Lord Carey Attacks David Cameron On Religion

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister David Cameron.

In an article for the Daily Mail, Lord Carey says many Christians doubt the PM's "sincerity" when he pledges to protect their religious freedoms and accuses ministers of "aiding and abetting" discrimination against believers.

He points to Government plans to legalise gay marriage as evidence of an "aggressive secularist and relativist approach" and argues that Mr Cameron has fed Christian "anxieties" more than "any other recent political leader".

Lord Carey also says a new poll suggesting that more than two-thirds of Christians feel they are now part of a "persecuted minority" shows the Government must do more to demonstrate its commitment to stand up for faith.

The ComRes poll commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage also found more than half of Christians who backed the Conservatives in 2010 say they will "definitely not" vote for the party in 2015.

Lord Carey expresses alarm about Labour MP Chris Bryant's campaign to turn the 700-year-old Parliamentary chapel of St Mary Undercroft into a multi-faith prayer room so that gay couples can get married there.

Lord Carey slammed Chris Bryant's campaign for gay marriages in Parliament

But he also directly calls into question the Prime Minister's actions, saying: "I like David Cameron and believe he is genuinely sincere in his desire to make Britain a generous nation where we care for one another and where people of faith may exercise their beliefs fully.

"But it was a bit rich to hear that the Prime Minister has told religious leaders that they should 'stand up and oppose aggressive secularisation' when it seems that his Government is aiding and abetting this aggression every step of the way.

"At his pre-Easter Downing Street reception for faith leaders, he said that he supported Christians' right to practise their faith. Yet many Christians doubt his sincerity.

"According to a new ComRes poll more than two thirds of Christians feel that they are part of a 'persecuted minority'. Their fears may be exaggerated because few in the UK are actually persecuted, but the Prime Minister has done more than any other recent political leader to feed these anxieties.

"He seems to have forgotten in spite of his oft-repeated support for the right of Christians to wear the cross, that lawyers acting for the coalition argued only months ago in the Strasbourg court that those sacked for wearing a cross against their employer's wishes should simply get another job."

The new poll suggests continuing resentment over legalising same-sex unions, even though there is special protection for the Church of England in the law, and Lord Carey's successor Justin Welby has softened the Church's stance on the issue.

Two thirds of those polled said they believed allowing same sex unions was an attempt to make the Conservative Party look trendy.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has vowed to protect religion

The poll comes after a series of controversial cases between Christians and employers over their rights to express their faith in the workplace.

Recent cases include Adrian Smith, a Trafford housing manager who says he was demoted and had his pay docked 40% after questioning the Government's plans for same sex marriage and Reverend Brian Ross who was sacked as the Chaplain of Strathclyde Police, apparently because his support for traditional marriage did not fit with the force's equality and diversity policies.

In another case, graphic designer Jamie Haxby is suing a hotel after claiming he was turned down for a job because he is a Christian.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles insists that unlike New Labour 'we do do God' and has agreed freedom of religion has been undermined.

He has vowed to change the law if necessary to stop people being taken to task for wearing a cross or a rosary, and says council should not try to ban prayers before meetings.

But the march of secularism means Britain will no longer be a Christian country within just 20 years, according to official research by the House of Commons library.

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Post Office Staff On Strike Over Closures

Thousands of staff in the country's biggest post offices are striking in a row over jobs, pay and closures.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in around 370 so-called Crown offices were mounting picket lines in protest at plans to close or franchise 70 branches.

The union said the walkout was "solidly" supported by thousands of its members, with picket lines set up outside post offices across the country.

The Post Office said scores of branches were open despite the strike.

The union organised the strike because it believes 800 jobs are at risk and also staff had not received a pay rise for two years.

The Post Office put forward the restructuring plan because Crown branches were losing £40m a year and accused the union of ignoring the "harsh realities" the company faces.

Dave Ward, the CWU's deputy general secretary, said: "Our post office members are standing up against destructive plans which would slash 20% of the Crown network and are simply asking for fair treatment and job security.

"The Post Office's plans are short-sighted and would rob the network of the most productive offices while simultaneously putting hundreds of jobs at risk and potentially damaging local economies.

"We'd like to see a better vision for a successful network which maintains services in the heart of communities alongside quality jobs."

