England's Road Network To Get £15bn Investment

Video: £15bn Road Build To Get UK Moving

More than 80 new road projects have been unveiled as part of a £15bn plan to improve English motorways and trunk routes over the next five years.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin called it "the biggest, boldest and most far-reaching roads programme for decades".

The schemes include a tunnel at the notorious bottleneck on the A303 at Stonehenge - welcomed as "truly momentous" by English Heritage.

Some £1.5bn would be spent on extra lanes on some motorways under the plans.

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1. Gallery: Road Map: Project Locations

   Some 84 new road projects have been revealed. Blue arrows indicate motorways, yellow show A-roads. Pic: Department of Transport

A map showing some of the main routes that will be improved

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Improvements to M25 junctions, the A27 in Sussex, approaches to Liverpool and the A1 in the North East are also part of the Road Investment Strategy, which was revealed ahead of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

David Cameron said the plans had "unstoppable momentum" regardless of who wins the election in May.

"We've managed the nation's finances carefully, the money is there in the budget - this will go ahead," he said.

"It makes sense to spend money on long-term investment, things that will make our economy grow faster and spread prosperity to every part of our country."

The projects include:

:: South West - £2bn dual carriageway for entire A303 and A358, including a tunnel at Stonehenge.

:: North East - £290m dual carriageway on A1 to Ellingham.

:: North West and Yorkshire - M62 from Manchester to Leeds will have lanes increased, and increased capacity on trans-Pennine routes between Manchester and Sheffield.

Video: PM: Roads Plan To Spread Prosperity

:: North West - links to Port of Liverpool improved.

:: South East - £350m improvement to A27 to tackle congestion at Arundel, Worthing and Lewes.

:: East - £300m to put in dual carriageway sections on A47 and improved connections to A1 and A11.

:: London and South East - A third of junctions on M25 to be improved.

:: Midlands - Improvements to M42 east of Birmingham, and improved connections to Birmingham airport, National Exhibition Centre, Enterprise Zone and High Speed 2 interchange station.

There would also be £100m of funding to improve cycling provision at 200 key locations, and a £300m environmental fund to combat carbon emission and reduce noise pollution.

But Labour dismissed the plan as a "re-announcement".

"The Government has 'announced' plans for road investment at least three times since 2013 and no additional money has been announced," said shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher.

Video: Autumn Statement: Generation Gap

"Barely a shovel has been used in anger on our nation's highways over the last four-and-a-half years."

There has also been an accusation that two-thirds of the improvements would come in Tory or Lib Dem areas.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg denied the locations had been selected for "short-term political reasons" and pointed to plans across Labour strongholds in the Pennines. 

He told Sky News: "You don't make decisions like this based on a political map, you make these decisions based on the economic map and the geographic layout of our county to make sure that all parts of our country are properly linked."

Motoring groups welcomed the proposals.

AA president Edmund King said: "We can no longer ignore the inadequate resources going into the mainstay of the UK transport system - our roads - which carry 86% of passenger journeys and more than 90% of freight.

"At long last the Government has recognised that we need a long-term coherent plan for our roads."

While also welcoming the plans, the RAC said the number of road users would leap from 36 million to 43 million over the next 20 years if current trends persist.

Video: 'It's About Renewing The Economy'

Its director, Professor Stephen Glaister, said the country faced "massive challenges in unclogging our urban areas".

Friends of the Earth believes the Government's road plan will make the problem worse, not better.

"Once again UK transport policy is heading in the wrong direction," said senior campaigner Jane Thomas.

"Tackling congestion by building or widening roads was discredited decades ago.

"Investment in transport is urgently needed, but the priority must be better trains, buses and cycling facilities, not an expensive road-building programme that will cause more traffic and air pollution and make it harder to tackle climate change."

:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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Cancer Doctor Jailed For Child Sex Attacks

A children's doctor who sexually abused 18 boys in his care has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Dr Myles Bradbury carried out examinations on children "purely for his own sexual gratification" and with no medical justification, Cambridge Crown Court heard.

The cancer specialist admitted 25 offences in September involving 18 boys aged 10 to 16 whom he had treated while working as a paediatric haematologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in the city.

