British And French Navies Team Up For Drill

By David Bowden, Sky News Senior Correspondent

Thousands of sailors and marines and a flotilla of warships from Britain and France are on manoeuvres in the Mediterranean in preparation for combined operations around the world.

Codenamed Corsican Lion, the operation - the biggest since the two countries signed a military cooperation treaty in 2010 - is designed to get both sets of troops used to each other's fighting methods.

The exercise, which involves 6,000 service personnel, is using a range of vessels from both navies, although the centrepiece is the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and her fast jets.

Her presence has re-ignited the controversy over the scrapping of the UK's own carriers almost a decade before their replacements will be in service.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond watched the exercise

The Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, who flew in to observe the exercise and hold bi-lateral talks with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, faced a barrage of tricky questions from reporters about the potential embarrassment of the UK having to go cap in hand to her allies to provide carrier cover in the meantime.

Mr Hammond insisted that tough decisions had had to be made and that the new Queen Elizabeth class British carriers would provide an enhanced capability when they came on stream at the end of the decade.

"As I stand on the deck of the Charles De Gaulle, I shall be remembering that we are building two brand new modern carriers," he said.

The commander of the UK Response Force Task Group, Commodore Paddy McAlpine, said the combination of land, sea and air abilities means that in any future deployment, anywhere in the world, "we are the crystal everything else forms around".

The week-long exercise involves not only five British naval ships but Royal Marines from 3 Commando Brigade and their French counterparts.

Air support comes from French Rafaele and Super Étendard jets and dozens of helicopters ranging from Apaches to Sea Kings and Chinooks.

On the water, small boats and landing craft allow the Marines from both sides of the Channel to practice their drills.

It is not without its problems though.

French Lieutenant Benoit Bouquin said: "It's very interesting for us because we can use all the British boats, but quite difficult with the language. Not many of our soldiers speak English."

Few Royal Marines speak French either, although Corporal Ben Cussons says they manage to communicate.

"On the shop floor, you just make do," he said. "It's all smiles and nods and 'hellos'. At our level, that's enough."

Once Corsican Lion is complete the fighting flotilla will move on to the Adriatic and further exercises, this time with the Albanians.

That exercise is imaginatively tagged "Albanian Lion".

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Smokers Who Quit 'Live Up To A Decade Longer'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

The largest ever study of the hazards of smoking amongst women has revealed that those who give up by middle age can extend their lives by more than a decade.

The research, published in the medical journal The Lancet today, shows that women who stop smoking before the age of 30 slash their chances of a smoke-related death by 97%.

In one of the biggest studies of its kind more than 1.3m women were recruited between 1996 and 2001.

Those who were still smokers after three years were nearly three times as likely as non-smokers to die over the next nine years, the study revealed.

Professor Sir Richard Peto from the University of Oxford, who co-wrote the report, said: "If women smoke like men, they die like men.

"But whether they are men or women, smokers who stop before reaching middle age will, on average, gain about an extra 10 years of life."

Leanne Dixon, 21, a customer service assistant from Manchester, started smoking when she was 13.

"These statistics really make me think," she told Sky News.

"I've thought about giving up for ages but never have. But it makes you think that you have to stop while you're young."

Alyson Aston and her friend Lyn Faulkner started smoking at the age of 15. Now in their 40s, they say giving up is not an option.

"It's not these statistics that make me want to give up, it's the cost," said Ms Aston.

Ms Faulkner added: "I think a lot about giving up but I don't have the willpower.

"But when you think about living an extra 10 years, it really is a long time."

Those who have had a brush with cancer have a cautionary tale to tell.

June Atherton, 66, used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day. She gave up at the age of 50 but was diagnosed with lung cancer 10 years later.

She said: "I stop young women in the street and tell them that they're killing themselves by smoking. They think I'm mad but it's an important message."

Paula Chadwick, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, told Sky News: "This is important research and tells us that stopping as early as you can will prolong your life.

"More women are being diagnosed with lung cancer and we need to bring those figures down by supporting those who want to give up and making sure the young don't start."

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CCTV Clue In Hunt For Fugitive 'Sex Attacker'

Police hunting for a fugitive who is believed to have sexually attacked two schoolgirls while on the run have released CCTV pictures.

Ivan Leach, also known as Lee Cyrus, did not return from day release from North Sea Camp open prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, earlier this month.

People are being warned not to approach him under any circumstances and described him as "dangerous and predatory".

Officers fear he carried out a very serious sexual assault in Tayside, Scotland, since he absconded on October 9.

Despite a large police search and numerous reported sightings 47-year-old Cyrus remains at large.

