Flooding Fund: £2.3bn To Protect 300,000 Homes

Flooding Fund: Â£2.3bn To Protect 300,000 Homes

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 02 Desember 2014 | 23.17

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More than 1,400 projects will receive a share of £2.3bn to protect against flooding for 300,000 homes.

But environmental group Friends of the Earth has suggested that figure is not high enough and there is still a £500m shortfall in the flood defences budget in the next parliament.

The spending includes major investment in areas including the Humber Estuary, with £80m set to be spent, and £196m for the Thames Estuary.

Ministers will also commit to spending £15.5m on flood defences in Somerset in the next six years - including £4.2m on the Somerset Levels which were hit badly by flooding last winter.

The Government has come under fire over funding for flood defences.

Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "We all saw the destruction and heartache caused by flooding last year and that is why this investment is vital to build up Britain's defences for the future.

"The projects we are announcing today will protect some of the country's most at risk locations ensuring that we will be as prepared as possible for future severe weather."

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Gallery: Somerset Flooding - Before & After

Before: a farm in West Yeo, near Bridgewater on the Somerset Levels. Pic: Bing maps

After: The flooded farmland in West Yeo

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Before: The village of Moorland near Bridgewater on the Somerset Levels. Pic: Bing maps

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After: Flooded properties in Moorland

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Before: Walton-On-Thames, Surrey

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But he admitted it was not new money, telling Sky News: "This is an Autumn Statement that's not a giveaway, where everything that we are doing is paid for.

"These capital allocations on the flood defences the roads...we set that out last year and that's a choice we have made within the amount of money we have available."

Officials said the six-year programme, announced ahead of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday, would help prevent more than £30bn of economic damage.

Other projects which stand to benefit include more than £17m going to Tonbridge, Yalding and surrounding communities in Kent; £73m for a barrier at Boston, Lincolnshire; £42m for the Oxford western conveyance scheme and £47m for coastal defences in Rossall, Lancashire.

Friends of the Earth (FOE) said documents from regional flood and coastal committees showed there were £1.6bn of viable projects that were not getting the go-ahead.

FOE Campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: "A year after Britain's wettest winter ever, the Chancellor's leaked flood defence plans simply don't hold water.

"Faced with rising sea levels, the Government needs to be investing far more in flood defences to protect households and prevent climate change from the outset."

Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said: "Communities at risk of flooding won't buy Government spin on what is simply a re-announcement of capital funding confirmed a year ago.

"This is not new money - at the beginning of this Parliament David Cameron cut the flood protection budget by over £100m a year. As a result we are playing catch up on flood defences."

:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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Passenger Dies On Flight From Heathrow To US

A young plane passenger has died aboard a transatlantic flight from London to the United States.

The woman, believed to be 23, reportedly fell unconscious on a United Airlines aircraft from Heathrow to Newark in New Jersey on Monday evening.

It is believed a doctor tried to assist the victim, who was thought to be travelling alone, but she did not recover.

A spokesman for the airline said: "United confirms that a passenger passed away on flight UA115 from London Heathrow to New York/Newark on 1 December, 2014.

"We offer our condolences to the passenger's family. For privacy reasons, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further."

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Heroin Misery Of The Trainspotting Generation

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

The number of adults over 40 seeking treatment for heroin and crack cocaine addiction in England has more than doubled in 10 years, new figures have revealed.

While the total number of heroin and crack cocaine addicts has fallen below 300,000 for the first time since estimates began, there is a generation still hooked - the so-called Trainspotting generation.

The disaffected, heroin-addicted young people immortalised in Irvine Welsh's bestselling novel are getting older.

More than a third of the total population of adults in treatment centres are aged 40 or over, according to Public Health England.

Many started using heroin in the epidemics of the 1980s and 1990s when good-quality, cheap opiate flooded the inner cities.

But as they enter old age there are warnings that dwindling health and dependence on heroin could place an increased burden on the National Health Service.

On the ageing generation of addicts, Louise Ford, deputy manager at the Smithfield Detox Centre in Manchester, told Sky News: "For many people of this age group there is a sense of 'now or never' in finally getting the treatment they need.

"For the over-40s it could be redundancy, bereavement or failing health that finally prompts them to come in for help. The treatment is not easy and many relapse."

For those who have not sought treatment, life is a cycle of "scoring" heroin and finding the money to pay for it.

Homeless Paul, 42, has been taking heroin since he was 17-years-old.

