Somalia Hostage Raid: French Agent 'Killed'

France has said one of its soldiers and an intelligence agent have been killed in a failed hostage rescue attempt in Somalia.

The agent, who is code-named Denis Allex and was captured by militants in 2009, died in the fighting with Islamists overnight, the French government said.

However, the Al Shabaab militia has said he is still alive.

Another special forces soldier is missing following the fighting, France's defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

He said 17 Somali Islamists had been killed and that the operation was not linked to a separate military operation in Mali aimed at quashing a push by Islamist fighters.

Al Shabaab has reportedly said Mr Allex remained in their captivity and was being held far from the base where French helicopters attacked in the early hours of Saturday.

The al Qaeda-linked insurgents also said they were holding an injured French soldier.

Both sides described a fierce firefight during the raid on the Horn of Africa country that France said was carried out by the intelligence agency that Mr Allex worked for.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley said questions remained about whether the raid was planned because France feared repercussions from its operation in Mali.

He said: "It seems a long way away but ideologically - and, according to some intelligence agencies, physically - the Shabaab have been linked into a network of radical Islamist groups (in countries including Mali).

"There may have been some sense among French decision-makers that because they were getting involved in Mali, they ought to trigger this operation."

However, Kiley said it was more likely that France had received local intelligence in Somalia that there was a threat to the hostage.

The French government said: "Faced with the intransigence of the terrorists, who refused to negotiate for three-and-a-half years and who were holding Denis Allex in inhumane conditions, an operation was planned and carried out."

Authorities in Bula Marer, a town about 120km (75 miles) south of Mogadishu, said helicopters attacked at around 2am local time.

France said Mr Allex was kidnapped - along with another agent who later escaped - when he was carrying out an official aid mission with the Somalian government.

France has previously said the two men were in the Somali capital to train local forces.

After his abduction Al Shabaab issued a series of demands, which included an end to French support for the Somali government and the withdrawal of African Union peacekeepers, whose 17,600-strong troops are helping battle the rebels.

A video of Mr Allex pleading with French President Francois Hollande to negotiate his release appeared on a website in October.

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Costa Concordia To Be Removed By September

The stricken ship Costa Concordia will be removed from the Italian coast between June and September - later than originally planned, officials have said.

The vessel has been resting on its side off the Tuscan coast since it capsized last year killing 32 people.

Speaking on the eve of the first anniversary of the disaster, officials highlighted the difficulties of the salvage operation, including the huge size of the vessel and environmental concerns.

Franco Gabrielli, the chief of Italy's Social Defence Department, said officials were looking to remove the ship between June and September depending on weather conditions.

Originally, they had hoped to have it removed in the spring.

The Concordia slammed into a reef off the island of Giglio on January 13, 2012 after its captain took it off course in a stunt to bring the ship closer to the island. As it took water in, she ship rolled onto its side.

The salvage efforts will also require 400m euro (£331m) - up from the 300m euro originally estimated.

The Concordia sinking shortly after it struck rocks

Sky's Europe correspondent Robert Nisbet says the delays and overspending are linked to the technical complexities of an unprecedented operation involving a ship the length of 11 football fields and weighing twice as much as the Titanic.

Officials want to remove it as opposed to breaking it up on the site because the waters surrounding Giglio are of particular environmental significance - part of a marine sanctuary and a favourite spot for scuba divers.

The ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, has been accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and leaving the ship before all passengers were evacuated.

Since the tragedy, the Costa Concordia has turned into a macabre tourist attraction, with hundreds of sightseers catching a ferry from Porto Santo Stefano to Giglio so they can look at the ship and take pictures before returning to the mainland.

Francesco Schettino remains under house arrest

Sunday's anniversary commemorations in Giglio include a ceremony to honour rescue teams and a mass held in the island's tiny church, where many of the injured were treated.

A memorial in honour of the 32 dead will also be unveiled.

But the commemorations have been marred by controversy over a letter reportedly sent by ship owner Costa Crociere to survivors, telling them not to bother attending the ceremonies.

The company cited logistical difficulties on the tiny island and the desire for privacy expressed by the families of the victims, according to news reports.

Some 4,200 people between passengers and crews survived the tragedy.

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Crossword Setter Araucaria Sets Cancer Clue

A well-loved national newspaper crossword setter has used one of his own puzzles to announce that he is terminally ill.

The Rev John Graham, who goes by the pseudonym Araucaria  - from the Latin for the monkey puzzle tree - as The Guardian's puzzle setter, revealed he was dying of cancer in Friday's crossword.

The answers revealed the diagnosis

Above a cryptic crossword was the message: "Araucaria has 18 down of the 19, which is being treated with 13 15."

Readers who solved the puzzle discovered this meant he had cancer of the oesophagus, and was receiving palliative care.

Mr Graham, from Cambridge, told the Guardian: "It seemed the natural thing to do somehow. It just seemed right."

Doctors do not know how much longer he has to live.

The 91-year-old said he was touched by the reaction to his crossword, which first appeared in the 1 Across puzzle magazine in December.

"People have been ringing and sending me cards," he said. "It's been very nice, but I can't reply to them all."

He says he does not intend to refer to his illness in future crosswords.

"I should think this is a one-off because I don't know what else there will be to say," he added.

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Stabbing Victim 'May Have Sold Big Issue'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

One of two men stabbed to death in Birmingham city centre may have worked as a Big Issue seller, police say.

The men, who were in their thirties, were attacked just before 6pm in front of "potentially hundreds of witnesses".

One victim is thought to have been stabbed outside a Sainsbury's store in Martineau Place, while the other was found slumped near a Boots store in Union Street with fatal injuries.

A police spokeswoman said: "One line of inquiry is that the victims were people who frequented the city centre.

"Another line of inquiry is that one may have worked as a Big Issue seller."

Officers administered first aid on both men, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Kevin Blake, 52, who was leaving work at the time, told Sky News: "There was someone lying on the ground with a police officer pumping his chest and someone holding a white compress on his lower abdomen and someone sort of incubating him.

"He was in a very very bad way. As I walked to the train station there was huge droplets of blood for about 30 or 40 yards which signified that he was very, very seriously injured.

"It was a surprise to read in the paper that two people had been stabbed and not just the one that I saw, it was quite a sight."

A man was arrested in New Street near the Odeon Cinema minutes after the stabbings.

Police confirmed a 23-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of stabbing the two men to death.

