Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Januari 2015 | 18.55
Deaths from liver disease have increased 400% in the last 40 years, according to the British Liver Trust, which is calling for screening to help combat the problem.
The organisation is warning that costs from the disease could rise above £1bn a year unless action is taken.
It has launched its fourth annual Love Your Liver campaign with a call for the Government to back universal liver health screening in primary care and a national liver health prevention campaign.
Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: "The average age of death from liver disease is 57, that's over 20 years lower than deaths from cancer, stroke and heart disease - liver disease is now the third most common cause of premature death.
"Most people think that a glass of wine or pint of beer a night or a couple of takeaways a week won't do much harm - when in fact drinking even just a bit too much alcohol every day and eating unhealthy food are major contributing factors for liver damage.
Video:Dec: 'Zero Tolerance' To Drink Call
"We are all affected differently and the symptoms are almost undetectable in many cases until it is too late."
The trust says advanced liver disease is a "ticking time bomb the government cannot afford to ignore".
More investment into early diagnosis could save the NHS as much as £600m, it claims, and Mr Langford added this could also save more than one million lives.
Liver specialist Dr Jude Oben told Sky News screening would "make a huge difference".
Video:New Report On Drinking And Health
He said: "If 30% of the UK population is obese, how many of those patients are having their livers tested for the presence of liver disease?"
The British Liver Trust has an online screening tool that acts as an early warning system.
It takes five minutes to complete and helps people to understand if they are in danger of liver damage.
Sky's Joey Jones is travelling the country looking at the issues that matter to voters in some of the marginal constituencies.
Here he focuses on concerns about housing in Thurrock, Essex, one of the 150 seats that could play a deciding role in May's General Election.
THURROCK
There is a widespread assumption that in a general election campaign the parties deal with the issues that matter to people.
The economy, the cost of living... in the aftermath of a financial crisis these are issues in the forefronts of people's minds.
Video:Could Clegg Lose His Seat?
Immigration has been thrust to the top of the agenda as UKIP's success has demonstrated their competitors' failure to grasp the mood of the British people on the issue; the NHS, education and so on - central to the fabric of people's lives.
However, some issues that you might expect to feature strongly will not.
They will feature, but not as central themes. I have been looking at one example - housing.
The picture I found in Thurrock in Essex is typical for the South East of England in particular (though it is not exclusive to this region).
Video:Starting Pistol Fired in Campaign
There is concern about private rental costs and a lack of housing stock (in particular council housing).
Skyrocketing prices are a central preoccupation.
But the reality is that there is no real benefit for political parties in making housing central to the political battleground.
For one thing, it is all too difficult.
Video:Lib Dems Defying The Polls
No government has made particularly good progress in doing what all agree needs to be done - building more homes.
Beyond that though, housing is not a key "dividing line" issue.
Politicians like talking about things where they can say: "Look at the other lot - they would do it this way but they are wrong. We would do it differently and we would all be better off."
When it comes to a problem as intractable as housing, it is not too much of a caricature to say that Westminster orthodoxy is: "Isn't it all difficult? We will do our best. We'll do better than the other lot (and better than last time we had a crack at it)."
Video:Are The Greens A Flash In The Pan?
Thurrock is a dogfight between three parties (UKIP are mounting a fierce challenge to Labour and the Conservatives).
It is a place where you need to scrap for every vote.
That means choosing your ground carefully, fighting on issues where you are confident of landing meaningful blows.
Not surprisingly, then, the people I spoke to in Thurrock had no confidence that politicians could help improve the housing situation (with one exception - a man who felt that UKIP's desire to reduce immigration could free up accommodation).
Video:The Threat In Labour's Backyard
It is all very well that voters have no confidence politicians can sort out a single, admittedly important, issue.
The wider danger is that if MPs cannot deal with something that really does make a difference to people's lives, they will only find themselves confronted with further cynicism and disenchantment.
Frontline police officers should be able to carry a Taser to combat attempted attacks on them by terrorists, according to the head of the organisation that represents them.
Police Federation chair Steve White said the stun guns, which can temporarily disable the target with two dart-like electrodes that carry a maximum 50,000-volt charge, should be made more widely available to uniformed officers.
He told The Guardian newspaper the move was needed because acts of terrorism could be carried out anywhere and officers needed protection.
Mr White said: "The terrorist ideal to get attention no longer relies on an attack being in a place of note.
"It could be in Cheam high street, in any town, in any part of the UK.
Video:Call For Police To Carry Tasers
"We know there are more dangerous people out there, preparing to attack police officers and we need to be able to respond to that threat."
Leaders at the Police Federation will vote next month on a proposal that every officer on the frontline should be offered training in how to use the weapons.
Mr White said: "Talking to them with a cup of tea and a biscuit is not going to work."
The murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich in 2013 showed "you don't need to have a gun to create terrorism", said Mr White, who rejected the notion the move amounted to arming officers.
"It is a defensive tool and a tactical option.
"We have a largely unarmed service and the service wants that to remain.
"The alternative is to have officers out there without anything at all. We have to do something."
But one police chief, speaking anonymously, told The Guardian the idea risked damaging public confidence in the police.
"The idea of arming every police officer with a Taser is alien to 200 years of police culture," they said.
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Gallery: Taser Device Explained
The most common device used by police is the X26 Taser, which has a peak voltage of 50,000 volts when discharged - this drops to 1,200 volts while travelling around the body
The Taser fires two small dart-like electrodes which stay connected to the main unit as they are propelled by small compressed nitrogen charges to the body similar to air gun or paintball marker propellants
Donations for a disabled pensioner who was mugged outside his home have reached more than £90,000.
After reading about the mugging of 67-year-old Alan Barnes, beautician Katie Cutler set up an online fundraising page that went viral and has raised almost 200 times its original £500 target in just two days.
Mr Barnes, who has disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, broke his collarbone when he was pushed over by his attacker.
People were moved to help after hearing that Mr Barnes was too afraid to return to his home in Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.
Following reports of the attack, which police described as "disgraceful", Ms Cutler set up the Help Alan Barnes online donation page on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe.
She wrote: "I was so upset that anyone could target a disabled pensioner and be so cruel.
"We can't take away what has happened but with a little donation we can make the future a prettier one and help towards the cost of his new home. Thank you all."
One online contributor, Lorraine Susan, said: "I really hope this fund helps him get settled somewhere nice & safe.
"At least he knows there are literally thousands on his side."
Mr Barnes is a well-known figure in Low Fell and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Januari 2015 | 18.54
Parts of England are being battered by "thundersnow" storms as the winter weather continues to bite across Britain.
Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "We have got snow falling in a number of areas in the North and West, including thunderstorms.
"There is thundersnow to the north of Manchester - these are normal thunderstorms but with snow rather than rain."
More than 200 schools in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England are closed today and mobile phone operator EE advised customers of coverage problems in Ayrshire, West Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear due to the weather.
The weather will turn slightly milder on Friday
Main roads in Durham, Yorkshire and north Wales are among those closed because of the weather and more than a dozen rail services between Manchester and York have been cancelled, as northern England is hit by the storms this morning.
Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, advised train passengers to check before they travel.
Video:Snow Grounds Manchester Flights
Flights to and from Manchester Airport have been suspended, with flights being diverted. Passengers are advised to come to the airport as normal but to check with their airline.
A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: "We have currently suspended all departures and arrivals for a short period of time, whilst we are in the process of clearing both runways of snow so we can resume operations as quickly as possible."
Sky News forecaster Isobel Lang said today would see frequent snow showers in Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern parts of Ireland and in northern England.
She added: "The strong winds will blow the snow around, making driving dangerous.
Video:Cold Steel: Sheffield White Out
"During this evening and tonight the showers will ease, it will turn slightly less cold, with the showers turning more to sleet or rain later. It may still be icy."
Cold blasts from Greenland and Iceland will cause temperatures to drop to around 2-3C (36-37F) in the North and 4-5C (39-41F) in the South. It will become slightly milder by Friday, reaching 7C (45F) in the South.
The Met Office has issued an amber "be prepared" warning for snow, which covers huge parts of Britain from Liverpool Bay to the Humber to the western side of the Welsh mountains.
Up to 15cm (6in) of snow is expected to fall in parts of the North tonight and there is also snow expected during the morning rush hour in the Northwest, on the M6 north of Cheshire, Scotland and Greater London.
1/16
Gallery: UK Freezes As More Snow Sweeps In
Britain's winter has brought a thick covering of snow and dangerous driving conditions to parts of the country. Here snow covers graves at St Joseph's Church in west Belfast
Terminal 1 at Manchester Airport covered in a blanket of snow which has closed the airport
A rescue operation for a fishing boat with four crew aboard which went missing in the Channel in "very challenging" conditions has been suspended.
The RNLI said it would make a decision on resuming the search this morning.
It is believed the vessel's communications failed after the boat encountered rough seas and gale-force winds on Wednesday afternoon.
A Coastguard Rescue helicopter is scouring an area in the southeast of the English Channel, along with two all-weather lifeboats and a French search and rescue helicopter.
"The coastguard has notified other vessels in the surrounding area to remain vigilant and contact them if they locate anything," a spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency added.
The 40m long fishing trawler, a Belgian vessel with a Dutch skipper, was last reported at a location approximately 10 miles from Dungeness on the Kent coast.
"It is a very large search area. The two lifeboats are operating eight miles apart. With no sightings, one does fear the worst," said RNLI spokesman Tim Ash.
