Weather: Rain And High Tides Are 'Risk To Life'

Heavy rain, large waves and strong winds wreaked havoc in Britain and Ireland today, cancelling flights and sparking a "significant risk to life" warning.

The worst of the weather was battering the Republic of Ireland and gusts are expected to pick up across Wales and southern parts of England during the day.

Flooding in central Limerick, Ireland (pic: Sean Keogh/@Fame_For_Sale)

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee by conference call at 3pm.

The Environment Agency warned "extraordinary measures" may be taken in Gloucestershire today to keep back tidal and river floods.

Keep Calm and Carry On! The Anchor Bleu in Bosham (pic Stephen Sumner)

It issued severe flood warnings - meaning there is an imminent danger to life - for several parts of the county and the coasts of Cornwall and north Devon.

Further warnings are in place along the length of the River Severn amid fears it could burst its banks.

Flood barriers have already been installed in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and Bewdley, Worcestershire, as the water level rises.

The Environment Agency warned against all non-essential travel amid fears drivers could become stranded, while Gloucestershire Police urged people to stay away from river banks.

Lesser warnings remain in place for many parts of Britain, including the already blighted Somerset levels and west Wales, where 49 flood warnings and 15 alerts have been issued this morning.

At the Anchor Bleu pub in Bosham, West Sussex, defiant customers were pictured eating their lunches and supping their beers as water swashed about their feet. 

In the the Republic of Ireland, there were reports of severe flooding in Limerick City with the river Shannon bursting its banks.

River Parrett in Burrowbridge in the 1960s when it was regularly dredged In Spring 2013, without dregdging (pic Flooding on the Levels Action Group) The same river today

With gusts of almost 80mph in coastal areas of the country, several parts were hit by flooding and at one stage 5,500 homes and properties were left without power, 4,000 of them in Ennis, Co Clare.

Flights out of Dublin airport were affected because of the gales force winds. Flights to Manchester, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Cardiff, Paris and Madrid had to be cancelled.

Isabel Webster, reporting from the River Parrett in Burrowbridge, Somerset, tweeted at 8.30am: "High tide in Burrowbridge this morning. It's just touching the sand bags."

The Severn laps over a road in Arley, Worcestershire. Pic: Neill Woodward

Minutes later she tweeted: "Water is seeping through giant sandbags onto road beyond at high tide here in Burrowbridge."

Amid fears the bags would not hold back the water an emergency team from the Environment Agency, rushed to the scene to bolster the defences.

There are fears that flooding in the area will worsen as river levels rise over the coming hours and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, David Cameron has admitted a "long-term" action plan is needed to reduce the devastating impact of flooding on communities.

Residents in Limerick paddle down the road in a boat

He insisted the Government was doing "everything we can to help people recover as quickly as possible".

However, he admitted there was work to do, especially in Somerset, where some residents remain cut off after the wettest January on record.

In a letter to the Western Daily Press, Mr Cameron said: "Like everybody across the country I feel enormous sympathy for the people who live on the Somerset Levels and are suffering from the devastating impact of the flooding."

He added: "We need long-term action to reduce the risk of this happening again. That is why (Environment Secretary) Owen Paterson is working with the Environment Agency (EA) and local agencies in Somerset to deliver a robust plan for the next 20 years."

England and Wales are covered by flood warnings and alerts

The Prime Minister said plans to dredge rivers will begin "as soon it is safe to do so" and the EA will spend "the coming months improving river flows" across the south west, dredging and weed clearance.

Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has claimed a lack of river dredging for the past 40 years has worsened the impact of the flooding in Somerset.

"The EA decided to abandon the dredging for the sake of the river bank and they sold the wonderful dredging machines for scrap," said the dairy farmer.

"Can you believe it? That was 40 years ago. This (flooding) is the result of that decision."

As heavy rain fell in the South, snow swept across parts of the North

In the Republic of Ireland, Munster, Leinster, Connacht, Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan were told to prepare for possible flooding, while communities in west Wales and along the south coast from Dorset to Kent were also put on alert.

Hundreds of university students in Aberystwyth were told to leave accommodation on the town's seafront amid fears high tides could hit the town for the second time in a month.

Wintry weather swept across northern areas on Friday, closing the Lake District's exposed Kirkstone Pass and causing hazardous driving conditions elsewhere.

Residents in the village of Muchelney, Somerset, have been cut off

The latest forecasts will be met with trepidation in flood-stricken communities in Somerset, where the military is on standby to help with the relief effort.

On Tuesday, Prince Charles will meet people who remain cut off by water after the wettest January on record.