Inspector David Keen said: "Two men have suffered fatal injuries - these have been inflicted in the heart of the city at a busy time when workers and shoppers would be heading home.

"There are potentially hundreds of witnesses, either people who saw the stabbings or the offender leaving the scene, and I'd urge people to get in touch immediately - they could have vital information."

Forensics and search experts cordoned off several scenes in and around Union Street to preserve evidence. Those cordons have now been lifted.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Crews arrived to find two men who had been stabbed and were being given excellent first aid by police officers and passers-by.

"Both men went into cardiac arrest. Crews and the team of medics administered advanced life support to both men but, sadly, despite the best efforts, nothing could be done to save them and they were confirmed dead on scene."

Post-mortem examinations on the two victims are due to take place to determine the exact cause of their deaths.

Police said they were mounting "extra reassurance" patrols in the area.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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Dreamliner Safety And Design Review Ordered

America's aviation watchdog has ordered a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after a spate of incidents involving the new aircraft model.

The head of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said he is confident the Boeing 787 is safe, but he remains concerned about recent events, including a fire and a fuel leak earlier this week.

Michael Huerta, the FAA administrator, said that there is nothing in the data the agency has seen to suggest the plane is not safe.

The FAA announced it is undertaking a comprehensive review of the 787 to include "critical systems, including design, manufacture and assembly".

The manufacturer responded to fears of the plane and said: "Boeing is confident in the design and performance of the 787. It is a safe and efficient airplane that brings tremendous value to our customers and an improved flying experience to their passengers.

"The airplane has logged 50,000 hours of flight and there are more than 150 flights occurring daily."

Boston fire crews attend the JAL plane after it filled with smoke

The move by the aviation authority in the US was prompted after a fifth Dreamliner fault this week was reported on Friday morning.

Oil was discovered leaking from the left engine of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA).

An ANA spokeswoman said the leak was found after the domestic flight landed safely at Miyazaki airport in southern Japan.

It came on the same day another Japanese 787 suffered a cracked cockpit window while in flight on a domestic route.

ANA said crew noticed a spider web-like crack in a window in front of the pilot's seat about 70 minutes into Friday's flight, which was close to its destination.

The Dreamliner, the world's first carbon-composite airliner, which has a list price of $207m (£128m), has been beset by problems this week.

The plane was designed to use power plants made by General Electric and Britain's Rolls-Royce.

On Wednesday, a domestic flight was halted by ANA because brake parts to the rear left undercarriage needed replacing, a spokesman at Yamaguchi Ube Airport said.

An investigator in the US examines a Boeing 787

A Japan Air Lines (JAL) jet was also grounded at Boston Logan International airport in the US following an engine fuel leak.

About 40 gallons of fuel spilled from the jet that was supposed to be bound for Tokyo.

That event followed the first incident of the week, which also occurred at Boston, on Monday.

Emergency services had been called after another JAL 787 filled with smoke shortly after passengers and crew had disembarked.

Firefighters used infrared cameras to locate the fire in a battery pack in the belly of a different Boeing 787 and extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes.

Sky sources revealed that if the battery fire had occurred during a transocean flight the aircraft may have brought down.

The 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight in late 2011, after a series of production delays put deliveries more than three years behind schedule.

By the end of last year, Boeing had sold 848 Dreamliners, and delivered 49. JAL and ANA operate 24 of the planes.

After the Boston events, British carriers including BA, Virgin Atlantic and Thomson Airways reaffirmed their plans to integrate 787s into fleets this year and next.

In India - where state-owned Air India has taken delivery of six Dreamliners and has more on order - a senior official at the aviation regulator said there was concern at the recent spate of 787 glitches.

Meanwhile, an Air India spokesman said the airline's debut Dreamliner flight from India to Paris on Thursday went without a hitch.

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Jimmy Savile: 'Chance For Convicton Missed'

Police and prosecutors missed a chance to convict Jimmy Savile for sex offences against three victims when he was alive, a report has found.

The report, by Alison Levitt QC, legal adviser to the director of public prosecutions (DPP), said the opportunity passed by because they did not take claims seriously enough.

Ms Levitt said there was nothing to suggest the victims had colluded in their stories, or that they were unreliable.

The problem was that their claims were treated "with a degree of caution which was neither justified nor required".

Surrey Police received an allegation in May 2007 that Savile had sexually assaulted a teenage girl at Duncroft Children's Home in the late 1970s.

In the investigation that followed, two more allegations emerged - the first that in about 1973 Savile had sexually assaulted a girl aged about 14 outside Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The second was that in the 1970s he had suggested to a girl aged about 17, again at Duncroft, that she perform a sex act on him.

Stoke Mandeville where Savile committed over 20 offences

Surrey Police also found out about a complaint made in March 2008 to Sussex Police that Savile had sexually assaulted a woman in her early 20s in a caravan in Sussex in about 1970.

The Surrey force consulted with the CPS about all four allegations, and in October 2009 it was decided that no prosecution could be brought because the alleged victims would not support police action.

Ms Levitt found that Surrey Police did not tell any of the alleged victims that other complaints had been made.

Sussex Police told the complainant in the 2008 allegation that corroboration was needed and the CPS did not question why victims would not support court action or seek to build a case.

The victims told Ms Levitt that if they had known that other people were making complaints, they probably would have been prepared to give evidence in court.

The report concluded that "had the police and prosecutors taken a different approach a prosecution might have been possible in relation to three of the four allegations".

Savile is said to have abused a patient at Broadmoor hospital

Surrey Police Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Kirkby said it was important to view the decisions taken by investigating officers "in context".

"At the time, there was nothing to suggest the level of offending now being reported on a national scale," he said.

"In July 2007 Surrey Police used national systems to conduct intelligence checks with every other police force in England and Wales.

"These checks found no record of any police intelligence or prior allegations relating to Jimmy Savile."

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said he wanted the Savile case to be "a watershed moment" and called for a "more robust response" in future.

A separate report by the police and NSPCC stopped short of apportioning blame to hospitals and other institutions and agencies that may also have "missed past opportunities" to stop Savile.

Savile reportedly abused over 12 people at Leeds General Infirmary

But it said they must do "all they can to make their procedures for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults as robust and rigorous as possible".

Among the institutions where Savile allegedly committed offences are Leeds General Infirmary (16), Stoke Mandeville Hospital (22), Broadmoor Hospital (1) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (1).

