Plastic Surgery Campaigns Target 17-Year-Olds

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A study commissioned by the Government to look into the cosmetic surgery industry has found that 17 year-olds are being targeted by aggressive marketing campaigns.

The interim report, published today, has found people want to see tighter restrictions around the industry to protect patients from certain sales techniques.

The review was commissioned by the Department of Health following the PiP breast implant scandal.

Science journalist Vivien Parry, who is on the review panel, told Sky News: "I have been really shocked by what I've seen.

"Extraordinary things. For instance, 17-year-olds being plagued by texts saying, 'In less than a year's time you'll be able to have cosmetic surgery.'"

She added: "I just think that's awful. What it does to the psyche of young girls is one thing. But it sets up a cosmetic procedure, which has both short-term and long-term risks, as if it were something entirely trivial."

The report found patients and industry groups want tighter restrictions on advertising including banning two-for-one or time-limited deals, and cosmetic surgery as competition prizes.

The final report is due to be published in March

They want to introduce a two-stage written consent process so that people have time to reflect.

Another demand is for patients to receive better information before making their decision. For example, providing them with photographs showing expected bruising and scarring.

Ms Parry said: "Cosmetic procedures are being sold like double glazing. If you make a decision within a week, you'll get money off.

"You can buy one procedure, get another procedure for free, bring along a friend, or have cosmetic surgery as a raffle prize.

"It concentrates on the money side of it so people forget about the health side."

PiP victim Victoria Newton, who had to have her breast implants replaced after they both ruptured, welcomed the report.

She told Sky that when she first considered surgery, aged just 19, she was pressured and misinformed ahead of her decision.

Victoria Newton was a victim of implants by the now-defunct PiP company

Ms Newton said: "There was nothing personal about my consultation. It wasn't like I was going in for an operation. It was like I was buying a car or booking a holiday.

"There was a time-limited offer and I was really encouraged to go for that. At the time, I thought I was getting a good deal. They offered £500 off the price of the surgery, if I signed up that day."

After sparking a global health scare, the implants made by now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese were pulled from the market in several countries due to fears they could rupture and leak silicone into the body.

The interim report into cosmetic surgery practices suggests anything that pressures patients like Ms Newton to make a snap decision about surgery should be banned.

It states that consultations should always be conducted by the surgeon who will carry out the procedure, rather than sales staff.

But the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Rajiv Grover, says the recommendations do not go far enough.

"We're very pleased the report has focused on sales tactics used in cosmetic surgery. It's something we've been campaigning for, for the last decade," he told Sky News.

"However, we'd like to go further and suggest an outright ban on advertising, just as you would have for prescription-only medicines and other types of surgery."

He added: "This is a medical procedure and should be subject to the same regulations as any other medical procedure."

The suggestions highlighted in the interim report will feed into the work led by the NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, who is due to publish his full recommendations in March.

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Hillary Clinton In Hospital With Blood Clot

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been admitted to hospital after the discovery of a blood clot stemming from an accident earlier this month.

Mrs Clinton, 65, initially fell ill with a stomach bug that led to her fainting and sustaining a concussion. Officials had insisted she was recovering.

But her spokesman Philippe Reines said in a statement: "In the course of a follow-up exam today (Sunday), Secretary Clinton's doctors discovered a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago.

"She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at New York Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours.

"Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion. They will determine if any further action is required."

Mrs Clinton has been off work since her return from her last foreign trip on December 7, although her staff have said she was working from home.

Her lengthy absence from public life had sparked claims from critics that she is trying to avoid testifying in a congressional investigation into a deadly attack on a US mission in Libya.

Earlier this month, the State Department said Mrs Clinton had contracted a bad stomach virus during her five-day stay in Europe. She had to cancel a planned trip to North Africa and Abu Dhabi due to the illness.

A week later, Mrs Clinton's doctors said she had become severely dehydrated due to the effects of the stomach bug and had fainted, suffering a concussion.

They recommended she rest at home and avoid the high-intensity travel she had been accustomed to taking as secretary of state.

Mr Obama (L) announcing Mr Kerry's (R) nomination as secretary of state

Mrs Clinton has flown almost a million miles since taking office four years ago, visited 112 countries and spent some 400 days in a plane.

Her health kept her from giving evidence on December 20 about the attack on the US diplomatic post in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on September 11.

The assault, in which the US ambassador and three other American officials were killed, sparked a political firestorm in the United States, and Republicans criticised Mrs Clinton's absence from the hearings, calling on her to testify in January.

Mrs Clinton, who is due to step down from her post in early 2013, also stayed away from the White House last week when President Barack Obama nominated her replacement, veteran Senator John Kerry.

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Russia Plane Crash: Footage Of Moment Of Impact

Video footage shows the moment a passenger aircraft crashed into a motorway in Russia after it overshot the runway.

The footage, captured from a vehicle on the motorway, shows luggage and other debris flying from the aircraft and hitting other cars on the road as the plane smashed into the ground.

Louds bangs can also be heard as the plane impacted with the ground and the cars were hit by the wreckage.

Four people - the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and a flight steward - were killed in the crash and another four seriously injured after the aircraft overshot a runway at Moscow's Vnukovo airport.

The Red Wing Airlines aircraft burst through a perimeter fence on to the motorway at Russia's third busiest airport.

Officials said the Tu-204 plane - travelling from the Czech Republic - was carrying eight crew members and no passengers. It broke into pieces and caught fire after crashing.

The passenger plane was sheared in two

The cockpit of the aircraft was sheared off from the fuselage and a large chunk gashed out near the tail during the impact.

Witnesses told state channel Rossiya-24 they saw a man thrown from the plane as it rammed into the barrier of the motorway and described pulling other people from the wreckage.

The airport was closed after the crash and flights were routed to Moscow's other airports, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo.

Prior to Saturday's crash, there had been no fatal accidents reported for Tu-204s, which entered commercial service in 1995.

The plane is a twin-engine mid-range jet with a capacity of about 210 passengers.

Investigators said preliminary findings pointed to pilot error as the cause of the crash.

The billionaire owner of Red Wing Airlines, Alexander Lebedev, said the pilot was experienced, with 14,500 hours of flying time.

Vnukovo is Russia's third biggest airport

The state news agency RIA Novosti cited an unidentified official at the Russian Aviation Agency as saying another Tu-204 had gone off the runway at the international airport in Novosibirsk, Siberia, on December 20.

The agency said that incident, in which no one was injured, was due to the failure of the plane's engines to go into reverse upon landing and that its brake system malfunctioned.

Russia and other former Soviet republics have some of the world's worst air traffic safety records - with a total accident rate three times the world average, according to the International Air Transport Association.

In April, 31 people were killed after a passenger jet crashed after takeoff in Siberia.

Another 44 people, including the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team, were killed when their aircraft smashed into a riverbank in September 2011.

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Cameron: Britain 'On Right Track' For 2013

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

David Cameron has used his New Year's message to declare that Britain is "heading in the right direction" on all the big issues and can look forward to 2013 with "realism and optimism".

In a video address, the Prime Minister acknowledged 2012 was "tough", with many families finding it difficult to make ends meet - and admitted he had "no quick fixes" to the UK's economic problems.

But he cited evidence of "real progress" on cutting the state deficit, reforming welfare and improving school standards, which he said was preparing Britain to succeed in the "global race" with emerging economic giants like China and India for the jobs and opportunities of the future.

Mr Cameron said that his administration was "a Government in a hurry" which would not give in to pressure to slow the pace of deficit reduction or rein in reforms to welfare and education.

"This is my message to the country at the start of 2013," said the Prime Minister. "We can look to the future with realism and optimism.

"Realism, because you can't cure problems that were decades in the making overnight. There are no quick fixes and I wouldn't claim otherwise.