Some residents have criticised the Government and the Environment Agency for what they say is a lack of action to prevent the floods.

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Baby Boy's Death: Mother Arrested In Oldham

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Police are questioning a mother on suspicion of murdering her seven-week-old baby in Oldham.

The 23-year-old mother's partner, a man aged 35, and the couple's lodger, a 26-year-old man, have also been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The baby, named locally as Thomas Gacek, was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital with serious head injuries last Saturday.

Hospital staff contacted police and the child's mother and her partner were originally arrested on suspicion of assault.

Following the baby's death and the results of a postmortem examination they were re-arrested on suspicion of murder.

The baby was taken to Royal Oldham Hospital

Along with their lodger they are also being questioned on suspicion of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

All three remain in police custody.

Police say one line of inquiry they are examining is whether he was shaken to death.

Detectives are searching the house where the child lived in the Clarksfield area of Oldham.

The couple's next door neighbour, who did not want to be named, told Sky News she was "shocked" to hear the news.

She said she understood the couple had only moved into the house in November and said they had put up balloons and banners when the baby was born.

The infant died at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

Inquiries are ongoing to trace the child's father.

Detective Inspector Andy Cunliffe from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "This is a tragic case in which a very young baby has lost his life.

"We are determined to find out exactly what the circumstances were that led to him suffering such injuries.

"News of the death of such a little boy will no doubt come as a great shock to people.

"And I would like to try to reassure the community as much as I can that we have a team of detectives dedicated to working on this investigation, and they will today be interviewing the three people in our custody.

"If anyone has any information at all that they believe may assist us with our enquiries, then please get in touch and tell us what you know."

Anyone with information is asked to contact GMP's Major Incident Team on 0161 856 1722 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Castaway Washes Up After '16 Months Adrift'

A castaway has washed up in the remote Marshall Islands claiming he drifted at sea for more than a year - travelling 8,000 miles from where he set sail.

The Mexican man, who identified himself as Jose Ivan, is said to be recovering on Ebon Atoll after the ordeal, surviving by eating turtles, birds and fish and drinking turtle blood when there was no rain.

He had no fishing equipment on the boat, suggesting the man caught food with his bare hands.

Locals discovered Mr Ivan when his 24-foot fibreglass boat with propellerless engines floated onto a reef. He had long hair and a beard and was wearing only ragged underpants.

He told his rescuers he set sail from Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012 and had been floating in the ocean ever since.

He claimed he had a friend with him but he died many months ago.

Ebon mayor Ione de Brum said: "We've been feeding him nutritious island food and he's getting better. He has pain in both knees so he cannot stand up by himself. Otherwise, he's OK."

De Brum said she was communicating with the man using drawings because he cannot speak English and she does not speak Spanish.

Ebon Atoll is in a remote area of the Pacific

"I've gotten to know him through pictures he's drawing. He said he was on his way to El Salvador by boat when it started drifting," she said.

Although communicating with him is difficult, Ms de Brum said the community was doing its best to help him and keep him comfortable; bringing him clothes, food and mosquito coils.

A navy ship has been sent to bring him to the capital Majuro and is expected to arrive in Ebon on Saturday night. After it returns to Majuro the process of getting the man back to Mexico will begin.

There are virtually no islands in the 8,000 mile expanse of the Pacific north of the equator between southern Mexico and the Marshall Islands.

If he had not washed onto the reef at Ebon, it is likely he would have drifted for another 1,000 miles of ocean before making landfall in Papua New Guinea or the Solomon Islands.

Such stories of survival have surfaced before. In 2006, three Mexicans were discovered drifting near the Marshall Islands nine months after setting out on a shark-fishing expedition.

They survived on rainwater, raw fish and seabirds, keeping their hopes of being found alive by reading the Bible.

Castaways from Kiribati in the south often make land in the Marshall Islands after weeks or months at sea in small boats.

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Volcano Sinabung Erupts Killing 11 In Indonesia

Eleven people, including four pupils on a school trip, have been killed after a volcano in Indonesia erupted, officials have said.

Mount Sinabung, on the western island of Sumatra, sent hot rocks and scorching ash up to 2,000m (16,000ft) into the air.

The 11 victims, including the four high school students, were found dead in Sukameriah village, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.

The students were on a sightseeing trip to the volcano, the spokesman said.

A man and his son were also caught up in the deadly clouds when they went to pay respect at the graves of relatives in Sukameriah village, which is 2.7 kilometres (1.7 miles) south of Sinabung crater. 

