BBC Crisis: Entwistle 'Wanted Even More Cash'

Former BBC boss George Entwistle wanted more than £450,000 as a pay-off when he quit in the wake of the Savile and Lord McAlpine scandals, Lord Patten has revealed.

The BBC Trust chairman told MPs the outgoing director-general had demanded more than a year's salary when he walked away after just 54 days in charge.

There had already been incredulity that the corporation paid Mr Entwistle a year's salary and a string of other benefits when he was only contractually entitled to six months.

But appearing before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Lord Patten said he had tried to negotiate an even better package.

The peer repeated several times that the executive had wanted £450,000 "and more" but denied it was two years' or 18 months' salary and refused to give any further details.

And despite saying he wished Mr Entwistle had stuck to the £225,000 he was due under his contract, he defended him as a "decent man" who did not deserve to be "demolished".

Acting director-general Tim Davie and Lord Patten in the committee room

The director-general finally resigned after the BBC was forced to pay £185,000 to Lord McAlpine after a Newsnight investigation wrongly implicated him in a child abuse scandal.

He had already come under fire for his handling of the Jimmy Savile revelations and furore over the decision by Newsnight to axe its investigation into the Jim'll Fix It star.

It emerged last week that he walked away with his £450,000 year's salary, a year's private healthcare and tens of thousands of pounds for legal advice and to help handle the press.

Much of the committee session, where acting director-general Tim Davie also gave evidence, was devoted to the pay-off and Lord Patten's role.

Described his conversation with Mr Entwistle before he stepped down, he told MPs he had said: "We are not urging you to go but we are not urging you to stay."

Lord Patten said that "absolutely and unequivocally" there had been no political pressure to get Mr Entwistle out of the job.

The executive had wanted to leave by "consensual termination" but wanted his pay for "12 months or more", the committee was told.

Lawyers had told Lord Patten that the BBC would be risking paying an extra £80,000 if they did not strike a deal, because of the likelihood of a constructive or unfair dismissal claim.

He said: "£450,000 is one hell of a lot of money. The idea that I did not understand how politically difficult it would be suggests a degree of political innocence on my part which I have to tell you does not exist but the options I had were absolutely clear.

"We either had to deal with it quickly there and then, broadly speaking on the terms of 12 months, - though that was less than we were asking for - or we had to go to constructive dismissal and constructive dismissal would have landed us with exactly the same amount of money, plus almost certainly another £80,000 of unfair dismissal."

He added that he had made sure the figure was "defensible" when he was taking advice from law firm Baker & McKenzie.

"Their agreement was not only is it defensible but it is better than any other course of action, unless we wanted the BBC to drift on without somebody at the top," he said.

MPs heard the money is not due to be paid until December and that the deal includes a "claw back" if the inquiries currently under way reveal any wrongdoing.

Nevertheless, Lord Patten said: "I do wish that his lawyers had counselled him strongly to accept £225,000, of course I do, because I think he does not deserve the damage to his reputation."

He distanced himself from the decision to appoint Mr Entwistle in the first place after a recruitment process that cost £186,000, stressing that it was a decision taken by the Trust as a whole.

"Pretty much everyone said at the time it was a very good choice," he said. "I think he was completely overwhelmed by Savile and all that came after it."

Both Lord Patten and Mr Davie were scathing about the botched Newsnight investigation into Lord McAlpine, branding it "shoddy" journalism and an "appalling editorial judgment".

The Pollard Review into the shelved Newsnight report on Savile is due next month but a second review into the wider culture at the BBC could take much longer.

Lord Patten said the BBC and licence fee-payers will have to "bear the costs" of the inquiries in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, "however much they are".

Legal costs in relation to the Pollard Review alone have already hit £200,000, the committee was told.

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Mexico: Beauty Queen Dies In Gang Gunfight

A Mexican beauty queen has been killed in a gunfight between soldiers and a suspected gang she was travelling with.

Authorities suspect that 22-year-old Maria Susana Flores Gamez, who was the Woman of Sinaloa 2012, was part of the gang and may have fired a gun in Saturday's violence.

An AK-47 assault rifle was found next to her body in the group's car.

"She was in the criminal group that clashed with army service members," Sinaloa state prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera Gomez told a news conference.

He said a forensics test was positive for gunshot residue on her body, suggesting she fired a weapon.