New CCTV footage, believed to be of Cyrus in Preston city centre on October 17, has now been released in the hope that someone might come forward with information. It shows him walking down Friargate at 6.50pm in the direction of the railway station.

He has links to Preston, and has known to be in the city on a number of occasions since he absconded, but it is believed he could be anywhere in the country.

Police enquiries are also ongoing in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Tayside.

Cyrus was jailed in 2005 for robbing a 90-year-old woman in Ribbleton, Lancashire. He was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of five years. He also has convictions for burglary and robbery and assault.

Detective chief inspector Ian Dawson of Preston Police said Cyrus "is an extremely dangerous and predatory individual who poses a serious threat to members of the public".

He added: "He has previous convictions for burglary, sex offences against a young girl, assault and robberies in which he has targeted elderly people in their own homes.

"We believe he could be sleeping rough and travelling extensively throughout the country."

Cyrus is described as white, around five feet 11 inches tall, of stocky build with cropped hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with any information about his possible whereabouts is being urged to contact local police either in person or on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Victory For Man Who Took Cold Caller To Court

A businessman plagued by nuisance phone calls offering compensation for Payment Protection Insurance has secured £220 in an out-of-court settlement.

Richard Herman, 53, was so fed up with the unwanted calls arriving from India, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He warned the company that, in future, he would invoice them £10 for every minute of his time they used.

When the calls continued he began recording them before finally invoicing the company £195 for their use of his "time, telephone and electricity".

Upon receipt of the invoice the marketing firm acting on behalf of UK-based PPI Claimline Ltd, denied making the calls. When Mr Herman revealed he had recorded evidence, they still refused to pay.

But when Mr Herman filed a claim in the small claims court for the unpaid invoice - plus £25 in costs - the company offered to settle the debt out of court and transferred £220 into his bank account.

Mr Herman filed in the small claims court when his invoice was not paid

Mr Herman said: "I kept being called, as we all do, and I thought the only way for them to stop would be for me to speak to them and say, 'For goodness sake, take me off your list!'

"Then it occurred to me to tell them that if they call again I'll charge for my time. When they continued calling I sent them an invoice for 19.5 minutes."

To encourage others to do the same Mr Herman has set up a website with examples of covering letters and invoices to send to nuisance callers.

Even though the validity of Mr Herman's original invoice was not tested in court, he believes anyone who warns cold-calling companies they will be charged if they call, have a right to invoice them.

"I did business studies at 17 and studied 'offer-and-acceptance' so I knew a verbal contract is just as valid as a written one but harder to prove.

"The recorded calls proved I did tell them I would charge for my time if they called again".

Mr Herman, who works in the telephone industry selling call-recording equipment, said his action was a last resort after asking the Information Commissioner and the Telephone Preference Service for help.

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Jimmy Savile: Seven Claims Made Before Death

At least seven alleged victims of Jimmy Savile made complaints of sexual abuse against him while he was still alive, it emerges.

Scotland Yard has admitted four police forces were aware in the 1980s of claims against the former TV presenter and DJ.

The first of the seven claims was made in the 1980s by a young girl, who said she had been subjected to an indecent assault at BBC TV Centre.

Subsequent claims were made between 2003 and 2008, all relating to alleged instances of sexual abuse during the 1970s.

Commander Peter Spindler said the Metropolitan Police were now dealing with around 300 potential victims, of whom all except two are women.

They have been separated into three categories: those allegedly abused by Savile, those allegedly abused by Savile and others and those allegedly abused by others on their own.

BBC boss George Entwistle has faced questions over the scandal

Mr Spindler claimed Savile was one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and that the inquiry into his alleged abuse would be a "watershed" investigation into sex crime.

He said an "arrest strategy" was being devised, but that police had yet to detain anyone under caution.

Child safety expert and former Met detective Jonathan Taylor told Sky News why Savile may have escaped police action during his lifetime.

"It's very different to have evidence to arrest somebody than the amount of evidence required for a prosecution and subsequent conviction," he said.

"If a victim isn't willing to go to court and actually stand up and say, 'This is what happened to me,' then really it's not going to go to court and the chances are that the individual then may not be arrested."

Savile, who died last year aged 84, had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, an office and living quarters at Broadmoor and widespread access to Leeds General Infirmary.

The NSPCC said it had received 439 calls about sexual abuse in the past three weeks, a 60% rise on what they would normally receive.

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EDF To Raise Gas And Electricity Prices

Energy giant EDF is to increase prices for householders by an average of 10.8%.

The rise, gas and electricity, around four times the rate of inflation, is set to be implemented on December 7.

