Michael Jackson: Jury Shown Autopsy Report

Michael Jackson's autopsy report has been shown to jurors during the wrongful death trial brought by his family against concert organiser AEG Live.

Along with the report, which contains information concerning tattoos he had to hide a skin pigmentation disease, jurors were shown an autopsy photograph of Jackson lying on a coroner's table.

Dr Conrad Murray is serving four years for Jackson's manslaughter

Dr Christopher Rogers, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, noted the 50-year-old star's scalp had been tattooed black, seemingly to blend his hairline with the wigs he wore.

Jackson's lips had been tattooed pink and he also had dark tattoos in place of his eyebrows.

The report and photographs were originally released to the public in 2010 after the singer died, and much of what the jury heard from Dr Rogers had been revealed during the trial of Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray.

But complementary evidence given by Dr Rogers will give the jurors added insight into Jackson's life.

The report states: "The top of (Jackson's) head was covered in a wig with long, dark apparent hair.

"There was a dark black discoloration of (Jackson's) upper forehead near his hairline. Dark coloration was present on (his) eyebrows, eyelashes and lips."

The report confirms Jackson's skin tone became lighter in the 1980s because he had the skin pigmentation disease vitiligo.

"So, some areas of the skin appear light and others appear dark," said Dr Rogers.

Jackson's skin had been the subject of intense speculation during his career, with many suspecting him of bleaching it intentionally to lighten it.

Jackson's brother Randy and sister Rebbie arrive for the trial in LA

Dr Rogers also confirmed that an overdose of propofol killed Jackson, although other sedatives administered by Murray contributed to his death.

Jackson's family claim concert giant AEG failed to supervise Jackson's personal doctor.

AEG denies any wrongdoing and argues it did not hire or supervise Murray, saying Jackson had had prescription drug problems for years before entering into any agreement for his This Is It concerts in London.

It also said it could not have foreseen that Murray posed a danger to Jackson.

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Sir Alex Ferguson Retires As Man Utd Manager

Sir Alex Ferguson is retiring as manager of Manchester United, the club has confirmed.

The manager, who has been at the club for 26 years, said in a statement: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.

"It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape, and I believe I have done so."

The Scotsman secured his 13th Premier League title with Manchester United two weeks ago and is the most successful manager in British football history.

The deal to appoint a successor has already been done and approved by the club's board, understands Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman.

An announcement is expected within days, with Sky sources saying Everton boss David Moyes is in "pole position" to get the job.

Ferguson, 71, will stay at Manchester United as a director and an ambassador, but now has just two games left with the famous club.

His final game, away to West Brom on May 19, will be his 1,500th in charge.

"With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future," said Ferguson.

"I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential."

Sir Alex's first European Cup was the famous last gasp win in 1999

The success of the club would continue without him, said Ferguson, who had a stand at Old Trafford named in his honour in 2011.

"The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level ... the long-term future of the club remains a bright one," said Ferguson.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore told Sky News the Scot was a "constant professional" who was bowing out on a high.

"In some ways it's a shock, in some ways the timing couldn't be better," he said.

FA chairman David Bernstein hailed Sir Alex's tenure as "truly remarkable".

"He is genuinely one of the greatest managers of all time and certainly of the modern era. His contribution to English football has been outstanding in every regard," said Mr Bernstein.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, also joined in the tributes and tweeted: "Sir Alex Ferguson's achievement at #MUFC has been exceptional. Hopefully his retirement will make life a little easier for my team #AVFC".

Everton Boss David Moyes is in "pole position" to take over at Old Trafford

The "foundations of the Premiership have shaken this morning", said Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso.

"Fergie steps aside as the greatest figure in football management - there'll be a very long queue of managers seeking to replace him."

Old Trafford bosses may be wary of bringing in a "restless manager" like Jose Mourinho, said Kelso - despite his impressive track record.

A manager like David Moyes, who is seen to have "over-achieved" at Everton, is looking like the more likely choice.

"Crucially, if he (Moyes) has Sir Alex Ferguson's blessing, it will buy him time with the fans to prove he's a worthy successor," said Kelso.

Former and current players have also been praising Sir Alex's achievements and having their say on who should fill his boots.

"You have to be a certain manager to manage Manchester United," former United player Paul Ince told Sky News.

"It's very important the next man is the right man."