Two men and two women, including Ms Gamez, and a soldier died in the gun battle in the municipality of Mocorito.

The army seized seven AK-47s, a grenade launcher, two grenades, a 40mm-calibre rifle, a handgun and around 1,000 cartridges.

Mexican media say the woman, who participated in the Miss Oriental Tourism pageant in China in May, was travelling with her boyfriend, a suspected hitman, when the shootout erupted. The boyfriend also died.

The armed group is linked to Orso Ivan Gastelum, the suspected leader of a group of hitmen working for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel.

Families and friends held a funeral in the state capital of Culiacan on Sunday, covering Ms Gamez in a veil amid a heavy military presence.

On its Facebook page, the organisers of the Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa pageant voiced their "deepest condolences" for the death of Ms Gamez, who was a "charming and happy young woman with a great future".

Ms Gamez is not the first state beauty queen to be embroiled in a gang-related incident.

In December 2008, Laura Zuniga, the winner of the Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa pageant that year, was arrested in the western state of Jalisco along with seven suspected Juarez cartel members.

More than 60,000 people have died in drug-related violence across Mexico since President Felipe Calderon, whose six-year term ends on Saturday, launched a military offensive against cartels in 2006.

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Two And A Half Men Star Says Show Is 'Filth'

A teenage actor on Two And A Half Men has criticised the hit US television show, calling it "filth" and urging viewers not to watch it.

Angus T Jones, 19, made the comments in a recording in his production trailer.

He reportedly earns $350,000 (£218,000) an episode playing the character Jake in the show, which now stars Ashton Kutcher.

Charlie Sheen was fired last year after he criticised its producers in a series of bizarre media appearances.

Jones' video was posted by US Christian website Forerunner Chronicles on YouTube on Monday.

In it, the actor, who has been in the show since he was 10, said: "Jake from Two And A Half Men means nothing. He is a non-existent character.

"If you watch Two And A Half Men, please stop watching Two And A Half Men. I'm on Two And A Half Men, and I don't want to be on it.

"Please stop watching it. Stop filling your head with filth. Please. People say it's just entertainment.

"Do some research on the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you you'll have a decision to make when it comes to television, and especially with what you watch."

In an apparent reference to Satan, Jones said in the video: "A lot of people don't like to think about how deceptive the enemy is. He's been doing this for a lot longer than any of us have been around.

"There's no playing around when it comes to eternity."

Warner Bros, which produces the show along with CBS, has declined to comment.

Two And A Half Men is the third most popular comedy on US television with an average audience of 14.5 million per episode.

The Forerunner Chronicles' MySpace page says it is "dedicated to proclaiming the TRUTH that you need to know".

"Jesus Christ is our General," it goes on. "He gives the orders ... we put in the work! No questions asked."

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Facebook: False Copyright Warning Goes Viral

Facebook has insisted that its users keep full copyright of their photos and videos after a hoax warning went viral.

Tens of thousands of people are now thought to have copy-and-pasted a statement onto their timeline, asserting full copyright over their posted content.

The viral post reads: "Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are recommended to publish a notice like this, or if you prefer, you may copy and paste this version.

"If you do not publish a statement at least once, you will be tacitly allowing the use of elements such as your photos, as well as the information contained in your profile status updates."

Users then attach a 50-word statement saying: "In response to the new Facebook guidelines, I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention). For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!"

But Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said its users had nothing to worry about.

"We have noticed some statements that suggest otherwise and we wanted to take a moment to remind you of the facts - when you post things like photos to Facebook, we do not own them," he said.

"Under our terms, you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute, and share the things you post, subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings."

Facebook's frequently asked questions section also specifically addresses the point of law.

It says: "Yes, you retain the copyright to your content. When you upload your content, you grant us a licence to use and display that content."

While copyright fears appear to be unfounded, Facebook does collect large amounts of data about its users.

It knows when you look at another person's timeline, send or receive a message, and the time, date and place where your photos were taken.

If you log on or post from a smartphone it can pinpoint where you are, while if you access the site from a computer it records the IP address you are using.

All of this can be released as a result of a valid court order in the UK, or a subpoena in the United States, as part of a civil or criminal investigation.

Facebook says it "stores data for as long as it is necessary to provide products and services to you and others".

This means that most information associated with an account will be kept until the account is deleted.

