be any bond auctions today.8.48am: The euro is rising today, and European stock markets have also opened higher.The euro hit $1.3312 against the US dollar, on optimism that the final details of the agreement will be ironed out. In London, the FTSE 100 is up 21 points at 5897, close to its highest point of 2012.As City veteran David Buik points out, stock markets have rallied strongly over the past few months despite the uncertainty in Greece.Since Oct 2011 S&P 500 +22%, DOW +20.9%, FTSE +20%,.Since Sept 2011 DAX UP 34%!! GREEK EQUITIES +48.3%!! Bull market?Hard to believe!— David Barlow Buik (@DavidBuik) February 9, 20128.24am: George Karatzaferis, the junior partner in the coalition, initially declared that he opposed the agreement, only to later clarify that he would continue to support the coalition governmentGreek news website ekathimerini.com reports:Leaving the Maximos Mansion, Karatzaferis quoted a poem by Constantine P. Cavafy, suggesting that he had rejected the deal.On returning to his party's headquarters, he clarified that he objected to signing the agreement because he did not have enough time to study it.Despite having it translated into Greek especially?Karatzaferis's comments have caused some bemusement in Greece, with Athenian Diane Shugart pointing out that you either back the deal, or you don't.ps someone should tell mr karatzaferis that agreeing albeit with serious reservations is like being a little pregnant #greece— Diane Shugart (@dianalizia) February 9, 2012Sony Kapoor, managing director of the Re-Define think tank, also isn't impressed with the comments coming out of Athens:Methinks there is a lot of posturing re #Greek deal, primarily for domestic audiences in #Greece & #Germany— Sony Kapoor (@SonyKapoor) February 9, 20128.18am: Greek finance minister Evangelos Venizelos struck an optimistic tone as he headed to Brussels to present the results of last night's talks to the Eurogroup (made up of the 17 finance ministers from countries within the euro).Venizelos said:I leave for Brussels with hope that the Eurogroup will take a positive decision concerning the new aid plan.As the prime minister said, there is agreement on all the issues bar one.Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund will also attend this afternoon's meeting in Brussels.Gary Jenkins, City analyst at Evolution Securities, suggests that Greece may be hoping that the EU decides to let them off the last €300m. Possibly, but on the other hand Athens's 'goodwill bucket' is running pretty dry.Jenkins also questioned whether the agreement could actually be implemented:Whether an agreement will survive the April election, let alone the years of economic hardship to come, is a moot point. Apparently the terms of the agreement are based upon (amongst many other things) Greece returning to economic growth in the first half of 2013, which may be a tad optimistic.7.57am: Prime minister Lucas Papademos held talks with Greece's Troika of lenders (the IMF, the ECB and the EU) overnight after the talks with Papandreou, Samaras and Karatzaferis broke up.Reuters is reporting that Greece has been given another two weeks to find €300m in alternative savings, if the pensions issue really cannot be resolved. According to an unnamed official:Greece has another 15 days to specify fiscal savings worth 300 million euros.7.44am: On a positive note, plenty of progress was made at last night's talks, which lasted over seven hours.George Papandreou (head of PASOK - socialist), Antonis Samaras (New Democracy - right wing) and George Karatzaferis (Laos - far right) agreed to around €3bn of austerity measures. That includes hefty cuts to the minimum wage, and up to 15,000 job cuts across the civil service.Pensions, though, remained the sticking point, leaving technocratic PM Lucas Papademos around €300m shy of his target of €3.3bn of savings for 2012.With elections looming, it appears that no-one wanted to be seen as reponsible for cutting money to the elderly. It appears that New Democracy would not accept cuts to supplementary state pensions, while Pasok would not accept cuts to the primary pension.Samaras declared last night that he did not have the right "not to negotiate hard" for Greek pensioners:During these difficult times, we must look at ordinary people, at the pensioner.Panos Beglitis, a spokesman for the Pasok socialist party, told journalists in Athens that his party were also opposed to cuts in main pensions. He added that the three leaders had accepted that the minimum wage would drop by 22%.7.30am: Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the eurozone crisis.Overnight, Greece's leaders have failed to agree to the full terms of its £130bn bailout package. Despite negotiating until nearly dawn, the coalition government headed by Lucas Papademos could not agree the details of cuts to pensions.This leaves Greece short of around €300m of savings needed to persuade its international lenders to approve its second rescue deal.Despite the hitch, the full Greek cabinet is due to meet later today to decide whether to rubber-stamp the new austerity programme. Evangelos Venizelos, the Greek finance minister, is heading to Brussels to present it to finance ministers from across the eurozoneBut with €300m still to find, will Venizelos get a warm welcome from the eurogroup?It's going to be a busy day. Both the Bank of England and the European Central Bank will announce their latest monetary policy decisions this lunchtime -- Britain could get more quantitative easing, while ECB chair Mario Draghi will be quizzed on the euro crisis.Eurozone crisisEuroGreeceLucas PapademosGraeme Weardenguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lack of UNSCR resolution 'encouraged Syrian government to step up its war on its people', says secretary generalThe UN's failure to agree a resolution on Syria is "disastrous" for the country's people, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon has said as President Assad's government launched its most intense bombardment so far of rebel-held areas.Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, Ban said he had briefed the security council about a plan proposed by the head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Araby, for a possible joint UN-Arab League observer mission to Syria.But as witnesses in the opposition stronghold of Homs reported an unprecedented assault involving tanks and heavy artillery, with more than 200 rockets falling in the space of three hours on the opposition-controlled suburb of Baba Amr, Ban said the situation was becoming desperate."For too many months we have watched this crisis deepen. We have seen escalating violence, brutal crackdowns and tremendous suffering by the Syrian people. I deeply regret that the security council has been unable to speak with one clear voice to end the bloodshed," he said in a brief statement.The failure of a UN security council resolution calling for the departure of the president, Bashar al-Assad, which was vetoed by Russia and China, was "disastrous for the people of Syria", Ban said.He added: "It has encouraged the Syrian government to step up its war on its own people. Thousands have been killed in cold blood, shredding President Assad's claims to speak for the Syrian people."The situation in Homs was "unacceptable to humanity" and "a grim harbinger of worse to come", the UN chief added, warning the instability would inevitably spread around the region.Ban said he had briefed the security council about his talks with Araby and the proposal for an observer mission, which could involve a joint official envoy."We stand ready to assist in any way that will contribute towards improvement on the ground and to the overall situation," he said.The Guardian has been unable to independently verify eyewitness accounts or casualty figures from Homs, but similar reports came from rebel areas around the country as Assad, spared from the UN resolution, appeared to speed up attempts to eliminate the threat to his regime.One activist, Raji, speaking from a basement inside Baba Amr, said Syrian forces had begun using heavier artillery rounds with devastating effect. In addition to the 27 killed, he said many people were lying dead under the rubble of their houses. There were also reports that 18 premature babies had died in hospital after power cuts caused their incubators to fail, according to the BBC. State TV denied the reports.In the face of the increase in violence, western and Arab governments urgently sought a fresh response. The Pentagon was reported to be reviewing contingency plans for intervention in Syria, from providing humanitarian relief to direct military action. There was no sign the Obama administration was seriously contemplating military options, but the president is under increasing pressure in an election year to respond decisively to the reports of mass killing in the country."We are seriously dying here. It is really war," Waleed Farah told the Guardian via satellite phone from al-Khaldiyeh, another rebel-held neighbourhood in Homs.Hopes of quickly healing the global rift caused by the weekend's security council vote came to nothing. When William Hague spoke to the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to ask Moscow to reconsider its vote and its arms sales to Damascus, Lavrov said there was no independent confirmation of the regime's use of heavy weaponry in Homs and elsewhere and insisted that the supply of Russian arms was legal, according to British officials. After visiting Damascus on Tuesday, Lavrov called for a political dialogue and a UN resolution backing the deployment of more observers in Syria, but the opposition Syrian National Council has rejected Moscow as a broker and is insisting Assad step down in line with an Arab League peace plan.Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, said: "We of course condemn all violence regardless of its source, but one cannot act like an elephant in a china shop. Help them, advise them – limit, for instance, their ability to use weapons – but do not interfere under any circumstances."China also defended its decision to veto the UN resolution and rejected Hague criticism of the vote as "extremely irresponsible" and "totally unacceptable".With no sign of a break in the diplomatic deadlock, urgent efforts were under way aimed at building as broad an international coalition as possible to keep up the diplomatic pressure on Damascus. A "friends of Syria" conference is expected to be called in the next few days to agree joint measures, including fresh sanctions, anti-Assad resolutions at the UN general assembly, and diplomatic support for the opposition Syrian National Council with the aim ofcreating a credible alternative to the Assad regime. The next steps will be decided at meetings of the Gulf Co-operation Council on Saturday and the Arab League on Sunday. Most observers, however, believe Assad can weather such pressure as long as he can rely on backing from Moscow and Beijing.Turkey declared it was launching its own initiative to confront what it warned was becoming a grave political and humanitarian crisis. The prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has spoken by telephone to the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, and the foreign minister, Ahmet Davotuglu, flew to Washington to press for an emergency international conference. Western capitals support the Turkish initiative but argue the leading role and venue is better left to Arab states.Turkey's ambassador to London, Ahmet Ünal Çeviköz, said Turkey would not insist on hosting a conference. He said: "The important thing is to form as wide as possible an international platform of like-minded countries to show the determination of the international community that there is no possibility of a return to the status quo ante. Assad thinks he can buy time but we have to show we have no more confidence in him."