A survivor of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham claims she still sees her abusers "driving young girls in their car", as a Sky News investigation reveals hundreds of new cases continue to emerge.
In August 2014, the Alexis Jay report identified 1,400 cases of child sexual exploitation in the Yorkshire town.
But Sky News has learned that hundreds more cases were known to authorities prior to its publication and that hundreds more are being reported.
Victims continue to feel let down by authorities.
One survivor "Gemma" told Sky News: "It's still going on if not worse, because now they're having to hide it more.
Video:Rotherham Abuse Victim Speaks Out
"I'm still seeing my abusers driving young girls in their car. They're untouchable."
The Alexis Jay report found that hundreds of children had been sexually exploited, mostly by Asian gangs, and that Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire police had failed to tackle the problem.
Jayne Senior, who ran an outreach programme for victims in Rotherham called Risky Business, has revealed that she reported nearly 1,700 cases of grooming or sexual exploitation to the council's children's services between 1999 and 2011.
This was a shorter time period than that examined by the report.
"I was accused of saying too much, of sharing too much information, reporting too much intelligence," she told Sky News in her first interview.
"Risky Business didn't make all this up. It was accused of making it all up and Alexis Jay exonerated all of that."
The report found Risky Business was seen by the borough's social care services "as something of a nuisance".
It added that "there were too many examples of young people who were properly referred by Risky Business to children's social care and who somehow fell through the net and were not treated with the priority they deserved".
Risky Business was shut down in 2011 and victims have expressed frustration that a recent application to set up a new support group has been turned down by the council despite recommendations in the Jay report.
"It shouldn't have been shut down," one victim told Sky News.
"Because that was an agency that was trying to tackle the situation. But knowing now that it was all a cover-up then I think it was closed down because they were trying to tackle the problem."
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion said she was also baffled as to why Risky Business was discontinued.
"Genuinely, I have no idea why it was shut down. Why would you shut down a successful organisation that was demonstrating there was a massive need for their services and was proving results. They were getting prosecutions."
She is leading calls for a national task force to be set up to combat large scale child abuse across the UK. She said she has been "overwhelmed" with new cases coming to her for help and advice.
As well as support, many victims are still seeking justice.
"Gemma" complained that local police "turned up suited an booted" outside her home with a panic alarm - showing neighbours that she was someone who had reported abuse.
"All they care about is getting a statement," she said. "Six months on we've had no arrests, we've had no charges, evidence is still being lost."
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "We look at each case individually to establish the most appropriate way to contact and visit victims throughout an investigation to ensure their personal safety is maintained.
"South Yorkshire Police has not received a complaint in relation to this alleged incident."
Leader of Rotherham Council, Cllr Paul Lakin, said: "We accepted the recommendations of Professor Jay's report and immediately acted to address the issues raised.
"We fully acknowledge that we should have done more in the past and have offered our sincere and heartfelt apologies to the victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation.
"Make no mistake, protecting children and supporting the police in tackling child sexual exploitation is our highest priority.
"With regard to the 2002 Home Office researcher's report, we take allegations of a "cover up" very seriously and have made strenuous efforts to obtain a full copy of the report. As yet, this has not been forthcoming.
"We are also working with our partners, including South Yorkshire Police, to identify cases where individuals may not have had the access to the services and support that they need."
A new Home Rule Bill for Scotland will be introduced within 100 days if Labour wins the General Election.
Ed Miliband made the promise ahead of a campaign visit to Scotland, saying devolution would be "one of the first things on our agenda".
He said: "This will be real Home Rule for Scotland in the 21st century, giving Scotland the powers it needs."
Referring to former Labour prime minister Tony Blair's establishment of the Scottish Parliament after his 1997 election victory, Mr Miliband said: "Just as in 1997, devolution will be one of the first things on our agenda for the next Labour government.
Mr Murphy is "already leading the agenda in Scotland", said Mr Miliband
"This Bill will give Scotland the powers that were promised over jobs, welfare and tax.
"But we want to go faster. Scotland needs the job creating powers that the Smith Agreement promised. And Scotland needs them now. Next month, Labour will force a vote on our Bill to pass these powers now.
Video:Miliband Makes NHS His Battleground
"If that's not accepted, we will devolve control over the work programme immediately on taking power, so Scotland has the tools it needs to put people back to work."
He praised new Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy as "already leading the agenda in Scotland", having set out plans to increase the number of nurses and help the oil and gas sector.
Mr Murphy is also "talking about how Labour will use the new powers to deal with unemployment and get our young people back to work", Mr Miliband added.
Video:Pollster: Surge In Support For SNP
Scottish National Party (SNP) deputy leader Stewart Hosie said: "Trying to claim that this is Home Rule could be reported under the Trade Descriptions Act for being completely untrue.