The report revealed Savile abused people all over the country, although by far the most were recorded in the Metropolitan Police area (43) followed by 34 in West Yorkshire, 30 in Thames Valley and 14 in Greater Manchester.

Offences were also reported in North Yorkshire and Surrey (8 each), Nottinghamshire (7), Devon and Cornwall (5), Dorset (4), and Bedfordshire, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire and Sussex (3 each).

Police forces in Scotland, North Wales, Guernsey, Jersey, Kent, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Northumbria and Wiltshire have also received complaints about Savile.

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Avalanche Video Shows Echo Peak Rescue

Helmet-cam video footage has been released of the moment a skier was swept away in an avalanche - and his successful rescue.

The video shows the skier triggering the slide on fresh storm snow and then disappearing from view as the mass moves down the mountain peak.

Four other less experienced skiers can then be seen preparing a rescue and activating an emergency beacon before attempting to dig out the trapped man.

The first person on the scene sees the trapped skier waving a hand, although the rest of his body is buried.

He then pulls out a plastic snow shovel from a backpack and starts digging.

Struggling to avoid sinking into the soft snow, the rescuer continues to dig until the skier can grab a ski pole.

They then attempt to pull the trapped person out but the weight of snow prevents any movement.

The remarkable rescue occurred on December 29, on Echo Peak in California's Tahoe National Forest.

The rescue was hampered by the effort involved with strenuous work in the thin air at an elevation of almost 9,000ft.

But after continued digging the rescued skier, still wearing his safety helmet, scrambles to his feet.

The skier later permitted the Sierra Avalanche Centre to publicise details of the accident, to help other skiers to avoid similar pre and post-accident errors.

The skier said: "Once the slope let go, I was helpless. Everything I'd ever heard, read, or talked about went through my mind. Stay on top. Get your feet downhill. Backstroke.

"Remember to create an air pocket when the slide slows. Punch a hand towards the sky. The truth is that I was at the mercy of the snow."

"Everything was black and the urge to panic was overwhelming. After repeatedly telling myself to calm down, I was able to clear an airway with my free hand. Then all I could do was wait.

"I was very lucky."

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Savile: Report Reveals Full Scale Of Sex Abuse

Jimmy Savile Abuse Report: Timeline

Updated: 11:45am UK, Friday 11 January 2013

The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal follows a lengthy investgation sparked by a television documentary.

This is how the case unfolded:

October 29, 2011

:: Veteran DJ and broadcaster Jimmy Savile is found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds, after a spell in hospital with a suspected bout of pneumonia. He was 84.

September 30, 2012

:: It emerges allegations about Savile will be made in a new ITV documentary due to be aired on October 3.

October 1

:: Surrey Police confirm Savile was interviewed in 2007 over allegations dating back to the 1970s but was released without charge.

October 2

:: An historic rape allegation made against Savile is referred to Scotland Yard. It is also revealed that Jersey and Surrey police investigated accusations about alleged abuse in two children's homes, but decided there was not enough evidence to proceed.

:: The BBC says it will make direct contact with police to provide full support over the "disturbing allegations".

:: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon says the show dropped a story about allegations against Savile because it "had not established any institutional failure" on behalf of the police or Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Rippon writes on a BBC blog it was "totally untrue" he came under any pressure to drop the story.

October 3

:: Sussex Police confirm that in 2008 a woman reported she had been indecently assaulted by Savile in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1970, but did not want to co-operate with any inquiry or prosecution.

:: Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile is shown on ITV1. In it, five women claim they were indecently assaulted by him when they were schoolgirls in the late 1960s and 1970s.

October 9

:: Comedian Freddie Starr denies any wrongdoing in relation to claims he groped a teenager following the recording of one of Savile's shows.

:: Scotland Yard reveals it is looking at 120 lines of inquiry and as many as 25 victims. Commander Peter Spindler says allegations span four decades and abuse was on a "national scale". He says the inquiry, dubbed Operation Yewtree, will only become a criminal investigation if there is evidence against living individuals.

October 11

:: Allegations emerge that Savile abused children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Leeds General Hospital.

October 12

:: BBC director general George Entwistle offers a "profound and heartfelt apology" to alleged victims as he announces two inquiries - one into potential failings over the handling of the abandoned Newsnight investigation, and a second into the "culture and practices of the BBC during the years Savile worked here".

October 13

:: The Department of Health says it will carry out an investigation into how Savile was appointed to lead a "taskforce" at Broadmoor in 1988.

:: Police say Savile's alleged catalogue of abuse could have spanned six decades and included around 60 victims.

October 19

:: A leaked internal email casts doubt on the BBC's stated reason for cancelling a Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse by Savile, The Times says.

:: Scotland Yard announces that Operation Yewtree is now a formal criminal investigation involving other living people.

October 22

:: The BBC announces that Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has stepped aside "with immediate effect". It says his explanation as to why the show dropped its investigation was "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects".

:: The Crown Prosecution Service say Surrey Police passed a file to them in 2009 based on a complaint made by "a woman who said she had witnessed an indecent assault by Jimmy Savile in the 1970s".

The force found evidence of "three further potential offences" by Savile but evidence showed none of the alleged victims would support a prosecution.

October 25

:: Scotland Yard says it is investigating in excess of 400 lines of inquiry involving 300 victims, of whom all except two are women. Commander Peter Spindler says Savile is one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and the inquiry into his abuse will be a "watershed" investigation into sex crime.

October 26

:: It emerges that seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while the disgraced television presenter was alive, but it was decided no further action should be taken.

October 28

:: Former pop star Gary Glitter is arrested by officers working on Operation Yewtree. He is bailed to return in mid-December.

November 1

:: Comedian Freddie Starr is arrested in connection with the Savile abuse investigation. He is released on bail.

November 2

:: Freddie Starr returns for further questioning and is later bailed again.

November 11

:: Former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath is arrested at an address in Cambridge but later insists he was the victim of mistaken identity.

:: BBC director general George Entwistle resigns after an "unacceptable" Newsnight broadcast into child abuse in North Wales wrongly implicates a former senior Conservative politician.

November 15

:: Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. Police say the allegations do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others". Mr Travis denies any wrongdoing, saying: "This is nothing to do with kids."

November 29

:: A man in his 80s, from Berkshire, is arrested and questioned by detectives investigating the Savile abuse scandal after attending police premises in south London by appointment. Scotland Yard says he is being treated as part of the investigation that does not directly relate to Savile.