"But we can be optimistic too because we are making tangible progress. We are doing what's right for our country and what's best for our children's future."

Insisting that "we are on the right track", Mr Cameron said: "On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it."

The deficit is forecast to be a quarter smaller at the New Year than it was when the coalition Government came to office. There are almost half a million more people in work, and more than 1,000 new academy schools have opened, said Mr Cameron.

And he hailed moves to take millions of low-paid workers out of income tax, freeze council tax bills and deliver the largest-ever increase in the state pension.

"This is, quite simply, a Government in a hurry," said Mr Cameron. "And there's a reason for that.

"Britain is in a global race to succeed today. It is a race with countries like China, India and Indonesia; a race for the jobs and opportunities of the future.

"So, when people say we can slow down on cutting our debts, we are saying no. We can't win in this world with a great millstone of debt round our necks.

"When people say we've got to stop our welfare reforms because somehow it is cruel to expect people to work, we are saying no. Getting people into good jobs is absolutely vital, not just for them, but for all of us.

"And when there is a fight on our hands to change our schools, we are ready and willing to have it, because having a world-class education is the only way our children are going to get on in this world."

He added: "This is what this Government is about: making sure Britain succeeds in this global race and, above all, helping our people succeed - the people who work hard and aspire to a better life for their families."

The message steered clear of the debates over Britain's future in the European Union - due to feature in a long-awaited speech by the Prime Minister in the coming weeks - and gay marriage, which have driven divisions through the Conservative Party over the past year.

Instead Mr Cameron looked back on 2012 as "an extraordinary year for our country", characterised by the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the successful Olympics and Paralympics.

In response, Labour vice chair Michael Dugher said: "It's a case of more of the same from David Cameron.

"In his New Year message, Cameron talks of people who work hard in this country but he's the one hitting hard-working families on lower and middle incomes whilst cutting taxes for millionaires.

"David Cameron stands for the old divide and rule Tory approach of the past - he can't be the One Nation Prime Minister Britain needs.

"Cameron promised change but nothing is changing for the better. Britain's economy is failing under his policies over the last year, with nearly one million young people out of work.

"Prices are still going up faster than wages and borrowing is going up not down, over 7% higher this year than last year.

"This Prime Minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people."

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Bradley Wiggins Knighted In New Year Honours

By Ian Woods, Senior News Correspondent

Britain's gold rush during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games has led to 78 athletes and coaches being named in the New Year Honours List.

Among the top honours are knighthoods for cyclist Bradley Wiggins and yachtsman Ben Ainslie, while Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey becomes a Dame.

Dave Brailsford and David Tanner, the Performance Directors who have ensured that Britain now leads the world in cycling and rowing are also rewarded with knighthoods.

Every British athlete who won a gold medal in the Olympics or Paralympics is included in the list unless they have already been honoured in the past.

Heptathlete and face of London 2012 Jessica Ennis is awarded a CBE

So Sir Chris Hoy, who was knighted after the Beijing Games, is omitted from the list despite adding two more gold medals to his career tally of six.

Somali-born middle-distance runner Mo Farah becomes a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his stunning double gold medal performances in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

He joins four other competitors who become CBEs having previously collected the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) - rower Katherine Grainger, cyclist Victoria Pendleton, heptathlete Jessica Ennis and wheelchair athlete David Weir.

David Weir was also given a CBE after winning four gold medals in London

Sir Bradley admitted to having mixed feelings about receiving a knighthood. Born in Kilburn, he is now almost as famous for his sideburns and Mod image as his cycling exploits.

This was the year he became the first Briton to win the Tour De France, and he also won the Olympic Time Trial title and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

He told Sky News: "It's an incredible honour and it's an incredible thing to have. It's still not something that sits incredibly easily with me, I don't think it's something I'm going to use in daily life.

"(It's) an amazing thing to have in the drawer for my wife my kids and my family. It's topped the year off really."

Dame Sarah Storey first won Paralympic gold as a swimmer, and achieved even greater success when she switched to cycling.

A birth defect means she does not have a left hand, but she also competes against able-bodied cyclists and was pushing for a place in the Olympic squad.

Ben Ainslie was also knighted after winning four gold medals

"I really hope that everybody who's been connected to what I've done feels a part of what has happened," she told Sky News.

"To be honoured in this way - the top gong as you might say - you never even imagine or dream of it. It's just beyond your wildest dreams."

Her boss, Dave Brailsford, becomes Sir Dave after overseeing not just the Olympic triumphs, but the rise of Team Sky as a professional road racing team. Like Sir Bradley he is struggling to adjust to the adulation.

He said: "[It feels] very strange. On the one hand you feel proud and honoured, on the other hand it feels quite humbling really.

Swimmer Ellie Simmonds gets an OBE, while Sarah Storey becomes a dame

"It's a recognition for everything that's happened in cycling over a period of time. I'm the lucky one who gets recognised."

Jessica Ennis CBE told Sky News: "It sounds very surreal. It's such an honour.

"When you get involved in sport, and when I started, it certainly wasn't something that I ever thought of, so to now be in this position at 26 and be receiving a CBE is such an honour."

Cyclists Jason Kenny and his girlfriend Laura Trott end 2012 sharing four gold medals and two OBEs (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).

Andy Murray gets one not just for his Olympic victory, but also for winning the US Open.

Andy Murray caps his Olympic gold and US Open title with an OBE

Olympic rower Katherine Grainger, double equestrian gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin and paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and paralympic horsewoman Sophie Christiansen add OBEs to the MBE's they collected following winning performances in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Christiansen told Sky News: "As athletes we work towards getting gold medals but this is the icing on the cake to be recognised."

Lord Coe, the mastermind of the Games, becomes a companion of honour, but one notable absentee from the list is film director Danny Boyle, the creator of the opening ceremony.

He appears to be one of the minority who for various reasons decline to be honoured.

London 2012 mastermind Lord Coe becomes a companion of honour

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Hector Sants: Ex-FSA Chief Awarded Knighthood

The man tasked with regulating the City in the run-up to the near-collapse of the UK banking system has been knighted in the Queen's New Year Honours.

Former Financial Services Authority (FSA) chief executive Hector Sants has been recognised for services to financial regulation after overseeing sweeping reforms following the nationalisation of Northern Rock and the bailout of major banks.

The knighthood may be seen as a controversial decision, as it was Sir Hector who led the organisation accused by MPs of being "asleep at the wheel" in the run up to the collapse of Northern Rock.

While he was criticised for the FSA's failure to spot and prevent the credit crunch and subsequent banking meltdown, he has since won praise for cleaning up the regulator and for his role in forcing banks to beef up their balance sheets.

Sir Hector said the award was a "testament to the hard work of everyone at the FSA during the crisis, their willingness to learn lessons and to bring about the changes that were necessary".

The 56-year-old had planned to leave his role in February 2010, but was convinced by Chancellor George Osborne to stay on to see through the coalition's break-up of the FSA.

It was thought he would become a deputy governor of the Bank of England and head the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) - one of two new regulatory bodies that will replace the FSA as part of an overhaul in the wake of the financial crisis.

But Sir Hector unexpectedly resigned earlier this year and has courted more controversy, joining scandal-hit Barclays, where he will become the bank's first point of contact for regulators.

He is believed to be in line for a £3m pay package.

The FSA received a mauling from MPs in the wake of the banking crisis and collapse of Northern Rock.

Northern Rock had to be nationalised in 2008, with the Government also having to bail out Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS.

In the aftermath of the crisis, Sir Hector warned the City to "be frightened" as he pledged an era of more intrusive and direct regulation.

He also laid the blame at the door of the US and UK governments for their part in the crisis, saying authorities worldwide sought to "encourage a significant credit boom particularly for the benefit of consumers who wished to purchase housing".