The abuse included seven counts of sexual assault and 12 of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Bradbury admitted 25 offences involving 18 boys

Sentencing him, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: "For a doctor to attack children in this way is one of the worst forms of sexual abuse imaginable.

"These boys were all vulnerable and gravely ill. In all my years on the bench, I have never come across such a grotesque betrayal of your Hippocratic oath."

Video: Doctor 'Disgracefully Abused' Trust

The judge said Bradbury's sentence would be reduced because of his early guilty pleas, although "some might observe" that the weight of evidence meant he had little option but to admit the offences.

Victims' lawyer Renu Daly said the families were "relieved" that Bradbury had been given a lengthy jail term as it meant he would be unable to harm more children.

His victims included children with haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious illnesses, some of whom have since died.

Bradbury, a married 41-year-old father-of-one from Herringswell, Suffolk, would abuse the boys on occasions when "the parent was a curtain away".

He would also secretly film them using a camera pen, and more than 16,000 images were found on a disc at his home.

Bradbury was described as "a man of great charm and persuasiveness" whom everybody trusted.

When one victim raised concerns with his mother, she said: "He's a doctor, it must be necessary."

Prosecutor John Farmer said Bradbury had a "longstanding, unlawful, sexual interest in boys" and abused them "for his own personal gratification".

The Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England said it was "one of the worst" cases of a breach of trust it had ever prosecuted.

Bradbury's barrister, Angela Rafferty, said in mitigation that his guilty pleas had spared his victims the ordeal of having to give evidence.

Bradbury accepts that what he did was "repugnant", Ms Rafferty told the court.

The offences were carried out over four-and-a-half years from 2008.

Bradbury's crimes came to light in November 2013 after an 11-year-old told his grandmother about what had happened during a visit and how he had been told to keep it a secret.

Bradbury was suspended by Addenbrooke's before being arrested the following month.

Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of the Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, said: "Our thoughts today are with our patients and families who were victims of Bradbury's shocking and cynical abuse.

"Today's sentencing of Bradbury cannot undo the damage he caused but he is finally behind bars and is no longer a risk to vulnerable children.

"The lengthy sentence shows Bradbury's abhorrent betrayal and manipulation of his position as a doctor has been fully recognised."

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Brit On Trial For Girlfriend's Murder In Paris

By Peter Allen, in Paris

A British multimillionaire, who vanished after the death of his girlfriend in a five-star Paris hotel room and was later found living in a tent outside Macclesfield, has gone on trial in France for her murder.

Businessman Ian Griffin, 45, denies killing Kinga Legg, 36, whose battered body was found in a bath at the Bristol in the French capital in May 2009.

He has admitted hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on their £1000-a-night suite before disappearing in his Porsche 911 sports car.

Staff later found Ms Legg's body covered in bruises, with blood spattered on a mattress and walls.

A search was launched for Griffin and the following month he was found living in a tent in woodland outside the Cheshire market town.

Griffin arrives at the court in Paris

He was extradited to France in May 2011 and placed on remand, but was unexpectedly released from a high-security prison in Paris last March.

Griffin, who was placed on bail but has had his passport returned, said at the time: "I'm as astonished as anybody by what has happened now."

Speaking from a £2000-a-night suite at the George V Hotel, where he was staying with his new girlfriend, Tracy Baker, Griffin added: "Just a few days ago I was sharing a tiny cell with an alleged murderer, who killed with a shotgun.

"I could run away to anywhere in the world but I'm determined to stay in France to clear my name."

Griffin (C) with his girlfriend and his lawyer

Miss Baker, a 33-year-old who is expected to attend the trial at Paris Assizes, is forging on with her own career as an entrepreneur, appearing on Dragon's Den earlier this year.

It was on Saturday, 23 May 2009, that Griffin, checked into the Bristol Hotel, close to the British Embassy in central Paris.

Griffin, who is originally from Warrington, has said both he and Ms Legg were addicted to benzodiazepine, the tranquilliser linked with side effects including extreme violence and attempts by users to take their own lives.

Court hearings have revealed an extremely volatile relationship between Griffin and Ms Legg.