December 6

:: PR guru Max Clifford is arrested at his Surrey home on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to Belgravia police station in central London for questioning. Clifford tells reporters: "These allegations are damaging and totally untrue."

December 10

:: A man in his 60s, from London, is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to a south London police station. Scotland Yard says he falls under the strand of the investigation termed "others". He is later bailed until January.

December 12

:: Scotland Yard says 31 rape allegations have been made against Savile - out of a total of 450 complaints. It adds 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal.

December 19

:: Former BBC radio producer Ted Beston, 76, is arrested in London on suspicion of sexual offences and vehemently denies the allegations the following day.

January 2, 2013

:: Former TV presenter Jim Davidson is arrested but "vigorously denies" allegations of sexual offences made against him by two women. A 53-year-old man is also arrested. Police say the allegations are not directly related to Savile and both men are bailed until March.

January 11

:: The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal is published.

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Anti-Terror Arrests: Police Question Four Men

Police arrest four men on suspicion of terror offences - three in London and one as he attempts to take a flight out of Gatwick.

They form part of an investigation into travel to Syria in support of alleged terrorist activity.

Three men aged 18, 31 and 21, were arrested at separate addresses in east London in the early hours.

A 33-year-old man was arrested at Gatwick Airport on Wednesday as he attempted to take a flight out of the UK.

They are all being held in custody at a south London police station where they will be questioned by officers from the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism command.

Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt said: "This is part of an investigation that has been going on for some months.

"For a while MI5 and Scotland Yard's counter terror unit have been concerned about several dozen, they think, British men, travelling to Syria and taking part in the civil war there."

More follows...

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Top Met Officer Guilty Over 'Cash For Leaks'

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

A senior Scotland Yard officer has been found guilty of misconduct in public office for offering the News Of The World confidential information in return for money.

April Casburn, who ran the Yard's National Terrorist Financial Investigation unit, had denied the offence although she admitted calling the NOTW and passing on details of the inquiry.

She said she did it because she was concerned that counter-terror police were being diverted from saving lives to investigate hacking.

Detective Chief Inspector Casburn, from Hatfield Peverel in Essex, remained impassive as the verdict was read out.

Prosecutors said she had tried to undermine the hacking investigation by offering to leak details to the Sunday tabloid.

She telephoned the paper early on September 11, 2010 and spoke to journalist Tim Wood, complaining about pressure from Lord Prescott over the probe and giving the names of two former NOTW journalists under investigation - Andy Coulson and Sean Hoare.

Prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron told the jury at Southwark Crown Court in his closing speech: "With or without money, there is no reasonable excuse or justification.

"The damage being done here is that the public are entitled to have confidence in the police and their procedures when they pursue sensitive investigations."

He said DCI Casburn had behaved "disgracefully" and her actions had been "malicious."

Mr Bryant-Heron continued: "Without wanting to sound like Humphrey Bogart, of all the papers in all the world who did she go to?

'It's like having a criminal investigation and going to the suspect and telling them what you are up to."

Casburn had told the jury she was "foolish" to make the call, but felt it was the only way of making her concerns public.

She said that going to the press "may be the only option that's open to individuals."

She said she had been off work sick with stress, was going through a difficult divorce and was trying to adopt a child at the time.

She was angry that counter-terror colleagues were being used to investigate phone hacking and accused them of treating the inquiry as "a jolly."

She described the Yard's male-dominated special operations department as "like something from the TV series Life on Mars" and said there had been "palpable excitement" over which of them would get to interview actress Sienna Miller.

Her lawyer Patrick Gibbs QC said: "It was foolish, but she wouldn't look so foolish now if a bomb had gone off when a lot of counter-terror people were interviewing Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant."

Casburn will be sentenced later this month on a date to be fixed and was released on unconditional bail until then.

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Snow: No One In UK Safe As Big Chill Sets In

Icy winds from Russia are set to whip up a fortnight of wintry weather across the UK, with forecasters warning of snow in most parts of the country.

The unseasonably mild start to the year is expected to give way to temperatures as low as minus 5C, caused by an area of high pressure developing over Scandinavia.

Cold air moving in from the Baltic and western Russia will clash with milder air and Atlantic weather systems arriving from the west, with the UK directly underneath.

Paul Gundersen, chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: "All parts of the UK will see cold weather setting in over the weekend.

"We can expect sleet and snow showers to affect eastern areas at times, but with a battle developing between the cold air in the east and mild air pushing in from the west, no one should be surprised to see sleet or snow over the weekend and next week."

Forecasters say it is difficult to predict how much snow will fall

Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang it was "too early to give details on how much snow will fall and where.

"This is complicated by the fact that we are in the zone between cold air to the east and milder air to the west and at times one will become more dominant than the other."

A dusting of hill snow is expected in the north before snow showers reach southern and eastern areas this weekend.

The Met Office said the wintry weather could last until around January 23 when the outlook is more uncertain.

Ms Lang said: "As wet weather spreads east across England and Wales on Saturday, some snow is likely, especially over hills but perhaps down to low levels later as the front clears southeastern areas.

"A chill east wind will feed in further snow showers to eastern Britain during Sunday, although western parts should be dry and bright.

"A covering of snow is likely over higher ground but some may settle at low levels too. Temperatures on Sunday may only reach around 2C to 4C at best."

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Oscar Nominations: Lincoln Heads Field

Lincoln leads the way in nominations for the 85th Academy Awards - with Daniel Day-Lewis the major British acting hope for an Oscar.

Day-Lewis' nomination as 'best actor' is one of 12 gongs the historical drama about the former US president is in the frame for.

The 55-year-old, who has joint UK and Irish citizenship, was immediately installed as favourite for what would be his third victory in the category.

He is shortlisted alongside Les Miserables star Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Joaquin Phoenix and Bradley Cooper.

Another nominated Brit is Naomi Watts, who was recognised for her role in Impossible with a nod in the best actress category.

The same category could also see 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva become its oldest ever winner, for Amour, with nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, for Beasts Of The Southern Wild, potentially its youngest.

Les Miserables, directed by The King's Speech filmmaker Tom Hooper, is in the running for best picture but Hooper failed to get a nomination in for 'best director' - which he won in 2010.