Sir Hector joined the FSA wholesale markets arm from Credit Suisse in 2004. He became chief executive in 2007 - just two months before the run on Northern Rock.

It had been widely expected that Sir Hector would return to the private sector when he resigned from the FSA.

Barclays, which has had its reputation battered following this summer's rate-rigging revelations, has appointed Sir Hector to the newly-created role of head of compliance. He is due to start on January 21.

It is believed he will also play a central role in rewriting the bank's pay and bonus strategy.

Sir Hector is married with three children.

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General Norman Schwarzkopf Dies Aged 78

General Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the US-led coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War, has died.

The 78-year-old died on Thursday at his home in Tampa, Florida, where he retired after his last military posting as commander-in-chief of US Central Command.

His sister Ruth Barenbaum said he passed away following complications from pneumonia.

Gen. Schwarzkopf was known as Stormin' Norman for his explosive temper

A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Gen. Schwarzkopf was known popularly as Stormin' Norman for a notoriously explosive temper.

Former president George HW Bush, himself sick in intensive care in Texas, was the first to issue a statement mourning the loss of the man he chose to lead the war that came to define both of their careers.

"Barbara and I mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation," his statement said.

The General salutes an Iraqi general to set Gulf War cease-fire terms

"A distinguished member of that Long Gray Line hailing from West Point, General Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomised the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises.

"More than that, he was a good and decent man - and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife Brenda and his wonderful family."

During the 1991 Gulf War, he became the public face of the coalition troops who ousted Hussein's forces from Kuwait.

After retiring from the Army in 1992, Gen. Schwarzkopf wrote a best-selling autobiography It Doesn't Take A Hero.

He was knighted by the Queen and honoured with decorations from France, Britain, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

At the peak of his post-war national celebrity Gen. Schwarzkopf - a self-proclaimed political independent - rejected attempts to persuade him to run for high office.

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Anti-Smoking Ads Show Tumours On Cigarettes

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

A series of graphic anti-smoking adverts showing tumours growing on cigarettes are being launched in England.

They are part of the first shock anti-smoking campaign since the fatty cigarette advert eight years ago.

According to the Department of Health (DoH), just 15 cigarettes can cause a mutation than can lead to cancerous tumours.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said the campaign is in response to statistics which show more than a third of smokers still think the health risks are greatly exaggerated.

"People are playing Russian roulette with their health.

"What our evidence shows is that people don't personalise the impact of their own smoking.

"They don't understand what's going on in their own bodies, so that's why we're launching such a hard-hitting campaign.

"It's to show them a real picture of what cancer looks like and what happens in one in two long-term smokers."

The campaign, which cost £2.7m, will run for nine weeks on television, billboards and online.

England's eight million smokers are being urged to pick up a free NHS Quit Kit from pharmacies.

The last graphic adverts, in 2004, showed fatty deposits being squeezed from a smoker's artery and fat dripping from the end of cigarettes.

The following eight years have seen softer campaigns but the DoH says it believes the time is right to deliver a stronger message.

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, insisted the startling images in the ads are necessary.

"We have got to reduce the impact that tobacco has on the lives of far too many people," he said.

"It's not a lifestyle choice, it's an addiction that creeps into people's lives and results in death and disease."

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M6 Crash: Brothers And Woman Killed Named

Police have named the two brothers and a 32-year-old woman who were killed when the car they were travelling in flipped over on the M6 on Christmas Day.

Brothers Adnan Habib, 10, and Mohammed Arsalaan Habib, 4, and Bushra Tazarib were travelling to a family wedding in the Greater Manchester region when they died.

All three victims were from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

The car's two other occupants, including the boys' mother who was driving, survived the crash, which happened near junction 15, close to Stoke-on-Trent, at 11.25am.

The mother of the boys and the other passenger, a female relative, spent the night at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in a stable condition. They were discharged earlier on Boxing Day.

Two women survived the crash

Officers continued to appeal to the public for help to work out exactly what happened when the red Ford Focus smashed.

The police force said it was described by investigating officers as "unimaginably sad and tragic".

Chief Superintendent Martin Evans of the Central Motorway Policing Group (CMPG) said: "The thoughts of all officers and emergency services colleagues involved are with the bereaved families at this extremely difficult time, and specially trained family liaison officers have been appointed to support them."

The crash shut the M6 for much of the day to allow emergency services - including three ambulances and two air ambulances - to reach the scene.

The accident occurred on the M6 between junctions 14 and 15

No other vehicles were believed to have been involved and the circumstances surrounding what caused the crash are being investigated by the CMPG.

:: Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact the force's collision investigation unit on 01785 234094.

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Child Abuse: New Database Of Medical Visits

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

A national database is being introduced in hospitals to flag up potential vulnerable children to nurses and doctors.

It is in order to prevent cases similar to that of Baby Peter Connelly in which health and social service workers repeatedly failed to pick up on signs that the toddler was being abused.

Social services failed to detect signs that Baby P was being abused

He died of multiple injuries in August 2007.

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter is behind the system and said: "For many years there's been a problem of getting joined-up and co-ordinated information to front-line healthcare professionals about children that may be potentially at risk from abuse."

Under the system, a flag will appear on the child's medical record at any hospital they attend if they have already been identified by a local authority as being at risk, or if they have frequently been taken to accident and emergency departments.

Currently, this sort of information is not shared between hospitals up and down the country.

Dr Simon Eccles, of Homerton Hospital in east London, believes it will help doctors make better judgements.

"Spotting those characteristic injury patterns that tell you a child has been abused is one thing," he said, "but what's much harder is the child whose injuries are completely understandable but actually have just been happening too often."

Lauren Matthews, whose nine-year-old son Leo has been in hospital recently, told Sky News she has her concerns: "Two weeks ago we had to take him to hospital because his friend closed his hand in the door. And then yesterday we had to come into hospital again because he had an asthma attack, so in certain situations it could be taken out of context."

Doctors say the system will only deal in facts and they will objectively assess each case.

Work will begin on it in early 2013 and it will start to be introduced to NHS hospitals in 2015.

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Firefighter Ambush Shooting: Killer Left Note

The gunman who ambushed two firefighters as they approached his burning house left a note saying he wanted to torch the neighbourhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people".

Gerald Pickering, police chief in Webster, New York state, said that 62-year-old William Spengler armed himself with three weapons and set his house on fire to lure emergency services into a death trap.

Spengler killed two firefighters - Mike Chiapperini, 43, and 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka - and shot two others before taking his own life in the small New York town of Webster on Monday morning.

Police believe human remains found in the burnt-out home are those of the gunman's 67-year-old sister, Cheryl, who has been missing since the blaze. The remains will be examined before identity is confirmed.

The full contents of the two-page, typed note - which police said does not reveal a motive - have not been published, but Mr Pickering said it clearly shows the killer's "intent".

Victims: Michael Chapperini (left) and Tomasz Kaczowka

One of the guns used was a semi-automatic Bushmaster rifle, the same type of gun used in the December 14 school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. Mr Pickering said Spengler was "equipped to go to war".

Mr Chiapperini's full-time job was as a public information officer with the Webster police department, and was named firefighter of the year for 2012.

Mr Kaczowka worked as an emergency call dispatcher and Mr Pickering described him as "a tremendous young man".

The two injured volunteer firefighters, Joseph Hofstetter and Theodore Scardino, remain in hospital. They are said to be awake and alert and are expected to recover despite suffering "significant" injuries.

Webster is northwest of New York City

Spengler was released from prison in 1998 after serving 17 years for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980.

Authorities have said he had lived a quiet life and had done nothing to bring himself to police attention since his parole.

Spengler's mother Arline, who had lived with her two children, died in October, leaving Spengler on his own with his sister, Cheryl, whom he "couldn't stand", according to neighbour Roger Vercruysse.

