Monty Python Announce London Comeback Show

Monty Python have revealed their much-anticipated return will be on July 1, 2014 at the 02 arena in London.

It will be the comedy troupe's first new show in three decades, with tickets going on sale at 10am on November 25.

Eric Idle, Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones chose actor Warwick Davis to host the news conference and began by joking that the show had been awarded to Qatar.

Idle said the comeback would centre on the team's "greatest hits" but some new material is also likely to be included.

The name labels got a little "confused"

"People really do want to see the old hits," said John Cleese.

"But we don't want to do them in a predictable way, so it's going to be a mix up I think."

The performance will also pay tribute to Graham Chapman, the sixth Python member, who died in 1989.

There are no plans so far to extend the run or take the show on tour.

"We just thought it would be fun to do one and see if we were still funny," Idle told reporters. "That is our intention so far - just to do the O2 and see if we can fill it."

Tickets prices will range from £27.50 to £95.

(L-R) Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin and John Cleese

"We're advertising it as only £300 cheaper than the Stones," joked Idle.

Choreographer Arlene Phillips will help incorporate singers and dancers into the gig.

"It'll be like a huge musical," said Idle. "We're aware that we have to make a big show at the O2 and fill the stage.

"There will be lots of Gilliam animated stuff. We'll try and make it as exciting and funny as possible."

A statement ahead of the news conference said the show would be the group's "final reunion".

The performance will be their first time on stage since performing at the Hollywood Bowl on September 15, 1980 and 40 years after they last appeared on stage in the UK.

The group's Monty Python's Flying Circus TV show was made between 1969 and 1974 and is widely acknowledged as having revolutionised British comedy.

They have since amassed millions of fans for their anarchic comedy series and films, which also launched their own successful solo careers.

"We quite enjoy getting together to be very silly," Michael Palin told the news conference.

"I didn't think it was possible to be silly over 70 but actually it's easier - and very necessary."

John Cleese added: "We just laugh a lot when we're together and we always have."

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Miliband Accuses Cameron Of Co-op 'Smear'

The Labour leader has hit back at questions over his relationship with the disgraced former Co-op Bank chairman claiming it is all Tory smears.

Ed Miliband accused the Prime Minister of taking a "serious situation at the bank" and using it to make a "cheap political point".

He said: "I think what this episode says is more about the character of the Prime Minister than the character of Labour's relationship with the Co-op.

"We have a Prime Minister who, when he sees a serious situation at the bank, turns to make cheap political points rather than sorting out that serious situation.

"And frankly if David Cameron is determined to smear his way through the next 18 months that's wrong and that is not what the British people expect from their Prime Minister."

He said the Conservatives were "throwing around wild accusations" regarding the disclosures that the Labour Party benefitted from up to £18m of "soft loans".

Paul Flowers speaking about trust in the Co-op Bank in 2012

Mr Miliband said: "As soon as I knew about Reverend Flowers' activities he was suspended from the Labour Party and now what needs to be happen is there does need to be a look at the regulatory issues around the regulation of the Co-op and Reverend Flowers' role in that ."

He said the Labour Party had a "historic relationship" with the Co-op that long pre-dated Mr Flowers involvement with the bank.

Electoral Commission documents show a significant number of loans made to the party at more favourable interest rates than those extended to ordinary customers.

One £1.2m loan deal was made just weeks after the ex-Methodist minister Mr Flowers was invited to a meeting at Mr Miliband's office in March this year.

It has also emerged that Mr Flowers was brought on to the Labour Party's business advisory group and the party is under pressure to explain a 2012 £50,000 donation to the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls.

Mr Balls told Sky's Adam Boulton that he had never had a phone call or a meeting with Mr Flowers and stressed that the donation came from the Co-operative Group and not the Co-operative Bank.

Cameron pledges an inquiry into Mr Flowers' appointment to the bank

He said that the Tories had just as many questions to answer saying: "The Treasury, George Osborne and his ministers met Mr Flowers 10, 20, 30 times and the regulator gave them (Co-op Bank) a clean bill of health to buy Lloyds branches - 600 of them."

He also accused Mr Cameron of attempting to smear the Labour leadership over the party's links with the Co-op.

Mr Flowers, who led the Co-op for three years until 2013, is being investigated by the police for allegedly buying and using illegal drugs including crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine.

It has also emerged that he was convicted of drink-driving in 1990 and for gross indecency in a toilet with a man in 1981.

In 2011 he resigned his role on Bradford council after being caught with pornography on his council laptop and it has been alleged he falsely claimed £75,000 from a drugs charity when he was chairman of trustees in 2004.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday after pledging an inquiry into Mr Flowers' three years at the helm of the Co-op Bank, Mr Cameron said: "What we can now see is that this bank, driven into the wall by this chairman, has been giving soft loans to the Labour Party, facilities to the Labour Party, donations to the Labour Party, trooped in and out of Downing Street under Labour, still advising the leader of the Labour Party.

Mr Flowers stumbles when answering MPs' questions

"And yet, now we know, all along they knew about his past. Why did they do nothing to bring to the attention of the authorities this man who has broken a bank?"

Mr Flowers has also been accused of incompetence and resigned from his £132,000-a-year post as chair in June after a £1.5bn black hole was discovered in its finances.

The bank found a massive gap following the purchase of Britannia Building Society in 2009 and abortive attempts to take on hundreds of Lloyds branches.

