Apocalypse? Not Now, As World Survives

An ancient prediction that the world would end this morning has failed to come true.

As the clock counted down to - and then passed - 11.11am, people around the world used the moment as an excuse for a party.

December 21 marks the end of the 5,125-year Mayan calendar, which some said represents the end of the world.

But the claim was dismissed by everyone from Nasa and the US government to the Vatican.

The tiny French village of Bugarach drew global attention

People who paid just under £1,000 to take refuge in the underground bunker of former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin now stand to qualify for a 50% refund.

In the tiny French village of Bugarach in the Pyrenees, UFO watchers were left disappointed when aliens said to inhabit a jagged mountain failed to board a spacecraft and flee the Earth.

In Serbia, the place to be was Mount Rtanj, a pyramid-shaped peak, where local legend has it that the mountain once swallowed an evil sorcerer who will be released on doomsday in a ball of fire.

The end is nigh! How some were counting down the seconds

Old coal mineshafts were opened up as safe rooms for the dozens who arrived early.

Sirince, a small Turkish village known for its wines, was also being touted as a safe haven, thought to be because it is close to an area where the Virgin Mary is believed to have lived her final days.

In China, the authorities have been detaining more than 500 members of a fringe Christian group, Almighty God, who got into trouble after spreading rumours about the world's impending end, with leaflets, CDs, books and other material all seized.

A man in China made tsunami-proof survival pods

Closer to home, hundreds of people converged on Stonehenge for an End of the World party that coincided with the winter solstice.

In London, themed events included a Last Supper club.

Many scientists and historians argue that the Mayans had a cyclical sense of time, so that the end of a calendar simply signifies the end of one period and the beginning of another.

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X Factor Hopeful Who Glassed Man Avoids Jail

An X Factor hopeful who was axed from the show after she glassed her boyfriend has avoided jail.

Lucie Slater, 21 was sentenced to 51 weeks in prison suspended for two years, a two-year supervision order and 120 hours of community service.

Slater, from Ryton, Gateshead, had pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding DJ William Aitken in June.

Lucie Slater was part of a girl band called Quantro

The couple were drinking wine together at his house when she came across a message on Facebook that she did not like, the court heard.

"We were cuddling," Mr Aitken recalled. "Next thing I knew she swung round and hit me with a glass and my face began to pour with blood."

The woman also threw a laptop across the room.

Slater then drove him to hospital, where she first claimed he had fallen down the stairs but later admitted what happened, the court was told.

Slater, a bar promotion worker, was part of girl band Quantro but they were thrown off the ITV talent show when the attack came to light.

'I still love her and I want to know why she did it,' says Mr Aitken

Judge Toby Hedworth said "drink played a greater role than is now suggested."

"I also take into account the effect of your actions on Mr Aitken. All that he has ever sought in these proceedings was an acknowledgement of what happened."

Mr Aitken called the assault 'life changing'

Due to his injuries and the time he spent in hospital, Mr Aitken lost his business and modelling career, the court heard.

Mr Aitken said the experience was "life changing" and called the assault "an act of stupidness" that caused a lot of damage.

"I really really did not think she was capable of something like that. We are not speaking to each other now," he said.

"I still love her and I want to know why she did it. It's a really sad love story. We did not plan our future like this. Instead of us breaking up, we have been ripped apart."

Slater was initially charged with the more serious offence of wounding with intent but her plea to the lesser charge was accepted by the prosecution.

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BAE Systems Strikes £2.5bn Deal With Oman

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A deal worth £2.5bn has been completed between British defence manufacturer BAE Systems and Oman.

It will see BAE provide the Gulf state with 12 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and eight Hawk training jets.

As well as supplying aircraft, BAE Systems will provide in-service support to the Royal Air Force of Oman's (RAFO) operational tasks.

Work to start building the aircraft will begin in 2014, with the first jets due for delivery in 2017.

But the markets did not seem too enthusiastic about the announcement, as the BAE share price was trading down 2% during the early hours of trading.

More importantly for the company's future financial health is the Salam deal for 72 Typhoon jets with Saudi Arabia, worth £4.5bn.

Earlier this week, BAE warned that its 2012 earnings would suffer if no agreement was reached on this deal by February 21.

Last month, Prime Minister David Cameron visited Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on a trade mission to promote BAE and persuade the states to buy British-made defence equipment.

PM David Cameron visited Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE last month

It is unusual for a British prime minister to promote defence companies so openly but the Government is seeking to build closer ties with friendly Middle Eastern states in the face of what it sees as a growing threat in the region from countries like Iran.