Spengler "stayed on one side of the house and [Cheryl] stayed on the other," Mr Vercruysse said.

The sister is missing and there are fears she was inside the house when Spengler set the fire.

Dozens of people turned out on Monday night for an impromptu vigil to mourn the firefighters, leaving bouquets and messages of condolence at the local fire station.

One man left a crate of beer, the local newspaper told Sky News.

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M6 Car Crash Killed Two Young Brothers

Two victims of the three people killed after a car flipped over on the M6 motorway on Christmas Day were brothers, aged four and 10.

The third victim of the accident on a busy stretch of the motorway in Staffordshire was a 32-year-old woman.

The boys' mother, who was believed to have been driving the car, and another female passenger remain in a stable condition at University Hospital North Staffordshire.

Staffordshire Police said the crash happened on the northbound carriageway of the M6 near junction 15 at around 11.25am.

Chief Superintendent Martin Evans said: "Colleagues from the emergency services have worked seamlessly throughout the day in these very sad and exceptionally difficult circumstances.

"Unfortunately the outcome is extremely tragic and our thoughts are with the family of those who have died."

The motorway was closed in both directions following the accident, which included a red Ford Focus, but has now reopened.

The accident occurred on the M6 between junctions 14 and 15

A West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) spokesman said: "Crews arrived to find a single vehicle that had crashed and overturned.

"Two children and an adult that were travelling in the vehicle suffered serious injuries.

"Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of ambulance crews, nothing could be done to save the two boys and one woman, and they were confirmed dead at the scene.

In a separate accident on the M6, four adults and three young children were injured on the southbound carriageway, near Corley Services, at around 7pm on Christmas Day.

A WMAS spokesman said two cars were substantially damaged and it was fortunate nobody was more seriously injured.

Earlier on Christmas Day, Ann Mary Goodrich, 57, and her husband Paul John Goodrich, 56, from Hampshire, died following the collision on the B3349 Odiham Road at Heckfield Heath, near Basingstoke.

A 29-year-old man from Farnborough, believed to be the driver of the other vehicle involved, received medical attention at the scene before being taken to hospital with serious injuries.

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Firefighters Shot Dead In House Blaze 'Trap'

Two volunteer firefighters have been shot dead and two others injured when a gunman opened fire as they were responding to a house fire in New York state, police said.

The gunman, named as William Spengler, opened fired on the four men as they arrived shortly after 5:30am to put out the blaze in Webster, said police chief Gerald Pickering.

Spengler set fire to a car and house to lure the firefighters to his house on the shore of Lake Ontario, police said.

"It does appear it was a trap," an emotional Mr Pickering said at a news conference.

Spengler, 62, had served more than 17 years in prison for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980 at the house next to where Monday's attack happened.

The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blaze

Police said Spengler died at the scene after shooting himself in the head.

One of the firefighters who died, Mike Chiapperini, was also a town police lieutenant, but it was not clear whether he returned fire.

The other firefighter who was killed was named as Tomasz Kaczowka.

The two wounded  firefighters, named as Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino, remained in a critical condition in hospital.

Police were concerned that Spengler's sister, Cheryl Spengler, was in the house where the fire started, reports said.

Spengler reportedly lived there with his sister and mother, Arline Spengler, who died in October.

An off-duty police officer who was driving past the scene also has injuries from shrapnel, Mr Pickering said.

Firefighters were called to the blaze in the early hours of the morning

The fire spread and destroyed six other homes in the quiet lakeside town, around 340 miles (550 km) northwest of New York City.

The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blaze.

The neighbourhood's residents were evacuated and searched by police, and a SWAT team was called to the scene.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the shooting was "a senseless act of violence" and offered his condolences to the victims' families.

"New York's first responders are true heroes as they time and again selflessly rush toward danger in order to keep our families and communities safe," he said.

Monroe county sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said: "It's sad to see that that this is becoming more commonplace in communities across the nation."

The shooting in Webster comes 10 days after the shooting rampage at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, in which 20 children and six adults were killed.

The Newtown massacre has revived debate in the United States on the country's gun laws, which are far more lax than in most other developed nations.

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Floods: UK To Remain On Alert For Another Week

Showers could bring more flooding woes for parts of rain-battered Britain this Christmas.

Hundreds of homes and businesses have been swamped with floodwaters as winter rain continues to fall across saturated land.

The Environment Agency (EA) said widespread showers meant many places remain on flood alert despite the persistent heavy rain being expected to ease off by the end of Christmas Day.

An EA spokeswoman said: "While the worse of the weather is behind us, the risk of flooding continues with rain falling on already saturated ground.

"As a result, flood warnings and alerts will remain in place for much of the week ahead.

Railway engineers check inflatable dams on the railway line near Exeter

"This is because river levels remain high and sensitive to further rain fall."

The rivers Severn, Trent, Avon and Thames are most at risk of flooding, the EA said.

There are more than 160 flood warnings in place across the country, and 266 less serious flood alerts.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning - its second highest alert - for South West England.

The Met Office said the wettest place in the UK since the heavy rain began last week was Tyndrum in Perthshire with 6.1in (155mm).

The Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre in Nottingham was flooded

Cardinham, near Bodmin in Cornwall, is the wettest place in England with 5.1in (128.8 mm) of rain and the wettest place in Wales has been Mumbles Head in West Glamorgan with 4.2in (107mm) of rain.

Ballypatrick Forest in Antrim has been the wettest place in Northern Ireland, with 3.5in (89mm) of rain.

Some areas have exceeded their full-month December average since December 19 - such as Plymouth, which has seen 5.1in (128.8mm) of rain compared with a December average of 4.7in (118.8 mm).

Lower-level yellow weather warnings have also been issued for much of southern England and Wales.

Britain is now set for one of its wettest years ever, the Met Office said.

The UK's average rainfall in 2012, excluding December, is 1,202mm -  placing it 13th in the list of wettest years since records began in 1910.

Forecasters said December's deluge of rain meant that this year was now likely to finish among the country's highest rainfall totals on record.

The year 2000 remains the UK's wettest year, with an average rainfall of 1,337.3mm.

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Flood Victims Rescued As More Rain Forecast

Flood victims are facing a festive washout as many are forced out of their homes - and forecasters are predicting more rain is on the way.

Large parts of the UK have already been lashed with high winds and rain over the weekend, causing widespread flooding.

The South West of England, Wales and North East Scotland were worst affected, although the Midlands is also on high alert as flooding threatens to ruin Christmas for many.

Christmas preparations have been put on hold as people survey the damage to their homes while businesses and communities across the country are put on alert with hundreds of flood warnings remaining in place.

Emergency services helped several people who had been swept away in their cars and attended landslides brought down by the torrential rain.

A woman is rescued from flood water in Devon (pic: Devon & Cornwall Police)

In Umberleigh, near Barnstaple in Devon, a woman was rescued in an "heroic" effort by a lifeboat team after she clung on to the branches of a tree for 50 minutes.

She was spotted by a police helicopter using thermal imaging equipment after she was swept away from her car.

Another woman also had a lucky escape after being swept away in her car in Llancarfan, in the Vale of Glamorgan. She was saved from the vehicle just moments before her car was washed under the bridge and filled with water.

Homes in the North East of Scotland were also evacuated after being hit by significant flooding as heavy rain across the country resulted in road closures in Aberdeenshire and Tayside.

Dozens of people were evacuated from up to 100 properties in Stonehaven, and Grampian Police said some were expected to be out of their homes for between 12 and 24 hours.

Meanwhile in Wales, torrential rain brought down tonnes of mud and rock into the village of Ystalyfera, near Swansea, overnight. Terraced houses were also evacuated in Pontypridd when a 20ft wall collapsed.

RNLI flood rescue teams across Devon and Cornwall have been helping people and animals to safety using in-shore lifeboats while fire crews use high volume pumps to clear water away from properties.

