Belfast Flag Violence: Rioting In City Centre

Belfast has been hit by another night of rioting as hundreds of loyalists took to the streets to protest over flags.

Eight police officers were injured, with two needing hospital treatment, and five people were arrested following clashes across the city.

Trouble flared at Shaftesbury Square - a popular party spot near Queen's University - after a man tried to drive a black van through a loyalist road block of about 200 people.

Eye witnesses said police officers were pelted with stones, bricks, bottles and other missiles. Two cars were also set on fire.

Police vans cut off part of Belfast's Sandy Row area

Two PSNI water cannons were deployed to the area but were not used against the rioters.

There were also reports of minor sporadic disorder in other parts of the city.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said: "This behaviour is simply not acceptable. These people are only wrecking their own communities and putting innocent people's lives at risk.

"Twenty-one officers have been injured so far this week dealing with this disorder. That's 21 officers who have been pulled away from their roles of protecting the community. This is unacceptable.

"This mob violence and intimidation cannot be allowed to continue and I am urgently appealing to politicians and those with community influence in these areas to do what they can to put a stop to this behaviour now before someone is seriously injured or killed."

A burned out car in Belfast city centre after rioters dispersed

Loyalists opposed to a restriction on the number of days the Union flag can be flown over Belfast City Hall have held protests across Northern Ireland every night since the decision was taken, despite appeals from the First Minister for the pickets to be suspended.

Last night, demonstrations were also held in the greater Belfast area, Bangor, Co Down, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh and Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

Police said there were no reports of violence outside Belfast. On Friday night, police clashed with loyalists in Ian Paisley's home town of Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Hillary Clinton appealed for the violence to stop

There are plans for a major protest in Belfast city centre later today. Traders are worried it could affect business on what should be one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

During her visit to Northern Ireland US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appealed for the violence to stop.

Much of the anger has been directed towards the non sectarian Alliance Party, whose councillors in Belfast voted to limit the number of days the Union flag could be flown over the city hall from 365 to 17.

A death threat against the party's only MP, Naomi Long, marked a significant escalation in the seriousness of the sectarian tension.

On Wednesday, a constituency office in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim was destroyed in an arson attack. An attempt to burn down Bangor premises occupied by the Alliance Party's Employment Minister Stephen Farry was thwarted.

Belfast city councillor Laura McNamee was also advised to leave her home while two others living in Bangor had their house vandalised.

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Pregnant Kate: Radio Station Faces Backlash

Two DJs are being offered counselling after the nurse duped by their prank call to the Duchess of Cambridge's hospital died in a suspected suicide.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead days after taking the hoax call and putting it through to a nurse on Kate's ward, who divulged private information about her treatment.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge led tributes to the 46-year-old mother of two, saying they were "deeply saddened" by news of her death.

Major advertisers have dumped 2Day FM and presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian have been taken off air as the station faces a backlash over the disastrous stunt.

Speaking at a news conference in Melbourne, Rhys Holleran, CEO of 2Day FM's parent company Southern Cross Austereo said the "shocked and devastated" DJs had been offered help dealing with the tragedy.

The duchess said she felt "much better" when she left the hospital

He said: "This is a tragic event that could not have been reasonably foreseen and we're deeply saddened by it.

"I spoke to both presenters early this morning and it's fair to say they're completely shattered.

"These people aren't machines, they're human beings. We're all affected by this."

Holleran would not say who came up with the idea for the call, only that "these things are often done collaboratively".

He said 2Day FM would work with authorities, but was confident the station hadn't broken any laws, noting that prank calls in radio have been happening "for decades".

"They're not just part of one radio station or one network or one country - they're done worldwide," he said

The DJ pair bragged about the stunt on Twitter after an initial apology

Supermarket giant Coles and telecoms firm Telstra both announced they are withdrawing their business from the station at the earliest opportunity, while Australian media are reporting that media company Optus is also reviewing its position.

The station later announced that it would pull all advertising from its airwaves with immediate effect.

In a separate move, Australia's broadcasting regulator says it will be quizzing the owners of 2DayFM over the incident.

A spokesman for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the incident as a "terrible tragedy".

During the hoax call, Greig impersonated the Queen and Christian mimicked Prince Charles and they managed to elicit details about the pregnant Duchess' medical condition.

A fierce online storm erupted as soon as news of the nurse's death emerged, with both presenters bombarded by messages on Twitter and the radio station's own comment section deluged.

