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Snow takes break as freeze goes on

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Image Much of Britain is expected to escape fresh snowfall, giving only a small part of the country a traditional White Christmas. Forecasters said parts of Scotland and possibly north-east England were the only places likely to have snow falling on Christmas Day. The mercury was set to remain at around freezing, with most places due to see bitterly cold but dry conditions. Daytime temperatures in parts of Herefordshire and Worcestershire were not predicted to rise above -6C, with night-time temperatures into Boxing Day potentially falling to as low as -20C in some isolated spots. Gareth Harvey, forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association said: "There could be a few light wintry showers in parts of Scotland and one or two snow showers in north east parts of England. "Generally it will be dry, with not much snow around. There is still quite a bit of lying snow from the past week, but it doesn't qualify as a White Christmas unless it is falling snow. It is good news for betting companies." Temperatures were expected to remain below freezing on Boxing Day with spells of rain, sleet and snow in northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of west Wales and far west England, spreading eastwards overnight. With the icy weather set to continue, the UK could be heading for its coldest December since 1890, forecasters said. But they added that temperatures could rise as high as 10C (50F) by the middle of next week as a new weather system moves in from the Atlantic. Those braving the bleak mid-winter to get away for Christmas on Friday faced reduced rail services, icy roads and continuing cancellations and delays to flights. The Highways Agency advised motorists to take extra care and be mindful of difficult driving conditions, with low temperatures forecast over the weekend.

Faithful urged to reach out to God

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Image The Archbishop of Westminster is due to urge people struggling with faith to "reach out" to the extended hand of God. The Most Rev Vincent Nichols will draw on the depiction, in the BBC drama The Nativity, of Joseph struggling to believe that Mary's child is the son of God. At Westminster Cathedral's midnight mass, the most senior Roman Catholic in England and Wales will say: "This holy night is as important as ever. On this night there will be many sharing Joseph's struggle for faith. "May they, too, reach out and accept the outstretched hand of God coming to us in the child so as to be close to us in our vulnerability." The archbishop will also reflect on Pope Benedict's visit to Britain in September, saying it restored the confidence of Catholics. "The marvellous scenes during the apostolic visit of Pope Benedict in September suggested that faith in God is like an underground stream," he will say. "Largely invisible, the stream nurtures so much fertile growth on a rocky landscape, and only every now and then, burst out in a glorious and reassuring sight. "The visit strengthened our faith and restored so much of our confidence. "Indeed, faith in God is not a problem to be solved but a gift to be discovered afresh, and a gift which serves the deepest good of our society."

Church leader urges 'share burden'

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Image The Archbishop of Canterbury is to speak of the importance of mutual dependence, fellowship and loyalty during the current economic situation. In his Christmas Day sermon, Dr Rowan Williams will stress the need to share the burdens of adversity as some people face testing times amid the downturn. He will say: "Faced with the hardship that quite clearly lies ahead for so many in the wake of financial crisis and public spending cuts, how far are we able to sustain a living sense of loyalty to each other, a real willingness to bear the load together? How eager are we to find some spot where we feel safe from the pressures that are crippling and terrifying others? "As has more than once been said, we can and will as a society bear hardship if we are confident that it is being fairly shared; and we shall have that confidence only if there are signs that everyone is committed to their neighbour, that no-one is just forgotten, that no interest group or pressure group is able to opt out." Referencing Prime Minister David Cameron's "Big Society" idea, Dr Williams will urge people to work positively together to rebuild trust. He will say: "That confidence isn't in huge supply at the moment, given the massive crises of trust that have shaken us all in the last couple of years and the lasting sense that the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load. "If we are ready, if we are all ready, to meet the challenge represented by the language of the 'Big Society', we may yet restore some mutual trust. It's no use being cynical about this; whatever we call the enterprise, the challenge is the same - creating confidence by sharing the burden of constructive work together." The Archbishop will refer to the forthcoming royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, stating the Christian bond of marriage is a symbol of hope for humanity. He will say: "Next year, we shall be joining in the celebration of what we hope will be a profoundly joyful event in the royal wedding. It is certainly cause for celebration that any couple, let alone this particular couple, should want to embark on the adventure of Christian marriage, because any and every Christian marriage is a sign of hope, since it is a sign and sacrament of God's own committed love. "And it would be good to think that this coming year, we, as a society, might want to think through, carefully and imaginatively, why lifelong faithfulness and the mutual surrender of selfishness are such great gifts."