Flooding in Stonehaven. Aberdeenshire, (Pic: COLINTHIRD1969)

Families in Braunton, North Devon, who were effectively cut off after the River Caen twice burst its banks, are again placing sandbags outside their homes and businesses this evening as they prepare for more rain.

The flooding overwhelmed a new £1.2 million flood defence scheme wiping out Christmas plans for many of the residents.

Diane Cohen, 63, runs the flood hit Mariners Arms pub on South Street with her husband.

She said: "If you go into the middle of the village all you can see is people with their belongings out on the pavements, mopping up and cleaning up behind them. It's like a disaster zone."

And flooding problems in Devon spread across the county to the village of Stoke Canon, near Exeter, after the River Exe also burst its banks.

The Environment Agency said 20 properties have been flooded and people from 25 homes were being moved to safety by emergency services.

Stoke Canon resident Alan Whitehead told the BBC: "It's hard because it's Christmas, it's just two days away, so it's really hard."

Engineers work on the flooded railway line in Exeter (pic: Mike Yearworth)

Flooding minister Richard Benyon said: "It's terrible to have your home or business flooded at any time of year but for the families affected it's especially distressing for it to happen during the Christmas season."

Despite a brief respite in the torrential downpours today, residents will be watching nervously as more rain is predicted from overnight.

At traditionally the busiest time of year, business owners spent today desperately trying to clear up. 

Meanwhile, residents unable to return to their homes face spending the festive period in temporary accommodation or with relatives.

There was also widespread travel disruption as water engulfed train lines near Exeter, Devon and dozens of minor roads flooded as swathes of countryside remain under water.

The Met Office today issued a yellow warning for rain on Christmas Day, covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Somerset.

The Environment Agency still has one severe flood warning - meaning there is "danger to life" - in place for the River Cober at Helston in west Cornwall, after heavy rainfall overnight.

There are currently 160 flood warnings, urging people to take immediate action, across the UK, with the most in the south west and the Midlands, and 286 flood alerts.

Residents in Braunton, Devon, prepare for more rain and possible flooding

Sky's weather presenter Jo Wheeler, said: "Christmas Eve will be dull and wet for much of England and Wales, with extensive cloud, showers, and longer spells of rain. 

"More persistent rain will make a return to south-eastern areas through the evening, and this will clear early on Christmas Day - to leave a day of sunny spells and scattered showers".

In the Midlands, the Environment Agency has described the situation as "a big winter flood" with levels in places on the river Severn as high as they have been since the summer 2007 storms.

On parts of the river Trent in Derbyshire, river levels are well above six metres and are expected to peak into tomorrow.

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Queen To Praise Olympics In 3D Xmas Message

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Queen will highlight the excellence of Britain's Olympians and Paralympians when her Christmas message is broadcast tomorrow.

Recorded for the first time in 3D and produced by Sky News, the Queen's festive message comes at the end of an extraordinary year for Her Majesty.

"As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes," she said.

In a year which saw Britain's biggest Olympics medal hauls, the Queen added: "In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama."

The Queen, who was unable to attend the Sunday church service in Sandringham yesterday due to a cold, fully expects to attend the service on Christmas Day, says Buckingham Palace.

But she will do so without the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who will, according to St James' Palace, spend Christmas Day privately with the Middleton family.

It's understood the Queen has given her blessing to William and Kate's Christmas Day plans and it is expected the couple will join the royal family at Sandringham at some point next week.

The Queen wearing 3D glasses during a visit to Pinewood Studios

Prince Harry will also not join his family at Sandringham as he remains on deployment in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot.

Buckingham Palace says the Queen had been keen to embrace 3D in this year's Christmas message after such an extraordinary year.

The Queen has never been shy in adopting new technologies sending her first email in the 1970s and using a mobile phone at the turn of the century.

"2012 has been a tremendous year for the Queen, truly an historic year, her diamond jubilee year," explained royal commentator Robert Jobson.

"But more important than that it was a chance for Her Majesty to get out and meet as many people as possible when she was trying to get that message of community across and she travelled the length and breadth of the UK to get that message across."

But as the Queen appears to begin to curtail her long-haul travel, getting her message around the Commonwealth becomes more difficult. That's where her Christmas broadcast comes into its own.

:: People can watch the Queen's broadcast on Sky News, Sky News Online, Sky News for iPad, Sky 1 and Sky 3D (for those who have it) at 3pm on Christmas Day.

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Weather: Floods Bring Christmas Misery

Families preparing for Christmas have been hit by floods and travel chaos as heavy rain batters Britain.

Six severe flood warnings are now in place, which means there is a risk to life. They are all in the South West and include River Cober, River Caen at Braunton, River Yeo and River Fowey.  

Conditions are so bad that rail passengers have been told to avoid parts of southwest England and South Wales.

And motorists and shoppers faced difficult conditions on one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel and shopping.

Floods in Helston, Cornwall, led to homes being evacuated

The town of Braunton in north Devon has been effectively cut off, with homes and shops under water, after the River Caen burst its banks.

Liz Spear, chairwoman of Braunton Parish Council, said a river was running through the centre of the town.

"It's really bad. We had flooding seven years ago but it was nothing like this," she said.

Some residents in Helston, Cornwall, were evacuated overnight after river levels rose.

In Lostwithiel around 195 people were advised to leave their homes, and a rest area was set up in the Community Centre.

Cornwall Council spokeswoman Trisha Hewitt, said:  "As this is falling on saturated ground, this could cause further flooding."

The Environment Agency has issued 183 flood warnings - where flooding is expected - across the whole of England and Wales, and 374 flood alerts, where flooding is possible.

There was a landslide in the Cornish town of Looe

There was a heightened flood risk across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West and East Sussex, North Yorkshire, South Wales, Ceredigion and Gwynedd.

In Scotland, 17 flood warnings - mostly in Tayside - and 15 flood alerts were issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The Met Office released amber weather warnings, which mean "be prepared", for heavy rain and strong winds across southwest England, Yorkshire and Humber, Wales, central Scotland and the Grampians until Sunday morning.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said heavy rain was forecast to continue across much of the country.

"We're going to continue with bits and pieces of rain over south-western parts of England for the rest of today," she said.

"That main rain from Saturday morning is moving north and eastwards - so there will be some heavy downpours in Scotland and northern England."

A man wading through Braunton, Devon

The water has already led to major issues on road and train networks, spelling trouble for Britons travelling this weekend.

The First Great Western train company advised passengers whose travel was not essential to avoid any journeys west of Taunton in Somerset because of flooding and landslips.

Arriva Trains Wales told passengers to avoid any rail travel in South Wales. Both operators were using road vehicles to transport passengers, but efforts were hampered by a lack of vehicles and flooded roads.

Meanwhile, staff shortages and signalling problems caused disruption on London Midland services. Buses replaced trains on some routes, while passengers were warned of possible cancellations at short notice.

Mark Ridge, landlord of The London Inn, Braunton, only moved into the pub seven months ago with his family and had spent £90,000 on renovation work.

"We were hoping this weekend would be our bumper weekend, to carry us through January and February trade wise, but it's just killed it now," he said.

Annette Essex, who owns a pet shop in Braunton, said: "Suddenly at 6am the banks of one of the rivers broke and the water came flooding down Caen Street and into the high street and we were under about 3ft of water in our store area.

"It was like a torrent of water. It was quite scary because you could hear the swish of the water and the whole road just turned into a river in the space of about 30-40 minutes."

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Egypt's Constitution Gets 'Yes' Majority

Initial results show Egypt's controversial new constitution receives a 'yes' majority in the second and final round of voting.

The results, posted on the Muslim Brotherhood's website, show that eight of the 25 million Egyptians eligible to vote - a turnout of about 30 percent - cast their ballots on Saturday.