It now faces a rescue which will see 50 branches close and investors including US hedge funds take control of 70% of the business.

During an appearance before the Commons Treasury committee earlier this month, Mr Flowers stumbled over basic facts and figures relating to the bank.

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Women Were 'Kept As Slaves For Over 30 Years'

Two people have been arrested as part of an investigation into slavery and domestic servitude at a house in London sparked by a report on Sky News.

The inquiry was launched after one of three alleged victims told a charity she had been held against her will for more than 30 years.

She contacted the Freedom Charity after seeing its founder Aneeta Prem in a report last summer about forced marriages on Sky News.

Scotland Yard said the charity, which advises and supports victims of forced marriages or honour-based violence, got in touch after receiving the call.

Further inquiries by police revealed the location of the house and with the help of sensitive negotiations conducted by Freedom, the three women were rescued.

One was a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, the other a 57-year-old Irish woman and the third a 30-year-old Briton.

All three, described by police as "highly traumatised", were taken to a place of safety where they remain.

Ms Prem told Sky News it was the Irish woman who phoned the Freedom Charity after watching her on television.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland, from the Met's human trafficking unit, said: "We applaud the actions of Freedom Charity and are working in partnership to support these victims who appear to have been held for over 30 years.

"We have launched an extensive investigation to establish the facts surrounding these very serious allegations.

"A television documentary on forced marriages relating to the work of Freedom Charity was the catalyst that prompted one of the victims to call for help and led to their rescue."

Officers said the two suspects, a man and a woman, both aged 67, have been taken to a south London police station for questioning.

Earlier this year the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) - a joint operation by the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office - revealed it helped in 1,485 cases of possible forced marriage in 2012.

These involved 60 countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America.

The statistics for last year show that of the 744 cases where the age was known, more than 600 involved people under the age of 26.

More follows...  

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George Osborne’s Stamp Duty Bonanza

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

Stamp duty revenues - one of the most reliable measures of property market activity - are back to the same level they were just before the economic crisis in 2008, in the latest evidence of the housing boom.

Last month homebuyers paid £852m in stamp duty to the Exchequer, according to figures from HM Revenue & Customs - slightly higher than the £830m-a-month  it was earning at the peak of the boom in 2007/08.

The figures come amid growing evidence that, thanks to record low interest rates and the Chancellor's Help to Buy scheme, the housing market is experiencing a fully-fledged boom.

House prices rose by 3.8% across the country in the past year, with London experiencing close to double-digit price growth.

It is understood that property market activity in prime parts of central London was largely responsible for the sharp increase in stamp duty revenues, which have now doubled from the troughs they suffered in 2010 and 2011.

In the Budget the Chancellor forecast that he would earn £7.7bn in property-related stamp duty this year. He looks likely to beat this estimate by more than a billion pounds.

However, news that stamp duty revenues have exceeded the pre-crisis peak will also cause further concerns among economists, who have warned that the property market is becoming inflated in much the way it did before the crash.

They warn that, far from rebalancing, Britain's economy is becoming reliant, once again, on debt and the housing market.

The Chancellor has also enjoyed an extra fillip from new measures aimed at preventing property investors avoid stamp duty by "wrapping" their investment properties up in a company.

The punitive fees levied on these investors generated £78m for the Exchequer in September and October alone.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the overall government deficit dropped from £8.2bn in October 2012 to £8.1bn this October.

The figures are also likely to have been pushed higher by the fact that stamp duty tax rates have been lifted, and new higher rates have been introduced for the most expensive properties.

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Derbyshire House Fire: Four People Killed

Two women and two boys have died in a house fire in Derbyshire, police have confirmed.

A third child, a seven-year-old girl, is in hospital with minor injuries after escaping into the back garden.

The fire broke out at an address on Williamthorpe Road in North Wingfield, a village about four miles south of Chesterfield.

Police said they were still working to identify the victims and told reporters it was too early to say what caused the fire.

Four people were "rescued" by firefighters but later died

 Kam BasiKKamKamKam Basi from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said "four rescues were carried out" after crews were called to the scene at 5am, but that all four later died.

Chief Inspector Rick Gooch added: "I can confirm that two were women and two young children were taken to hospital and pronounced dead at the hospital.

"I can also confirm that a seven-year-old girl survived the fire and has minor injuries consistent with smoke inhalation."

Police and the fire service are now investigating the fire, with Mr Basi saying that particular attention was being paid to the first floor.

Sky News' Gerard Tubb, who is at the scene, said the house showed little sign of fire damage from the outside apart from "smoke-blackened windows".

"They (investigators) won't say whether or not they are looking at this as a suspicious fire, although the suggestion is quite possibly not."

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Ferry Firm Rescues 'Too Fat To Fly' Frenchman

A ferry company has stepped in to help a 32-stone Frenchman who was told he was too heavy to board a plane or a Eurostar train.

Kevin Chenais was left stranded in Britain after being banned from travelling through the Channel Tunnel on the grounds he posed a safety risk.

But ferry firm P&O said it would transport the 22-year-old back across the English Channel on its Spirit of Britain vessel.

A P&O spokesman said: "We're delighted to help. It's not difficult for us.

"We're used to carrying ambulances across the Channel, so we're set up for this type of thing.