Another man, who had returned to the village to check on his abandoned house, was also trapped and injured by the clouds, officials said. 

The eruption blanketed the surrounding countryside with grey dust, said volcanologist Kristianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

About 33,000 people have taken refuge since Sinabung started erupting in September after remaining dormant for four years.

Some villagers had returned home on Friday following advice from the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation that houses outside of a 5km radius of Sinabung were safe. 

Sinabung had shown a reduction of activity since mid-January until Saturday's eruption.

It had been quiet for around 400 years until it rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September last year.

More follows...

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Madeleine McCann: UK Police Fly To Portugal

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:05am UK, Wednesday 29 January 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

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Texas Skydiver Falls 3,000ft And Survives

A 16-year-old girl from Texas has survived a fall of more than 3,000ft in a skydiving accident in Oklahoma.

Makenzie Wethington is in good condition, despite multiple injuries, including to her liver, pelvis lumbar spine in her lower back, shoulder blade and several ribs, trauma surgeon Jeffrey Bender said.

"I don't know the particulars of the accident, as I wasn't there. But if she truly fell 3,000 feet, I have no idea how she survived," the surgeon from Oklahoma said.

Makenzie is expected to leave the intensive care unit soon, he said.

Makenzie and her father dressed for the flight

The teenager's parents had allowed her to take the jump but father Joe has now said the skydiving company should not have allowed it.

The company involved has defended its decision, saying the father went up with his daughter and was the first to jump.

Robert Swainson, instructor and owner of the company involved, said Makenzie's parachute had opened as it should have done but she began to spiral downward when the chute went up but not out.

Makenzie and Joe Wethington before takeoff

He said skydivers were given instruction during a six-to-seven-hour training session on how to deal with such problems.

The instructor also said Makenzie had a radio hookup in her helmet through which someone gave her instructions.

"It was correctable, but corrective action didn't appear to have been taken," he said.

Makenzie has injured her liver, spine and shoulder

Mr Swainson said he did not jump out to help Makenzie because there was no way he could have reached her.

Also, he explained, another jumper had become scared and refused to make the jump so it was protocol for him to remain with the frightened person because instructors do not know what that person will do.

"The most I could have done is screamed," he said.

Nancy Koreen, director of sport promotion at the US Parachute Association, said its safety requirements allow someone who is 16 to make a dive with parental consent, though some places set the age higher.

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Mark Carney Enters Scottish Vote Debate

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

The Bank of England Governor is issuing a warning on the economic consequences of Scottish independence as he delivers an address on currency union.

Mark Carney has held talks with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond in Edinburgh, before his major speech on one of the key referendum battlegrounds.

Mr Salmond has told Sky News he does not regard it as interfering in the debate.

In a speech to the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Mr Carney will address issues such as the financial structures and foundations that are required for a shared currency between foreign governments, as well as looking at the benefits.

:: Watch Mark Carney's speech live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

A Bank of England spokesman has told Sky News Mr Carney does not plan to publicly endorse or oppose Scottish independence.

Rather, he intends to set out a "cold analysis" of the challenges presented by a currency union plan.

Mark Carney and Alex Salmond held talks before the speech

Mr Carney will also give a news conference during his visit. His comments will, inevitably, feed into the wider political debate.

A currency union is central to the Scottish constitutional discussion.

Scotland's First Minister has said that an independent Scotland could retain the pound as part of a "sterling zone", arguing that such an arrangement would be universally beneficial, given that Scotland is the second biggest trading partner of the rest of the United Kingdom.

Chancellor George Osborne has said, however, that such a scenario would be "unlikely" and he has threatened to veto any euro-style formal agreement.

After the private meeting this morning, Mr Salmond talked to Sky News about the currency union.

Developer Dan Macdonald said keeping a common currency "makes sense"

"We should put forward what is in the best interests of the Scottish people and it's for them to judge," he said.

"We think it's good for Scotland and the UK. We know it's popular in Scotland and England.

"We think UK ministers will do what the people what. Scotland wants to keep the pound and England wants us to keep the pound."

Mr Salmond also said Mr Carney had confirmed that the technical talks between the Bank and the Scottish Government would continue in the run-up to the referendum.

Looking ahead to Mr Carney's speech, Davide Mare of the University of Edinburgh has told Sky News that the Governor's recent testimony in the House of Lords suggested he would head north of the border with practicalities in mind, rather than politics. 

He said: "He's a man who is focusing on the problems arising from two countries sharing the same currency, such as monetary policy, having two different fiscal policies, having a banking union that can be led by different institutions.