Intensive care flu cases double

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Image The number of people in critical care with confirmed or suspected flu in England has risen to 460 - more than double the figure a week ago. Statistics released by the Department of Health (DoH) on December 15 showed 182 people were receiving intensive care or were in high dependency beds, and as of today there were 460 patients receiving the same level of care. The new figures are in line with what is expected for this time of year, the DoH said. Of the 460 patients receiving critical care for flu, 366 were aged between 16 and 64, 51 patients are aged 65 and over and 26 are under five. Another 17 were aged between five and 15. The new figures follow Thursday's announcement that 27 people had died from flu this season, including nine children. Of those who died, 24 had swine flu and three suffered from another strain - flu type B. The data, from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), related to the number of confirmed flu deaths across the UK since October. Almost half of those who died were in an "at-risk" group, such as those suffering from diabetes, heart disease or asthma. Dr Alan McNally, a molecular biology expert at Nottingham Trent University, said he believed last year's pandemic virus, H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu, had returned as a normal seasonal flu. "What you are now seeing is last year's pandemic virus, which was referred to as swine flu, is doing what it would be expected to do if you were an influenza biologist," he said. "It's come back as what is now normal seasonal flu. It's a bit of a worry, the number of people in intensive care. I think it comes down to the fact that this time last year, the uptake of the vaccine wasn't as strong as it should have been." Health Secretary Andrew Lansley acknowledged that the 43% take-up rate for the flu vaccine among the younger, at-risk groups - such as pregnant women - was lower than last year, but rejected suggestions that the fall was due to the Government's decision not to run an advertising campaign this year.

High security for Pope at Rome Mass

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Image Pope Benedict XVI has ushered in Christmas with an evening Mass amid heightened security concerns following the package bombings at two Rome embassies and previous security breaches at the Vatican. But Benedict proceeded down the central aisle of St Peter's Basilica at the start and end of the Mass without incident last night. With his normal phalanx of bodyguards on either side, he stopped several times to bless babies held up to him from the pews. During the same service in 2008 and 2009, a mentally-disturbed woman lunged at the Pope, last year managing to pull him to the ground. Last night's service saw no such interruptions. In his homily, Benedict recalled the birth of Jesus and prayed that the faithful today become more like Christ. "Help us to recognise your face in others who need our assistance, in those who are suffering or forsaken, in all people, and help us to live together with you as brothers and sisters, so as to become one family, your family," he said. In addition to the past breaches, security was also tight following the package bombings a day earlier at the Swiss and Chilean embassies, for which anarchists claimed responsibility. The two people who opened the envelopes were injured. The bombings added to tensions in the capital following a violent, anti-government protest last week in the historic centre and a fake bomb found on Tuesday on Rome's underground system. The Vatican identified the Pope's 2008 and 2009 Christmas Eve assailant as Susanna Maiolo, a Swiss-Italian national with a history of psychiatric problems. In 2008 the Pope's security detail blocked her from getting to him. But last year she jumped the wooden security barrier along the basilica's central aisle, grabbed Benedict's vestments and pulled him to the ground before bodyguards toppled her. The pontiff was not hurt and continued with the Mass. But Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, a retired Vatican diplomat who was near the Pope, suffered a broken hip in the fall.

Seatbelts 'saved coach crash OAPs'

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Image Seventeen pensioners taken to hospital after their coach overturned are recovering from their ordeal. The bus with 49 people on board was heading towards Norwich on Friday after visiting nearby Holt when it left the road, climbed a steep grass embankment and flipped on to its side. Norfolk Police said most of the passengers were walking wounded, with 15 suffering minor injuries and five seriously hurt with potential fractures and cuts. The force added that "thankfully" the passengers were wearing their seatbelts - meaning that despite the injuries, no-one was killed. Some had to be freed by firefighters. An East of England Ambulance Service spokeswoman said 17 people were taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. One passenger said: "We had been to Holt and were heading towards Norwich. Me and my husband dozed off and the next thing we knew the coach was on its side." Inspector David Ball of Norfolk Police said: "The people were trapped in the seats, thankfully they had seatbelts on. If nobody was wearing seatbelts... they'd have landed on top of each other, it would have been a lot worse. Thankfully we have had no fatalities involved in this." Police are trying to establish why the crash happened. No other vehicles were involved. The pensioners were on a Christmas bus tour run by Stowmarket-based Galloway Travel. A spokesman for the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, speaking on behalf of the firm, said the tour had been due to finish on Monday. The accident happened on the A140 at Horsham St Faith, just north of Norwich and close to Norwich Airport, at about 3.40pm.