"Recently, Lewis MacDonald MSP specifically denied that Labour had ever talked about 'Home Rule', which renders the claims of Ed Miliband and Jim Murphy laughable.
"The reality is that, with 70% of taxation and 85% of welfare spending staying under Westminster control, Labour and the other UK parties are offering Westminster rule not Home Rule - and it is embarrassing for Mr Miliband to try to pretend otherwise.
Video:Numbers Behind Sky Poll Of Polls
"People in Scotland don't believe Ed Miliband - who has achieved the extraordinary feat for a Labour leader of having even worse poll ratings in Scotland than the Tory Prime Minister.
"The way to achieve the real powers of Home Rule is to vote SNP in May, for a strong team of SNP MPs holding the balance of power at Westminster."
Meanwhile, influential pollster Lord Ashcroft has told Sky News that the surge of support for the SNP is real, coming after last year's independence referendum in which 45% voted for the party.
Video:Projection Suggests Hung Parliament
The Conservative peer said: "You could say if you voted 'yes' to independence, why now wouldn't you vote for the SNP in the Westminster Parliament?"
A Sky News projection said the SNP could increase its number of seats at the General Election from its current six to 53.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 28 Januari 2015 | 18.54
Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to quit the habit if they are paid, according to new research.
Figures suggest 5,000 fetuses and babies die every year as a result of mums smoking during pregnancy.
And it is claimed it can cost the NHS annually up to £64m for problems in mothers and up to £23.5m for infants.
But a new study suggests financial incentives, in the form of shopping vouchers, can motivate pregnant women to quit the habit.
"This study provides substantial evidence of a very promising and potentially cost-effective new intervention to add to present health service support," the authors wrote.
"The findings can serve as the basis for future research to include other UK centres and other health care systems."
Researchers at the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling used 612 pregnant smokers.
They were randomly assigned to one of two groups.
Half were assigned to a group offered up to £400 of financial incentives if they took part in sessions aimed at helping them quit or actually gave up.
The other half were just offered places on help groups and a face-to-face appointment with a smoking cessation adviser, four follow-up support calls and free nicotine replacement therapy for 10 weeks.
Women who were offered shopping vouchers were significantly more likely to quit smoking (23%) than those in the control group (9%).
Demonstrators from around the UK are expected to gather in Lancashire today, ahead of a controversial decision on the future of fracking in the county.
It is the first time that Cuadrilla, an exploration company, has applied to develop new fracking sites since being blamed for creating earth tremors in Blackpool three years ago.
The firm suspended test drilling and abandoned its site near the seaside resort following the quakes in 2011.
The Preese Hall site remains the only place in the UK where modern fracking techniques have been used so far.
Tina Rothery says she has put her life on hold to campaign against fracking
And the new areas sit on the same massive reserve of shale gas which experts say could help revolutionise Britain's energy market.
But groups opposed to fracking say it would industrialise the countryside and pollute the environment.
Video:A Guide To Fracking
Cuadrilla has applied to Lancashire County Council for permission to frack two sites in a rural area between Preston and Blackpool.
Officers at the authority have recommended that councillors vote against the proposals because of concerns over noise and road safety.
If the councillors accept the recommendations, it will be seen as a major blow to the efforts to kick-start Britain's shale gas industry.
Anti-fracking campaigner Tina Rothery said: "Like many people in the anti-fracking movement, we have completely put our own lives on hold for four years just to get this done - because how do you walk away from this?
"Every door I would look to walk out of would have my granddaughter's face on it. I can't walk away and go 'It's okay - they'll take care of it' because it's too big."
Video:MPs Reject Fracking Moratorium
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling a mile or more into the earth before water, chemicals and sand are injected under high pressure into rock, releasing the shale gas trapped inside.
In recent years, it has become one of the most divisive issues in the UK, leading to violent scenes between police and protesters at proposed sites in Manchester, Lancashire and Sussex.
Supporters such as Blackpool businessman Tony Raynor claim his interest in fracking was prompted by the local earth tremors several years ago.
"Like most people, I was ambivalent to shale gas, but the tremors made me want to find out more. Now I'm in favour," he said.
"There are fewer jobs here now than there were in 2004 and we all worry about the brain drain (from the area) and our children finding opportunities in this region. We need economic activity happening in Blackpool."
Video:Bianca Jagger Debates Fracking
The anti-fracking movement has built up considerably over recent years. Its supporters say pollution in the US has shown the process is environmentally unsustainable.
However, supporters argue that it has considerably reduced America's dependence on imported energy supplies and helped to bolster the economy.
Cuadrilla has asked that the local authority allows more time to consider its proposals for minimising the environmental impact at fracking sites. If Lancashire councillors do reject Cuadrilla's plans, the company is expected to appeal.
A family has lost its Supreme Court bid for the right to sue police for negligence over the death of a young mother.