"This is what he's thinking, not about an independent Scotland being part of Britain."

Scotland's business community, in particular, has a vested interest in the issue of a currency union.

Retailer Daniel Johnson said operating in two currencies would not work

Sky News spoke to two Edinburgh-based businessmen on the subject, one pro-independence and the other against it.

Daniel Johnson is a retailer who runs the Paper Tiger shop in Edinburgh's west end.

He said: "My main concern is that I don't want to be doing business in other currencies.

"Most of my suppliers are in the rest of the UK, the other suppliers are in Europe.

"When I pay a supplier in Europe, I get charged by the bank £15 for every payment I make.

"The other big issue I have is that prices change when you deal with different currencies - I don't want to be a currency speculator, I want to be a retailer. I want to be dealing in one currency."

Dan Macdonald, chief executive of Macdonald Estates property developers, is a supporter of Scottish independence.

On currency, he told Sky News that to question a currency union following any Scottish breakaway was simply scaremongering. 

He said: "I don't think George Osborne, or the whole of commerce that exists within the UK today, can afford to do anything else but retain a common currency.

"It just makes sense. It doesn't make any sort of sense to abandon that or to deviate from it.

"To suggest otherwise is to spread the fear factor."

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William Roache: Corrie's 'Deirdre' In Court

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent, at Preston Crown Court

Coronation Street stars have been arriving at court to support William Roache who is on trial on charges of sexual offences against girls.

Anne Kirkbride, who plays the actor's on-screen wife Deirdre Barlow, was the first to arrive at Preston Crown Court.

She was followed by Chris Gascoyne, who plays his fictional son Peter Barlow. 

Helen Worth who plays the character of Gail Platt is also at court.

Roache arrives at court with his son Linus and daughter Verity

All three actors have been called as part of Roache's defence case. 

All the offences are alleged to have happened between 1965 and 1971 and all are said to be against girls aged 16 or under.

The 81-year-old actor of Wilmslow in Cheshire, who has played the role of Ken Barlow since 1960, denies four charges of indecent assault and two of rape and has told the jury he is not sexually attracted to underage girls.

Granada location manager John Newman earlier told the jury that security at the Coronation Street studios in Manchester was very tight. 

He said that strangers found in the corridors would be challenged.

Mr Newman said that he had once had Manchester's Lord Mayor removed because he had not recognised him.

Under cross-examination Mr. Newman said he had had no connection with the Granada studios in the 1960s and that the security level had intensified in recent years.

More follows...

For live updates from the trial, click here.

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Corrie's William Roache: I Did Not Abuse Girls

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Coronation Street star William Roache has flatly denied raping or indecently assaulting girls.

The actor also told jurors at his trial that he did not know any of the five alleged victims who accuse him of the offences.

As soon as he went into the witness box on the first day of his defence case, his barrister Louise Blackwell QC asked him: "Have you committed any of the offences with which you are charged?"

The actor replied: "No. I have not."

The lawyer continued: "Do you have any memory of being in the company of any of these people who have made the allegations against you?"

Roache: "No. Not one of them."

He went on to say that he had an interest in things "beyond the norm and spiritual matters".

The celebrity told the jury that he was hard of hearing because of a mortar bomb explosion he had witnessed while in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Roache arrived at court with his family

He said he had wanted to follow his father into the medical profession but found he performed better in arts subjects.

He was asked about his life in the 60s, which he said was dominated by the pressures of rehearsing and filming for Coronation Street.

Speaking from a glass witness box in an assured voice he said that autograph hunters would gather outside Granada studios in Manchester where the programme was filmed.

"I would always stop," he said. "People had been waiting there all day so I liked to give autographs.

"You would wind down your window in the car, you would sign them and then on you go."

He denied ever inviting young fans into his dressing room or onto the Coronation Street set during filming.

"It was an extremely difficult and dangerous thing to do.  Basically no - other than occasionally very close family," he said.

Roache's children Verity, James and Linus, have been in the public gallery every day of the trial so far.

The actor denies four charges of indecently assaulting girls and two charges of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1967.

The trial continues.

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Economy Grows At Fastest Rate Since Crash

Cable Warns About Wrong Type Of Recovery

Updated: 11:47am UK, Tuesday 28 January 2014

Business Secretary Vince Cable has warned that Britain's economic recovery could prove to be a "short-term bounce" if it is based on a housing boom.

He made the comments on the eve of the publication of the latest GDP figures, which have shown the country's strongest growth since the financial crisis began in 2007.