Michael Owen, who is himself retiring at the end of the season, tweeted: "What an act to follow. I guess only Mourinho would have the confidence to strut through the door. If it were me, I'd go for Moyes."

The share price is shown up until the day before Sir Alex's announcement

But former United keeper Peter Schmeichel said Sir Alex should have stayed on a bit longer.

"(I'm) shocked, disappointed and very sad," he told Sky News. "I was hoping it was a couple of years down the line."

The Danish player, who was with the club for most of the 90s, said Ferguson was an inspirational leader who always had time for him, and the best manager the game had ever seen.

Cristiano Ronaldo simply tweeted a picture of himself with the manager, along with the words: "Thanks for everything, Boss."

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand also thanked the manager, tweeting: "The bosses work ethic, his desire to win + to make us better players were unrivalled. Thanks boss."

The announcement, which comes just a day after back page speculation, may be a cause of concern for some Manchester United investors. It means there will soon be a new chief executive and manager in place at Old Trafford.

When David Gill confirmed he would quit as CEO in June, it sparked a deterioration in share price.

Manchester United shares opened 4.74% down following news of Ferguson's departure, effectively wiping nearly £95m off the club's value.

Sir Alex, who was born in Glasgow and began his managerial career in 1974, enjoyed success with St Mirren and Aberdeen before moving to England.

He won 49 trophies during his career - his haul with Manchester United including five FA Cups, four league cups and two famous Champions League titles, in 1999 and 2008.

However, the manager's quest for a coveted third European title ended this season with a 3-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid.

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Sir Alex Ferguson Retires: Moyes 'Favourite'

Everton's David Moyes is close to being confirmed as the new Manchester United manager in the next few days, Sky sources say.

It comes after current Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who is one of the most successful managers of all time, announced he will retire at the end of the season.

The 71-year-old guided United to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns in 26 years in charge at the club.

Moyes, who shares Ferguson's Scottish working-class roots, is the odds-on favourite to succeed him, according to Sky Bet.

The Everton manager, 50, has built a steady career in over a decade at the Merseyside club.

The manager, who is out of contract in the summer, has excelled at over-achieving on a limited budget, rather than managing a large squad of superstar players.

He once said of Sir Alex: "He is someone all the football managers look up to, they all respect him.

"Even when he's fighting them, he still has the humility to have a drink with them at the end of the game. And he still has the dignity to phone them if they are sacked or out of work. There's a lot of that from his Glasgow roots."

Mourinho is among the other contenders who may take over at Old Trafford

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has also been heavily backed for the job. He is second favourite, according to Sky Bet.

Both Moyes and ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho are known for having strong relationships with Ferguson, who will become a club director and ambassador after his last match in charge against West Brom on May 19.

Moyes has plenty of admirers at Old Trafford and further afield due to his achievements at Goodison Park. However, he has no experience in the lucrative Champions League comparable to Mourinho.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel believes Moyes would be a good fit as a successor as he has proved he can stay at one club for a long time, spending 10 years at Everton.

He told Sky: "What we are looking for is not someone to come in 10 months or three years, we want someone to come stay there and give stability.

"When we talk about Moyes, he has been a decade at Everton and done a fantastic job on limited funds.

"Is he cut from the same cloth? I don't know. Don't forget there will be major changes with (chief executive) David Gill stepping down - the club is really changing in the summer, the more stability they can add the better.

"David Moyes, he sounds like a good solution."

Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen said he would choose the Everton boss.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still hugely popular among United fans

Owen, the former Liverpool striker who played under Sir Alex for two seasons, said on Twitter: "What an act to follow. I guess only Mourinho would have the confidence to strut through the door. If it were me, I'd go for Moyes."

Among the other contenders are Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored in the last-gasp finale to snatch victory when defeat had seemed inevitable in the 1999 Champions League final, and is still hugely popular among United fans.

The Norwegian former supersub has made a successful start to his managerial career at Molde but lacks experience at United's level.

Mourinho's conqueror in the Champions League, Jurgen Klopp, has made a big impression while steering Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final.

His swashbuckling style of play, coupled with his engaging and eccentric manner in post-match interviews would make him a colourful addition to the Premier League.

Another outsider is Laurent Blanc, who had a brief stint with the Red Devils at the end of his illustrious career.

