25/04/2014 BBC News at One

No more easy money for mortgages, as strict new tests are introduced.

Applicants will face tougher questions on lifestyle and spending

habits as the regulatory body says it's trying to 'hardwire common

We'll consider what this means for the housing market.

Also this lunchtime, RBS scraps plans to offer bonuses

twice the size of a banker's salary after being told

As pro-Russian militias maintain their presence in Eastern Ukraine,

Kiev accuses Russia of wanting to start a Third World War.

The teenage dying from cancer who's fundraising efforts have now gone

And the Cambridges are on their way back from Australia after

Accused of breaking their deal, London Underground confirms all

And Nigel Farage describes comments by a UKIP council candidate

Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.

Should someone's lifestyle have any influence on

New, tougher rules are being introduced which include questions

The idea behind the changes is to stop a return to the kind of lending

that contributed to the banking crisis and economic slowdown.

However, brokers say the changes could lead to delays,

Here's our personal finance correspondent, Simon Gompertz.

By a home and it used to be that most people could get four times

their annual pay as a mortgage. Now that is all changing. Claire is one

of the first casualties of tougher questioning on what buyers can

afford to borrow. Malone has been cut by thousands after an

application process that has taken months. I had to take out a loan

from the bank while my mortgage application was going through. And

they discovered that and it threw a spanner in the works. It resulted in

less money, and delaying the process further, which was really

frustrating. The clamp-down from the financial regulator means that

lenders are asking how much you spend on childcare, transport and

holidays, but also on gambling, gems, toiletries and milk deliveries

and haircuts. He admits that that might be too intrusive. If they

lender decides to ask these questions, that is their judgement.

Our question is simple, can you afford a mortgage? And do not need

to know if you have not delivered. That sounds like a step too far. If

you are a buyer and the borrower, they will test whether you can stand

an increase in interest rates to 7%. More than double what most people

are paying. That will mean that fewer will get what they want and

some might get nothing at all. Mortgage interviews will be longer

and more gruelling, and it could have an impact on the housing

market. and more gruelling, and it could

have an This time of year, the housing market Willie gets going

after Easter. And we think that the new rules could very well dampen or

chill off the recovery, certainly in the next few months. But there is

already concerned about a price bubble and the aim is to make sure

that there is no repeat of the borrowing spree that ended with the

credit crunch. You said longer and more gruelling. Borrowers will want

to know what difference it will make to what they can borrow. I have

heard stories from borrowers who have been through one process and

then come back to the new, more gruelling process, and found that

they are being offered ?20,000 less. A significant sum. Mortgage

brokers are saying that often it is ten or 15% less than you would have

hoped. It is going to have an impact. We know that the prices of

homes are rising at any case. The consensus is that it will take some

of the froth out of the market. We have to make opposing forces, the

government trying to help the revival with a help to buy scheme,

and lenders under pressure. It could be that some people will need more

help to buy. Thank you. And if you want to know more about those

changes and see what they might mean for you, go to our website. You will

find all the details. Royal Bank

of Scotland has backed down over plans to pay bonuses double

the size of salaries, after being The bank, which is mostly owned

by the taxpayer, says it had wanted But it's been told the Treasury

would block the idea. Here's our chief economics

correspondent, Hugh Pym. Royal Bank of Scotland, the

taxpayer's controlling state, politics and bank bonuses. It is a

toxic mix, stirred up yet again. This time, the bank wanted to pay

bonuses up to a limit of twice the annual salary but the Chancellor has

blocked that, insisting on capping bonuses at the same level as wages.

The new team has done a huge amount to repair what went badly wrong but

there is more to go. We made it clear that under the circumstances

it was not right to increase the bonus cap. I'm glad that RBS have

agreed and I'm glad the total pay at RBS is coming down. RBS has noted

that its banking competitors will be seeking the option of paying staff

bonuses of up to twice annual salary. There is clearly

disappointment at the highest levels of the bank for what is seen as

last-minute intervention by the Treasury to block the preference of

the board to adopt that sort of bonus policy. In some quarters in

the city there is the fear that the performance of RBS could be affected

with the possibility of senior staff leaving to join rival banks. We need

to get the bank back on track. And with that, you need clever people.