Sailors rescued after fire on ship

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Image Three sailors have been airlifted to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation from a fire on board their ship. The trio were evacuated from the Turkish cargo vessel Eren Turgut by an RAF rescue helicopter in the English Channel off Kent. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the sailors landed at Margate, Kent, and were being taken to hospital by ambulance. The ship contacted Dover Coastguard at 4.30pm on Friday afternoon to report that the three men needed medical assistance due to smoke. The vessel is anchored in the Dover Strait traffic separation scheme and is 18 miles east-north-east of Dover, Kent, an MCA spokeswoman said. Tony Evans, Dover Coastguard watch manager said: "A small fire on board the vessel has been dealt with and there is now no fire on board. However the vessel now only has emergency power and no propulsion. The crew is attempting to repair the defect."

25 toasting £1m Christmas present

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Image A £1 million Christmas present has been given to 25 lucky Lottery ticket-holders. National Lottery organisers said December 24 is the luckiest day of the year, with more jackpots of £1 million or more won on the day in the last 16 years than any other time of the year. To celebrate, it guaranteed to create a further 25 millionaires in the UK in a special festive EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle draw. The draw will break the existing world record for the most millionaires in a single draw once more than 18 players have come forward and received their giant cheques, according to the National Lottery. A spokesman said the winners could claim their prizes from the next working day, which is Wednesday. "It will be amazing to create 25 millionaires and hopefully smash the world record," he said. More than 2,500 millionaires have been created by the National Lottery in the past 16 years and every week a UK ticket-holder is guaranteed a million-pound prize in the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle. :: The winning raffle numbers are: BFM398783, DGD159945, DGD719200, DGF818051, DGF851397, DGG277361, DGG310516, DGJ075608, DGL850456, DGM623889, DGN148733, DGQ683415, DGR032175, DGS561280, DGT361529, DGV087857, DGW119899, DGW375730, DGW560374, DGW702339, DGX248398, DHB070846, DHB749651, DHF422620 and DHG263337. :: The EuroMillions winning numbers are 46, 19, 42, 36, 38 and the Lucky Stars eight and two.

Passengers stuck at Europe airports

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Image Passengers have spent Christmas Eve camped in airports in Paris and Brussels after new snowfall and shortages of de-icing fluid disrupted travel across Europe. A safety alert about the security of a snow-laden terminal roof at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport made matters worse, with crowds asked to clear out of a section of Terminal 2E. While travel in Britain was improving after days of headaches, snowfall stranded travellers in Ireland and Denmark and shut Dusseldorf airport in Germany for several hours. To try to ease the pain of a Christmas under the glaring lights of an airport terminal, Paris's airport authority planned to hand out gifts to children forced to sleep at Charles de Gaulle overnight. The airport also got an early Christmas gift flown in from the US - two shipments of precious de-icing fluid to get planes off the snowy ground. Security officers brought in 700 cots as well as blankets and floor mats, and extra rooms were reserved in nearby hotels. The airport turned up the heat and installed all-night police and ambulance patrols, said airport authority chief Pierre Graff. In Brussels, the Red Cross was bringing in hundreds of cots for passengers spending the night at the airport. Airport spokesman Jan Van der Cruysse said they expected that several hundred passengers would remain stranded overnight. France's famed strikes played a role in Friday's travel troubles as a walkout at a factory involved in the production of de-icing fluid exacerbated shortages, forcing France to import supplies. Ramona Sansotta, a 23-year-old trying to get home to Genoa, spent Thursday night in Charles de Gaulle airport - only to see her flight cancelled again on Friday. "They brought us some blankets, but no-one here could speak our language and we don't speak French. So after we spent the whole night here they cancelled our flight again. And now we hope to get back home before Christmas," she said.