Police found the nurse's body at her hospital accommodation

At the time, the station's website had still been promoting the video of the prank call, but this was later removed.

Online critics called for the presenters to resign and some claimed they had "blood on their hands".

Ms Saldanha, who had worked at the hospital for four years, was found dead at an address near King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Friday morning.

Her family said in a statement: "We as a family are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha."

A spokesman for Prince William and wife Kate said: "Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII's Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time."

"At no point did the Palace complain to the hospital about the incident. On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times."

The King Edward VII's Hospital said: "It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.

"Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII's Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.

"We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time."

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Bomb Found Before Clinton's N Ireland Visit

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

A bomb has been discovered in a car in Londonderry just hours before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to visit Northern Ireland.

The "viable explosive device" was discovered after officers investigating dissident republican activity stopped the vehicle in the Creggan area at around 8.40pm on Thursday, police said.

Two men aged 47 and 49 were arrested at the scene at about 8.40pm. Two others, also in their 40s, were arrested later.

Mrs Clinton is making a nostalgic return to Northern Ireland but with tension running high over flags, the peace that she and President Clinton helped to build remains far from perfect.

A vote to limit the flying of the Union flag over Belfast City Hall has sparked several days of loyalist protests, some violent. 

Armagh's Mayor Sharon Haughey, then 14, with President Clinton in 1995

The civil unrest has been threatening to overshadow Mrs Clinton's visit.

Gavin Robinson, Lord Mayor of Belfast, said: "The US Secretary of State will be no stranger to some of these issues. 

"She's been here in much more difficult times in Northern Ireland and I'm sure she will welcome and mark the progress that has been made and the collective political willingness that we'll not go back to the bad old days of the past."

It was 1995 when the Clintons paid their first historic visit to Northern Ireland. Thousands turned out to greet them and to herald the dawn of the peace process here.

Teenager Sharon Haughey, who had written a letter about 'The Troubles' to the White House, welcomed them to Armagh. She's now the city's Lord Mayor and gives them the credit.

Mrs Clinton has already visited Dublin and met children at the US embassy

"The Clintons have played a very important role in the pathway that I have chosen in my life," she said. "They gave me a platform as a very ordinary 14-year-old schoolgirl. 

"They gave me an extraordinary opportunity and I decided to use that opportunity to help shape that future that I wanted and that's really why I'm here today."

The US Secretary of State will attend an American Ireland lunch at Titanic Belfast after a meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Mr Robinson has urged loyalists to suspend their protests over the flag issue. "Those who riot and engage in violence do a disservice to the flag they claim to represent," he said.

His statement followed attacks on the homes and offices of politicians belonging to the neutral Alliance Party, which had encouraged a compromise - the flying of the flag on designated days.

Syria topped the agenda when the US Secretary of State visited Dublin during her trip. 

Regardless of recent setbacks, she'll be keen to celebrate whatever kind of peace she finds in Belfast.

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Max Clifford: Sex Offence Claims 'Untrue'

Max Clifford has insisted that allegations of sexual offences against him are "damaging and totally untrue" after he was questioned by police for 13 hours.

The publicist was arrested at his Surrey home early on Thursday by officers from Operation Yewtree, the investigation set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal.

Mr Clifford, 69, was held on suspicion of historic sex offences and taken to Belgravia police station in central London for questioning.

Speaking on the station's steps after he was released on bail, he said he thought he was facing two allegations dating back to 1977.

He said: "These allegations are damaging and totally untrue. On a personal level they are very distressing for myself, my wife, my family and loved ones.

"Anyone who really knew me all those years ago, and those who have known me since, would have no doubt that I would never act in the way I have today been accused."

The publicist was bailed at Belgravia police station

The PR guru is the fifth person to be arrested by police investigating the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal. 

Police said he has been bailed to appear at a later date but refused to give any further details.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The individual (held today) falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'others'. We are not prepared to discuss further."

Police working on Operation Yewtree had said they were looking at three categories of offences; those allegedly committed by Savile alone, those allegedly committed by Savile and others, and alleged offences by others.

Mr Clifford's lawyer, Charlotte Harris, said he would assist the police "as best he can with their enquiries".

Former pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis and a man in his 70s, reported to be former television producer Wilfred De'Ath, have been arrested and bailed as part of the probe.

A sixth person has been questioned.

Last month Scotland Yard said it was dealing with about 450 potential victims, the vast majority of whom claimed they had fallen prey to Savile.