Ms Legg's body was found at the luxury Bristol Hotel in Paris

Referring to Griffin's behaviour on the evening of Ms Legg's death, a British court extradition judgement reads: "He claimed that he remembered nothing else that happened until he woke up the next morning to find her lying in bed.

"The room had been trashed and its contents broken. At first, he thought she was asleep, but he noticed blood around her mouth.

"He tried to wake her and put her into a hot bath and gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He realised that she was dead. He panicked and left.

"He left in his father's car but realised after a time that he could not drive safely, and so he called his parents to collect him from France. He remembered little else."

Griffin denies killing Ms Legg

Polish-born Ms Legg ran a successful firm exporting more than 300 million tomatoes a year from Poland to major companies such as McDonald's, Tesco and Carrefour.

Her company, Vegex, had a UK base in Oxshott, Surrey, where she and Griffin rented a £3m executive mansion.

The trial of Griffin, who faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty, is expected to last until Friday.

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Harry Reveals Secret To Beat Stigma Of HIV

Prince Harry has revealed he gets "incredibly nervous" before speaking in public and feels "anxious" going into rooms full of people.

The 30-year-old shared his secret on video with other celebrities to support a campaign for World AIDS Day.

The royal disclosure came as part of the #FeelNoShame campaign for the Sentebale charity he co-founded, which aims to raise awareness of the stigma and shame which prevents people with HIV from seeking support.

Celebrities including singers Nicole Scherzinger and Paloma Faith and former boxer Ricky Hatton are also taking part.

The campaign aims to end the stigma surrounding HIV

Prince Harry launched the campaign from the microsite FeelNoShame.Today and released a video sharing his own secret.

He said: "My secret is, believe  it or not, I get incredibly nervous before public speaking no matter how big the crowd or the audience.

Video: Harry Follows In Diana's Footsteps

"Despite the fact I laugh and joke all the time, I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious actually, before going into rooms full of people when I am wearing a suit.

"Now I have confessed that, I will probably be even more worried people are looking at me."

Earlier, he said: "Globally, HIV is the second highest cause of death amongst those aged between 10-19 years old, and it is the number one cause of death across Africa.

"One tragic issue in particular is the shame and stigma linked to HIV.

"This causes thousands of children to needlessly die each year because they're keeping their illness a secret and not getting the medical attention they need.

"Together, we can tackle the stigma surrounding HIV and give the young people carrying it the childhood they deserve. The childhood so many of us take for granted."

Cathy Ferrier, chief executive of Sentebale, said: "Too many children are not receiving the treatment and care they so desperately need due to the stigma attached to HIV.

"Today we will celebrate the sharing of secrets with #FeelNoShame, to help spread the word that eradicating the stigma surrounding HIV will help save the lives of many HIV-positive children."

Prince Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. The charity provides accommodation, food, access to medication and education for children in Lesotho - preventing the virus from spreading - as well as support to help them tackle the stigma of HIV.

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Student's 'Double Life' Among Spanish Elite

A 20-year-old Spanish law student who apparently passed himself off as a spy and gatecrashed the King's coronation is waiting to find out if he will be prosecuted.

Francisco Nicolas Gomez Iglesias, dubbed "Little Nicolas", is thought to have fooled dozens of Spain's elite by passing himself off as various government officials, including a secret service agent and an adviser to the deputy prime minister.

Mr Gomez was arrested in October on suspicion of fraud, forgery and impersonating government officials but was bailed while police investigated the case.

According to Spanish publication El Confidencial, Mr Gomez has been studying at one of Madrid's top universities but was also lunching with business executives and politicians, even joining them in the VIP box at Real Madrid's stadium.

Mr Gomez Iglesias shakes hands with King Felipe. Pic: IB3 TELEVISIO 1

Mercedes Perez, the judge overseeing the investigation, wrote in a report that she could not understand how "a young man of 20, using only his own word, could have access to government conferences, places and events without his behaviour causing any alarm".

Her report was also quoted as saying he received thousands of pounds from a businessman in return for brokering a property deal while claiming to be a government adviser.

Police became suspicious after he tried - but failed - to get into a party at the US embassy.