Pizza key clue in hunt for Joanna

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Image Police hunting for missing architect Joanna Yeates are hoping CCTV footage of her buying a pizza will yield clues to her whereabouts. Officers released some footage of her buying the item in a Tesco Express on the night she was last seen - and it has since become a key part of the investigation. There was no trace of the pizza, the wrapping or the box in the flat that Miss Yeates shared with her boyfriend - despite the fact that the receipt, the coat she was wearing, and her mobile phone and keys were inside. The footage shows Miss Yeates, 25, buying the Tesco Finest tomato, mozzarella and basil pesto pizza at around 8.40pm on December 17 in Clifton Village, Bristol. She is seen using a self-service till in the supermarket and is wearing a cream-coloured coat with a rucksack on her back. A police spokesman said: "The video has been released by detectives hoping people in the area at the time will remember seeing Joanna and contact the police." Miss Yeates has not been seen or heard from since last Friday following a night out with work colleagues in Bristol. Her boyfriend Greg Reardon, 27, reported her missing on Sunday night after returning home to their flat in Canynge Road, Clifton, from a weekend away in Sheffield visiting family. Detectives are investigating the possibility that Miss Yeates was abducted and said it was one of several lines of inquiry. Miss Yeates's family are desperately hoping for news with a week having passed since her disappearance. David and Theresa Yeates sobbed as they acknowledged that she could be being held against her will and begged for her to be returned safe and well. Mr Yeates, 63, said: "Just let her go. If you have ... if she is dead, then please tell somebody where she is. We want her back whatever." Friends of Miss Yeates have set up the website helpfindjo.wordpress.com/ and an online campaign is running on both Facebook and Twitter.

Shooting report at Bullring centre

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Image Armed police have attended a shopping centre following reports of a shooting. Officers from West Midlands Police were called to outside the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham at about 2.18pm on Boxing Day. A spokeswoman for the force said a 19-year-old man sustained a gunshot injury to his leg and is being treated in hospital. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening. The spokeswoman said a number of scenes inside and outside the Bullring had been closed off while inquires continued. She added: "Another man, aged 26, has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently receiving hospital treatment for facial injuries." Eyewitnesses told the Birmingham Mail there appeared to be a confrontation between two groups of youths in the area between Mango and Selfridges inside the shopping centre. Thousands of shoppers turned out at the popular shopping destination on Boxing Day. More than 25,000 visitors passed through the Bullring's doors before 12pm to take advantage of the Christmas discounts. Many of the shops in the centre are thought to have remained open while police investigated the incident, with trading coming to a close at 5pm.

Record response from aid agencies

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Image This year has seen aid agencies respond to more disasters around the world than ever before. From the earthquake in Haiti to the flooding in Pakistan, natural disasters and conflicts have provoked an even bigger response than in 2005, the year of the Asian tsunami. The UK public gave £106 million to Haiti and £64 million to Pakistan during the Disaster Emergency Committee appeals, the second and third largest responses of all time. Save the Children said aid agencies are responding "to more natural disasters in insecure environments than ever before" and Oxfam said it had been "a year of living dangerously for millions of people". Save the Children, which responded to 40 emergencies in 29 countries this year, believes the crises are becoming more frequent and more complex. A combination of climate change, population growth and urbanisation means an increasing number of people are vulnerable. The charity estimates that the number of people affected by climate-related disasters each year is likely to rise from 250 million today to 375 million in 2015, with droughts, cyclones, flooding and crop failures all expected to get worse due to the changing weather patterns. Emergencies director Gareth Owen said: "In the last year, Save the Children has responded to 40 emergencies in 29 different countries, including two massive and challenging disasters - the Haiti earthquake and the flooding in Pakistan. "Aid agencies, like Save the Children, are responding to more natural disasters in insecure environments than ever before. This is likely to continue in the coming years as we see more and more children and families affected by natural disasters like cyclones and droughts, as well as conflicts." An Oxfam spokesman said the three big disasters of the year were the earthquake in Haiti, the floods in Pakistan and the food shortage in West Africa. "2010 has been a year of living dangerously for millions of people," he said.

