Mum's Pain After Children 'Snatched By Dad'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A mother has told Sky News her husband abducted their children and took them to Libya because England is "too Western".

In an exclusive interview, Priscilla Micalleff, 30, from Birmingham, told how Jamal Dgham, 35, who she is separated from, took their daughter Aisha, four, and 21-month-old son Zakaria, abroad, after telling her they were going to the park.

She said: "He said England was too Western you know, because they are Muslims, we came here because there are lots of Muslims."

The couple left Ms Micalleff's home country of Malta for "better mosques and schools" in the UK.

But seven weeks ago, without warning, Mr Dgham unlawfully took the children to his home country of Libya.

It is thought they are living with the children's grandmother in the Bin Ashur area of Tripoli.

Ms Micalleff said her husband had sent her a text message warning her that she would not see her children again.

The text read: "From tomorrow u r not gona hear or c the kids anymore and u won't know where they r."

Ms Micalleff has managed to speak to Aisha on the phone.

She said: "Sometimes it's hard, they don't answer the phone they make it hard for me.

"When she comes on the phone she's always crying, she tells me 'Mummy I'm scared'."

In tears as she stands in her daughter's bedroom surrounded by her toys, she added: "You feel a very big pain in your heart that you can do nothing to get them back, all kids need their mum.

Ms Micalleff took her case to the High Court, which issued an order last month directing her husband to return the children.

Her solicitor Pam Sanghera said Mr Dgham had read the order, which was served by email, "but he says he is not going to return the children to UK".

Ms Sanghera, from The Family Firm Solicitors, said it was "inevitable" that the illegal movement of children will become more serious every year.

Latest figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office show that the number of children abducted by parents has almost doubled.

A total of 512 cases involving 84 different countries were reported to British authorities in 2011/2012 - up from 272 in 51 countries in 2003/2004.

Ms Sanghera said: "Libya is not a country which is signatory to The Hague Convention, so there's no automatic obligation on Libya to assist with the safe return of the children to the UK.

"The mother is going to have to initiate some sort of proceedings in Libya which may be obtaining a mirror order of the UK order that was made or another type of order which is similar in that it orders the father to return the children to the UK."

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Tesco Ice Creams Recalled After Tablets Found

Tesco has recalled boxes of its own brand four Chocolate and Nut ice cream cones after pain-relief tablets were found in two separate cones.

Customers were advised not to eat any of the ice creams with a best-before date up-to and including July 2014.

Tesco said it had not been confirmed if the product had been tampered with but police have been informed.

A spokesperson said: "As a precautionary measure, we have issued a product recall on a Tesco Chocolate and Nut Ice Cream Cone product after two individual cones were found to contain a tablet for pain relief.

"We are urgently investigating this incident with our supplier and ask customers to return this product to their local store."

A statement on the Food Standards Agency website said Tesco would display product recall notices in all its stores.

"These notices will alert consumers to the recall and advise them of the actions to take if they have purchased the product. No other Tesco products are known to be affected," it said.

The company said the recall was a precautionary measure and any customers who purchased the product should return it to store for a full refund or contact Tesco customer services on 0800 50 55 55.

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Patient Neglect To Be Made A Criminal Offence

Wilful neglect of patients will be made a criminal offence under NHS reforms being introduced in the wake of the Mid Staffs and other care scandals.

Prime Minister David Cameron said health workers who mistreated and abused patients would face "the full force of the law" in a package of measures to be unveiled next week.

The offence will be modelled on laws against the wilful neglect of adults under the Mental Capacity Act, punishable by fines or up to five years in prison.

The move was one of the central recommendations of a patient safety review commissioned by ministers in the wake of findings that there were up to 1,200 excess deaths at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

It was led by Professor Don Berwick, a former adviser to US President Barack Obama, who said it was needed to target the worst cases of a "couldn't care less" attitude that led to "wilful or reckless neglect or mistreatment".

Mr Cameron said: "The NHS is full on brilliant doctors, nurses and other health workers who dedicate their lives to caring for our loved ones.

"But Mid-Staffordshire hospital showed that sometimes the standard of care is not good enough.

"Never again will we allow substandard care, cruelty or neglect to go unnoticed and unpunished.

"This offence will make clear that neglect is unacceptable and those who do so will feel the full force of the law."

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Body Found In Well: Seven Held In Murder Probe

Seven men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in a well 7ft below ground in several feet of water.

Police were called to the scene - in the front garden of a large house in Warlingham, Surrey - on Friday afternoon.

The body was discovered by two gardeners who were doing clearing work at the property, which is in an acre of grounds in an affluent area.

A senior Metropolitan Police detective said the body of the white adult remained in the well and the recovery operation may take some time.

Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons said: "The body presents a number of logistical challenges.

"The well is 2ft in diameter, it is 7ft deep to the water line, and the water is approximately 4ft deep.

"We need a police marine diving team, with breathing apparatus, and we need to recover the body intact to preserve forensic evidence.

"The process of recovery is likely to take some time."

He declined to speculate on how long this might be, but said it was not going to be a quick recovery.

DCI Lyons told Sky News: "It is clear to me the body has been placed in the well as opposed to falling in the well and therefore it is a murder investigation."

He added: "It is not possible to ascertain with accuracy the gender of the body but, judging by the size, it is most likely to be an adult, not a child. The person is white.

"It's not been there for an extended period of time, it will be a matter of weeks at the most."

He appealed for anyone who had concerns about a person who has gone missing, especially if they had connections to that area, to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 020 8721 4961 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Elizabeth Kinston: Body Found In GP Search

A woman's body found in grassland is believed to be that of missing GP Elizabeth Kinston - in what police said was a "tragic conclusion" to their investigation.

The 37-year-old mother, who had been suffering from postnatal depression, was last seen on November 1 after leaving her home in Beeston, Nottinghamshire.

The body was discovered near Enterprise Way in the Dunkirk area of Nottingham on Thursday afternoon by officers searching for her.

A post-mortem examination has taken place but the results are expected to take several weeks.

Police released CCTV images in an attempt to trace her

The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time, a police spokesman said.

The discovery came after emotional appeals were made by Mrs Kinston's husband David and her sister Charlotte for her to return home.

Police also released CCTV images of Mrs Kinston's movements on the day she went missing in an attempt to trace the missing doctor.

The 37-year-old woman had been on maternity leave after her second child was born in January.

Police have said she was known to have been battling with postnatal depression since the birth.

Detective Inspector Kev Broadhead, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Formal identification has yet to be confirmed, but at this stage we do believe we have found Elizabeth.

The 37-year-old woman had been on maternity leave since January

"It's a tragic conclusion to the inquiry and one we were all desperately hoping we would not have to face.

"On behalf of the force and of Elizabeth's family I would like to thank the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who helped in the search for Elizabeth, whether by sharing appeals on social media, distributing posters or getting out on the streets to search.

"It's been an unprecedented response and something I know her family would like to give heartfelt thanks for.

"It has given them incredible strength through these difficult days.

"David's priority will be his two little girls and getting them through this. We are supporting them during this difficult time."

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Roy Harper Faces Child Sex Offence Charges

Singer-songwriter Roy Harper, who has performed with the likes of Pink Floyd, is facing charges in relation to a series of historic sex offences against an underage girl.

The veteran folk and rock performer is due to appear at Hereford Magistrates' Court on Monday, West Mercia Police said.

Harper, 72, who lives in Rossmore, Clonakilty, County Cork, is facing nine sexual offence charges.

A force spokesman said: "The summons relates to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14.

"The charges are in connection with offences alleged to have taken place in Herefordshire between 1975 and 1977 and relate to one victim."

The summons was issued to the musician on October 16, after he was voluntarily interviewed by police at Heathrow Airport on February 22.

The prolific performer, who influenced rock band Led Zeppelin, has produced more than 30 albums during his career, and continues to tour.

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Illegal Animal Item Seizures Rise By Millions

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

The number of endangered species items seized by the UK Border Force has increased tenfold during the past year.

The number of items confiscated has reached an all-time high

A total of 2.5 million illegal items were seized during the period 2012-13, compared with just under 250,000 in 2011-12.

