British Scientists To Explore Lost Antarctic Lake

Lake Ellsworth Ice Mission Q&A

Updated: 7:42am UK, Saturday 08 December 2012

As the scientists prepare to start drilling, Sky's Thomas Moore answers the key questions about the project.

Where is Lake Ellsworth?

The lake is under the West Antarctic ice sheet, 70km west of the Ellsworth Mountains.

Seismic studies suggest it is approximately 150m deep and is roughly the same size as Windermere.

There are over 360 sub-glacial lakes known to exist below Antarctica's vast ice sheet.

How remote is it?

The team has travelled 16,000km to reach Lake Ellsworth, flying first to the southern tip of Chile and then on to the drilling site in a smaller aircraft that is able to land on ice. In all, the flight time was five days.

Equipment was air-freighted to a runway on the Union Glacier and then hauled by tractor train 280km through the Ellsworth mountain range.

What are living conditions like?

The team will spend six weeks at the camp. Outside the wind-chill can dip to minus 70 degrees Celsius.

They will sleep in four-man clam tents. In the 24-hour daylight of the Antarctic summer, temperatures inside are generally between four and 20 degrees.

A larger tent serves as a kitchen, dining area and office.

A chef provides freshly-cooked food - even bread.

How will the engineers drill through the ice?

The team had to design a sophisticated hot-water drilling rig that could bore through the ice without contaminating the pristine waters of the lake.

Around 90,000 litres of water will be heated to 90 degrees Celsius by a 1.5 MW boiler and pumped at high pressure through a 3.2km continuous hose that has been made to support its own weight and the heavy drill head.

The drill should melt a 36cm borehole through the 3km of ice in around 100 hours.

Once drilling starts there is no turning back - the water in the hose would quickly freeze.

And then?

Once they breakthrough into the lake, scientists will drop down a titanium probe to sample the water at various depths. Built by the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, it contains 3,000 individual components.

Then they will use a highly specialised sediment corer to take a 3m column of the lake-bed.

The equipment has been sterilised to space-industry standards using hydrogen peroxide vapour to prevent surface microbes contaminating the lake.

All this has to be done within 24 hours or the borehole will be too narrow to retrieve the samples

Won't the scientists risk a geyser when they drill through to the lake?

Millions of tonnes of ice are pressing down on the lake. But the engineers have a plan to stop the water bursting back up to the surface when they breakthrough.

The first borehole will stop at 300m, where they will create a cavity. A second borehole will go through the cavity down to the lake. The cavity controls the pressure of the water.

What if they don't find life?

The scientists say that, too, would be significant. It would show there is a limit at which no life can exist on our planet.

But they are confident they will find microbes - wherever else there is water on Earth there is life.

And that would encourage scientists who believe there may be life in the seas below the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa.

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Belfast Flag Violence: Rioting In City Centre

Belfast has been hit by another night of rioting as hundreds of loyalists took to the streets to protest over flags.

Eight police officers were injured, with two needing hospital treatment, and five people were arrested following clashes across the city.

Trouble flared at Shaftesbury Square - a popular party spot near Queen's University - after a man tried to drive a black van through a loyalist road block of about 200 people.

Eye witnesses said police officers were pelted with stones, bricks, bottles and other missiles. Two cars were also set on fire.

Police vans cut off part of Belfast's Sandy Row area

Two PSNI water cannons were deployed to the area but were not used against the rioters.

There were also reports of minor sporadic disorder in other parts of the city.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said: "This behaviour is simply not acceptable. These people are only wrecking their own communities and putting innocent people's lives at risk.

"Twenty-one officers have been injured so far this week dealing with this disorder. That's 21 officers who have been pulled away from their roles of protecting the community. This is unacceptable.

"This mob violence and intimidation cannot be allowed to continue and I am urgently appealing to politicians and those with community influence in these areas to do what they can to put a stop to this behaviour now before someone is seriously injured or killed."

A burned out car in Belfast city centre after rioters dispersed

Loyalists opposed to a restriction on the number of days the Union flag can be flown over Belfast City Hall have held protests across Northern Ireland every night since the decision was taken, despite appeals from the First Minister for the pickets to be suspended.

Last night, demonstrations were also held in the greater Belfast area, Bangor, Co Down, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh and Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

Police said there were no reports of violence outside Belfast. On Friday night, police clashed with loyalists in Ian Paisley's home town of Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Hillary Clinton appealed for the violence to stop

There are plans for a major protest in Belfast city centre later today. Traders are worried it could affect business on what should be one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

During her visit to Northern Ireland US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appealed for the violence to stop.

Much of the anger has been directed towards the non sectarian Alliance Party, whose councillors in Belfast voted to limit the number of days the Union flag could be flown over the city hall from 365 to 17.

A death threat against the party's only MP, Naomi Long, marked a significant escalation in the seriousness of the sectarian tension.