Çeviköz said his government believed the death toll was "much more severe" than the 5,000-7,000 reported, and argued that priority should be given to ending the violence and addressing the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people."The people of Homs are facing not just bombardment but a blockade of the city, with a serious lack of food and medicine," the ambassador said. "There needs to be contingency planning on ways of reaching out to people and regions in Syria which are facing this crisis."Turkey has floated the idea of a humanitarian corridor or a safe zone for displaced populations, but Çeviköz said those decisions would have to be taken at the proposed international conference.If Russia and China continued to oppose such concerted action, he added: "They will have the responsibility of being the culprits in a humanitarian crisis."SyriaMiddle East and North AfricaUnited NationsBan Ki-moonJulian BorgerLuke HardingChris McGrealPeter Walkerguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• NoW head of news: culture of bullying came from editor• Did not draft emails to women in the Max Mosley case• Editor told him not to tell McCanns' PR the paper had her diary• Heather Mills: I didn't play Piers Morgan voicemail• Says she has recorded 64 hours of 'paparazzi intimidation'• Big Pictures boss Darry Lyons defends paparazzi• PCC director Stephen Abell steps down2.56pm: Clifford came to a settlement with News International after being told by police his phone had been hacked. It was unusual in that it was negotiated with Rebekah Brooks herself."It was over a quite lunch … It was £220,000 a year for three years plus all my legal costs," he says. 2.52pm: PR veteran Max Clifford has taken the stand.2.50pm: Stanistreet has now finished her evidence.2.49pm: Stanistreet says she thinks Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre's proposal for accrediting journalists as a kind of kitemark is a "ridiculous notion".She adds that it's impractical, unworkable and would put all the blame on journalists.2.48pm: Stanistreet says the union was in the process of kicking Webb out when he resigned.She adds that he had a press card, and has been asked to return it.2.47pm: Stanistreet adds: "I also find it staggering that an organisation would instruct, as Webb alleges, that someone who has been working as a investigator [to join the NUJ] … the conceit of it, an organisation that does not let an independent union cross its threshold."2.42pm: Patry Hoskins asks Stanistreet about private investigator Derek Webb, who became an NUJ member while he was undertaking surveillance for the News of the World.Stanistreet explains that the News of the World and the Sun refuse to recognise the NUJ and News International have set up their own staff organistion called NISA. This is not considered an independent organisation. Webb subimtted an application form backed by a proposer and seconder, who were both "journalists in good standing", she says.He described himself as a "freelance researcher" on the application form.Stanistreet says most freelance applications are asked to supply examples of their work, but researchers don't have bylined material.Pressed on whether Webb really qualified for membership, she says: "I don't believe he was eligible for membership of the NUJ."2.38pm: Another testimony came from a freelancer working on casual shifts for the past four years."The culture in most newsrooms can be really intimidating especially if you are a young journalist," they said.As a shift worker, they did the same job as others, but didn't get the same benefits and felt unable to speak out as they couldn't afford to lose their job.They said newsrooms also use a huge number of interns to work for free which undermines the journalist's chances of getting on even more.They said they haven't hacked phones "but there is someone in every newsroom who can turn round ex-directory numbers".Stantistreet says this is common in newsrooms. Some papers force shifters to take unpaid leave when they come to the end of their 12-month contract before they can employ them again.2.37pm: Another journalist with more than 20 years' experience said a proprietor demanded anti-asylum stories, either in person or through the editor.2.35pm: Another journalist said they added "substantiating quotes" which were "often entirely made up" to copy. If he did not, they would "magically appear" anyway.2.34pm: Another reported discussed Islamophobia.Whenever they complained, or removed parts of the articles they were asked to write, they would somehow find that bits of the article would find their way back into the article when published.When the journalist complained, they were portrayed as the "token leftie" in the newsroom and then "targeted" to write the most stories about Islam. The journalist said they were in tears but they were nontheless their bosses continued to do this. They eventually resigned.2.33pm: Former News of the World showbiz editor Dan Wootton has just tweeted:@benfenton This anon evidence. I was there from 2007 to 2011 and don't recognise it.Fact they don't give dates or any context is silly.— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) February 9, 20122.31pm: A fifth journalist has worked at the NoW and several other nationals over 25 years. They described "ritual humiliation" at the paper.2.29pm: The Guardian's Josh Halliday has just tweeted:Another ex-NoTW journalist claims in NUJ evidence that hacking was "endemic" in industry and "tip of the iceberg" at that paper #Leveson— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 9, 20122.25pm: Another ex-News of the World journalist said they had heard hearsay evidence that other papers used Trojans on computers, ie placing a computer program onto a computer in order to discover what's on a hard drive.Reading his testimony, Patry Hoskins says over six months they learned from an investigator how to construct a Trojan" and after a period of trial and error they found they could get stories using a method "better than from bugging, theft of bribery".They add that they only targeted people who worked abroad but this was to ensure they didn't draw the attention of the British police.2.23pm: The Guardian's Josh Halliday has just tweeted:"We've all been brutalised by that organisation but doesn't mean we're not telling truth" - ex-NoTW hack anonymous statement #Leveson— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 9, 20122.22pm: The journalist said they have no reason to believe things have changed. Executives talked openly about them on a newspaper they worked on; "those who objected were rebuked publicly," they added.Some of those who practised the dark arts have been promoted to senior positions, even to the most senior position on a newspaper, they claimed.2.19pm: Stanistreet heard from a fourth journalist, who had 32 years' experience in local and regional newspapers and broadsheet and tabloid and broadcasting. This journalist is still working in newspapers and TV.They became aware of "dark arts" practised on newspapers in the 1980s. They learned journalists regularly used private investigators, met the PI and worked with him on several stories.The PI was able to furnish the journalists with Police National Computer checks, social security records and frequently provided the most up to date addresses for people which was "invaluable".2.17pm: Clive Goodman, the former royal editor of the News of the World, said he was well paid and senior but still "came under a lot of flak" in front of 20 to 25 people at the paper's news conference."There was no doubt in my mind, he was under intense pressure to deliver," said the anonymous witness.2.14pm: The inquiry is back to anonymous evidence from another journalist, this time with six years' experience, including the News of the World.It describes constant bullying, including emails sent about his weightYoung reporters were made wear stupid costumes for stories; they cite an example of a reporter "having to go head to toe in meat" following Lady Gaga's appearance at an awards ceremony two years ago. This was "sexist and degrading", they said.2.13pm: Leveson says just because there are some examples of poor behaviour does not mean journalism has been tarnished; much reporting is of great value2.11pm: Stanistreet says journalists feel that newspapers' managers have also betrayed them as they tried to pin the blame on them.2.08pm: The journalist said the freelance situation is as bad.They said the money was terrible, freelancers were expected to use their own laptop and car. They were "expected to pull stories out of the bag just like staffers", who were on much better conditions. Quite often it was difficult to claim expenses."Being pragmatic, if you did what Sean Hoare did or Paul McMullan did, you don't work in the iindustry again – their reputations have been trashed," they said.The journalist added that they feelsjournalists have been betrayed and have been "vilified by Leveson in the public domain".2.04pm: The first testimony comes from a journalist with more than 30 years' experience on national titles and worked on the News of the World for three yearsThere was "tremendous pressure"; they were given "impossible tasks" and if they didn't deliver they would be considered a failure, they said. "There was a real military chain of command and you did what you were told … if you want a career in the future you shut up and keep quiet," they said."The culture is macho, it pervades the industry."2.03pm: All the journalists whose evidence she has supplied are still working in the industry. The submissions have been redacted to exclude names, names of papers and specific incidents which might identify newspapers, apart from the News of the World. This follows directions given by Lord Justice Leveson.1.59pm: Stanistreet says these are not individual journalists with a gripe against their newspaper, but a consistent picture.Some she spoke to "were too scared about their experiences being shared with the inquiry, petrified".The issues she raises in the evidence include bullying, sexual harassment and cases of journalists being put under "intolerable pressure". She says these are similar to the ones that the NUJ deals with every day; sadly the experiences are "prevalent within the industry today".1.56pm: The inquiry has resumed and Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, is asked about anonymous evidence from members.She explains none of the 40 or so journalists she spoke to wanted to give evidence publicly."Sadly that's not an option [to give evidence publicly]," she says. In her written submission, she says this was for fear of punishment, being "thrashed" by others in the industry and the fear of not being employed.1.30pm: Dan Sabbagh's story on how Ian Edmondson's evidence contradicted former boss Colin Myler's testimony is now live. It says:The former news editor of the News of the World has contradicted evidence given to the Leveson inquiry by his one time editor Colin Myler over what a spokesman for the McCanns was told about the planned publication of Kate McCann's diary by the now closed Sunday tabloid in 2008.Ian Edmondson, giving evidence to the inquiry on Thursday, said he was instructed by Myler to call Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns public relations representative, and tell him only in "very woolly" terms that the newspaper would be running a story about them without giving the family any indication that the tabloid was going to publish her diaries in full.The editor's instruction, Edmondson said, was to give Mitchell the impression "that we were running a story, but not tell him specifically what story" and that "certainly don't tell him [Mitchell] that we were in possession of the complete diaries". Myler, Edmondson added, was "frightened that if Clarence knew what we had, he might take action".Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, asked Edmondson what was the purpose of "having an ambiguous or woolly conversation?" Edmondson replied that the purpose would be "in order to blame Clarence Mitchell that he hadn't acted properly upon instructions" if there was a row post-publication.You can read the full story here.1.23pm: We now have a transcript of Ian Edmondson's claim that he was told by News of the World editor Colin Myler not to tell Kate McCann's PR adviser that the paper had her diaries:Jay: The McCann diary story. May I start by reminding us all of Mr Myler's version – or rather, his evidence, pardon me. Tab 8, page 89. This is part of the transcript of his evidence given on 14 December last year. Particularly at line 20, I think, but we can skim read a little bit earlier on but can I just try and get to the heart of this. The question was: "But did Mr Edmondson make it clear to you that he had made it clear to Mr Mitchell that he had the whole diary and was going to cause extracts from it to be published in the News of the World? Edmondson: That's what he led me to believe, yes. Jay: Because reading the transcript, and this is something which you didn't, of course, see at the time, the transcript of the conversation "... And then we identified the transcript." Edmondson: Mm-hm. Jay: Or maybe it's not necessary to go on, because we're then trying to interpret the transcript, about which you give clear evidence. But the gist of it is, the bit I read out between lines 20 and 24. Can I seek to deal with your evidence carefully in this way: first of all, you make it clear that your only conversation with Mr Mitchell was on Friday, 12 September 2008; is that right? Edmondson: That is right. Jay: Recalling the conversation, what is your evidence in relation to that. I think you say it's standard practice? Edmondson: Yes, it was. Jay: Were you given an instruction to do so on this occasion?Edmondson: I was, yes. Jay: By?Edmondson: Colin Myler. Jay: Do you know why you were given that instruction? Edmondson: Reinforcing please tape it – and it was standard practice to tape those types of phone calls and I might even say that to a reporter but I would reinforce it. Jay: But was it standard practice to make it clear to your interlocutor that the call was being recorded? Edmondson: No. Jay: And why not? Edmondson: You wouldn't get, in general terms, a true conversation. Jay: Because? Edmondson: They would play to the camera.Jay: Do you feel that it's entirely a frank and honest procedure to conduct an interview with someone but not make it clear