EDF, which has 3.1 million customers and 5.5 million accounts overall, said its annual dual fuel bill was the lowest of the suppliers to have announced price rises so far.

Companies have blamed the changes on rising wholesale prices and increased running costs - especially for transporting gas and electricity to customers' homes - and the cost of energy efficiency programmes.

Martin Lawrence, EDF managing director of energy sourcing and customer supply, said: "We know that customers will not welcome this news and do not want to see prices going up.

"Our new prices will, however, be cheaper on average than those of all the other major suppliers which have announced standard price rises so far this autumn.

"We've taken extra measures to make sure the most vulnerable benefit from the best deals and we continue to help customers reduce their bills with energy efficiency measures."

Earlier this month Npower became the third of the so-called Big Six energy firms to confirm steep rises in its gas and electricity bills ahead of winter.

It said bills would increase by an average 8.8% for gas and 9.1% for electricity from November 26.

Just hours beforehand British Gas confirmed that its average dual fuel tariff would rise by 6% - or £80 annually - from November 16.

The Big Six - British Gas, EDF, E.On, NPower, Scottish Power and SSE - control 99% of the UK's domestic energy supplies.

E.ON is the only big supplier yet to announce price rises after it made a promise not to raise tariffs this year.

Last week the energy regulator Ofgem said it would make the market "simpler, clearer and fairer" for consumers.

The promise follows a call by the Prime Minister to energy giants to overhaul confusing tariff systems.

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Hospital Abuse Scandal: Former Carers Jailed

Care Home Abusers Sentenced

Updated: 12:14pm UK, Friday 26 October 2012

The former staff admitted 38 charges of either neglect or ill-treatment of people with severe learning difficulties. They are:

:: Wayne Rogers, 32, of Purton Close, Bristol, pleaded guilty to nine charges of ill-treating Ms Deville, Mr Tovey and Miss Blake. He denied a charge of ill-treating Miss Bisset, which was accepted by the prosecution and he did not face trial. He was jailed for two years.

:: Alison Dove, 25, of Chipperfield Drive, Bristol, pleaded guilty to seven charges of ill-treating Miss Guilford, Miss Bisset and Miss Blake. She pleaded not guilty to ill-treating Mr Tovey, which was accepted by the prosecution and she did not face trial. She was jailed for 20 months.

:: Graham Doyle, 26, of Brackendene, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, pleaded guilty to seven charges of ill-treating Miss Blake. He denied charges of wilfully neglecting Miss Guilford and ill-treating Mr Tovey. The prosecution accepted the pleas and he did not face trial. He was also jailed for 20 months.

:: Jason Gardiner, 43, of Mellent Avenue, Bristol, admitted two charges of ill-treating Ms Deville and Mr Tovey. His four-month jail term was suspended for two years. Gardiner was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Michael Ezenagu, 29, of Malabar Court, India Way, Shepherds Bush, west London, pleaded guilty to two counts of ill-treating Miss Blake. He denied two further of ill-treating the same patient and a third similar charge against Mr Tovey. The prosecution accepted the pleas and he did not face trial. His six-month jail term was suspended for two years. Ezenagu was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Danny Brake, 27, of Beechen Drive, Fishponds, Bristol, also pleaded guilty to two charges of ill-treating Miss Blake and Mr Tovey. His four-month jail term was suspended for two years. Brake was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Charlotte Cotterell, 22, of Melrose Avenue, Yate, Bristol, pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating Miss Blake. She denied a second charge against the same victim, which was accepted by the prosecution and she did not face trial. Her four-month jail term was suspended for two years. Cotterell was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and complete 12 months supervision.

:: Holly Draper, 24, of The Old Orchard, Mangotsfield, Bristol, pleaded guilty to two charges of ill-treating Miss Blake. She was jailed for 12 months.

:: Neil Ferguson, 28, of Emersons Green, Bristol, pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating Miss Blake. He denied a second charge of ill-treating the same patient, which the prosecution accepted and he did not face trial. His six-month jail term was suspended for two years. Ferguson was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Sookalingum Appoo, 59, of Dial Lane, Bristol, admitted three charges of wilfully neglecting Miss Blake. He was jailed for six months.

:: Kelvin Fore, 33, of Ellesmere Walk, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to one charge of wilfully neglecting Miss Blake but denied a second allegation against the same person, which was accepted by the prosecution and he did not face trial. He was also jailed for six months.

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Malala Dad: Shot Schoolgirl 'Will Rise Again'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

The Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban will "rise again", her father has said.

Ziauddin Yusufzai his wife and two sons were reunited with 15-year-old Malala, who is being treated at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, last night, after flying in from Islamabad.

He described her shooting - which came after she campaigned for girl's education in Pakistan - as a "turning point" for the country.

"She will rise again, she will stand again," he told a news conference.

"When she fell, Pakistan stood. This is a turning point."

Mr Yusufzai said she Malala was walking, talking, eating and smiling - and that all signs of infection were gone. He added that she would be having hearing and sight tests today.

Pakistani police are hunting prime suspect Atta ur Rehman

He said: "I am thankful that you are very much concerned about my daughter's health. You have supported the cause for which she stands, the cause of peace and education."

He said Malala had just done a second mid-term exam and was on her way home in a school van in the Swat Valley on October 9 when two men stopped the vehicle at pistol point and asked which child was Malala, before one opened fire.

Mr Yusufzai, who was speaking as his 12 year old son Kushal Khan sat beside him, said Malala had received good wishes from all over the world.

"She is a daughter of everybody, a sister of everybody," he said.

When asked how he felt when he and his family saw Malala last night, he said: "I love her and last night when we met her there were tears in our eyes out of happiness."

Mr Yusufzai told reporters that he was thankful to doctors for the "excellent" and "world class" care Malala had received in Birmingham.

He was visibly moved as he described how he was told to prepare for Malala's funeral.

"I'm thankful to God," he said.

"I found angels on my side all around me ... she got the right treatment, at the right place, at the right time.

"In Pakistan for the first time we saw that all political parties, the government, children, women, elders, they were crying and praying to God. Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, indifferent of caste, colour or creed, they prayed for my daughter."

It comes after police in Pakistan named the prime suspect in connection with the shooting as 23-year-old Atta Ullah Khan, a chemistry student from the Swat district.

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Ash Tree Disease Threatens UK Countryside

A deadly disease which has devastated ash trees in Europe has been discovered in the English countryside, raising fears it could wreak the same kind of damage as Dutch elm disease in the 1970s.

The Woodland Trust has confirmed that the first British cases of ash dieback, which is caused by a fungus, have been identified on its estate at Pound Farm in Suffolk and at Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Lower Wood reserve at Ashwellthorpe.

The Chalara fraxinea fungus causes leaf loss and crown dieback and can lead to tree death. It has already wiped out 90% of ash trees in Denmark in seven years and is becoming widespread throughout central Europe.

The Trust is supporting a ban on importing and moving ash trees to stop the disease from spreading in the UK, which the Government is poised to bring in as early as next week.

Andrew Sharkey, head of woodland management for the Trust, said losing ash trees would have serious implications for wildlife and the countryside.

Forestry Commission staff have been redeployed from their usual duties to survey woods and forests in East Anglia and across Britain, and forest managers and tree professionals are being urged to inspect trees and report any suspected to be infected.

Dr John Morgan, head of the body's plant health service, said efforts to tackle the disease were a priority.

"It is still early days and investigations are continuing," he said. "But there is a possibility that the East Anglia outbreak is an isolated one which has been present for some time. This emphasises the importance of preventing spread further afield."

The Horticultural Trades Association has also urged members to abide by a voluntary moratorium on importing ash trees for planting in the country.

Ash trees make up around 30% of the UK's wooded landscape.

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Olympic Medals Stolen: Pair Plead For Return

Two of Team GB's Olympic heroes have had their medals stolen just hours after attending a Buckingham Palace celebration of their success.

Rower Alex Partridge and hockey team member Hannah Macleod took to social networking site Twitter to appeal for information in an attempt to find their Olympic bronze medals.

Partridge won bronze as part of the men's eight rowing team. He tweeted that his Olympic blazer had also been stolen from a club in Mayfair, central London.

Macleod wrote on the site: "My medal was also stolen at the same time. Totally devastated."

Both athletes later published a photograph of a man captured on CCTV who they wished to talk to about the alleged thefts.

Partridge said: "To the chap who took my @London2012 Olympic Blazer & Medal last night The police have u on CCTV Please return it."

Macleod said she was not looking for punishment, she just wanted the medal back.

"If you picked up a Bronze Olympic medal that isn't yours pls just send anonymously back to GB hockey-Bisham Abbey," she tweeted.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it was investigating reports of a stolen Olympic medal and blazer, but said it had not yet been contacted about a second stolen medal.

A spokesman said: "An Olympic medal and blazer were reported stolen from a venue in Mayfair in central London.

"It was believed the items were taken between midnight and 5am on Wednesday, October 24."

A host of Olympic and Paralympic stars had earlier been invited to the palace to mark their achievements along with the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Duchess of Cambridge, Prime Minister David Cameron and London 2012 chief Lord Coe.

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