UK News: American terror fears revealed in new leak

US concerns that the UK was struggling to cope with homegrown extremism are revealed in a secret cable released through WikiLeaks today, which said that the government made "little progress" in engaging with the UK's Muslim community in the year after the July 7 bomb attacks in London.

Man held over deaths

A MAN was being held by police today on suspicion of killing a mother and son in their own home.

Neighbours said the victims - named locally as Sally Cox, 43, and Martin Faulkner, 22 - were hacked to death with an axe. Armed police arrested Mrs Cox's former partner, 45, a few hours later.

Health services 'pushed to the limit' by cutbacks

THE NHS and social services will be tested "to the limit" by the government's efficiency-saving requirements over the next four years, ministers were warned today.

The influential Health Select Committee said that the spending review settlement represented a "significant challenge" for the NHS.

The cross-party committee was not convinced that present levels of social care could be maintained with the funding being made available, a new report said.

Beeb seeks points of view

THE BBC will invite broadcasting rivals to comment on its performance and react to changes in areas of "market sensitivity", Sir Michael Lyons said today.

The outgoing chairman of the BBC Trust also revealed the corporation will publish a business plan and budget every year.

He said the plans would help create a more "distinctive" BBC.

Doctor faces shark attack

MICHAEL Gambon and Katherine Jenkins will co-star as Doctor Who takes on his most unlikely foe yet in this year's Christmas special.

The Doctor (Matt Smith) has to battle with a flying shark as he tries to stop a ship carrying 4000 people from crashing to Earth.

Leicestershire: Police are hunting thieves who stole hundreds of presents from a "Santa's grotto" attraction. The gifts were taken from Conkers Waterside Centre in Moira, Leicestershire.

Cambridgeshire: Villagers today told how a postcard sent to a First World War soldier being treated in hospital nearly a century ago was found by workmen fixing a village hall floor. They said the card had been hidden behind wooden wall panels at the 100-year-old hall, which was used as a military hospital during the Great War, in Shepreth, Cambridgeshire.