that it's being recorded?Edmondson: Yes, I do. Jay: Because?Edmondson: Accuracy. Jay: Obviously it gives you concrete evidence (overspeaking) subject to experting what's being said, one understands that, but is there not an element of deception – or maybe I can put is slightly lower than that, because that, I think, is a slightly sort of sinister tone, but at least an element of misleading the person you're speaking to that you are recording them and therefore it might be used to (overspeaking)?Edmondson: I think that's fair. Jay: But your feeling is, well, if you did make it clear that it was being recorded, then they would do what?Edmondson: I would imagine freeze up, not talk to you freely, not talk to you honestly. They might not want to talk to you at all. A number of things. Jay: I can see that they might not want to talk to you at all, but you think if we did make it clear to them that this he were being taped, there would be more incentive to be dishonest during the course (overspeaking)?Edmondson: I would say that's fair, yes. Jay: Had there been occasions when you've had conversations with people which haven't been recorded?Edmondson: I'm sure there has been, but certainly not on a call that is paramount to a story, and something that might be used later on as evidenceThe third question which was put to you in a written notice, which we see at the bottom of page 60272, the question was this: "During the during the course of that conversation (conversation with Mr Mitchell] did you make it clear to Mr Mitchell that the News of the World had obtained a copy of Dr Kate McCann's personal diary from a source who had ... (reading to the words)... intended to write a story based on that diary quoting verbatim from it? If so, please identify with reference to the transcript of your conference where you made it clear." And then your answer, please, Mr Edmondson?Edmondson: I didn't make it clear. Jay: And you say because you were given express instructions by Mr Myler?Edmondson: Correct. Jay: When did he give you those instructions? Can you recall?Edmondson: From memory, at a meeting on Thursday of that week. Jay: Why did he give you those instructions?Edmondson: I attended a meeting with Mr Myler and Tom Crone where we discussed this story. I think we got the story to a point where I was prepared to present it to Tom and Colin, the editor. Colin gave – sorry, I beg your pardon – Tom gave his legal view, which I'm told I'm not allowed to repeat, but which dismayed, shall I say, Mr Myler. So he decided to ask me to make a call to Mr Mitchell, not make it clear what we had, telling him in general terms, basically make it very woolly. I think someone previously used the word "ambiguous" – that is absolutely spot on what he wanted. Jay: So the preferred outcome for the end point of the conversation with Mr Mitchell would be what?Edmondson: To give him the expression that we were running a story, but not tell him specifically what story, certainly don't tell him that we were in possession of the complete diaries, as we understood. There had been extracts in the diaries – of the diaries in Portuguese papers which had been translated into the English papers, but certainly not to the sent that we had. He was frightened that if Clarence knew what we had, he might take action.Well, he would do – was the fear that he would, at the very least, tell his clients, the McCanns, what was going on?Edmondson: Correct.Jay: ...and they would certainly get back to Mr Myler by phone.Edmondson: Correct. Jay: Or make an application for an injunction to stop the News of the World publishing? Is that what it amount to?Edmondson: That's exactly what it would. Jay: What was the purpose, though, of having an ambiguous or woolly conversation, as you've described? What was the you intention? That you would have Mr Mitchell's part assent? Could you put it in your own words?Edmondson: Yeah, it would be in order to blame Clarence Mitchell that he hadn't acted properly upon instructions. Jay: I see. And was that part of Mr Myler's thinking?Edmondson: That was his thinking. Jay: Was it Mr Crone's thinking?Edmondson: No. Jay: So you presumably were uneasy in carrying out these instructions?Edmondson: Yes. I had an alternative, which I presented to Mr Myler. He was the only one to have Gerry McCann's mobile number, and up until that point, he had a reasonable or very good relationship with him, and I thought he could argue that we could work collaboratively to get the diaries in the paper, and that was my suggestion. Jay: And what was Mr Myler's reaction to that suggestion?Edmondson: No. Jay: Because?Edmondson: I think he believed, from memory, and I can't be sure, that that wouldn't be a successful outcome. Jay: I understand. So you were sent out to make it call and presumably in the light of the evidence you're giving to us, you felt uneasy by what you were being asked to do?Edmondson: Yeah, I'd developed a very good relationship with Clarence and I liked him a lot. I felt very uneasy. Jay: Why did you do it then?Edmondson: I was told to. Jay: Do you feel that this was a sort of one-off, because we're looking at this one example, or do you feel it's part of a general sort of system or culture or practice, however you want to put it, and this is just one exemptfication of that?Edmondson: I must admit I can't remember an occasion of this ill be. I'm sure there was occasions where an editor both want you to effectively deceive someone, yes. Jay: So there were other occasions of deception, to use your word, but this was a particularly egregious (overspeaking)?Edmondson: I think it is, yes.12.58pm: The inquiry is now breaking for lunch and will return at 1.55pm.12.50pm: Stanistreet says she does not believe any of these individuals colluded in their evidence; she did not ask any of them if they had spoken to the Guardian's investigative journalist Nick Davies. Contemporaneous notes were taken of all interviews, she says, and she typed them up immediately afterwards. She did not record the interviews.Patry Hoskins gets from confirmation Stanistreet that the two of them met yesterday to discuss the interview notes. Patry Hoskins says she saw nothing that would undermine the witnesses' evidence.12.43pm: Stanistreet is asked about her second statement, which deals with the union's appeal for journalists to give anonymous evidence to the inquiry. About 40 journalists got in touch as a result. She personally interviewed them either face to face or on the telephone. Some gave evidence in writing. Stanistreet has reported what 12 of them told her, as some individuals' feedback discussed their general views of the inquiry so far; others didn't want their evidence shared, even in confidence.She says she didn't reject any examples of positive comments. "Sadly I haven't had a queue of journalists wanting to share news of great experiences in the newsroom," she adds.12.43pm: "It's vital that journalists have the protection of an independent trade union within their workplace," says Stanistreet.Some papers are hostile to the NUJ, she adds.12.38pm: In her opening statement Stanistreet says the NUJ has campaigned for a conscience clause for many years and everything she has heard at the inquiry to date shows how vital it is that every journalist has such protection.12.36pm: Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, has taken the stand.She is being questioned by Carine Patry Hoskins, junior counsel to the inquiry.12.36pm: Mills has now completed her evidence.12.33pm: Mills says there needs to be "huge penalties, not these small amounts that don't make any difference to large organisations". She says the PCC needs to be "absolutely 100% changed". She adds the new regulator also needs to take account that the expense of taking a newspaper is prohibitive for most of the public. Mills adds that all photographers should be licensed, and they could be struck off if they harass people.She adds:The biggest problem is they [the public] feel helpless … I feel if all photographers, paps, are llicensed and that no newspaper can use a photograph unless it's from a licensed photographer … then they can be struck off should they cross the line in that area. 12.33pm: Mills says that Sunday Mirror editor Tina Weaver ran a story accusing her of misdirecting charity money even though she was told it was untrue.12.29pm: Mills says she complained to the PCC many times. Initially she was unaware of the body and launched libel actions.She praises the work of the PCC director, Stephen Abell, who she says tried to act as a mediator.However, she says editors were judging themselves on the PCC and complaints only resulted in "postage stamp" sized apologies.12.28pm: Mills says newspapers only give "postage stamp" sized apologies even after going to court.Until there is a disincentive for them to write so many lies and untruths and abusive comments, it's going to continue. If I was an editor and I knew I was going to be embarrassed every week with front-page apologies I would make sure every story was correct.12.25pm: Mills said coverage of her in the press was fine until she met Paul McCartney in 1999 and then it was "'one-legged bitch', 'cow' and every gutter word you can think of".12.24pm: Ian Edmondson's witness statement has now been published on the Leveson inquiry website.12.20pm: On the video, Showed photographers are shown apparently trying to get a shot of Mills's house through a fence. One photographer apparently says "we don't just turn up … we do it because we are being asked to do it".They are also shown chasing her when driving, and there is the dramatic noise of screeching tyres and a car smash.Mills makes statements on the DVD about pursuit, pacticularly by one car, which she says has followed her from Kent to Dorset.12.19pm: The inquiry has now resumed and is watching Mills's DVD of alleged harassment by photographers.12.10pm: Financial Times media correspondent Ben Fenton has just tweeted:[Leveson taking break ostensibly to get the sound working, but possibly because FA press conference on Capello is about to start - joke ]— Ben Fenton (@benfenton) February 9, 201212.07pm: The inquiry is now taking a short break while it prepares to show Mills's DVD.12.05pm: Mills talks about harassment of herself and her family. She says she was assaulted in Brighton and she was told she needed to get evidence by police because the photographers can legally stand outside the door.She then proceeded to film everything; she has 65 hours of abuse and harassment by the paparazzi.There are awful things, going over pavements when mothers are pushing prams … we have 60-odd hours of video footage if the court ever needs to see that.12.01pm: Jay asks about a 2006 article written by Piers Morgan in the Daily Mail in which he said he had listened to a message McCartney left on Mills's mobile phone – but refused to reveal his source.She says she never shared her voicemails with anyone.Asked if she ever gave Morgan permission to listen to the recording, she replies: "Never ever."Jay asks: "Speaking more widely, and it will be my last question on this topic: did you have any reason for sharing a voicemail message with Mr Morgan?"Mills replies:No, never. I can't quite believe that he would even try and insinuate, a man that's written nothing but awful things about me for years, would absolutely relish in telling the court if I had personally played a voicemail message to him.11.57am: Mills says she was contacted by a former Trinity Mirror employee later that day who said had heard the message. The employee said the paper had she had had an argument with McCartney and it had heard him singing on her phone. She said that they could only know that if they had been listening to her messages, and the employee laughed.Jay makes it clear that this person was a Trinity Mirror employee, not Piers Morgan or anyone then working for him at the Daily Mirror.The story was never reported.11.50am: Mills is asked about a voicemail left for her by her then husband Sir Paul McCartney. Piers Morgan claimed in his book that he had heard the voicemail, which has given rise to allegations that it was obtained by phone hacking. Morgan was asked in his evidence about the incident.Mills says in February 2001 she was on holiday with McCartney. There was an earthquake in Gujerat and she that she wanted to help with prosthetic limbs as she had previously helped in Yugoslavia in this area. She made contact with Phil Hal, then the editor of Hello! magazine, pretty soon after she had returned from India. She had had a relationship with the magazine – every time they did a story with her they would make a donation to her chosen charity. She did not know Hall but set up a meeting. He said they needed some pictures if she was going on the trip and he put a photographer on the story.She started researching what was needed for the trip. She had a row with McCartney and went to stay with a friend. When she got up there were about 25 messages from McCartney. They said "would I come back and one of them said, please forgive me and sang a little ditty of one of his songs onto voicemail. That afternoon I went back and all was forgiven."She then deleted the messages; she never recorded them.Mills was later shown evidence by detactives from Operation Weeting that the private voicemail messages of her and her sister were hacked."We were shown my PIN numbers, PUK numbers over three different telephones over a period of five or six years," she says.She said she can't say if they related to the Vodafone mobile she had in early 2001 because the police wouldn't given them the evidence.11.49am: Mills has submitted two statements – 20 January and 6 February – and a DVD which the inquiry is going to look at later.11.46am: Heather Mills is now taking the stand11.43am: Sky's Michael Greenfield has just tweeted:Heather Mills has just arrived in the courtroom #Leveson— Michael Greenfield (@SkyGreenfield) February 9, 201211.40am: The Guardian's head of media and technology, Dan Sabbagh, asked Lily Allen on Twitter what she thought of Darry Lyons's evidence:Would love to know what the likes of Sienna Miller, @mrslrcooper and others think of this Big Pictures shambles.— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 9, 2012She replied:@dansabbagh not much— lilyrosecooper (@MrsLRCooper) February 9, 201211.35am: Here is a summary of this morning's evidence so far:• The former News of the World head of news, Ian Edmondson, has said that the culture of bullying at the paper came from the editor.• He said he did not draft emails to women in the Max Mosley case, contradicting chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck's evidence.• He said the editor told him not to tell Kate McCann's PR the paper had her diary.• Big Pictures boss Darryn Lyons said celebrities use the paparazzi to promote themselves.11.34am: Edmondson has now completed his testimony and the inquiry is taking a short break.11.34am: Leveson asks Edmondson some more questions about the Kate McCann diary. Did he or did not make it clear to Clarence Mitchell that he had the entire diary? "No," says Edmondson.11.32am: The News of the World was an "autocratic" organisation, says Edmondson.Leveson asks if there was bullying even if staff were in a senior position.Edmondson replies:Yes … It is not a democracy at a newspaper – autocratic.11.30am: Edmondson says Colin Myler was part of the culture of bullying."If there wasn't a culture of bullying", then you would have seen a different type of paper, an "alternative product", he adds.He is asked if there was bullying at the Sunday People where he had worked previously."Nowhere near: there were elements of, but it's a considerably smaller paper," he replies.11.29am: Jay asks if this means the culture of bullying comes from the editor.Edmondson responds "yes", but says he does not want to go into detail.Jay says he can understand his diffidence.11.28am: Edmondson is asked more about bullying.Edmondson says he has an employment tribunal hearing coming up and his answer may cross over into that.He says the entire culture of the paper came from the editor.Every part of the paper is dictated by the editor of the paper … you don't do anything unless you are told to do something.11.25am: Edmondson says the culture at the paper changed when Myler took over and throughout the industry "for obvious reasons". The paper's staff were given seminars on the PCC and legal briefings.He is asked whether before Myler's arrival in 2007, there was bullying or unethical behaviour at the paper.Edmondson says it's on the record that mistakes were made; the culture of the paper changed on Myler's arrival.Jay makes it clear that he wants Edmondson to answer in terms of everything but phone-hacking, which he cannot ask him about.Edmondson says there were was huge pressure to get stories.For everyone one story you get in the paper, nine would be thrown away. 11.24am: The Guardian's head of media and technology, Dan Sabbagh, has just tweeted:This is a big Leveson moment. Edmondson offering a clear account that Colin Myler took the key decision as regards McCann diary publication.— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 9, 201211.22am: Edmondson says the paper deceived the McCanns."I can't remember an occasion of this ilk," he adds. "I'm sure there were occasions when an editor would want you to effectively deceive someone, yes."Asked by Jay if there were other occasions an editor would want to deceive someone, but this was a particularly egregious example, he replies: "I think so, yes."11.20am: Edmondson agrees with Jay that the thinking behind this was to prevent the story being injuncted.He told Myler, who had Gerry McCann's telephone number, that they could have worked "collaboratively" with the McCanns but Myler said this wouldn't work.11.18am: Edmondson says he was told to "not make it clear what we had, tell him in general terms, something woolly".He adds:… to give him the impression we were running a story, but not tell him what story, certainy not tell him we were in possesion of the complete diaries. There had been publication of extracts of the diaries in Portugal but not to the extent we had; he was frightened he [Mitchell] would take action.11.16am: Jay asks about the News of the World's publication of Kate McCann's diary without her permission.Edmondson says he was instructed by Myler to record a call with the McCanns' press adviser at the time, Clarence Mitchell, regarding the diary. He adds that recording such calls was standard practice.He says that, on the instruction of Myler, he did not make it clear in the call that the paper had a copy of the diary.He says he was uncomfortable about this, as he was friends with Mitchell. "I liked Mitchell a lot. I felt uneasy, but I did what I was told."11.15am: Edmondson says he expressed "very considerable surprise" to Crone over the decision to use surveillance because he did not see such a story getting into the paper.He told Crone: "I hope you are paying for this."11.14am: Webb is asked about the decision to get Webb to spy on solicitors Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris, who were acting for phone-hacking victims.Edmondson says he didn't agree with the survellance, as he didn't think it was a story.11.09am: Jays put it to Edmondson that Webb's status as an NUJ member was just a pretence."I don't think he was pretending to be a journalist but I get your point," says Edmondson."This was all just a sham wasn't it?" says Jay."I think it was, yes," says Edmondson.He adds that Myler, legal manager Tom Crone and managing editor Stuart Kuttner were aware of this pretence, to the best of his knowledge.11.06am: Jay runs through Webb's evidence.He says Webb left the NoW's employ for about 18 months in 2007 but returned in 2009 when certain matters were resolved.Webb explains how the paper encouraged him to become a member of the NUJ after the use of private eyes was banned by editor Colin Myler in 2007.The investigator had changed his email address from "Silent Shadow" to "Shadow Watch" and was told to alter it to "Derek Webb Media".Edmondson confirms that he was aware of the ban on private eyes.He says he does remember have conversations with the editor and the managing editor about asking Webb to join the NUJ.11.04am: Edmondson is asked more about private investigator Derek Webb.Edmondson argues Webb was a journalist because he carried out "journalistic tasks". He adds that before Webb the NoW used reporters and photographers "to carry our surveillance" and they might not have been particularly good at it, but Webb was trained in such skills."His skills were very useful," adds Edmondson.11.01am: Edmondson is asked what factors would be taken into account by teh News of the World when deciding the public interest in relation to celebrities' affairs.Edmondson says there would be a public interest if the celebrity has promoted a "false public image" as "wholesome" and they are doing something else in private.It might be a celebrity inviting cameras into their home, being photographed with their family, talking about their wife, saying "they would never do such a thing" and then it is revealed that they are having an affair, he adds.Edmondson says that there was little difference of approach to how the NoW dealt with politicians or celebrities.10.59am: Edmondson is asked about use of "Silent Shadow" private investigator Derek Webb for surveilliance. Edmondson indicates that Webb was regularly used by him.He says "one of the things" Webb was used for was to see if people were having an affair; later, he says this was "the majority" of Webb's work.10.58am: Leveson says it's very important to get to the bottom of this. Would he ever have written such an email offering anonymity if the women co-operate?"I don't like its tone," he says of the email."From memory I saw them [the emails] some time after the Mosley case," he adds.Leveson asks: "As you read the emails now, what's your reaction to them?""I think they are a threat," says Edmondson.Leveson: "I think we can agree about that."10.57am: Jay says the point of the email is clear – the paper will guarantee anonymity to the women if they tell their story, but if they don't they will lose it.Edmondson says it is "very very unlikely" that he would have written tthat."For a number of reasons: that's not the language I would have used. It wouldn't be my responsiblity or decision … It's not his decision to make those statements. What goes into the paper is down to the editor … these sorts of decisions aren't made by a news editor, or head of news or a chief reporter."10.55am: Leveson says "it's not just the particular email, it's the thinking behind the email" – which may be constituted as blackmail – that he wants to get at.The emails were sent after the News of the World published its Max Mosley orgy story, and asked the women to tell their side of the story for the next Sunday's follow-up."There is no doubt that Neville, or a number of reporters would have been trying to get hold of the women. That [the email] would have been a small part of it," says Edmondson."I have got no doubt whatsoever I would have asked him to contact the women. In fact with his experience I would have had no need to … it's more likely that I would have asked him."10.47am: Jay asks Edmondson about emails sent from Thurlbeck to women involved in the Max Mosley case.Edmondson was on holiday on the first week of the Mosley story; he is asked about week two."I don't recall these emails being sent at all. As to who drafted them, I wasn't in the habit of drafting or dictating emails," he says.Thurlbeck told the inquiry that Edmondson had drafted them, but the latter says that the language in the emails "didn't seem like the type of language I'd have used".10.44am: Ian Edmondson has now taken the stand. Edmondson was the former head of news at the News of the World. He became head of news in November 2005 and left in 2011. He is being questioned by the counsel to the inquiry, Robert Jay QC.10.38am: Lyons has now finished his testimony and the inquiry is taking a short break.10.37am: Lyons says the atittude of celebrities is "a great worry for the industry" and that many of the celebrities will "regularly take money" for the photographs. He adds:Paparazzi in America are regularly used by managemennt and publicity agents to boost someone's profile.Where we are here in the UK is all over the place in terms of what can't we do what we can do … I think celebrities use these situations for their own self gain on a regular basis. There's two sides to every story which i hope this inquiry looks into in great detail.10.35am: Lyons is asked about his new website, mrpaparazzi.com, which invites the public to submit their own photographs. He describes it in his witness statement as "the future".Patry Hoskins says it might be said that encouraging the public to whip out their phones and take photographs of celebrities could be seen as incitement to invade someone's privacy.Lyons says if he has any doubt about a picture, if it was "unethical or suspicious in any way", he won't publish.10.33am: Lyons repeats that the situation is very unclear. One day celebrities will invite photographers into their homes; the next day they will complain about being photographed walking down the street.10.31am: Lyons reveals that – like Gary Morgan of Splash Pictures, who gave evidence earlier this week – he has a "no-shoot list" but this list is based on legal cases. He says he will supply the inquiry with the list.10.30am: Lyons says PR people for famous stars such as Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton phone him as soon as they are in town to say "she's staying here, she's staying there, they want the publicity".10.29am: The Guardian's head of media and technology, Dan Sabbagh, has just tweeted:Lyons is right to say that it rules of celebrity snaps game have become ambiguous, that it is not clear what is legit and not.— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 9, 201210.28am: Lyons says the situation isn't clear cut – sometimes a celebrity like Lily Allen will be snapped looking lovely on the beach and she won't complain and on another ocassion she will.Often he says they want to be photographed because it boosts their PR around the world and some go as far as "taking cash with the photographers on a regular basis".If it's on their terms it's fine but if they've done the wrong thing or it's immoral and that's been recorded in history; they've been photographed they don't like it … the problem is when you are photographing someone famous these days you don't now if it's right or wrong.Others will pick and chose the times when they are promoting their record or TV show or their movie.10.25am: Lyons asked about a complaint about photographs of JK Rowling and her children.Lyons say the pictures were taken of Rowling walking down a public street in Scotland. He says he felt there was no problem at the time and the pictures were available for use two or three years before the author's complaint. The image was downloaded from an archive and used in the Sunday Express several years later, when the complaint arose.10.24am: Lyons is asked about a privacy action taken by Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley, who accepted £58,000 over invasion of privacy when photographers took pictures of them when on holiday on a private resort.Lyons remembers the court case, but only "very vaguely".10.20am: Lyons is now being asked about photographs of Sienna Miller on a boat in St Tropez.Lyons says photographers have been taking pictures of celebrities in the Med on "since Brigitte Bardot was sunning herself on the beaches of St Tropez ... It was normal practice."If the photograph shows the celebrity in a good light, they won't necessarily go "legal", she said but if it "suits" them they will.10.19am: The Guardian's head of media and technology, Dan Sabbagh, has just tweeted:Lyons better on Celebrity Big Brother. This evidence is catastrophic. Lyons is barely in control of biz of which he is chairman.— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 9, 201210.16am: Patry Hoskins notes that there has been a string of injunctions and complaints made against Big Pictures over the past two years. She asks if any Big Pictures photographers have been disciplined.Lyons says he will have to take "secondary advice" as to whether anybody at Big Pictures has been disciplined.He adds he is rarely in the office but trusts his management to take action if needed. He is currently filming show in Australia for four months.10.14am: Patry Hoskins moves on to the injunction sought by Amy Winehouse. Every time she got in the car she was chased, she was jostled, said her manager at the time."I am extremely familiar [with that] and it wasn't my company," says Lyons. "It was photographers using the name of my company and it happens on a regular basis."He said he spoke to Winehouse's manager and got an apology; he was subsequently invited to take exclusive shots of her.Lyons adds that the agency often works with celebrities and they get a high cut of pictures sold.10.12am: Lyons is asked about an injunction taken out by Lily Allen against Big Pictures and another agency. He doesn't recall the incident the inquiry is talking about and says he is sorry he can't help.10.09am: Leveson asks Lyons when his attitude changed."I don't think it has changed," he says. He refers to the car shots of Prince Charles and Camilla in December 2010 when the royal-Rolls Royce came under attack from student fees rioters in central London. The car was kicked, rocked and hit with paint bombs.10.08am: Lyons is asked about a time when he was outside the Portland Hospital in London after the Duchess of York arrived to give birth to her first child. He explains in his book that he didn't know the "car technique" and got a quick lesson from a colleague.The technique, he said was to "run at the car" and then "crash bang wallop" with a lens.He says this incident was 25 years ago; if he hadn't got the car shot he wouldn't have been employed by a newspaper again. He says things are different now.10.03am: Patry Hoskins refers to another article in May 2009 about Amy Winehouse winning a case against photographers."As for Sienna Miller now, I don't go near her now, and we throw away photographs of her," Lyons is quoted as saying in the article, but he goes on to question why he should not be able to snap a shot of Miller on a boat in the Mediterranean when she was allegedly involved with a married man.The articles and images which Miller sued over included coverage of the actor's alleged relationship with Balthazar Getty soon after she broke off a relationship with Welsh actor Rhys Ifans.10.01am: Miller was awarded £53,000 in damages and costs as part of a 2008 settlement that included a ban on Big Picture photographers following her or chasing her in a car."Do you recall that now?" asks Hoskins? "Yes," says Lyons.9.58am: The inquiry is now discussing proceedings brought by Sienna Miller in 2008. Big Pictures paid the star a total of £53,000 in damages and costs for two legal actions, for harassment and invasion of privacy.Lyons says he "wasn't in charge of that particular action". He remembers a claim but not that specific claim, he says.9.56am: Lyons is asked about car chases. "If there have been any incidents, my management would be pulling them in," he says. He adds he can't be responsible for the way photographs are taken in countries such as France.9.55am: Lyons is asked about whether he would be happy to take a photograph taken by a paparazzi chasing a subject in a car.A passage in Lyons's book Mr Paparazzi says "I hope people realise that chasing for pictures has always happened."He says if someone hasn't broken the law, it would be fine to take such a photo.9.51am: There is "no Big Pictures code of practice, no manual governing employees", says Lyons."The employed photographers know … exactly what is expected of them," he says, adding that they work to "PCC guidelines". He says he hasn't had much time to "look over the documentation" but photographers have to make a judgment, guided by the management back at HQ.He says he has no reason to believe his photographers breach the PCC code.9.48am: The Guardian's Roy Greenslade has reported that PCC director Stephen Abell, who gave evidence to the inquiry next week, is to leave the watchdog. Greenslade reports:Stephen Abell, director of the Press Complaints Commission for the last two years, is leaving. He will leave at the end of the month.His departure, which has been under discussion for some time, is unsurprising given that the PCC will almost certainly be reconstituted.Abell, who has spent more than 10 years with the commission, has been in charge during its most difficult period, culminating in the controversy over phone hacking.He oversaw the early departure of its previous chair, Lady Buscombe, and has worked alongside her successor, Lord Hunt, since his arrival in October last year.Hunt said he and Abell had agreed that they would work together until they "were in a position to propose a new structure for self-regulation of the press." You can read the full story here.9.46am: Lyons says Big Pictures "turns over 3,000 to 3,500 pictures a day".He is being asked what kind of photographs, if any would he object.Extreme nudity, extreme situations where we felt the photographer had crossed the line; whether it was taken on private property – those kind of examples would stick out like sore thumbs to us.Leveson asks where the line is. Lyon replies: "the PCC line".9.44am: The Guardian's Josh Halliday, who is at the Royal Courts of Justice, has just tweeted:Lyons witness statement describes himself as "the man in the know and on the go with all things to do with celebrity" #Leveson— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 9, 20129.42am: Lyons says the freelance photographers aren't regulated. They go out and get their own stories and images, and Big Pictures makes a decision.Freelancers, he adds, are not his agency's responsibility. They submit material to various newspapers, magazines and companies.9.41am: Lyons used to be a freelance photographer. He has appeared on a BBC documentary on about the paparazzi and says he has no problem with the term."It's only another word in the English language," he says.He employs 10 or 12 staff photographers but has more than 150 freelancers working for him worldwide.9.38am: The Leveson hearing has begun and Darryn Lyons of Big Pictures is the first witness. He is on a video link from Australia and is being questioned by the junior counsel to the inquiry, Carine Patry Hoskins.9.37am: Here's the latest on the Hugh Grant v Paul Dacre spat – the Guardian's David Leigh has this report.The row between Hugh Grant and the Daily Mail's editor, Paul Dacre, took a further turn on Wednesday, when the celebrity actor said he had uncovered evidence of misbehaviour by Associated Newspapers.In a fresh statement published on the Leveson inquiry website, Grant said he had obtained letters contradicting several aspects of the Mail's version of the way it had tracked down and "persistently hounded" Tinglan Hong, the mother of his newly born daughter.Mail reporters pretended to have a parcel to deliver in order to get details of a lettings agency linked to the mother's former address, according to a statement obtained by Grant.The letting agency denied subsequently handing over Hong's mobile number, which the paper obtained.Westminster register office also denies the Mail's claim that its staff had subsequently handed over details of the baby's birth, supplied privately by the hospital.Grant says in his witness statement to Leveson that it could have been illegal for the register office to supply such details.9.36am: Heather Mills is already trending on Twitter.9.32am: All eyes will be on Heather Mills today.She volunteered to make an appearance after the former Mirror editor Piers Morgan admitted he had listened to a message Sir Paul McCartney left on his then wife's mobile phone - but refused to reveal his source.During a tense exchange during his testimony in December, Lord Justice Leveson said the only people "lawfully" entitled to listen to the message were Mills or somebody authorised on her behalf to listen to it.Mills later issued a statement saying she never disclosed private voicemail messages from her ex-husband to morganMills said Morgan was using her as a "scapegoat".The episode was revealed in a column written by Morgan for the Daily Mail in 2006, about the acrimonious divorce of McCartney and Mills.Morgan recounted how he had been played the "heart-breaking" voicemail message years earlier, in which the former Beatle begged his then wife to come home after a row and sang We Can Work It Out into the answerphone.9.30am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog – note the inquiry starts at 9.30am today.It's the final day of the first module and it's promising to be box office with Sir Paul McCartney's ex wife Heather Mills in to answer questions on that recording.The other witness of big interest today is Ian Edmondson, the former news chief of News of World although questions on phone hacking are likely to be off limits as he was arrested last April on suspicion of conspiring to unlawfully intercept communications.Also on today is Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre – recalled to answer questions about his decision to accuse Hugh Grant of trying to spread "mendacious smears" about his company.PR veteran Max Clifford is also scheduled to appear as is Darryn Lyons, the owner of picture agency Big Pictures and the NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet, who is expected to be questioned about the submissions by anonymous journalists.Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons. Leveson inquiryNational newspapersNewspapersNewspapers & magazinesLisa O'CarrollDugald Bairdguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• David Bernstein makes first comments since Capello resigned• Says Italian 'behaved with dignity and honour' throughout• FA would prefer 'an English or British' long-term replacementStuart Pearce will take charge of the England team for the friendly against Holland on 29 February, the Football Association chairman David Bernstein has confirmed.Bernstein was speaking for the first time since Fabio Capello resigned as England's manager following the decision by the FA to strip John Terry of the captaincy due to his pending racism trial in July. Terry denies a charge of racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in October.Bernstein, who thanked the FA board for their "unified view" during the process, told the press conference that Pearce will take temporary charge while a long-term replacement is sought, and explained how the resignation came about.Bernstein said: "I would like to publicly thank Fabio Capello for all the work he has done. I want to emphasise that all the way through he has behaved with dignity and honour. I am able to say that yesterday, not an easy day, we concluded matters with a handshake. Any reports of 'storming out' are a complete misrepresentation of the facts."I have been in football 20 years. I have a good understanding of relationships with managers and agree the manager is the most important person. But there are moments when the board and chairman has to step up to the plate."We all believed the John Terry case would be dealt with in March or April. When it was postponed we were taken by surprise. The board made a very quick and unanimous decision regarding the captaincy. I informed Fabio on Thursday evening as soon as the decision had been made."Fabio wasn't happy but he accepted the board's authority in the matter. On Sunday Fabio then conducted an interview with an Italian broadcaster. That caused conjecture and huge public debate and frankly it was an unsatisfactory situation."