"It's difficult to imagine the frustration that this gentleman has gone through. But for us, it's very straight-forward as we're set up to carry people who have medical needs."

Mr Chenais' travel problems began when he was left stuck in the United States after British Airways refused to carry him on his return ticket. In the end, Virgin Atlantic flew him into London.

P&O said it was "delighted" to help Mr Chenais

But Mr Chenais, who uses a mobility scooter, then encountered more difficulties when trying to travel to France when Eurostar declined to transport him because of safety regulations.

A spokesman for Eurostar said: "This is a terrible situation.

"Our heart goes out to Mr Chenais and his family who are understandably desperate to return home after being stranded in America.

"Unfortunately, there was no question that he would have been able to travel with Eurostar as we must observe very strict safety rules which govern travel through the Channel Tunnel.

"Those provisions require that all passengers are able to be evacuated into the Channel Tunnel in the event of an emergency.

"As a consequence of Mr Chenais's immobility, this would simply not have been possible and would have posed a safety risk to himself, our crew and all of the other passengers on board.

"We simply cannot ignore these safety regulations, nor would we want to."

A British Airways statement said: "We will always try to accommodate someone if it's possible and safe to do so.

"Our customer service team worked diligently to find a solution and have exhausted all options."

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Hull Named As UK City Of Culture 2017

Hull has been named as the UK City of Culture 2017, beating Leicester, Swansea Bay and Dundee to the title.

The city will hope to see an economic boost from the accolade, which is handed out every four years.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Maria Miller said: "This is brilliant news for Hull and everyone involved in the bid there.

Famous abolitionist William Wilberforce is among Hull's famous sons

"This year's UK City of Culture, Derry-Londonderry, demonstrates the huge benefits that the title brings. These include encouraging economic growth, inspiring social change and bringing communities together.

"It can produce a wonderful mix of inward investment and civic pride, and I hope Hull's plans will make the most of all that being UK City of Culture can bring."

Ms Miller praised the three losing cities for the "time, effort and determination" they put into their bids.

"I hope they will still take forward many of the fantastic ideas and events they had planned so that their communities can enjoy these innovative cultural plans," she said.

Referencing Hull band The Housemartins' first big hit, Happy Hour, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who was a Hull MP for almost 40 years, responded to the news on his Twitter page, writing: "It's Happy Hour again! #HullYes Well done."

TV producer Phil Redmond, who chaired the advisory panel that helped choose the winner, said all four shortlisted cities showed a "real understanding" of what the award was about.

But he said: "Ultimately it was the unanimous verdict of the panel that Hull put forward the most compelling case based on its theme as 'a city coming out of the shadows'.

Hull Marina is a popular attraction in the city

"This is at the heart of their project and reminds both its people and the wider world of both its cultural past and future potential.

"We were particularly impressed with Hull's evidence of community and creative engagement, their links to the private sector and their focus on legacy, including a commitment to enhance funding beyond 2017, and I'd like to congratulate all involved."

Previous holders of the title have sought to improve the image of their city, holding various artistic and cultural events in an effort to increase visitor numbers and offer a boost to the local economy.

Hull's Princes Quay shopping centre

Hull's city council admits one of the aims of the bid is to "change the perceptions" of the city.

It is often derided - up until this year regularly featuring in the comic book Crap Towns - and last month an Economist article cited Hull as one of "Britain's Decaying Towns".

But the current city of culture, Londonderry, has seen visitor numbers double over the course of this year and had around £120m of capital investment pumped into the city since winning the title in 2009.

The Guildhall in the centre of Hull and the city's Prince Street

Its mayor, Councillor Martin Reilly, said: "I am confident that an amazing year awaits Hull as the winning city for 2017.

"I wish them every success and look forward to forming a working relationship with Hull to share our experiences and learning."

Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he was surprised and disappointed at the result.

"I can only guess that Hull desperately needed a shot in the arm while the judges decided we in Leicester are making our way successfully and didn't need it as much," he said.

Meanwhile, Welsh Secretary David Jones said: "As much as today's announcement will come as disappointing news to those who have supported Swansea Bay's bid, they should be rightly proud of all that they have achieved."

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Greenpeace Protest: Britons Released On Bail

Two Britons have been freed on bail after they were arrested following attempts by Greenpeace to occupy an oil platform in the Arctic.

Greenpeace activist Alexandra Harris and independent video-journalist Kieron Bryan were given the news at a court in St Petersburg after spending two months in custody following the protest at the Prirazlomnaya platform in September.

As she heard the news, Ms Harris skipped for joy and said: "This has been the hardest experience of my life. I'm really happy. It's not over yet but there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Journalist Kieron Bryan shows his relief at the news

"It's nice the Russians made the right decision. I love my parents and look forward to speaking to them soon."

Ms Harris' father Chris said: "We're incredibly proud of how she has conducted herself throughout this ordeal.

"I can see when she came into court she was smiling and happy as she'd heard the news the others had been granted bail, but as the hearing progressed she became emotional.

British activist Iain Rogers was denied bail at a hearing in October

"I think she'll make her own mind up what she does in life. She's always been passionate about the Arctic and we're proud of her.

After his release Mr Bryan said: "This has been really difficult and it has been made a lot easier hearing how much support I have in the UK. To my family, 'I love you and I hope to see you soon'."

Speaking of his detention, he said: "I had a couple of phone calls with my girlfriend and that's it. It's the worst possible isolation.