On Wednesday, a constituency office in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim was destroyed in an arson attack. An attempt to burn down Bangor premises occupied by the Alliance Party's Employment Minister Stephen Farry was thwarted.

Belfast city councillor Laura McNamee was also advised to leave her home while two others living in Bangor had their house vandalised.

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Starbucks Tax Row: Protests Planned Across UK

Coffee chain Starbucks is braced for protests over its tax arrangements despite announcing changes to its payments.

The US-owned giant said it expects to pay around £10m in UK corporation tax for each of the next two years, following the revelation that it paid just £8.6m in 14 years of trading in Britain and nothing in the last three years.

Activist group UK Uncut is planning more than 40 demonstrations across the country, "transforming" Starbucks stores into refuges, creches and homeless shelters.

The anti-cuts direct action group said the number of protests planned for today had increased since Starbucks made its announcement.

UK Uncut said it also wanted to highlight the "disproportionate" impact of the Government's spending cuts on women.

Sarah Greene, a UK Uncut activist, said: "It is an outrage that the Government continues to let multinationals like Starbucks dodge millions in tax while cutting vital services like refuges, creches and rape crisis centres.

"It does not have to be this way. The Government could easily bring in billions that could fund vital services by clamping down."

Hannah Pearce, a UK Uncut supporter, said that offering to pay some tax "if and when it suits" does not stop a company being a tax avoider, adding: "This is just a desperate attempt by Starbucks to deflect public pressure - hollow promises on press releases don't fund women's refuges or child benefits."

Union boss Mark Serwotka says Starbucks' tax stance is "scandalous"

She called on the Government to force Starbucks and other tax avoiding firms to "pay their fair share, instead of cutting welfare and tax credits for single mums and disabled women".

A spokesman from Global Women's strike, one of the women's groups supporting Saturday's action, said: "Women - in families, homes, communities and jobs - bear the brunt of austerity.

"At our Women's Centre we see more women cut off benefits, losing their jobs, being made homeless and going hungry.

"Already, 3.5 million children live in poverty, one in five mothers skips a meal to feed her children, and many walk miles to get food handouts because they can't afford the bus fare.

"Women are also expected to pick up the pieces as services disappear or turn people away, saying they are overwhelmed."

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, which is supporting the protests, said: "With hundreds of thousands of public sector workers having their jobs, pay and pensions cut, and people entitled to benefits being demonised and targeted in the most shameful way, it is utterly scandalous that some multinational companies believe they can get away with contributing little or nothing to our economy.

"We fully support this weekend's action which, along with previous campaigns by UK Uncut and others, will highlight the fact that if large companies like Starbucks paid their fair share it would change the debate about public spending overnight."

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Drink-Driving: Crashed Car Shown To Clubbers

A dad whose daughter was killed in a drink-drive crash hopes that parking her wrecked car outside nightclubs will stop others getting behind the wheel while over the limit.

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, lost his eldest daughter in the crash near Fleet, Hampshire, last November.

The 23-year-old was four times over the drink-drive limit when her Vauxhall Corsa collided with a van on her way home from a night out. She died instantly.

Her father has now agreed to let police display her car in town centres in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight in the hope it will encourage others not to drink and drive.

"I wanted to tell my story, her story, because I wanted people to see what devastation they can cause by making that choice," he said.

"It's a split second decision which can have far-reaching consequences.

"To anyone else who would consider getting behind the wheel after having alcohol, I plead with you as a father, as the husband of a devastated mother, as the parent of two grieving children and on behalf of the many people who knew and loved my daughter, please don't.

"You can't imagine the pain you could leave behind, either for your family or for someone else's."

The Smashed campaign will target drivers aged between 20 and 24, who accounted for nearly a quarter of drive-drink arrests last Christmas.

Interviews with some of the emergency service personnel who attended the crash, including paramedic Kate McDougall and firefighter Craig Gregory, have been released on YouTube as part of the campaign.

Sergeant Jay Hewes, of Hampshire Constabulary, said: "We don't ever want to tell another parent, partner or child, that someone they love is gone, but chances are that before the year is out, we will have to.

"If one person, regardless of their age, sits up and takes notice, this young person will have left a legacy her parents can take some comfort from and those who knew her can be proud of."

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First Picture Of Kate Hospital Hoax Nurse

The first picture has been released of a nurse who apparently committed suicide after being duped by a prank call.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead days after taking the hoax call from an Australian radio station and putting it through to a nurse on the Duchess of Cambridge's ward, who divulged private information about her treatment.

The body of the 46-year-old mother-of-two was discovered at an address near King Edward VII's hospital in London - where she had worked for four years - on Friday morning.

Kate, who is understood to be well under 12 weeks pregnant, was admitted to the hospital on Monday with severe morning sickness and released again on Thursday.