He has won the French league title at Bordeaux, then stabilised a France team that collapsed into chaos at the last World Cup before stepping down following their quarter-final loss to Spain at Euro 2012.

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Emmure Singer Palmeri Electrocuted On Stage

The lead singer of US 'deathcore' group Emmure has been electrocuted on stage.

Performing at a gig in Moscow, Frankie Palmeri, suddenly collapsed to the floor mid-song.

In footage filmed by a fan, another person appears to get a shock after trying to help the singer.

The band pulled the plug on the rest of the performance and later apologised to those who had turned up to see them.

"I'm so sorry to all of our Moscow fans who came to see us tonight," tweeted the band's guitarist Mike Mullholland.

"The stage was unsafe and electrocuted @FrankiePalmeri. We will make it up."

A further tweet from Mulholland said: "He will be ok but the stage wasn't wired safely & shocked the **** out of him. A sad day for us but we'll make it up."

The New York metal band have released five albums, with the latest, Slave To The Game, reaching number 58 in the US Billboard chart and 11 on the Indie chart.

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Shark Attack: Man Killed Off Reunion Island

A man has been attacked and killed by a shark on his honeymoon while surfing near a beach on the French island of Reunion.

The 36-year-old French national was in the sea just off the popular beach of Brisants de Saint-Gilles on the west of the island when a shark charged at him twice, prompting a nearby swimmer to raise the alarm when he saw blood on the water, the local prefecture said.

Lifeguards jumped in the water to fetch the victim, who had lost a lot of blood and was in cardiac and respiratory arrest. They brought him back to the beach but were unable to revive him.

The shark had bitten the surfer on the arm and on the thigh. His wife was on the beach when the attack happened and is being treated for shock, the authorities said.

According to reports in the French media, the couple are from Morteau in eastern France.

Reunion's natural environment makes it an attractive tourist destination

The deadly shark attack was the first this year on the French island, where three people have been killed by sharks in the past two years.

Two attacks, one fatal and one causing serious injury, happened just days apart last summer.

That prompted surfers on the island to call for a marine nature reserve on that area of the island to be closed, which they blame for an increase in shark attacks since 2011.

Local authorities have initiated several scientific studies to try to better understand the way of life of the animals.

People have also been deployed near beaches on boats or in the water to keep an eye on swimmers and surfers and spot sharks before they attack.

Reunion is in the middle of the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and south of Mauritius.

The beach where the latest attack occurred has reportedly been re-opened, but swimming and other water activities are banned until further notice.

Sharks are not man-eaters, but sometimes mistake humans for their natural prey, like seals or tortoises, and at other times hurt surfers as they "mouth" them out of curiosity, experts say.

Last year, 78 shark attacks were reported around the world, of which eight were fatal.

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China 'Baby Milk Runners' Probe Ordered

A baby milk trafficking investigation has been launched into networks which are bulk-buying formula and shipping it to China where it is sold at premium prices.

The Dutch government has ordered a probe into persistent shortages of certain brands of baby formula which has been linked to so-called "baby milk runners".

The formula is then sent to China where it is resold with a 100% mark up to parents.

Chinese parents are willing to pay top price for the baby milk after a 2008 scandal where Chinese formula was found to be tainted with melamine. It left six children dead and affected more than 300,000 others.

Deputy economic affairs minister Sharon Dijksma said: "I want to gather information ... over the bulk-buying and trade in the Netherlands in order to inform Chinese authorities that they are getting batches of milk powder that do not confirm to their regulations."

Formula in China is selling for twice the price

There is growing concern in the Netherlands about a looming national shortage of infant formula.

Dutch Food Industry Federation (FNLI) director Philip den Ouden said: "Dutch consumers can still find baby formula, but it's getting harder and harder."

He said earlier this year retailers saw a 50% spike in sales figures of baby formula from the last quarter of 2012.

"This was strange because the number of births in the Netherlands did not go up," he said.

At a meeting earlier this week, the FNLI and food retail representatives said that a measure to merely restrict the number of tins of formula per customer was not enough.

Last month a Chinese businessman in Britain told Sky News that he was selling £5,000 of baby milk a week to China at double the price.

He said he was buying stocks from British supermarkets.

The run on formula led supermarkets Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons and Asda to ration some labels of baby milk.

Danone, the makers of Aptamil and Cow & Gate, restricted purchases to two per transaction.