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Man Who Raped Girl, Four, Jailed Indefinitely

A 21-year-old man has been jailed indefinitely after admitting he raped a girl aged four.

Liam Ineson, of Lancaster, subjected his victim to a six-month "campaign of abuse", police said, targeting her on a number of occasions earlier this year.

He was given an indeterminate sentence after pleading guilty to rape and sexual activity with a child.

Ineson, of Ryelands Road, will serve nearly six years before his sentence is reviewed.

Detective sergeant Simon Coates, of Lancaster police, said: "Ineson preyed on a young girl and then tried to make her keep the abuse a secret.

"He is a dangerous individual and the indeterminate sentence means he should not be released from prison until experts are satisfied that he no longer poses a threat to our community."

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Nadine Dorries Has To Wait For Whip Ruling

Nadine Dorries has been put on probation by the Tories after returning from her stint in I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!

The Mid-Bedfordshire MP has been warned her suspension from the party will not be lifted until she can prove she has built bridges with her constituents and fellow MPs.

Ms Dorries expressed confidence that she would soon be back on the Tory benches - but party sources made clear she is "very much in limbo".

The MP was suspended when it emerged she was heading to the jungle in Australia to participate in the ITV reality show, despite Parliament being in session.

She insisted it was an opportunity to reach out and connect with the public but was the first contestant to be kicked off the programme.

Ms Dorries hears she is the first celebrity to be booted off (Pic: ITV)

The MP was summoned to meet with Tory Chief Whip Sir George Young on Tuesday morning after flying back to the UK to face the music.

After the meeting, a spokesman for Sir George said: "The whip has not been restored and nor will it be until she proves that she can rebuild bridges with her constituents, her association and her parliamentary colleagues."

However, a cheerful Ms Dorries insisted: "I think we will be fine" and described the talks as "very good-natured" and "very happy".

"We have adjourned the meeting and we are reconvening this time next week, if not before," she added.

The MP after her first bushtucker trial (Pic: ITV)

She also stressed that she wanted to stay in Parliament.

"Of course I want to be an MP. An MP is not doing a job, it is a life choice. If I didn't want to make that life choice, I wouldn't be doing it, I can assure you," she said.

The outspoken backbencher claimed she still had a "huge amount of support" in her constituency and had returned to more than 700 emails which were "very complimentary".

She denied that she was trying to cultivate an alternative career in television, saying that she had been trying to find new ways of engaging with the public.

"I have gone to a place where 12 million people go and engaged with them at their level," she said.

"I don't want a television career. I do want a platform which engages with the public on a different level from that which Westminster offers."

The MP also claimed that she still did not know how much she was being paid by ITV for her appearance on the show, amid reports of a £40,000 fee.

Ms Dorries has been fighting ever since she emerged from the jungle, arguing that former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell had given her permission to take time off.

Mr Mitchell told Sky News that he had not given her the go-ahead to be away in November and that the first he knew of it was when publicity around the show began.

Ms Dorries claims that she has only missed three sitting days in Parliament, with the rest falling over half-term.

On Monday night, she described the furore as "slightly hysterical" and said the show had done wonders for her profile, calling herself the "best-known MP in Britain".

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Bondi Beach Closed By Red Algae Bloom

A rare phenomenon called red algae bloom has briefly closed Sydney's Bondi Beach to swimmers as the crimson tide came close to shore.

Also closed was the nearby Clovelly Beach while authorities conducted tests on the area in and around the Tasman Sea.

Swimmers were immediately advised to steer clear of the moving algae due to potentially harmful reactions.

Also known as noctiluca scintillans or sea sparkle, the algae has not been proven to have toxic effects for humans - but people have been advised to avoid contact as it is high in ammonia which can cause skin irritation.

"It has got quite a fishy smell to it," local lifeguard Bruce Hopkins told the Australian Associated Press. "It can irritate some people's skin but generally not much more than that."

The closure of the beach will be a disappointment for the locals, British tourists and expats who are basking in Australia's summer temperatures of up to 40C.

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Bill Tarmey Funeral: Corrie Says Goodbye

Coronation Street stars have gathered in Manchester to pay their respects to the actor Bill Tarmey, who played Jack Duckworth in the long-running soap.

Tarmey, 71, became one of TV's most recognisable faces as the long-suffering husband to nagging battleaxe Vera, played by Liz Dawn.