But the senior Liberal Democrat expressed concern that the recovery is too heavily based on housing prices and consumer spending.

"Despite a fall in real earnings, consumers have had the confidence to start spending again - dipping into their savings held for a rainy day and making use of rising house prices, at least in London and the South East, to borrow more easily," he said.

"Despite these encouraging signs, the shape of the recovery so far has not been all we might have hoped for."

In the speech at the Royal Economic Society at Bank of England, Mr Cable said that a "real recovery is taking place".

But he said sustained growth is dependent on rebalancing the economy and preventing a return to "boom-bust cycle".

"The big question now is whether and how recent growth and optimism can be translated into long-term sustainable, balanced, recovery without repeating the mistakes of the past," he said.

"We cannot risk another property-linked boom-bust cycle which has done so much damage before, notably in the financial crash in 2008.

"Indeed, unless our government put long term rebalancing at the heart of economic decision-making I believe the recovery could prove to be short-lived."

Mr Cable did stress he is "confident" the government is taking action to ensure the UK has a "sustainable, balanced, long term recovery" - rather than a "short-term bounce".

But he said he was concerned about the effects of loose monetary policy on asset prices but stopped short of calling for a tightening.

Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge says: "There will be a few eyes rolling in the Treasury because we do have these positive GDP figures Vince Cable is still sending out a warning that this is not the kind of growth we want.

"To be fair to the Business Secretary though, there are some economists that do agree with him.

"Vince Cable's concerns are that there is not enough growth in exports, business investment - it's all based on consumer-driven spending and crucially on a housing boom."

"He's concerned that the Government's Help to Buy policy could essentially cause a housing bubble, which could drive up growth in the short term, but not in the long term."

The Cabinet minister has previously expressed concerns about the Government's Help to Buy policy.

Under the scheme, which came into effect at the beginning of October, people can buy homes of up to £600,000 with a deposit of just 5% as the Government guarantees up to 20% of the mortgage.

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Shark Bite Doctor Stitches Leg And Heads To Pub

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A New Zealand doctor who was bitten by a shark, sewed up his own wounds before heading to the pub to celebrate his lucky escape.

Junior doctor James Grant was spearfishing with friends when he was attacked near Cosy Nook on New Zealand's South Island.

The 24-year-old initially thought one of his friends was playing a trick on him when he felt a tug on his leg.

"I looked behind to see who it was and got a bit of a shock," he told Radio New Zealand.

"(I thought) bugger, now I have to try and get this thing off my leg."

The doctor suspects he was attacked by a seven-gill shark

Mr Grant used the knife he had with him to stab at the shark.

"I am not sure how effective it was. I guess it let go so something must have happened, put a few nicks in it."

The doctor then made his way to shore and after taking off his wetsuit saw the puncture wounds in his leg, left by what he believes was a seven-gill shark.

Using a first aid kit in his car he stitched up the bites, which were about 5cm long, and then headed to the pub - before eventually making the trip to hospital.

The bites were about 5cm long - not enough to stop him going for a pint

As well as a drink, the Colac Bay Tavern also served him a bandage because he was dripping blood on the floor.

"We gave him a pint of beer and his mates were kicking around, laughing," Colac Bay Tavern co-owner Warren Bevin told 3 News.

"Then we brought out the big first-aid kit and got a little bandage out. There were a couple of good holes on both sides of his leg."

Barman Warren Bevin served up a bandage as well as a drink

The stitching was finished off when he went to Invercargill Hospital, where he was back at work on Monday.

Shark specialist Clinton Duffy, of New Zealand's Department of Conservation, told Fairfax NZ news he believed the attacker was probably a broad-nosed seven-gill shark.

Seven-gill sharks can grow up to three metres long and New Zealand is one of the few countries where they attack humans.

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Coulson 'Knew About Hacking' Says Ex-Reporter

The phone hacking trial has heard that the Prime Minister's former head of communications knew about the illegal practice and was played a voicemail left by actress Sienna Miller for Daniel Craig.

An ex-reporter at the News Of The World told the court that former editor Andy Coulson told him to make it look like tapes of the message had been dropped off anonymously at their offices.

Dan Evans said Coulson and other senior figures at the paper were played a recording of the message back in 2005, which he said revealed the pair were having an affair.

He told the court: "Andy came over wanting to hear the tape. I played the tape a couple of times and they listened to it. Andy became very animated, (he was saying) 'brilliant'."

Another journalist said to him: "You are a company man now."