Also nominated for best picture are Ben Affleck's Argo, set during the Iran hostage crisis, Beasts Of The Southern Wild and Quentin Tarantino's western Django Unchained.

Life Of Pi, Amour, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty complete the shortlist.

Adele's nomination for best original song puts her up against Oscars host Seth MacFarlane, who is nominated for Everybody Needs A Best Friend from his film Ted.

The nominees also include Suddenly from Les Miserables, which was co-written by London journalist Herbert Kretzmer.

Hollywood veterans Alan Arkin, Tommy Lee Jones and Robert De Niro were all named in the supporting actor category with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christoph Waltz.

Anne Hathaway's performance in Les Miserables saw her nominated for supporting actress along with Amy Adams, Lincoln star Sally Field, Helen Hunt and Jacki Weaver.

Today's announcement, by MacFarlane and Spiderman star Emma Stone, means disappointment for Dame Judi Dench and Dame Helen Mirren.

The pair missed out despite being tipped for possible nominations for their respective performances in Skyfall and Hitchcock.

This year's ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on Sunday February 24.

Complete list of nominees:

Best Picture: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty.

Actor: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)

Actress: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Naomi Watts (The Impossible).

Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).

Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook).

Directing: Michael Haneke (Amour), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook).

Foreign Language Film: Amour (Austria), Kon-Tiki (Norway), No (Chile), A Royal Affair (Denmark), War Witch (Canada).

Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (Argo), Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), David Magee (Life of Pi), Tony Kushner (Lincoln), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook).

Original Screenplay: Michael Haneke (Amour), Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), John Gatins (Flight), Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom), Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty).

Animated Feature Film: Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates!, Band of Misfits, Wreck-It Ralph.

Production Design: Anna Karenina, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln.

Cinematography: Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall.

Sound Mixing: Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall.

Sound Editing: Argo, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty.

Original Score: Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli), Argo (Alexandre Desplat), Life of Pi (Mychael Danna), Lincoln (John Williams), Skyfall (Thomas Newman).

Original Song: 'Before My Time' Chasing Ice (J. Ralph), 'Everybody Needs a Best Friend' Ted (Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane), 'Pi's Lullaby' Life of Pi (Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri), 'Skyfall' Skyfall (Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth), 'Suddenly' Les Miserables (Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil).

Costume: Anna Karenina, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman.

Documentary Feature: 5 Broken Cameras, The Gatekeepers, How to Survive a Plague, The Invisible War, Searching for Sugar Man.

Documentary (short subject): Inocente, Kings Point, Mondays at Racine, Open Heart, Redemption.

Film Editing: Argo, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty.

Makeup and Hairstyling: Hitchcock, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Les Miserables.

Animated Short Film: Adam and Dog, Fresh Guacamole, Head over Heels, Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare, Paperman.

Live Action Short Film: Asad, Buzkashi Boys, Curfew, Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw), Henry.

Visual Effects: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Life of Pi, Marvel's The Avengers, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman.

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Australia Wildfires: Family Clings To Jetty

A terrified family clung to a jetty for more than two hours while wildfires raged around them.

As the flames destroyed her Tasmania home, grandmother Tammy Holmes was forced to tread water with her five young grandchildren in the sea.

Photographs taken by Mrs Holmes' husband Tim, and released on Wednesday, show two-year-old Charlotte, four-year-old Esther, Liam Walker, nine, 11-year-old Matilda and six-year-old Caleb huddled together in the water.

A NASA satellite image of the fires burning in southeastern Australia

The children's mother, Bonnie Walker, had left them with her parents while she attended a funeral.

She said: "We just waited by the phone and received a message to say that mum and dad had evacuated, that they were surrounded by fire, and could we pray. So I braced myself to lose my children and my parents."

The family eventually found a dinghy to escape the fire zone, and dragged it 300 metres to where the air was cleaner.

Mr Holmes said: "We saw tornadoes of fire just coming across towards us and the next thing we knew everything was on fire.

"I had sent Tammy ... with the children to get down to the jetty because there was no other escape, we couldn't get off."

More than 100 bushfires are still raging across southeastern Australia, following a heatwave that saw the region scorched by record temperatures.

About 30 fires in New South Wales are out of control

Cooler weather has now brought some relief - but highs of 50C are forecast for the weekend.

Meteorologists have been forced to readjust their scales to accommodate the unprecedented heat.

After facing one of the highest-risk fire days in its history on Tuesday, residents in hard-hit New South Wales woke to shifting winds that caused temperatures to drop significantly.

While the mercury topped 42C in Sydney on Tuesday, it was forecast to peak at just 25C today, while the Victorian capital Melbourne was down to 20C.

The ratings on many bushfires were downgraded with none now at the "catastrophic" level which signifies fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving, and evacuation the only safe option.

Bathers at Lake Conjola watch as smoke billows from a bushfire at Deans Gap

But NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned against complacency, with new fronts breaking out despite the colder weather and a total fire ban still in place.

Speaking from Bookham, a small village in Yass Shire west of Canberra where a fire has so far burnt out 16,000 hectares, he said: "It is far from over when it comes to the threat to New South Wales.

"We need to sustain the vigilance today. We are not out of the woods yet, the risk is very real and there's a long day ahead and a forecast for a return to hot conditions toward the weekend and into next week."

More than 2,000 firefighters worked through the night tackling more than 140 blazes across New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, with 30 of those uncontained.

New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said an estimated 10,000 sheep had perished in the Yass area alone.

The state of Victoria has also been experiencing extreme conditions with four homes destroyed and six people treated for minor burns or smoke inhalation in a bushfire in the farming community of Carngham, which was evacuated.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the federal and state governments were working together in the recovery effort and to support victims.

"Firstly, it's all hands on deck fighting the fires, dealing with the emergency, and then we move into the recovery phase," she said.

No deaths have so far been reported.

While it was initially believed as many as 100 people could be missing in the southern island of Tasmania after wildfires razed more than 100 homes over the weekend, police said there was confusion about movements during the crisis.

"We know there have been no significant injuries, which is amazing, and we are encouraged that we haven't found any human remains at this stage," Tasmanian acting police commissioner Scott Tilyard told Sky News.

Wildfires are a fact of life in arid parts of Australia. Some 173 people perished in the 2009 Black Saturday firestorm, the nation's worst natural disaster of modern times.

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New York Ferry Crash: Up To 50 Injured

A commuter ferry has crashed into the dockside in Lower Manhattan in New York, injuring between 30 and 50 people.