Nine charged with terror conspiracy

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Image Nine men have been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions in the UK and other terrorism offences, police have said The suspects - aged between 19 and 28 - are from Cardiff, London and Stoke-on-Trent and were held a week ago during a series of dawn raids by counter-terrorism officers. They are also accused of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism and will appear at the City of Westminster Magistrates Court in London later. The men are charged with conspiring to cause an explosion or explosions in the UK "of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property" between October 1 and November 20 this year. They are also accused of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between October 1 and December 20, including by downloading and researching materials and methods; carrying out reconnaissance and agreeing potential targets, and igniting and testing incendiary material. Those charged from Cardiff are Gurukanth Desai, 28, of Albert Street; Omar Sharif Latif, 26, of Neville Street; and Abdul Malik Miah, 24, of Ninian Park Road. In London, Mohammed Moksudur Rahman Chowdhury, 20, of Stanliff House and Shah Mohammed Lutfar Rahman, 28, of St Bernard's Road, are charged. Also charged are Stoke-on-Trent residents Nazam Hussain, 25, of Grove Street; Usman Khan, 19, of Persia Walk; Mohibur Rahman, 26, of North Road; and Abul Bosher Mohammed Shahjahan, 26, of Burmarsh Walk. Sue Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, said: "I have reviewed the evidence provided to me by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and I am satisfied there is sufficient for a realistic prospect of conviction, and it is in the public interest that these men should be charged with these offences." In all 12 men were held during the dawn raids by unarmed officers on December in Cardiff, London, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham. The three other men arrested - two from Cardiff and one from London - have been released without charge, West Midlands Police said.

Sales frenzy for big name stores

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Image Two high-profile retailers are launching their in-store Christmas sales, hoping to enjoy the boost to trading seen by their rivals a day earlier. John Lewis and Harrods open their doors after staying shut on Boxing Day, when most stores traditionally welcome bargain hunters off the streets. Highlights at Harrods' Knightsbridge store include a Marc Jacobs sequinned evening bag reduced from £670 to £399 and a Sony 3D TV bundle package down from £3,549 to £2,828. Shopping centres and high streets up and down Britain were packed on Boxing Day as stores slashed prices to lure back the crowds after freezing pre-Christmas temperatures and heavy snow hit sales. Stores were restricted to six-hour Sunday trading, but some malls opened early to allow people to browse. Many out of town centres reported car parks full to capacity as shops opened their doors. The impending VAT increase from 17.5% to 20% on January 4 gave consumers a reason to splash out on pricier items such as electronic goods and furniture. Shoppers in London had to contend with the Tube strike, but crowds still descended on the West End to pick up bargains slashed by up to 70%. Other people opted to browse for items from the comfort of their homes to avoid the cold conditions. When Selfridges in Oxford Street opened its doors for trade at 11am more than 8,000 people were waiting outside, compared to 2,000 last year, a spokeswoman said. A Mulberry bag was the first transaction in the store's accessories hall. At the Bullring in Birmingham more than 25,000 visitors passed through the doors before 12pm. Aberdeen's Union Square shopping centre said iPads and HD televisions were among the most sought-after items. By 1pm there were 70,000 shoppers swarming over the 200 shops at the Trafford Centre on the outskirts of Manchester. A spokesman for Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe, Kent, said more than 100,000 visitors were expected to pass through its doors, with over 900,000 people forecast to visit the centre by January 1. The Arndale Centre in Manchester reported "phenomenal" trading, with in excess of 150,000 through the doors. Trevor Pereira, commercial director at Capital Shopping Centres, which manages malls including Lakeside in Thurrock, Essex, and Metrocentre in Gateshead, said customers had been "flooding through" the doors of its 13 centres.