And clever people need remunerated because we are in an international

environment. To draw a line through it like that is very short-sighted

and it is pandering to the public. Another bank with the taxpayers

stake, Lloyds, will be allowed to go up to the bonus limit. This was

because Lloyds made more progress with a recovery plan, say the

government. Labour argued that it shows that George Osborne is in a

muddle over bankers bonuses. All banks are still under scrutiny.

Demonstrators outside the Barclays AGM yesterday tried to highlight a

gulf between the pay of bankers and health workers. Some shareholders

voted against the Barclays bonus pay-outs. It is a long-running issue

that does not seem to be going away. Let's speak to our Business Editor,

Kamal Ahmed, who's in Cambridge, where he's been speaking to the

Chancellor, George Osborne. We heard a city voice saying it was

short-sighted. Why has the government force this on RBS? I

think this goes to the heart of who really runs RBS. Is it the board, is

it the executives, or is that the government? I think today we have

seen the answer. It is the government. I think today we have

seen the answer. It is the government. I've been here

interviewing the Chancellor about RBS. And he says that with the bank

still struggling, still not performing at the top of its game,

it would be inappropriate for the bank to pay bonuses. What is

interesting is that there is obviously a slight contradiction for

the government. They do not actually agree with the bonus cap. The

government is challenging it. But nevertheless, there are politics in

this. I think that the government feels that if they allowed the rises

of bonuses at RBS, they would have been called into account by Labour.

But forget, Ed Miliband raise this in Prime Minister's Questions and

said to David Cameron, are you going to allow the bonus cap to? I think

the government has decided, whatever the issue is about competition and

weakening RBS, that in political terms, allowing a rise would simply

have been impossible. The war of words over the crisis

in Ukraine deepened today. The Ukrainian prime minister accused

Russia of wanting to start world war three,

while President Putin gave more warnings of the consequences for

Ukraine, if the crisis continued. Earlier today,

there were reports that Russian troops moved to within a kilometre

of the border with eastern Ukraine. Here's our world affairs

correspondent, Nick Childs. Smoke billows over an eastern

Ukrainian airbase. This is unverified footage. There have been

reports of a military helicopter being hit by a rocket propelled

grenade. Whatever this is, it is likely to add to the new escalation

intention. An armed pro-Russian activist,

seemingly very much back in charge outside the eastern Ukrainian town

of sloppy and sky. One day after short lived Ukrainian army raids

raised the temperatures in the stand-off. The Americans are laying

the blame for images like these more squarely than ever at Russia's

daughter. This is a full throated effort to actively sabotage the

democratic process through gross external intimidation. Russia has

put its faith in distraction, deception and the stabilisation. For

seven days, Russia has refused to take a single concrete step in the

right direction. At the double matted war of words intensifies,

Russia's Foreign Minister has hit back with accusations of his own.

TRANSLATION: The West, and this is how it began, once to seize control

of the Ukraine because of its political ambitions, not the

interests of the Ukrainian people. Just what the Ukrainian military's

raids have achieved is unclear. It is certainly angered Moscow.

According to one report, they have ordered military manoeuvres within a

kilometre of the border. The move brunt of this from Arseniy

Yatsenyuk, the interim Prime Minister of Ukraine. TRANSLATION:

Attempts of Russian aggression on the border will... Russia already

wants to start the third world war, he said. With no apparent resolution

to the stand-off on the ground, does this bring a direct confrontation

between Ukraine and Russia closer? And if so, what will the

international followed? The 42 year old mother,

accused of murdering three of her children, has broken down in tears,

at her first court appearance. Tania Clarence was remanded

in custody, over the deaths of three year old twins, Ben

and Max, and four year old Olivia, who were found dead at the family

home in south London on Tuesday. Tributes left outside the family

home. This has been where attention has been focused since Tuesday

evening. This morning, the focus shifted a few miles away to

Wimbledon Magistrates' Court where their mother made her first

appearance, having been charged with the murder. Just before Tania

Clarence was lead into the dark, the public gallery was filled with

friends and family members, including a clearly emotional Gary

Clarence. He listened as his 42-year-old wife, dressed in black

and sobbing throughout, stated her name, address and date of birth. And

then it was put to her that she had murdered her children, Bolivia, Ben

and Max. Gary Clarence, seen here leaving court on the left, had been

in South Africa with the couple's 8-year-old daughter, when he was

told of the death of his children. He flew back yesterday along with

members of his family, also in court. They released a statement

saying that they have suffered an extreme tragedy and were under

tremendous pressure. The postmortem on the children is ongoing. All

three children suffered from spinal muscular atrophy, a condition which

can be life limiting. Tania Clarence has been remanded in custody and

will appear at the Old Bailey on the 29th of April.

An investigation is to be launched into whether government computers

were used to make offensive changes to the Wikipedia entry

Reports in the Liverpool Echo claim the updates

included changing the Liverpool anthem, 'You'll Never Walk Alone',

Our correspondent Dan Johnson is at the Hillsborough inquest

One can only guess what the reaction is there. A mixture of shock,

sadness and anger from the families arriving here to continue giving

statements to the inquest. One said it was like salt being thrown on the

wound. Was discussed when his comments were originally posted onto

Wikipedia. That was a certain amount of dismay that someone could have

done that on the day of the anniversary of the Hillsborough

disaster but there is disbelief this morning that the claims could have

been -- comments could have been posted from Westminster. It is not

clear how many people may have been involved but the Cabinet office has

said that it is investigating involved but the Cabinet office has

said that it this as a matter of urgency, treating it with the utmost

seriousness and making enquiries across departments. The families

want those responsible to be identified and dealt with. Thank

you. Our top story this lunchtime, new rules on mortgage lending are

about to come into force. Customers may be asked about their spending

habits before they get a loan. And still to come, a new role for an old

hack. Ryan Giggs speaks for the first time about taking over the

helm at Manchester United. It Rum BBC London, acting business three

years after being burned to the ground, this carpet store reopens.

And the crucial day for Chelsea if they want to stay in the running for

the Premier League title. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

have ended their visit to Australia by joining veterans

and serving military personnel to mark Anzac Day, Australia's national

day of remembrance. The family are now

on their way home to the UK. From Canberra,

our royal correspondent, In the darkness reading the hymn

sheets with torches, William and Catherine joined thousands of people

at the National War memorial to mark the 99th anniversary of the Anzac

landings. On Dawn at this day in 19 15,000 of troops landed in

Gallipoli. -- in 19 15,000 of troops. It was a disaster. In

Australia and New Zealand, it is the National Day of remembrance. They

talk for final duty for William and Catherine. Later in the day, they

returned to the war memorial and inspected the walls work families

placed poppies and laid a wreath in memories league memory of all

Australians who fought and died. The event is the moving conclusion to a

visit which otherwise has been full of fun and want. It was time to

depart and time for another parents by George. He has been the star of

the tour. He has only been seen briefly but has managed to outshine

his mother and father. In a statement, William and Catherine

said the visit had been an incredible experience and they had

been bowled over by the warmth they had been shown. Unsaid was anything

about the satisfaction that must be felt in Buckingham Palace about the

arrival on the world stage such a warm trio.

The Shadow Cabinet is meeting in Glasgow today,

with the debate over Scotland's independence high on the agenda.

Ed Milliband is arguing that workers on both sides of the border will be

People who voted for Labour in the past a very important part of this

referendum and I want to convince them and people across Scotland that

we can do it, that social justice can be delivered in a year's time by

a Labour Government and it is a better way forward for Scotland than

leaving the UK with all that entails in terms of a race to the bottom in

wages and things that matter to the people of Scotland.

Let's get more from our Scotland correspondent, Lorna Gordon.

Do you think it is a sign that the pro-unionist parties are losing

ground to the SNP? We have seen a narrowing in the polls, those who

say they would vote in favour of the union are still a majority, but

those in favour of independence have been gaining ground. I think it will

have focused the minds of politicians on all sides and

campaigners so in the last few weeks we saw the Prime Minister David

Cameron and Nick Clegg up in Aberdeen holding a cabinet meeting.