The Sea Streak Ferry, which provides daily services from Atlantic Highlands in New Jersey struck Pier 11 in the East River not far from Wall Street at about 8.45am ET (1.45pm GMT).

Officials say at least one of the passengers was in a critical condition with head injuries.

The vessel apparently had a hard landing as it was trying to dock. 

"There was a jolt when that occurred, throwing the people forward into their seats and the walls," Sea Streak President James Barker told NBC 4 New York.

A corner of the ferry appeared to have been ripped open by the impact

Passenger Ellen Foran said people tumbled on top of each other, hysterical and crying.

"All of a sudden, the boat felt like it smashed into a wall," Richard Correra told WCBS-TV.

"Dozens of passengers got thrown out of their seats, got thrown forward," he said.

"Some were heading downstairs and just flew down the stairs and hit their heads on various poles and walls."

Many were helped off the ferry by emergency workers

Many of the 300 or so passengers were taken off the ferry on backboards for medical evaluation, their heads and necks immobilised.

Television pictures showed more than a dozen people on stretchers spread across the dockside, surrounded by emergency workers and firefighters.

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Russia Zorbing Accident: Father Killed In Fall

A man has died in a zorbing accident after the giant inflatable ball he was strapped into fell off a cliff edge.

Father-of-two Denis Burakov, 27, broke his neck and spine when the out-of-control orb hurtled down a mountain at the Dombai ski resort in southern Russia.

His friend Vladimir Shcherbov, 33, who was in the ball with him, escaped with minor cuts and bruises.

The accident was caught on camera by his friends.

The footage shows the pair climbing into the ball, and one friend can be heard saying: "Denis, you'll be like Jackie Chan in the Armour of God movie."

Two members of resort staff then push the orb down the piste, and another staff member is on hand at the bottom to stop it.

But as it neared the gathered crowd it suddenly veered left, and a man's voice can be heard saying: "Oh ****, it's gone in the wrong direction again."

He screamed to "hold it" but then said: "It's OK, it'll stop by itself."

The orb sped out of control and disappeared from view over a cliff edge. It travelled for nearly a mile before coming to a halt on a frozen lake.

Russian crash investigators said in a statement: "For unknown reasons the ball deviated from the route and fell into the Gonachkhir gorge - a slope of 70-80 degrees."

Authorities are interviewing eyewitnesses and relatives of the victims, as they decide whether to launch criminal proceedings.

Zorbs have been adopted as a symbol on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

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Jessops: PwC Confirms Role As Administrator

Troubled high street photography retailer Jessops has been placed in administration, it has been confirmed.

Sky sources earlier revealed that an application for administration was filed on Wednesday morning at the High Court.

Administrations puts around 2,000 jobs at risk.

The demise of the decades-old chain would be the first high street casualty of 2013, and comes soon after consumer electricals chain Comet hit the wall, sparking more than 6,000 job losses.

Retail Week said administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers were expected to be appointed after the firm suffered ongoing funding problems.

Jessops has struggled amid the digital photo revolution and the retail shift to online trading and camera phones.

The company's website was still operational on Wednesday afternoon

It underwent a major overhaul in 2007 and a swathe of store closures, but came close to collapse two years later before being rescued by its main lender HSBC in a controversial debt-for-equity swap that saw it taken off the stock market.

The bank took a 50% stake in the business in return for writing off £34m of loans.

There was speculation last year that suppliers such as Canon were considering injecting cash into Jessops to help prop the business up, but no deal materialised.

Last year it also lost two key executives, chairman David Adams and chief executive Trevor Moore - who joined HMV.

Martyn Everett was then appointed as chairman and Neil Old was promoted to lead the business as chief operating officer.

The firm began life in 1935 when Frank Jessop opened his first shop in Leicester.

PwC declined to comment and Jessops was not immediately available for comment when approached by Sky News.

The company's website was still active on Wednesday afternoon and its helplines were still in operation.

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Police Pursuit Crash Leaves Teenage Girl Dead

A teenage girl has died in a crash involving a car being pursued by police in southeast London.

The 13-year-old was travelling with her mother, father and brother when their Volkswagen Polo and a Peugeot 308 being chased by a marked police car collided.

The girl was in the rear of the Polo and died at the scene from her injuries, Scotland Yard said. Her parents and brother were taken to hospital. Their injuries were not thought to be serious.

Debris lies beside the road

The crash happened just before 6.30pm on Sunday in Ilderton Road, between New Cross and South Bermondsey and close to Millwall Football Club's stadium.

The male driver of the Peugeot was arrested and taken into custody. A female passenger was taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries.

The Metropolitan Police said the police car involved had its blue lights and sirens on when the collision happened.

The crash happened in southeast London near Millwall Football Club

Commander Tony Eastaugh said: "An innocent family are now dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one.

"The Metropolitan Police has now begun a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this terrible incident. The thoughts of our staff and officers are with the family at this time."

Traffic police and officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards are now investigating, the force said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been informed and an investigator was at the scene assessing the circumstances of the collision.

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Mother Jailed For Murdering Son Over Koran

A mother has been jailed for life after beating her son to death for failing to learn the Koran by heart and then burning his body to hide the evidence.

Sara Ege, 33, collapsed as the sentence was delivered at Cardiff Crown Court and had to be helped, trembling and sobbing, from the dock.

Ege had been praised as a "brilliant mother" to seven-year-old Yaseen but was convicted of his murder by a jury at the same court last month.

The court heard she treated Yaseen like a "dog" and repeatedly beat him with a stick for failing to memorise religious texts quickly enough.

The schoolboy had suffered multiple injuries to his body and died in July 2010 from internal injuries caused by three months of punishing beatings.

Ege set fire to the family house to hide her actions and played the part of a parent mourning the tragic death of her son until it was discovered in a post-mortem that Yaseen had been dead before the blaze started.

Mr Justice Wyn Williams ordered her to serve a minimum of 17 years behind bars and said: "The violence that you perpetrated on your son was not confined to one day.

"I am satisfied that, over three months, you beat him on a number of occasions, often with a wooden pestle.

"His injuries must have caused him a good deal of pain. In my judgment Yaseen was subjected to prolonged cruelty."

Ege accused her husband Yousef Ege, 38, who stood trial with his wife, of being a violent bully who beat her and was their son's real killer.