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Stuart Hall Charged With Three Indecent Assaults

BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has been charged with three counts of indecent assault against young girls aged between eight and 17.

Complaints about the 82-year-old Radio 5 Live football presenter have been made to Lancashire police about alleged incidents in the 1970s and 1980s.

Hall has worked for more than a half century in British broadcasting and was awarded an OBE in this year's New Years Honours. He also presented the It's A Knockout show in the 1970s.

John Dilworth, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said the charges are that between September 1, 1974, and December 31, 1974, he indecently assaulted a woman who was then aged 16 or 17 years.

Between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1983, he is accused of indecently assaulting a girl then aged eight or nine years and between July 1, 1984, and September 27, 1984, he allegedly indecently assaulted a girl then aged 13 years.

Mr Dilworth added: "He has been bailed to appear at Preston Magistrates' Court on January 7, 2013.

"This decision is made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to prosecute this case."

Hall was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, on Wednesday morning.

The BBC has said that he will not be working for them while police continue with their inquiries.

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Judges To Impose Tougher Sex Offence Sentences

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Judges will be urged to consider the psychological and long-term damage to victims of sex offences when passing sentence on perpetrators under new sentencing guidelines.

The new proposals, which will go out to public consultation, will also ensure the judiciary takes into account other aggravating factors, such as filming or photographing sex attacks.

They would see sentences brought up to date with advances in the technology and tactics used by offenders.

A tougher maximum sentence of 19 years should be given for "one-off" rapes, a limit currently only available for those who attack the same victim over a course of time or rape multiple victims, the guidelines state.

Mother-of-two Gabrielle Browne was attacked by a serial sex offender in 2003, when she was out running in preparation for the London Marathon.

In the years since she has devoted much of her energies to fighting for victims' rights within the judicial system.

Particularly when it comes to sentencing, she believes victims' voices are often lost in the process.

She told Sky News that in her case, her attacker could have been stopped before he targeted her, had a judge handed down a custodial sentence for crimes he committed against other women.

She said: "One of the most shocking and disappointing revelations in the lead up to court was when I found out that only six months earlier he had attacked six women in the same park.

"Some of those women were out with their children. For those six offences he received a community supervision order."

The changes are designed to make sure paedophiles, people-traffickers and rapists who operate alone or in gangs are dealt with better in courts in England and Wales.

Sentencing Council member Lord Justice Treacy said: "We're improving guidance for courts to help them deal with these incredibly complex, sensitive and serious offences.

"The perspective of victims is central to the council's considerations. We want to ensure sentences reflect everything the victim has been through and what the offender has done.

"We are looking at the whole context, not just the physical offence but also the tactics employed by offenders like grooming activity, the targeting of vulnerable victims or abuse of a position of trust."

Judges are asked to take into account factors such as stalking and previous abuse by offenders, and the targeting of vulnerable victims like those in care.

The council said the review of the guidelines had come about because the nature of offending has changed and in some cases of sexual exploitation and child grooming perpetrators use technology in offences involving indecent images of children.

"The guidelines reflect these developments so they cover the ways these crimes are committed today," the council said.

For rape, the new guidelines are designed take a broader approach covering a range of scenarios, and to recognise not just the stereotypical "stranger rapes" but to take into account that most rapes are carried out by someone the victim knows, and that many occur within families.

The council said the current guidelines for sexual assault take "too narrow an approach", and focus too much on the nature of the physical activity done by the offender.

It called for fear and intimidation to be taken into account, so an offence would be more serious if violence was threatened or threatening or violent sexual language was used.

For child sex offences the council said it wanted to increase the focus on the behaviour of offenders, how children may have been groomed or exploited, and whether offenders abused a position of trust.

It also said factors such as the use of alcohol or drugs to facilitate the offence and the use of gifts or bribes to coerce a victim should be taken into account.

The guidelines say paedophiles operating in rings or those who abuse a position of trust to create images or videos should be given tougher sentences and called for changes in the way images are classified to aid investigators.

Although Gabrielle Browne welcomes the proposed changes, she believes judges will not be fully armed with all the information necessary to pass sentence until victim impact statements become an every day part of sentencing.

She said: "When that becomes a routine part of the court process and a routine part of the judge's papers that he considers before passing sentence there is a much greater likelihood that there will be more uniformity in sentencing and taking a victim's views into account."