Russian special forces arrested the protesters at gunpoint in September

"The conditions were terrible in Murmansk. I think we're very lucky in the UK. Things were better in St Petersburg because they decorated my cell and made it look nice."

Mr Bryan said the moment of his arrest when Russian special forces abseiled onto the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise was like something out of a Hollywood movie.

"They didn't declare who they were they just pointed their guns at us and took over the ship. I had no idea it was going to carry on like this. If I knew that was the beginning of this nightmare I would have behaved differently."

The ship's Captain, Pete Wilcox, was also freed on bail

The group were initially charged with piracy but are now accused of hooliganism, which carries a maximum jail term of seven years.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Birgitte Lesanner said she was "proud" of the protesters, including six Britons, and said their resilience had been "amazing".

"We need to remember they're still charged with really horrible charges and we've no clue as to the next steps, so we're not celebrating yet," she said.

Anthony Perrett will learn later if his bail application was successful

"But that moment when they (said) they're released on bail (was) quite amazing."

Earlier, as she was led into the courtroom by police, Ms Harris told supporters she felt "trapped inside a political game".

Speaking from inside a metal cage, she told Sky News correspondent Katie Stallard: "I will not dishonour Greenpeace or my country by trying to flee Russia or the investigation."

Ms Harris' father said her family were overjoyed at news of her release

Ms Harris, whose bail was set at two million rubles (£38,098), said she was nervous and that the past two months had been "horrible".

"When I talk about the last two months, it's hard not to get emotional," she said.

"The conditions (in prison) at first were awful and the food was disgusting.

"They're better now but it's still prison. I'm still trapped, I can't speak to anyone (and I'm) cut off from the world. It's no better."

A total of 30 people aboard the Arctic Sunrise were detained after the protest in September.

Greenpeace activist Anthony Perrett is expected to have his bail application heard later.

A fourth Briton, Iain Rogers, the Arctic Sunrise engineer, was refused bail at a hearing in October.

Dutch protester Faiza Oulahsen and the ship's captain, Pete Wilcox, were granted bail earlier, while Sini Saarela of Finland and Francesco Pisanu of France had their applications approved yesterday.

However, Australian activist Colin Russell was denied bail at an earlier hearing and will be kept in detention until February.

:: Watch Sky News for live coverage of the hearing.

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New Gibraltar Row: Ambassador Summoned

The Foreign Office has summoned the Spanish Ambassador after a ship entered Gibraltar territorial waters and refuses to leave.

More follows...

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Co-op Boss Quits Amid Flowers Drug Scandal

Len Wardle, chair of the Co-operative Group, has resigned after "serious questions" were raised by the growing scandal over its former banking chairman Paul Flowers.

Mr Wardle had announced last month that he planned to step down amid the wider financial crisis at the bank but quit on Tuesday with immediate effect.

Reverend Flowers, who has already apologised for doing things that were "stupid and wrong" - but without elaborating - has been suspended from the Methodist Church and by the Labour Party after being filmed in a newspaper sting allegedly trying to buy illegal drugs.

The substances said to be at the centre of the claims include cocaine and ketamine - a horse tranquilliser - used as a party drug. 

Len Wardle joined the Co-op's board in 2002. Pic: Co-op

The allegations against Reverend Flowers, which are the subject of a police inquiry, exacerbated pressure on Britain's biggest mutual which is having to explain the background to the bank's financial difficulties - largely a result of its merger with Britannia in 2009.

Mr Wardle said in a statement: "The recent revelations about the behaviour of Paul Flowers, the former Chair of The Co-operative Bank, have raised a number of serious questions for both the Bank and the Group.

"I led the Board that appointed Paul Flowers to lead the Bank Board and under those circumstances I feel that it is right that I step down now, ahead of my planned retirement in May next year.

"I have already made it clear that I believe the time is right for real change in our operations and our governance and the Board recently started a detailed review of our democracy.

"I hope that the Group now takes the chance to put in place a new democratic structure so we can modernise in the interests of all our members."

The Co-op confirmed Mr Wardle would be replaced by Ursula Lidbetter, currently Group deputy chair and chief executive of the Lincolnshire Co-operative Society.

Paul Flowers is being investigated following the Mail On Sunday's claims

His decision was announced hours after The Co-op Group launched a fact-finding probe and a root-and-branch review of its structure after "serious and wide-ranging" allegations about Reverend Flowers, who resigned in June after three years as chair of the banking arm after a £1.5bn black hole was discovered in its finances.

The Group statement on Monday said: "Given the serious and wide-ranging nature of recent allegations, the new executive management team has started a fact-finding process to look into any inappropriate behaviour at the Co-operative Group or the Co-operative Bank and to take action as necessary.

"In addition, the board of the Co-operative Group has launched a root and branch review of the democratic structure of the organisation.

"We need to modernise to ensure that the interests of all our seven million members are properly and directly represented in the oversight of our business activities."

While announcing Mr Wardle's decision to quit, the Co-op said on Tuesday that Ms Lidbetter would chair the Group through the governance review, which will include consideration of how the Board is constituted and chaired.

The Co-op Bank discovered a massive gap in its finances following the purchase of Britannia Building Society in 2009 and abortive attempts to take on hundreds of Lloyds branches.

