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News in Brief: 11/09/2014

MEDIA: The BBC yesterday confirmed it has made further cuts to its’ number of senior managers, a day after Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said it had to become more efficient.

The minister told the Royal Television Society: “I believe more can and must be done to make the BBC more efficient.”

Figures released by the BBC today show that in 12 months up to August it cut the number of senior managers by 5.7 per cent and trimmed 5.4 per cent off the pay bill.

 

ELECTION: The by-election sparked by the death of Labour MP Jim Dobbin could be held on October 9, the party revealed yesterday.

Labour confirmed in the Commons yesterday that it was issuing a writ setting the date for the contest in Heywood and Middleton. It is the same day as voters go to the polls in Clacton, Essex following Douglas Carswell’s defection to Ukip from the Conservatives.

Mr Dobbin, who had represented the seat since 1997, died at the weekend while on a Parliamentary trip to Poland at the age of 73.

 

TRANSPORT: As many as 20 per cent of London-bound rail commuters have to stand at the busiest times of the morning rush-hour, government figures revealed yesterday.

Meanwhile as much as 60 per cent of morning peak trains into the capital have passengers standing, with just under one million passengers arriving into central London a day. Based on rail journeys on a typical autumn weekday in 2013.

 

STONEHENGE: An extraordinary hidden complex of archaeological monuments has been uncovered around Stonehenge using hi-tech methods of scanning below the Earth’s surface, it was revealed yesterday.

The finds, dating back 6,000 years, include evidence of 17 previously unknown wooden or stone structures as well as dozens of burial mounds which have been mapped in minute detail.

Most of the monuments are merged into the landscape and are not visible to the eye. The four-year study, the largest geophysical survey ever undertaken, covered an area of 12 square kilometres and penetrated to a depth of three metres.

 

PENSIONS: Union members yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action following Aberystwyth University’s decision to close its staff pension scheme.

The members of Unite, Unison, UCU and Prospect are set to walkout for four consecutive days from September 19 to 22, as students begin their academic year.

Both UCU and Prospect returned 100 per cent support for industrial action, over 90 per cent voted in favour from Unite and 83 per cent from Unison. Strike dates will be confirmed at a campaign committee meeting today.

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