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Ohio Cops: Trio Held With Ropes And Chains

Three women abducted about a decade ago and held captive in a house were restrained with ropes and chains, a police chief has said.

The physical condition of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, rescued in Cleveland, Ohio on Monday, was "very good considering the circumstances", Michael McGrath claimed.

He said: "We have confirmation they were bound and there were chains and ropes in the hall."

Mr McGrath also said they had been allowed out of the house "very rarely", adding: "They were released out in the backyard once in a while I believe."

Police have been searching the property and said no human remains have been found at the house. Officers had reportedly been looking for "possible aborted babies". 

(L-R) Brothers Ariel Castro, Onil Castro and Pedro Castro

Sources told WKYC that as many as five pregnancies occurred in the house. They were also told their captors would beat the pregnant girls and that the babies did not survive.

Ariel Castro, 52, who owned and lived at the property, and his two brothers Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50, are now in custody after being arrested on suspicion of holding the women captive.

Gina DeJesus went missing in 2004

Police say they intend to charge the men and they could appear in court as early as today.

Mr McGrath says they "are talking" but he would not say if they have confessed.

He also told NBC he was "absolutely" sure police did everything they could to find the women over the years and he disputed claims by neighbours that officers had been called to the house before for suspicious circumstances.

It comes as Ariel Castro had apparently comforted the mother of Miss DeJesus at a candlelight vigil about a year ago.

Ariel Castro apparently comforted Gina DeJesus' mother at a vigil

He was believed to be friends with the girl's father and reportedly helped in the search for Miss DeJesus.

He handed out fliers after she vanished and performed music at a fundraiser held in her honour, it is claimed.

Miss Knight, now 32, Miss Berry, 27, and Miss DeJesus, 23, were abducted separately in the Ohio city in 2002, 2003 and 2004 when they were 20, 16 and 14 respectively.

The three women were rescued after a frantic 911 call by Miss Berry, who escaped, led police to Castro's run-down property, where authorities say the trio had been held captive since their teens or early 20s.

Police are investigating the handling of the call, saying: "While the call-taker complied with policies and procedures which enabled a very fast response by police, we have noted some concerns which will be the focus of our review."

Officers said the concerns included "the call-taker's failure to remain on the line with Miss Berry until police arrived on scene", adding: "Please be assured that this matter will be investigated, and if necessary, appropriate corrective action taken."

Pedro Castro said the search for Amanda Berry was a waste of money

It has also emerged that as police were digging for Miss Berry in an empty lot in the city in July 2012, Pedro, sitting on some steps, said: "That's a waste of money."

Antony Quiros said he was at the vigil for Miss DeJesus about a year ago and saw Ariel Castro comforting her mother.

Ariel Castro was friends with the missing girl's father and helped search for her after she disappeared, said Khalid Samad, a friend of the family.

"When we went out to look for Gina, he helped pass out fliers," said Mr Samad, a community activist.

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Ohio: Amanda Berry Home After Kidnap Ordeal

Amanda Berry, one of three women rescued from a house in Cleveland, Ohio, after being abducted about a decade ago, has returned to her sister's home.

TV aerial pictures of the back of the family property, which is also in the US city, showed a person carrying a small child.

The youngster is thought to be the six-year-old daughter that Miss Berry bore during her time as a captive.

Her sister, Beth Serrano, later came out of the house, which is covered in balloons and banners that said: "We never lost hope Mandy" and "Welcome home."

She read out a statement where she thanked the public and media for their support and also appealed for their privacy to be respected.

Amanda Berry (L), Gina DeJesus and the house where they were found

Surrounded by reporters, she said: "I want to thank the public and media for their support and courage over the years.

"At this time our family would request privacy so my sister and niece and I can have time to recover," she told a thicket of microphones and lenses."

"We appreciate all you have done for us throughout the past ten years. Please respect our privacy until we are ready to make our statements. And thank you," she added, before breaking down in tears.

The home of Miss Berry's sister is covered with balloons

Miss Berry's mother had died during the time her daughter was being detained.

When the former captive's car with darkened windows arrived at her sister's house, Jessica Duna, a 50-year-old housekeeper who lives in neighbourhood, said: "Oh my God, it just stopped my heart.

"It's just sad that her mother isn't here right now. Its heartbreaking."

Miss Berry earlier spoke on the telephone to her grandmother, Fern Gentry, who told her: "I'm glad to have you back."