Criminals can make millions of pounds each year from smuggled items ranging from ivory and rhino horn to trophy animals, birds of prey and species facing extinction.

Organised criminal gangs are believed to be behind the smuggling

In the last year, 3,890kg of medicinal products containing extracts from endangered species were seized, along with 326 items of ivory and 93 live endangered animals.

Other seized items included £4,000 shawls made of Tibetan antelope wool, books bound in elephant hide, a Rolls-Royce upholstered in alligator skin and a piece of artwork featuring a rare £35,000 rock pigeon clutched between the jaws of a human skull.

Senior Officer Grant Miller displays some of the items

The seizures partly reflect a crackdown on large international smuggling organisations - which are responsible for huge shipments, often by courier, of illegal goods.

Rhino horn is widely used in traditional Chinese medicines and carries huge value on the black market.

These marine turtles were among the items

Grant Miller from the UK Border Force said: "Poaching levels are unprecedentedly high, for example we are anticipating 1,000 rhinos will be slaughtered in South Africa alone next year.

"We are seeing ivory being trafficked from Africa and new products are emerging in the health and beauty industry which are using endangered species as an active ingredient in those products."

Laws prevent the trade of goods using endangered species

The penalty for importation can be up to seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

Live endangered species are sent to zoos, farms and wildlife parks around the country.

Rachel Jones from London Zoo said: "All kinds of animals, there's huge trade in reptiles, tortoises, turtles are often confiscated, and it's extremely difficult trying to find homes for these animals.

Officials say poaching levels are 'unprecedentedly high'

"Organisations like my own become saturated."

The other items, for example furs and stuffed animals, are often donated to educational organisations.

Ivory is often used for medical research but rhino horn holds no value other than on the black market so is often burned by border officials.

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'Family Doctors' To Be Restored In New GP Deal

The elderly will be given named doctors in a move aimed at "restoring the ethic of family doctoring", the Health Secretary has said.

Under a new GPs contract all over-75s will have a designated doctor who will be responsible for co-ordinating all of their treatment.

The agreement will see an "enhanced service" for patients with complex health needs to avoid them being unnecessarily admitted to hospital or A&E.

GPs will also take on more responsibility for out-of-hours care, with a commitment to monitor the quality of those services being used by their patients.

Concerns have been raised over the quality of out-of-hours care since Labour's 2004 GP contract enabled family doctors to opt out of night and weekend work by sacrificing £6,000 a year in salary. It also ended the requirement for all patients to have a named family doctor.

Jeremy Hunt has said the personal link between patients and GPs was broken

Jeremy Hunt told Sky News the move that will see those over 75 being given a named GPs was just the beginning of the return to "family doctoring".

He insisted that improving access to GPs for the elderly would not make it more difficult for others to get appointments at their local surgery.

Mr Hunt said: "Frankly if we look after the over-75s better it helps everyone in the NHS because that's where the real pressure point is. People who find it hard to see a GP will find it becomes easier because we are looking after that crucial group of people so much better."

He added: "If you talk to A&E departments across the country and see what the best thing, the one thing that we can do that's going to make life easier for you in the busy period, it's better out-of-hospital care for the over-75s."

Around 30% of those admitted to A&E are aged over 75.

Mr Hunt has also said that GPs, who earned on average £103,000 last year, will be forced to reveal their salaries from next year, which will allow the public to judge if they are getting value for money.

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "No amount of spin can hide the fact that David Cameron has made it harder to get a GP appointment.

"This announcement will not put an end to patients phoning the surgery at 9am and finding it impossible to get an appointment - many of whom, not happy with a phone consultation, will still turn to A&E."

The British Medical Association (BMA), which negotiated for doctors, said the changes would cut unnecessary targets, reduce bureaucratic box-ticking and give doctors more time to focus on the needs of their patients.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA's GP committee, said: "We recognise that GPs are facing unprecedented pressures on workload with rising demand and limited resources.

"From the outset of this year's contract talks, the BMA has sought to positively engage with the Government to address the difficult financial and workload pressures facing general practice, in order to find new ways of improving patient care, while at the same time freeing up GPs and practice nurses from pointless bureaucracy.

"Our agreement will deliver real benefit to patients and build on the work already carried out by GPs."

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Birmingham 'Needle' Attacks: Suspect Hunted

Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man suspected of attacking women with a hypodermic needle in Birmingham city centre.

It comes after a 30-year-old was stabbed in the thigh. The victim felt a sharp pain, which was later confirmed as a puncture wound.

Police believe a hypodermic needle may have been used in each attack

The attack happened at around 3am on November 3 and was reported to police several days later.

Officers believe it may be linked to similar attacks on a 20-year-old on June 23 and a 28-year-old on October 6.

Detective Inspector Julie Woods said police had received five reports in total over the last year-and-a-half.

She said: "Although the women have not been left with any obvious physical injuries they have had to endure an agonising wait to check that they have not suffered any long-lasting health effects.

"Whilst we have been unable to confirm exactly how the injuries were caused, it is believed that a hypodermic needle may have been used on each occasion, with young women being specifically targeted.

"Due to the nature of the offences, victims have not realised they have been injured until hours or days later, which has resulted in limited lines of enquiry.

"But we now have a particularly clear image of a man we want to identify in connection with the attacks and I would appeal for him, or anyone who knows who he may be, to come forward.

"These are strange offences and the motive at this stage is unclear, which is why it's so important for us to identify the person in this CCTV image as soon as possible."

Police patrols have been stepped up in Broad Street and around the city centre.

Anyone who recognises the suspect can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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.London: Capital To Get Its Own Domain Name

London is to get its own website domain suffix, in what is seen as a major boost for businesses in the capital.

A deal was signed this week that will make available internet addresses ending in .london, instead of the usual .com or co.uk, from next year.

The agreement, signed off by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), allows London-based businesses, organisations and individuals to apply for the domain name from spring 2014.

London & Partners, the city's promotional body, says tens of thousands of businesses, including prestigious brands like Selfridges and Carnaby Street, have already expressed an interest.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said it would be a major boon for businesses.

He said: "Adopting the .london suffix will enable organisations to more closely associate themselves with our great city's powerful global brand.

"This is also an excellent opportunity to expand London's digital presence, which in turn is set to generate funds to invest back into the city."

New York became the first US city to have its own domain name after Icann approved .nyc in June.

London & Partners applied to Icann in 2012 to set up and manage the .london domain name.

A new subsidiary, Dot London Domains Ltd, has been created and signed a contract with Icann to operate the .london registry.

:: Information on the new domain is available online at www.mydotlondon.com.

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Ella Hysom: Parents Appeal For Safe Return

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who went missing while being treated for depression have appealed for help in finding their "vulnerable" daughter.

Ella Hysom, who was last seen at around 1.15pm on Monday in Ilford, east London, had been receiving treatment at a residential hospital in Goodmayes for six weeks before she vanished.

Her parents Tim and Alison Hysom, both 43, from Colchester in Essex, made an appeal for her return.

Her mother said: "Ella, darling, please get in touch. We love you so much. You are so loved by so many friends and family and we just want you back."

She added: "If anyone has seen her, please get in touch. Although she could easily pass for 18, she is only 15 and is in a weak and vulnerable position.

"She has been suffering from depression for some time and she has been receiving treatment."

Mrs Hysom, training consultant for a management training company, said that her daughter is likely to be showing signs of anxiety.

A keen rower and ballroom dancer, Ella, deputy head girl at her secondary school in Colchester, is described as a well-liked teenager.

Ella's father, a regional director for a facility management company, said: "We are trying to cope and trying to use all the means we have at our disposal to try to find Ella.

"We have been out searching, helping the police to search, using social media to try to spread the news of Ella's disappearance."

Detective Inspector John Delaney said: "We are taking this matter seriously and a lot of resources, including search teams, have been deployed.

"We are concerned for her welfare because she is vulnerable, she is suffering from depression and she is just 15.

"It is out of character and there has been no contact from her since the day she went missing."

She is described as blonde, five feet nine inches tall, and was wearing blue jeans, Ugg boots, a green coat and jumper when she was last seen.

Anyone who sees her or has information can call police 020 8345 2751 or 07979 311259, or the Missing People hotline on 116 000.

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Floods Warning For Winter After Wet October

Parts of England are facing an "increased likelihood" of flooding this winter following a wet October.

The Environment Agency warned that the west of the country was most at risk after "persistent" wet weather had left the ground very wet.

A  strong westerly jet stream is expected to "dominate" through much of November bringing bands of rain, the agency said.

It added that strong winds could increase the risk of flooding, as leaves and branches block drains and rivers.

Officials urged families and businesses to check their flood risk.

Families and businesses were urged to be prepared for flooding

"The most important thing that we can all do to protect ourselves from the devastation that flooding can cause is to be prepared," said David Rooke, director of flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency.

"Every £1 spent on protecting communities from flooding saves £8 in repairing damage.

"Over the last three years, we have protected an additional 182,000 homes and businesses with new flood defence schemes."

Meanwhile, homes on low-lying land on the Norfolk and Suffolk coast could be flooded on Thursday night, a spokesman said.

A combination of possible gale force winds, large waves and a moderate coastal surge could lead to localised flooding.

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MPs In £3.6m 'Back Door' Funding Scandal

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

MPs have spent more than £3.6 million of taxpayer money renting constituency offices from their political parties, it has emerged.

In a move that critics have slammed as "back door" funding of parties with public funds, politicians typically rent their offices from their local parties.

Figures released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority today show that 244 MPs have such arrangements, while 477 do not.

Sir Ian Kennedy, the IPSA chair, said: "Many MPs hire offices for their staff to work in and in which to meet constituents. It is right that we support them to do so. But we also think it is in the public interest to publish where that money goes.

"Transparency is crucial to re-building trust in politics, and making sure public debate is built on a foundation of facts."

He said MPs are allowed to rent from political parties but if they do so they must provide "extra assurance" including an independent valuation to show the lease represents the market rate.

While individual leases were considered appropriate, he said IPSA were considering if the cumulative effect of the move meant it was time to "reconsider this aspect of the rules".

Critics have accused MPs of using the rent agreements as a way of subsidising campaigning.

Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative chairman of the Public Administration Committee, admitted there were risks. He told the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL): "There must be no impression that parliamentary expenses are being used as back door funding for political parties."

Among the 244 are Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who paid £8,700 to sub-let his office from his Sheffield Hallam Lib Dem party.

More follows...

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London Cycling Deaths Prompt Calls For Action

There have been fresh calls to make London's roads safer for cyclists after two fatal accidents in 24 hours.

The latest death involved a man who was hit by a double-decker bus at around 11.30pm on Wednesday.

It happened at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Road in Aldgate, east London.

The man was treated at the roadside by paramedics but died a few hours later in hospital.

No one has been arrested and efforts are being made trace the cyclist's next of kin.

The accident came hours after a woman in her mid-20s was killed in the morning rush-hour.

Police were called to the Bow roundabout in east London shortly before 9am following reports a lorry had collided with a cyclist.

The start of a cycle ride in London calling for safer streets

The cyclist, who had been travelling west along the A11, was apparently hit when she tried to turn south towards the Blackwall Tunnel.

Police said the male driver of the lorry stopped at the scene and there were no arrests.

The two deaths brought the number of cycling fatalities in the capital to five in the last nine days.

A male cyclist who was badly hurt in a collision with a lorry on Millbank in central London on Wednesday morning remains in a critical condition, Scotland Yard said.

London Assembly Green Party member Darren Johnson says more needs to be done to make London safer for cycling.

"In the past decade, the number of cyclists in the capital has almost trebled," he said.

"It is absolutely vital that we continue to invest huge sums of money into improving cycling infrastructure and making it as safe as possible."

Speaking on LBC Radio, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the issue "needs to be taken very seriously", although he was not convinced extra regulation was the answer.

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Colchester Hospital Put In Special Measures

A hospital trust being investigated by police for forcing staff to change cancer waiting times information has been put in special measures.

Staff at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust told health service inspectors they were "pressured or bullied" to change information and make it appear as thought patients were being treated in line with national guidelines.

The Care Quality Commission found that as a result of the doctoring of the data, some patients may not have had the treatment they needed in time and a number of cancer patients suffered "undue delays".

Following an investigation, the health sector regulator, Monitor, has now put the trust in special measures "to ensure all its patients receive good quality care". It found the trust had breached its licence to provide health services.

Last week, Essex Police confirmed it had been contacted by the CQC and was reviewing the information to establish whether a criminal investigation was necessary.

The trust will now be required to "put right" the patient quality, safety and governance concerns highlighted in the CQC report into the hospital, where 6,000 are treated for cancer each year.

Mackenzie Cackett, who had a brain tumour, died at Colchester Hospital

Adam Cayley, regional director for Monitor, said: "Following the urgent actions already taken to safeguard patients at the trust we have stepped in formally to assure the health and wellbeing of patients using the cancer pathway at Colchester.

"The trust has been given an explicit set of actions to improve the service it offers patients. We will be monitoring progress closely and we will not hesitate to take further regulatory action if required."

After news of the scandal broke, one mother demanded "justice" for her son who died at a hospital.

Danielle Uren believes four-year-old Mackenzie Cackett, who suffered a brain tumour, could have still been alive had it not been for mistakes in his diagnosis and treatment at Colchester General Hospital, Essex.

Trust chief executive Dr Gordon Coutts said: "We are truly sorry that in some cases cancer patients, their carers and families have not been given the high quality of care this trust always aims to provide.

"We have already taken action in response to the findings of the CQC report and we are continuing to address all of the concerns that were raised.

"Our priority is the safety and well-being of all our patients."

Dr Coutts said the trust was contacting all 30 patients - or their next of kin where patients have died - identified by the CQC report.

Chief inspector of hospitals professor Sir Mike Richards, said: "We welcome Monitor's decision to accept my recommendation to place Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust in special measures."

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Spy In Bag: MI6 Man Probably Locked Himself In

Spy Death: The Evidence Behind The Theories

Updated: 11:31am UK, Wednesday 13 November 2013

Three general theories have been put forward to explain the death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, with evidence to support each one.

:: Suicide

The theory that Mr Williams' chose to take his own life is perhaps the most prosaic explanation for his death and the inquest has heard evidence that suggested he was unhappy with his work.

He had passed an exam to become fully operational with MI6 just months before his death but his sister said he disliked office culture and the rat race - and had spoken of friction among colleagues.

One common theme throughout the inquest has been Mr Williams' prodigious intelligence, which saw him secure a first-class mathematics degree at the age of 17 before his eventual fast-tracking through the ranks at GCHQ.

Correlations have often been drawn between depression and the high levels of perfectionism evident in Mr Williams - an impression his intense fitness regime and pristinely tidy flat did little to dispel.

Irrespective of his state of mind, however, no-one has been able to fully explain how he would have been able to lock the bag his body was found in from the outside.

Stephen Gale, his boss at GCHQ's Cheltenham base, said Mr Williams stunned fellow intelligence specialists with his codebreaking talents when he landed his first job at 21.

"He was considered something of a prodigy and it was quite remarkable that he had achieved those levels of qualifications at such a young age," he said.

It could be argued that such outstanding achievement at such an early age could lead to the kind of listlessness later in life that can eventually develop into suicidal thoughts.

But Mr Williams' reputation as a "world-class" codebreaker may also give rise to the more outlandish theory that he took his own life while deliberately leaving an apparently inextricable riddle.

:: Accident

Mr Williams' interest in women's clothing - on which receipts showed he spent around £20,000 during 2008 and 2009 - has been among the most prominently-reported details of the case.

His curiosity with drag queen culture has also been a focus for the media, as has his apparent interest in bondage footage.

The inquest heard that in 2007, Mr Williams' landlord and landlady had to rescue him in the middle of the night after he apparently tied his wrists to the headboard of his bed to see if he could "get free".

Such revelations could contribute to a theory that Mr Williams' death was an accident, even the result of a sex game gone-wrong.

However, close friends say he never mentioned cross-dressing and he is only known to have been to see a drag act once.

Detective Constable Simon Warren also moved to quell speculation around the 31-year-old's private life, saying his interest in bondage footage on his computer was "an isolated (incident) among a sea of other data".

And it is not entirely inconceivable that a third party may have manufactured an image of someone with flamboyant personal habits in order to distract from a more sinister truth.

Indeed, this possibility was acknowledged by the coroner in her summing up, when she questioned whether leaks to the media about Mr Williams' cross dressing were attempts to manipulate evidence.

She pointed out that most of the women's clothes found would have been too small for him and said the lack of female underwear was "inconsistent".

Mr Williams was described as a cautious risk assessor by his sister, which the coroner said did not "square" with the suggestion of an interest in bondage.

:: Murder

Despite having no suspects, the police have said from the outset that they believe a third party was involved in Mr Williams' death.

Found naked, curled up in a padlocked North Face holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, central London, bag experts have said that even renowned escapologist Harry Houdini would have struggled to lock himself in the bag.

One even tried and failed to carry out the task more than 300 times before saying they were "unbelievable scenarios".

Lawyers for his family have suggested "dark arts" of the secret services were responsible.

The recent emergence of the news that MI6 failed to hand over nine computer memory sticks from Mr Williams' office to Scotland Yard has done little to confound such claims.

Conspiracy theories are fuelled by the fact that the force's counter-terror SO15 branch, which has specialist security clearance and acted as a conduit between MI6 and the investigation team, only took three items from Mr Williams' office - his phone, some notes and a copy of his birth certificate.

Detective Superintendent Michael Broster, who was the main liaison from SO15, said: "I have seen no information or evidence that someone is involved. I am not saying that a member of SIS is not involved. I don't know."

Poisoning and asphyxiation are the "foremost contenders" in causing Mr Williams' death, pathologists said.

But experts believe there would have been signs of damage to his fingers and hands if he had struggled to get out of the bag within the three minutes it would have taken to suffocate.

The fact that Mr Williams was dead for up to 10 days before his post-mortem examination meant many poisons and/or bruise marks could have disappeared from his body.

Another matter to have attracted suspicion is MI6's failure to report his absence for more than a week after his disappearance.

Forensic experts hope ongoing DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen may still yield a breakthrough.

But given the assumed capabilities of MI6, the fact that no physical evidence has yet been found to establish the involvement of a third party is unlikely to halt speculation that secret service agents were to blame.

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Straw Admits 'Spectacular' Immigration Mistake

Former home secretary Jack Straw has admitted Labour's decision to drop immigration restrictions on eastern European migrants was a "spectacular mistake".

Mr Straw said that the Home Office had wildly underestimated the number of immigrants that would come to the UK from 2004.

He said research by the department had said the impact would be "relatively small" with the number arriving in the thousands.

In the event net migration reached quarter of a million in 2010.

Mr Straw, who recently announced he would be stepping down as an MP at the next General Election, said handing immediate working rights to Poles and other nationalities who joined the EU in 2004 was a "well-intentioned policy we messed up".

Mr Straw admits he was left embarassed

Writing in the Lancashire Telegraph, he said: "However careful you are, as a minister, in your analysis, many decisions are based upon predictions about the future, where, ultimately, your fate is in the lap of the gods.

"One spectacular mistake in which I participated (not alone) was in lifting the transitional restrictions on the eastern European states like Poland and Hungary which joined the EU in mid-2004.

"Other existing EU members, notably France and Germany, decided to stick to the general rule which prevented migrants from these new states from working until 2011. But we thought that it would be good for Britain if these folk could come and work here from 2004.

"Thorough research by the Home Office suggested that the impact of this benevolence would in any event be 'relatively small, at between 5,000 and 13,000 immigrants per year up to 2010'.

"Events proved these forecasts worthless. Net migration reached close to a quarter of a million at its peak in 2010. Lots of red faces, mine included."

Mr Straw's comments emerged after his successor at the Home Office, David Blunkett, warned of the danger that an influx of Roma migrants into Britain could lead to riots.

Last week a report by the University of London found that immigrants who had moved to the UK since 2000 had contributed £25bn to the country in tax.

It also found that they were less likely to claim benefits or live in social housing than British people.

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A&E Services: NHS Plans Two-Tier Service

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Scores of A&E departments could be downgraded under radical plans to create a two-tier emergency health care system proposed by the NHS medical director.

The plans would see the country's casualty units reclassified as either "emergency centres", which would assess patients and start treatment, and "major emergency centres", which would provide specialist care such as for strokes or heart attacks.

Under the proposals between 70 and 100 hospital A&E departments would offer reduced services as "emergency centres" and between 40 and 70 would be classified as the specialist centres.

It would mean patients in some parts of the country facing longer travel times to receive specialist emergency treatment. However, it is argued that they would be getting the best treatment.

The review would represent the biggest shake-up of A&E services in the NHS in 40 years, according to NHS England officials.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the head of NHS England, insisted the changes were not about closing local A&E departments but abut creating a safe service that could cope with increasing demand.

Sir Bruce said "doing nothing is not an option".

"We are here really because A&E is creaking at the seams. It's not broken but it is struggling.

"In many senses, our A&Es have become victims of their own success because they function as a safety net for people who are worried, frightened, anxious or in pain and therefore have problems that concern them.

"When A&Es become very busy it means other parts of the system are creaking as well, they are under stress.

"It's against that background that there's a feeling this winter will be difficult."

The plans would see the development of specialist emergency care centres

Other significant measures included in Sir Bruce's review include:

:: Paramedics being specially trained to treat 999 patients at home rather than simply transporting them to hospital.

:: Patients with minor problems would be given more support to look after themselves.

:: The roundly criticised 111 phone service would be enhanced with patients speaking directly to doctors and nurses.

:: Seven-day appointments with GPs.

It will be five years before any overhaul is completed, if it goes ahead, but there have been warnings that the NHS is facing its toughest winter ever and critics say that looking into the future will not solve the crisis facing the country now.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "This is an issue affecting every man, woman and child in England and, on the brink of a dangerous winter, it's just not good enough to have a Government acting as a spectator on the sidelines blaming everyone else.

"Ministers said this report would have lessons for the immediate winter as well as the longer term.

"But they are failing to act and their response remains 'crisis, what crisis?'. They are forcing A&Es to go into winter with too few nurses, doctors and beds."

The College of Emergency Medicine said the review looked to the future when "the crisis is here with us now".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Commons on Tuesday that the review would not shy away from taking "difficult decisions".

"We all know that the NHS needs to change to meet the needs of an ageing population," he said.

Some A&E departments could end up dealing with less serious injuries

Earlier this week, Downing Street confirmed that Prime Minister David Cameron was getting personally involved in overseeing the NHS's response to the winter pressure on A&E departments.

In 2012/13, more than a quarter of all patients attending major A&E departments were admitted to hospital, up from 19% in 2003/04.

There will now be consultation on the plans and the review team will assess the cost and impact on staffing before producing another report in the spring.

Dr Clare Gerada, head of the Royal College of General Practitioners, gave the plans a cautious welcome.

"Of course it's important that patients get the same quality of service on a Sunday afternoon as a Tuesday morning," she said.

"But it's equally important that in the quest for seven-day working we don't remove resources from where they are best used, which is in general practice, and when patients see us most, which is in the working day."

In some parts of the country specialist paramedics are already in action. The South East Coast Ambulance Service already has some 'paramedic practitioners', who keep 30,000 patients a year out of A&E.

Sky News spoke to 92-year old Gwendolyn Kimpton, who had a badly infected wound dressed by one of the paramedics.

She said she was relieved not to be going to hospital: "I would have been a bit frightened, I must admit."

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Tractor Kills Three-Year-Old On Somerset Farm

A three-year-old boy has died after he was hit by a tractor on a farm in Somerset.

Emergency services were called to the farm, in the village of Whatley, near Frome, on Monday morning.

Paramedics took the youngster to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, around 13 miles away, but he later died.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said they had launched a joint investigation with Avon and Somerset Police.

"As always, when a fatality is involved the police are leading enquiries at this stage," an HSE spokesman said.

"An inspector has been to the scene. At the moment it is very early days."

Det Sgt Rachel Whelan, of Avon and Somerset Police's Public Protection Unit, said: "Our thoughts are very much with the boy's family, who have been left distraught by his death.

"At this time we are treating this as a tragic accident."

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said four ambulance crews and an air ambulance were called to the scene after the accident.

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Mummifed Boy Hamzah 'Let Down' By Systems

The death of a four-year-old boy who was starved by his mother "could not have been predicted", but systems "let Hamzah down both before and following his death", according to a serious case review (SCR).

Hamzah Khan's mother Amanda Hutton, 43, was jailed for 15 years last month after the boy's decomposed body was found in a cot in her bedroom in Bradford, Yorkshire, nearly two years after he died.

Professor Nick Frost, who chairs the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The SCR is very clear that Hamzah's death could not have been predicted but finds that systems, many of them national systems, let Hamzah down both before and following his death."

But the Department for Education told Sky News the review is a "rubbish document".

And Children's minister Edward Timpson said he has "deep concerns" because it "fails to explain sufficiently clearly the actions taken, or not taken, by children's social care".

Mr Timpson demanded that Bradford's Safeguarding Children Board answer 10 key questions missing from the report.

Amanda Hutton's kitchen was full of rubbish

He said the answers to the "glaring absences" from the review must be made public to "ensure such mistakes will not be repeated in the future".

A DfE source said: "It's even more worrying that local agencies don't realise how poor an investigation this is.

"There will have to be a proper investigation to answer the serious questions it raises."

Prof Frost said: "It is my responsibility, as independent chair, to ensure that lessons are learnt.

"Very sadly, I cannot give assurances that a tragedy like this will never happen again in our country - as we can't control or predict the behaviour of all parents, the vast majority of whom are doing their very best to care for their children.

"However, I can assure you that at this stage I am satisfied each agency is responding adequately but this is an ongoing process which requires constant monitoring.

Hamzah's father Aftab Khan

"No child should go through what Hamzah experienced. I am satisfied that systems are in place today that minimise the chance of a situation such as this ever being repeated in Bradford."

Bradford Crown Court heard how alcoholic Hutton was living in "breathtakingly awful" conditions with five of her young children as well as Hamzah's mummified remains when shocked police entered the four-bedroom house in September 2011.

A jury found she had allowed Hamzah to starve to death in December 2009 and left his body in a cot with a teddy.

The remains were only discovered due to a rookie police community support officer's tenacious pursuit of a minor anti-social behaviour complaint because she knew something was wrong.

The family was known to all the main agencies yet Hutton had a history of failing to co-operate with services that could have helped her.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: "Tragically Hamzah became invisible, slipping off the radar of our entire society the moment he left hospital after birth.

"We have to ask how this could happen in 21st century Britain. His mother made no attempt to register his birth; he missed midwife appointments, health visitor checks, immunisations; and he was never registered for school.

"A red flag must be raised when key appointments are missed so that children cannot disappear.

"It cannot be right that the first time someone took serious steps to track him down was six years after his birth by which time he was already dead."

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Breastfeeding: New Mums To Get Shop Vouchers

Vouchers for Matalan, John Lewis, Mothercare or supermarkets are to be dished out to new mothers if they feed their babies with breast milk.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield are examining ways to boost low rates of breastfeeding in parts of the UK.

Mothers will be given shopping vouchers worth up to £120 if their babies receive breast milk until they are six weeks old, and a further £80 if their babies are still breastfed at six months.

If the "feasibility" project is successful, the authors will conduct a national research project into the scheme.

But midwives have warned that financial reward should not be the main motivation for women to breastfeed.

The Department of Health has admitted it is funding the project, however, Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter stressed that he did not believe "financial incentives" were the best way of encouraging mothers to breast feed.

He said: "Breastfeeding has huge health benefits, and it helps to promote a strong bond between mum and baby. But it should be a woman's choice to breastfeed and we know not all mothers are able to. 

"Latest figures show nearly 74% of mums start breastfeeding and we have seen a general increase in recent years.

"We believe the main way to promote breastfeeding is not financial incentives, but to make sure women have all the information they need to make an informed decision."

The new study is to be trialled in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire - in areas where breastfeeding uptake rates are low.

Only 34% of UK babies are breastfed at six months with only 1% exclusively breastfed at this stage, said Dr Clare Relton, senior research fellow at the University of Sheffield.

She said: "Breast milk is perfectly designed for babies and provides all they need for the first six months of their life.

"The scheme offers vouchers to mothers who breastfeed as a way of acknowledging both the value of breastfeeding to babies, mothers and society, and the effort involved in breastfeeding."

The NHS recommends mothers breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of a child's life.

The preliminary study will focus on up to 130 mothers who give birth between November and March.

If the mothers breastfeed their children for a full six months they will receive £200 shopping vouchers - half for supermarkets and half for high street stores.

The vouchers will be paid in five instalments of £40 each.

The initiative is being funded by the National Prevention Research Initiative, a group made up of government departments, medical charities and research companies. 

The initiative will not be rigorously policed and will simply require the participating mother and their health visitor or midwife to sign off to say they are breastfeeding.

Dr Relton said the test would not only look at whether or not the payment improves uptake rates, but also at whether women think they are being "bribed or rewarded" after they receive the vouchers.

Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "Whilst we are not against financial incentives for the right reasons, there is a much bigger social and cultural problem here that needs to be tackled instead of offering financial incentives for mothers to breastfeed.

"In many areas, including those in this study, there are generations of women who may not have seen anyone breastfeeding their baby, meaning it is not the cultural norm in many communities.

"The motive for breastfeeding cannot be rooted by offering financial reward.

"It has to be something that a mother wants to do in the interest of the health and well-being of her child."

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Terror Suspects To Be Stripped Of UK Passports

British terror suspects would be stripped of their passports and made "stateless", under plans backed by the Home Secretary.

Theresa May wants to amend a clause which means the Government is banned from removing a UK passport if it would effectively leave a person stateless.

She wants the power to take away the passport of a person if they have acted in a way that is "seriously prejudicial to the interests of the UK".

It follows a Supreme Court ruling which ordered Mrs May to return a UK passport to an Iraqi terror suspect accused of plotting to blow up soldiers.

Judges said it was unlawful to remove the passport of Hilal al Jedda because it would have left him stateless.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government will take all necessary steps to protect the public, including pursuing deprivation of citizenship, where appropriate."

Yvette Cooper wants terror suspects to be relocated across the country

The proposals come after terror suspect Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, who was subject to a terrorism prevention and investigation measure (Tpim), fled a London mosque in a burka.

Mrs May said at the time his passport had been seized but was later forced to admit she had made a mistake and that police did not have his passport.

The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has urged that powers to relocate terror suspects to other parts of the country must be revived in the wake of his disappearance.

Ms Cooper has written to Mrs May saying the powers to forcibly move suspects across the country, which were available under the previous control orders, should be reinstated.

Mohamed was relocated to Ipswich, in Suffolk, when he was subject to a control order but returned to London when the restriction was lifted.

Mohamed fled the London mosque dressed in a burka

Ms Cooper's letter has been published ahead of a Home Affairs Select Committee session with the independent reviewer of terror legislation David Anderson QC and Charles Farr, director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism within the Home Office.

In her letter, the shadow home secretary said: "No terror suspect under a relocation order ever managed to abscond.

"Now two terror suspects who were previously relocated and then returned because of your decision have absconded.

"Your decision, against advice and warnings, to end relocations has made it much easier for two dangerous men to disappear."

Ms Cooper asks the Home Secretary to agree to re-introduce the power to relocate terror suspects and pledges "cross party" support.

Ministers are reportedly reviewing the Tpims and are considering whether to stop suspects from visiting mosques suspected of preaching hardline religious views.

Last week, it emerged Mohamed had been twice remanded in custody for allegedly breaching controls imposed on him.

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Gas Bills 'Could Rise' Due To Low Reserves

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Gas prices could soar this winter if the national supply runs short during another cold snap, an energy expert has warned.

Industry analyst Peter Hughes told Sky News that a "perfect storm" last March of extreme weather and the shutdown of two major pipelines caused prices to double.

And that could happen again because the Government has refused to support the storage of more gas.

"It foreshadows things to come," he said.

"The situation in terms of the risks will only get worse as North Sea production runs down and demand rises.

"That's the double whammy. And if you don't have more storage that translates into real vulnerability."

Britain currently stores enough gas for 13 days of supply. But Germany has reserves to last 69 days, in case there is a problem with the supply from countries such as Russia.

Storage companies buy up cheap gas in the summer, then release it over winter. The effect is to stop prices soaring.

A report by the Redpoint energy consultancy, commissioned by the Government, showed subsidies to encourage investment in more storage could save consumers almost £1bn over 10 years.

It examined four scenarios, three of which showed a net reduction in gas bills.

The UK stores gas in huge tanks - but Germany has five times more

But Energy Minister Michael Fallon rejected subsidies based on the one scenario to show an increase in costs. He also ignored long-term savings, making the costs look worse.

Speaking to Sky News, he was unrepentant, saying. "The money would ... be put on consumers' bills now.

"I would have had to be persuaded that this was a subsidy worth paying. I don't think it is worth it."

Three projects to increase storage capacity have been shelved in the wake of the decision.

Stag Energy had planned to pump gas into caverns under the Irish Sea, but said the scheme was now too expensive. Company boss George Grant said the Government had been shortsighted.

He said: "We view gas storage as an insurance policy for consumers.

"The Redpoint analysis shows there is a net benefit to consumers, but that's a point the Government glossed over."

:: Watch a day of special coverage on energy costs all day on Sky News - on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad.

There will also be a special programme on the energy industry on Jeff Randall Live this evening at 7pm.

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Trump Battles Scottish Windfarm In Court

Donald Trump's legal challenge to an offshore windfarm project supported by the Scottish Government is getting under way.

The US businessman opposes the 11-turbine European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre off the Aberdeenshire coast, claiming it will spoil the view from his nearby luxury golf course.

Mr Trump has said he will pull the plug on his own controversial plans to finish his proposed resort with a large hotel, holiday homes and a residential village if the windfarm goes ahead.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government is committed to the successful and sustainable development of an offshore wind sector. It is not appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on ongoing legal proceedings."

The turbines will be capable of yielding, on average, enough electricity to power 68,000 UK households in a year, according to designers.

A change to the application in August last year increased the proposed height of some turbines to just short of 200m, prompting further anger from Mr Trump.

Donald Trump's own plans for Scotland development are controversial

The long-running application has pitted Mr Trump against First Minister Alex Salmond. The US property tycoon's scheme at Menie Estate, near Balmedie, also caused controversy, not least for building on an area of protected dunes.

The golf resort application was initially rejected by a local authority committee, causing turmoil among councillors, and was called in by the Scottish Government. The First Minister became local MSP for the area in 2007.

Lang Banks, director of environmental group WWF Scotland, said: "It's depressing to think that Donald Trump has nothing better to do than use his vast wealth to try and undermine Scotland's aim of becoming a cleaner, greener, job-creating nation.

"We hope that, in the end, the court agrees that giving the go-ahead to this development was the right decision.

"Scotland is home to a quarter of Europe's offshore wind resource. Studies estimate that Scotland's offshore wind industry could create 28,000 jobs by 2020 and contribute over £7bn of investment to the economy.

"It would be a great pity if Donald Trump was in any way responsible for frustrating Scotland's ambition to generate clean power and green jobs."

The hearing, known as a petition for judicial review, is taking place at the Court of Session in Edinburgh and is expected to last four days.

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Energy Bills: EDF Confirms 3.9% Average Rise

EDF Energy is to raise its average gas and electricity bills by 3.9% from January 3 - a lower increase than its rivals - in a move that raises pressure on the Government to help bring down household costs.

The company - the fifth of the so-called Big Six firms to announce a winter increase - said its decision was conditional on David Cameron delivering on his pledge to "roll back" so-called green levies.

EDF claimed that as a result of this decision, its rise was less than half the size of those announced by British Gas, SSE, Scottish Power and npower to date and meant its new standard variable tariff would rise by just £49 on average.

Some 2.4 million of its household customers will be affected as around a third are on fixed-tariff deals.

Only E.ON is yet to confirm a rise among the major players but reports suggest it is planning to announce later this month an average increase of 6.6% from early 2014.

The company said its limited increase was based on a decision to hold back rising costs - including those from the Government's ECO social and environmental scheme - for now pending a decision on their future expected in the Autumn Statement on December 5. 

The firm said: "The company has taken action ahead of the outcome of the Government's review of the costs of ECO and other schemes.

EDF chief exec Vincent de Rivaz has challenged the cost of green levies

"If the Government makes bigger changes to the costs of its social and environmental schemes than EDF Energy has anticipated, the company pledges to pass these savings onto customers.

"However, if changes to social and environmental programmes are less than anticipated, the company may have to review its standard variable prices again."

Ministers are examining whether the bulk of the costs - expected to amount to £158 annually for the average dual fuel customer next year - should be taken out of bills and placed under general taxation instead to help bring down bills.

EDF's chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said the industry must "challenge the cost and affordability" of Government green schemes.

He added: "I know that price rises are always unwelcome, but we have taken the first step to show what can be done if rising costs are tackled head-on."

Consumer groups gave a cautious reaction to the move.

Tom Lyon, energy expert at uSwitch.com, said: "Any winter price rise is a blow to consumers as it makes the struggle to afford to stay warm that little bit harder.

"However, EDF Energy is to be applauded for the stance it is taking by factoring in the potential reduction on green levies into its calculations.

"This means that customers will know up front that they will benefit from any step the Government takes to reduce the impact of 'hidden' taxes on bills.

"More importantly it also challenges the Government to put its money where its mouth is and to make good its pledges on affordability."

EDF said its decision meant it would be more difficult for its residential supply business to be profitable next year, but the company believed it was important to limit price increases for hard-pressed customers.

News of the increase came amid a furious debate on energy pricing - prompted by Labour's pledge to freeze bills for 20 months if it wins the 2015 general election.

Ministers are keen to promote greater competition - and the value of switching suppliers - while the Energy Secretary Ed Davey is to warn that customers are not "cash cows" to be squeezed for profits by the shareholders of energy companies.

Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman learned on Monday that the industry was mounting a fightback under the growing pressure from politicians, with a report demonstrating its value to the UK economy.

The study suggested it contributed more than £100bn in total last year.

:: Watch a day of special coverage on energy costs all day on Sky News - on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad.

There will also be a special programme on the energy industry on Jeff Randall Live this evening at 7pm.

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Acts Of Remembrance Around UK For War Dead

The UK has stopped to remember its war dead on Armistice Day, pausing for the traditional two-minute silence at events across the country.

Acts of remembrance included a service at the national Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire, with Dorothy Ellis, the last surviving First World War widow, among the guests at the outdoor event.

Senior representatives of the Government and the armed forces also attended the service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, near Burton-on-Trent.

Dorothy Ellis (L) looks on as wreaths are laid at the Armed Forces Memorial

The Portland stone memorial bears the names of more than 16,000 fallen service personnel.

Designed to complement the Cenotaph in London, which commemorates the victims of the First and Second World Wars, it honours those who have died in the line of duty since 1948.

It is designed so a shaft of sunlight shines onto its central sculpture to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in remembrance of the end of the First World War.

An event was held to mark Armistice Day in London's Trafalgar Square

Events held in London included one at the Lloyd's of London market in the City attended by the Chelsea Pensioners, and another in Trafalgar Square, featuring musical performances and readings.

Also at 11am, the funeral service took place of Harold Percival, a wartime airman who died in October aged 99 with no close family or friends.

Following an internet campaign, hundreds of people attended the service at Lytham Park Crematorium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

The funeral of Harold Percival was held in Lancashire

The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev Justin Welby, visited the Cenotaph in Whitehall, as well as the Ministry of Defence, where he was updated on military operations.

"At this time of year it's essential that we remember and give thanks for all those who gave their lives for the sake of freedom in the two World Wars, and also remember those who still risk their lives as servicemen and women in our Armed Forces," he said.