It faces a rescue which will see 50 branches close and investors including US hedge funds take control of 70% of the business, leaving the wider Co-operative Group with just 30% - described as a "tragedy" by former group chief executive Peter Marks.

The former Co-op bank chief executive who steered through its ill-fated merger with Britannia told MPs today it was years before anyone believed it was a "daft" idea.

David Anderson told the Treasury Select Committee he did not believe that a £550m write-off ascribed to the Britannia's commercial loans was enough on its own to sink the bank.

The scandal surrounding Reverend Flowers has intensified the focus on the bank's troubles.

Critics have questioned how he could have been appointed given his apparent lack of experience in banking and Andrew Tyrie MP, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, has said that it was clear he was "manifestly unsuitable".

Regulators have said he went through the appropriate process when he joined the Co-op's board as a non-executive director but did not face further scrutiny when he became its chairman.

In a separate development, Labour has come under pressure to return a £50,000 donation backed by Reverend Flowers.

The donation, made by the Co-operative Group, emerged as the party suspended his membership over the drug allegatons.

Labour's leadership has since attempted to distance itself from Mr Flowers, a former councillor, after it emerged he attended a private meeting with Ed Miliband in March.

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Cyclist Tweet Is My Biggest Regret - Driver

By Rachel Younger, East of England Correspondent

A driver who tweeted about knocking a cyclist off his bike has said sending the message is the "biggest regret" of her life.

Emma Way, who was convicted of failing to stop after a crash and failing to report an accident but cleared of driving without due care and attention, clipped cyclist Toby Hockley on a country road in Norfolk last May.

She was fined £337 and given seven penalty points on her licence when she appeared at Norfolk Magistrates' Court.

The case came to the public's attention when the 22-year-old posted a tweet which read: "Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way. He doesn't even pay road tax!"

She ended her message with the hashtag #bloodycyclists.

Way, who has since left Twitter, sent this message hours after the crash

Mr Hockley told the court he was riding with a friend through Rockland All Saints, near Thetford, and had slowed down to about 18mph for a bend when a car came around the the corner "on my side of the road".

He said he ended up in a hedge, bruised, scratched and stung by nettles, after the car's wing mirror clipped his right arm.

He told the court there had been "quite a loud crunch" but admitted he had not come off his bike.

Jason Sexton, who was riding with Mr Hockley, told the court he had been riding just in front of his friend and had shouted to warn him about the approaching car before pulling into a lay-by.

He told the court he had also shouted at the driver, adding that his friend had been "as far across (on the road) as he could be to avoid traffic".

The crash happened in the village of Rockland All Saints, Norfolk

Way, a former trainee accountant from Watton, Norfolk, admitted her wing mirror had clipped Mr Hockley's bike with a "donk" but claimed he had been on the wrong side of the road, leaving her with nowhere to go.

She said she felt the collision had been his fault, telling the court: "I saw he had slightly wobbled. I hadn't hurt him. He was fine. I just carried on."

Asked whether she had thought any damage or injury had been caused, she replied: "No. I would definitely have stopped."

Way, who lost her job over the tweet, said she had been annoyed by the cyclist and sent the message on the "spur of the moment".

Asked by the defence to rate the stupidity of the post on a scale of one to 10, she replied: "I'd score it at 11."

"It was ridiculous and stupid and I apologise to all cyclists," she added. "It is the biggest regret of my life so far."

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Monty Python's Circus Set To Fly Again

Comedy veterans Monty Python are set to reunite for their first major project in 30 years.

Surviving members of the team at the Spamalot opening in New York in 2005

Surviving members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin are expected to announce their plans at a news conference in London on Thursday.

The announcement follows months of secret talks about getting back together, according to reports.

A spokesman for the Pythons would not reveal whether the group planned to perform live, in a TV special or in a film.

But Terry Jones appears to have let the cat out of the bag by revealing what it is the Pythons are going to do.

"We're getting together and putting on a show - it's real," Jones told the BBC.

(L-R) Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin and John Cleese

"I'm quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!"

Idle added to the rumours on Monday when he tweeted: "Only three days to go till the Python press conference.

"Make sure Python fans are alerted to the big forthcoming news event."

His Tuesday tweet added: "Python meeting this morning. Can't wait. Press Conference Thursday will apparently be live on Sky News.  I'll get you the online URL."

Monty Python's Flying Circus was made for TV between 1969 and 1974, and the team's work famously includes the Dead Parrot and the Ministry of Silly Walks sketches.

The Pythons went on to make films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Filming Life of Brian

Their final film, Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, released in 1983, was the last time the six Pythons worked together on a full-time project.

Graham Chapman died of cancer in 1989.

Since the Pythons split, each member of the group has gone on to achieve huge success in his own right.

John Cleese co-wrote and starred in Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures - the latter two also starred fellow Python Michael Palin - and he has appeared in two James Bond and two Harry Potter films.

Most recently, he has been on what he calls his Alimony Tour, a one-man show which he says he had to do to pay for his divorce from American therapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger for which he had to pay a divorce settlement of £12m.

World Of Whickers

Michael Palin also had starring roles in a number of films, as well as carving out a different career on TV as a well-respected and entertaining traveller and explorer.

Terry Jones' career - like his fellow Pythons - has been diverse. He co-wrote Ripping Yarns with Palin before moving on to working with musicians and writing books and presenting TV documentaries on medieval and ancient history. He has also collaborated with Terry Gilliam, the only non-British Python.

