Mahatma Gandhi Statue Unveiled In London

A bronze statue of the Indian civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi has been unveiled in central London.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the sculpture is a "magnificent tribute" to one of the "most towering figures" in history.

The privately-funded work by Philip Jackson, who has made statues of the Queen Mother and the Bomber Command memorial, shows Mr Gandhi dressed in a shawl and traditional dhoti skirt, with his hands clasped.

It is inspired by photographs of him at 10 Downing Street during a visit in 1931.

Mahatma Gandhi during a visit to London in 1931

The statue was unveiled in Parliament Square by Indian finance minister Shri Arun Jaitley in a ceremony that included a personal tribute from Mr Gandhi's grandson, the former governor of West Bengal, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

A band played Indian classical music on sitars, Indian flags adorned the square, and schoolchildren stood in the crowd to watch.

Video: Gandhi 'An Inspiration To Millions'

The PM said: "This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square we are giving him an eternal home in our country.

"Many of his teachings remain as potent today as when he first made them.

"'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others' and 'be the change that you want to see in the world' remain timeless, profound and inspiring words of wisdom."

The ceremony is part of events in Britain to mark the 100th anniversary of Mr Gandhi's return to India from South Africa to start the nation's struggle for independence, which was eventually gained in 1947.

The statue was announced in July by Chancellor George Osborne and former foreign secretary William Hague during a visit to the site of Mr Gandhi's assassination in New Delhi.

The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised £1m of donations in six months for the project, including £100,000 from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

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Clarkson Hints At Possible Top Gear Exit

Jeremy Clarkson has hinted he may be ready to leave Top Gear after being suspended over a bust-up with a producer.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper he appeared to refer to himself as a "dinosaur", explaining that "the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters". 

He wrote: "Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no-one mourns their passing.

"These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."

Video: Family: We Saw Clarkson's Abuse

Clarkson, 54, has been suspended over a row in which he allegedly tried to hit a producer, named in reports as Oisin Tymon. 

A petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated has reached more than 840,000 signatures.

But the controversial presenter wrote: "You can start as many campaigns as you like and call on the support of politicians from all sides, but the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters, and move on. 

"We lose one animal and get another. The world turns."

He goes on to say: "As you may have heard, I've been suspended by the BBC following a fracas at a North Yorkshire hotel.

Video: 'I'm Off To The Job Centre'

"I don't intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I'm sure you're as fed up with the story as I am.

"One of the things which has cheered me is how many people have expressed support in the last few days. I'm touched and grateful."

Clarkson is being summoned to appear before a BBC disciplinary panel that will decide his fate.

The panel will be chaired by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland who conducted the investigation into Newsnight's false expose of Lord McAlpine.

The corporation has not revealed when or where the hearing will take place.

Video: Clarkson Is TV's Kevin Pietersen

:: Read Sky News' interview with a family who say Clarkson launched into an expletive-ridden rant at the producer.

According to reports, he lashed out because he was unable to order a steak at the Simonstone Hall Hotel near Hawes, North Yorkshire, where the production team were staying.

The Sun and Daily Mirror said the hotel's chef had gone home by the time they arrived and they were only offered cold meat platters, although Clarkson had ordered a £21.95 steak.

The papers quoted a source who claimed Clarkson blamed Mr Tymon for not arranging hot food and said there had been a "scuffle".

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Battersea Arts Centre Fire Damage Photos Emerge

Photos have emerged showing the devastation caused by a fire that ripped through an arts centre in south London.

Firefighters are continuing to investigate what caused the blaze at Battersea Arts Centre on Friday, which is thought to have started in the roof of the Grade II listed building.

Devastated residents could be seen crying in the street as around 80 firefighters battled to control the flames, which sent smoke that would be seen for miles billowing into the sky.

No one was injured in the blaze, which affected the building's Grand Hall and its roof.

Smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles. Pic: London Fire Brigade

Firefighters say they managed to save half of the centre.

Station Manager Matt Burrows, who visited the scene on Saturday, said: "Firefighters did a great job to save large parts of the building including the octagonal dome, which I'm told is priceless, and salvaged valuable art work.