The referendum was held over two days, on December 15 and 22.

In the first round, about 56% said "yes" to the charter. The turnout then was about 32%

The Muslim Brotherhood, of which Islamist President Mohammed Morsi hails, has accurately predicted election results in the past by tallying results provided by its representatives at polling centres.

Official results are not expected to be announced for several days.

More to follow ...

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School Shootings: Protests As NRA Speaks Out

America's most powerful gun lobby has defended the use of firearms and argued that armed guards could have prevented the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), called on the US Congress to immediately pass legislation to place guards with guns in schools by the time classes resume from winter breaks in January.

He said the proposal was aimed at stopping the next killer "waiting in the wings", claiming that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun".

Banks, sports stadiums, airports and court houses already have such protection, he added.

"If we truly cherish our kids more than our money, more than our celebrities ... we must give them the greatest level of protection available," Mr LaPierre added.

He argued in favour of a "model school shield" programme consisting of volunteer patrols to be implemented at every school nationwide, at any cost. 

The NRA's comments came exactly a week after a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 young children, at the school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Former Republican Congressman Asa Hutchinson, also speaking at the news conference, said armed, trained guards would be part of the programme but not all of it.

He said local school boards could decide on a case-by-case basis if schools should not have guards.

Mr Hutchinson called the NRA a natural choice to head up the "potentially life-saving effort" because of its gun safety, marksmanship and hunter education programmes. 

Protesters were quickly removed

Two protesters from the social justice group Code Pink interrupted the news conference, holding banners in front of Mr LaPierre and shouting that the NRA "is killing our kids".

They were quickly removed from the room.

Mr LaPierre also suggested creating a national database of those with mental health issues.

And he blasted the media and video game industries as "a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people".

The NRA's propositions come as President Barack Obama vowed to address gun control, and appointed Vice President Joe Biden to lead a working group of administration officials and outside advisers to offer recommendations by January.

Parents and administrators' reactions were ranging from hesitation to anger over the NRA proposal.

Superintendent Hank Grishman of the Jericho, New York, schools on Long Island said he was outraged by the idea.

He said putting more guns in schools will not make children safer, and could even put them in the line of more gunfire.

Parent Helen Gym in Philadelphia called it "extraordinarily opportunistic".

Many of the nation's schools already do have armed school resource police officers on campus.

On Friday morning people in Newtown and across the nation observed a moment of silence to honour the shooting victims.

Gunman Adam Lanza, 20, also killed his mother one week ago before later taking his own life at Sandy Hook Elementary school.

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School Shooting: Tributes To British Victim

The family of a six-year-old British boy killed in the Sandy Hook shootings have paid tribute to their "joyous" son at his funeral.

Dylan Hockley was one of 20 children shot dead by gunman Adam Lanza at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, last Friday.

The little boy died in the arms of his favourite teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who was also killed in the shooting.

Mother Nicole Hockley told the congregation at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, Connecticut, that Dylan - who had a form of autism that hindered his language development - would flap his arms when he got excited.

When she asked him why, he replied: "Because I am a beautiful butterfly."

Hundreds of family and friends filled the church to commemorate Dylan's life.

Purple and white balloons were released at the end of the funeral to symbolise the 20 children and six adults killed at Sandy Hook school. Purple was Dylan's favourite colour.

He was born in Hampshire to a British father and American mother - Ian and Nicole Hockley - and the family moved to Newtown two years ago.

They praised staff at the school including headteacher Dawn Hochsprung and teacher Vicki Soto, who have been hailed as heroes as they tried to protect pupils from the gunman.

A statement from the family after his death read: "Everyone who met Dylan fell in love with him. His beaming smile would light up any room and his laugh was the sweetest music.

"There are no words that can express our feeling of loss. We will always be a family of four, as though Dylan is no longer physically with us, he is forever in our hearts and minds.

"We love you Mister D, our special gorgeous angel."

It comes after America's leading gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, called for armed guards to be placed in schools to prevent shootings.

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Flood Defences Pushed To Limit As More Rain Due

Torrential winter storms have brought chaos to large parts of England and Wales, with roads closed, cars submerged and one village evacuated.

Residents of Wallington in Hampshire have been told to leave their homes because of fears the flood defences could be breached.

Across the country, the AA has rescued more than 300 cars that have become stuck in floodwaters.

And forecasters are warning of worse to come as the torrential rain showed no sign of letting up in the the run-up to Christmas.

So far southern and south western England has been the worst affected, with deluges in Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire leading to more than an inch of rain in some places.

The rising river in Wallington (Pic: Mike Payne)

Forecasters have warned that up to an inch could fall over Cornwall on Friday night, causing further havoc in areas where the ground is already saturated.

Residents in 55 homes in Wallington, Hampshire, were offered the chance to leave by police amid fears that the River Wallington could burst its banks, but only a handful chose to do so.

The Environment Agency has scores of flood alerts and dozens of flood warnings in place, while there is one severe flood warning in place in Wallington. The most severe alert, it is described as being a "danger to life" on the Agency's website.

South east Wales, the Midlands and the north east of England were also at risk as successive bands of rain sweep across the country. The weather is likely to remain unsettled for up to seven days.

Heavy rainfall spreading on Thursday morning

Sky News Weather Producer Jo Robinson warned that flooding would "remain a big concern" over the days before Christmas. 

She said that while it was much drier across the far south of the UK on Thursday evening as the rain band pushed north, further local flooding into the night should be expected.

"Eastern Scotland looks to see the heaviest rain overnight, with a further 20 to 30mm (locally 40mm) there," she said.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued various flood alerts and flood warnings, while the Met Office told Sky News that around 20-30mm of rain is expected to fall on Thursday in eastern parts of Northern Ireland. Up to 50mm is expected there on Saturday and Sunday.

It is feared the latest bout of wet weather could leave more homes under water and cause further disruption on the road and rail networks.

Motorists were warned not to use flooded roads and an AA spokesman said it had attended 327 break downs due to vehicles being driven through or still stuck in floodwater.

East Dorset and the New Forest in Hampshire were worst affected along with the Midlands, he added.

Officials have warned of the dangers of driving on flooded roads

River levels on the River Cober in Helston, Cornwall, are high after persistent rain on Wednesday, while the Dolphins River Park in Charmouth, west Dorset, was under threat from the River Char.

The River Wey in Weymouth, Dorset, was also rising, and the Somerset Levels face risk of flooding due to heavy rainfall of up to 20mm over Wednesday night on already saturated ground.

Flood defences have been put up in the riverside town of Bewdley in Worcestershire, on the banks of the Severn, and at Upton-upon-Severn existing flood barriers are being monitored as the river rose steadily.

Further defences are set to go up in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

In Devon and Cornwall, which bore the brunt of much of the worst weather during widespread flooding last month, police reported only minor disruption across the two counties.

Wallington on Thursday afternoon (Pic: Mike Payne)

There was no repeat of the scenes of late November, when dozens of people had to be evacuated from their homes as floodwater surged down narrow streets and floodplains saturated, causing millions of pounds of damage.

Cornwall Council said more than 100 members of staff were involved in dealing with flood-related calls over Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.

The majority of them were as a result of surface water flooding.

A spokeswoman for Fareham Borough Council said the three people who had taken up the offer of being evacuated in Wallington included one vulnerable person.

The evacuation warning came after three cracks appeared in the flood defences around the swollen River Wallington.

Structural engineers from the council and the Environment Agency have inspected the flood wall that has the cracks in it, and Environment Agency operations manager David Robinson said that the main concern was the high tide meeting the rain water after more than 20mm fell in the area overnight.

High tide, which came at 4.30pm in the village, passed without further flooding. The next high tide will be at 5.13am on Friday.