Gilliam was the animator behind the Python comedy sketches. Since going solo, Gilliam has directed several films including Time Bandits, Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

At the Hollywood Bowl, California, 1982

Eric Idle has written books and songs and West End shows. His current success is the music and lyrics for the musical Monty Python's Spamalot, based on the Holy Grail film.

The Python team were earlier this year ordered to pay around £250,000 extra in royalties to film producer Mark Forstater over his contribution to Spamalot.

Forstater was the original producer of the Holy Grail film, a musical that has grossed well over £100m.

He had said in court that he was the "seventh" Python - a statement described as "laughable" by the comedy team.

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Paris Shootings: Attack At Liberation Paper

A manhunt is under way in Paris after two separate shootings, including one at a newspaper that left a man fighting for his life.

A photographer's assistant was seriously injured at the offices of the Liberation newspaper before another shooting about two hours later outside the headquarters of Societe Generale bank.

In a third incident, a man was taken hostage close to the bank and forced to drive to the Champs-Elysees before being released.

There are also unconfirmed reports that the suspect may be carrying grenades.

The hostage was released on the Champs-Elysees

Police said descriptions of the car-jacker matched that of the gunman. Shotgun cartridges found after both attacks also match up.

Officers are guarding media offices across Paris and are investigating a link with an incident on Friday when a man with a shotgun threatened journalists at a French news channel.

The victim at the Liberation newspaper was shot in the chest and arm, according to police union spokesman Christophe Crepin.

The shooter reportedly entered the lobby of the building wearing a bulletproof vest just before 10.15am, fired several shots with a pump-action shotgun and then fled.

Police stand guard outside the Liberation newspaper office

Liberation said the 27-year-old victim is in a critical condition at the city's Pitie-Salpetriere hospital.

No one was injured at the bank shooting, according to a Societe Generale spokesperson.

Police confirmed three shots were fired outside the building, which is located about six miles (10km) from the newspaper's office.

Sky News' Robert Nisbet said shortly after the bank shooting, a man called police and said he had been taken hostage in the nearby town of Puteaux.

The second shooting was outside the Societe Generale headquarters

"He was told he should drive to the Champs-Elysees - right in the centre of Paris," said Nisbet.

The shootings come three days after a man stormed into the Paris headquarters of news channel BFMTV brandishing a shotgun and warned a senior editor: "Next time, I will not miss you."

Police are investigating a link with that incident and comparing CCTV footage.

Freelance journalist Peter Allen, who is on the Champs-Elysees, said there is an "eerie silence on the streets" and that people in the area have been told to stay inside.

France's Interior Minister Manuel Valls speaks to media after the attack

"The hunt is on for this man," said Allen. "He has been described as between 40 and 45 years old, stout, shaven headed, wearing a cap and jeans.

"Rather disturbing reports say he is actually brandishing hand grenades as well as a shotgun.

"No one has seen him for a while and there are reports that he disappeared down into the Metro system - specifically line one - a hugely popular line full of tourists at all times of the day."

French President Francois Hollande said in a statement he had ordered authorities to "mobilise all means to clarify the circumstances of these acts and arrest the perpetrator or perpetrators".

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Rapper Watsky Sorry For 'Stupid' Gig Rig Jump

A rapper who jumped from a lighting rig and injured two people has apologised for his "stupid and wildly irresponsible" stunt.

George Watsky climbed a rope ladder before leaping into the crowd at Alexandra Palace in north London during a performance at the Vans Warped Tour.

The 30ft fall broke a girl's arm and left another fan in hospital, although Watsky himself escaped with only "nicks, bruises and the shame of endangering the crowd".

In a lengthy apology posted to his Facebook page, the musician said: "The jump was not awesome, it was not badass and it was not ballsy.

The American rapper climbed a rope ladder to reach the lighting rig

"It turned what should have been a great day for the people who got hurt into a nightmare.

"It was stupid and wildly irresponsible, plain and simple."

Video of Watsky's jump has already been viewed more than 180,000 times on YouTube.

The stunt was described as "pretty idiotic", "dumb" and "definitely stupid" by some users, although many of his 200,000 fans on Facebook expressed their support for the star following his apology.

Watsky prepares to jump into the crowd during a gig at Alexandra Palace

Conceding that it was "extremely lucky" no one was more seriously injured, Watsky wrote: "Putting your own body on the line is one thing, but putting other people in harm's way is inexcusable."

He said he would not be cancelling any of his forthcoming tour dates but insisted he "will not be jumping off anything".

"I am deeply sorry and I promise to learn from this mistake," he added.

Watsky said he spent six hours waiting at the hospital while the injured man was seen by doctors and planned to return to the ward to apologise to him.

The musician falls into the crowd, injuring two fans

The artist, who is originally from San Francisco but now lives in Los Angeles, describes himself as a "versatile lyricist who switches between silly and serious, technically complex and simply heartfelt".

His self-titled hip hop track Watsky reached number seven on a specialist iTunes chart in 2010.

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Bodies In Ditches: Woman Admits Three Murders

A woman has admitted murdering three men whose stabbed bodies were found in remote ditches in Cambridgeshire.

Joanna Dennehy pleaded guilty to killing Kevin Lee, Lukasz Slaboszewski and John Chapman between March and April this year.