Joanna Michael was killed by her ex-boyfriend in "a mad fit of jealous rage" despite dialling 999 twice.
"Individual and systemic failures" by police in Cardiff meant the emergency services arrived too late to save the 25-year-old's life.
Her family asked the highest court in the land - the the Supreme Court - to overturn an appeal court ruling in 2012 that the police have an "immunity" from being sued for negligence under common law for the actions of officers during "the investigation or suppression of crime".
Cyron Williams is serving a life term with a 20-year minimum tariff
However the justices decided by a 5-2 majority that the ruling was correct and dismissed the family's appeal.
Nicholas Bowen QC, appearing for Ms Michael's family, told the court the case was "desperately important".
Video:Joanna Michael Supreme Court Ruling
"There is a need for a heightened accountability of the police in the light of recent scandals and investigations which have had a very serious detrimental affect on public and political confidence in police services."
He also described to the court how Ms Michaels was killed by ex-boyfriend Cyron Williams in August 2009.
The court heard Williams broke into her home "in a mad fit of jealous rage after he discovered she was in a new relationship some weeks after they had finished seeing each other".
He is now serving life with a 20-year tariff, meaning he will be behind bars until at least 2030.
Ms Michaels made her first call at 2.29am on August 5 and told Gwent Police operator that Williams had turned up at her house and found her with someone else.
He had bitten her ear, taken the other man away in his car, and told her he would return to kill her.
The call went through to Gwent - "the wrong police force" instead of South Wales police and was wrongly graded less seriously than it should have been.
A further 999 call was received by Gwent Police from Ms Michael at 2.43am and she could be heard screaming before the line went dead.
When police officers arrived that found Ms Michael had been stabbed 72 times.
Police claimed immunity from being sued by relying on the 1989 case of Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire - the "Yorkshire Ripper" case.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 27 Januari 2015 | 18.54
By Alex Rossi, Sky News Correspondent
The widow of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko says she hopes the inquiry into his murder will reveal the truth about his death.
Marina Litvinenko has told Sky News she wants closure for her and her son Anatoly and also wants to put an end to the conspiracy theories surrounding the crime.
She said: "I know my husband was killed, I saw how it happened. It was a torture. He died a long 23 days in front of me, in front of his son, in front of his friends."
She said she was "fed up" with speculation that her husband had smuggled radioactive material for a "dirty bomb".
The inquiry is diplomatically sensitive and it was initially blocked by the government. There were fears it would cause too much damage to an already bad relationship with Moscow.
Video:Widow Wants To Save Husband's Name
Former Voice of Russia London bureau chief Dmitry Linnik said the fallout from the Ukrainian crisis and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 means the relationship between London and Moscow can hardly get any worse.
He said: "It is as bad as it probably can be short of an open conflagration in a military sense."
Alexander Litvinenko was a former agent for the FSB, the successor organisation of the KGB.
Video:Former KGB Agent Denies Murder
He was an outspoken critic of the Kremlin. He defected to the UK in 2000 - it's thought he then worked for MI6 as an informer.
While in Britain he accused Vladimir Putin of many crimes, including ordering the murder of the human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Litvinenko fell ill after meeting two Russian contacts - Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi - at the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square on 1 November 2006.
Video:Litvinenko Inquiry 'Needs Answers'
He had drunk tea that had been poisoned with polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope.
The two men are now both wanted by the British police on suspicion of murder but an extradition request has been refused by the Russian Federation.
Both men have consistently denied the allegation of murder.
Video:Poisoning Timeline
The inquiry, which opens on Tuesday and is scheduled to last for the next 10 weeks, will attempt to fathom what their involvement was and ultimately whether or not the Russian state orchestrated the killing.
:: Follow the inquiry live from the Royal Courts of Justice on Sky News
The Aer Lingus board says it is willing to recommend the financial terms of an approach by the owner of British Airways.
The Dublin-based carrier's statement was seen as support for the proposed £1bn (€1.36bn) takeover by International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), but it said the bid's success was in the hands of major shareholders, which include Ireland's government.
The airline said: "IAG has indicated that it would only proceed with its third proposal with an indication from the Board of Aer Lingus that it would be willing to recommend the financial terms of the Revised Proposal.
"Having considered this request, the Board has indicated to IAG that the financial terms are at a level at which it would be willing to recommend, subject to being satisfied with the manner in which IAG proposes to address the interests of relevant parties.
"The Board notes IAG's intentions regarding the future of the company, in particular that Aer Lingus would operate as a separate business with its own brand, management and operations, continuing to provide connectivity to Ireland, while benefiting from the scale of being part of the larger IAG group."
IAG confirmed it wanted Aer Lingus to join the Oneworld airline alliance, of which its brands BA and Iberia are members, and become part of of a joint business that IAG operates over the North Atlantic with American Airlines.