The strike follows a ballot of workers in which 88% of those who voted demanded action.

Kevin Gilliland, network and sales director at the Post Office, said: "We regret any disruption to services the CWU's call for strike action may cause to customers. Crown branches are currently losing £40m per year and this is being subsidised by public money. This cannot continue.

"The Post Office is transforming its network to improve customer experience and in turn bring in new business. We are committed to the Post Office remaining a key part of UK high streets and our plans ensure this will happen."

He said the closures - which do not apply to smaller sub-Post Offices - affect less than 1% of the total network. At the same time as closing some branches, the Post Office was planning to improve the 300 other Crown offices.

The union said it was receiving strong public support for its campaign, with petitions circulating in areas affected by the proposals.

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North Korea Says 'We Are At War With South'

North Korea says it has entered a "state of war" with South Korea in the latest threat aimed at Seoul and Washington.

Amid escalating tensions, Pyongyang also threatened to shut down a factory complex that is the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

South Korea said the North's threats "are never acceptable" but noted there was no visible movement of troops at the border.

Russia urged restraint, while Britain said the threat risks further isolating North Korea, one of the world's most reclusive states.

"We have made clear to North Korea that its long term interests will only be served by constructive engagement with the international community. These threatening statements will only seek to isolate it further," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Travel advice for British nationals was "under constant review and we will update it as necessary".

The announcement by Pyongyang was broadcast by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," it said.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over."

The statement also warned that any military provocation near the North-South land or sea border would result "in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war".

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un

Hours later, a spokesman for the North Korean office controlling the Kaesong industrial complex threatened to close the factory park, saying the South was undermining its dignity.

He was referring to media reports saying the factory - just across the border in North Korea - had remained open because it is a source of hard currency for the North.

The two Koreas have always technically remained at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Earlier this month, the North said it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with the South in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.

Russian foreign ministry official Grigory Logvinov said: "We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint, and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return."

"Naturally, we cannot remain indifferent when an escalation of tensions is taking place at our eastern frontiers," the diplomat told the Interfax news agency. "We cannot but worry."

South Korea's defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said: "North Korea's continuing threats against South Korea such as saying it is 'entering a state of war' are never acceptable since it is harming peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

The US has used B-2 bombers as a 'deterrence' measure in the region

He said recent military exercises with the US "were defensive in nature against North Korea's possible provocations".

The ministry also said "no particular troop movement" had been observed along the border.

Former South Korean foreign minister Han Sung Joo told Sky News that the announcement amounted to "certainly more than rhetoric, even by North Korean standards".

The US said it was taking the new threat "seriously" but said it was following a familiar pattern.

"We've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea. We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

Most analysts still believe this will remain a rhetorical rather than a physical battle, but the situation has now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carries the potential for rapid escalation.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "It is more rhetoric by North Korea until they actually do something. Wars tend to begin with bangs not announcements on state news agencies, so this is Mr Kim pushing the rhetoric up another level.

"The problem is, he hasn't got any more levels to go to after this other than actual war - that is the big worry and the big unknown. Does his belligerence have a limit or not?"

South Korean soldiers at a check point during a drill near the border

Sources in Pyongyang say life is continuing as normal in the city.

There are signs of civil construction with thousands of workers. Many of them are conscripts, and if war was imminent, then Kim would have called them up and they would not be busy building apartment blocks and hotels.

Earlier this week, the North's leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, vowing to "settle accounts" after US stealth bombers flew over the South.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed that Washington would not be cowed by Pyongyang's threats and stood ready to respond to "any eventuality".

The standoff has its roots in the North's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February.

Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers.

The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft was intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending the South against any act of aggression.

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Nelson Mandela 'Breathing Without Difficulty'

Nelson Mandela is now "breathing without difficulty" after being treated for pneumonia, South Africa's president has said.

Jacob Zuma's office issued the statement after the 94-year-old had fluid drained from his chest.

It said the treatment had "resulted in him now being able to breathe without difficulty".

"He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable," the statement added.

It comes after Mr Zuma's spokesman Mac Maharaj gave an upbeat report on Friday.

"He was in good spirits, he had a full breakfast, and the doctors report that he's making steady progress,"  he said.

