![Image]( "Call to ban 'shale gas' extraction")
Campaigners are calling for a ban on the extraction of "shale gas" in the UK until potential environmental and human health risks have been properly assessed.
Exploitation of the natural gas in this country is expected to begin near Blackpool, Lancashire, later this month, but the Co-operative has raised concerns the process of extraction can contaminate local groundwater.
In the US, some residents in areas where drilling for shale gas is taking place can set fire to their drinking water and have become ill because of pollution by gas and chemicals, according to a new documentary Gasland.
The gas is found in shale formed from deposits of mud, silt, clay and organic matter. It is extracted by drilling down and then horizontally through the ground and then by "fracking", a process of hydraulic fracturing of the shale using high pressure liquid containing chemicals to release the gas.
According to a report by the Tyndall Centre for the Co-operative, information about which chemicals are involved in the process is not publicly available but data on what is being stored at drilling sites in the US indicate the use of chemicals which are toxic or cause cancer. The Co-operative, which is running a campaign against "unconventional" fuels such as tar sands from Alberta, Canada, which are a much more polluting source of oil than conventional oil, has also raised concerns about whether the gas fits with a move to a low carbon economy.
While shale gas does not emit much more carbon in its production and use than conventional natural gas, and could improve the UK's energy security, its exploitation worldwide could add to the greenhouse gases already being released - increasing the problem of climate change.
Paul Monaghan, head of social goals and sustainability at the Co-operative, also said there was no evidence in the US that the exploitation of shale gas was driving a switch away from dirtier coal for generating electricity. And he said that while it could help the UK's energy security as North Sea gas runs low, it could also take investment away from developing renewable energy. "It's like tar sands in your backyard, both in terms of local pollution and in terms of carbon emissions," he said.
Kevin Anderson, professor of energy and climate change at the Tyndall Centre, said: "In an energy-hungry world, any new fossil fuel resource will only lead to additional carbon emissions. "In the case of shale gas there is also a significant risk its use will delay the introduction of renewable energy alternatives. Consequently, if we are serious about avoiding dangerous climate change, the only safe place for shale gas remains in the ground."
A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said: "We support industry's endeavours in pursuing such energy sources, provided that tapping of such resources proves to be economically, commercially and environmentally viable. All onshore oil and gas projects, including shale gas exploration and development, are subject to a series of checks, including local planning permission before they are able to move ahead with drilling activities".
But the Commons' Energy and Climate Change Committee has launched an inquiry into shale gas in a bid to answer the questions raised by the prospect of exploiting the fuel source in the UK. Tim Yeo, chairman of the parliamentary committee, said: "Shale gas is a very interesting new area, and could potentially make quite a significant contribution to available reserves in North America and even in the UK. But it does raise some new environmental and related questions."
Ed Miliband is more popular than Nick Clegg among people who voted Liberal Democrat in last year's general election, according to a poll.
The YouGov survey for the Sunday Times found just one-third (33%) of those who backed Mr Clegg's party last May would do so again if there was an election tomorrow, while 41% would vote Labour and 11% Conservative.
Among Lib Dem voters at the last election, only 30% said Mr Clegg was doing a good job as leader, against 36% for Mr Miliband.
The poll comes after Thursday's by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth, at which Labour claims it picked up thousands of ex-Lib Dem supporters, while the third party's vote was shored up by Tories backing it in the hope of shoring up the coalition Government.
On Saturday, Mr Miliband attempted to reach out to disaffected Lib Dems, saying he recognised how painful it must be for them to see their leaders make the "tragic mistake" of entering coalition with Conservatives and telling them he stood ready to cooperate with them to fight the Government's cuts agenda.
Overall, the poll gave Labour a six-point lead on 43% to the Tories' 37%, with Liberal Democrats languishing on 9%.
David Cameron had his lowest personal approval rating in a Sunday Times poll since becoming Prime Minister eight months ago, with 48% saying he was doing badly and 45% doing well. But his overall approval rating of minus-3 was well ahead of Mr Miliband on minus-10 and Mr Clegg on minus-30.
An undercover policeman who infiltrated a group of environmental activists has said he feels suicidal in the first interview since the operation was revealed.