Video: Major Fire Hits London Arts Centre

"The centre are hopeful that they will be able to open unaffected areas of the building to the public today.

"We'll continue to damp down and our fire investigators are inspecting the building to find the cause."

David Jubb, the centre's artistic director and CEO, said: "The organisation and the front half of the building live to fight another day. We start now."

He thanked the emergency services for saving the building, and said today is the start of the "next chapter" for the centre.

Mr Jubb said: "We want to get the shows back on and rebuild the building brick by brick.

"Huge thanks to the National Funding Scheme who set up a donate page on their site to raise funds.

"This is incredibly important - at the moment we have no offices, no Grand Hall theatre, and we have to re-establish a new financial model for the next 12 months.

"So your support - at whatever level - is so valuable."

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More Funds Urged For Struggling New Mums

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

A letter has been sent to the Chancellor urging him to allocate funds in the Budget to support women struggling to cope before and after the birth of a baby.

More than one in 10 women suffer from ante or post-natal depression.

But research by the parenting charity NCT has found that only 26% of NHS trusts offer them any specialist mental health support.

Now 29 organisations have signed the NCT's letter to George Osborne on the weekend of Mother's Day calling for that to change.

The organisations include The Royal College of Midwives, the Mental Health Foundation and Netmums.

Video: Half Of Mums 'Not Getting Advice'

Elizabeth Duff, senior adviser at NCT, said: "One of the things mothers really need is better services when they are suffering poor mental health around having their baby.

"So that's what we're asking Osborne to do - make sure there are services for those women."

Marianne Ryan, from Peterborough, struggled after her daughter Jessica was born with a genetic condition that affected her breathing and feeding.

She was given anti-depressants but had to wait 10 months for counselling.

And it was no better when she became pregnant with Edward, now five months old.

Video: Depressed Mums-To-Be Support Call

"I felt let down," she said.

"Nobody asked me how I was feeling during the pregnancy and when I asked about counselling they said it was not available.

"I could apply for it, but it would take a long time so there wasn't much point. It took quite a lot for me to admit it first time around.

"I felt quite ashamed so I was quite brave doing it again - but there was no help and you feel ashamed again and go home and get on with it."

Last year the Government allocated extra funding for mental health services.

Video: Pressured Mums 'Suffer In Silence'

But the organisations behind the letter say money must be specifically allocated to help mothers.

The letter states: "More than one in 10 mothers in the UK experiences some form of ante-natal or post-natal depression, yet despite the prevalence of this condition and the current political focus on parity of esteem between mental and physical health, there are still huge gaps in the services available.

"A commitment in the Budget to dedicated funds for treating perinatal mental health problems would help to reduce financial burden by ensuring the health service is better equipped."

Of the quarter of trusts which do provide some kind of support, half have just one member of staff to do the work.

Marianne is delighted that action is being taken.

Video: Doing Motherhood For Themselves

"I think the letter is brilliant," she said. But she added: "I think it's a shame that it has to be done because it's pretty obvious that's what women need."

A Government spokesperson said: "It is vital that pregnant women and new mothers with mental health problems get the specialist care they need.

"This is why we have employed more than 2,300 more midwives and an extra 3,100 health visitors since 2010 to provide personalised care and support to women during pregnancy and the perinatal period.

"We are also ensuring that every birthing unit has trained specialist mental health staff available to support pregnant women and new mums by 2017."

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New Footage 'Of British IS Schoolgirls'

Footage has emerged apparently showing three British schoolgirls in Turkey, before they fled to Syria to join IS militants.

Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana all seem to appear in the footage and are talking to an Arab interpreter about a Syrian passport.

It is believed the footage was filmed by an individual arrested by Turkish officials yesterday and accused of being a "spy" from Canada.

The film was confiscated from the man after the girls were helped across the border into Syria to join militants, sources in Turkey said.

Sky's Ashish Joshi said it was unclear where or when the film was taken, though it is believed to be somewhere in Turkey.

Video: Agent Who Helped Missing Girls Held

"By releasing this footage, by holding it up, Turkey is saying to the rest of the world 'we are doing everything we can to stop people travelling through our country to join IS'," said Joshi.

Yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the person who helped the girls cross into Syria as a "foreign spy".

He said that the individual was working for one of the states in the US-led coalition.

Mr Cavusoglu said the agent was not American, or from an EU state, but did not elaborate.

Video: Girls' Journey From London To Syria

Other reports said the suspect was working for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

However, Canadian government sources said they would not comment on "operational matters of national security".

The three schoolgirls flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".

The girls, who all attended Bethnal Green Academy in East London, are believed to be staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold Raqqa.

Video: Girls 'Pictured On Way To Syria'

The teenagers are thought to have stolen family jewellery to fund their trip, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley told MPs.

They paid more than £1,000 in cash to a travel agent for their flights to Turkey, the Home Affairs Select Committee heard.

It also emerged the trio were among seven schoolgirls who were handed letters by the police about another 15-year-old from Bethnal Green Academy who ran away to Syria in December.

Relatives of the girls have demanded an apology from the Met for failing to send the crucial letter directly to their parents.

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Nigel Farage: The NHS 'Almost Killed Me'

Nigel Farage has claimed "incompetence and negligence" by NHS doctors almost killed him when he was suffering from testicular cancer.

The UKIP leader criticised the "over-stretched" system's record for diagnosing ailments quickly and accurately - and urged voters to take private healthcare if they can afford it.

He wrote in his memoirs: "In the NHS, the system is so battered and poorly run that unless you are really lucky, you will fall through the cracks."

After falling unwell in 1986, NHS medics thought that pain and swelling in the politician's left testicle was an infection, and he was given antibiotics.

Mr Farage was only informed that he actually had a tumour after beginning private treatment, and he has since told of being "terrified" at the prospect that secondary tumours had emerged in his stomach and lungs.

Despite the misdiagnosis, the 51-year-old conceded that the National Health Service has saved his life twice, and praised it for being "astonishingly good" at emergency critical care.

Pre-empting a backlash from his rivals, Mr Farage added: "I've seen the best and worst of the NHS. I am better qualified to criticise and defend our health care system than most politicians."

Mr Farage also revealed that he could choose to be registered as disabled if he wished, after other incidents - including a plane crash and a car accident - "left him with the body of a 70-year-old".

He added: "Having nearly died three times has made me a much bigger risk-taker. When you think your life is about to be taken away and you are given it back, you just want to get on and do things.

"There's no time to waste: children to bring up, elections to win, pheasants to pluck, wine to drink."

The UKIP leader's intimate description of his three brushes with death was made in his new book The Purple Revolution, which is being serialised in The Daily Telegraph.

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May: Child Abuse Cases Are 'Tip Of The Iceberg'

Allegations of sex abuse within the institutions meant to protect vulnerable children are "only the tip of the iceberg", Theresa May has claimed.

The Home Secretary believes such abuse is "woven, covertly, into the fabric of our society" - with survivors claiming the exploitation runs through every level of society like "a stick of Blackpool rock".

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mrs May added it was a "new beginning" for the independent inquiry into child sex abuse, and conceded the investigation got off to a difficult start.

She wrote: "We already know the trail will lead into our schools and hospitals, our churches, our youth clubs and many other institutions that should have been places of safety but instead became the setting for the most appalling abuse.

"However, what the country doesn't yet appreciate is the true scale of that abuse."

Video: Downing Street Abuse Summit

Mrs May also insisted that the inquiry was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" that would enable the country to learn lessons for the future by addressing the wrongs of the past.

She wrote: "The victims and survivors who have had the courage to speak out are clear that they have done so for one common reason - to save the next generation of children from the abuse they suffered.

"That is what this inquiry is for. Where there has been a failure to protect children from abuse, we will expose it and we will learn from it."

Video: Rochdale: Police Admit Failings

Justice Lowell Goddard is chairing the four-person panel, which was established in the wake of several child sex abuse scandals.

They include the crimes committed by disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile, the abuse of vulnerable girls in towns and cities nationwide, and growing fears that an alleged paedophile ring was operating in the heart of Westminster.

Video: Family's Anger Over Abuse Files

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Child Mental Health Services Get £1.25bn Boost

An extra £1.25bn will be spent on services for people suffering from mental health problems, the Deputy Prime Minister has said.

