Britain today: Public workers urged to accept pension deal

PUBLIC sector workers were warned today that it would be a "colossal mistake" to spurn the Government's pensions deal. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander urged union members to help "shape" the current reforms now or face "uncompromising" change later.

Call for hospitals rethink

A "PARADIGM shift" is needed to improve failing hospitals, the nurses' union leader said.

Peter Carter, the head of the Royal College of Nursing believes a number of inner-city hospitals are "a drain on the system", and changes need to be made, he told a meeting of the think-tank Reform.

Petrol prices on the rise again after brief dip

THE brief dip in the price of petrol at the pumps appears to be over, according to latest figures from the AA.

Mid-June prices of petrol and diesel are a little lower than they were in mid-May but have edged up in the last few days, the AA said.

The average cost of petrol is now 136.07p a litre - down 0.86p on the mid-May average but higher than the 135.75p-a-litre figure on June 5.

Diesel now averages 139.77p a litre - down 1.72p on May but above June 5's 139.34p.

Youth drink link to parents

CHILDREN who regularly see their parents drink are twice as likely to binge on alcohol themselves.

Youths who are left unsupervised are also more likely to drink, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report found.

Researchers questioned 5700 teenagers. Those who said they had seen their parents inebriated were twice as likely to have been drunk several times.

Pop music 'on slide to porn'

POP music is on "a slow descent into pornography", according to hit songwriter Mike Stock, pictured.

Stock, who was responsible for dozens of hits as part of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, put some of the blame on the rise of stars including Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

Cardiff: Police used information about victims from hospital accident and emergency departments in Cardiff to target trouble "hot spots" and help prevent future violence, research shows. Details from hospitals such as the location, time and weapons involved in violence were shared with police and led to a "substantial and significant reduction" in violence.

Devon: A 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a nine-month-old boy has been bailed. Police said the baby died after being admitted to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.