Mark Kennedy, a father of two, said his life has become a "living nightmare" and that his son told him he never wants to see him again.
Mr Kennedy's secret role was revealed when a Nottingham Crown Court trial of six people accused of planning to invade Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station collapsed as prosecutors dropped the charges.
The protesters' legal team claimed the decision was made after Mr Kennedy, a former Metropolitan Police officer who infiltrated the group in the guise of a long-haired climber called Mark Stone, offered to give evidence on their behalf.
In an extensive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Mr Kennedy said he believed tape recordings secretly made by him were withheld from the court by police for fear it would destroy the prosecution's case. He told the paper: "The truth of the matter is that the tapes clearly show that the six defendants who were due to go on trial had not joined any conspiracy. The tapes I made meant that the police couldn't prove their case."
Mr Kennedy said he was involved in five major protests, starting with one at the G8 summit at Gleneagles in 2005 when he passed on "invaluable" information to police about demonstrators' movements. He said it was passed straight to Tony Blair and that he was given a commendation for his role.
He claimed he was beaten by five police officers in 2006 in a protest at Drax power station in Yorkshire after he tried to stop them hitting a female activist he knew. He told the newspaper he suffered head injuries, a prolapsed disc and broken finger. Other protests he took part in included those at Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire in 2006, the G20 summit in London in 2008 and in Copenhagen, Denmark.
He said the fall-out from the undercover operation has left him feeling suicidal. "I am physically and mentally exhausted," he said. "I have had some dark thoughts. I thought I could end this very quickly. I went to see a psychiatrist recently and told her I was having thoughts of suicide. I don't have any confidence. My world has been destroyed."
He also spoke of his despair at being confronted by the environmental activists when his girlfriend discovered his passport - in his real name. Mr Kennedy said the atmosphere at the meeting was "hugely menacing" as he was told his former friends knew the full details of his true identity. He said he fled to the United States soon after that amid fears for his safety.
Investigations into the case are now being carried out by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, with Nottinghamshire Police conducting an internal review.
Householders are bracing themselves after heavy rainfall in northern England and Wales caused surging river levels to teeter near bursting point.
Temporary flood defences were put up following prolonged deluges on Saturday that prompted the Environment Agency to issue 28 flood warnings in the worst hit communities.
Forecasters have predicted more rain in northern regions, adding to fears that some rivers could breach their banks.
A number of flood warnings are in place in Cumbria, with low-lying areas along the River Eden including Appleby and Carlisle at risk. Parts of Yorkshire and Northumberland have also been issued with warnings, including Masham, Ilkley, Wetherby and Falstone.
According to the Environment Agency, a flood warning means flooding is expected and that immediate reaction is required.
The rain is set to continue, with showers expected to fall on already sodden ground in northern England and Wales.
Lindsay Dovey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "(On Sunday) a band of rain will move across Wales and north west England which will move south east throughout the day.
"There will be heavy bursts in it which will add to the high levels which have already fallen. Scotland will also experience heavy rainfall of up to 10mm per hour this morning, which will break up throughout the day."
In Shap, Cumbria, 110mm of rain was recorded on Saturday along with wind gusts of 69mph.
People in the worst-hit regions have been urged to check the Environment Agency website for the latest flood situations and sign-up for free flood warnings.
The Government's chief medical adviser insists cost-cutting is not to blame for the decision not to vaccinate all under-fives against flu.
The parents of three-year-old Lana Ameen, who died from swine flu days after Christmas, have called for a national programme to protect the youngest children.
But Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies insisted that people of working age were in fact at greatest risk of being killed by the strains of flu prevalent in the UK this winter and it was important for health professionals to focus on protecting the most vulnerable.
She urged people in at-risk groups - such as those with underlying medical complaints - to get themselves vaccinated, warning that more than half of those aged under 65 have so far got the jab to which they are entitled.
Her comments came as she wrote to all GPs and NHS trusts to remind them of the danger of potentially lethal secondary infections piggy-backing on the flu virus.
Challenged over whether it was time for all young children to be vaccinated, Prof Davies said that the bulk of the 112 verified deaths from flu since September had come among the working-age population, with just six under-fives and 16 over-65s.
"This isn't about cost-cutting," she told Sky News. "This is about focusing our efforts on those who are most at risk.