But he was cleared of causing or allowing his son's death at home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, South Wales, by failing to act to prevent it.

Ege was found guilty both of murder and of a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Following her conviction DC Kim Roche from South Wales Police said: "Throughout this investigation we have heard many tributes to Yaseen.

"Quiet, hard-working, bright, well-behaved, obedient, respectful, polite, smiley - are just some of the words used to describe Yaseen by those who knew him.

"It is a tragedy that such a promising young life was taken away in such disturbing circumstances and that those who knew him will not have the opportunity to see him grow up to become a young man."

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Cameron And Clegg Reboot The Coalition

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have pledged their commitment to ensuring the coalition lasts until 2015 as they unveiled a string of new policy plans.

The leaders appeared at a press conference together to review the Government's progress in a re-run of their notorious Rose Garden double act in 2010.

Setting out their priorities for the next two-and-a-half years, they stressed their even stronger "sense of shared purpose" as they look ahead.

Key policies to be announced in the coming weeks as they aim to show the coalition still has momentum include action on childcare and state pensions.

There will also be moves on infrastructure investment to help boost the economy and plans on how to fund care costs for the elderly.

The review, which aides insisted was not a relaunch, is aimed at showing the Government is doing more than just tackling the deficit.

It came on the day much-criticised child benefit cuts started to bite, with the handout axed for top earners and tapered for those on £50,000-£60,000-a-year.

Mr Cameron declared that he and his deputy are "completely united on the big issues" and that it was "full steam ahead" for the Government right until 2015.

"This coalition was not and is not some short-term arrangement," he said. "It is a serious five-year commitment to give our country the strong, stable and determined leadership that we need for the long-term."

David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the Rose Garden in 2010

He claimed that he and Mr Clegg were even more united on the central policy areas than they had been in 2010 because of the huge challenges facing Britain.

"The road ahead won't be easy. There have always been issues on which we disagree and doubtless there will be more in the months ahead but the key point is not whether you have disagreements, it is how you handle them," he said.

The Prime Minister tried to dismiss talk of a political marriage but insisted the two leaders were still working to a five-year plan and would not "divorce".

"This is a government, not a relationship. To me, it's not a marriage. It is, if you like, a Ronseal deal - it does what it says on the tin," he said.

"We said we would come together, we would form a government, we would tackle these big problems and get on with it in a mature and sensible way and that is exactly what we've done."

Mr Clegg jokingly added: "Ronseal deal, you could call it the unvarnished truth." He continued: "We are committed to doing what we said - providing stable government for this country for five years."

The Lib Dem leader admitted that the Lib Dems had been attacked from both sides of the political spectrum for its role in the coalition.

But he argued that the Government would ultimately be remembered for major reforms to welfare, education and the tax system instead of for the drastic spending cuts.

David Cameron suggested he would support TV debates for 2015

The 46-page document called The Coalition: Together In The National Interest summarises the Government's achievements to date as well as setting our new plans.

Details of the policy pledges are still being thrashed out and proper announcements are expected to be rolled out in the coming months at the rate of almost one a week.

One of the first is expected to focus on extra help for families struggling to meet childcare costs.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg are said to be considering a scheme that would allow families to claim up to £2,000 per child every year from their tax bills to cover the cost of childminders and nurseries.

It could mean working parents becoming entitled to claim a flat-rate tax allowance to help cover the costly bills in a move that would replace the £700m voucher and allowances scheme.

Further reforms due to be unveiled before the Budget in March include:

:: more help for families who cannot raise a deposit for a mortgage;

:: measures to limit state powers and extend personal freedoms;

:: "big new steps" on issues including pensions and "capping the potentially huge cost" of social care.

:: consulting on how to get private investment into motorways and trunk roads.

:: extending the HS2 high-speed rail line from Birmingham to the north of England.

The review comes after Mr Cameron insisted at the weekend that the partnership had a "full tank of gas" and indicated he wanted to stay Prime Minister until 2020.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman described the review as a "stock-take" and said it did not supersede the 2010 coalition agreement document.

Several senior ministers, as well as officials and other aides, were involved in putting together the review and it was presented to Cabinet for the first time on Monday morning.

:: David Cameron said he would support the continuation of televised general election debates between the party leaders.

"I'm in favour of them, I think they are good and I think we should go on having them, and I will play my part in trying to make that happen," he said.

Mr Clegg added: "I'm a firm believer in the TV debates."

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Alan Greaves Murder: Police Issue CCTV

Police have released CCTV footage of two people they want to question in connection with the murder of church organist Alan Greaves.

The 68-year-old was badly beaten as he walked to midnight mass at St Saviour's Church in High Green, Sheffield, on Christmas Eve.

South Yorkshire Police hope the footage, which shows two men near the scene of the murder, will jog someone's memory and lead to information that will help with their investigation.

Detective Inspector Matt Fenwick appealed for the pair to come forward and said he thought they could assist significantly.

He told a news conference in Rotherham: "I am absolutely convinced that someone out there will know who these two are, a mum, a dad, brother, sister, another family member or friend.

"Alan Greaves deserves your help. Alan Greaves' family deserves your help. Please make that call."

DI Fenwick also appealed to anyone living in the High Green area who had found anything in their garden that did not belong there to contact police.

"I am convinced that a weapon was used in this attack. I still have not established a motive for the attack," he said.

"Alan retains all his property, nothing is missing, and my enquiry remains open in relation to identifying a possible motive for the attack."

DI Fenwick described Mr Greaves as "well loved and respected by all who knew him" and said there was nothing in the victim's background to suggest a motive.

More than 50 police officers are working on the murder inquiry, he added.

The father-of-four died in hospital three days after suffering serious head injuries during the attack.

Two men were arrested on December 29 in connection with the murder. They were both released on bail.

:: Anyone with information is urged to call the incident room on 01709 443723.

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David Cameron Defends Child Benefit Cuts

David Cameron has defended controversial cuts to child benefit payments that come into effect at midnight, insisting the reforms were "fundamentally fair".

The Prime Minister insisted the move - which will see families with one earner on more than £50,000 lose some or all of the payment while households with two parents with salaries just under the trigger keep theirs - was the "right approach".

"I'm not saying those people are rich but I think it is right that they make a contribution," he told BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show.

"This will raise £2bn a year. If we don't raise that £2bn from that group of people, the better off 15% in the country, we would have to find someone else to take it from."