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EuroMillions Jackpot Winner Still Unknown

Top 10 National Lottery Winners

Updated: 7:29am UK, Wednesday 05 December 2012

1. Colin and Chris Weir: £161,653,000

The Scottish husband and wife said they were "tickled pink" after becoming Europe's biggest lottery winners in July 2011. The couple have reportedly bought a fleet of cars for friends since their win, as well as a mansion.

2. Adrian and Gillian Bayford: £148,656,000

The couple, from Suffolk, decided to go public after scooping nearly £150m on the EuroMillions August 10 draw.

Mr Bayford said he would carry on running his music shop in Haverhill. Mrs Bayford, a children's ward healthcare assistant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, said she would treat herself to her dream car, an Audi Q7.

3. Anonymous: £113,019,926

One British ticket scooped the massive prize on October 2010 but decided not to go public.

4. Dave and Angela Dawes: £101,203,600

The Cambridgeshire husband and wife hit the EuroMillions jackpot in October last year. It was only the third time the couple had played the lottery.

5. Anonymous: £84,451,320

The haul was won in May 2010 but the winner kept their identity secret.

6. Nigel Page: £56,008,113

Self-confessed white van man Nigel Page took home the win in February 2010. The skydiving enthusiast, who lived in a three-bedroom semi near Cirencester, Wiltshire, married his girlfriend Justine and moved into a mansion in the Cotswolds.

7. Anonymous: £46,432,285

A British ticket scooped the massive prize in February this year but also decided not to go public.

8. Les and Sam Scadding: £45,570,835

Unemployed mechanic Les Scadding and his wife Sam from South Wales bought one of two winning tickets which shared a £90m jackpot in November 2009. The other £45m-winning ticket was bought by a syndicate of seven office workers based in Merseyside. They each banked £6.5m.

9. Cassey Carrington: £45,160,170

The 22-year-old from Nottingham banked the staggering total after matching all five numbers and two Lucky Stars in a EuroMillions draw in February this year. The Iceland store supervisor said she planned to marry painter fiancee Matt Topham this September.

10. Gareth and Catherine Bull: £40,627,241

The Mansfield husband and wife scooped the bumper prize in January this year. Mr Bull, a self-employed builder, said he planned to splash out on an executive box at Manchester United and a new carpet.

His wife said she might go back to her job as a health insurance worker. The couple also said they planned to take their two sons, aged nine and 10, to Florida's Disneyland.

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Autumn Statement: Osborne Tightens The Screw

Chancellor George Osborne will today warn there are no "miracle cures" as he admits more drastic action is needed to balance Britain's books.

Mr Osborne will confirm in a bleak mini-budget that Whitehall departments are being ordered to find another £5bn in cuts to fund projects aimed at kick-starting the economy.

He is also widely expected to concede that sluggish growth means it will take longer to tackle the deficit and that his key target of having public sector debt falling by 2015-16 may be missed.

Delivering his Autumn Statement this afternoon, Mr Osborne will argue that he is "confronting the country's problems, instead of ducking them".

"The public know that there are no miracle cures. Just the hard work of dealing with our deficit and ensuring Britain wins the global race," he will say.

Cabinet ministers were told yesterday about the plans to use fresh cuts to fund capital projects over the next two years.

They will include £1bn to build or expand up to 100 new academies and free schools over the next two years, with cash directed at areas experiencing a shortage in classroom places.

Departments will be forced to slash spending by 1% in 2013-14 and 2% the following year but health, schools, international aid, HM Revenue and Customs and nuclear decommissioning will be protected.

Treasury sources said the department mental savings amounted to less than the £3bn underspend by departments in the last two years and that the rest was coming from existing budgets.

But Labour claimed the move amounted to an admission that the reduction in infrastructure spending since 2010 had been "a catastrophic mistake" and weakened the economy.

The Chancellor is also expected to target the pension pots of higher earners by slashing the amount of annual tax relief earned on pension contributions from £50,000-a-year to £30,000.

Implementing the full cut could raise as much as £1.8bn for the Government.

A crackdown on people and businesses avoiding or evading tax is also expected, with a £77m boost for HM Revenue and Customs to track down those not paying their fair share.

Mr Osborne will also signal approval for up to 30 new gas-powered electricity power stations, and float possible tax breaks and regulatory reforms to encourage investment in innovative "fracking" technologies for extracting gas from shale deposits.

• Follow Sky's live coverage of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday
•  9am-10am: Jeff Randall
•  10am-5pm: Dermot Murnaghan
•  5pm-7pm:   Live at Five

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Linesman Dies After Attack By Teenage Players

A football linesman beaten and kicked by teenage players during a youth match has died.