The move also demonstrates an attempt to forge links outside of the traditional Nato countries.

The deal is not only important for BAE Systems, but also for the companies that form the supply chain, many of which are based in the UK.

The deal will support BAE's assertion that it still has a strong business with a positive future after the proposed merger with EADS collapsed in October.

Cuts to defence budgets globally have resulted in a tougher and more competitive market, and BAE had hoped a merger with a company that specialises in civil aviation would lessen any effect of budget cuts.

Guy Griffiths, group managing director for BAE Systems' International business, said: "Receiving this contract is an honour and is excellent news for both BAE Systems and the Eurofighter Typhoon consortium.

"We look forward to working in partnership with Oman's Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Air Force of Oman, to ensure this is a highly successful programme that maximises the potential of both Hawk and Typhoon."

Oman becomes the seventh country in the world, and the second in the Middle East, to operate the Typhoon, joining the air forces of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "This is obviously a very good day for BAE Systems, its suppliers and the broader Eurofighter supply chain.

"We, and our partners in the Eurofighter consortium, are pursuing a number of opportunities at present and I hope that the decision by Oman to join the Typhoon family is followed by more of its friends and neighbours."

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Ex-Army Doctor Struck Off Over Iraqi's Death

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Former Army doctor Derek Keilloh has been found guilty of misconduct over the death of an Iraqi detainee in British military custody.

The verdict on Dr Derek Keilloh, 38, came after a 47-day hearing by the Medical Practioners Tribunal Service, described as a watershed case in military history.

Dr Keilloh, now a family doctor in North Yorkshire, was a captain and regimental medical officer with the British army, 1st Battalion, Queen's Lancashire Regiment, in war-torn Basra in 2003.

He claimed that after being called to examine Mr Mousa he had noticed only dried blood around the arrested man's nose.

Mr Mousa had 93 separate injuries

The detainee had been hooded, handcuffed and beaten by soldiers. He had suffered 93 separate injuries including a broken nose, broken ribs and severe bruising to his face and neck.

In subsequent inquiries, Dr Keilloh stuck by his story under oath. But the 'fitness to practise' hearing found his conduct dishonest and misleading.

Mr Mousa was an innocent hotel receptionist and a father of two who had been arrested as a suspected insurgent. His wife had died of cancer some months earlier and his death left the couple's children orphaned.

The medical panel said that Dr Keilloh had been "a relatively inexperienced doctor unexpectedly thrust into a war zone at very short notice to supply the highest levels of clinical care with little support or supervision".

They said that his handover on arrival had been "ineffective and contained no written brief of procedures".

But it added: "Given the national and international importance of these investigations and the need to uncover the truth...your repeated dishonesty was wholly unacceptable."

It concluded that "given the gravity and nature of the extent and context of your dishonesty, it considers that your (Dr Keilloh's) misconduct is fundamentally incompatible" with continuing to practise as a doctor.

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Barack Obama Trapped By Spider-Man's Web

A photo of Barack Obama getting caught in Spider-Man's web outside the Oval Office has been released by the White House.

The playful encounter between the US president and a staff member's child dressed up for Halloween was captured by his official photographer Pete Souza.

Mr Obama raises his hands in mock fear as he pretends he has been trapped by the superhero.

The intimate snap has been seen by thousands of people since it was posted onto the president's Twitter and Facebook accounts.

On Wednesday Mr Obama was named as Time magazine's person of the year for the second time in four years.

The magazine said the US was in the midst of huge cultural and demographic changes and deemed the president to be both the symbol and in some ways a driving force behind that transformation.

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Plebgate: Second Arrest Over Mitchell Row

Key Dates Of The Plebgate Scandal

Updated: 12:34pm UK, Thursday 20 December 2012

The row over Andrew Mitchell's argument with a police officer in Downing Street has resurfaced three months on. Here are the key developments.

:: September 4 - Andrew Mitchell is appointed Chief Whip in David Cameron's first Cabinet reshuffle.

:: September 19 - Mr Mitchell tries to cycle out of the Downing Street main gates but is stopped by a police officer who tells him he must use a side exit.

The officer on duty makes a log of the encounter, claiming that the Chief Whip swore and called police "plebs".

:: September 20 - Deputy Chief Whip John Randall is sent an email apparently from a constituent claiming he and his nephew witnessed the altercation.

It claims passers-by had been shocked and suggests some could have filmed it, as well as repeating the "plebs" allegation.