He added: "I think people see it as fundamentally fair that if there is someone in the household earning over £60,000 you don't get child benefit."

The Prime Minister: Cuts are 'fundamentally fair'

It is "full steam ahead" for the coalition, Mr Cameron said as he insisted the Government had a packed agenda.

And he told Marr that he had no intention of stepping aside.

He said: "I want to fight the next election as the leader of the Conservative Party, I want to win a Conservative majority and I want to serve."

Mr Marr interrupted: "And stay as Prime Minister for five years?"

Mr Cameron replied: "That's exactly what I have said."

On Monday, Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will publish a mid-term review of progress the Coalition government has made since 2010 and set out its top priorities for the rest of their term.

Mr Cameron said: "What you are going to see tomorrow is a coalition Government with a full tank of gas, it's full steam ahead.

"We have travelled a long way down the road we need to travel but there is a lot more we need to do.

"Far from running out of ideas, we have got a packed agenda, which concerns things like how do we build roads in Britain to make sure our economy keeps moving, how do we pay for the care for the elderly, how do we have a pension system that encourages saving - big things that our going to equip our country for the next decade."

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Policeman Killed Driving To 999 Call Named

A police officer who died after his car crashed into a tree while answering an emergency call in North Yorkshire has been named.

PC Andrew Bramma, 32, was killed when his patrol car hit a tree in the village of West Tanfield, near Ripon, at 7pm on Saturday, police said.

The married father-of-two was the only person in the vehicle when it crashed and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pc Bramma, who has two young sons, had transferred from Greater Manchester Police to North Yorkshire about four months ago

Officers hold flowers outside Harrogate polcie station

Temporary Chief Constable Tim Madgwick paid tribute to PC Bramma at a press conference at Harrogate police station.

He said: "This is terrible and tragic news and the thoughts of everyone at North Yorkshire Police are with the officer's family at this sad and very difficult time.

"The officer's immediate family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

"Everyone is shocked and saddened by the news of his death and I speak for every member of the force in extending our heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues."

The road was closed for several hours as investigators examined the scene.

The Health and Safety Executive has also been informed and an investigation will be carried out into the cause of the crash, police said.

Anyone who was in the area at the time and saw the vehicle or witnessed the collision is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.

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Syrian President Assad Gives Live TV Address

Syria's president has blamed Islamic extremists and "outside forces" for orchestrating the conflict in his country in a rare public address to the nation.

The embattled leader, who appeared before cheering crowds at an opera house in the capital Damascus, struck a defiant tone and was frequently interrupted by supporters chanting: "With our soul with our blood we sacrifice ourselves for you O Bashar."

With insurgents fighting their way closer to the seat of his power, President Bashar al Assad spoke about the latest developments and "suffering" in Syria.

He said the conflict was not between the state and opposition, but the "nation and its enemies".

"We are now in a state of war in every sense of the word," he said.

"This war targets Syria using a handful of Syrians and many foreigners. Thus, this is a war to defend the nation."

An opposition fighter during an air strike in Taftanaz, near Idlib

"We meet today and suffering is overwhelming Syrian land. There is no place for joy while security and stability are absent on the streets of our country.

"The nation is for all, and we must all protect it," he said to rapturous applause inside a packed House of Arts and Culture.

"There are those who seek to partition Syria and weaken it. But Syria is stronger ... and will remain sovereign ... and this is what upsets the West."

Mr Assad called for a "full national mobilisation" to fight against the rebels, whom he branded al Qaeda "terrorists" and "murderous criminals".

While outlining proposals for what he described as a peace plan including a new constitution and amnesty, there was no suggestion of him relinquishing his power.

He asserted the government and army would continue military operations against opposition groups.

Mr Assad said change must come through constitutional means and appealed for dialogue once the fighting had ended.

"Regional and international countries must stop funding the armed men to allow those displaced to return to their homes ... right after that our military operations will cease," he said.

"We will not have dialogue with a puppet made by the West."

A protest against the Assad regime in Kafranbel, near Idlib, on Friday

They were his first public comments since he dismissed suggestions that he might go into exile to end the civil war, telling Russian television in November that he would "live and die" in Syria.

According to Sky sources, the internet in Damascus was shut down during his address - at the end of which Mr Assad needed to be ushered away by security officials when he appeared to be mobbed by jubilant supporters.

The hour-long live broadcast came as fighting between Syrian rebels and government forces continued to rage across the country.

Mr Assad's appeals for a reconciliation are likely to be rejected by opposition forces and rebels, who insist he must step down.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague dismissed the calls "empty promises".

Responding to the address, he tweeted: "#AssadSpeech beyond hypocritical. Deaths, violence and oppression engulfing #Syria are his own making, empty promises of reform fool no one."

The European Union called on Mr Assad to step down, while the opposition coalition in Syria rejected the address.

Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay said: "Whatever the support he had inside Damascus there, it's not reflected nationally.

"There are a huge number of people now who obviously want him to leave. As he said, they are in a midst of a very nasty war, and there is nothing to indicate, especially after this speech, that's going to change at all."

The 21-month uprising against Assad has become a civil war that the United Nations says has killed 60,000 people.

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Gerard Depardieu Receives Russian Passport

The French actor Gerard Depardieu has received his passport after being granted Russian citizenship, saying he was leaving France to avoid proposed tax increases.

"There was a short meeting and Depardieu was handed his passport," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Russian television showed the two men embracing and then chatting over dinner.

But the Russian leader did not personally hand over the document when the two met at Putin's residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Depardieu shows off his new passport

Depardieu showed off the passport after arriving in Saransk, about 300 miles east of the capital Moscow, on Sunday.

The local governor invited him to settle in the provincial town and offered him an apartment of his choice, according to reports on state television.

Depardieu has not said where he will take up residence in Russia, only that he did not want to live in Moscow because it was too big and he would prefer a village.

The actor is opposed to proposed tax increases for French citizens earning more than €1m (£818,000).

President Putin surprised many at his end-of-year news conference in December by saying he was ready to offer the 64-year-old a Russian passport to resolve the row.

The Cyrano de Bergerac and Green Card star has become a frequent face on the Moscow celebrity circuit and is well known after appearing in a number of advertising campaigns.

He worked in the country in 2011 on a film about the eccentric Russian monk Grigory Rasputin.

But French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has called Depardieu unpatriotic at a time when the French are being asked to pay higher taxes to reduce a large national debt.

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