[The FA general secretary] Alex Horne and I met with Fabio yesterday and had a meeting lasting just over an hour. It was a very detailed meeting with a lot of detailed questions asked by us. We then adjourned the meeting and I then engaged myself with Fabio in his office, and it was at that time that he offered his resignation and I, on behalf of the board, agreed that this was the right decision by the FA."I will emphasise that the meetings were professional and amicable. All matters were concluded within four hours."With regards to the future, I am very pleased to announce Stuart Pearce will manage England for the Holland match. He has huge experience outside and inside the organisation. He has been working with the Under-21 team and has been working with Fabio for some time. I have got great confidence in Stuart, we will be in good hands."Our priority then will be to appoint a new England manager. We will get the best person in place as soon as we possibly can."Bernstein, who refused to discuss the Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp being made favourite to take on the role, said the new manager would preferably be "English or British", but another foreign manager was not ruled out."We will do this as quickly and sensibly as we can but don't want to rush the process. We want to to it properly, do it professionally. We will put a shortlist together of key people. We will do it as soon as we can. It will be a major priority for us."Bernstein was confident England's preparations for this summer's European Championships in Poland and Ukraine remained on track."We are in very good shape in many ways," he said. "The organisational matters for the Euros are in place – our base camp, training camp and all else. There's plenty of time. The squad won't get together until May so there is time for a new man to get in place and do what he needs to do building up to the competition. I think we're actually in a much better place than we appear to be."He also made clear that the prospect of sacking Capello "did not arise … We had a full and frank discussion with him and he came to the conclusion himself. Of course it's regrettable when a manager leaves like this. Fabio has had a great record, but it's happened now."Could it have been avoided? We had a very frank meeting with Fabio. It was very civilised and at the end of it he decided he felt he had to go. I can't really add to that."EnglandThe FAFabio CapelloHarry RedknappDavid Bernsteinguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Decision to extend quantitative easing programme to £325bn had been widely predicted after UK economy shrank last yearThe Bank of England will inject billions more of electronic cash into Britain's flagging economy, extending its quantitative easing programme by £50bn.Economists had widely expected the Bank to resume QE after the UK economy slipped into contraction at the end of last year. Bank policymakers had warned that they saw inflation undershooting its target at the end of the year and hinted that more money-printing was on the cards.At the end of its monthly meeting on Thursday, the Bank's monetary policy committee also left interest rates at a record low of 0.5%.Most economists had expected an additional £50bn in QE, though some had forecast up to £75bn and a handful had forecast none at all.The latest move comes on top of the £275bn of QE announced since the scheme was launched during the recession in 2009.The decision comes despite business surveys last week suggesting a fresh fall into recession could be averted. Those reports showed a stronger-than-expected start to the year for the dominant services sector as well as for manufacturers.Official data earlier on Thursday showed manufacturing output rose five times faster than expected in December, but the wider industrial sector fared worse than first thought over the fourth quarter.Analysts now await the Bank's quarterly set of economic forecasts, to be published next Wednesday in the inflation report, for clues as to whether there will be any more QE later in the year."Recent survey data and today's industrial production figures are encouraging, but the UK data isn't all pointing in one direction," said James Knightley at ING Financial Markets, forecasting that weak consumer spending will see the economy stagnate in 2012."With inflation plunging due to weak corporate pricing power, falling commodity prices and last year's VAT hike dropping out of the annual comparison, the Bank of England has considerable room to step up its quantitative easing efforts even further."The Bank justified the latest decision to inject fresh money by arguing that the UK recovery slowed during 2011 and that inflation was on track to undershoot its government-set target.In a statement, the monetary policy committee said: "Some recent business surveys have painted a more positive picture and asset prices have risen. But the pace of expansion in the United Kingdom's main export markets has also slowed and concerns remain about the indebtedness and competitiveness of some euro-area countries."In the light of its most recent economic projections, the committee judged that the weak near-term growth outlook and associated downward pressure from economic slack meant that, without further monetary stimulus, it was more likely than not that inflation would undershoot the 2% target in the medium term."The Bank argues that the scheme, under which it prints fresh money and buys government bonds with it, has boosted output and helped keep a lid on borrowing costs and inflation. But critics say it has done little to help businesses and households and has damaged pensioners' finances by artificially depressing annuity rates.TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said resuming quantitative easing was the right thing to do given recent economic weakness, but that the extra money must get through to companies."More needs to be done to ensure that this latest injection of cash actually reaches the businesses that need it, rather than just gathering dust on banks' balance sheets. The failure of banks to increase net lending to businesses, despite £275bn of quantitative easing, is holding back growth in the real economy," he said, demanding more pressure on banks from the chancellor, George Osborne.Bank of EnglandQuantitative easingInterest ratesEconomicsEconomic growth (GDP)Economic policyKatie Allenguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Numbers have been rising since 2008 and Baby P case, with up to 10,000 predicted to be placed in care this financial yearThe number of children taken into care in England has hit a record high.Numbers have been rising since late 2008 and the infamous Baby P case involving the death of a young child while on the at-risk register in London.Last month, local authorities made 903 applications to protect youngsters from abuse or neglect – the highest figure since the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) was set up in 2001 to look after the interests of children involved in court family proceedings.The agency said the increase makes it more difficult to give vulnerable young people the protection they need.Between April 2011 and last month, Cafcass received 8,403 new applications. This figure is 12.4% higher when compared with the same period last financial year.If the figures climb at a similar rate to April, the figure will reach 10,000 for the financial year.Anthony Douglas, the Cafcass chief executive, said agencies needed to factor in these much larger increases into their planning."Volatility and variation between local authorities is one thing, and we are used to that," he said, "but it is the double-digit increase that makes it harder for the sector to gear up and to ensure the relevant resources are available for all children."Nearly every child involved needs love, care and therapy, either back home or elsewhere. All agencies need to factor in these much larger increases into their planning systems, resource allocations, workforce development strategies and service contracts, so that the most vulnerable children in the country continue to receive strong public services.Douglas added: "Of course, some authorities show significant decreases so best practice in demand management is also important to transfer."However, the profile of children entering the system is unwavering - an unquestionable need for care for the vast majority, and the urgent need to be given their normal childhood back and to be allowed to develop in a loving and supportive family environment."Christina Blacklaws, a lawyer specialising in the field, said local authorities may be "overly cautious" and potentially remove children from the family home who could safely remain at home with support, because of fears of another Baby P situation.She told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What we need to recognise is that doing this may damage children as much as leaving them in an unsafe situation so social workers need to not allow their own anxieties about the tragic circumstances around the Baby Peter case to cloud their professional judgment about what may be in the best interest of an individual child."Commenting on the figures, Matt Dunkley, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said the rise was due to a better understanding of the damaging impact of neglectful parenting, particularly in relation to drug and alcohol abuse, and a focus on intervening earlier to try and prevent it.There was lots of evidence of children who have been temporarily taken into care and returned home where this didn't work, he said. "I do think care works on the whole, and the cohort that we're dealing with in the care population is by definition the most damaged so the outcomes are not surprising."Dunkley said the system needed to provide both care provision and focused early intervention."We need a system that can react to crises which can't be solved and we need effective early intervention and in my view effective early prevention does two things; it quickly assesses the capacity of parents to improve their parenting and if they're able to do that it gets the support services in to help them do that and keep the child safely at home, and where they don't have that capacity it removes the children very quickly to minimise the damage."He added: "We do need to change the cost profile to spend more on early intervention and my council this week voted to invest a large amount of council funding to change the model to do just that. I think increasingly councils will do that – they will put big money up front for preventative services to save money later on"Social careBaby PChild protectionChildrenHélène Mulhollandguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Human rights judge Garzón barred for 11 years after authorising illegal recordings of lawyers' conversationsThe Spanish judge celebrated for pursuing international human rights cases was convicted of overstepping his jurisdiction in a domestic corruption investigation on Thursday, the culmination of a spectacular fall from grace.A seven-judge panel of the supreme court unanimously convicted Baltasar Garzón, 56, and barred him from the bench for 11 years.Although less severe than the 20-year-ban the prosecution had originally demanded, the ruling is not subject to appeal. Garzón, 56, is also liable to a fine of €2,500 (£2,095).Javier Baena, Garzón's lawyer, said after the sentence: "We shall carry on fighting, carry on appealing. We have a long road ahead, but I believe both he and I are more than strong enough."Garzón enjoyed rock star status among human rights groups but had made a lot of enemies at home, in particular among judicial colleagues uncomfortable with his celebrity.He is still awaiting a verdict in a separate trial on the same charge of knowingly overstepping the bounds of his jurisdiction for launching an investigation in 2008 of rightwing atrocities during and after the Spanish civil war, even though the crimes were covered by an amnesty. That trial concluded on Wednesday but the verdict is expected to take weeks.Garzón has been suspended from his job at the national court since 2010 when he was indicted in the civil war case.Thursday's conviction relates to Garzón's decision in 2009 to order wiretaps of prison conversations between detainees and their lawyers. The detainees are accused of paying off politicians to obtain lucrative government contracts.Such wiretaps are allowed in terrorism cases, but Spanish law is more vague on non-terror cases.Garzón argued during the trial that he had ordered the wiretaps because he thought the lawyers were being given instructions by the detainees to launder money.The judged grabbed headlines around the world in 1998 by using international human rights law to