:: September 21 - The Sun runs a story on the row titled "Cabinet minister: police are plebs".

Mr Mitchell apologises for not "treating the police with the respect they deserve" but denies using the language reported.

David Cameron says he has apologised and allows him to keep his job but the Police Federation insist he has to go.

:: September 24 - Mr Mitchell says sorry on television as the row refuses to die away but his apology is dismissed as lacklustre and calls grow for him to quit.

Labour calls on Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to launch an investigation but the appeal is rejected.

:: September 25 - The Daily Telegraph publishes the full police log of the row, piling yet more pressure on the senior Tory.

:: October 4 - Mr Mitchell pulls out of the Tory party conference to avoid being a "distraction".

:: October 12 - The Chief Whip meets representatives of the Police Federation at his constituency office in Sutton Coldfield but officers remain dissatisfied.

:: October 17 - Labour leader Ed Miliband declares that Mr Mitchell is "toast" during Prime Minister's Questions and accuses the Tories of "double standards".

:: October 19 - Mr Mitchell meets David Cameron at Chequers and resigns but continues to deny using the word "plebs".

:: December 15 - Officers investigating the leak of the police log arrest a serving police officer with the diplomatic protection squad on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

:: December 18 - Allegations emerge that the officer was behind the email to Mr Randall in September but never actually witnessed the argument.

New CCTV footage which appears to conflict with the official police account is also revealed by Channel 4 News.

Mr Mitchell claims he is the victim of a "stitch-up" and demands a full inquiry. Number 10 calls the allegations "exceptionally serious".

Met Police Chief Bernard Hogan-Howe says nothing he has seen affects the original police account.

:: December 19 - Police widen their probe into the case to include the email allegations and the possibility of a police "conspiracy".

David Cameron calls for the claims that an officer tried to "blacken the name of a Cabinet minister" to be "seriously investigated".

Senior Tory figures brand the latest developments "appalling" and suggestions begin that Mr Mitchell could soon be back on the front bench.

A 23-year-old man is arrested at 8pm by Scotland Yard on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable offence in relation to the affair.

:: December 20 - The second arrested man is released on bail, to return in January.

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Queen's Christmas Message Will Be In 3D

The Queen's Christmas message is to be screened in 3D and HD for the first time, it has been announced.

The traditional broadcast will go hi-tech to allow viewers to scrutinise the Queen as never before in her Diamond Jubilee year.

However, viewers will also be able to see the 86-year-old monarch in normal definition during the speech, which will be broadcast at 3pm on Christmas Day.

Sky's royal correspondent Paul Harrison said it is the first time any member of the royal family has embraced 3D.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen thought it was "absolutely lovely" and was very keen on the idea.

A spokeswoman said: "We wanted to do something a bit different and special in this Jubilee year, so doing it for the first time in 3D seemed a good thing, technology wise, to do.

"The Queen absolutely agreed straight away there was no need for convincing at all, she was absolutely ready to embrace something new in this year."

It is not known what her message, which is being produced by Sky News this year, will contain but events such as the London Olympics and Diamond Jubilee are likely to feature prominently.

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Village Evacuation As Flood Alerts Spread

A Hampshire village is being evacuated as heavy rainfall continues to spread across the UK, with more than 260 flood alerts and warnings issued.

The Environment Agency (EA) said a severe flood warning for Wallington prompted the need for the evacuation notice.

It said: "The Wallington Village next to River Wallington will be evacuated imminently by Havant Borough Council and the emergency services.

"This is due to a failure in the flood defence around the village. The river is currently just below the top of the defence and cracks have formed in the wall.

"The river level is very high and will remain so for some time.

"If the cracks become bigger and the wall fails catastrophically the village will inundated rapidly. Please taken action now."

In addition to the severe flood warning for Wallington, near Fareham, the EA has issued 41 flood warnings and 215 flood alerts for England and Wales.

Meanwhile the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued 12 flood alerts and 7 flood warnings for Scotland regions.

More follows...

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News Boss Goes As BBC Slammed In Savile Report

The Deputy Director of BBC News has quit after the publication of a damning report into the axing of a Newsnight programme on Jimmy Savile.

At a news conference to address the highly critical findings, the BBC announced the departure of Stephen Mitchell, who had been with the corporation for 38 years.

Mr Mitchell was one of several high-profile figures at the organisation to be criticised in an independent report, led by Nick Pollard, former head of Sky News.