Cameron faces free books backlash

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Image David Cameron is facing calls to sort out the "fiasco" of government backing for a scheme providing free books for children, following a U-turn by ministers over plans to axe all state funding. Labour leader Ed Miliband accused the coalition of being "mean-minded" and called on the Prime Minister to clarify how much government support the Booktrust scheme would now receive. The charity had been expecting to see a 20% cut in its £13 million-a-year government grant, only to be told that it would be losing the entire sum. But following a furious backlash from authors including the leading children's author Philip Pullman and former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion, the Department for Education announced it would continue to fund the charity's book-giving programme. It said in a joint statement with Booktrust: "Although the current contract will end in April the department is talking to Booktrust about how to develop a new programme which will ensure that every child can enjoy the gift of books at crucial moments in their lives while ensuring we develop an even more effective way of supporting the most disadvantaged families to read together." The apparent U-turn comes hard on the heels of Education Secretary Michael Gove's hurried retreat over plans to axe funding for the School Sports Partnership scheme in England, which had been slated to close. However Mr Miliband has written to Mr Cameron calling on him to explain just how much of its original grant Booktrust would retain. "Today, the Department of Education appears to be starting to backtrack amid the outcry from parents, children and authors. But there is no clarity at all. "It now falls to you to get a grip on this fiasco and provide some reassurance that a scheme on the lines of the current programme will be maintained, with a clear statement about the amount of investment that will be provided." Booktrust, which has been operating since 1992 and Government-funded since 2004, aims to provide Bookstart packs to parents when their babies are born and then further books at later stages in their development. Its co-founder, Wendy Cooling, was awarded the MBE in 2008 for services to children's literacy.

Warmer welcome as big thaw arrives

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Image The big freeze will give way to a brief thaw over the next few days as most of the country gets a break from the bitter cold. After a very chilly Christmas weekend, temperatures were higher today - with virtually the entire UK forecast to stay above freezing later this week as milder air sweeps in from the west. The Met Office is nevertheless predicting that this month will be "by some margin" the coldest December since records began 100 years ago. Rain, sleet and snow showers will affect some eastern and northern parts, before easing later. Although up to 15cm of snow will fall on higher ground, this will be the last batch for the foreseeable future. Milder air then starts moving in from the west later tomorrow, along with more rain, with temperatures falling to zero overnight only in north-eastern areas of the country. Parts of south-west England and south Wales are then expected to see temperatures reach 11C (52F) by Thursday, as just a few inland places in the north see zero degrees. But the mercury is expected to fall again towards the weekend. Two Premier League and two SPL matches were postponed on Sunday, while a total of just nine games survived in the Championship, League One and League Two. All of Sunday's race meetings were victims of the weather, including the King George VI Chase at Kempton. Forecaster Barry Gromett said: "The national record goes back to 1910 and it's running by some margin the coldest December at the moment." He added that we were "over a degree colder" than the previous record.

Post Office closures 'growing'

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Image More than 1,000 post offices have shut or been put up for sale this year, with some not showing up in official closure lists, according to new research. The Communication Workers Union said there was a "growing trend" of closures in 2010 which it warned would get worse if the Government pressed ahead with controversial plans to privatise the Royal Mail. A study by the union showed that 162 post offices were listed as "long-term temporary closures" this year and over 900 were put up for sale, Many are likely to stay closed indefinitely and those that do reopen are liable to provide a diminished service, such as an outreach van with no access to financial services, said the union. The CWU said almost 10% of the entire network was currently up for sale, warning they could also be lost to the "temporary closure loophole". Many subpostmasters are retiring or leaving the business because of the low levels of revenue generated in sub-offices, and in many cases it is difficult to find alternative premises or service providers, according to the CWU. General secretary Billy Hayes said: "Post offices have been closing at an alarming rate this year, but didn't register because they are misleadingly classed as temporary closures. We're seriously concerned about empty government rhetoric on avoiding post office closures. These promises are contradicted by government taking business away from the Post Office and by the planned privatisation of Royal Mail. "Post Offices rely on work generated by mails business and most would be unsustainable if this was removed. Many of the proposals in the Postal Services Bill, including privatisation of Royal Mail and splitting the postal group apart, seriously threaten mails business arrangements for the Post Office. "With uncertainty hanging over Royal Mail and the post office network, it's no surprise that buyers are hard to find. The government must change its approach or face the decimation of our cherished post office network. Who's going to buy a business which stands to lose a substantial part of its income?" Ministers have pledged there will be no repeat of the closure programme under the previous Labour Government, arguing that the plan to privatise the Royal Mail will safeguard the branch network.