Amanda Berry's grandmother spoke to her on the telephone

"I'm glad to be back," Miss Berry said.

Miss Gentry added: "I thought you were gone."

"Nope, I'm here", Miss Berry continued.

Miss Berry told her grandmother that the girl in a hospital photo was her six-year-old daughter.

Amanda Berry, her sister, and a young girl, believed to be her daughter

On Monday, Miss Berry had raised the alarm by screaming for help and a neighbour managed to get her and her child out by kicking in a door.

Miss Berry then made a frantic call to the police and the other two women, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, were later rescued.

Suspects: (L-R) Brothers Ariel Castro, Onil Castro and Pedro Castro

Miss Knight, now 32, Miss Berry, 27, and Miss DeJesus, 23, were abducted separately in nearby areas of the Ohio city in 2002, 2003 and 2004 when they were 20, 16 and 14 respectively.

The owner of the home, 52-year-old former school bus driver Ariel Castro, who also lived at the property has been detained, along with his brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50, in connection with the case.

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Tia Sharp: CCTV Taken Hours Before She Died

CCTV pictures which show Tia Sharp together with Stuart Hazell have been played to a jury at the Old Bailey.

Jurors were shown the clips of Hazell and Tia after they met at a train station on the afternoon of August 2.

They included footage of the pair walking along a platform after getting off a tram at Gravel Hill station, shopping in a branch of the Co-op supermarket and travelling on a T31 bus.

The pair were also pictured together on a T31 bus

Tia's mother Natalie Sharp looked on tearfully from the public gallery as the clips were shown.

Hazell, who is accused of the schoolgirl's murder, was the boyfriend of Christine Bicknell - Tia's grandmother - when the 12-year-old went missing.

Jurors at the Old Bailey were also read a statement by Ms Bicknell, in which she described how the schoolgirl "idolised" Hazell.

Tia loved Hazell "to pieces", the court heard

Hazell was also described as "no ogre", according to a statement from her grandmother read in court.

The statement said: "When Tia went missing it didn't cross my mind that she could be dead. I always thought she was coming home. It didn't cross my mind that he would hurt her. He loved Tia, she idolised him.

"I love Stuart with all my heart, he was my world, but my grandchildren always came first.

"Tia will ask Stuart if she can stay for the weekend before she asks me. The majority of the time he has her more than what I do. She is his cling-on."

Hazell, 37, of New Addington, south London, is charged with killing the girl between August 2 and 10 last year.

Her body was found in the loft of her grandmother's house a week after she went missing.

The court heard how the decomposing body was found wrapped in big bags, other bags were found inside another bin bag. One Sainsbury's bag contained a yellow top and grey pair of trousers matching the description Hazell had given police of the clothing she was wearing when she disappeared.

Ms Bicknell said all her grandchildren "loved him to pieces".

The hunt for Tia lasted more than a week

She said she had thought back over her relationship and had not noticed any particular changes, nor had any worries about Hazell being around Tia.

Her statement said Hazell was not somebody she "dragged in from the street", but had had a relationship with him for more than five years. 

"Tia was not the sort of girl you could groom," she said. "She was a mouthy 12-year-old - you couldn't force her to do anything. 

"She is a mini Natalie (Tia's mother), which is a mini me."

She added: "I knew nothing about her death. If I knew, he could be dead - I would be inside because I would have killed him. I found out the same time as everybody else, that Friday. I didn't know anything."

Ms Bicknell said that Hazell would get "argumentative" after drinking vodka, but that she had told him not to consume it in the house. He would, however, drink lager and smoke two cannabis joints per day.

Hazell, who had previously dated Tia's mother, moved in with Ms Bicknell a week after their relationship started in 2007, the court heard.

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Queen's Speech: Immigration Curbs Dominate

New measures to tackle immigration were among the Government's priorities outlined in this year's Queen's Speech.

In its legislative programme for the year ahead, the coalition also set out plans to cap bills for social care, introduce a flat-rate pension, cut the regulation burden on small businesses and extend consumer rights.

At the heart of the Government's agenda, a new Immigration Bill was unveiled to regulate migrant access to the NHS as well as introduce stiffer fines on businesses which exploit illegal labour.

Foreign criminals and illegal immigrants also face a crackdown with a new bill making it easier to deport them - including powers to prevent the abuse of human rights laws.