"He sat up and had his breakfast in bed."

It remains unclear how long Mr Mandela will remain at the undisclosed hospital.

The former South African president's recent health troubles have triggered an outpouring of prayers, with his country coming to terms with the mortality of the revered Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Nearly 20 years after he came to power in 1994, he remains a unifying symbol in a country still riven by racial tensions and deep inequality.

It is the second time this month that he has been admitted to hospital, after spending a night for check-ups on March 9.

That followed a hospital stay of nearly three weeks in December, when Mandela was treated for another lung infection and underwent gallstone surgery.

He was diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988 during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime and has long had problems with his lungs. He has also had treatment for prostate cancer and has suffered stomach ailments.

Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told public broadcaster SABC that "Tata (father) is doing well".

"He's responding very well to treatment," said Madikizela-Mandela, who attended a Friday church service in Soweto where the congregation prayed for Mandela.

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Two Dead In Car Crash After Police Pursuit

Two men have died in a car crash during a police pursuit in Haringey, London.

The men died early this morning after the Audi car they were in collided with a bridge on Seven Sisters Road near to the junction with St Ann's Road.

The 30-year-old driver of the Audi tried to make off from the scene on foot, police said.

But he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified.

The police car is taken away for examination

He has been taken to hospital, but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

Police say that officers on routine patrol at around 2am became suspicious of a car that appeared to make off at speed when passed in the opposite direction.

After several minutes searching for the Audi, the officers saw it several hundred metres away and tried to catch up, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

"The Audi was driven through a red light and a short time later it clipped a white van and subsequently collided with a bridge," the spokesman said.

Two male passengers in the Audi, both believed to be aged in their late 20s or early 30s, were seriously injured.

Officers gave CPR prior to the arrival of ambulances, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Enquiries continue to establish the identity of the two men.

Traffic officers are investigating. Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards have been informed.

Local road closures are in place.

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Withnail & I Actor Richard Griffiths Dies

Actor Richard Griffiths, best known for his roles in The History Boys, Withnail & I and Pie In The Sky, has died.

He died of complications following heart surgery at the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire. He was 65.

Born in Thornaby-on-Tees in North Yorkshire in 1947, Griffiths established himself as a much-loved character actor in dozens of films and television series over five decades.

His best-known roles included his turn as the lascivious Uncle Monty in the cult 1987 movie Withnail & I, and as Hector in the stage and film version of Alan Bennett's The History Boys.

He had recently been introduced to a new generation of fans with his performances as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films.

Receiving his OBE from the Queen

Griffiths worked with big-name Hollywood directors - featuring in Martin Scorsese's Hugo and Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow - as well as appearing in TV comedies like The Vicar Of Dibley, Ted And Ralph and Lovejoy.

Between 1994 and 1997 he starred in the BBC series Pie In The Sky as detective-turned-restaurateur Henry Crabbe.

Having originally made his name on stage with Shakespearean roles including Falstaff and Bottom, he appeared last year as the Duke of Burgundy in Henry V as part of the BBC's celebrated Hollow Crown series.

He had recently been appearing in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys with Danny DeVito in the West End and had been due to reprise his role in the production in Los Angeles in September.

Griffiths took a dim view of phones in theatres

He was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to drama.

Griffiths was famously said to have had little patience for people who allowed their mobile phones to ring in the theatre, reportedly stopping during a performance of The History Boys and telling the offending audience member: "I am asking you to stand up, leave this auditorium and never, ever come back."

Born to deaf parents he learned sign language at an early age.

He is survived by his wife, Heather Gibson.

Richard E Grant, who played Withnail in Withnail & I, wrote on Twitter: "My beloved 'Uncle Monty' Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-Chin my dear friend."

Co-star Paul McGann wrote: "A brilliant, funny, principled man, and a true gent. Led the way on Withnail & I. Wore his great skill lightly and his great heart out. RIP."

Daniel Radcliffe, who starred as Harry Potter and also appeared alongside Griffiths in the play Equus, led tributes to the actor.

He said: "In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys', which was my first ever shot as Harry.

Griffiths with Daniel Radcliffe

"I was nervous and he made me feel at ease.

"Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy.

"In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him."