The 30-year-old, from Peterborough, also pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of all three victims, as well as the attempted murders of two other men, Robin Bereza and John Rogers.

The bodies were found close to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

She was arrested after a police hunt, during which officers distributed her picture and described the distinctive star tattoo she has under her right eye.

Appearing at the Old Bailey, Dennehy told the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney: "I've pleaded guilty and that's that."

Her barrister, Nigel Lickley QC, said: "The course of the arraignment is not one we had anticipated."

Mr Slaboszewski (L) and Mr Chapman were found with stab wounds on April 3

The bodies of Mr Slaboszewski, 31, who was stabbed in the heart, and Mr Chapman, 56, who died from neck and chest wounds, were found at Thorney Dyke, near Peterborough, on April 3.

Four days earlier, Mr Lee, 48, was discovered in a ditch in Newborough, around 10 miles away. He had been stabbed in the chest.

He was last seen on Good Friday and reported missing later that day when his Ford Mondeo was found burned out near a farm in Yaxley.

Mr Lee's body was discovered in a village north of Peterborough

In a statement released after his death, his family described him as a "wonderful husband, father, loving brother and son".

They said he had a "naturally infectious personality (that) touched everyone who knew him", adding: "He will be hugely missed by all his friends and family."

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Russia Crash Plane Was 'Vertical' On Impact

Russia's transport minister says a plane that crashed at Kazan airport, killing everybody on board including a British woman, was "vertical" when it hit the runway and exploded.

Forty-four passengers and six crew members were killed when the Boeing 737-500 airliner crashed on Sunday evening.

The Tatarstan Airlines flight from Moscow was trying to abort its landing in order to make a second approach when it struck the runway and exploded.

Transport minister Maxim Sokolov said the plane appeared to fall out of the sky.

The site of the crash

"The plane simply fell. It went vertically into the ground. After the plane hit the ground there was an explosion," he was quoted as saying by the state RIA Novosti news agency in Kazan.

Mr Sokolov cited security footage that shows the plane at its point of impact.

British woman Donna Bull, an A-levels programme manager at Bellerbys College in Cambridge, was killed in the crash, along with her Moscow-based colleague, Yana Baranova. The pair were heading to Kazan for a 10-day marketing trip.

Donna Bull was on a marketing trip

The UK Foreign Office confirmed the death and said it was providing consular assistance.

Ms Bull was described by her employer as a "very popular and well-respected member of staff".

Also among the dead was the son of the leader of the Tatarstan region, Irek Minnikhanov, and the head of Russia's FSB security service in Tatarstan, Alexander Antonov.

The plane took off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport at 6.25pm local time and crashed just over an hour later.

According to eyewitnesses, the Boeing lost altitude quickly and its fuel tank exploded on impact.

There were high winds and cloudy skies over the airport in central Russia at the time of the crash.

Boeing officials at the Dubai Airshow declined to comment on the crash.

The flight was operated by the regional Tatarstan airline, according to a spokeswoman from Russia's Emergencies Ministry.

A man reacts at Kazan airport to news of the crash

Kazan, which is 500 miles east of Moscow, is the capital of the oil-rich region of Tatarstan.

A new runway was built at the airport ahead of the World Student Games, held in the city earlier this year.

A spokesman for state aviation oversight agency Rosaviatsia said authorities would search for the flight recorders.

Russia and the former Soviet republics combined had one of the world's worst air traffic safety records in 2011, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Flowers and a teddy bear are left near a fence of Kazan airport

IATA said last year that global airline safety had improved, but accident rates had risen in Russia and the ex-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.

In April 2012, at least 31 people were killed when a Russian passenger plane crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia.

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Luton: Man Stabbed After Confronting Burglars

A man woken by burglars forcing their way into his home was stabbed when he went to investigate.

The 47-year-old, named locally as Tony Abrahams, suffered serious injuries after confronting the intruders when he heard a noise on the landing.

Three men, described by Bedfordshire Police as black and aged between 14 and 20, are believed to have forced their way into the family home in Wellfield Avenue, Luton, at about 3am on Saturday.

It is believed Mr Abrahams was stabbed three times as he tried to apprehend the burglars and protect his wife and daughter.

The suspects then fled on foot towards Ashwell Avenue and were seen getting into a black car, believed to be a Vauxhall Astra.

Mr Abrahams, said to be in a serious but stable condition, was taken to Luton and Dunstable Hospital after the alarm was raised by his family.

His daughter told Sky News that her father was doing "remarkably well".

Detective Constable Mo Hussain has urged local people to come forward with information.

"This was an appalling attack on a family man within his own home and I would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak with us," he said.

"While the victim has suffered some very nasty injuries, he is in a stable condition and has responded very well to treatment."

Police also stressed that should people find intruders in their home, it was best to call 999 rather than try to apprehend them.

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Lib Dems Warn Tories Over 'Union-Bashing'

A Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister has warned he will not tolerate a Government-backed inquiry into the conduct of industrial disputes being used for "union-bashing".

David Cameron ordered the independent review into the tactics used by the unions in the wake of the bitter dispute which almost led to the closure of the petrochemical plant at the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland, amid accusations of bullying and intimidation.

Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable has already made clear he only agreed to the inquiry, headed by the industrial relations lawyer Bruce Carr QC, on the basis that it would also examine the practices of employers as well.