The message contained a female voice saying "Hi it's me, I can't speak, I'm at the Groucho (club) with Jude (Law, her boyfriend at the time). I love you", the Old Bailey heard. Evans said he checked the number on his database and found it was Sienna Miller's.

Evans claims that after he made a copy of the message on Coulson's orders, he was told to put it in a Jiffy bag and take it to reception so it would look like it had been dropped off anonymously.

Another journalist then picked it up with "mock surprise", saying "look what I've found".

The final edition of the News Of The World

James Bond star Craig denied the story when he was confronted by Evans at his home, and publication was delayed for more work to be done on the story. It was published a week later after Law's public relations executive approved it.

Later, Evans listened to an apparently angry voicemail to Craig from Law, which said: "Thanks mate. I hope Saski (his girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell) doesn't find out."

Another story he picked up from Craig's voicemail was the news Eva Green would become a Bond girl. Evans also admitted hacking the voicemail of actor Shane Ritchie and Formula One driver Jenson Button.

Evans told the court "everybody was on tenterhooks" in August 2006 when journalist Clive Goodman and investigator Glenn Mulcaire were arrested. "There was a lot of fear and anxiety around. A lot of people were preparing to cover their tracks."

He added a senior member of staff told him "it goes without saying no more hooky stuff" in reference to hacking. Evans then started getting rid of notebooks and tapes of recorded voicemails, he told the court.

The court was told Evans was suspended and put on paid gardening leave after being caught accessing the messages of designer Kelly Hoppen for a story involving footballer Sol Campbell.

A security alert on her phone led back to Evans' company mobile, the jury heard.

He was made redundant when the paper closed in 2011 and received the same payout as everyone else.

Evans was asked by prosecution QC Andrew Edis who at the News Of The World knew about hacking. He gave 10 names, including Coulson's.

Coulson denies conspiring to hack phones and commit misconduct in a public office. All seven defendants in the trial, including former Sun and News Of The World editor Rebeka Brooks, deny all of the charges against them.

More follows ...

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Jude Law Relative 'Sold Stories To NOTW'

Jude Law has told a court he was unaware that a close family member was being paid by a newspaper to leak information about his private life.

The actor was giving evidence at the phone hacking trial at the Old Bailey.

The 41-year-old was questioned by former News Of The World (NOTW) editor Andy Coulson's lawyer, Timothy Langdale QC, about a story in 2005 about his then-girlfriend Sienna Miller having an affair with actor Daniel Craig.

Asked if he was aware at any time that a member of his "immediate family" was talking to the NOTW, he said: "I was aware later around 2011, maybe later than that, at the time I was approached about the case that the NOTW had been in contact with people in my family, trying to find things out, asking for quotes."

The lawyer wrote down a name of a source on a piece of paper to show the witness. The name was not read in court.

Asked if he knew the family member was getting paid, he said: "I have never been aware of that, getting paid for it."

Law arriving at the Old Bailey on Monday

The first he knew of that was today, in the court, he said.

He told the court he first became aware of rumours of the affair around the time the couple went to Miller's sister Savanah's wedding in the West Country and Law was shown NOTW articles headlined "Sienna Cheats On Jude" and "Layer Fake".

He told the court he had telephoned Craig to confront him about the affair and suggested he should tell his own girlfriend about it.

But he could not remember whether that was before or after the paper broke the story and he had not left a voicemail about it.

Asked if he was aware that anyone around him was leaking stories, he said: "No, I did not know that anyone around me was talking to the newspapers, although I suspected it because there was such a flow of information ... I suspected many people over that period of time."

Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson deny conspiring to hack phones

Law told the court that the media had "an unhealthy amount of information" about his life.

The actor said press attention intensified after his Oscar nomination for The Talented Mr Ripley in 2001 and photographers would follow him around, even when he made social plans in secret.

He told the court the intrusion grew throughout his divorce from Sadie Frost and then during his relationship with his Alfie co-star Miller.

Sitting in the witness box, Law said: "There seemed to be an unhealthy amount of information that people, or someone, had that meant they had access to my life and my whereabouts."

He said when police showed him notes that private investigator Glenn Mulcaire held about him, he "was shocked to see the amount of information that had been accumulated", but he added: "Sadly it didn't surprise me because it seemed apparent from what had been written (in the press)."

Law told the jury that from around 2001 photographers would gather at his home.

"Around 2001 and over the following four or five years the daily appearance of packs of photographers either on the street or in cars became a very regular occurrence."

He added: "I became aware that I was also turning up at places having arranged to go there secretly ... and the media were already there, or photographers were already there."