The Queen told MPs and peers that the bill will aim to "ensure that this country attracts people who will contribute and deter those who will not".

The Queen travels to the Houses of Parliament

Meanwhile, a £72,000 cap will be introduced from 2016 on the amount people in England have to pay for social care, to end a situation where pensioners have to sell their homes to pay for care in their final years.

And millions of people caring for elderly and disabled relatives in England will be given the right to receive support from their local councils.

A Pensions Bill will introduce a single-tier pension, worth around £144 a week at today's prices, and will bring forward to 2026 the date at which the retirement age rises to 67.

And consumers are to receive greater protection when using offshore gambling sites with new measures to ensure all operators in the local market hold a UK licence.

Amid all the traditional pomp and ceremony in the House of Lords, Her Majesty made clear that the Government's "first priority" remains restoring Britain's economic health, something which cannot simply be legislated for.

David Cameron and Ed Miliband walk towards the House of Lords

She announced paving legislation for further necessary measures for the £33bn construction of the high-speed rail link between London, Birmingham and the north of England, keeping the controversial project on track. 

Businesses will be assisted through a bill to create a £2,000 annual employment allowance to reduce National Insurance bills for every company and charity.

And a Deregulation Bill will aim to reduce the burden of excessive red tape on business, public bodies and individuals by repealing legislation that is no longer of practical use, and placing a duty on regulators to have regard to the impact of their actions on growth.

Self-employed people whose work activities pose no potential risk of harm to others will be exempted from health and safety law.

The Queen also said the Government would protect the Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination as she opened the new session of Parliament.

The Queen reads the speech with Prince Charles looking on

Measures to reduce crime and disorder will include tougher controls on dogs which are dangerously out of control, a new "community trigger" to ensure action is taken on persistent anti-social behaviour, larger fines for illegal importation of firearms and making forced marriage a criminal offence.

Meanwhile, there will be new measures to encourage the rehabilitation of prisoners after they leave jail.

Plans to make it easier for victims of asbestos-related cancer to claim compensation were also unveiled.

But the Queen's Speech, which featured 20 bills, including some in draft form or carried over from the previous session, was also notable for what was omitted - such as the so-called snoopers' charter to monitor internet and social media use, opposed by the Liberal Democrats, and any further moves on an EU referendum in the wake of the success of UKIP at last week's local elections.

Sky News Political Editor Adam Boulton said the failure to do any more about the referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union would pile yet more pressure on the Prime Minister to act from his eurosceptic backbenchers.   

The Queen smiles as she leaves after the State Opening of Parliament

There was also no place for mooted health protection measures to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes and minimum unit prices for alcohol - although Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier insisted that no final decision had been made to kill off the proposals.

Mr Hunt told Sky News that no decision over introducing the plans had been made yet, adding: "We don't want to do something that is damaging to industry unless it's going to have those health benefits."

In an introduction to their legislative agenda, Prime David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Queen's Speech was "all about backing people who work hard and want to get on in life".

They said: "In May 2010, we came together to govern in the national interest. We knew the road ahead would be tough and so it has proved to be.

"But three years on, our resolve to turn our country around has never been stronger. We know that Britain can be great again because we've got the people to do it. Today's Queen's Speech shows that we will back them every step of the way."

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh arrive back at Buckingham Palace afterwards

But Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "Today's Queen's Speech should respond to the deep problems the country faces. On the evidence so far, it is not up to the scale of the task."

Unions also attacked the speech. Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "With its policies causing untold damage to our economy and our communities, it is shameful of the Government to try to stoke up even more fear and suspicion of migrants.

"This is not so much 'dog whistle' politics, more a shrill and desperate cry to satisfy the extremes of the Tory Party."

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis added: "There is little comfort in this programme for the young, the unemployed, the working poor, the sick, the vulnerable or the millions who have seen their living standards fall drastically since this coalition Government came to power."

It was the first time in 17 years that the Prince of Wales attended the State Opening of Parliament, in a move indicating his growing role supporting the Queen in her official duties.

Charles has previously accompanied the Queen to the occasion at the Palace of Westminster 11 times, but not since 1996.

His appearance, together with the Duchess of Cornwall, comes after it was announced that the Queen will miss the Commonwealth summit later this year for the first time in 40 years as part of a review of her long-haul travel.

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