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Women Drivers Face Insurance Premium Rise

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Reporter

Women drivers could see insurance premiums increase by around 25% as new laws come into force that ban setting prices according to gender.

Researchers believe it could force nearly a quarter of women drivers to give up driving altogether.

The European Court of Justice ruling follows a 10-year legal battle against the proposals by insurers.

It is not confined to car insurance but also covers pensions and life insurance.

Car insurance premiums could increase for young female drivers by an average of around £300 a year.

Those aged between 31 and 35 are also likely to be hit with a rise of around 10%, or £53 a year, according to research from comparison website Confused.com.

Michael Ossei, personal finance expert at price comparison website uSwitch, told Sky News: "What we have found is young women between 18 to 25 years old will be heavily affected by the change.

"What that means from our research (is that) 24% will be taken off the road, not able to drive, while a further 11% say they will have to sell their cars."

Men reaching retirement could also be hard-hit with annuities possibly decreasing by up to 13% a year, while women may see their life insurance policies increase by 16%.

Currently, men usually get a higher pension income than women because, on average, they die younger.

The Government is strongly opposed to the change.

Transport Minister Stephen Hammond told Sky News it was unnecessary and that they were working to manage the impact.

"One of the reasons we are against it (is that) the basic principles of insurance previously has been insurance based on risked rather than just gender-based."

The court ruling is an attempt to end discrimination and to bring about equality between men and women - but it is a decision that will come at a price for many.

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BBC Slammed Over George Entwistle Payoff

By Niall Paterson, Media Correspondent

The BBC has been criticised over its decision to award a former director-general a payoff of £450,000 - double what he would have received had he resigned voluntarily - less than two months after he started.

George Entwistle resigned after just fifty four days in the job, following widespread criticism of his handling of the aftermath of the Newsnight Jimmy Savile investigation.

He received the bumper payoff in order to speed up his departure from the broadcaster.

But a report from the Commons' Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has accused the BBC of "cavalier" spending of public money, and said it was "out of line both with public expectations and what is considered acceptable elsewhere in the public sector".

The committee also criticised the payoffs given to ten other senior managers. Former deputy director-general Mark Byford got £949,000 on his departure.

And former Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson received £670,000 when she left earlier this year.

During a PAC session, MPs claimed that she had been awarded the money partly as "compensation" after she missed out on the job of director General.

Describing the severance payments as "excessively generous" the committee's report also highlights their concern that the BBC Trust, which agreed Mr Entwistle's package, turned down an offer from the National Audit Office to examine the deal on his departure.

BBC chair Lord Patten has defended Mr Entwistle's payoff

PAC chairman Margaret Hodge said: "This cavalier use of public money is out of line with public expectations and what is considered acceptable elsewhere in the public sector."

But the BBC Trust defended Mr Entwistle's payoff, saying the "terms reached were the best available in the circumstances".

" ...it is simply wrong to suggest the BBC Trust had a choice between a severance payment of £450,000 or half that level.

"Indeed, if we had faced a constructive dismissal situation it would have cost us more and could have been a messy and long drawn out process.

"It is also not the case that the Trust refused to take up the offer to review the package - on the contrary, we suggested a wider study of severance payments at the BBC, which the NAO will now undertake," a Trust spokeswoman said.

The committee raised further concerns about the use of public money to provide private health care for senior BBC staff.

Ms Hodge said: "The BBC's generosity with severance packages goes beyond the one awarded to George Entwistle. Since 2010, over £4m in total has been made in severance payments to 10 other departing senior managers.

"The BBC is also providing 422 senior managers with private medical cover as part of their remuneration packages.

"We have asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to include in his 2013 programme of work on the BBC an examination of severance payments and benefits for senior managers."

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Hillsborough: High Court Orders New Inquests

The High Court has quashed the original accidental death verdicts for the Hillsborough victims and ordered new inquests to be held.

The landmark ruling was welcomed by the families of the 96 Liverpool supporters who were killed 23 years ago, and came shortly after the Home Secretary announced a new police investigation into the disaster.

Three months ago, a damning report from the Hillsborough Independent Panel revealed a widespread cover-up by police to put officers in a favourable light and deflect blame for the disaster on to Liverpool fans.

More than 40 families had travelled to London to attend the High Court hearing, and many applauded when the ruling by Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge was announced in the packed courtroom.

Others watched by videolink from Liverpool, where some cried at the news and the mayor called it a "watershed moment".

Lord Judge expressed regret that the families had to go through such a "dispiriting and prolonged" process.

The Attorney General Dominic Grieve said the main basis for his application to have the verdicts quashed was new medical evidence made public in the report by Hillsborough Independent Panel.

The Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989. Pic: David Cannon/Allsport

"It is bitter-sweet. We have known the truth for 23 years," said Michelle Carlile, 44, clutching a photograph of her brother Paul, 19, who died at Hillsborough.

Trevor Hicks, chair of Hillsborough Family Support Group, told reporters outside the courtroom: "Justice is on its way. Everything we've said has been proven to be correct."

The Liverpool supporters died in the crush at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989, when their team played Nottingham Forest in a semi-final of the FA Cup.

Watching from videolink in Liverpool, Cathy Crane, whose brother Gary Jones died in the disaster aged 18, said she felt "pleased and delighted".

"It has just been very difficult over the last 23 years. Every day having to fight for the honour of someone who you love and today, at least, people will start to understand what we have gone through."

Marion Brady, whose son Paul was crushed to death, said: "At last we feel we are getting somewhere."

Trevor Hicks lost two daughters in the disaster

The new police investigation will be led by former Durham chief constable Jon Stoddart, and will focus specifically on the 96 deaths.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "I am determined to see a swift and thorough response to the findings of the Hillsborough Panel to deliver justice for the 96 football fans who died and the families who have fought so hard on their behalf."

Mr Stoddart will be able to recruit investigators and staff to his team, but he will not be allowed to employ officers or former officers with any prior connection to the Hillsborough disaster.

He is also unable to recruit any officers or former officers who worked in the West Midlands, South Yorkshire or Merseyside police forces.

"I am aware of the great significance and personal responsibility which comes with leading this criminal investigation," he said.

"My first priority is to meet with as many of the families as possible and to establish a working open relationship with them throughout the investigation."

Mr Stoddart added he had already held some meetings and had been "struck by the families' humility and steadfast determination to see justice delivered for their loved ones".

Reacting to the ruling in London, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: "This is a watershed moment on the road to justice for the families of the 96, and I share their overwhelming relief that, after 23 very painful years, the inquest verdicts have been quashed."

He expressed hope that as a result of the new police investigation "those that played a role in causing the disaster and the monumental cover-up are brought to account."

Meanwhile, Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed he will effectively waive VAT on a charity single in aid of Hillsborough families' legal costs. Any VAT paid will be returned in the form of a charitable donation.

The version of the Hollies' hit He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by The Justice Collective is currently the front runner in the race to be Christmas number one.

Prime Minister David Cameron earlier told campaigners for a tax break to expect good news, saying there would be "a decision that will go down well in Merseyside".

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School Shooting: NRA 'Shocked And Saddened'

The National Rifle Association has broken its silence over the Sandy Hook school massacre, saying its members were "shocked and saddened" by the murders.

After a self-imposed media blackout, the powerful gun rights organisation made its first public statement on Friday's gun rampage by 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

He killed 20 pupils, aged six and seven, as well as six female members of staff after opening fire at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Lanza earlier shot dead his mother Nancy at the home they shared, and the gunman later killed himself at the school as police closed in.

The NRA said its members were "shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders".

Protesters demonstrated outside the NRA's headquarters in Washington DC

The group also said it wanted to give families time to mourn before making its first public statement.

It pledged "to help to make sure this never happens again" and has scheduled a news conference for Friday.

The massacre has re-ignited the debate over gun control in the US, with some calling for a clampdown on firearms.