Three players aged between 15 and 16 were arrested after Richard Nieuwenhuizen collapsed at the Dutch club Nieuw Sloten in the town of Almere on Sunday.

The 41-year-old, whose own son had been playing in the game, later died in hospital. His team, Buitenboys, has not announced the exact cause of death.

"You can't believe this could happen. That kids of 15 or 16 are playing football, you come to watch and see something like that," said Buitenboys chairman Marcel Oost. "He did it every week. He enjoyed doing it. He was a real football man; he was always here."

Dutch sports minister Edith Schippers said: "It is absolutely terrible that something like this can happen on a Dutch sports field."      

Parents and other volunteers regularly referee and officiate at sports matches involving their children in the Netherlands, where youth football and hockey is popular and well-organised.

Anton Binnenmars, of the Royal Netherlands Football Association, said: "It is too crazy for words that somebody involved in a sporting hobby becomes a victim of this kind of aggression."

Police said they would not rule out arresting more suspects.

Nieuw Sloten said in a statement on its website it has banned the players involved and pulled their team out of the league. Such incidents "do not belong on a football field", the statement added.

The Dutch FA said all Nieuw Sloten's matches next weekend had been cancelled at the club's request.

The attack in Almere was even discussed at a news conference in Spain on the eve of Ajax's Champions League match against Real Madrid.

"You can't imagine it happening," said Ajax coach Frank de Boer. "That boys of 15, 16 years short circuit like that. You wonder about the parenting... this is too ridiculous for words."

The death is almost exactly a year since a Dutch amateur footballer fatally kicked a 77-year-old supporter following a match.

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Kate Pregnant: Duchess Remains In Hospital

The Duchess of Cambridge is spending her second day in hospital suffering from a severe type of morning sickness after confirming she is expecting a baby.

Kate was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in central London on Monday where she is likely to remain for the next few days.

Her husband Prince William was by her side until 8.20pm when he left the hospital without speaking to the media outside.

William leaves the hospital on Monday evening

It is understood the rest of the royal family learned about the news only a few hours earlier on Monday.

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry - and Kate's family - are said to be "delighted".

The child will be third in line to the throne, whether it is a boy or girl, after Prince Charles and Prince William.

The Prime Minister was among the first to congratulate the royal couple on Twitter. "I'm delighted ... They will make wonderful parents," David Cameron said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg tweeted: "... a perfect way to round off the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year".

Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted: "A royal baby is something the whole nation will celebrate".

Julia Gillard, prime minister of Australia, called it "delightful news" and Jay Carney, press secretary to US president Barack Obama, said: "On behalf of everyone here in the White House, beginning with the President and the First Lady, we extend our congratulations ..."

St James's Palace would not say when the royal couple became aware of the pregnancy - only that it was "recently".

Only last week Kate took to the hockey field while visiting her old school

It is understood that the pregnancy has not passed the 12-week point and the announcement was prompted by the Duchess's medical condition.

It was reported that the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children, is treating her.

Kate is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a rare condition which causes severe vomiting during pregnancy and can cause dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine called ketosis.

The Duchess's engagements this week have all been cancelled, said St James's Palace.

Kate and William were married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.

:: Bookmaker William Hill said favourite names are Frances and John, both at 9/1, while Charles, Victoria and George are 10/1.

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George Osborne Plans Tax Avoidance Crackdown

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky News Reporter

Chancellor George Osborne is set to unveil a £154m blitz on wealthy companies and rich individuals who dodge tax.

Officials will be ordered to use the cash to draft in an army of investigators to target high earners who aggressively avoid or evade paying tax.

The money will also fund extra staff to speed up work challenging multinationals' transfer pricing arrangements to stop global companies using legal loopholes to shift profits out of the UK.

Mr Osborne's latest tax crackdown will be outlined in this week's Autumn Statement, which is also expected to contain bleak news for benefits claimants.

Margaret Hodge chairs the Public Accounts Committee

Details of the plan emerged as a damning report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) condemned global companies with huge UK operations that are getting away with paying little or no corporation tax.

The tax avoidance plans employed by companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Google are described as "outrageous and an insult to British businesses and individuals who pay their fair share".

Starbucks has now declared that it is preparing to change its tax affairs so that it pays more into Britain's coffers and there is growing pressure on others to follow suit.