"The data from the pandemic last year showed - and this year's data is very similar - that if you are in an at-risk group you are 18 times more likely to die of flu if you catch it than a healthy person, so we need to focus on getting those at risk to come forward and have vaccinations."
After earlier complaints that the failure to advertise flu jabs had led to low take-up rates this winter, Prof Davies said that vaccination rates were now at normal levels for the time of year.
But she said that only 70% of eligible over-65s and 46% of at-risk patients below that age had so far been vaccinated.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would "totally condemn" any attempt to disrupt the Royal Wedding or the London Olympics with strike action.
In a warning shot to union bosses, Mr Miliband said that strikes were a "legitimate last resort" in industrial disputes, but he did not want to see them used in a co-ordinated attempt to undermine the coalition Government, insisting that this was not the way to bring about a change in power.
He insisted there must be no going back to the divisive and politically-driven disputes of the 1980s, such as the miners' strike led by Arthur Scargill, which divided the nation and presented Labour with a hugely-damaging challenge to its credibility as a potential government.
Mr Miliband's comments come after rail union Aslef suggested that Tube drivers could strike on April 29, the day Prince William marries Kate Middleton, while Unite general secretary Len McCluskey declined to rule out industrial action during the 2012 Olympics.
RMT transport union boss Bob Crow has called for coordinated strike action and civil disobedience in protest at the Government's planned spending cuts.
But Mr Miliband disassociated himself with any plans to use industrial action for political aims and said he was "appalled" at the prospect of a Tube strike on the day of the Royal Wedding.
He told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "I am appalled at the idea of strikes to disrupt people going to the Royal Wedding and enjoying the Royal Wedding.
"That is absolutely the wrong thing for trade unions to do. I hope that is not the case, I hope it is not true, but I would totally condemn that - similarly in relation to the Olympics."
He added: "Let me say this very clearly about industrial action - strikes are a last resort. They are a sign of failure on both sides. They are a legitimate last resort means of workers making an industrial point, but they are not the way you change governments. The way you change governments is through the ballot box.
"Of course they should not strike to disrupt the Royal Wedding. It alienates the public, it is wrong and it is not the way to make the political argument that we need to make."
A court in southern Egypt has convicted and sentenced to death a Muslim man for his part in last year's Christmas drive-by shooting outside a church that left six Christians and a Muslim guard dead.
The court will announce its verdict next month for the other two defendants accused in the attack on January 6, 2010.
The verdict, which cannot be appealed, comes two weeks after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a church in the port city of Alexandria, killing 21 and wounding nearly 100 in the deadliest violence against Christians in more than a decade. A local, al Qaida-inspired group is thought to be behind the attack.
The January 2010 attack in the southern town of Nag Hamadi also took place outside a church as worshippers were leaving after the Coptic Christmas Mass, and is believed to have been in retaliation for accusations of rape against a local Christian man.
The harshness of the sentence is likely to partially appease Egypt's Christians, who have been complaining that criminal cases involving Muslims attacking members of their community often languish in the courts.
They also claim that police often turn a blind eye to incidents of discrimination or violence against them.
The government denies any discrimination against the Christians, who make up about 10% of Egypt's estimated 80 million people.
The son of Susannah York, who has died of cancer, has paid tribute to her as a talented actress with an eclectic career and a "truly wonderful mother".
York became a star of the stage and screen and was best known for her role in 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, for which she won a Bafta and was nominated for the best supporting actress Oscar.
She died at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London at the age of 72 after suffering from bone marrow cancer.
Her son, the actor Orlando Wells, said she was admitted to hospital on January 6, three days before her birthday, after suffering pain in her shoulder.
"She was obviously an incredibly brave woman, because she didn't complain at all," he said.
He and sister Sasha are in "terrible shock", but he said of his mother: "From Sasha and my point of view, she was absolutely the centre of our lives.
"She was a truly, truly wonderful mother."
York enjoyed a varied career that saw her win acclaim for roles in films including A Man For All Seasons, Battle of Britain and Tom Jones.
In more recent years she was seen on television screens in BBC dramas Holby City and Casualty, as well as continuing her work on the stage.
