Water bills will be reduced a small amount over the next five years, the watchdog Ofwat has said today. The watchdog has published its final decision on what water and sewerage companies can charge customers between 2010 and 2015; saying bills should be ten per cent lower than the companies have asked for. Ofwat said the average bill across England and Wales will decrease by £3 to £340 by 2015, before inflation is considered.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced his investigation into Iran's nuclear programme has reached a "dead end" due to a lack of cooperation from Tehran. Mohamed ElBaradei also accused Iran of attempting to alter plans agreed by six world powers negotiating with Tehran that would see the majority of its enriched uranium shipped abroad to be safely converted into domestic fuel. His comments came at the beginning of the IAEA's 35-nation board meeting, during which a resolution condemning Iran's continuing defiance to succumb to international pressure on its nuclear programme is expected to be voted on.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:48:09

A government-commissioned review has said the UK's banks should be forced to disclose to the public which of their employees earn more than £1 million a year. Sir David Walker, who led the report, called for extensive reforms to strengthen bank governance and increased disclosure on pay. Sir David also said in the report non-executive directors needed more powers to monitor the banks, but the Liberal Democrats have criticised it for not going far enough.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00

The former head of MI6 has attacked Gordon Brown over his handling of the military campaign in Afghanistan. Sir Richard Dearlove, who headed the secret intelligence service when British troops were deployed into Afghanistan in 2001, has accused the prime minister of squeezing the defence budget over a number of years while chancellor. During a Gresham College lecture in London, he also claimed the government had failed to make the case for the continuing military campaign to the British public.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:06:24

The main suspect in the killing of at least 57 people in the southern Philippines has turned himself in to the police, local officials have reported. Powerful clan leader Andal Ampatuan Jr, a local mayor, has been taken into custody but has reportedly denied organising the attack. He is expected to be flown to Manila for formal questioning later.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:04:39

Two beefeaters have been dismissed over allegations of harassment of the first female yeoman, officials at the Tower of London have confirmed. Moira Cameron, 44, became the first female beefeater in the Tower of London's 1,000-year history in 2007. Her time at the Tower, however, has been blighted by allegations of several instances of harassment with authorities launching an internal investigation last month into the actions of three members of staff.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:47:47

A government survey with worrying results has warned people not to try to burn off alcohol with exercise. A survey from YouGov found 3.8 million adults in England are "misguidedly trying to burn off the booze with exercise". The survey on behalf of the Know Your Limits campaign found 19 per cent of adults in England who exercise regularly and drink alcohol admit to taking exercise or playing sport in order to 'make up' for having drunk a lot of alcohol in the previous few days.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:47:32

Barack Obama will attend the UN climate summit in Copenhagen next month, it has been confirmed. The US president will attend the talks in the Danish capital on December 9th but will leave shortly after to pick up his Nobel peace prize in Oslo. The crucial talks will attempt to agree on a framework for tackling climate change after 2012 when the current Kyoto protocol expires.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:47:13

An influential thinktank has called for fundamental reforms to the way in which the police service is governed. A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) out today claims that after years of investment resulting in little change and with public funding cuts on the horizon, now is the time to reorganise the ways in which police forces are run and held to account. While crime has fallen significantly over the last ten years, the thinktank alleges the majority of the progression has been due to favourable economic conditions rather than the result of police work.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:30:00

Pakistani prosecutors have charged seven men over last year's Mumbai terror attacks. The men are charged with planning and helping to execute the attacks on a series of iconic buildings in the Indian city which left over 170 people dead. The indictments came on the eve of the first anniversary of the attacks which occurs today.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:30:00