The cash will be help more than 100,000 youngsters needing mental health services over the next five years, Nick Clegg announced.

The DPM said the way children had been treated before by the system was an "institutionalised form of cruelty".

The £250m-a-year funding will be confirmed in next week's Budget.

Mr Clegg made the announcement during a visit to Clock View Hospital in Liverpool.

He said: "I think it will have a huge impact. You have got, on average, three children in every classroom in our country who have got mental health problems and are not being properly catered for, not being properly identified, not being properly supported.

"This huge expansion - £1.25bn over the course of the next parliament - will help around 110,000 children, children who at the moment are being let down by the system.

"It's an institutionalised form of cruelty, the way we allow vulnerable children with mental health problems to basically have to fend for themselves at the moment.

"This big announcement I'm making is going to seek to change that. It won't happen overnight, it will happen over the coming years."

The funding will also help improve support for new mothers, who had previously struggled with a "second-class mental health service", Mr Clegg said.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: "It is terrifying to think that in this day and age some new mothers are having to travel miles for treatment and others are even being separated from their newborn child This has to stop.

"This funding will make sure they get the treatment and support they need so they in turn can give their children the best possible start in life."

Mr Clegg was in Liverpool for the Liberal Democrats' spring conference. During his announcement he blamed some local NHS commissioners for failing to pass on previous funding for children's mental health.

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Ed Miliband Unveils Labour's Election Pledges

Ed Miliband has unveiled Labour's pledges for the General Election, covering the economy, the NHS, immigration and tuition fees.

The Labour leader said the choice for voters is not simply between parties and leaders, but between different visions of the country.

The party's five pledges are:

:: Economy -  Labour claims it will balance the books and cut the deficit every year.

:: Living standards - Boosted by Mr Miliband's pledge to freeze energy bills until 2017.

:: NHS - Labour says it will recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs.

:: Immigration - People who come to the UK will not be able to claim benefits for at least two years.

:: Young people - Tuition fees cut to £6,000, more apprenticeships and smaller class sizes for primary school children.

Speaking to delegates in Birmingham, he said: "Today I urge the British people to choose optimism, to choose a country for the many, to choose the good of all, to choose hope - and to recognise that when working people succeed, nothing can stop us as a country."

Mr Miliband claimed "the Tory experiment" over the past five years had failed, and suggested that working people were £1,600 worse off because of David Cameron's Government.

Video: Ed Miliband's Pledge Card

He added: "We know what their plans mean - it means education cut, the NHS undermined, it means social care devastated, our infrastructure crumbling. Britain cannot afford to take that risk."

To applause from supporters, Mr Miliband also criticised the Prime Minister's decision not to participate in some of the upcoming TV election debates.

It is not the first time Labour has unveiled a pledge card. Tony Blair and John Prescott did so successfully in 1997, winning a landslide general election victory.

But the pledges were very different in 1997. First was cutting class sizes, second was quicker punishment for young offenders, third was cutting NHS waiting lists, while getting under-25s off benefits and no rise in income tax made up the other two.

Responding to Mr Miliband's speech, Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said: "The real choice at this election is between the stability and strong leadership of David Cameron and the Conservatives working to a long-term economic plan, securing a better future for Britain.

"Or Ed Miliband carried into Downing Street in the pocket of Alex Salmond and the SNP - meaning more borrowing, more debt, higher taxes and weaker defences."

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Body Found In Burning Car Near Golf Club

A woman has been arrested after firefighters discovered a body in the boot of a burning car.

The 34-year-old is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, after the unidentified victim was found in the back of the badly damaged Volkswagen Jetta.

Fire crews were called to Ifield Golf Club near Horsham, West Sussex, on Friday afternoon after receiving reports that a vehicle was on fire.

A post-mortem is being carried out on the body, and investigators from the Surrey and Sussex major crime team have been unable to determine the victim's gender so far.

Detective Chief Inspector Jason Taylor said: "We are treating this as a murder investigation and are following several lines of inquiry.

"Anyone who has any information about the car, or saw it being abandoned and set on fire, is asked to contact police."

The unnamed suspect is from Dulwich in south London.

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