Speaking from his home in south-west London, Wells said: "What always amazed me about mum was how she managed to garner so many strands of her career."
Labour has denounced the Government's flagship Localism Bill as a "sham", claiming it will give ministers more than 100 new powers over local authorities, while placing new burdens on councils.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the Bill, which is to receive its second reading in the House of Commons, will shift power from central government into the hands of individuals, communities and councils around England.
He unveiled a list of organisations, from civic and community groups and business leaders to housing and planning professionals and local authorities, who are giving their backing to the legislation, which he hailed as "a triumph for democracy over bureaucracy".
But his Labour shadow Caroline Flint said that the Bill would in fact hand Mr Pickles a range of new powers including setting the timing of mayoral elections and shortening the length of a mayor's term; regulating the appointment of assistants to elected mayors; forcing a council to switch from a committee system to a mayor and cabinet, or directing it to hold a referendum on such a change; setting principles on what constitutes an "excessive" rise in council tax; and setting the threshold for petitions to trigger a local referendum.
Sources at the Department for Communities and Local Government said that most of the new powers cited were designed to ensure safeguards or to establish new systems.
But Ms Flint said: "The Tory-led Government's claim to support localism is a sham. Despite their promise to devolve power to communities and local authorities, they're actually taking power away from local people and giving more to Whitehall ministers.
"Not only does the Localism Bill propose giving ministers over 100 new powers, it also places extra burdens on local government when councils up and down the country are already being weighed down with Pickles' diktats telling them what to do.
"At the same time, councils up and down the country are being hit by the Tory-led Government's reckless frontloaded cuts, hitting local jobs, economic growth and the vital frontline services people rely on."
Mr Pickles said the Bill would "fundamentally shake up the balance of power in this country".
He said: "It represents everything this Government stands for and is the cornerstone for everything we want to do. It will revitalise local democracy and put power back where it belongs - in the hands of the people."
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has returned to Haiti after nearly 25 years in exile.
The move is surprising and perplexing and comes as his country struggles with a political crisis and the stalled effort to recover from last year's devastating earthquake.
Mr Duvalier, wearing a dark suit and tie, arrived on an Air France jet to hugs from supporters at the Port-au-Prince airport.
He was calm as he was led into the immigration office. He left the airport without making a statement to journalists, waving to a crowd of more than 200 supporters as he got into a car.
"He is happy to be back in this country, back in his home," said Mona Beruaveau, a candidate for Senate in a Duvalierist party who spoke to the former dictator inside the immigration office. "He is tired after a long trip."
In the autumn of 2007, President Rene Preval told reporters that Mr Duvalier could return to Haiti but would face justice for the deaths of thousands of people and the theft of millions of dollars.
It was not immediately clear why the former dictator chose this tumultuous moment to return to Haiti.
There were no immediate protests in reaction to his return and very few people were even aware that the former dictator had come back to Haiti, where more than one million people are living in crowded, squalid tent encampments after their homes were destroyed from the January 12, 2010, earthquake.
Haitians danced in the streets to celebrate the overthrow of Mr Duvalier back in 1986, heckling the tyrant as he was driven to the airport in a black limousine and flown into exile in France. Most Haitians hoped the rapacious strongman known had left for good, closing a dark chapter of terror and repression that began under his late father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier.
But a handful of loyalists have been campaigning to bring Mr Duvalier home from exile in France, launching a foundation to improve the dictatorship's image and reviving his political party in the hopes that one day he can return to power democratically.
Ministers are to consult on a new system of parental leave, to allow mothers and fathers more flexibility to share time off after a baby's birth, Nick Clegg is due to announce.
The Deputy Prime Minister will confirm that the coalition Government is pressing ahead in April with measures drawn up by the previous Labour administration to allow fathers to take up any remaining unpaid maternity leave if mothers go back to work early, up to a maximum of six months.
But Mr Clegg will say that he and Prime Minister David Cameron want to go further with additional reforms in 2015. He will denounce the existing system as "Edwardian" and say it causes suffering to women, men and children.
The Deputy Prime Minister's comments come in a speech at the London launch of a report by thinktank Demos, which warns that overwork, stress and inflexible hours are undermining parents' confidence in bringing up children.