National Theatre director Sir Nicholas Hytner, who directed Griffiths in The History Boys and The Habit Of Art, said: "Richard Griffiths wasn't only one of the most loved and recognisable British actors - he was also one of the very greatest.

"His performance in The History Boys was quite overwhelming: a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously.

Appearing in The History Boys

"But that was just one small part of a career that spanned Shakespeare, cutting-edge new plays and major work in film and television."

His agent Simon Beresford said: "Richard brightened my days and enriched the life of anyone he came into contact with.

"On stage he allowed us to share in our own humanity and constantly question our differences. Richard gave acting a good name. He was a remarkable man and one of our greatest and best-loved actors. He will be greatly missed.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go to his devoted wife Heather and his family at this sad time."

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Girl Abandoned In Pram: Mother Located

Police say they have traced the mother of the little girl who was abandoned in a pram in Carlisle late on Thursday night.

A 41-year-old Polish woman living in the town has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect and is helping police with their enquiries.

The child, aged two and a half, is now safe and well in the care of Social Services.

She was discovered after police were called to a disturbance in Warwick Road at around 11pm.

They were contacted by the occupants of a house who said a woman had knocked at their door and rang the doorbell.

As they did not know her they contacted police.

When officers arrived they found the pram with the girl inside.

There was no trace of the woman, who was urged to contact detectives immediately.

She was described as 5ft 5in tall, in her mid 30s to early 40s and of slim to medium build.

She had brown hair, which was tied back, and was wearing a white, round neck top, a lilac coloured cardigan and dark trousers.

Police say they would like to thank members of the local community who helped them track her down.

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Leeds Heart Surgery: NHS Exec Urged To Quit

A top NHS executive is facing calls for his resignation after the suspension of children's congenital heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

The hospital, which is at the centre of a row over the future of its children's heart services, said the measure is being taken to allow an internal review to take place following concerns about the number of patient deaths.

It apologised for the disruption and said it would contact the families of all the children affected. Acute cardiac surgery is to continue.

Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, told the BBC there was a "constellation" of reasons behind the suspension as checks are made to ensure the unit is operating safely.

He added there had been "rumblings" among the cardiac surgical community for some time that "all was not well" in Leeds.

Sir Bruce: 'Right not to take risks'

But campaigners have criticised the move and its timing, just 24 hours after a High Court judge declared the decision-making process to close the children's unit was "legally flawed".

Sir Bruce said: "Some questions have been raised by the trust's own mortality data and by other information.

"It is important to understand that while this information raises questions, it does not give us answers.

"But it is absolutely right not to take any risks while these matters are being looked into."

The decision to halt surgery for three weeks was made on Thursday after discussions between NHS England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, said he was "stunned and appalled" by the decision and demanded Sir Bruce resign.

The MP said he understood Sir Bruce and senior CQC members arrived at LGI on Thursday morning unannounced to demand that children's heart surgery cease.

In a statement on his website, Mr Mulholland said: "To have arrived in Leeds and done this, without warning, just one day after the decision to close the Leeds unit was proved in a court of law to have been unlawful beggars belief.

"I believe that Sir Bruce Keogh should resign as he has both authorised this wholly unreasonable and deeply questionable action and also presided over the fundamentally flawed Safe and Sustainable review, which has proved an exercise in how not to effect major change to the NHS."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will decide LGI's fate

Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "Many people will be deeply sceptical about these developments and the question has to be asked why the National Commissioning Board and the Care Quality Commission have raised these issues at this time."

A vigorous campaign has been waged to save children's heart surgery at LGI after the unit was earmarked for closure as part of an NHS plan to reorganise services across England into fewer, more specialised centres.

The campaigners celebrated on Wednesday when the High Court judge quashed part of the NHS consultation process which led to the reorganisation, effectively halting the plan.

Were the children's heart unit at Leeds to be shut down its patients would have to be treated at hospitals in Liverpool and Newcastle instead.

The decision to sacrifice the unit was taken last July by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) when it chose seven specialist centres for the future delivery of paediatric cardiac surgery in England.

These were at Great Ormond Street and the Evelina Children's Hospital in London, as well as Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Alder Hey in Liverpool, the Royal Children's Hospital in Bristol and Southampton General.