IAG said it "believes that the proposal would secure and strengthen Aer Lingus' brand and long-term future within a successful and profitable European airline group, offering significant benefits to both Aer Lingus and its customers.
"IAG recognises the importance of direct air services and air route connectivity for investment and tourism in Ireland and intends to engage with the Irish government in order to secure its support for the transaction."
Aer Lingus was privatised nine years ago, leaving the Irish government with a current 25% stake.
Ireland will want assurances from IAG over its plans for the key Dublin to Heathrow route.
No-frills carrier Ryanair, which owns 29.8% of Aer Lingus following a series of failed takeover attempts, may be tempted to sell as it has been told by UK authorities to draw down its stake on competition grounds.
Labour will be the largest party in a hung parliament after May's General Election, according to a Sky News projection based on the latest poll of polls.
According to Sky's figures, which look at the national figures and those just for Scotland, Labour will fall short of an overall majority by 40 seats.
The Green Party, UKIP and the Scottish National Party are all vying to lure voters away from the traditional two-party system and if the numbers are correct, the SNP could hold the key to any coalition.
It comes with just 100 days until the General Election, as Britain's two largest parties - Labour and the Conservatives - launch new policies in a bid to lure voters.
In an interview with Sky News, David Cameron said he was worried about the future of the country, warning that if Labour was to get the keys to Number 10 in May it would "wreck" the economy.
Video:Sky Reveals Election Predictions
He insisted the Tories could win an outright majority but said the next 100 days would be a "tough fight".
And he insisted his tax cut promises could be funded by the Conservatives' continued careful management of the economy.
He said: "I am worried about the future of our country if we end up with an unstable, left-wing government that starts to borrow and spend and wreck the economic progress that we have made. Of course I worry about that.
"But, we have 100 days to go to make this argument and I think people can now see, increasingly, our country getting stronger day by day.
Video:100 Days To Go Until The Election
"We have not finished the job, there are still many challenges left for us to meet but we are on the right track and when you are on the right track that's exactly the wrong time to turn backwards."
Mr Cameron has promised a renewed squeeze on benefits "within the first few days" of Government if the Tories are re-elected on 7 May.
The Prime Minister plans to reduce the annual cap on welfare payments from £26,000 to £23,000 - with the £135m saved going towards funding for three million apprenticeships by the end of the decade.
The Tories plan a £30bn adjustment in the first two years of government - £5bn from tax evasion, £13bn from cuts across Whitehall departments and £12bn off the welfare bill.
Video:In The Margins: 150 Key Seats
Mr Cameron said this would help to bankroll the tax cuts promised, including increasing the amount at which people start to pay income tax to £12,500 - lifting a million people out of tax.
He added that he was happy for the televised leaders' debates to go ahead but was keen Northern Ireland parties should be included and the showdowns should not "take the life out of" the election campaign.
:: Sky looks at the 150 seats that could play a deciding role in May's General Election. Click here for the link to the In The Margins console.
Meanwhile, Labour is outlining its 10-year plan for the National Health Service, which includes a pledge to improve the care that terminally ill, frail and elderly people receive at home.
Video:The Changing Face Of UK Politics
The announcement of 5,000 new "homecare workers" is part of a wider policy to invest an extra £2.5bn in the NHS, with a view to recruiting 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 additional GPs.
In a speech later this morning Ed Miliband will say: He will claim: "One of the country's most precious institutions faces its most perilous moments in a generation. The future of our NHS is at stake in this general election."
Speaking on Sky News, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said Labour was not thinking about cutting deals with the SNP to form a coalition in the event the party did not secure a majority.
"My focus is on winning a majority for Labour," he said.
Video:The Politics Of Your Weekly Shop
He added that he was not putting his energy into "deal-making" but into making sure the coalition cuts and privatisation in the NHS did not continue.
"The NHS matters more to me than anything and I think it's in a very dangerous position today," he added.
The UK economy grew at its fastest rate for seven years in 2014, but official figures highlight a sharper slowdown in the final quarter than had been expected.
With the economy growing by 2.6% in 2014, Britain is on track to have the world's fastest growing major economy last year.
But gross domestic product (GDP) rose by just 0.5% in the fourth quarter, the weakest level in a year.
It was weighed down by a construction sector which shrunk 1.8% - its worst pace for more than two years - and a contraction of almost 3% in energy supply, as warm weather persisted and power generation was hit.
The performance meant that annual growth for 2014 fell short of the 3% forecast just last month by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
But GDP is now 3.4% higher than its pre-recession peak, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The services sector, which represents more than three-quarters of output, grew by 0.8% as consumers spent more in the run-up to Christmas as wage growth outpaced inflation amid a supermarket price war.