The report is expected to dismiss Conservative proposals for a £150-a-year tax break for married couples as a "weak tool" to help families.
But sources close to Mr Clegg said he would not mention the tax issue in his speech, pointing out that Liberal Democrats had already made their opposition clear in last year's coalition agreement with Tories.
Any new changes to parental leave must preserve mothers' right to time off in the first months of their baby's life, protect the rights of lone mothers, be simple to administer and take the needs of employers into account, Mr Clegg will say.
They should "transform the opportunities for fathers to take time off to care for their children" and make it possible for mums and dads to split their leave in whatever way suits them best. This could involve taking leave in a number of chunks, rather than a single block, or mothers and fathers taking time off together, rather than one after the other.
Fathers could be offered additional blocks of "use-it-or-lose-it" leave which is not transferable to their wives or partners in order to encourage them to spend more time at home with their young child.
Mr Clegg will say it is vital that the reforms help not only the rich, but also the ordinary working families who he refers to as "alarm clock Britain". "Too many of these parents feel trapped by the current, rigid rules. We want to give them the flexibility that sets them free," he will say.
More than 1,000 British nationals remain in chaos-hit Tunisia, despite the emergency evacuation of all tourists holidaying with large UK tour operators.
On Sunday night the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said between 1,000 and 1,500 expats, independent travellers and small tour group holidaymakers were still in the North African republic, following the fall of the country's president.
More than 3,000 Britons - the majority of whom were enjoying package holidays - fled the north African country over the weekend on emergency flights amid violent riots.
The FCO released the figures after sending a Rapid Deployment Force of consular staff to the stricken country to search for British nationals. It is thought there are around 1,000 expats living in Tunisia.
On Saturday, Thomson First Choice flew almost 1,500 passengers home on seven flights and Thomas Cook returned 300 people after evacuating 1,500 on Friday.
The flights continued on Sunday with 116 Saga customers returning to Britain, Thomas Cook flying back more than 100 and Thomson First Choice getting about 60 passengers back.
Both Thomas Cook and Thomson First Choice were due to fly holidaymakers out for Tunisian winter sun breaks on Wednesday but have cancelled them.
The Foreign Office last night advised British nationals "to leave Tunisia unless they have a pressing need to remain".
Trouble flared weeks ago but has become steadily worse. Tunisia was a tinderbox of problems, with young people struggling to find jobs, civil rights clampdowns, costs rising and a growing anger at former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's corrupt regime. He fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday, before a new president was sworn in.
On Saturday, 42 people died in a fire at a jail in Monastir in eastern Tunisia and 1,000 inmates were freed from Mahdia jail following a riot. An official said the prison director opened the gates to free the convicts in a bid to avoid further bloodshed.
Every town and city in the UK is blighted by sexual exploitation and child victims go unidentified as tell-tale signs are missed due to a lack of awareness "from frontline children's services to the corridors of Whitehall", a leading charity has said.
Anne Marie Carrie, who takes over as Barnardo's chief executive, said the children at the heart of the issue "have been forgotten as discussion has focused on the ethnicity of perpetrators in high-profile cases".
Her comments come as the UK's child protection agency launched an investigation into on-street grooming after former home secretary Jack Straw accused some Pakistani men in Britain of seeing white girls as "easy meat" for sexual abuse.
Ms Carrie called for a minister to be put in charge of the Government's response, saying that "without a minister with overall responsibility the Government response is likely to remain inadequate".
Urgent action is needed to protect thousands of young girls and boys who are being preyed upon and then abused, raped and exploited for sex, she said.
"Although I thoroughly welcome the recent attention around the issue, the children at the heart of this crime have been forgotten as discussion has focused on the ethnicity of perpetrators in high-profile cases," Ms Carrie said.
"Barnardo's knows that sexual exploitation is going on in every town and city in the UK and child victims continue to go unidentified as tell-tale signs are overlooked due to a lack of awareness that stretches from frontline children's services to the corridors of Whitehall."
Barnardo's has called for all professionals to be made aware of the tell-tale signs of sexual exploitation in an effort to improve early identification of child sexual exploitation. Evidence and data on the numbers of exploited children should also be improved, along with prosecution procedures to increase the number of cases leading to a conviction, particularly in supporting child victims to act as witnesses, it said.