CCTV 'helps solve six crimes a day'

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Image Britain's largest force solves six crimes every day by identifying suspects from CCTV, according to a senior officer. Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville said Scotland Yard has revolutionised the use of CCTV by treating it like DNA or fingerprints. The officer, who heads the Met's identification unit, said the number of suspects identified by his team has risen by a quarter to 2,512. The majority of suspected villains are named by officers and informants but some are passed on for public appeals. He said: "The key to our success is that images, unidentified images, are treated as a forensic discipline. They are treated like fingerprints and DNA. When we get them we make sure that every effort is made to identify them. "It is not the technology, it is more about managing it in a way that produces the best results. That is why we have got police forces from around the world coming to see how we do it. We had officers from Sweden and Holland over in the last week." The Met identified 2,512 wanted people in 2010, compared with 1,970 the previous year. The figures included four suspected murderers, 23 rapists and sex attackers and five wanted gunmen. Among them was Andrew Hawkes, who was jailed for 40 months in October for attacking and racially abusing a man in Tower Bridge Road. He was identified from a CCTV still put on a wanted board. Mr Neville said the Hawkes case illustrated the kind of success they have enjoyed but he said trained officers are increasingly needed to access and store CCTV because much of it is now stored digitally. Mr Neville said police must help challenge public scepticism about the increase in the number of CCTV cameras and the "surveillance state".

Soldiers give bomb disposal lessons

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Image Two British bomb disposal operators have described the importance of passing on their skills to the Afghan National Police (ANP) for the first time. Soldiers from the British Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Task Force recently finished a training course to teach the ANP how to destroy Taliban roadside bombs in Helmand province. Corporal Liam Payne, 26, from Newbury, Berkshire, said: "These guys are the first ANP explosive hazard reduction team to be trained and the first police carrying out counter-IED work in Helmand province. "They're seen as heroes in their communities and they are the envy of their colleagues." His fellow bomb disposal operator, Corporal Aaron McGuffog, 30, from Grimsby, South Humberside, added that the Taliban was "petrified" of Afghan soldiers and police learning the skills to tackle roadside bombs. Team leader Captain Khan Muhammad said the job was "very dangerous" but necessary. "This course benefited my team as they were only search trained before - they could find the IEDs but did not know how to deal with them. "I volunteered for counter-IED training to make Lashkar Gar a safer place. "This is a very dangerous job but we do it for the safety of the people of Afghanistan," he said.

Leaked letter has NHS cuts warning

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Image The Department of Health has been warned that planned efficiency savings "may not be achievable", leading to higher hospital waiting times unless the NHS receives a fresh injection of government cash, according to a leaked Whitehall document. The Guardian reported that a leaked letter from the independent Challenge group - set up as part of the Government's spending review process - said the department could be left with an "unpalatable" choice between cuts to services or seeking extra funding. The Department of Health said tonight that the letter - sent in September, before the Government had completed its spending review - was outdated and that the issues raised had been dealt with. But Labour said that it showed that Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was running a "rogue department" and urged Mr Cameron to intervene to get it back on track. The letter, sent to Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, questions whether promised quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) will achieve efficiency savings, as well as raising concerns about the cost of the switchover to the Government's flagship policy of GP commissioning. "Taken together, the NHS could therefore face a significant budget shortfall by the end of the SP (spending) period. The NHS typically deals with such shortfalls by limiting treatments, leading to increased waiting times," it said. "The Government will be faced with a choice between dealing with the fallout from increased waiting times or increasing the DH's budget, perhaps by as much as £10 billion per year. To avoid this unpalatable trade-off, the DH settlement needs to build in much greater non-QIPP efficiency savings from the outset." The letter was written on September 7 by the former APAX chief investment officer Adrian Beecroft, the chief executive of the Legal Services Commission Carolyn Downs and the director of climate change adaptation at the department of energy and climate change, Robin Mortimer. A Department of Health spokesman said the concerns raised in the letter were no longer relevant. "This letter was part of the process of independent challenge in the spending review," the spokesman said. "The work has now concluded and the letter is therefore out of date - it has been overtaken by publication of the response to the white paper consultation and primary care trust allocations for next year." However shadow health secretary John Healey said that the letter underlined the inherent risks in Mr Lansley's plans to reorganise the NHS based on GP commissioning.
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