President Barack Obama backs a new bill to reintroduce a ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Mr Obama is "actively supportive" of an attempt by Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein to write the bill early next year.

Adam Lanza killed his mother before shooting dead 20 children and six staff

The president has also telephoned pro-gun senator Joe Manchin, who has shifted his position on firearms laws since Friday's carnage in Connecticut.

Mr Manchin, along with fellow democrat Mark Warner, who have so-called "A" ratings from the NRA, said the Newtown massacre has convinced them the time for reform has come.

West Virginia's Senator Manchin told MSNBC it was time to "move beyond rhetoric" on gun control. He said: "I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle. It's common sense."

Senator Warner said "the status quo isn't acceptable" and in a later interview called for "rational gun control".

On Monday, 75 activists demonstrated outside the NRA's headquarters in Washington DC. They chanted: "Shame on the NRA," and demanded the organisation drop its hardline stance and make way for new gun control laws.

"More than anyone else, the NRA is responsible for the more than 12,000 people murdered by guns every year in this country," said Josh Nelson, the campaign manager for the progressive Credo Action group that organised the protest.

"We call on the NRA's lobbyists to stand down and allow Congress to pass common-sense gun laws."

:: Watch USA: The Gun Debate on Sky News on Wednesday at 8.30pm.

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US Shooting: Doubts Over Lanza Asperger's Claim

By Brian Donathan, Sky News Online

A psychologist has told Sky News the actions of mass killer Adam Lanza were not consistent with someone who has Asperger's syndrome.

The gunman's parents reportedly informed friends and divorce mediators that their son had that form of autism.

But Dr Beth Weiner said Friday's shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut sounded more like the act of "an individual with an anti-social personality disorder".

She said: "If you bump into someone with Asperger's in the hallway, they might not process it correctly and they might lash out, but they don't plan out something in a premeditated way."

No evidence has been found to suggest Lanza, 20, was taking medication for mental illness, and authorities are still trying to determine whether he was ever formally diagnosed with any mental health disorder.

The massacre, in which Lanza's own mother Nancy was also shot and killed by him, has left a community in mourning and people around the world searching for answers on how similar acts can be prevented in the future.

Dr Weiner, a clinical psychologist and the director of the psychology and therapy master's degree programme at Long Island University-Hudson in West Chester, New York, said "early intervention is key".

The mother of victim Jessica Rekos is comforted at the child's funeral

She said: "Kids have to be targeted early, and the front line people are the school personnel," adding that schools are "overloaded" and cannot be blamed when these types of incidents occur.

"Their hands are tied. They can't do the kind of emotional assessments that some of these kids need," she went on.

What is needed, Dr Weiner said, is a closer relationship between school personnel and outside clinicians - people who are trained in treating clients with mental health disorders.

"We're talking about having more security guards at schools ... maybe we need to look at how we can bring in more mental health professionals into the schools systems on a consulting basis," she said.

Dr Weiner also said people have to start overcoming the stigma that is attached to mental illness, which often keeps parents from pursuing the help their child needs.

"It's not the same when it comes to mental illness," she said. "Parents are not going to be as quick to check off the box that asks whether their child has behavioural problems."

The psychologist said she hopes the Newtown shooting would help people realise the need to be more proactive when it comes to treating children and adults with mental illness.

"In this day and age we're still putting labels, we're still calling people crazy as opposed to asking what can we do for them so they are not shut away from their peers," she said.

"Sometimes that isolation can breed dangerous thinking."

:: Watch USA: The Gun Debate on Sky News on Wednesday at 8:30pm.

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Newtown Shooting: First Funerals For Victims

The first funerals for victims of the Connecticut school shooting have taken place, three days after the massacre.

Services were held for six-year-olds Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, who were among 20 children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

The children were shot dead by Adam Lanza, who also killed six members of staff before taking his own life. Earlier, he killed his mother, Nancy, at the home they shared.

Noah was the youngest victim and had been in school with his twin sister, Arielle, who escaped unhurt. He had celebrated his sixth birthday a fortnight ago.

"He was just a really lively, smart kid," his uncle, Alexis Haller, said. "He would have become a great man, I think. He would have grown up to be a great dad."

Jack Pinto (L) and Noah Pozner (R)

In his obituary in the Newtown Bee newspaper, his parents and four siblings said: "He was the light of our family, a little soul devoid of spite and meanness."

At the Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home in Newtown, where Noah's relatives sung hymns and paid their respects, well-wishers placed two teddy bears, a bouquet of white flowers and a single red rose.

Friends and family of Jack gathered in nearby Monroe to say their goodbyes.

The youngster was a keen wrestler and Jack Wellman, a sports coach at Sandy Hook, said children had placed their medals in his coffin.

He was buried wearing a red and white American football jersey with the number of his hero, the New York Giants player Victor Cruz.

"Jack was an incredibly loving and vivacious young boy, appreciated by all who knew him for his lively and giving spirit and steely determination," his parents, Dean and Tricia Pinto, said in an obituary in the Newtown Bee.

A couple hold hands following a burial service for Jack Pinto in Newtown

Jack was laid to rest at Newtown Village Cemetery while Noah was buried at B'nai Israel Cemetery, Monroe.

The Newtown shooting, which is among the deadliest in US history, has reignited the debate on gun control.

At a vigil in Newtown on Sunday, President Barack Obama called for "meaningful action" to prevent similar massacres from happening in the future.

"What choice do we have?" he said. "Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?"

Police are working 24 hours a day on the investigation into the shooting and plan to interview two adults who were injured but survived.

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Newtown Shooting: New School For Survivors

By Brian Donathan, in Monroe, Connecticut

Officials admit the school where 20 children and six adults were shot dead may never reopen, as new classrooms are set up nearby for survivors of the massacre.

Staff and volunteers have been working around the clock, moving desks, chairs and filing cabinets from Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown, to the former Chalk Hill Middle School in neighbouring Monroe.

Sandy Hook has been shut down indefinitely following Friday's massacre.

Lieutenant George Sinko, of Newtown Police Department, said he "would find it very difficult" for students to return to the same school but added: "We want to keep these kids together. They need to support each other."

A Newtown school employee, who wanted to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the process and because his son attended Sandy Hook, said the furniture being moved to Chalk Hill was from sections of the school not affected by the shooting rampage.

He said officials have examined the floor plans of both schools to help make the young students' secondary home as familiar as possible.

"The classrooms will be set up to be as seamless as possible, so they'll think they're walking into their old classrooms," he said.

Survivors will study at the old Chalk Hill Middle School, seven miles away

The worker added that despite some people in the town saying it was too soon to send the children back to school, he believes the sooner they are back in the classroom the better.

"My son is getting on that bus," he said. "I'll follow him to school, and when he gets off the bus I'll give him a wink. He'll be fine. They're all going to be fine."

Lieutenant Brian McCauley, a spokesman for the Monroe Police Department, said: "These kids have been through something that none of us ever, ever want to go through in our lives, and we want to make their transition back to school as easy, simple and sensitive as possible."

Officials have not determined an exact start date at Chalk Hill, but Monroe Fire Marshal William Davin said the process of making sure the school meets fire and state building codes should be completed in "a matter of days".

Representatives from the Newtown school district will make the final call on when the students will return, Lt McCauley explained.

He said police had been stationed at all schools in Monroe and that officers will be on hand once Chalk Hill opens.

Monroe resident Vicki D'Auria expressed pride in knowing that her town had reached out to aid survivors of the Sandy Hook massacre.

"I've never been more proud to live in Monroe," she said. "The fact that all those kids can now come ... they don't have to go back to that school, it's very nice."

She said her 10-year-old son, who is a fourth grader at Fawn Hollow Elementary next to Chalk Hill, is hoping he gets to make a welcome poster before the Sandy Hook children arrive.

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