Today we have Ed Miliband and the Shadow Cabinet holding a meeting at

one of the Commonwealth Games arenas in Glasgow. It is no surprise he has

chosen this venue to launch this initiative on zero hours contracts,

saying if they win the next general election, Labour would tackle zero

hours contracts. I think Labour realise there is a group of

undecided voters who traditionally would vote Labour but have not made

their minds up about the referendum. The SNP government has spotted the

group and they are appealing. They say if you vote for independence,

you are not necessarily voting for the SNP, they would argue you voting

to get your Labour Party back. Alex Salmond has been responding in the

last few minutes to Ed Miliband's policy initiative today, saying

Scotland needs independence to introduce a living wage more widely

and deal with the abuse of zero hours contracts. When it comes to

workers' writes, both sides are trying to grab the common ground. It

is up to the voters and they will decide on the 18th of September.

President Obama has been speaking about the incredible heartache

of the relatives who lost family members aboard the South Korean

ferry that capsized and sank last week.

He said he was visiting the country at a time of great sorrow.

On the latest leg of his Asia Pacific tour, he's also been

speaking about imposing new sanctions on North Korea because of

From Seoul, Lucy Williamson sent this report.

President Obama's arrival called for all of the usual pomp and ceremony

and nuclear threats. New signals from North Korea it is preparing for

a fourth nuclear test underpinned by satellite photos showing fresh

activity. Threats will get North Korea nothing other than greater

isolation. We are united on the steps Pyongyang needs to take

including abandoning nuclear weapons and listed weapons programmes and

living up to their international obligations. -- and ballistic

weapons. The alliance is more popular than ever. 90% of South

Koreans support it. This is more than a military relationship where I

-- President Obama said it was about friends. These yellow ribbons are

sign of remembrance for more than 300 lives lost. The victims of last

week's ferry disaster still have not all been found. It would be fitting

for us to begin today by honouring the lost and missing. The leaders

began their meeting with a moment's silence. And a gift, a magnolia tree

from the White House garden for the high school at the centre of the

disaster. It was a symbol of beauty and renewal, President Obama said, a

reminder of the lives lost and the friendship America would always

provide. The teenager whose online campaign

to raise funds for a cancer charity went viral has

now raised more than ?2.25 million. Stephen Sutton has terminal cancer,

but his fight against the disease has touched

the hearts of thousands of people and led to the biggest-ever donation

to the Teenage Cancer Trust. It says it's been overwhelmed

by the response. Stephen Sutton's friends have seen

him fight his own is with courage and humour. The money raised in his

name is, they say, a fitting tribute to the man they know. It is

testament to his strength and determination over the last 15

months to make sure that his life has not been for nothing, whatever

he has done is to support people going through the same kind of

journey as him. On the face of it, he is playing it cool and he has not

done a lot, but inside, he will be really proud, considering that it

was only a year and a half ago that he was considering raising ?10,000.

Phenomenal is how he is said to have described it. On Tuesday, he said

goodbye to his supporters. He thought he was gone in his words, a

goner. But he was back online yesterday saying he was now in high

spirits. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wrote a wish list of 46

things he wanted to do. He crowd served in a dinghy, when skydiving,

played the drums front of 90,000 people at Wembley, hugged and

elephant and even got a tad too. And he decided to raise money for the

Teenage Cancer Trust. His million pound target was reached on

Wednesday. Now it stands at more than double that. His story has had

an incredible impact on us. We are a relatively small charity raising

about ?12 million a year. What he has done is changing the face of the

organisation in many ways and supporting the seven young people

everyday diagnosed with cancer now and in the future. The charity runs

more than 20 specialist units across the UK. A vital service for young

people with cancer. So many people will benefit from what he is doing.