Last week, Peter Davies, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre, said the sexual exploitation of children cannot be "simplified along ethnic lines where the victims constitute one ethnicity and offenders another".
The centre's "thematic assessment" of the issue will establish "whether it is accurate to identify any patterns of offending, victimisation or vulnerability within these cases", and will report in three to six months, a spokesman said.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen's allies and opponents in Fianna Fail are to rally support ahead of a crucial vote on his leadership of the ruling party.
On Sunday Mr Cowen attempted to wrongfoot opponents by tabling a motion of confidence in himself and backing a secret ballot at a parliamentary party meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin has revealed he will be voting against the Taoiseach, claiming the very survival of the party was at stake.
He tendered his resignation from Cabinet but despite the damaging split in Government agreed to remain as minister after the Taoiseach said it was not necessary to quit.
But he said party members around the country warned him they did not want Mr Cowen as leader in the looming general election.
Supporters in both camps are expected to canvass party TDs to back them in Tuesday night's critical vote.
After days of intense speculation over his leadership, Mr Cowen challenged rebels to a self-imposed secret ballot on his political future and claimed he has enough support to win. The Taoiseach insisted he was remaining in control of Fianna Fail "in the national interest".
He said he did not believe his party colleagues wanted a new leader.
Concerns over the Taoiseach's leadership came to a head in the last week after he was publicly grilled in the Dail on Wednesday over previously undisclosed contacts with former Anglo Irish Bank boss Sean FitzPatrick.
Under pressure, he revealed the names of two other business chiefs who joined him and Mr FitzPatrick for a post-golf match dinner in Druid's Glen, Co Wicklow - Gary McGann, chief executive of Smurfit Kappa, who was a director of Anglo at the time, and Alan Gray, an economist appointed to the Central Bank board by Mr Cowen.
Prime Minister David Cameron will use a high-profile speech to make clear his determination to force through rapid modernisation of Britain's public services during 2011.
Mr Cameron will say he wants "the complete modernisation of our public services" to be one of the legacies of his Government.
He will leave no doubt about the urgency of the task, telling an audience in London: "We should not put this off any longer."
Mr Cameron's speech comes two days ahead of the expected publication of the Health and Social Care Bill, which will usher in what a new report calls "undoubtedly the biggest shake-up of the NHS in its history".
Measures to allow every school in England to take on self-governing academy status and to permit the creation of new "free" schools have already been passed.
The coalition Government is also planning radical changes to other public services, such as directly-elected police commissioners.
Mr Cameron will on Monday hail the news that 140 GP groups have come forward to take on new commissioning powers ahead of their introduction across England in 2013, as a sign that professionals are keen to respond to the Government's plans to devolve decision-making to the front line.
He will also dismiss suggestions that Chancellor George Osborne's programme of cuts will inevitably mean deteriorating services. Even after the £81 billion cuts are complete, public spending will still take up 41% of national income - the same level as in 2006 - he will say. At £5,000 per pupil, spending on education will be the same as Germany and more than in France; London will have as many police officers as New York; and health spending will match the European average.
"It's just not true to say that the spending taps are being turned off," Mr Cameron will say. "The money will be there and we will spend it wisely."
The PM will try to shake off Labour claims that his reform agenda is driven by the wish to save money and an ideological desire to reduce the size of the state, insisting that it is a "personal and political" priority for him to improve services by modernising them.
Groups of GPs covering more than half the population of England have volunteered to take on new commissioning powers prior to the Government's radical shake-up of the NHS, it has been revealed.
The announcement was made as a report by NHS leaders warned that the "extraordinarily risky" reforms may fail if they are not enthusiastically embraced by GPs.
The NHS Confederation paper described Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's plan to hand GPs in England the power to commission £80 billion of treatment for patients - 80% of the entire health service budget - as "undoubtedly the biggest shake-up of the NHS in its history".
Unless large numbers of GPs get actively involved in the new system and engage in the strategic challenges of changing their local health services, there is a danger of "potentially overwhelming" pressures leading to "widespread financial problems... sub-optimal performance and longer waiting times", it warned.