This was echoed by his party colleague Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in a further sign of strain with their Conservative coalition partners.

And he indicated that the Lib Dems will only agree to any recommendations to change the law if they were convinced they would lead to an improvement in industrial relations.

Striking a conciliatory note, Mr Alexander pointed out that industrial relations had been "reasonably benign" despite cuts to public spending.

He told Sky News' Murnaghan programme: "What this review is going to look at is not just unions, but employers too.

"It's right to say that in circumstances where there have been various reports of tactics that are underhand being used in those industrial disputes, that we should have an independent review.

"We should look at both sides, employer and employee, at what's been going on and take a view."

He added: "If there are measured, sensible, prudent reforms that could help to improve the industrial relations landscape in this country yet further, I'd be up for that.

"What I'm not up for is a bunch of union-bashing."

The review follows claims the Unite union adopted so-called "leveraged" tactics in an attempt to intimidate executives from Ineos, the refinery's owners, including sending "mobs" of demonstrators to protest outside their homes.

The move follows the dispute at Grangemouth

The Conservative Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, also interviewed on Murnaghan, acknowledged that industrial relations in the UK were generally good, but said that key facilities like Grangemouth had to be protected.

"At Grangemouth we were talking about the energy supplies to much of Scotland. This is part of Britain's critical national infrastructure so we can't be relaxed about that," he said.

"It is a balanced and impartial inquiry looking into what goes on in industrial disputes to see whether the law is adequate.

"This is not saying that everything is wrong. It is saying there's been some evidence provided, some allegations made and so-called leveraged practices which involve in some cases quite unpleasant examples of intimidation against fellow workers and against management. That's not acceptable.

"We need first of all to establish the facts and then to see whether the law needs changing."

But Sarah Veale, TUC head of employment rights, dismissed the inquiry, insisting that it was clearly "politically driven".

"It is a completely disproportionate response to one or two instances. It is really quite disgraceful that the Government is pretending that there is a real public interest concern here. There isn't," she told Sky News.

She also defended Unite's tactics in the Grangemouth dispute - including reportedly sending demonstrators brandishing a large inflatable rat to protest outside the home of one Ineos executive.

"There is a long-established tradition in a civilised democracy like the UK that people can express their views in a peaceful, law-abiding way. That's what the union is doing," she said.

"They are simply disseminating information. Intimidation is a ridiculous word to use. I wouldn't be intimidated by being given a leaflet or by people standing with a large plastic rat near to my house."

Ministers have said they want Mr Carr - who will sit with two assessors, one representing the employers and one from the unions - to complete his report within six months of starting.

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Age Of Consent: No 10 Rejects Calls To Change

Downing Street has rejected a call from a leading public health expert to consider lowering the age of consent for sex to 15.

Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said society sends "confused" signals about when sex is permitted.

But a No 10 spokesman said: "We reject the call to lower the age of consent.

"The current age is in place to protect children and there are no plans to change it."

Prof Ashton's intervention comes against a backdrop of official figures which suggest that up to a third of teenagers have sex before the present age of consent of 16.

He told Sky News: "The problem we have got is we have got this massive sexualisation and pornographication of childhood and early adolescence.

Lowering the age would make it easier for 15-year-olds to get contraception

"Huge commercial interests - pop music, fashion, internet pornography everywhere, social media.

"There doesn't seem to be any real appetite among politicians and leaders to address this.

"In the meantime, our young people are becoming sexually active at younger and younger ages.

"If we are not going to create an environment where they are not sexualised, then we need to address their needs."

He added: "What we know from other European countries that have lower ages of sexual consent, I am thinking here particularly about the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, is that very often what that leads to is where there's an atmosphere of discussion within the family, within the school, within the social environment, they actually defer putting off sex, even though the age of consent is lower, and that they have lower teenage pregnancy rates.

"It also means if they are not indulging in what's illegal activity, they won't be frightened to come forward for help if they are getting involved in a dangerous situation with an older male who's grooming them or what have you.

"We have got this conundrum. Where you have got illegal activity which large numbers of people are engaging in, you are creating an environment of risk, potential abuse, potential exploitation.

"We need to do something about the sexualisation of childhood, and we need to do something about responding properly to the needs of young people who are becoming sexually active, perhaps with somebody of a similar age where it is part of a normal maturing process into adult life, but also so that we can begin to tackle this problem of girls particularly, being exploited by older males."

The Faculty of Public Health, part of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, gives advice to ministers and civil servants although it is independent of government.

David Tucker, head of policy at the NSPCC, said he would be happy to have a debate on the issue but said he would want to see the evidence for Prof Ashton's claims.

He said: "Has there really been a significant change in the amount of young people having sex over the past 20 or 30 years?

"If it has changed, then is reducing the age of consent the most sensible way to deal with it?"

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Doris Lessing: British Nobel Author Dies At 94

The Nobel Prize-winning British author Doris Lessing has died at the age of 94, her agent said.

The Golden Notebook novelist died peacefully in the early hours of Sunday.

"It was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely," her long-time friend and agent Jonathan Clowes said.

In more than 50 works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, Lessing explored topics ranging from colonial Africa to dystopian Britain, from the mystery of being female to the unknown worlds of science fiction.

She won the Nobel Prize of Literature in 2007. She was praised for her "scepticism, fire and visionary power" by the Swedish Academy.

More follows...

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