UK News: Workers hit by 5% fall in real-term pay

Workers are more than £1000 worse off than they were two years ago because pay has failed to keep pace with hikes in the cost of living, new research claimed today.

It said the average employee had seen the value of their take-home pay dive by five per cent in real terms since the middle of the recession.

149 charged over disorder

Police have charged 149 people with various offences in connection with the disorder which followed the peaceful protest by hundreds of thousands of people against the Government's spending cuts.

Government ministers have insisted they have no plans to rethink their policy.

Cable revives Lib Dem plan for 'mansion tax'

Business Secretary Vince Cable has revived the idea of a "mansion tax" on houses worth more than 2 million.

He indicated the levy could be the price of Lib Dem support for moves by Chancellor George Osborne to scrap the 50p top rate of income tax.

Mr Cable's comments are unlikely to go down well with Conservative MPs who attacked the idea when he first proposed it before the general election led to the formation of the coalition government.

75% of unis plan 9k fees

Three out of four universities in England intend to set their fees at or near the maximum 9000 a year, according to a survey of institutions.

The move will anger the Government, which has budgeted for loans to students at an average of 7500 a year. Only Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick and Birmingham universities have so far set out detailed plans.

Cameron in business appeal

David Cameron today appealed to would-be entrepreneurs to go out and set up their own businesses in a bid to make his vision of an "enterprise-led recovery" a reality.

The Prime Minister launched the StartUp Britain initiative to provide practical help for new firms.

London: Around 2000 jobs have been promised in a new drive aimed at helping young unemployed people in London find work, it was announced today.

The Mayor's Fund for London is launching the "Young London Working" initiative, targeting youngsters from some of the most deprived areas of the city.

Swindon: A man was due in court today charged with the murder of Sian O'Callaghan.

Christopher Halliwell, 47, is charged with killing the 22-year-old PA who disappeared from a nightclub a week last Saturday.