More follows...

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West Coast Rail Debacle 'Cost Taxpayers £50m'

Taxpayers face a "significant" bill over the botched West Coast rail franchise process, a report from a government spending watchdog has said.

The Department for Transport's running of the West Coast bidding process lacked management oversight, with some staff "confused" by the system, the National Audit Office (NAO) report said.

The Government has already indicated that repaying bidding costs to the companies that competed for the franchise is likely to land taxpayers with a bill of around £40m.

Richard Branson's Virgin Trains has been handed the franchise for the next 23 months after the process that saw the route awarded to its rival FirstGroup was abandoned.

In its report, the NAO said staff and adviser costs, legal costs and money for the two reviews set up by the Government following abandonment of the West Coast bidding amounted to £8.9m.

NAO head Amyas Morse said: "Cancelling a major rail franchise competition at such a late stage is a clear sign of serious problems.

"The result is likely to be a significant cost to the taxpayer."

Margaret Hodge branded the bidding process a "fiasco".

Commenting on the report, House of Commons Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge said: "The DfT's handling of the West Coast franchise was a first-class fiasco."

Ms Hodge, Labour MP for Barking, said the DfT had "blundered into this major and complex competition for one of the biggest franchises in the country without even knowing how key parts of its policy were to be implemented".

She went on: "The department's conduct was characterised by haste, confusion and weak internal and external communication.

"However, the ultimate failure of this competition was sealed by a rich mix of the department's feeble and forever changing management and almost non-existent oversight."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said the final cost of the West Coast fiasco could be as high as £100m.

He said: "This cost will not be borne by the ministers responsible for this debacle.

Bob Crow says the bid debacle could eventually cost £100m

"It will be carried yet again by the British people and will be paid for through cuts in investment and higher fares, with the train operating companies protected and cushioned in the same way as they have been since privatisation was first unleashed."

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: "The Government needs to grip the issues that led to the cancellation of the West Coast franchise competition.

"It must get the programme of franchising back on course and give passengers as well as train companies the confidence that new rail franchises will be awarded through a fair and robust process."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "The NAO has made a number of recommendations that mirror many of the findings of the Laidlaw Inquiry in terms of the work we need to do to strengthen our organisation and the structures within it.

"I am pleased to say that we are already taking swift action on this front and I believe the plans we are putting in place to ensure future franchise competitions are conducted on the basis of sound planning, the rigorous identification and oversight of risk, and the right quality assurance, will prevent a repeat of these lamentable failures."

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Snow Alert: Cold Weather 'Beast' To Hit UK

Britain is facing a weather front dubbed the "Beast from the East" next week - with heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures.

Temperatures could plummet as low as -6C around London as icy winds blow in over the eastern coast.

Forecasters are also predicting "lots of snow" from Monday - "obliterating" East Anglia and spreading to southeastern areas.

By Tuesday and Wednesday there could be significant accumulation of snow along much of the eastern side of Britain.

Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler said snow which settled in the east tended to stay for longer.

"People should prepare for the cold weather and allow more time to get to work," Jo said.

"The snow could cause considerable disruption because of the accumulation in populated areas," she added.

Overnight frosts will continue throughout next week, with increasingly wintry showers turning from sleet into snow.

A few centimetres of snow could fall in the East and hilly parts of the South East today, but temperatures will be milder than earlier in the week.

There were early reports of snowfall in Luton this morning.

Snow is continuing to fall on higher ground across Scotland, but will struggle to settle after sleet showers.

Weather warnings have been issued for Scotland and north-east England as ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces following rainfall.

Overnight the wind will ease and skies will clear, and temperatures will be close to freezing in most places.

A cold and frosty start is expected for the weekend, with plenty of sunshine.

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Military-Style Training For Unruly Children

Former soldiers are to be drafted into schools to pass on military-style values of teamwork, discipline and leadership to expelled pupils under a £1.9m Government initiative.

Ministers hope the four projects, which aim to engage and motivate troubled youngsters through mentoring in the classroom and outdoor activities, will improve their behaviour and grades.

Last year, only 1.5% of pupils in alternative provision - those who have been excluded from mainstream education - achieved at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and maths. This is 40 times worse than those in mainstream education.

Announcing the action, Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "Every child can benefit from the values of a military ethos.

"Self-discipline and teamwork are at the heart of what makes our Armed Forces the best in the world - and are exactly what all young people need to succeed.

Education Secretary Michael Gove

"Exclusion from school should never mean exclusion from education.

"These projects are helping pupils in alternative provision reach their full potential and are helping to close the attainment gap."

Some £600,000 of the funding is going to Commando Joes' in Cheshire; £700,000 to Challenger Troop in Tunbridge Wells, Kent; £400,000 to Knowsley Skills Academy in Prescot, Merseyside; and £200,000 to Newcastle-based SkillForce.