order the arrest in London of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.Garzón was already well known in Spain for investigating the Basque separatist group Eta. His probe into government death squads in the 1980s is credited with helping to bring down the Socialist government in 1996 elections.Baltasar GarzónSpainEuropeguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Public accounts committee criticises decision to award contract to A4e despite poor performance on government programmesThe record of welfare-to-work company A4e has come under scrutiny from MPs, as they questioned why a company with an "abysmal" record of delivering government programmes had been awarded new contracts to provide the coalition's Work Programme when it launched last summer.Details of large dividends received by Emma Harrison, A4e's chair, also emerged during questioning of the company's chief executive officer, Andrew Dutton. He confirmed that all of its UK turnover last year, estimated at between £160m and £180m, derived from government contracts, and of the £11m paid in dividends to the company's five shareholders, 87% went to Harrison.During a session on Wednesday on the introduction of the Work Programme, MPs on the public accounts committee put a series of critical questions to the civil servants responsible for devising the scheme about the way that contracts for the £5bn Work Programme were awarded.The committee's chair, Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP for Barking, asked civil servants why welfare-to-work companies with a poor track record of fulfilling previous contracts had been given new work."It seemed rather surprising to me that you did not have to regard to the past performance of contractors. Why not?" she asked. "A4e … their performance on [Pathways to Work] was abysmal … Why didn't you look at past performance of contractors?"Her fellow committee member Richard Bacon, Conservative MP for south Norfolk, added: "Are you seriously saying that you could not take into account that A4e had dreadful performance in one of the immediate predecessor programmes?"He said that the company got 9% of clients into work in the Pathways to Work programme – it had been expected to deliver 30%."Despite that seriously poor track record, are you seriously saying that is not something you could take into account?"The permanent secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions, Robert Devereux, replied: "I am saying that." He explained that because other companies, which had not been involved in providing previous welfare-to-work contracts, were also tendering for contracts, it would not have been possible to look at the past performance of companies that had previously worked in this area.He also pointed out that most of the welfare-to-work providers had underperformed during the previous scheme.A4e won five main contracts to deliver the Work Programme when the results of a tendering process were announced last April, along with a wide range of other companies including Serco, G4S and Working Links.The committee spent some time trying to establish where money paid to A4e to deliver government contracts ended up."We have a small group of shareholders. The dividends that we pay to the shareholders reflect the personal risk that they have. Having owned a company for over 21 years, at times they have had to effectively put their own homes and mortgages on the line," Dutton told MPs. He said some of the company's profits were ploughed back into the business.Hodge said it was important to follow taxpayers' money along the chain, stating: "Your top management last year took £4.7m … you pay £11m dividends."She added: "You're one of the first examples we have had of a company which is entirely dependent on public contracts for your existence. We, in terms of looking for value for money, have an interest in following the pound. All your business is public contracts. You and Emma Harrison have to accept that there will be a different interest in the remuneration and profits made because the profits you make come from the taxes that ordinary, hard-working people pay."Civil servants told the committee that the Work Programme's new payment-by-results model would ensure that companies such as A4e would only get large payments for implementing the scheme if they got large numbers of benefit claimants into long-term, secure work."I genuinely believe that we as providers have to perform," Dutton said.There was discussion of whether companies would be able to make money by "creaming and parking" – creaming off and helping those who are easier to help, and parking those who are unlikely to find work, having taken the initial government payment of £400 for signing them up to the scheme.Civil servants said that companies would not make money if that was the approach they took.There was some analysis of a recent National Audit Office report which suggested that the forecasts for the numbers of people that the programme could get into work were over-optimistic. Devereux said he was confident that the Work Programme would get the forecast number of people into work, despite the fact that the economic environment had significantly deteriorated since the programme was devised.Fiona Mactaggart, Labour MP for Slough, was concerned about the possibility of "job substitution" – companies delivering the Work Programme getting paid for pushing their clients into jobs that would otherwise have been filled by other jobseekers, without the need for a third-party payment."In my constituency, a lot of people are being given work experience, unpaid, in retail, and then the retailers, I think, are being directly encouraged to employ people who have been given this one-month or two-, three-month interview process … and when they're offering jobs, a company like A4e, which operates in Slough, can say to Primark, if you want more of our free workers, I hope you are going to give our people 20-hour-week jobs. I'm sure it's not quite as overt as that, but I believe there is a risk of that happening."How in this system do we protect against the risk of job substitution?"Devereux said that if the long-term unemployed were helped into work that was a positive development. "It is in society's interest to get people who have been out of work a long time into jobs," he said.Alan Cave, senior responsible owner for the Work Programme, told the committee: "It is an observed big change in the labour market over the past 10 years that more and more companies are using work experience as a tester of whether someone might be a full-time employee. That's the reality. The providers have become quite skilful at taking someone coming on to the programme with a very weak CV … finding them some quick blocks of work experience, which will not be paid, [but] which will greatly improve their chances of getting a job that will be paid."WelfareUnemploymentAmelia Gentlemanguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Three employees of care home at centre of TV investigation into allegations of abuse plead guilty to ill-treating patientsThree employees of a care home at the centre of a television investigation into allegations of abuse have admitted mistreating patients.Wayne Rogers, 31, Alison Dove, 24, and Holly Draper, 22, appeared at Bristol crown court on Thursday alongside eight other members of staff charged with a string of offences alleged to have occurred at Winterbourne View care home in Hambrook, south Gloucestershire.Rogers, of Bristol, pleaded guilty to nine charges of ill-treating Louisa Deville, Simon Tovey and Simone Blake; Dove, also of Bristol, pleaded guilty to seven charges of ill-treating Lorraine Guilford, Louise Bisset and Blake.Draper pleaded guilty to two charges of ill-treating Blake.The court heard the offences were committed between February and March last year.CrimeHealthguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

David Cameron and Nick Clegg admit it could take until election to persuade voters their fears are unfoundedDavid Cameron and Nick Clegg have agreed they have no alternative but to push ahead with the planned reforms to the NHS, even though they admit they are in "a rubbish place politically" and it could take three years until the general election to persuade voters that fears about the reforms are unfounded.Cameron endured a mauling over the issue at prime minister's questions , and afterwards one senior minister involved in deciding how to proceed with the bill admitted: "This is a politically rubbish place to be. We can either go back, sideways or forward." Ministers have argued there was no alternative but to plough on.Liberal Democrats, including Baroness Williams, are in no mood to abandon the bill, even though many health professionals – at one time reconciled to the bill – have now defected.On the day that health visitors and the Faculty of Public Health joined the long list of those deserting the bill, Labour leader Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Cameron of presiding over a "complete disaster" with the bill.He said the prime minister had broken a pre-election promise not to have any "top-down re-organisation of the NHS" and told him: "Every day he fights for this bill, every day trust in him on the NHS ebbs away, every day it becomes clearer the NHS is not safe in his hands."But Cameron said Labour had previously supported NHS reform – and would not match government commitments on NHS spending: "They are not in favour of the money. They are not in favour of the reform. They are just a bunch of opportunists."He criticised Labour's record on the NHS in Wales – where the party controls the Welsh Assembly – and said the coalition was cutting bureaucracy and ploughing money back into patient care.He said of Miliband: "This is not a campaign to save the NHS. This is a campaign to try and save his leadership. I make this prediction, the NHS will go on getting better and his prospects will go on getting worse."Cameron also backed his health secretary Andrew Lansley, saying he would survive a lot longer in office than Miliband.It is understood that Lansley put in angry performance at cabinet this week defending his reforms, saying they were in line with government public services reform. He has been infuriated by leaks form Downing Street blaming him for mis-selling the reforms.Although a Downing Street source has suggested Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary could be drafted into Lansley's role, Milburn himself dismissed the suggestion.He criticised Lansley's handling saying: "This bill has ended up as a – to be frank – a patchwork quilt of complexity and compromise and confusion. They will get the measure through in my view, they will probably win the day in parliament, but at a terrible cost. The NHS will not have either the clarity or the direction that is necessary in a period of considerable challenge where it is being asked to make unprecedented efficiency savings."In a sign that the government will face a tough month as the bill enters the Lords report stage, peers inflicted an early defeat over the issue of social care. By a margin of four votes, peers demanded mental health be made a higher priority. The amendment creates a duty for the health secretary to promote a health service that deals with "mental and physical illness", rather then the original draft of just "illness". The government described issue as largely symbolic.All but three Lib Dem peers voted with the government, suggesting that on most issues Labour will rely on cross bench support to further amend the bill that has already been heavily altered by government to take on concerns of health professionals.Meanwhile there was a fresh embarrassment to the reforms after part of a major risk assessment into the bill was published on the internet, suggesting that changes could lead to the financial "failure" of some NHS organisations, worse care for patients, and threats to maternity services, children's safety and public health.Most worryingly for the coalition the "risk register" for the London NHS suggested that problems with implementing the new system could delay improvements to patients' health – even after a host of proposed "mitigation" measures to ensure a smooth transition.The document, dated October 2011, was published by NHS London on their website, according to the Labour-supporting blogger Dr Eoin Clarke, who has waged a campaign to get the full national risk register published. At least nine Lib Dem MPs have also signed an early day motion organised by Labour MP and health select committee member Grahame Morris calling on the health secretary to publish the document.Health officials have pointed out that such a risk assessment would be carried out for any major changes, but added that during the transition there was "more of a risk because of the uncertainty".In a statement to the Guardian, an NHS London spokesperson said: "It is our job to identify and manage potential risks to deliver safe services for patients. We are duty bound to publish this information quarterly on our website and have done since our formation." These risks cover a wide range of services and issues, including how we manage