The economy is the main battleground going into the General Election, which is now 100 days away, and the ONS said it was unable to say whether the weaker output in Q4 was a worrying sign for the Chancellor.
ONS chief economist Joe Grice said: "The dominant services sector remains buoyant while the contraction has taken place in industries like construction, mining and energy supply, which can be erratic."
George Osborne said: "Today's figures confirm that the recovery is on track and our plan is protecting Britain from the economic storm, with the fastest growth of any major economy in 2014.
"But the international climate is getting worse, and with 100 days to go until the election now is not the time to abandon that plan and return Britain to economic chaos."
Economists see the recovery being supported in the coming months by low inflation - aided particularly by falling oil costs - and the fact that the Bank of England is unlikely to raise the base rate of interest this year.
Much depends though on the health of the world economy, with the country's biggest trading partner, the eurozone, not due to begin its quantitative easing programme to stimulate activity until March.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "Tory claims that the economy is fixed will ring hollow with working people who are still not feeling the recovery.
"Wages are down by £1,600 a year since 2010 and now these figures show a concerning slowdown in economic growth too.
"Construction is down again, business investment under this government is lagging behind our competitors and exports are way off target.
"And the stagnating wages we have seen over the last five years are the reason why the Chancellor has broken his promise to balance the books."
Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 18.54
By Siobhan Robbins, West of England Correspondent
Children are dying needlessly because of a delay in rolling out the meningitis B vaccine in the UK, a campaign group has claimed.
The vaccination was given its EU licence two years ago in 2013, but Meningitis Now says the delay in offering the immunisation to every baby on the NHS is putting lives at risk.
Figures obtained by the campaign group suggest 24 UK children under the age of one could have died from the disease since the vaccine was approved in 2013. Since that time there have been 1,130 cases of the infection.
Meningitis Now founder Steve Dayman said: "Too many of our children are needlessly dying or left disabled due to lethargic bureaucracy."
Since 2013 there have been 1,130 UK cases of the disease
Caroline Williams, from South East Wales, lost her one-year-old son Caden to meningitis B. He died a year after the immunisation had received EU approval.
Ms Williams told Sky News the Government was risking other children's lives by not adding the jab to the NHS baby immunisation programme.
Video:Meningitis Awareness
She said: "The amount of children that could be saved with this vaccine is unbelievable. I know meningitis doesn't just affect babies but it could be saving children's lives and they're still negotiating over price, they're putting a price on children's lives."
The meningitis B vaccine is available on the NHS for groups at increased risk of invasive meningococcal infection, such as children without a spleen, and can be bought privately.
The Department of Health told Sky News the number of cases of the disease has dropped over the last decade.
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In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We are very clear that we want to see this vaccine introduced as soon as possible to help protect children from this devastating disease.
"The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended that a MenB vaccine be introduced, but only at a cost-effective price - below the price published by Novartis.
"We need to make sure NHS funds are used effectively and negotiations are continuing."
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Video:Wintry Weather On The Way
Forecasters are predicting heavy snow to fall across parts of Britain in the coming days, prompting a warning about travel disruption.
Wintry showers are forecast for England's North, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday.
Up to 5cm of snow is expected in low-lying areas and forecasters say higher ground could see in excess of 10cm.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for people to be aware of possible travel disruption.
Strong gusty winds are also expected and visibility may be reduced.
1/23
Gallery: White Winter: Snow Falls On England
A car that crashed into a house in Sheffield in the snow. Pic @VentureResi
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Snow covered trees on the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, as the cold snap continues
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Sheep cross a bridge under Baitings Reservoir dam
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A statement by the Met Office's chief forecaster read: "An active cold front is expected to push south-east across the UK during Wednesday introducing an increasingly cold and unstable air mass.
"Showers will become frequent and heavy, increasingly falling as snow in the north and west, and driven well inland by strong to gale force north-westerly winds.
"Accumulating snow is likely, especially overnight."
Paul Knightley, UK forecast manager at weather services company MeteoGroup, said strong winds will bring colder air.
"Accompanying this fresh to strong wind will be numerous wintry showers, falling as hail, sleet and snow.
"Although these are possible almost anywhere from Wednesday afternoon onwards, the higher ground of western and northern Britain and Northern Ireland is most likely to see significant snowfall."
Last week, snow and freezing conditions gripped parts of northern England, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The coldest temperature of the winter so far at -11.2C was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland on January 18.
It beat the previous record low of -9C, which was set on December 27 in Cromdale, Moray, also in Scotland.
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More Snow And Wintry Showers Set To Hit UK
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Wintry Weather On The Way
Forecasters are predicting heavy snow to fall across parts of Britain in the coming days, prompting a warning about travel disruption.
Wintry showers are forecast for England's North, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday.