In a speech on Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron will announce that a further 89 GP groups serving 28.6 million people have put themselves forward as "pathfinders" to pilot the new arrangements, bringing the total number of consortia to 141. Mr Cameron is expected to welcome the "groundswell of support from general practices that are now at the vanguard of modernising our NHS", said the Department of Health.
But shadow health secretary John Healey said that the NHS Confederation report was a "big red warning light" of the dangers of the reorganisation plans, which he described as "a cocktail of instability and uncertainty laced with broken promises".
Monday's paper reports the conclusions of a summit of healthcare managers, doctors' leaders, patients groups and policy experts who met last November to discuss the implications of Mr Lansley's proposals. Those taking part agreed that the reforms could produce "some very beneficial effects for patients and population health", but warned that ministers had "systematically under-estimated the very significant cultural and behavioural changes required, in particular from GPs".
Implementing the changes at a time when management resources are being cut by 45% and the NHS as a whole is facing its toughest financial climate for many years was "extraordinarily risky".
NHS Confederation acting chief executive Nigel Edwards said the organisation backs the objectives of Mr Lansley's reforms, but believes it is vital to analyse and manage potential risks.
He said: "We see real potential benefits in both moving decision-making closer to GPs and in extending the range of providers in order to drive efficiency and innovation."
Campaigners are calling for a ban on the extraction of "shale gas" in the UK until potential environmental and human health risks have been properly assessed.
Exploitation of the natural gas in this country is expected to begin near Blackpool, Lancashire, later this month, but the Co-operative has raised concerns the process of extraction can contaminate local groundwater.
In the US, some residents in areas where drilling for shale gas is taking place can set fire to their drinking water and have become ill because of pollution by gas and chemicals, according to a new documentary Gasland.
The gas is found in shale formed from deposits of mud, silt, clay and organic matter. It is extracted by drilling down and then horizontally through the ground and then by "fracking", a process of hydraulic fracturing of the shale using high pressure liquid containing chemicals to release the gas.
According to a report by the Tyndall Centre for the Co-operative, information about which chemicals are involved in the process is not publicly available but data on what is being stored at drilling sites in the US indicate the use of chemicals which are toxic or cause cancer. The Co-operative, which is running a campaign against "unconventional" fuels such as tar sands from Alberta, Canada, which are a much more polluting source of oil than conventional oil, has also raised concerns about whether the gas fits with a move to a low carbon economy.
While shale gas does not emit much more carbon in its production and use than conventional natural gas, and could improve the UK's energy security, its exploitation worldwide could add to the greenhouse gases already being released - increasing the problem of climate change.
Paul Monaghan, head of social goals and sustainability at the Co-operative, also said there was no evidence in the US that the exploitation of shale gas was driving a switch away from dirtier coal for generating electricity. And he said that while it could help the UK's energy security as North Sea gas runs low, it could also take investment away from developing renewable energy. "It's like tar sands in your backyard, both in terms of local pollution and in terms of carbon emissions," he said.
Kevin Anderson, professor of energy and climate change at the Tyndall Centre, said: "In an energy-hungry world, any new fossil fuel resource will only lead to additional carbon emissions. "In the case of shale gas there is also a significant risk its use will delay the introduction of renewable energy alternatives. Consequently, if we are serious about avoiding dangerous climate change, the only safe place for shale gas remains in the ground."
A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said: "We support industry's endeavours in pursuing such energy sources, provided that tapping of such resources proves to be economically, commercially and environmentally viable. All onshore oil and gas projects, including shale gas exploration and development, are subject to a series of checks, including local planning permission before they are able to move ahead with drilling activities".
But the Commons' Energy and Climate Change Committee has launched an inquiry into shale gas in a bid to answer the questions raised by the prospect of exploiting the fuel source in the UK. Tim Yeo, chairman of the parliamentary committee, said: "Shale gas is a very interesting new area, and could potentially make quite a significant contribution to available reserves in North America and even in the UK. But it does raise some new environmental and related questions."
British actor Colin Firth is celebrating after he was named best actor at the Golden Globes.
Firth was handed the accolade for his portrayal of a stammering King George VI in The King's Speech, solidifying his chances of an Oscar nomination later this month.
Firth's countryman Christian Bale took home the supporting-actor Golden Globe for his role in The Fighter at the star-studded ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, and paid tribute to co-star Mark Wahlberg in his acceptance speech.
