Editoweb: UK today 5 nov 2007

Global paedophile ring: 46 UK arrests
Police have arrested 46 people over the past five months in the UK as part of an operation to smash a global paedophile ring. Police have arrested 46 people over the past five months in the UK as part of an operation to smash a global paedophile ring. More than 20 police forces have been involved in co-ordinating the UK response to an Italian-based website that had more than 2,500 customers in 19 countries.

Pound dented by weak service sector data
The pound lost ground against the dollar before staging a slight recovery Monday, after an index measuring activity in the service sector showed a sharp fall in October. The disappointing figures suggest economic growth is set for a sharper slowdown, analysts said Monday. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's PMI for the services sector dropped to 53.1 in October, the lowest in over four years, from 56.7 in September.

Missing firefighters search continues
Specialist rescue crews are continuing their meticulous search of a burnt out warehouse to trace three firefighters missing, presumed dead. Nine teams of specially-trained urban search and rescue firefighters began the task of locating their colleagues after the fire at the vegetable packing warehouse, which started on Friday evening, was finally put out. It is hoped the search will be complete by midnight on Monday at the building in Atherstone-On-Stour, Warwickshire.

Report calls for larger carbon cuts
Britain's target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 can and should be increased to 80 per cent, according to a new study. Research published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds warned that meeting the current targetwill fail to prevent dangerous levels of climate change. The organisations called for the target to be increased to 80 per cent.

Govt Wants To Raise School Leaving Age
The school leaving age is being raised to 18 for those not in training or employment, under plans being drawn up by the Schools Secretary. Ed Balls' revamp of the school leaving age will be outlined in the Queen's Speech tomorrow. It means that by 2015, all students would stay on after their GCSEs until they had found a job or apprenticeship.

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