The ceremony at the Albion United Reformed Church in Ashton-under-Lyne was attended by a host of the actor's former co-stars including Julie Goodyear, William Roache and Kevin Kennedy.

Moving readings and tributes were given by his granddaughter, grandson and Coronation Street co-stars Nigel Pivaro, who plays his son Terry and Samia Ghadie , who plays Maria O'Connor.

Ghadie described Bill as "devoted to his family" and said he had been a "surrogate father" to her during her first months on the soap.

"He was genuinely one of the most decent and honourable men you could ever wish to meet, " she said.

"Jack and Vera were a truly unforgettable and formidable partnership, and I doubt we'll ever see that again. They were simply iconic and Jack Duckworth will forever be a true Coronation Street legend.

Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn in character

"On behalf of everyone who works at Coronation Street and has worked on the programme during its 52 years, and the loyal viewers who have followed the programme throughout these years - Bill, we salute you."

Tarmey worked as a singer in local nightclubs before landing his role on the Street in 1979.

During the funeral service a recording of his track The Wind Beneath My Wings was played whilst a montage charting his career and life was screened throughout the church, leaving much of the congregation in tears.

Tarmey was one of the show's best-loved actors and it was his chemistry and rapport with his on-screen wife that provided some of the most memorable and funny moments in the soap.

Speaking during the ceremony Pivaro questioned why Jack Duckworth was beloved by millions across the world.

He was "a workshy ne'er do well, a layabout and they were just his good points", he said.

Tarmey and Dawn in one of their final scenes together

But the actor added "there is a bit of Jack Duckworth in all of us men, frustration and thwarted ambition, you know the rest".

He continued: "Behind the character was the man. Bill's huge generosity of spirit, his warmth, his wit, his patience, his wisdom."

The service was relayed on loudspeakers for several hundred fans of the show who gathered outside.

The former builder was married to his childhood sweetheart Alison for 50 years and they had two children Carl and Sara.

A life-long smoker, Bill suffered with persistent heart problems, but it was the ill health of his son that forced him to quit the soap in 2010 to help care for him, whilst he battled a brain tumour.

The actor died earlier this month while at his holiday home in Tenerife.

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Flood Water Levels Rise: Hundreds Flee Homes

Rain-battered Britain is struggling to cope with rising flood levels after further heavy rain brought misery to thousands of residents and motorists across the UK.

Householders have already evacuated over 900 properties after deluges left many properties uninhabitable and caused road and rail chaos.

Hundreds of people were urged to flee their homes after the River Elwy reached record levels and surged through flood defences into the beleaguered city of St Asaph in North Wales.

The torrential downpours spread overnight from the South West to North Wales and northern England, leading to the Environment Agency issuing about 180 flood warnings and more than 200 flood alerts across the UK.

Residents in St Asaph say they do not remember the area flooding so badly since the 1960s. Some have used canoes to salvage as many possessions as they could carry.

Tina Bailey and her family are rescued in Maisemore, Gloucestershire

Police have said the body of an elderly woman has been recovered from a flooded property in the town, though there are no suspicious circumstances and the death is currently being treated as unexplained.

Resident Vincent Jones was asked to leave his home in the early hours of the morning. He said: "I had a knock at 12.30am to say there was an imminent flood, and then at 4.30am we were told to leave.

"When I left, within an hour the water had engulfed us. I put some personal possessions upstairs and made sure we took the children to safety. My sister-in-law on the other side of St Asaph has taken the kids in.

"I'm absolutely devastated. I don't have insurance. It doesn't bear thinking about at the minute. My kids are safe, we'll just have to plod on and sort it out one way or another."

The Environment Agency says that flood defences in St Asaph which were designed to cope with up to 4m (13ft) of water, appear to be holding.

Hotel owner Charlie Ryan and his dog leave their home in St Asaph

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has expressed sympathy with residents but said most of the flood defences around the UK had held up well.

"We offer our sympathies to all those affected. I did see that our flood schemes in the South West are protecting properties. Six thousand key properties were protected in Exeter despite a torrent of water. Fifteen thousand properties in the country are being protected.

"We're spending £2.17bn on flood defences over this spending round. We've opened up new arrangement partnerships with local councils and these flood schemes provide real benefits.

"It's bitterly disappointing and awful for residences who feel safe behind defences which then fail. I can't comment on what's happened in St Asaph because I need to get the details of what's happened there.