"I've really got to give a shout out to Mark, because he drove this whole movie, and you can only give a loud performance like the one I gave when you have a quiet anchor and a stoic character," Bale said.
British hopes had been pinned on The King's Speech, which tells the story of the unlikely relationship between the monarch and an Australian speech therapist who helps him cope with his stammer.
The monarchy saga was nominated in seven categories, but it was only Firth who took the plaudits in the category of best actor in a movie drama.
Accepting his award, Firth referred to his age and said: "To get to this stage of your life with your dignity and judgment intact can be somewhat precarious. Sometimes all you need is a bit of gentle reassurance to keep you on track but right now this (the award) is all that stands between me and a Harley Davidson."
The Globes, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and hosted this year by Ricky Gervais, are often seen as a guide to later Oscar success and many pundits have tipped Firth to win an Academy Award later this year.
Before the ceremony his co-star Helena Bonham Carter, who missed out on the best supporting actress award for her performance as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, said she expected the father-of-three to win an Oscar, telling reporters: "I've had a Golden Globe nomination before and then didn't get an Oscar nomination. But I presume Colin will get one, and I presume Colin will win."
Elsewhere, Natalie Portman scooped best actress in a movie drama for the ballet-themed film, Black Swan, Hollywood veteran Annette Bening took the prize for best actress in a musical or comedy, for her performance in the lesbian-family tale The Kids Are All Right, and David Fincher won the directing prize for the Facebook drama The Social Network, one of four awards for the film. Best animated film went to Toy Story 3.
David Cameron has defended the coalition's radical NHS reforms, insisting there was no "quiet life option" to ensure patients receive the best treatment.
The Prime Minister said the health service's performance had fallen behind other systems in Europe, even though spending was at similar levels.
Some experts have criticised the speed at which the changes - which will see GPs take control of commissioning care - are being pushed through.
But Mr Cameron told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "Firstly, it's right to start the process of change now. I've looked back on the previous government - they waited too long before introducing changes that were necessary and that would improve services.
"The second point is this is being introduced steadily. We are not asking GPs to take on new responsibilities for two years."
The premier said there was "enthusiasm" among the medical profession for the shake-up.
He also denied he had been bounced into supporting the measures by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley despite the Tories pledging to give the NHS more stability when in opposition.
"In an NHS where, at the moment, drug bills are going up, the population is ageing, extra costs are being introduced, there is not a quiet life option," Mr Cameron added.
Mr Cameron went on: "I think if we just carried on as we are... I think we would face a really big crunch in two or three years' time.
"It is necessary because we have fallen behind the rest of Europe. We have spent similar amounts of money, we are more likely to die of cancer or heart disease. I do not think we should put up with being second-best. We should aim to be the best."
The husband of murdered honeymooner Anni Dewani may be prepared to return voluntarily to South Africa to stand trial, a close friend has said.
Bristol businessman Shrien Dewani, who is accused of ordering his wife's murder, has so far resisted attempts to extradite him.
Mrs Dewani, 28, from Sweden, was shot when the taxi the couple were travelling in was hijacked in the Gugulethu township on the outskirts of Cape Town on November 13.
A friend of Mr Dewani told BBC Inside Out West the 31-year-old has not ruled out returning to South Africa to clear his name if certain guarantees can be made. They include being given bail up to the point of final appeal, if one is needed, as well as freedom of movement to help him build his defence case.
Hasmukh Velji Shah, who was said to be speaking with the support of the Dewani family, said: "There are certain issues and questions and guarantees which must be answered and given, such as if Shrien had to go to South Africa, would he be given bail?
"It is for Shrien's legal team and the South African authorities to discuss this and agree a mutually-agreed programme."
Mr Shah first met Mr Dewani when he was a student at the University of Manchester and said he thinks of him as family.
He told the programme that Mr Dewani, from Westbury-on-Trym, is confident he can clear his name if he stands trial.
Mr Shah said the Dewani family were looking for answers to a number of questions before deciding whether the businessman would return to South Africa voluntarily.
Mr Dewani, who is currently on bail and living at home in Bristol, is due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on January 20 for the next stage of the extradition process.