In a statement Mr Mitchell said that he had quit following the "strain over the past month" but rejected criticisms levelled at him by the review.

The report said that the decision by Newsnight's former editor, Peter Rippon, to shelve the programme into Savile's "dark side" was "seriously flawed".

But Mr Rippon immediately rejected the criticism and said he had never "shirked from my responsibilities".

However, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said the BBC accepted the review in its "entirety".

He said the BBC will publish the evidence it gets from Mr Pollard with redactions for "legal reasons".

The BBC also announced that it had put in place a new editorial team at Newsnight, as well as accepting Mr Mitchell's departure.

The report paints a picture of a top-down organisation with rivalries and faction fighting.

It said the BBC's management system "proved completely incapable of dealing" with the issues raised by the axing of the story.

It added that "the level of chaos and confusion was even greater than was apparent at the time".

The report found: "The decision to drop the original investigation was flawed and the way it was taken was wrong but I believe it was done in good faith.

"It was not done to protect the Savile tribute programmes or for any improper reason."

The report came at the same time as a review, by the BBC Trust, into a Newsnight report leading to the wrongful identification of Lord McAlpine as a paedophile.

That report concluded that the error had resulted largely from a failure by members of the team to follow the BBC's own editorial guidelines.

Among the senior figures criticised in the Pollard report are former Director General George Entwistle and director of news Helen Boaden.

The review blamed in part an "apparent adherence to rigid management chains" for the failure to deal with the issue.

It said Ms Boaden's attempt to alert Mr Entwistle to potential problems posed by the story during an industry lunch was "too casual".

She is also criticised for not taking "greater responsibility" as the crisis grew.

Mr Entwistle, who resigned after 54 days in the top job, was criticised for appearing to "have taken a long time to take any real control" of the problems at the BBC.

However, Mr Entwhistle responded with a statement saying he felt the report had cleared him of all responsibility over the Savile programme - as well as any personal failure over the McAlpine programme.

"I am pleased that the Pollard Report makes it clear I played no part whatever in Newsnight's decision not to broadcast the original Savile investigation - just as I was not personally to blame in any way for the journalistic failures on Newsnight when it broadcast its erroneous report about the North Wales care home," he said.

The review concludes that the BBC does not have to be taken down "brick by brick" but said the Director General's role as editor-in-chief needs to be examined.

It also said it "raises a question about the insularity of some people within the BBC" who are described as being unaware of wider industry practices.

Also criticised was Mr Mitchell, who decided to remove the Savile investigation from the corporation's Managed Risk Programmes List (MRPL).

The MRPL is an internal mechanism to flag up stories that contain some element of potential danger including risk to the BBC's reputation.

Mr Pollard described that decision as "critical", adding: "It was important to establish why he had done this. Very unfortunately, he could offer no convincing reason".

Mr Pollard said that if it had stayed on the MRPL some of what followed "might well have been avoided".

The report also paints an unflattering picture of relations between staff on Newsnight and in the wider BBC.

It said the decision to cancel the story led to disagreements between show boss Peter Rippon and his journalists and "relationships... began to break down".

It found there was no "undue pressure" on Mr Rippon from his bosses to drop the story, but said his decision to do so "was seriously flawed".

It went on: "He made a bad mistake in not examining the evidence properly".

It also describes the background to his blog post on the issue, which was later corrected after being found to be factually incorrect, as "chaotic".

The evidence given to the review also reveals Mr Entwistle refused to speak to Newsnight reporter Meirion Jones off-the-record because he "didn't trust him to have an off-the-record conversation".

It also includes evidence from Ms Boaden that Mr Entwistle told her he would not accept her resignation but was going to make a public statement that would make "it impossible for Peter [Rippon] not to resign".

The report includes sections of an email sent to Mr Entwistle two years before becoming Director-General.

The email tells him an obituary for Savile had not been done because of "the darker side" to his life though Mr Entwistle told the inquiry he had not read it.

The review said the email, and others like it, indicates "there was knowledge, not just rumour ... about the unsavoury side of Savile's character" in BBC TV shortly after his death.

Meanwhile the BBC Trust review into the McAlpine error described the incident as a "grave breach which had been costly to all concerned".

The Trust said it resulted in the public being misled.

Yesterday Lord McAlpine agreed £310,000 in damages from the BBC and ITV over the wrongful allegations.

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Plebgate: Call For Inquiry After New Claims

Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell has demanded a full inquiry into the "plebgate" row that cost him his job after new revelations cast doubt on the affair.