"It's a time to recommit ourselves to the cause of peace and to seek to play our own small part as agents of reconciliation."

Big Ben strikes the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month

The Duke of Edinburgh travelled to Belgium to honour troops who fell at some of the First World War's deadliest battles.

The 92-year-old took part in the Last Post ceremony in Ypres, where he collected soil from Flanders Fields for a memorial garden at Wellington Barracks in London.

In neighbouring France, President Hollande was jeered by protesters as he laid flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier during a ceremony marking the end of World War One in Paris.

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M6: Blackpool Man Dies After Police Chase

A man has died after he was hit by a car while crossing the M6 following a police chase.

Officers had been pursuing the man from Blackpool after he failed to stop for a police patrol in the area.

The man, who is believed to be from the seaside town, made off at speed in a grey Ford Focus Sport.

He made his way on to the M55 motorway and then on to the M6 southbound before stopping on the hard shoulder around one mile north of Charnock Richard services.

The motorist crossed the three lanes of the major road on foot and was struck by a car on the northbound carriageway at around 9.20pm on Sunday. He died at the scene.

The motorway was closed for several hours in both directions between junctions 27 and 28 near Shevington and all traffic diverted onto the M61, but has since reopened.

Lancashire Police has launched an investigation and the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

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Barratts Shoes Calls In Administrators

Barratts Shoes has gone into administration for the third time in four years, putting more than 1,000 jobs at risk.

Directors at the Bradford-based chain were left with no choice after an investor pulled out of a plan to inject £5m at the end of last week as the company sought to shore up its finances, according to a statement.

Philip Duffy and David Whitehouse of financial advisory and investment banking firm Duff & Phelps were appointed administrators on Friday afternoon.

The administrators said they were reviewing the company's financial position and seeking a sale of the business as a going concern but said: "At this stage redundancies and/or store closures cannot be ruled out."

Barratts Shoes operates from 75 stores and 23 other outlets - concessions - across the UK and Ireland, employing 1,035 people.

A total of 51% of the jobs, more than 520, are part-time positions, the statement said.

Co-administrator Mr Duffy said: "Difficult trading conditions in the sector led the directors to explore potential refinancing options and additional equity for the business.

"The company had recently received an offer from an investor to inject £5m into the company but that offer was withdrawn on the evening of the November 7.

"In view of the financial position of the company and withdrawal of that equity offer the directors were left with no choice but to appoint administrators."

Recent reports suggested that Barratts owner and boss Michael Ziff was seeking cash to pay for stock without which it would be running perilously low during the crucial run-up to Christmas.

The status change comes nearly two years after the footwear chain last went into administration, in December 2011, with unseasonably mild weather blamed for exacerbating already difficult trading conditions.

Attempts to find a buyer for its concessions business failed, costing 1,600 jobs, but in January last year a deal was agreed to save most of the standalone store chain - though with the loss of 680 jobs.

Mr Ziff had previously been involved in a deal to keep the brand going after it went into administration in 2009.

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Flybe Cuts 500 Jobs In Further Cost Slash

Flybe has warned that it plans to axe another 500 jobs in the latest round of cost-cutting at the struggling regional airline business.

The Exeter-based carrier's new chief executive, Saad Hammad, will also review unprofitable routes and bases and improve aircraft and crew utilisation.

It currently employs around 2,700 people, with some 650 staff having left the business since last January.

Mr Hammad, who will appear on the Sky News business bulletin at 2.45pm, said: "We are going to shrink to grow. Without these proposed cuts we cannot be viable."

He said the job losses would be "almost exclusively in the UK" but he could not yet give details of which roles would go.

The measures are expected to save the airline £26m annually from next year, on top of previous initiatives to save £40m this year and £45m in 2014/15.

The company said: "This will require tough decisions to be taken over the coming months and, regrettably, this proposal may result in the loss of around 500 jobs spread across the business."

Consultation with trade union and staff association representatives on the proposals will start shortly.

The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said it was shocked by the announcement and called on the Government to play its part by reducing the impact of Air Passenger Duty.

Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: "This is a distressing day for the dedicated pilots who loyally serve Flybe and its passengers day in, day out, and we will be supporting them throughout this difficult redundancy process."

Unite union national officer Oliver Richardson added: "Cabin crew have already been through one major reorganisation at Flybe only recently and they will be angry that once again they are on the front line of more cuts."

The airline's half-year results today showed it grew passenger numbers by 5.6% to 4.3 million, while it returned to profit with a surplus of £13.8m.

Having joined Flybe in August, Mr Hammad said: "It was clear to me that the existing phase one and two cost savings were necessary, but we simply needed to do more and to do it immediately.

"The business needed action now and so today we are explaining our next phase which encompasses a review of everything we do and how we do it."

Mr Hammad's regime has already seen the departure of a raft of top executives.

After entering its recent period of turbulence, Flybe has focused on shoring up its core regional bases in Southampton, Manchester, Birmingham and the Channel Islands, selling its Gatwick Airport runway slots to easyJet for £20m.

Meanwhile, Gatwick Airport announced that it handled more than 3.11 million passengers in October - a 4.3% rise on the same month in 2012.

North Atlantic passenger numbers fell 10.5% last month but other long-haul traffic to and from the West Sussex airport was up 9.0%.

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'Burglar' Suffocated In Office Chimney

A suspected burglar became stuck in the chimney of a Derby solicitor's and was unable to breathe, an inquest has heard.

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New Mums 'Left Clueless Amid Midwife Crisis'

Nearly half of new mothers say they are not given enough advice on how to recognise if their baby has a life-threatening illness once they have left hospital, according to a survey.

The survey by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and Netmums also showed that nearly a third (30.8%) felt unsupported and were asked to go home when they were not ready to leave.

Nearly two thirds (60%) of women said they experienced feeling down or depressed after giving birth, and over two-thirds (40%) said they were not given enough information about breastfeeding.

Mothers' concerns have been echoed by midwives. Asked in the survey if they thought they were able to deliver clinical postnatal care to a standard they were pleased with, over half (58%) said they would like to be able to do more or a lot more.

Just over a third (40%) of midwives said that they had enough time and resources to support and inform women about emotional wellbeing.

RCM chief executive Cathy Warwick said: "These surveys confirm some of my fears about the level and quality of postnatal care that midwives are able to provide and that women are receiving.

"We know from a recent survey of heads of midwifery that postnatal care is suffering because of midwife shortages.

"Whilst I recognise that the Government are working hard to increase midwife numbers, the serious shortage that currently exists is having an impact and it is affecting the quality of care for women."

In response to the findings, a Department of Health spokesperson said: "We are doing everything possible to make sure women get the right maternity support.

"There are now over 1,300 more midwives working in the NHS since May 2010, and a record 5,000 more in training who will all qualify in the next three years. We have also increased the number of health visitors and family nurses, who provide vital support for women.

"Most women have good outcomes and positive experiences of maternity care. We know 84% of women now say they have good care, which has gone up from 75% six years ago. But we are determined to do more.

"Last year, we announced a £25m fund to pay for improvements to over 100 maternity wards and birthing units, including nine new midwifery-led units.

"The work we are doing is making a big difference to the experience that mums and families have of NHS maternity services, with more choice and a better environment where women can give birth."

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Funeral Appeal After WWII Veteran Dies Alone

Hundreds of people are expected to attend a funeral of a war veteran they never knew after it emerged he died with no close friends or relatives.

Harold Jellicoe Percival served as RAF ground crew and helped with the famous Dambusters raids during the Second World War.

He died last month aged 99 in a nursing home.

Mr Percival's funeral will be held at 11am on Armistice Day at a crematorium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

The veteran never married, had no children and has no close family members able to go to the service.

A request for servicemen first went out in a local newspaper

But after publicity in local newspapers and social media, funeral directors say they are now hoping for a good turnout.

The RAF Association tweeted that its "Northern area will be in attendance" so Mr Percival "won't be alone".

Afghanistan veteran Rick Clement, who lost both legs in 2010, has been using Twitter and Facebook to urge people to turn up to pay their respects.

"Need a big favour from any military or ex serving members. This fallen soldier at 99 years old is having a funeral on Monday," he said.

"It says he has no family to attend in Lytham St Anne's. If your in the area can you give him the send off he deserves." 

He later thanked all those who had supported the appeal, saying: "Harold is going to get an amazing send off."

Comedian Jason Manford has also got behind the campaign.

Mr Percival lived in Penge, south London, before joining the RAF.

He was based in northwest England and became part of the ground crew which helped the Dambusters, the squadron which was initially formed to destroy dams in the Ruhr valley in Nazi Germany.

Mr Percival helped support the Dambusters' daring raid during World War Two

After working in Australia, he later retired to England and lived at a care home in Lytham St Annes.

Matron Janet Wareing said: "Harold was a lovely character, very strong-willed and independent.

"He was quite a private man, and he loved reading his Daily Telegraph every morning.

"We have already been contacted by military veterans who are intending to come, even though they have never met him.

"We've been told one group is looking to bring around 200 people to the service, which would be fantastic."

Mr Percival does have a nephew, David Worsell, but he is not able to attend so his son - Mr Percival's great nephew - will represent the family.

He was a distant relative of former British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, the only PM to have ever been assassinated.

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Miliband Slams Payday Lenders' Kids Ads

Payday loans companies should be banned from advertising during children's TV shows, Labour leader Ed Miliband has said.

Mr Miliband used a piece in the Sun on Sunday newspaper to claim youngsters are targeted by firms keen to exploit "pester power".

Calling for them to be treated the same as gambling and junk food promotions, he said that, if the Advertising Standards Authority failed to act, a Labour government would legislate.

Accusing the companies of using "cartoon characters, trendy puppets or cute plasticine figures" to attract children, he writes: "We all know kids learn about values of family and friendship from what they watch.

Payday loan firms such as Wonga are accused of preying on children

"We also know how easily they can be influenced. That's why I really worry when payday lenders target our kids and young people.

"And that's what the evidence suggests they are doing. How else do we explain hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent by pay day lenders for adverts during children's TV programmes.

"And why else are they using cartoon characters, trendy puppets or cute plasticine figures in some of their ads?

"They aren't simply doing it to appeal directly to parents. They want to use pester power to get kids and teenagers to put pressure on their parents."

He cited a recent survey that showed more than one in three people with youngsters under 10 said their children had repeated payday loan ad slogans to them.

Father-of-two Mr Miliband is concerned about the influence of ads on kids

"The next Labour government will ask the Advertising Standards Authority to prevent irresponsible advertising by pay day lenders that targets or exploits children and young people," he said.

"This is not just about content but also the time of day when such adverts are shown. There is no justification for ever selling pay day loans during children's TV."

Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, backed Mr Miliband's views - having previously told a Commons committee the companies' behaviour amounted to "grooming".

Bosses from the industry - which is under investigation by the Competition Commission - defended their practices when they appeared before MPs.

Henry Raine, head of regulatory and public affairs at Wonga, told the committee: "Wonga's business is aiming to lend to people who can pay us back, that's how we make money.

"The vast majority of people pay us back on time. We freeze interest after 60 days and 25% of people pay us back early."

Mr Raine said around 3% of loans, equating to around 40,000 of Wonga's 1.25 million customers, go to the 60-day period.

He said Wonga's record compared favourably with the rest of the loan industry, including credit card companies and banks.

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Remembrance Day Services Honour Veterans

War Graves 'Have Enormous Power To Engage'

Updated: 1:51am UK, Sunday 10 November 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent, in Burma

Just outside the chaos and the buzz of Burma's largest city, Rangoon, is a place of remarkable peace and tranquility.

Set back from the busy highway linking Rangoon to the Burma's new capital city Naypyidaw is the Taukkyan War Cemetery.

Taukkyan is the final resting place for 6,426 soldiers of the Commonwealth who fought and died in one or other of the two world wars.

The headstones are lined up in perfect uniformity. I spot a Private Jones and a Corporal Johnson.

Their names seem oddly incongruous so far from 'home'. It is a reminder of just how global the two world wars were.

As always at war cemeteries, the ages are sobering. Most of those I pause by in Taukkyan are teenagers.

Around the world there are a staggering 23,000 war cemeteries just like Taukkyan.

You will find them in 153 different countries, they hold the remains and bear the names of 1.7 million individuals and they are all managed and beautifully maintained by an organisation called the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

"The CWGC maintains the very fabric upon which remembrance of the war dead is focussed," Peter Francis, from the CWGC, told Sky News.

"Today, the war graves and memorials are perhaps the only physical reminder of the war left. They have an enormous power in my experience to engage the individual in the war and the sacrifices made."

The gravestones that line the fields of Northern France are well-known, but similarly poignant cemeteries can be found in every country where battles of either world war were fought.

From Burma to Libya and from Turkey to Thailand they are all as moving as they are magnificent.

Some are in deserts, some in mountains, some under snow and some lined with palm trees.

Many of the cemeteries are the legacy of an extraordinary pledge made during the two world wars.

These were the days before repatriations of the like we see today. Back then, soldiers were buried where they fell, but admirable efforts were made to record each individual burial location.

When the guns fell silent, as many of the bodies as possible were 'repatriated', not home, but to a central cemetery where they could lie side-by-side.

Mr Francis points out that World War One marked a step-change in how the victims of war were remembered.

"Before the First World War it was unusual to remember the sacrifice of 'ordinary' soldiers," he explained.

"One only has to look around London and see the memorials to Generals, or go to the battlefield at Waterloo (just 100 years before the Great War) to see that there was very little to mark the sacrifice of the soldier. The First World War and the CWGC changed all that.

"It is all too easy, for those of us who have grown up with the two minute silence, the poppy, the war graves, the memorials, to think there was an inevitability about the commemoration of the war dead. That is not the case."

Along with the 6,426 marked graves at Taukkyan is a memorial wall on which are etched the names of a staggering 27,000 others who died during the battles in Burma and who have no known grave.

Burma, now Myanmar, was a battle ground for both wars and has been for many more since.

The upkeep of so many cemeteries, some in countries now the frontline of new wars, is a huge undertaking.

Mr Francis tells me about one cemetery which is a 45 minute boat ride to a remote Scottish Island. Access to another involves a dangerous journey across Libya.

"Every site, every grave is inspected, assessed and maintained by our dedicated workforce - some 1,300 strong worldwide (the vast majority gardeners and stone masons)," he told me.

"Some may stay at one cemetery their entire career, others will move from country to country. Some are even the third generation of their family to work for us - one of the nice things about the organisation is that we do have a sense of 'family'."

While there are cemeteries in unstable counties like Syria, Iraq and Libya, there are challenges even in places like the UK.

"Here in the UK we face a very peculiar challenge," Mr Francis said.

"Most people do not realise that in the UK, the Commission commemorates more than 300,000 Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in the two world wars - their graves and memorials to be found at a staggering 13,000 locations.

"There is little awareness of this. These range from small rural churchyards to large urban civic cemeteries. In essence we have to enter into 13,000 agreements to maintain these sites."

The CWGC, which is well-funded by grants from Commonwealth-member governments, expects that visitor numbers will increase by up to 30% over the next four years.

It has now embarked on a renovation and modernisation programme.

"Our headstone replacement capacity is now at 22,000 headstones a year and we are re-engraving some 19,000 headstones a year in situ - maintaining the very fabric upon which remembrance of the Great War is largely based and keeping alive in stone the names of those who died."

The commission's website now contains an interactive database allowing people to search for a relative who died in a far-away battle.

Initiatives like this help younger people connect to a past with which they no longer have a direct generational link. 

"An increased awareness of, and sense of ownership in, war graves in the UK, will greatly assist the Commission's task of caring and maintaining for these sites, some of which may have been abandoned to nature over the decades," Mr Francis said.

Back at Taukkyan, I watch one of the commission's volunteers, an elderly Burmese man. He rakes away fallen leaves from the pristine grass around the rows of graves.

Two young Burmese boys wander past. I wonder how much they know of their country's troubled history. Hopefully for them, the troubles are history.

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Police Taser Armed Man In South London

An armed man has been tasered and arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder of a police officer in south London.

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