"The vast majority of the schemes we've built are designed to withstand floods except under extraordinary circumstances."

Firemen filled sandbags to deliver to residents in North Wales

But Mr Paterson added that the current system for insuring people against floods is flawed, after claims that hundreds of thousands of homes could be left without flood cover due to a row between ministers and the insurance industry over how future flooding bills would be covered.

He also criticised the way insurance companies have raised the issue.

"We're trying to come up with an improved system that gives affordable and universal insurance which isn't a huge burden on the taxpayer.

"We've been involved in detailed negotiations with the Association of British Insurers (ABI), but it was unhelpful of them to throw this into the mix yesterday when people were still struggling to recover from the flooding."

The ABI had claimed that talks about a "safety net" deal to ensure those in flood-risk areas can continue to afford their policies were at "crisis point".

Graeme Trudgill from the British Insurance Brokers' Association said the solution could lie in insurers themselves being insured.

Residents of St Asaph wade to safety

"The insurance brokers we represent want to find a solution. It's a question of getting government and insurers to find the right balance.

"Flood mapping technology is so advanced now we can tell which properties are at risk of flooding and we can insure 98% of the properties in the UK. It's the top 200,000 properties that are very high risk.

"Specialist brokers can insure most of them but it's a case of those properties working with their broker and agreeing to things like air-brick covers on their homes so they're prepared if the worst happens.

"We're looking at a re-insurance solution to provide insurance for the insurance companies. We're confident that next year there will be some broker solutions in place.

Flood levels are continuing to rise in the worst hit areas across the UK despite the forecast of drier spells.

Sky's weather presenter Isobel Lang, said: "Drier weather is on the way. That is definitely welcome news after the exceptional rain of the last few days. However the flood risk will not go away.

A resident collects her belongings in Willington, central England

"Some slow responding rivers such as the Severn, Trent and Thames will continue to rise over the next day or two leading to local flooding problems.

"Areas with high ground water could still experience flooding, and Dorset is a county at risk. There is still a risk of river or surface water flooding across northeast England, north Wales and Northamptonshire, too".

Across the UK, three people have died in the flooding and around 900 homes have been evacuated following a weekend of almost non-stop rain.

There is still a risk of flooding, as the heavy rain in northern England and Wales moves southwards. But the wind and rain are expected to ease over the next few days which are expected to be drier, with freezing temperatures taking hold of the UK instead.

The EA remains particularly concerned about the River Thames, Trent and the Severn, as well as the Northamptonshire area.

The A417 at Maisemore has already flooded and is closed, while the River Severn at Tewkesbury is expected to peak at 4.8m - a metre less than its peak in 2007.

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Ofsted: Postcode Lottery For Good Schools

More than two million children are still not getting a decent education, and a youngster's chance of attending a good school is often too dependent on where they live, Ofsted has warned.

There are stark inequalities in England's education system, with pupils in some areas of the country facing a less than 50% chance of being taught at a good or better school, the inspectorate said.

In his first annual report, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said that for a country which wants to be a global leader, England's schools system is not good enough and must do better.

He also announced the launch of an online league table, ranking local authorities according to inspectors' ratings of schools.

The report shows that there have been improvements in the last few years, with 70% of schools now rated good or outstanding compared to 64% five years ago.

An extra half a million pupils are now being in taught in good or better schools, it says.

But it also means that almost 2.3 million children are still attending a "small minority" of schools that are less than good.

Sir Michael Wilshaw has criticised school standards in his report

In his commentary on the report, Sir Michael said he "worries most about the 30% or so of schools which, at their last inspection, and often before that, were judged to be no better than satisfactory".

In these schools, lessons are often "formulaic", he said, with students that are not fully interested, or being stretched to reach their full potential.

He suggested that in most assessments, a rating of seven out of 10, or 70% could be seen as "fair but could do better".

The new report warns that the overall rise in the performance of England's schools masks real challenges for the education system.

It raises serious concerns about the "marked inequality of access" to a good school across the country.

A primary school pupil in England has, on average, a 69% chance of being in a good or outstanding school, it says, but in some parts of the country, a child has a better than 90% chance, and in others a less than 50% chance.

"Why is it that a child living in Derby or Doncaster local authority areas has only half the chance of attending a good or better primary or secondary school compared with a child living in Wigan or Darlington?" said Sir Michael.

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