A search of his house found fake government vehicle permits, a police siren and two official Civil Guard and National Police licence plates, according to the New York Times.

Among the events he claims to have been invited to was King Felipe VI's coronation in June, which came after the abdication of King Juan Carlos.

Mr Gomez Iglesias (R) approaching King Felipe. Pic: IB3 TELEVISIO 1

The 20-year-old is seen shaking hands with the King at the event.

Mr Gomez has claimed he received text messages from King Juan Carlos, telling Spanish channel Telecinco: "The day of his abdication, I sent him a message and he replied 'Thanks a million, JC'."

It is not clear how Mr Gomez managed to carry out his alleged scam, as the Spanish government, the deputy prime minister, the country's intelligence organisation and the ruling PP party have all denied employing him.

Mr Gomez told Telecinco: "I only did what was best for Spain. I don't know if you want to call it ambition or co-operation but I am 20 years old and I was driven by the desire to collaborate with the state."

The case has caught the Spanish imagination, as photos and videos emerged online of him in the company of royalty and politicians and fake Twitter accounts joining in, posting photos of the student next to Darth Vader and walking beside Pope Francis.

He has been dubbed "Little Nicolas" by the Spanish press in reference to a French story about a naughty school boy.

A Facebook page dedicated to him has more than 37,000 fans.

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David Beckham's Car Pictured After Crash

Pictures from the scene of a car crash involving David Beckham and his 15-year-old son Brooklyn show how lucky they were to escape injury.

The pair were left "shaken" after being involved in the collision at London Colney in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

The images show extensive damage to the right hand side of Beckham's silver Audi.

The other vehicle's front bonnet is completely smashed in, with debris and glass from the crash spread across the road.

The driver of the Mitsubishi and her passenger were reportedly comforted by the former England footballer while they waited for the emergency services.

They were taken to hospital but were unhurt in the incident.

Beckham recovered enough to attend an awards ceremony on Sunday

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Beckham was turning right and mustn't have seen the other car, or realised how fast it was travelling.

"She smacked into the side of him. It's a miracle no one was seriously hurt. Beckham was massively apologetic."

The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder had been collecting Brooklyn, who was playing for Arsenal's under-16s against Brighton and Hove Albion, from the London club's training centre.

It is believed Beckham hurt his shoulder but he appeared to have recovered enough to accompany his wife Victoria to the Evening Standard Theatre Awards on Sunday night.

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UK's New Warships Will Be Built In Scotland

The UK's new warships will be built on the Clyde, it has been confirmed, after fears were raised over the possibility of the contract going abroad.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said there should be "no confusion" over where the new generation of Type 26 frigates will be constructed.

Mr Fallon was speaking on his first visit to Scotland after the head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas, suggested the £4bn contract could go abroad.

The issue of defence contracts was high on the agenda in the run-up to September's independence referendum.

Pro-Union politicians claimed Scotland's shipbuilding industry would be automatically precluded from future deals if it voted for independence.

Mr Fallon said he hoped to reveal more details next year. Pic: BAE Systems

The Scottish National Party said the First Sea Lord's comments showed voters had been betrayed.

Mr Fallon denied this on a visit to see how the building of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife was progressing.

He said: "British warships are built in British yards. This aircraft carrier has been built across six British yards in England and in Scotland.

"So far as the T-26 ships are concerned, it has always been envisaged that they will be built on the Clyde and I can confirm that today.

"It's a very complex new warship that's under design at the moment. We're obviously working towards announcing some of the long-lead items I hope early next year.

"We're not quite ready yet to announce it, but they are going to be built on the Clyde."

The visit came a day after a large protest against the Trident nuclear deterrent at Faslane naval base.

Mr Fallon denied it was time for a change of policy on the nuclear weapons system.

He said: "The nuclear deterrent keeps all of us safe in England, in Scotland, in Wales and Northern Ireland.

"We have the main decision to take in 2016 to renew Trident so that is a decision for the next Parliament, but successive governments have always reaffirmed their commitment to the nuclear deterrent and I'm in no doubt the next Parliament and the next government will do that too."

Mr Fallon said both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are on schedule.

He added: "This has been a huge investment in jobs in Scotland, not just at Rosyth but on the Clyde, where some of the bigger blocks were built, and that investment will continue."