the transition to 2013 appropriately. The more we plan for and pre-empt issues, the less of a risk they become."NHSHealth policyHealthPublic services policyLiberal-Conservative coalitionDavid CameronConservativesAndrew LansleyEd MilibandPatrick WintourJuliette Jowitguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Fears of renewed street violence after more than 48 hours of political turmoil since Mohamed Nasheed forced out of officeA court in the Maldives has issued an arrest warrant against Mohamed Nasheed, the country's former president forced to resign by elements within the police and army earlier this week, raising fears of renewed street violence after more than 48 hours of political turmoil.Speaking to reporters outside his home on Thursday, Nasheed said: "The home minister has pledged [I will be] the first former president to spend all my life in jail … the facts on the ground are that tomorrow I will be in jail."Scores of people were injured on Wednesday night, some seriously, after police used teargas and baton charges to break up what witnesses and Amnesty said were peaceful marches by the ousted president's supporters. Casualties included senior politicians loyal to Nasheed.Aid agencies and hospitals were trying to establish the exact number of those hurt in the clashes. Reports of two deaths appeared unfounded."We are not aware of any [fatalities] but information is very difficult to validate," said Ahmed Shifaz of the Maldives Red Crescent.Though the streets of Male, the capital, and outlying areas were reported to be calm on Thursday morning, concerns remained that the ongoing power struggle will result in fresh violence.Ahmed Naseem, foreign minister of the Maldives and a supporter of Nasheed, made an impassioned plea for foreign intervention."We need them to help solve the issue of this illegal government that has come to power in a coup," Naseem told the Guardian. "It is tense and chaotic. They are coming to arrest [Nasheed] now. I don't know what will happen if they do. God help us.".There were reports of the destruction of pre-Islamic era relics by a group of men who broke into the national museum. The former president and his party have been repeatedly criticised by Islamist groups in the Maldives, where almost all 330,000 inhabitants are Sunni Muslim.Nasheed, 43, has said he was forced out of office at gunpoint by a detachment of soldiers led by senior officers. Shortly after his resignation, the vice-president, Mohammed Waheed Hassan, was sworn in as his replacement.Hassan has denied his predecessor was coerced in any way and has called for a government of national unity.Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic party (MDP) said, however, it will not join any such administration and will continue to campaign for the return of Nasheed, who is internationally respected for his efforts to raise awareness of global warming.Senior MDP officials accuse elements within the security forces loyal to Mamoon Abdul Gayoom, who was defeated by Nasheed in the country's 2008 election, of engineering their leader's ousting.Gayoom ruled the Maldives, a former British protectorate, for 30 years.The ouster of Nasheed was the culmination of weeks of protests following a presidential order to the military to arrest a judge, accused of blocking multimillion-dollar corruption cases against members of Gayoom's government.The standoff pitted a police force still largely loyal to Gayoom against a military that was more supportive of Nasheed.However, it appears to have been elements of the military that marched the president into his own office to sign his own resignation, according to Paul Roberts, Nasheed's communications adviser, and an account written by Nasheed and published in the New York Times on Wednesday."Let the Maldives be a lesson for aspiring democrats everywhere: the dictator can be removed in a day, but it can take years to stamp out the lingering remnants of his dictatorship," Nasheed wrote.Nasheed, educated in the UK, was detained dozens of times during the rule of Gayoom, earning him the nickname "the Mandela of the Maldives".David Cameron, the British prime minister called him his "new best friend" last November.Events don't appear to have had any impact so far on the tourists who fill the many luxury resorts of the 1,800-island archipelago.A senior US diplomat is expected to arrive in the Maldives on Saturday.MaldivesMohamed NasheedJason Burkeguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Unions concerned that savings are being made through cutting services and workers' pay and conditions instead of inefficiencyMore than 1,100 jobs from central government departments and agencies were outsourced to the private sector in the last financial year, new research has uncovered.The findings, uncovered through a series of questions tabled by former Labour cabinet minister Frank Dobson, have prompted union fears that savings are being made not through efficiencies, but through cuts to pay and conditions of staff, as evidence emerges of hundreds more outsourcing schemes being tendered across the country.Dobson's research begins to collect for the first time totals for jobs shifted from the public sector to private companies, including jobs relating to inspection of nursery services, defence training, and IT support.A total of 1,171 jobs were transferred, according to responses to written questions, including 493 from Ofsted and 460 from the Ministry of Defence.Ordnance Survey, which produces the UK's official maps, outsourced 53 roles – including design jobs – while the Environment Agency and Kew Gardens together shed 106 roles.The Foreign Office said it had outsourced no UK staff, but had outsourced "a number" of locally engaged jobs overseas."These transfers occurred as part of a major efficiency programme which sought the most cost-effective method of providing support services at our overseas posts," the FCO said in a statement.The Ministry of Defence said 230 MoD stores and supplies roles had been outsourced, plus 110 from the Duke of York royal military school and a further 110 IT posts.Mark Serwotka, general secretary the Public and Commercial Services union, condemned the outsourcing."These figures expose the drive by ministers to put profit before the needs of people and our economy. The stark reality is, jobs are being privatised and more work handed to the private sector. Instead of cutting jobs and selling off jobs and services, the government should be investing to help our economy to grow."The scale of privatisation of local government roles, however, seems likely to dwarf the central government's moves, according to new research.Analysis by Unison has uncovered tender bids for a further 600 privatisation schemes from local authorities across the country, which could affect thousands of jobs.Unison found 609 adverts for outsourcing schemes that would affect current public sector workers which caused sufficient concern for them to notify members in the affected regions.Of these, some 100 were "prior information notices", which are seen as a means of testing the market to see if outsourcing is viable. The remainder were solid contract tendering bids.The union said it was concerned such schemes were likely to be driven by cost-cutting in the current climate, and this could come at the expense of future employees' pay and conditions, plus services themselves.A code aimed at protecting new workers from cuts in conditions was scrapped in March 2011, the union said."The worrying trend of outsourcing has damaging implications for workers and taxpayers. All too often, the promised savings are not delivered, and workers see their terms and conditions cut as private companies strive to make profits," said Unison's head of local government, Heather Wakefield."The ever-tighter margins in the current cash-strapped climate make this even more likely – as does the government's decision to scrap a vital protection to workers' terms and conditions in outsourced companies."The government's controversial health and social care bill has previously come under fire from Labour and activists for expanding the role of the private sector in healthcare provision.Dobson said he intended to research the full extent of privatisation of public sector roles across the NHS, central, and local government, as he said the trend would grow as cuts to departmental budgets were implemented."This is just a taste of what is going to happen in the current financial year, given the cutbacks," he said. "I'm sure local authorities and the health service will have transferred much more and this year there'll be thousands more jobs moved."It undoubtedly undermines pay, conditions and pensions of the staff moved – and these transfers cover up government exaggerations on how many jobs are created in the private sector. How many have just moved?"Public sector cutsPublic financePublic sector payPublic services policyGovernment dataTax and spendingTrade unionsMark SerwotkaJames Ballguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lawmakers in Washington vote to approve gay marriage by 55 votes to 43, with Chris Gregoire set to sign it into law next weekWashington state lawmakers voted to approve gay marriage on Wednesday, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed.The action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples.The Washington House passed the bill on a 55-43 vote. Supporters in the public viewing galleries stood and cheered as many on the Democratic side of the House floor hugged after the vote.The state Senate approved the measure last week, and the bill now goes to Democratic governor Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law next week.Gregoire issued a statement after the vote, saying it was "a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation."Democrat Jamie Pedersen, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who has sponsored gay rights bills in the House for several years, saying domestic partnership laws as the state has had for years, are "a pale and inadequate substitute for marriage".Pedersen, during his remarks on the House floor, read from Tuesday's ruling by the San Francisco-based ninth US circuit court of appeals, citing a section that stated "marriage is the name that society gives to the relationship that matters most between two adults".Several Republicans argued against the bill, saying that it goes against the tradition of marriage. Jay Rodne said the measure "severs the cultural, historical and legal underpinnings of the institution of marriage."Despite the action, gay couples can't begin walking down the aisle just yet.The proposal would take effect 90 days after the session ends next month but opponents have promised to fight gay marriage with a ballot measure that would allow voters to overturn the legislative approval.If opponents gather enough signatures to take their fight to the ballot box, the law would be put on hold pending the outcome of a November election.Opponents must turn in more than 120,000 signatures by June 6 if they want to challenge the proposed law. Otherwise gay couples could wed starting in June.Two Republicans crossed the aisle and voted in favour of the bill. Three Democrats voted against it. Democrats hold a 56-42 majority in the House.Washington state has had domestic partnership laws since 2007, and more than a dozen other states have provisions, ranging from civil unions to gay marriage, supporting same-sex couples.Gay marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington DC.Lawmakers in New Jersey are expected to vote on gay marriage next week, and Maine could see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.Proposed amendments to ban gay marriage will be on the ballots in North Carolina in May and in Minnesota in November.Washington state's momentum for same-sex marriage has been building and the debate has changed significantly since 1998, when lawmakers passed Washington's Defense of Marriage Act banning gay marriage. The constitutionality of that law ultimately was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2006. But earlier that year, a gay civil rights measure passed after nearly 30 years of failure, signalling a change in the legislature.The quick progression of domestic partnership laws in the state came soon after, with a domestic partnership law in 2007, and two years of expansion that culminated in 2009 with "everything but marriage" expansion that was upheld by voters.In October, a University of Washington poll found that an increasing number of people in the state support same-sex marriage. About 43% of respondents said they support gay marriage, up from 30% in the same poll five years earlier. Another 22% said they support giving identical rights to gay couples, without calling the unions "marriage."If a challenge to gay marriage law was on the ballot, 55% said they would vote to uphold the law. And 38% said they would vote to reject a gay marriage law.Same-sex marriage also has the backing of several prominent Pacific north-west businesses, including Microsoft, Nike and Starbucks.Washington stateGay rightsUnited Statesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds