Tens Of Thousands Demonstrate Over Pay

Tens of thousands of workers are holding protests in London, Glasgow and Belfast to call for an increase in wages.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is organising the demonstrations under the banner Britain Needs A Pay Rise, following days of industrial action from nurses, midwives and civil servants.

Midwives went on strike for the first time in their history over the Government's decision not to pay a recommended 1% increase to all NHS staff.

Hospital radiographers and prison officers are due to hold strikes next week over the same dispute.

Demonstrators take part in the 'Britain Needs A Pay Rise' march in London

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Our message is that after the longest and deepest pay squeeze in recorded history, it's time to end the lock-out that has kept the vast majority from sharing in the economic recovery.

"The average worker is £50 a week worse off than in 2007 and five million earn less than the living wage. Meanwhile, top directors now earn 175 times more than the average worker."

Video: Life On NHS Wages Is 'Demeaning'

Lynn Burbidge, a healthcare assistant at a hospital in Kent, said she was joining the march "because the Government needs to listen to us".

She said every month she faces a decision of whether to "pay your bills or buy food" and constantly having to budget was "demeaning".

"I've worked for the NHS for nearly 30 years and I'm still in the same position," she told Sky News.

Video: TUC: Workers £50 A Week Worse Off

"I'm 20% worse off now than what I was 10 years ago ... while the Government they've just accepted an 11% pay rise - I'm only after 1%."

One cleaner, called Nana, told Sky News how he struggles to provide for his family despite juggling three jobs and working a 12-hour day on minimum wage.

"My social life is very bad. Secondly, I have a lot of debt to pay. The TV licence is coming up and we haven't got enough money to pay it," he said.

Video: Wages Fall As Economy Grows

"They wrote to me that the bailiffs will come to my house. I've no choice, (but to) pray for the nation to come to our aid, to increase our wages and then we can make our ends meet."

A Treasury spokesman said: "Under this Government we've seen the largest annual fall in unemployment, more people in work than ever before, and inequality lower than the average under the previous government, proving that the Government's long-term economic plan is working.

"The only sustainable way to raise living standards is to keep working through the plan that is building a resilient economy and has enabled us to announce the first real-terms increase in the minimum wage since the great recession.

Video: Family Needs £40,000 To Live In UK

"We appreciate that the effects of the great recession are still being felt, which is why we have taken continued action to help hard-working people by cutting income tax, freezing fuel duty, helping local authorities to freeze council tax, cutting energy bills, providing free school meals, and reducing childcare costs."

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Labour Pledges One-Week Cancer Diagnosis

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Patients will be guaranteed cancer tests and results within a week under plans outlined by Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Labour has pledged to pump £700m into cancer diagnosis over the course of the next Parliament if they win the General Election.

The money will come from a new levy on tobacco companies, they say.

Mr Miliband says he wants Britain to lead Europe in terms of cancer survival rates and predicts such a huge investment could save 10,000 lives a year.

"Labour has different values on the NHS than this Government," said Mr Miliband as he visited Cancer Research UK in Cambridge.

Video: Miliband's NHS Mansion Tax Plans

"We believe in collaboration rather than free-market competition, in prevention not picking up the pieces, and accountability rather than undermining patients' rights and guarantees.

"Labour has different priorities from this Government. We would raise taxes on the most expensive homes worth over £2m in our country, hedge funds which avoid paying their fair share, and the tobacco firms whose products cause so much ill-health and suffering.

"This money will help pay for the investments we will make with our NHS Time to Care Fund."

Video: NHS Staff Strike Over Pay

The Treasury earned £9.5bn from tobacco duties in 2011-12, but the cost of smoking to the NHS is estimated at between £2.7bn and £5.2bn per year.

Mr Miliband added: "Labour has a plan for the NHS so that it can meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

"We have already said we will guarantee GP appointments within 48 hours. And we have already shown how our Time to Care Fund will ensure the NHS has 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 GPs, 5,000 home care workers and 3,000 midwives so they have the time to care for you.

Video: Ed Miliband's Highs And Lows

"Now Labour is setting out the next stage of our NHS Plan: a guarantee that no-one will have to wait longer than one week for cancer tests and results by 2020.

"It is critical that we improve early diagnosis of cancer - a killer disease that one in three of us will get -  so that we can match the best countries in the world for surviving it.

"And this is a plan paid for by money raised from the profits of the tobacco firms whose products have done so much to cause cancer in the first place."

Video: Stars Stand Up To Cancer

Mr Miliband came in for criticism at the Labour party conference when he forgot to mention the deficit in his keynote speech, but when it came to the NHS he made no such mistake.

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Nepal Trekking Tragedy Death Toll Climbs To 43

The number of people killed in a devastating snowstorm in Nepal's Himalayas climbed to 43 on Saturday, in the worst trekking disaster ever to hit the mountainous country.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it has spoken to concerned British families who have not heard from their relatives, though it is not thought there are any Britons among the dead.

The body of a victim is moved from an ambulance to the morgue

An unofficial list of trekkers suggests more than a dozen Britons may have been in the area at the time of the storms, although some of them have since been confirmed as safe or rescued.  

More than 230 trekkers - most of them foreigners - have been rescued since Wednesday and search teams continue to scour the Annapurna range looking for more survivors, who may be sheltering in lodges and huts.

Officials believe some people may be stranded in waist-deep snow in remote locations where mobile phone signal is poor.

Two Israeli survivors hug each other

The skies were clear at the start of the week, said Gombu Sherpa, who was guiding a group of Germans near the popular trekking circuit. But that changed suddenly when the snow blew in.

"We could hardly see anyone, even within a couple of feet. The wind was blowing snow and visibility was almost zero," he said, adding many people lost their way in the storm, but that everyone in his group survived.

A friend of Lizi Hamer posted a message on Facebook to say she was safe

One of his assistants, who was behind the group when the storm hit, was missing for an entire night, lost in the blizzard.

"We found him the next morning wandering in the snow. It is a miracle that he is alive," he said. Two trekkers from Hong Kong and 12 Israelis survived by taking refuge in a small tea shop .

One of the Israelis, Yakov Megreli, said they tried to stay awake to stay warm. "We tried not to sleep. We tried not to get hypothermia. It was a very frightening and awful situation," he said.

Israeli survivors from the blizzard hug each other in Kathmandu

A British survivor has told how he escaped the disaster.

Paul Sheridan said walkers were left stumbling through "an abyss of nothing" as dense snow left them unable to get their bearings on the slopes of the mountain range in northern Nepal.

Some British trekkers remain unaccounted for despite the rescue effort

Mr Sheridan said that trekkers should have been prevented from going up the mountain, but were "herded to their deaths" by guides who he alleged were not carrying the correct emergency equipment.

Friends of Briton Lizi Hamer, who was originally unaccounted for, posted a message on Facebook announcing she had been found safe.

The 150-mile (240km) Annapurna circuit offers spectacular views of jagged peaks and Buddhist villages.

It takes almost three weeks to complete and is nicknamed the "apple pie" circuit because of the teahouses lining the route that offer cold beer and home baking.

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UK Police To Probe Thailand Tourist Murders

British police officers are to travel to Thailand to help investigate the murders of tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge.

Detectives from the UK were cleared to work on the case after Thailand's military ruler dropped objections to their involvement.

The agreement came after David Cameron and General Prayuth Chan-ocha discussed controversy surrounding the Thai-led investigation of the killings at a summit in Milan.

The British officers are expected to seek independent checks of DNA samples seen as key to the case against two Burmese men accused of the crime.

There has been concern over the treatment of two Burmese suspects

They are also expected to examine claims by the two migrant workers that they have been mistreated by the Thai authorities.

Mr Miller, 24, and Ms Witheridge, 23, were found dead last month on a beach on Koh Tao, an island in Thailand's Surat Thani province.

Video: Sept 19: CCTV Of Murder Victim

Court proceedings have reportedly started against the two suspects amid international concern about the investigation, including from the Foreign Office and human rights groups.

The Thai leader had previously rejected offers of help and insisted the UK no longer had "any more doubts" about the quality of the investigation following ambassador-level talks.

But sources said he agreed to a British police delegation when pressed on the issue by the Prime Minister at the Asia Europe Meeting in Italy.

A diplomatic source said: "Obviously it is for the Thai authorities to lead and carry out that judicial process. 

"But it is important that it is fair and transparent and that both of the families can be reassured that it is the murderers that have been brought to justice.

Video: Oct 3: Thai Murder Suspects Paraded

"What the PM secured this morning was agreement from the Thai PM that we can send some British police investigators to Koh Tao to work with the Royal Thai Police on this."

The Burmese men who have been charged with the killings were paraded in front of the media after apparently making confessions which were later withdrawn.

The pair have reportedly been charged with three offences - conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and robbery.

Thai police denied reports that the Burmese embassy had formally retracted their confessions amid claims the pair were tortured.

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Sheffield Utd Denies Ched Evans Contract Report

Sheffield United has denied reports it has offered a contract to disgraced footballer Ched Evans.

The striker was released from prison on Friday after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old in a hotel room in Rhyl, North Wales.

The club's co-chairmen Kevin McCabe and Jim Phipps said they had not yet made a decision about whether to re-employ Evans.

Judy Finnigan apologised for making controversial comments about Evans

"An article in The Sun today that Sheffield United has offered a contract to former player Ched Evans is false and damaging to the club," they said in a joint statement.

"We have made a statement on this matter previously and the lack of credibility and substance from this latest media report does not warrant any expansion from previous comments apart from noting that we are continuing to deliberate on any long-term decision about Ched Evans."

Video: Backlash Over Ched Evans Petition

It came after a petition to block Evans returning to Bramall Lane reached more than 151,000.

A statement posted on his website from his family and girlfriend Natasha Massey said he would "continue the fight to clear his name".

"Chedwyn Evans maintains his absolute innocence and his family, friends and many who know the true facts of the case believe that his conviction was a gross miscarriage of justice."

The Welsh international, 25, admitted having sex with the woman, who told the jury she had no memory of the incident.

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1. Gallery: Sports Stars Whose Careers Survived Criminal Convictions

   England defender Tony Adams was arrested in 1990 for crashing his car into a wall near his home whilst drunk. He served half his prison sentence and in 1999 received an MBE from Buckingham Palace.

2. American boxer Mike Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old in the U.S in 1991. He was sentenced to six years in prison, but served three. He returned to the ring in 1998.

3. In 1998 ex-footballer Vinnie Jones was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage against a neighbour in 1997. He now lives in LA and works as an actor.

4. American figure skating champ Tonya Harding avoided jail for her involvement in an attack on fellow skater and rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. She's since followed a career in boxing.

5. Haitian-born Canadian boxer Adonis Stevenson's was released from prison in 2001 after serving four years in prison for managing prostitutes, assaults and making threats. His professional career began in 2006.

6. In 2007 Michael Vick served 21 months in prison, followed by two months in home confinement for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring. In 2009 he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

7. NBA star, Dennis Rodman has been in and out of trouble and has served 45 days of community service for allegedly hitting his wife. In 2010 it was reported he owed more than $300,000 in child support.

8. Craig Thomson of the Scottish Premier League pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent behaviour with two underage girls in 2011. He remains on the sex offenders register.

9. American basketball star, Lamar Odom was arrested in 2013 on drink driving charges and put on a three-year suspended sentence. He now plays for Spanish team Laboral Kutxa

10. Footballer striker Marlon King is serving an 18-month sentence for dangerous driving. He's had several convictions and served multiple jail sentences.

The prosecution said his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald also admitted having sex with the woman, but was found not guilty of the same charge.

Earlier this week, TV presenter Judy Finnigan apologised after she said on the ITV show Loose Women that his crime was "not violent" and did not cause "bodily harm".

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Four London Men Charged Over Terror Offences

Four men from London have been charged with intending to commit acts of terrorism, Scotland Yard has said.

Tarik Hassane, 21, Suhaib Majeed, 20, Nyall Hamlett, 24, and Momen Motasim, 21, have all been charged with plotting a terrorist attack in London.

The offences allegedly took place between 8 July and 7 October of this year.

The charges, provided by the Metropolitan Police, allege that the four men conducted "hostile reconnaissance" of Shepherd's Bush police station and White City Territorial Army Barracks and took an oath of allegiance to extremist group Islamic State.

A fifth man, Nathan Cuffy, 25, has been charged with firearms offences.

Video: Met Police: 'We Need Public's Help'

All the men have London addresses and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.

The charges allege the four set up methods of secret communications and entered into covert discussions.

Police also allege the men located a firearm, moped and an extract of the "fatwa of Al Adnani" as part of the plot.

Video: Hundreds Of Terror Threats In 2014

They allegedly viewed and kept an image sent via Instagram of two Metropolitan Police officers and two Metropolitan Police community support officers.

It is also alleged the men possessed jihadist material, including articles with images of the beheading of Steven Sotloff.

News of the charges came as counter-terrorism chief Mark Rowley warned that police officers were grappling with "exceptionally high" numbers of investigations.

Video: Blair May Have Been Terror Target

Video: 'Thousands Of Terror Suspects'

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Dangerous Dogs: Heavy Penalties Under New Law

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Owners of agressive dogs could be ordered to take action or face a fine of up to £20,000 under tough new laws to prevent dog attacks.

The new legal powers come into force on Monday and police and local authorities are being sent a Practitioners Manual detailing how they will work.

If a complaint has been made about a dog to the council or police, its owners could be ordered to do attend dog training classes, muzzle the dog, microchip it or neuter it.

There is also the possibility that owners would be ordered to make repairs to fencing to prevent their dog leaving their property.

Animal welfare minister Lord de Mauley said: "Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families which is why we are taking tough action against those who allow them to happen.

Video: Owners Face £20,000 Fine

"Police and local authorities will now have more powers to demand that irresponsible dog owners take steps to prevent attacks before they occur. This is on top of the tougher prison sentences we introduced earlier this year for owners who allow their dogs to attack people and assistance dogs."

Eight adults and 13 children have died from dog attacks since 2005.

In the 12 months to January 2014, some 6,740 people required hospital treatment for dog attacks - an increase of 6% from the previous 12-month period.

Earlier this year, legal changes were made to enable prosecution for a dog attack on private property and maximum prison sentences were extended.

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1. Gallery: Banned Dogs

   These four types of dog are prohibited in Britain. </P><P> The Dangerous Dogs Act bans ownership, breeding, sales and exchange and advertising for sale of specified types of fighting dogs.

2. The act was rushed in in 1991 after a series of vicious attacks that provoked a huge outcry. </P><P> It was brought in by then Home Secretary Kenneth Clarke.

3. It is illegal to own one of these dogs without a certificate of exemption, which is given only after the dog is neutered.

4. It must also be insured and have a transponder planted beneath its skin. </P><P> In addition, the four breeds must be muzzled in public places and only be handled by a person over the age of 16.

Owners of dogs that kill a person could face 14 years - up from two years - and the maximum sentence for injury is now five years instead of two.

The National Policing Lead for Dangerous Dogs, DCC Gareth Pritchard, said: "The Practitioners Manual gives police officers and other practitioners clear guidance on how to best implement the legislative changes, especially the early preventative measures such as Community Protection Notices, to help prevent more serious events occurring in the future.

"It also provides a platform to share good practice between police forces and partner agencies and it will form part of the ongoing training of Dog Legislation Officers across England and Wales."

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'Hundreds' Of UK Terror Arrests This Year

Police have foiled several potentially deadly attacks and arrested hundreds of suspected terrorists so far this year, Britain's counter-terrorism chief has claimed.

Mark Rowley - the UK's National Policing Lead for Counter Terrorism - said officers were dealing with "exceptionally high" numbers of investigations and had been contacted by "dozens" of families concerned that loved ones may be planning to join jihadists in Syria or Iraq.

Amid widespread fears over the influence of Islamic State terrorists, he revealed police have been taking down more than 1,000 pieces of extremist material from the internet each week, including videos of beheadings, torture and suicides.

UK alert levels explained

It comes as the Foreign Secretary said British fighters returning from Syria or Iraq could be tried for treason.

Britons travelling to the Middle East had "sworn personal allegiance" to Islamic State (IS) and could potentially have committed treason, Mr Hammond told MPs on Thursday.

Video: Hundreds Of Terror Threats In 2014

"There are a number of offences under English law with which returning foreign fighters can be charged," Mr Hammond said.

"We have had a discussion about the allegiance question. We've seen situations of people declaring that they have sworn personal allegiance to the so-called Islamic State and that does raise questions about their loyalty and allegiance to this country."

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Rowley said: "So far this year we have made 218 arrests and are running exceptionally high numbers of counter-terrorism investigations, the likes of which we have not seen for several years.

"Against an increasing operational tempo we are disrupting several attack plots a year.

Video: 'Thousands Of Terror Suspects'

"These plots are of varied sophistication, from individuals planning to carry out spontaneous yet deadly attacks to more complex conspiracies, almost all seemingly are either directed by or inspired by terrorism overseas."

Asst Comm Rowley said 16 people had been charged with terrorist offences after returning to the UK from Syria.

He added: "The volume, range and pace of counter-terrorism activity has undergone a step-change.

"Public safety is our number one priority and we will always focus our disruption activity against those posing the greatest and most imminent threat.

Video: Social Media Terrorism

"Sometimes this means intervening very early - essential to prevent attacks, but presenting enormous challenges in securing sufficient evidence to charge."

He added that more than 80% of the material removed from the internet was related to Iraq and Syria, where the success of Islamic State has prompted fears the group's influence may be growing abroad.

Asst Comm Rowley said 66 people who have been reported missing to police are feared to have travelled to Syria.

"The growing problem of young, impressionable, and in some cases vulnerable individuals being radicalised online is an increasing risk," he said.

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1. Gallery: The Battle for Kobani Continues

   Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Kobani. American-led forces conducted 21 airstrikes near the border town in the last two days to slow the advance of Islamic State militants, the US military said

2. The US warned the situation on the ground is fluid as militants try to gain territory

3. A US-led coalition aircraft flying over Kobani

4. Smoke rises from a village on the outskirts of Kobani

5. Unidentified armed men run in Kobani

6. Photographers and journalists watch Kobani from a hill

7. Kurdish refugees from Kobani stand in an abandoned village near the Turkish-Syrian border

8. A black flag belonging to the Islamic State is seen in Kobani. The airstrikes appear to have done little to blunt the group's onslaught on the town

9. Unidentified people gather in Kobani

10. A Turkish Kurd watches Kobani near the border crossing in Turkey. Continue through for more images

22. Cundi Minaz, one of four female Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Unit (YPG) who were killed during clashes with Islamic State fighters in Kobani, is buried in a cemetery in the southeastern town of Suruc

23. People attend the funeral of Cundi Minaz

"Extremist groups are using social media in highly sophisticated ways in order to recruit or persuade individuals towards their violent and warped ideologies.

"Dozens of families have contacted us concerned about loved ones or information when they believe someone is travelling abroad.

"It is only through courageous action like that that we can help and we have been supporting such families in every way we can."

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Free Waterstones One: Tourist Trapped In Store

An American tourist has said "it feels good to be free" after spending two hours trapped inside a London bookshop when staff closed up failing to realise he was still inside.

David Willis had been using the internet inside the Waterstones in Trafalgar Square when he discovered he had been shut inside - it was only after posting messages on Twitter that he was finally released.

Mr Willis, from Texas, said he went to leave the store through the doors on the lower level and found all the lights had been turned out, the door was locked and the shutters had been drawn down.

His attempts to open the door set off the alarm and he spoke to a security guard who rang the store, which closes at 9pm, thinking he would be freed.

However, when nothing happened he posted a picture of himself behind shutters with the message: "This is me locked inside a Waterstones bookstore in London.

"I was upstairs for 15 minutes and came down to all the lights out and door locked. Been here over an hour now. Supposedly someone is on their way."

He said he then spoke to the police but still he was not rescued so finally he tweeted: "Hi Waterstones, I've been locked inside of your Trafalgar Square bookstore for two hours now. Please let me out."

It was retweeted by thousands of people, the police arrived at the shop and he was finally freed just after 11pm on Thursday.

By the time he was rescued Twitter had already hashtagged him the Waterstones One.

He tweeted to followers: "I'm free."

Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Willis said: "I'm very tired, I did not sleep much last night but it feels good to be free."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said police were called at around 9.35pm "by a man claiming to be locked inside a shop".

He added: "Officers attended and following the arrival of a key holder the man left the building shortly after 11pm."

Waterstones posted a message on its Twitter feed saying: "We're pleased to announce that [Mr Willis] is a free man once more. Thanks for your concern and tweets."

By Friday morning the store was asking for reading recommendations for anyone stuck in a bookshop for two hours.

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Ebola: Not All Passengers Being Screened In UK

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Some passengers arriving at London Heathrow from West Africa are still not being asked any questions about ebola.

Sky News joined a flight from Paris to London earlier this morning where passenger Saikou Keita from The Gambia said he was disappointed that he was asked nothing when he landed at Terminal 4.

He had flown into Paris from Dakar in Senegal, and transferred on to a shuttle flight from Paris to London.

He said: "It is disappointing. They should be questions for people who come out from West Africa, they should be thinking more of the health of the people here as well."

Fellow passengers on the flight into London had started their journeys in Guinea - one of the countries worst hit by the ebola crisis.

Video: Testing Heathrow's Ebola Checks

One family from Nigeria explained that they were reassured by the checks that were made in Abuja before they started their trip.

Nigeria has managed to contain a small outbreak they had a few months ago but stringent screening remains in place.

Hani Yashe Jaafar was travelling with her four-year-old daughter and said they were regularly using hand sanitisers to do everything they could to protect themselves.

Hani told Sky News that she was reassured by the huge efforts being made in Nigeria: "The checks were very vigilant and quite serious."

"When you go into the airport your hands have to be sanitised and then the temperature monitors are being used just to make sure everyone is monitored."

There were though no further checks for her family as they transited through Paris.

As they crossed the UK Border at Terminal 4 at Heathrow Hani said she was surprised that the were no questions at all about ebola.

Video: Spotting Ebola At Beijing Airport

She said: "I was just asked the normal immigration questions, no health related questions or anything based on the outbreak of ebola.

"I was a bit surprised because ebola is spreading in Europe so I expected some sort of vigilance."

Screening of passengers started at Terminal 1 at Heathrow this week and is in the process of being rolled out.

French authorities have said rigorous screening will begin at Charles De Gaulle airport this weekend.

Following a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Thursday, David Cameron expressed concern about the quality of checks in place elsewhere in Europe.

The Prime Minister indicated that he would like to see other countries adopt Britain's screening regime, warning they "must do more" to halt the spread of the disease.

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Baby Death: Family Rebuked Over Dangerous Dog

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A baby girl bled to death from head wounds after being attacked by the family dog, according to the provisional findings of a coroner.

An inquest in Northampton into the death of six-month-old Molly-Mae Wotherspoon heard the baby died at  an address in Timken, Daventry on October 3.

The baby was being cared for by her maternal grandmother, who was herself bitten as she tried to protect the baby.

The child's mother, Claire Riley, identified the body.

Coroner for Northamptonshire Mrs Anne Pember said the family had "paid the ultimate price".

She said during the two-minute hearing: "I understand that the family owned the American Pitbull Terrier who attacked Molly-Mae.

"The public should be aware this breed of dog is classified under the Dangerous Dogs Act for a reason, it is very dangerous.

"The family in this case have paid the ultimate price for owning such a dog - the death of their six-month-old baby."

The inquest was adjourned until February 11.

Police are continuing to investigate the "horrific" circumstances of the dog attack.

Molly-Mae's family issued a brief statement last week.

It said: "The family wish to say at this point that we are totally devastated and in complete shock for the tragic loss of our little princess and ask that we are left alone to grieve."

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NHS Alcohol-Related Admissions Near '10 Million'

By Frazer Maude, North Of England Correspondent

Almost 10 million people a year are receiving NHS treatment because of alcohol, according to new figures.

The report compiled by Alcohol Concern shows the number and cost of treatments for illness and injury caused directly by drinking, like binge-fuelled trips to A&E or liver disease.

It also shows the cost of conditions in which alcohol is a significant factor.

A new online map highlights the total number of alcohol-related NHS admissions hit almost 10 million in England during 2012-13.

While A&E admissions accounted for six in every 10 alcohol-related hospital visits, inpatient admissions were responsible for almost two thirds of the total cost burden.

In England as a whole the figures suggest that drinking is attributable for almost half of all head and neck cancer inpatient admissions at a cost to the NHS of £65.3m.

A&E admissions accounted for six in every 10 alcohol-related visits

Just over 13% of all malignant breast neoplasm admissions were attributable to alcohol, costing the NHS £27.1m.

In total 9.6 million people in England are now drinking in excess of Government guidelines, with 2.4 million of those classed as high risk.

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1. Gallery: Men & Women: Alcohol Guidance

   Women's bodies, in general, process alcohol at a slower rate than men's, says Drink Aware

2. Alcohol can affect women's fertility, create a greater risk of breast cancer and increase some side-effects of the menopause

3. The NHS estimates that around 4% of UK women show signs of alcoholism

4. Alcohol daily guidelines for women are 2-3 units of alcohol, equivalent to a 175 ml glass of wine

5. Alcohol daily guidelines for men are no more than of 3-4 units of alcohol, equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer

Commenting on the data, Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Jackie Ballard said: "The NHS is now facing an intolerable strain from alcohol-related illnesses.

"We need to ensure adequate alcohol care pathways are prioritised and appropriate services are put in place to ease this burden."

Dr Carsten Grimm, Clinical Lead for the Alcohol Service in Kirklees, Yorkshire, said: "It is vital that people understand the full consequences of drinking at unsafe levels can have on their health.

Video: Alcohol NHS Impact Regional Guide

"With almost 10 million alcohol-related hospital admissions, we can see just how serious an impact unsafe levels of alcohol consumption is having on our health system."

A Department of Health statement said the Government is well aware of the costs caused by drinking.

"We know that alcohol-fuelled harm costs society about £21bn a year and are determined to reduce this burden to taxpayers. The rise in admissions is very concerning and we are taking action to tackle cheap and harmful alcohol.

Video: Pill Could Cut Desire For Alcohol

"We have given local authorities £8.2m over three years to tackle health issues in their communities like harmful drinking.

"We are working with industry to promote drinking within recommended guidelines and responsible drinking through local schemes, and are already making headway by removing a billion units from the market over four years." 

Video: 'We've Seen Liver Disease Double'

Video: New Report On Drinking And Health

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Police Bail Limit Review After Yewtree Arrests

The length of time suspects can be kept on police bail is to be reviewed after a number of celebrities were left waiting months to hear if they would be charged with sex offences.

The Home Secretary announced the move in a speech at the College of Policing annual conference.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police came under fire over arrests made during Operation Yewtree, which was set up after the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Theresa May will announce the review

BBC radio presenter Paul Gambaccini and the comedians Jim Davidson and Freddie Starr all had to wait months before finding no action would be taken against them over sex offence allegations.

Gambaccini's lawyers criticised the police after he was told last week he would face no further action, a year after he was questioned by police and released on bail.

Video: 22/08/13: Davidson On Abuse Claims

Davidson was on bail for eight months and Starr for 18 months before being told no further action would be taken.

Mrs May said: "I am pleased that the college is developing evidence-based guidance to bring consistency, transparency and rigour to the way in which pre-charge bail is used in criminal investigations.

"You have consulted on the operational guidance and will publish your findings shortly.

Video: 06/05/14: Starr Charges Relief

"But in parallel we must also look at statutory time limits on the use of pre-charge bail to prevent people spending months or even years on bail only for no charges to be brought."

Human rights group Liberty has called for a six-month statutory limit.

Figures released after a Freedom of Information request in May last year showed there were 57,000 on bail – of those 3,000 had been on bail for more than six months.

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Jobless Total Back Below Two-Million Mark

The latest unemployment figures show the jobless total below the two-million mark for the first time since 2008.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said unemployment fell by 154,000 in the three months to August to 1.97 million, with the jobless rate falling by more than expected to 6% - its lowest level since October 2008.

But the figures also highlighted continuing concerns about wage growth - measured at just 0.7% on an annual basis between June and August.

It meant that earnings were still failing to keep pace with inflation despite annual living cost increases being calculated on Tuesday at just 1.2%.

The ONS statistics also showed that growth in employment had slowed to its weakest pace since May 2013 though it took the total in work to a new UK record of 30.7 million.

The fall in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in September was the smallest since April last year, down 18,600 month on month.

There are fears the UK's economic recovery risks being damaged by renewed weakness globally - with some economists forecasting a new recession in the UK's biggest market, the eurozone.

Unemployment has fallen by 538,000 over the past year, the biggest annual reduction since records began in 1972.

Prime Minister David Cameron reacted to the figures by tweeting: "The biggest-ever fall in unemployment in history, taking it below two million, is great news. Our plan is working, but there's still much more to do."

The statistics showed progress on the crisis in youth unemployment - which covers 16 to 24-year-olds - easing by 88,000 over the quarter to 733,000.

There were 162,000 unemployed 16-and-17-year-olds, down by 11,000 on the previous three months.

But the number classed as economically inactive increased by 113,000 in the latest quarter to more than nine million - a figure that risks damaging the Government's attempts to bring down the UK's welfare bill.

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Glastonbury In Native American Headdress Ruling

Traders at next year's Glastonbury Festival have been forbidden from selling Native American headdresses following an online petition.

The headwear is often worn by revellers at summer festivals all over the world and has controversially become something of a fashion item.

The campaign was launched on Change.org by Daniel W Round who argues that wearing the headdress is "offensive and disrespectful".

"A concerning trend has become increasingly prevalent over the past few years at Glastonbury and other music festivals – that of the wearing of Native American-style headdresses.

"This summer in particular, I noticed far more festival-goers wearing the headdress as an item of fashion than at previous events - hence this petition," he wrote.

Wearing the headdress has been seen as racial stereotyping

"There has long been consensus among indigenous civil rights activists in North America about the wearing of headdresses by non-Natives – that it is an offensive and disrespectful form of cultural appropriation, that it homogenises diverse indigenous peoples, and that it perpetuates damaging, archaic and racist stereotypes."

Now organisers have added the headdress to a list of things stalls at the event must not sell unless they have prior authorisation.

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1. Gallery: Kasabian Close Glastonbury Festival

   Kasabian headlined the Pyramid Stage on Sunday as the annual Glastonbury Festival drew to close.

2. The band's lead singer Tom Meighan took centre stage as photographers snapped away.

3. Kasabian put on an energetic show, performing hits including Club Foot, Shoot The Runner and Processed Beats.

4. The clean-up after all of teh festivities could take up to six weeks.

5. It is hard to believe the farm will be a functioning dairy again later in the summer.

6. Some of what is left behind is recycled or given to charity.

7. The reveller doesn't seem ready to leave.

8. Dolly Parton performed to more than 100,000 people at this year's Glastonbury Festival.

9. The country music legend said it was an "honour" and a "thrill" to perform at the event.

10. She was joined on the Pyramid Stage by Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora.

11. The crowd was thrilled by Dolly Parton's performance.

12. Earlier, Ed Sheeran also played at Worthy Farm in Somerset.

13. The vocalist has trumped Coldplay to rise to the top of the albums chart.

14. Festival goers enjoyed a packed line-up of acts during the three-day event.

15. Highlights included a performance from Metallica, who took to the stage on Saturday.

16. Ellie Goulding danced her way through an hour-long set.

17. The singer played hits including Starry Eyed, Figure 8 and Anything Could Happen.

18. A damp start turned much of the Glastonbury Festival site to mud ...

19. ... but festival goers still managed to find a sunbathing spot on Sunday.

22. A usually peacefully corner of Somerset is transformed during the festival ...

23. ... as 175,000 people make Worthy Farm their temporary home.

24. A music fan takes a break from the fun and festivities.

25. Glastonbury Festival isn't all about the music. The English National Ballet performed Lest We Forget, a routine about the First World War.

27. Performers march a model giraffe through Theatre Field at Glastonbury.

28. When the festival goers leave, the clean-up begins. Here, rubbish piles up at a recycling centre at Worthy Farm.

The list also includes cigarettes, alcohol, candles or flares among other items.

Emily Eavis told NME it was not a outright ban.

Mr Round was pleased with the result: "Our petition, small in numbers but passionate in support, pushed this issue right up to Emily Eavis, and she listened.

Video: Govt Abandoned Somerset, Says Eavis

"From next year, alongside candle flares and flags, Native American style headdresses will not be on sale at Glasto stalls."

The campaigner said he hopes to take the campaign to other festivals in the UK.

All 135,000 tickets to next year's event at Worthy Farm have sold out and Fleetwood Mac are among the bookies' favourites to headline.

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Inflation Falls To Five-Year Low Of 1.2%

Plunging fuel costs and a supermarket price war are being credited for the latest dip in the annual rate of inflation.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) measured a 1.2% rise in consumer prices in the 12 months to September - its lowest level for a decade if the September 2009 figure is excluded.

The easing from a rate of 1.5% in August was much stronger than economists had predicted and highlighted the extent of the grip on price pressures currently being exerted by major supermarkets.

The sector, which imposed a new round of cuts on petrol pump prices on Tuesday, has been battling an in-store challenge from hard discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.

The major supermarket chains are competing fiercely to counter discounters

Price cuts to help keep customers from making a switch have been made at a time of wider price falls in commodities such as wheat and oil - the latter falling to four-year lows.

While cutting their margins does little for supermarket profits, the war for market share is seen as more important with Tesco and Morrisons currently losing ground.

A separate report on Tuesday by the British Retail Consortium suggested warm weather in September helped push retail sales to their weakest level for almost six years.

It said while people delayed buying goods like coats and footwear there was also a significant hit to sales values from the supermarket price war.

Supermarkets have led the way in slashing fuel costs

While the inflation figure is good news for every family - despite earnings growth still lagging behind inflation - pensioners also learned today how much more they would receive next spring.

The CPI figure means that state pensions will rise by 2.5% or £2.85 a week as the Government's so-called 'triple lock' ensures an increase of whichever is the greater out of average earnings, September's inflation rate or 2.5%.

The ONS said that food and non-alcoholic beverage prices fell by 1.4% year on year, the steepest drop since June 2002 and the fifth month in a row that they have not risen on an annual basis.

It is the longest sustained period of flat or falling food prices since the end of 2004, the body said.

Petrol fell by 0.8p per litre in September compared with the previous month and diesel by 0.7p.

Sea and air fares fell more steeply than at the same time last year while laptops and tablets, computer games, games consoles, books and e-books also contributed to the inflation slowdown.

The ONS said that were it not for the impact of falling food and motor fuel prices - the latter of which were down 6% - the rate of inflation would be around a third higher at 1.6%.

The pound fell sharply after the figures were released as the sharper-than-expected drop meant it was less likely that the Bank of England would need to take action soon to raise the base rate of interest from its five-year low of 0.5%.

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Tesco Suspends More Execs Over Profits Error

Tesco has suspended another three executives as it continues its investigation into a £250m profit black hole.

Sky Sources suggest they are Dan Jago, head of beer, wine and spirits and director of convenience Sean McCurley.

The other man is understood to be another category director, William Linnane.

It brings to eight the total number of executives suspended by Britain's biggest retailer over the crisis.

A Tesco spokesperson said today: "We have asked three employees to step aside to facilitate the investigation into the potential overstatement of profits in UK food for the first half of the year.

Philip Clarke stepped down as Tesco CEO in July

"We will provide an update on the investigation with our interim results on 23 October".

The company said it had commissioned its own independent inquiry into the causes behind the accounting error when it made the details public on 22 September.

The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, later said it would also launch its own "full investigation" into the issue.

The £250m figure relates to how it logs suppliers' rebates and if they were reported in the correct accounting period.

The four senior executives previously suspended include UK managing director Chris Bush.

It also emerged the company had not had a finance chief in place for five months.

Tesco said a day later that its new incoming finance chief Alan Stewart, who was not due to start until 1 December, would commence work two months early.

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Ebola: How To Protect Yourself From Virus

Most of ebola's 4,300 victims have come from West Africa, however, British experts say the UK must also be prepared.

Here are a number of ways people can help protect themselves from contracting the virus.

:: Hygiene is extremely important. Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based sanitiser

:: Keep hands away from the face

:: Avoid contact with the blood and body fluids of anyone, especially someone who is sick, as it is through these fluids, such as vomit, blood and saliva that ebola is passed on

Video: UK's Response To Ebola Threat

:: Avoid handling items that have been touched by that person or any of their body fluids

:: Do not touch the body of someone who has died from ebola.

:: The World Health Organisation says any areas that person may have had contact with, such as bed linen, should be disinfected

:: Do not touch bats and non-human primates or their blood and fluids, and do not eat raw meat prepared from these animals

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1. Gallery: Ebola Exercise Tests UK Readiness

   A nationwide drill to test Britain's readiness for an ebola outbreak has left the Health Secretary "doubly reassured" the country would cope

2. The eight-hour simulation at hospitals across the country proves Britain has "robust plans" in place, says Jeremy Hunt. Continue for more images

:: Avoid travelling to countries where ebola is rife, such as Liberia and Sierra Leone

- Seek medical care immediately if you develop a fever (a temperature of 101.5F or 38.6C) or a headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain or unexplained bruising or bleeding

- Limit your contact with other people until and when you go to the doctor and do not travel anywhere else besides a healthcare facility

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'Blair May Have Been Terror Suspect Target'

Former prime minister Tony Blair could have been the target of a terror attack, the jury in a secret trial has heard.

Erol Incedal, who is accused of preparing acts of terrorism and possessing a document called how to make a bomb on a memory card, was arrested in September last year, the court heard.

His black Mercedes was searched and the jury was told a number of significant items were found including a piece of paper with the address of a home owned by Mr Blair and his wife, Cherie, written on it.

The paper was found inside a Versace sunglasses case, the jury heard, and during the search of the car it was bugged by officers.

The prosecution told the jury it was not clear 26-year-old Incedal had set out a specific target but that he may have been intending to launch either a Mumbai-style attack or to hit a high-profile individual.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the court: "Count 1 does not suggest that Erol Incedal had settled on a specific target or a particular methodology but in the context of the case as a whole and the evidence that I am going to come to, you may think that this address does have some significance."

The address of a home owned by the Blairs was found in Incedal's car

He added: "You will hear that he was actively engaged with another or others who were abroad. The prosecution case is that such engagement was for an act, or acts of terrorism, either against a limited number of individuals of significance, or a more wide-ranging, an indiscriminate attack such as the one in Mumbai."

In 2008 Pakistani terrorists launched co-ordinated bombing and shooting attacks at venues across Mumbai lasting four days and killing 164 people.

The case is the first major terror trial to be heard almost entirely in secret, with only a few journalists admitted but unable to report on the proceedings on the grounds of national security.

Parts of the trial will be heard in public after newspapers and campaign groups fought a court ruling it should be held completely in secret, however, the majority of it will still be held behind closed doors.

Speaking ahead of the trial, the judge told the jury they must set their emotions aside and decide on their verdicts in a "cool and dispassionate" way.

Incedal denies the charges against him.

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Ebola: UK Border Screening Measures Revealed

Details of how the government is trying to stop ebola reaching the UK have been revealed as enhanced screening measures have begun at Heathrow airport.

It comes as official figures showed the death toll from the disease has risen to 4,447 and the number of cases is expected to rise above 9,000 this week.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), which has called the latest outbreak the "most severe acute health emergency in modern times", also warned there could be up to 10,000 new cases of ebola per week within two months.  

In the UK, border checks are under way at Heathrow's Terminal 1 and are to be expanded to Gatwick airport and the Eurostar rail terminals by next week in an attempt to halt the spread of the disease to Britain.

While there are no longer any direct flights from the three West African countries to the UK, passengers who have boarded a flight in the affected region with travel booked to the UK will be automatically flagged up to officials at passport control.

Video: On Board The Ebola Hospital Ship

These travellers will be asked to have their temperature taken and to complete a questionnaire asking about their current health and recent travel history.

The passengers will be asked if they have come into contact with a person with ebola; if they have cared for anyone with a severe illness; if they have had any contact with dead bodies; and if they have visited any traditional healers or been admitted to hospital.

They will also be asked if they have any health problems such as headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, intense fatigue, bruising or unexplained bleeding.   

Video: Ebola: Infected Dallas Nurse Named

The screening measures, which are expected to cost £9m over six months, are voluntary and passengers can only be forced to undergo them if they are showing obvious symptoms of illness. In this case legal action can be taken.

Currently, there is one member of administration staff and two Public Health England (PHE) officials carrying out the screening at Heathrow Terminal 1. Other terminals at the airport are expected to begin screening by the end of this week.

The government expects up to two flights a day to be carrying passengers from the affected areas.  

Video: New UK Measures To Tackle Ebola

Dr Paul Cosford, director at PHE, said the numbers undergoing screening were likely to total a few hundred per month. He said they would be learning from their experiences at Heathrow over the coming days.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that it is "likely" that ebola will be seen in the UK with around 10 cases expected to be confirmed in the next three months.

He said the screening measures being put in place should ensure 89% of people travelling to the UK from the affected region on tickets booked directly to the UK are checked.

Video: Fear And Panic Over Ebola Calls

Anyone found to have ebola will be moved to the Royal Free Hospital in north London, the UK's specialist centre for treating the most dangerous infectious diseases.

But there have been concerns that the screening is not widespread enough and relies too much on self-reporting - while border officials will try to identify people who should be screened it will also be up to passengers to put themselves forward for checks.

Global health security expert Dr Devi Sridhar told Sky News that the airport screening was no more than "political theatre".

Video: Can UK Be Protected From Ebola?

"Experience has shown is does not really work at managing and stopping the virus," she said.

She called for investment in a global response, adding: "Piecemeal by piecemeal screening and closing borders is not going to contain it and it's not going to work."

Mr Hunt said screening at airports could be extended to Birmingham and Manchester if the threat level increases, but in the meantime people manning the NHS' non-emergency 111 phoneline will also be taught to look out for potential ebola.

Video: Ebola Crisis: On The Front Line

The measures come as a UN aid worker died while being treated at a hospital in Germany after contracting ebola in Liberia.  

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Inquest Into Alice Murder Suspect's Death

An inquest into the death of the prime suspect in the murder of schoolgirl Alice Gross has opened and the court has been told his body was found hanged in dense woodland.

Convicted killer Arnis Zalkalns, 41, was discovered hanged in Boston Manor Park, west London, more than a month after Alice went missing.

The Latvian's body was found less than a mile from where the teenager's remains were found wrapped in a plastic bag and weighted down in the River Brent on 30 September.

At the opening of an inquest into his death, West London Coroner's Court heard Zalkalns' body was badly decomposed and needed to be identified using dental records.

Police searching for the body of Arnis Zalkalns earlier this month

The hearing heard how the builder, who served seven years in prison in his home country of Latvia for battering his wife to death, was found dead in the woods after a month-long search of the area which at one point involved more than 600 police officers.

Coroner's officer Lana Atkinson told the court: "Mr Zalkalns was found on October 4. He was found suspended by his neck in dense woodland in Boston Manor Park, adjacent to the canal.

Video: 'You Have To Be Incredibly Careful'

"He was brought into our care the following day and a post mortem was carried out on October 6.

"The conditional cause of death was consistent with hanging. We have no evidence of third party involvement.

"He was identified by dental records and police are still investigating."

Only press attended the brief hearing as the inquiry into the Latvian's death was opened and adjourned today.

Alice, 14, was last seen on CCTV walking along the Grand Union Canal in Hanwell on 28 August.

Zalkalns was seen on video footage cycling along the same towpath minutes after Alice. He disappeared from his home in Hanwell days later.

Senior coroner Chinyere Inyama opened and adjourned the inquest until December during the brief hearing this morning.

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Leaders React To Plan For Election Debates

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

Party leaders have raised questions over who should appear in the live leaders' debates after broadcasters released proposals to include Nigel Farage.

Sky News, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have suggested a 4-3-2 strategy where the Prime Minister would debate Ed Miliband in one debate, the two would be joined by Nick Clegg for another and add Mr Farage for the final debate.

David Cameron questioned the inclusion of UKIP saying: "If you have one person, then the Greens have an MP as well, so you have to think these things through.

April 2010: the Sky News leaders' debate

"It's an interesting proposal. None of us had seen it beforehand. I'm sure we'll study it and I'm sure there will be other proposals along before long.

"I've always been in favour of TV debates. I'm in favour of TV debates, but you've got to make sure you come up with a proposal that everyone can agree to, and I can't see how you can have one party in that has an MP in Parliament, and not another party."

Video: Leaders' Debates: The Back Story

Both the Green Party and UKIP have one MP in Westminster but only Mr Farage has been included in the plans for the debates.

Mr Farage said: "This is better than it could have been. At last, there is a recognition of UKIP but if the political situation changed, we will expect to be included in the second debate."

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "I don't accept Liberal Democrats should be excluded from any debate. We are a party of Government."

Video: Leaders Must Discuss Debate Plan

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said: "It is clear from votes and polls that the public are fed up with the three business-as-usual parties and are looking around for alternatives."

The Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood and SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson MP both said they should also be included in televised debates.

YouGov pollster Peter Kellner said the plan was a "very, very smart proposal". He said Mr Cameron's internal advice from his strategic adviser Lynton Crosby would be to avoid televised debates that give "Nigel Farage an opening".

Video: Cameron Most To Lose From Debates

He told Sky News: "David Cameron has the most to lose and Nigel Farage has the most to gain."

Sky Bet puts Mr Farage as favourite to win in a four-way debate, with Mr Cameron trailing him. Separately in a head-to-head between Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband, the Conservative leader is favourite to win.

The format for 2015 would see three different styles of debate. Sky News and Channel 4 would broadcast the head-to-head contest between Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband, which would be chaired by former Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman with Sky News' Kay Burley introducing the programme and presenting post-debate analysis.

Video: Lib Dems Reject Debates Format

The BBC would broadcast a similar debate to the 2010 format where the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders are pitted against each other. This would be presented by David Dimbleby.

ITV would have a four-way contest between the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP leaders. This would be chaired by ITV presenter Julie Etchingham.

The news organisations describe the debates as "vital in engaging voters with the political process" and have written to Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Mr Clegg and Mr Farage inviting them to take part. 

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1. Gallery: Leaders' Debates: A 4-3-2 Line-Up

   Sky News and Channel 4: David Cameron v Ed Miliband

2. BBC: David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg

3. ITV: David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage

The leaders have agreed in principle to the debates, but the Prime Minister has resisted pinning down the detail and other party leaders have accused him of dragging his feet.

The Head of Sky News John Ryley said: "There are only 24 weeks to go before the start of the General Election Campaign.

"Sky, Channel 4, the BBC and ITV have put together a clear compelling proposal; three debates during the election campaign. It's now critical that the political parties engage and start negotiating for the debates seriously."

Video: Debating The Leaders' TV Debates

The proposal for the 2015 debates suggest the three debates take place at fortnightly intervals beginning in early April. The suggested dates are April 2, April 16 and April 30.

Live debates have now become a normal part of the political landscape. Mr Clegg and Mr Farage clashed over Europe, and the bitter battles between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling energised the Scottish independence fight. 

While 2010 was the television election, drawing 22 million viewers, 2015 will engage more widely with voters online and using social media.

Video: 13 May 2014: Public Expects Debates

As well as live studio audiences, comprising members of the general public, questions will also be provided to the leaders using social media including Twitter and Facebook to ensure the widest possible audience engagement. Each broadcaster will make their debate available live to all other media outlets.

In a joint statement, the news organisations said: "All four broadcasters believe televised party leader debates are vital in engaging voters with the political process. The broadcasters intend to transmit the leaders debates live for all their extensive audiences, on air, online and on social media, which together have a mass reach amongst the British population."

Video: 22 Apr 2010: Sky Leaders' Debate

Video: 23 Apr 2010: Leaders' Debate Review

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Murder Hunt As Teen Dies After Street Attack

A teenager who died after being assaulted outside a grocer's store in Manchester has been described by his mother as a "loveable rogue" who was "always polite".

Jordan Brennan, 17, was found unresponsive in bed at his home in the Gorton area of the city on Saturday morning.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services and a post-mortem examination later found he had died from a head injury.

Police say he was assaulted by a man outside a grocer's shop in the area the evening before he died.

CCTV of the pair, described as of Chinese appearance

Police have launched a murder inquiry and have released CCTV images of a man and a woman they want to speak to about the incident at the shop.

They say that around 7.30pm on Friday, Jordan was with two friends when they went into the store on Hyde Road.

As Jordan was leaving he was assaulted outside the shop by a man who had also been in the shop at the same time as Jordan and his two friends.

Jordan went home and went to bed and at 9am on Saturday and was found unresponsive by his mother.

The man was wearing a white shirt, black jacket and trousers

Detective Inspector Theresa Carter said: "Jordan was very well known and liked and both his family and the wider community are deeply shocked and saddened by what happened.

"At this stage we know that Jordan was assaulted outside the grocer's store, but we don't know exactly what led up to the assault.

"I would also ask that the man involved contacts the police so that we can fully understand what happened inside and outside the shop. We would also like to speak to the woman who he was with."

The woman is thought to be around 25 to 30 years old

Both the man and woman police wish to speak to are of Chinese appearance and about 25 to 30 years old.

The man had a stocky or chubby build and black hair and was wearing a white shirt and a black suit jacket and trousers. The woman was slim and had long black straight hair.

In a statement, Jordan's mother, Kim, said: "Our son Jordan Brennan was 17 years old and was a well-liked young man.

"He was a loveable rogue and was always polite and keen to help anyone who needed his help, be that physical help or just to listen to a friend. He would cheer them up with his usual larking about or joking around.

"He was a pleasure to have as a son and his loss is devastating. He was greatly loved by all that knew him."

:: Anyone with information is urged to call the police on 0161 856 68797 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Midwives Among 400,000 Striking Health Workers

Hundreds of thousands of health workers have staged a strike in protest at the Government's decision not to give them a 1% pay rise.

Midwives, nurses, paramedics, ambulance staff, and hospital porters and cleaners mounted picket lines across England from 7am for four hours, while action will be taken later today in Northern Ireland.

It was the biggest strike of its kind for over 30 years involving 400,000 NHS staff and several trade unions, including the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) for the first time in the organisation's 133-year history.

Contingency plans were worked out, and union members dealt with emergencies. NHS bosses postponed non-emergency appointments during the strike but emergencies would not be ignored.

Ambulance service providers had warned they may be forced to prioritise their care and brought in extra staff from the military to fill in the gaps.

Video: NHS Staff Walk Out Over Pay

Unions were protesting at the Government's decision not to accept the independent pay review body's recommendation to award a 1% pay rise to all staff.

Instead, ministers took the decision to award a 1% pay rise for those on top of their pay band but not to those on "progression pay increase", who automatically get a fixed average pay increase of 3%.

The unions say the number of NHS England health workers who will not benefit from the additional 1% is around 600,000.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt defended the Government's stance: "Everyone is going to get the 1% but what we have said is we can't afford to give the 1% to the people who are already getting an increase of 3% through their increment.

Video: Hospitals To End Parking Charges

" …The reason is very simple: we have analysis that shows if we did that hospitals would lay off around 4,000 nurses next year and 10,000 nurses the year after and that would be bad for nurses and of course very bad for patients," he said.

Unions said there had been "tremendous" support for the strike across the country and that it was the right thing to do.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady, who joined a picket line near Euston in London, said: "NHS staff are always reluctant strikers - there hasn't been a national strike over pay in the health service since 1982 - and they will do everything they can to protect patients in their care. But morale has hit rock-bottom."