Allegations have emerged that a police officer posed as a member of the public and falsely claimed to have witnessed the argument.

The officer wrote an email to his local MP giving details of Mr Mitchell's behaviour during the clash when he was blocked from cycling through the main gates.

Newly-emerged CCTV footage of the altercation on September 19 also appears to conflict with the official police version of events.

Mr Mitchell, who eventually quit in October after a month under intense pressure, has claimed he was the victim of a "stitch-up" and demanded a full inquiry.

David Cameron said at PMQs: "A police officer posing as a member of the public and sending an email potentially to blacken the name of a Cabinet minister is a very serious issue and does need to be seriously investigated.

"The Metropolitan Police Service is conducting a thorough and well-resourced investigation to get to the truth of this matter as quickly as possible.

"The Independent Police Complaints Commission will be supervising the investigation and I think we should allow them to get to the truth."

Andrew Mitchell wanted to cycle out of the main gates

Number 10 earlier issued a particularly strong-worded statement about the claims, which emerged after a member of the diplomatic protection squad was arrested last week.

"Any allegations that a serving police officer posed as a member of the public and fabricated evidence against a Cabinet minister are exceptionally serious," a spokesman said.

Scotland Yard is already investigating and has vowed to establish the truth "as quickly as possible".

"The allegation that a serving police officer fabricated evidence is extremely serious. It goes to the very heart of the public's trust in the police service," a spokesman said.

Mr Mitchell was thrust to the centre of a political storm when a police report about his rant at the Downing Street officer was leaked to the press.

It claimed the senior Tory had warned the policeman: "Best you learn your f****** place. You don't run this f****** government. You're f****** plebs."

The politician has always denied using the word "plebs", although he did admit swearing and getting angry. Instead, he claims he said: "I thought you guys were supposed to f****** help us."

But the "pleb" claim was seized on by the Police Federation and Labour who demanded that he stand down.

The email, now known to be from a fellow police officer, allegedly helped fuel the row and keep up the momentum that eventually cost Mr Mitchell his job.

The policeman wrote to his MP John Randall, apparently not disclosing his job and describing how he had been walking past Downing Street with his nephew when the spat happened.

It suggested Mr Mitchell had sworn repeatedly and called the officers "plebs", as well as claiming passers-by near the gates had been shocked.

The account closely matched the official police log's version of events, which was eventually leaked and published in full by the press.

David Cameron summoned his Chief Whip after being told about the email and suggested he had been "caught bang to rights", according to an investigation by Channel 4 News.

When Mr Mitchell flatly denied key parts, the Prime Minister ordered an investigation but this failed to establish who sent the email.

Mr Cameron apparently only learned over the weekend that the "witness" was a serving police officer and was said to be "furious".

Andrew Mitchell during an ill-fated TV apology in September

Contacted by Channel 4 News, the individual seemed to admit that he had never been present when the row happened.

Previously unreleased CCTV footage of the clash also showed no evidence of passers-by who could be a man with his nephew.

The video, which has no sound, shows Mr Mitchell talking to three officers by the main gate for around 20 seconds before wheeling his bicycle to the side gate and leaving.

Clips from other cameras suggest there were few members of the public close by at the time - apparently contradicting the police log.

Mr Mitchell said: "'Three phrases were hung around my neck for 28 days and used to destroy my political career and toxify the Conservative Party.

'They are completely untrue - I never said them. I have never called someone a f****** pleb and never would.

"I always knew that the emails were false, although extremely convincing. It has shaken my lifelong support and confidence in the police.

"I believe now there should be a full inquiry so we can get to the bottom of this."

Met Police Chief Bernard Hogan-Howe, speaking before Channel 4 broadcast its programme, said he did not think the new revelations "affected the original account of officers at the scene".

But Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "These are very serious allegations that must be investigated with all possible urgency.

"An allegation that a serving police officer posed as a member of the public whilst fabricating evidence is a matter of the utmost gravity."

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, suggested the police watchdog or the HM Inspectorate of Police should investigate the affair instead of Scotland Yard.

"There is clearly a need for a robust, transparent and comprehensive investigation," he said.

John Tully, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: "The serious allegations aired in the Channel 4 News report are of concern to the MPF.

"However, as this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to make further comment, other than to say we support a full and thorough investigation to establish the truth."

Former Tory leader Michael Howard said he was "appalled" by the claims and hoped Mr Mitchell would be back in Government "at the earliest opportunity".

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister's view remains that he hopes in time Mr Mitchell will be able to return to public life."

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