It was revealed last month that two of the Royal Navy's Trafalgar-class submarines will be moved from Plymouth to the Clyde naval base.

HMS Talent and HMS Triumph will be at the Faslane base by 2020 - another step towards Clyde becoming the Royal Navy's Submarine Centre of Specialisation.

The move means the Scottish base will be home to all of the UK's submarines.

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Rewards For Sisters Who Beat Molesters On Bus

Two Indian sisters will be given cash awards from the state government after fighting back against three alleged molesters on a bus.

The young women were widely praised after footage of their actions was posted on YouTube.

Their fellow passengers, however, were criticised as they made no moves to help fend off the men. Some were even shown sniggering during the dispute.

Arti and Pooja Kumar, aged 22 and 19, were on the crowded bus in Haryana, a largely rural state that borders New Delhi, last week.

Using their belts and their hands they fought back against the men, who themselves retaliated.

Pooja Kumar told NDTV news channel in India that the men had "made obscene gestures, touched us and abused us".

She added: "We could not take it any more and started beating them.

"One of the men grabbed my sister's hand and the other held me by the neck. That is when my sister took out her belt and started beating them.

The girls used their belts to fend off the men

"We fought the assaulters all alone. No one came forward to help us as the youth hit us and even pushed us out of the moving bus."

The girls' father, Rajesh Kumar, a clerk in the state electricity department, said: "I am proud of them and expect other girls to follow them in the future."

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto added her voice to the praise for the sisters, tweeting: "Go brave girls! #girlrising and wake up bystanders! Its shameful, the only one who intervened was a pregnant woman!"

The Haryana government has said it will honour the girls' brave actions on Republic Day.

Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar announced a cash reward for the women of 31,000 rupees (£317) each, saying he hoped the publicity would sensitise others to the issue.

India has a poor record of sexual harassment, with perhaps the worst example being the gang rape of a 23-year-old female student on a bus in 2012.

She later died, sparking outrage, street protests and soul-searching among India's leaders about the country's treatment of women.

The three men who allegedly molested the two sisters have been arrested.

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Republican Aide In Obama Daughters Rant Quits

A Republican staffer who bitterly criticised President Barack Obama's teenage daughters has resigned under mounting pressure, US media say.

Ms Lauten, the communications director for Republican Congressman Stephen Lee Fincher, criticised the girls' demeanour and attire during an appearance last week.

The comments caused a storm on social media in defence of Sasha, 13, and Malia, 16, and calls grew for her to step down.

Ms Lauten told NBC News on Monday that her resignation is already "in the works".

The original post was deleted, but it was widely shared on Twitter

The two teenagers appeared last Wednesday at Mr Obama's annual turkey-pardoning event.

They looked bored at times, some commentators noted, but to Ms Lauten they showed lack of respect and were dressed for a bar.

Video: Obama Pardons Thanksgiving Turkey

"Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you're both in those awful teen years, but you're part of the First Family, try showing a little class," Ms Lauten wrote in a since-deleted post that was widely shared on Twitter.

"At least respect the part you play," she went on.

At another point she wrote: "Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar."

Ms Lauten has since tried to make amends, though her apology has not been well received either, with the Washington Post calling it "half-hearted".

A petition on change.org that calls for Elizabeth Lauten's immediate dismissal has garnered more than 3,300 signatures, and counting.

A FIRE Elizabeth Lauten Facebook page has also drawn the attention of social media users, with 1,600 likes.

More follows...

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Five Terror Arrests In Dover And London

Five men have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism in Dover and East London.

The arrests came after armed police officers stopped a vehicle at Dover port as it attempted to leave the UK.

Two men, aged 33 and 43, were arrested in Dover at 11.30pm on Sunday night by Scotland Yard anti-terror officers with support from Kent Police, while a 28-year-old man was arrested at the same port on Monday morning.

Under the same operation, two men aged 24 and 40, were arrested in East London.

All five are being held on suspicion of involvement in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

A 37-year-old man was also arrested in Dover on suspicion of people trafficking offences, while 12 men and one woman who were stopped in the same vehicle were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

More follows...

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