Coulson and Rebekah Brooks deny conspiring to hack phones and commit misconduct in a public office.

The trial continues.

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Crocodiles Shot In Search For Boy In Australia

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Two crocodiles have been shot and their stomachs opened as the search continues for a missing boy who is feared dead after being taken by one of the creatures.

Police believe the boy was attacked by the reptile and taken away in a waterhole in the country's Northern Territory on Sunday.

He was swimming with friends in the Mudginberri Billabong in Kakadu National Park when they were attacked by the saltwater crocodile.

One of the boy's friends was bitten on the arm as he tried to fight the creature off.

Searches by air, land and boat continued into Monday morning around Magela Creek, which feeds the waterhole, but there has so far been no sign of the child.

A trap was set in the creek late on Monday and rangers are preparing to search the waterways by boat through the night again, although efforts will be scaled back.

Flooding due to the local monsoon season is complicating the search; the 200-metre waterway is now more than a kilometre (0.62 miles) wide.

Any crocodile longer than two metres (6.5ft) spotted in the Mudginberri Outstation can be shot.

Saltwater crocodiles are common in northern Australia.

The order was expanded from the original three metres after an examination of the bite marks on the boy's friend.

No human remains were found in the two crocodiles.

Sergeant Stephen Constable said earlier said there had not been a "croc attack around here for quite a long time".

He said: "But crocodiles are prevalent in these waters and you always have to be careful."

A spokesman for the park said the area was well signposted as a danger zone for crocodiles.

He said: "We have big croc warning signs with croc jaws and a big thing saying 'croc risk; do not swim here, do not enter'."

Saltwater crocodiles can grow to be up to seven metres and weigh more than a ton.

They are a common feature in the tropical north of Australia.

Their population has increased steadily since the introduction of laws protecting them in 1971.

Government estimates put their numbers at between 75,000 and 100,000.

The most recent fatality was in August last year, when 27-year-old Darwin man Sean Cole was taken by a 4.7-metre croc as he swam across the Mary River.

Following the latest incident the local Aboriginal people, the Mirarr, called for a cull of the reptiles around Jabiru.

Justin O'Brien, chief of the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, said: "Mirrar traditional owners are saying (it's) high time to cull crocodiles."

Researchers in the country launched the world's first crocodile attack database, CrocBITE, in December.

The team, which is based at Charles Darwin University, hopes to find evidence to back up reports that attacks are on the increase.

Sunday's attack is the 11th fatality recorded this year by the team - five of them involving saltwater crocodiles.

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Flood Victims' Anger Over 'Lack Of Action'

Communities have expressed their "anger and frustration" at the perceived lack of action from officials to prevent flooding in high-risk areas.

Some 31,000 acres of the Somerset Levels, which run south from the Mendip Hills to the Blackdown Hills, have been under water for almost a month.

Flood waters surrounding the village of Muchelney in Somerset

Some people are still without water in their homes and are facing another week of having to turn to family and friends so they can bathe and wash their clothes.

One of the worst-affected areas is Northmoor Green in the county, where water is being pumped to help clear the saturated ground at a rate of one million tons a day into the River Parrett, at a cost of more than £100,000 a week.

Resident Julian Taylor said people felt marooned and forgotten about.

He told Sky News: "I can understand how people feel frustrated and angry over the lack of action over the last 12 months."

Resident Julian Taylor says people are 'angry and frustrated'

He said most of the rage was directed at "politicians" who he said were failing to provide enough funds for Environment Agency staff "to do their job".

Sky's Isabel Webster, at the scene, said locals' main complaint was that the waterway had not been dredged.

"Some 40% of it is made up of silt and they are concerned it isn't running at capacity," she said.

Retired major Mark Corthine was forced to cut short a holiday in Australia when neighbours called to tell him his farmhouse was flooded.

Mr Corthine, who lives at Walnut Tree Farm, Fordgate, near Bridgwater, said: "I was out of my house four months last year because of the floods and I'm out again now.

A temporary pontoon being used near to the village of Langport in Somerset

"It's happened twice in two years and I spent £31,000 on improvements and we were promised it wouldn't happen again but it has.

"The damage isn't as bad this time as I tiled the ground floor but I'm still surrounded by water and the sewage is everywhere.

"The dryers are on and if I'm lucky I should be able to move back in sometime the end of March. 

"I can't live in my house at all. There are lots of people in a similar situation. It's never flooded here in 100 years and now it happens twice in as many years.

"What we need is some joined-up thinking. Three miles of the river needs to be dredged at a cost of £2.8m. Farmers would love to have the silt that's brought up for their land."