The controversial decision, if upheld by the Health Secretary, will mean the closure of the children's heart units at LGI, Glenfield Hospital in Leicester and London's Royal Brompton.

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North Korea: US Stealth Bombers Fly Over South

US Awaits Response To Korea Flights

Updated: 10:05am UK, Thursday 28 March 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Given North Korea's angry reaction to the American use of its vast B-52 bombers last week, their response to the presence of the significantly more sophisticated B-2 stealth bombers will be interesting and perhaps alarming.

The two jets dropped a dummy bomb on a target range in South Korea after a 13,000-mile round trip from an air base in Missouri to join a training exercise.

America is walking a tightrope: on one hand keen to demonstrate its will and ability to defend its South Korean ally and protect the 28,000 US troops based in the country, but on the other hand not wanting to provoke an extremely unpredictable North Korean leader.

It is dangerously easy to combine Kim Jong -un's bluster with the increasingly comical images of him and laugh the whole thing off. Officials in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo clearly believe that would be a mistake.

Officials in Washington have made clear in recent days that they are taking Kim Jong Un's threats of war seriously. North Korea is "not a paper tiger", one US official is quoted as saying.

North Korean rhetoric peaks on a regular basis. This time it's probably higher than ever and there are key differences too.

The young Kim Jong-un is untested and inexperienced. Does his brinkmanship have a limit?

The December rocket launch and February nuclear test took the country across an important and dangerous technological threshold.

Over the border in the South, the government is showing signs that it has abandoned its traditional habit of turning the other cheek to skirmishes from the North.

The concern is that neither the Americans and the South Koreans nor the North Korean leadership are showing any sign of backing down.

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Nelson Mandela: Zuma Asks World To Pray

The former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, has been taken back to hospital suffering from a lung infection.

President Jacob Zuma confirmed that the 94-year-old was readmitted just before midnight on Wednesday and said: "We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts.

"We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery."

Mr Mandela's spokesman Mac Maharaj told Sky News that the former president was "conscious".

He said: "At the moment doctors are saying it is a recurrence of an old lung infection. It is a matter of concern ... He was admitted around midnight last night.

The most recent picture of Mr Mandela taken on February 2.

"They are doing everything they can to keep him comfortable and happy."

He said that last time he had seen Mr Mandela he had been frail but in a "good frame of mind".

Mr Mandela spent 18 days in hospital in December, where he was treated for a lung infection and gallstones.

He was discharged on December 27, however, doctors warned he was "not yet fully recovered" and he continued to receive medical treatment at his Johannesburg home, including being given extra oxygen.

Mr Mandela at his home (Picture courtesy of "BEING MANDELA/COZI TV")

Mr Mandela has had recurring lung problems since contracting tuberculosis in 1988, during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime.

The Nobel Peace Laureate spent a night in hospital on March 9 for what was described as a scheduled medical check-up.

However, Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said that it was now understood that the visit was required for further treatment of the lung infection and that on that occasion he is believed to have had his lungs drained.

She said that there were now significant concerns over his health and added: "The time of his hospitalisation certainly suggests they were alarmed at his deterioration."

Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his time in prison

In February, Mr Mandela's granddaughters showed the first picture of him to be seen in more than seven months as they promoted a reality television series in which they star.

He was seen with his great grandson, Zen, sitting on his lap at his Johannesburg home.

Earlier this month, George Bizos, the human rights lawyer who represented Mr Mandela at his treason trial, said that he was suffering memory lapses and sometimes forgot his fellow anti-apartheid activists were dead.

In an interview he told Eyewitness News: "Unfortunately he sometimes forgets that one or two of them had passed on and has a blank face when you tell him that Walter Sisulu and some others are no longer with us."

In February 2012 Mr Mandela, who is known by his tribal name of Madiba in South Africa, spent the night in hospital after a minor exploratory procedure to investigate persistent abdominal pain.

In 2001 he had radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer.

Mr Mandela, who was released from prison in 1990, suffered damage to his tear glands because of being forced to smash limestone rocks in the quarry on Robben Island due to the alkalinity of the stone. He had cataract surgery at the age of 75, in 1994, a few months after being sworn in as president.

Mr Mandela stepped down after one term as president. He has not appeared in public since South Africa's World Cup final in 2010, six years after retiring.

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