All four ventures use activities including one-to-one mentoring, military-style obstacle courses and team-building exercises to pass on values taught in the military to children.

They also help re-integrate pupils and prepare them for post-16 courses or jobs, as well as helping primary school children in their move to secondary education.

Former bomb disposal expert Mike Hamilton, director of Commando Joes', said: "The instructors are all ex-military personnel - they are role models and kids look up to and aspire to be like them.

Mike Hamilton served in the Royal Engineers for eight years

"When we go to a school playground children hang on every word.

"In some of the deprived areas we work in, young people have not got grassy areas or anywhere to go. When they come to our sessions they get a chance to socialise in a different way, to be part of a team.

"Our motto is No Child Left Behind - we will work with every child and young person to help them feel motivated to learn and be part of their school and community again."

The boost is part of a wider aim to bolster links between the Armed Forces and schools, including expansion of the school-based cadets, developing the Troops to Teachers programme and a rise in the Service Children's Premium for service children.

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EastEnders: Brother Admits Killing Actress

The brother of a former EastEnders actress, whose headless body was found in a London canal, has admitted killing her.

Tony McCluskie pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his sister, Gemma, as he appeared at the Old Bailey by videolink from Belmarsh Prison saying had he "suffered loss of control". 

The  35-year-old denied murder.

Miss McCluskie went missing after attending the opening of a hospital earlier this year. Her brother, who she lived with, joined friends in launching an extensive search to find her.

Former EastEnders co-stars Natalie Cassidy and Brooke Kinsella appealed on Twitter for help.

The 29-year-old's headless and limbless body was found, a week after she went missing, floating in the Regents Canal in east London.

A trial was due to begin last month but was delayed because of the discovery of her head in September.

Prosecutors are still waiting for medical reports to establish how the actress, who played Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap in 2001, died.

McCluskie will now face trial for murder on January 14.

Judge Gerald Gordon said that the trial must not be delayed any further.

"The family must have closure", he said.

McCluskie's father, also called Tony, watched from the back of the court as his son admitted to the killing.

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Clinton Slams NI Violence Amid Bomb Finds

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the recent violence on the streets of Northern Ireland and urged all parties to confront the sectarian challenges together.

She was speaking during a visit to the state, where she met First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Stormont before attending a lunch at Titanic Belfast in the city's docklands.

This is her second visit as secretary of state. The last was in 2009 when she encouraged the devolution of policing and justice powers from London to Belfast.

Mrs Clinton arrived in Northern Ireland just hours after a bomb was discovered in a car.

Officers investigating dissident republican activity had stopped the vehicle in the Creggan area of Londonderry on Thursday evening.

Armagh's Mayor Sharon Haughey, then 14, with President Clinton in 1995

Two men aged 47 and 49 were arrested at the scene at about 8.40pm. Two others, also in their 40s, were detained later.

Security chiefs believe dissident republicans opposed to the peace process were planning an attack in the centre of the city, next year's UK City of Culture.

Police have also revealed the discovery of a letter bomb at a postbox in a loyalist area of Co Down. The bomb was made safe and taken away for forensic examination.

It comes as tensions have been running high over flags, and the peace that Mrs Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, helped to build remains far from perfect.

A vote to limit the flying of the Union flag over Belfast City Hall has sparked several days of loyalist protests, some violent. 

Mrs Clinton has already visited Dublin and met children at the US embassy

The civil unrest had been threatening to overshadow Mrs Clinton's visit.

Speaking after meeting Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness, the US politician told reporters: "I'm very pleased to be back. The place keeps drawing me back".

Mrs Clinton added: "Peace does take sacrifice, compromise and vigilance day after day. We've seen that again this week that the work is not complete. We have seen violence break out again.

"I join with both Peter and Martin and all the leaders and citizens who have condemned the recent attacks in Belfast and around the whole area.

"All parties need to confront the remaining challenges of sectarian division peacefully and together."

Peter Robinson has urged loyalists to suspend their protests over the flag issue. "Those who riot and engage in violence do a disservice to the flag they claim to represent," he said.

His statement followed attacks on the homes and offices of politicians belonging to the neutral Alliance Party, which had encouraged a compromise - the flying of the flag on designated days.

It was 1995 when the Clintons paid their first historic visit to Northern Ireland. Thousands turned out to greet them and to herald the dawn of the peace process here.

Teenager Sharon Haughey, who had written a letter about 'The Troubles' to the White House, welcomed them to Armagh. She's now the city's Lord Mayor and gives them the credit.

"The Clintons have played a very important role in the pathway that I have chosen in my life," she said. "They gave me a platform as a very ordinary 14-year-old schoolgirl. 

"They gave me an extraordinary opportunity and I decided to use that opportunity to help shape that future that I wanted and that's really why I'm here today."

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