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Blizzard Warning Amid Fears Of More Floods

Motorists and commuters have been warned of ice, sleet and snow as well as hail and thundery showers, with temperatures expected to plummet to around freezing across the UK.

And amid warnings of heavy rain, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson admitted the Government could have done more to help residents in parts of the country worst-affected by flooding - and that dredging of some rivers in the county should have happened.

The Met Office's weather warning for UK

It means more misery for flood-hit areas with some communities in Somerset - where the council has declared a "major incident" - facing a fourth week under water.

Mr Paterson was visiting Northmoor Green in the county where he held crisis talks with council chiefs and farmers whose crops have been devastated by the recent stormy weather.

Facing tough questions from locals on the official response to the flooding, Mr Paterson told Sky News: "How shocking it is for people to be flooded and I really do appreciate the impact floods have had on people ... they are quite right to be angry."

He acknowledged the national guidelines on dredging were not appropriate for the Somerset Levels, large parts of which are below sea level.

In defence of the Environment Agency, Mr Paterson said it had protected a million homes and was "working incredibly hard".

He said he had asked local officials to present him with "a very clear action plan" within six weeks to enable him "to make a categoric decision once and for all" on a "long-term serious plan" for the area for the next 20 years.

Several counties including Hampshire and Dorset also remain at risk of flooding, while further snowfall is expected across Wales, Scotland and northern England.

The Environment Agency's flood alerts and warnings

The Environment Agency has issued more than 150 flood warnings and alerts across England and Wales.

Matthew Lay, national officer of Unison, said: "Far from offering any comfort to residents affected by flooding, Owen Patterson is a major part of the problem.

"He is overseeing massive cuts to the Environment Agency despite all the scientific evidence showing that climate change is a major reason for a rise in the number of floods.

"The Government must put in place an Environment Secretary who accepts that the risk of flooding is increasing year-on-year.

"Communities up and down the country will remain in danger until the Environment Agency is given adequate resources and] funding to prevent and handle disasters caused by floods."

A view of flood water surrounding the village of Muchelney in Somerset

Temperatures are expected to fall to or just below freezing, according to the Met Office, which has warned of "blizzard conditions".

This will result in the risk of icy patches on roads and the potential for travel disruption.

Its chief forecaster said: "Rain or sleet is expected at lower levels however, above 250m, some wet snow is likely at times with perhaps 2-5 cm of snow accumulating, whilst above 400m a further 10 to 20cm is possible.

"Strong to gale force south to southeasterly winds will combine with heavy snow to result in blizzard conditions at times."

And with a band of rain across the country edging north-eastwards towards the far north-east of England and central and northern Scotland, the forecaster added: "With saturated ground and rivers already high in these areas there is the risk of some localised flooding."

Snowfall over Middleton-in-Teesdale

Fourteen serious flood warnings are in place for parts of the South West, South East, Midlands and North East with the Environment Agency advising people in affected areas to take immediate action.

The Somerset Levels, which run south from the Mendip Hills to the Blackdown Hills, are particularly vulnerable with 31,000 acres under water, as further heavy rain falls on already saturated ground.

There is also potential for further river flooding across the South West and southern counties including parts of Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, West Berkshire and Surrey into next week.

The Environment Agency is running more than 60 pumps around the clock to drain an estimated 65 million cubic metres of floodwater from the Levels.

A temporary pontoon has been erected near the village of Langport to allow residents to get to their homes and a boat service is ferrying people to and from work and school.

Twitter user Grant Kavanagh saw 'strange weather' in Knaphill, Surrey

As well as the flood alerts, parts of Scotland have been told to brace for strong winds gusting up to 80mph.

Nazaneen Ghafar, Sky News Weather Presenter, said: "Currently we have low pressure anchored to the north-west of the UK. This area of low pressure will sink south-wards over the next couple of days, and as it does this will change the wind direction to an easterly flow. The easterly winds will bring in very cold air from Europe, where temperatures across Scandinavia are currently well below freezing.

"As a result, any showers or spells of rain that meet the cold air will have a greater risk of turning wintry, especially for eastern parts of the UK. Wintry showers are likely and the risk of some overnight snow across northern areas from Wednesday onwards.

"There will also be the continued chance of hail at times, and ice will be an increasing problem."

On Sunday, light snow flurries affected parts of northern England, including in Cumbria, where snow ploughs were used to clear sections of the A66.

A "mini tornado" was reported in parts of the Midlands and southern Britain, where trees were brought down, power supplies knocked out and outbuildings damaged.

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