You have always got to look for light the darkness. I think he is

great. I do not say it often because I am of these people who is quite

cringed out by these things, but he is an inspiration. The money will

mean more units, more nurses, more expert care for young people. That

will be his legacy. Ryan Giggs has promised to put

a smile back on the faces He's been speaking for the first

since taking over from David Moyes He told reporters it was a proud

moment to manage the club he's Let's cross to United's Carrington

training ground and our sports Yes, Ryan Giggs admitted it had been

a difficult week for Man United. He said he was shocked at David

Moyes's departure, although the club would not allow him to take

questions about the sacking. Ryan Giggs outlined how he hopes finally

to give the fans something to cheer about. He inspired Man United as a

player, now can he do it as a manager? Ryan Giggs taking training

this morning and hoping to restore smiles to a club in turmoil. He had

been a player coach and a David Moyes who on Tuesday paid the price

for the stodgy start and poor results. Old habits die hard. Ryan

Giggs was accidentally introduced to the media as David. David... After

his predecessor's failure, Ryan Giggs vowed to bring back the

feel-good factor. It is the proudest moment of my career. I will enjoy it

for the two and a half weeks that are mainly of the season. --

remaining of the season. I will bring back smiles to the faces of

the fans. He is the most tech rated player in the club's history but

acknowledged the season has been frustrating -- the most decorated. I

think he is management material, very strong minded. He is dedicated

to the game, that is why he has had such a fantastic career. He will get

the respect from the fans and players. Hopefully, he does get the

great response and the club do go on to win the last four games. After

the cautious style of the David Moyes Iraq, Ryan Giggs is promising

a crowd-pleasing return -- the Iraq of David Moyes. Our form has not

been great. I want to see goals and tackles and players taking players

on. I want to get the crowd up and I want the passion that should come

with being a Manchester United player. There is a sense of back to

the future. Ryan Giggs was helped out at training by Paul Scholes and

others. After such a bruising week, they returned to the glory days may

still be some way off. Interestingly, Ryan Giggs said he

has already been getting managerial tips from Sir Alex Ferguson. He is

only expected to be in charge for the last four matches of this

season. If he does well, he could be back as a Manchester United manager

in the future. For this next item, you need a head

for heights. They jumped from the tip of a tower in to buy from a

height of 828m. The two Frenchmen are based jumpers, fans of jumping

off tall structures. It was part of a world-record attempt at the

highest base jump and a successful one as you can see. If that was not

enough, they went back and did it all again. Rather than than me. --

rather then. Hideous. Now to the weather.

Extensive cloud. Looking at the rainfall, it was torrential earlier.

The red colours showing the torrential downpours. Impact in

places, particularly on the roads. It is moving north, heavy bursts of

rain. Potential for further impact. Disruption as possible. As the rain

continues to work North. BBC local radio should keep you up to date

with the travel situation. The rain is pushing north and there is plenty

more following along behind. It is not all doom and gloom. There is

brighter weather to be found, particularly out towards the West.

Cornwall doing well, as if temperature. Inland, thicker cloud

and showers. Rain more extensive. Heavy showers in the south-east is

often in. Thunder and lightning. Dreyer for a time in East Anglia. --

dry. Quite cold with the rain as well. The north-west of the UK,

Northern Ireland, western Scotland, doing quite well. For the East of

Scotland, grey and cold with the breeze continuing to come in from

the North Sea. The main batch of rain moves up to the north-west. It

will turn wet. Further showers at the eastern side of England this

evening. Then the next batch of rain comes up from the South West with a

brisk breeze. Temperatures should stay up at seven, eight or nine

degrees. Unsettled for the start of the weekend. Low pressure will

dominate. Quite a few hours bars. It will be quite breezy, particularly

in the south-west. -- isobars. A band of rain moving north across

England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Followed by a dry spell. A

few showers still. Main showers in the fast Southwest. Second part of

the weekend, the winds will gradually ease. Still quite breezy.

There will be showers around in England and Wales. Disappointing and

worked on the eastern side of Scotland. Better weather to be found

in Northern Ireland and the western side of Scotland. For many of us

this weekend, it will be quite blustery. Heavy showers around. Not

all doom and gloom. There should be dry and brighter spells as well. The

little bit of something for everyone over the weekend.

Now a reminder of our top story this lunchtime.

New rules on mortgage lending come into force at midnight.

Customers may be asked about their spending habits