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis told Sky News that despite ministers "glorying" that Britain was now out of recession his members were "getting nothing".

Video: Hospitals Relying On Holiday Locums

"They are being screwed and screwed and screwed again while the rich in our society make a killing from the growth in the economy," he added.

As they marched, midwives shouted: "Don't push midwives - push fair pay."

They said they never imagined having to go on strike but were at their wits' end.

Annie Black, who has been a midwife for 12 years, said: "We haven't had a pay rise for years yet our workload keeps on increasing. It's time the Government took us seriously. It's weird being on strike, but we feel that enough is enough."

Video: Hundreds Sent Home At Night

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the RCM, added: "Midwives are caring people who often work long hours of unpaid overtime just to keep our understaffed, under-resourced maternity services running in the midst of a decade-long baby boom.

"They deserve this modest 1% pay rise."

The average annual private sector pay increase is currently around 2.5%, while last year it was recommended that MPs should see their pay increase by 11% by 2015.

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No Murder Trial For Mum Who Killed Kids

A mother who admitted suffocating her three young disabled children before trying to kill herself will not face trial for murder, a court has heard.

Tania Clarence, 42, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Olivia, four, and three-year-old twins Ben and Max by diminished responsibility - but denied murder.

Her plea was accepted at a hearing at the Old Bailey, meaning she will no longer face trial next year.

The court was told that in the light of medical reports, the Crown Prosecution Service accepted that Clarence was suffering from a "major depressive episode" at the time of the killings which amounted to an "abnormality of mind".

Clarence, who was not in court, will be sentenced on 14 November when she is likely to face a hospital order.

Jim Sturman QC, defending, said a hospital order would be a "just and compassionate" sentence.

"This is a truly tragic case. Anybody who reads the evidence cannot fail to be moved," he said.

"[Clarence] was manifesting stress throughout the life of the children by their suffering and caring for three children with this condition was exhausting, distressing, debilitating and turned out to be overwhelming."

Clarence's husband Gary was in court for the brief hearing. The investment banker was in his family's native South Africa when he heard about the deaths.

At a previous hearing, the court heard that Clarence confessed to killing three of her children at the family home in the wealthy southwest London suburb of New Malden on 22 April.

Clarence left three notes before allegedly smothering the children, who all had type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a life-limiting genetic condition which leaves children with little or no control of their movement.

She then tried to kill herself by taking a drug overdose and slashing her wrists.

The mother of four was discovered bleeding and crying by the children's distraught nanny and a neighbour.

They found the house in darkness and discovered one of the notes, written in Afrikaans, to Gary at the bottom of the stairs.

The court heard that they found Tania Clarence in a bedroom and she told "them to go away, saying that it was too late".

Asked if she had taken anything, the court was told that Clarence replied: "I took something yesterday, but it didn't work."

Police were called and the neighbour checked if anyone else was in the house.

He opened the door into the children's bedroom and saw the twin boys dead, but was too shocked to continue his search of the house.

Two other notes were found in the house. One discovered on top of a pile of clothes in the master bedroom read: "Gary, I don't want to be saved please. I can't live with the horror of what I have done. I thought the pills would work, they didn't."

A third note was addressed to the nanny, described in court as "a significant member of the family". Its contents were not divulged.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org mailto:jo@samaritans.org

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Suspected Thief Dies In Harbour Plunge

A suspected bicycle thief has died after leaping into Sutton Harbour in Plymouth while apparently running from police.

The man was being chased by officers called to reports of a theft in the area, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

He became trapped between a disused fishing boat and the harbour wall after diving into the water.

"The man was seen by members of the public to enter the water close to The China House pub around 6.30am," a police spokesman said.

"Two lifeboats and the fire service water rescue team were deployed but were unable to reach the man due to his location."

A Royal Navy dive team recovered the body from the water.

Police said they were now working to establish the man's identity.

The death has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

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Road Hauliers In Christmas Deliveries Warning

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

Hauliers are warning that a national shortage of lorry drivers could hit deliveries to shops and stores in the run-up to Christmas.

They say the cost of obtaining a licence and strict EU rules are putting off many would-be drivers.

"What we're concerned about is that as things start to ramp up around Christmas... there just simply won't be enough drivers available to make all the deliveries that are needed," said Natalie Chapman of the Freight Transport Association.

According to the organisation, 40% of lorry drivers are 50 or over, while just 1% are under the age of 25.

Chris Stevenson, 24, from Bloxwich, told Sky News he is desperate to become a lorry driver.

Chris Stevenson has spent a small fortune trying to get an HGV licence

"It's the freedom of the job really. Seeing a bit of the country, maybe seeing a bit if the world, doing continental driving, you can get around a bit - (it) beats being stuck in one place all the while."

However, three unsuccessful attempts to get his HGV licence have cost him £2,500 so far.

John Heighway, transport manager at Devaneys Haulage, says such costs and the image of the profession have resulted in too few young people wanting to join it.

"It's quite desperate really. We could have enough work for an extra 10 vehicles.

Hauliers fear the shops might not be so full this Christmas

"But we just don't have the drivers to cover it, so we just have to turn work down which is something we don't like doing."

That is great news for agency staff like Martins Svarcs from Latvia, who is working for the West Bromwich-based company.

"I'm working every day, five days a week, nine hours driving a day, so I'm happy."

But even temporary workers cannot fill all the vacant posts.

Martins Svarcs from Latvia has all the work he can handle

Hauliers say the problem is being made worse by EU rules which require experienced drivers to undertake further costly training - or face a large fine.

Roy Reynolds, 68, from Wolverhampton had been driving for 41 years and like many others decided to quit.

"Now regulations are coming in where you've got to go back to the classroom.

"I don't feel that I need to do that with the experience that I've gained over a number of years. It just seems pointless, so I decided to retire."

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Revenge Porn Offenders To Face Prison

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

Publishing sexually explicit pictures of former partners is to be made a criminal offence - and could carry up to a two-year prison sentence.

It is known as revenge porn and involves uploading private images with the intention of embarrassing or shaming an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.

The issue was brought into sharp focus after celebrities including pop stars Rihanna and Tulisa Contostavlos fell victim to the cruel craze.

In the last two and a half years 149 cases of revenge pornography were reported to eight police forces in England and Wales and figures reveal the victims include children as young as 11.

An anonymous victim of revenge porn told Sky News: "I felt humiliated, I was shocked that someone had stooped to that level to try and humiliate me because I didn't think that I had disrespected someone enough for them to do something like that to me.

Video: Revenge Porn Victim Tells Her Story

"It makes you feel dirty, it makes you feel unconfident and if something can be done about it, I think it should be."

There is currently no law in the UK that deals directly with the issue but proposed changes to legislation would apply to online and offline images and those convicted could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the distribution of such images was "almost beyond belief".

"We want those who fall victim to this type of disgusting behaviour to know that we are on their side and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice," he said.

Video: Revenge Porn Police Stats

"That is why we will change the law and make it absolutely clear to those who act in this way that they could face prison."

The change in the law would be made via an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Adam Pemberton, assistant chief executive for the charity Victim Support, said: "This type of behaviour can be extremely distressing for its victims causing them significant psychological harm.

"We are pleased that people who commit these gross violations of privacy will now face prosecution and victims of revenge porn know they have the full backing of the law."

Video: Revenge Porn Victims As Young As 11

But some experts are questioning whether a specific revenge porn offence will work.

Lawyer Myles Jackman told Sky News: "It is very difficult as there are a number of different scenarios in which revenge porn might be created and not all of them will fit this one scenario.

"Creating an offence that catches all is almost impossible."

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