Up to 5cm of snow is expected in low-lying areas and forecasters say higher ground could see in excess of 10cm.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for people to be aware of possible travel disruption.
Strong gusty winds are also expected and visibility may be reduced.
1/23
Gallery: White Winter: Snow Falls On England
A car that crashed into a house in Sheffield in the snow. Pic @VentureResi
]]>
Snow covered trees on the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, as the cold snap continues
]]>
Sheep cross a bridge under Baitings Reservoir dam
]]>
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A statement by the Met Office's chief forecaster read: "An active cold front is expected to push south-east across the UK during Wednesday introducing an increasingly cold and unstable air mass.
"Showers will become frequent and heavy, increasingly falling as snow in the north and west, and driven well inland by strong to gale force north-westerly winds.
"Accumulating snow is likely, especially overnight."
Paul Knightley, UK forecast manager at weather services company MeteoGroup, said strong winds will bring colder air.
"Accompanying this fresh to strong wind will be numerous wintry showers, falling as hail, sleet and snow.
"Although these are possible almost anywhere from Wednesday afternoon onwards, the higher ground of western and northern Britain and Northern Ireland is most likely to see significant snowfall."
Last week, snow and freezing conditions gripped parts of northern England, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The coldest temperature of the winter so far at -11.2C was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland on January 18.
It beat the previous record low of -9C, which was set on December 27 in Cromdale, Moray, also in Scotland.
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A man accused of killing two pensioners has been found dead in his prison cell while on trial for the murders.
Leo Barnes, from Balsall Heath, Birmingham, was standing trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court accused of killing Cynthia Beamond, 80, and Philip Silverstone, 67.
Ms Beamond's family said their lives were painful and empty after her death
Barnes was due to be cross-examined on Friday but had complained of feeling ill.
He was found hanging in his cell at HMP Hewell in Redditch on Sunday morning.
Giving evidence in his defence on Thursday, Barnes told jurors he witnessed assaults on his alleged victims, but denied attacking Mrs Beamond with a saucepan and killing 67-year-old Mr Silverstone with a jack from a hire car.
The 33-year-old said they had died at the hands of an intruder and a Polish man who went "absolutely wild" after a sexual encounter.
The self-confessed cocaine dealer insisted that Mrs Beamond, whom he knew from childhood, was still alive when he left her house before driving to Mr Silverstone's flat in London the next day.
The victim's daughter said the family and her mother had been denied justice.
Beverley Hadley said: "We are devastated as a family that the man we believe is responsible for the brutal murder of my beloved Mum is not going to face justice for this horrendous crime.
"On Friday 27 June 2014 my life changed forever when my Mum and best friend went missing.
"Without Mum, every day of our lives is painful and empty.
"Every day I wake up thinking about her and believing that this whole nightmare is just a dream, but then the realisation hits me over and over again."
Police said an investigation will be held into Barnes' death but it is not regarded as suspicious.
Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield, who led the murder inquiry, said: "I am shocked to hear about the death of Leo Barnes, who was found dead in his cell at HMP Hewell by prison staff."
A Prison Service spokesman said: "As with all deaths in custody, the Independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation."
Security procedures are under review after hoax calls were made to GCHQ, during which a number for the eavesdropping agency's boss was disclosed, and to Downing Street, which connected the caller to David Cameron.
The Prime Minister ended the call when it became clear it was a prank, and Downing Street said no sensitive information was disclosed.
A review into the breach is under way at both Number 10 and GCHQ, where a mobile phone number for director Robert Hannigan was revealed to the caller.
A Government spokesman said: "Following two hoax calls to Government departments today, a notice has gone out to all departments to be on the alert for such calls.
The GCHQ headquarters in Cheltenham
"In the first instance, a call was made to GCHQ which resulted in the disclosure of a mobile phone number for the director.
"The mobile phone number provided is never used for calls involving classified information.
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"In the second instance, a hoax caller claiming to be the GCHQ director was connected to the Prime Minister.
"Both GCHQ and Number 10 take security seriously and both are currently reviewing procedures following these hoax calls to ensure that the Government learns any lessons from this incident."
It is not known if the same person was behind both hoaxes, but a man claiming responsibility for the call to GCHQ described his actions to The Sun newspaper.
He claimed he was high on drink and drugs at the time and said the situation was "hilarious".
"I've just made complete monkeys out of GCHQ. I've got the mobile number of the director," he told the paper.
"What's more, I am off my face on booze and cocaine."
He added: "I'm definitely going to do it again. It was so easy."
The paper reported that the man telephoned Mr Hannigan claiming to be an ITN journalist, but said the director was suspicious and ended the call.
The mobile phone number for Mr Hannigan is understood to be for an unclassified phone, rather than one of the secure lines used for sensitive communications.
The call to Mr Cameron was made to an official mobile, but the conversation was understood to have been "quite brief".