Margaret Hodge, who chairs the PAC, said: "It does feel as if corporation tax has become a voluntary tax and if you look at the money the Treasury gets in from corporation tax, in the last year alone we have over £6bn less.

Starbucks says it is reviewing its tax arrangements

"At times like this when money is tight we need every penny of tax we can get."

The report is also critical of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) saying that it lacked determination and looked way too lenient in the face of aggressive tax planning.

But Katja Hall, from Confederation of British Industry, told Sky News that tax avoidance is not a widespread problem.

"Companies pay £163bn in tax in the UK every year and the large majority of companies pay the right amount of tax," she said.

The PAC report wants so called "tax scroungers" to be named and shamed in much the same way as benefit cheats.

However, Mr Osborne warned against pricing Britain out of the world economy.

"If we make our taxes less competitive, that will just mean more companies stay out of Britain," he said.

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M1 Crash: Motorway Closed After Cars Collide

A serious crash closed the M1 motorway between junctions one and five in both directions - but the northbound carriageway has since reopened.

The collision happened shortly before 2.40am on the southbound carriage between junctions five and four, near Watford in Hertfordshire.

The carriageway is closed in both directions from London to Watford.

The southbound carriageway is expected to remain closed until at least mid-morning but the northbound carriageway has reopened, Hertfordshire Police said.

Drivers are advised to use the A1, A40 or M40.

More follows...

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Osborne Eyes Tax Evaders And Pensions Of Rich

The Chancellor has promised to hunt down tax evaders and tax the wealthy - warning that everyone must make a contribution.

In his Autumn Statement on Wednesday, George Osborne is set to hit the pension pots of the wealthiest by slashing the £50,000 annual tax relief cap on pensions to as little as £30,000, according to The Sunday Times. That could raise between £600m and £1.8bn.

Tax evaders are also under the scanner of the Chancellor who told The Sun "we are hunting down those who evade tax wherever they try to hide".

The comments come as several leading football clubs face questions about their tax arrangements and amid an unprecedented public outcry over multinational corporations' tax avoidance through complex offshore mechanisms.

Starbucks, which recently came under fire from MPs over its tax affairs, is reportedly in talks with officials at Revenue and Customs about doing a deal.

In an article in The Sun, Mr Osborne said: "We are still all in this together. Everyone must make a contribution to dealing with our debts, from the richest in our society to those living a life on benefits.

"Every one of my Budgets has raised more from the richest. The situation under Labour where top people in the City were paying lower tax rates than their cleaners has been ended."

Meanwhile, shadow chancellor Ed Balls told the Sunday Mirror that a change of course was needed from David Cameron and Mr Osborne.

"When the medicine makes the patient sicker, you don't just take more of it. We need to change the medicine, or change the doctor."

Any form of mansion tax - or splitting council tax bands - is likely to be ruled out in the coming statement.

There is also speculation a planned 3p per litre rise in fuel duty planned for January may be delayed.

Some benefits are also expected to be frozen.

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Japan: 'Bodies Found' After Tunnel Collapse

Police have seen several bodies in a car inside a highway tunnel that collapsed in central Japan, reports say.

The Sasago tunnel on the busy Chuo Expressway, about 80-km (50 miles) west from Tokyo, caved in just after 8am local time, sending debris crashing down on cars and triggering a fire.

Seven people were believed to be missing and two were injured, the fire service said.

At least two cars were thought to be trapped.

Motorists described narrow escapes from falling debris, and a long walk through the darkness after abandoning their cars.

"When I was driving in the tunnel, concrete pieces fell down suddenly from the ceiling," a man in his 30s told public broadcaster NHK.

"I saw a crushed car catching fire. I was rightened, left my car and walked for about an hour to get out of the tunnel."

CCTV footage of inside of the tunnel

Footage showed black smoke billowing from the 4.7-km (2.8-mile) tunnel in Yamanashi prefecture.

After the fire was extinguished about 11am, video footage from cameras inside the tunnel showed firefighters picking their way through cement roof panels that collapsed onto vehicles inside the tunnel.

NHK reporter Yoshio Goto, caught in Sunday's accident, hit the accelerator and managed to drive out.

"But it was a bit too late and pieces of ceiling fell on my car. I kept pressing the pedal and managed to get out," he said.

"Then when I looked around, I saw half of the car ceiling was crushed."

It was the worst such accident in Japan since 1996, when a tunnel collapsed and falling rocks crushed cars and a bus, killing 20 people.

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