His partner Jill, 39, was introduced to the drug at the age of 14. They take heroin in the back streets of Manchester's city centre.

He said: "I had a good life, what you'd call an average life, a car, a flat. I got laid off last year. I had never been out of work before.

"Now I wake up, go and score, go and take it, go and find a pitch and start raising money again to score again and that goes on and on.

"If I don't get help now I'll still be doing this into my 50s and 60s and I don't want that. Heroin just makes you feel bad when you don't have it. It doesn't make you feel good anymore."

Meanwhile, new figures show the number of heroin-related deaths in England have risen sharply.

The number of people dying through heroin and morphine abuse increased by around a third (32%) between 2012 and 13 from 579 to 765.

And the number of people admitted to hospital with drug poisoning has soared by 76% over the last decade.

But there is hope in the form of recovered addicts like Steve Cundell, who first dabbled in heroin so that he could come down from ecstasy fuelled raves in the 1980s.

He went from experimenting to dealing in a matter of weeks.

He said: "I thought it wouldn't grip me but it did and very, very fast.

"I decided the best way to get my supply was to start dealing in it. My every waking hour was consumed by heroin.

"It used to play on my mind so much that I was getting older and older and I had not achieved anything - that I was going to wake up one day 65 or 70-years-old still on heroin."

Mr Cundell is now a peer mentor on a rehabilitation course run by Turning Point and tries to help others.

He added: "I like to think I have something to give back and it helps my recovery - because I'm not out of the woods yet."

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Job Losses Warning As Insurance Merger Agreed

The boss of Aviva has admitted there are likely to be job losses after terms were finalised for its £5.6bn takeover of Friends Life.

Mark Wilson told a conference call he would not put an estimate on the number of positions under threat as a result of the all-share deal, first reported by Sky News, which will create an insurance giant with 16 million life insurance customers.

He did confirm higher than expected annual savings of £225m by 2017.

Under the terms of the agreement, holders of Friends Life shares will receive 0.74 new Aviva shares and a second interim dividend of 24.1p-per-share.

Aviva said it proposed to pay a final dividend of 12.25p for 2014, up 30% on last year.

Andy Briggs, current group chief executive of Friends Life, will become CEO of Aviva UK Life, with Mr Wilson continuing as CEO of the enlarged Aviva Group.

He said it would create the UK's leading insurance, savings and asset management business by number of customers.

"It is one of those rare transactions where the two organisations fit with surgical precision, building on each other's strengths and addressing the challenges," he added.

But there has been speculation that the merger will result in up to 2,000 jobs being axed.

Aviva employs around 28,000 staff worldwide including 12,000 in the UK, while Friends Life employs 3,500 staff largely in offices in London, Manchester, Bristol and Salisbury.

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Controversial Home DNA Test On Sale In UK

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Correspondent

A controversial personal DNA test that screens people for diseases such as cancer and Parkinson's has gone on sale in the UK.

It costs £125 and works by testing users' saliva with a kit that is then posted back to a lab to be screened.

But the company behind it, 23andMe, has been banned from marketing the tests in the US, following questions over accuracy.

The 23andMe Personal Genome Service (PGS) claims to offer access to more than 100 pieces of genetic information about a person's health, ancestry and family traits.

Four to six weeks after sending off the saliva sample, users receive an email telling them they can log in online to get the results. People have previously been able to get the test sent over from the US.

However, the Food and Drug Administration agency in America put a ban on the test being marketed because of concerns about the potential health consequences of giving people this information.

23andMe, which has been part-funded by Google, say the tool tests for genes that may reveal risk factors for conditions such as blood clotting, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and is not designed to specifically diagnose illnesses.

Chief executive Anne Wojcicki told Sky News: "It's a little bit like your cholesterol. If I tell you that you have high cholesterol levels then you can take proactive measures to try and prevent a heart attack.

"Nothing is 100%, but if I tell you that you're higher risk for something you might be able to take better measures to be proactive. That could be going to the doctor, changing your behaviour and just being more aware."

As well as the health checks, the saliva is also assessed for information including peoples' caffeine consumption, type of ear wax or the risk of baldness.

Manufacturers also say the test can show how people respond to medication - which could help their doctors. And it includes a "full genetic ancestry report" allowing people to trace their family's genetic roots.

The UK's medicines regulating body, the MHRA, has said in a statement: "Products used in personal genome services are regulated by MHRA to meet minimum standards.

"People who use these products should ensure that they are CE marked and remember that no test is 100% reliable so think carefully before using personal genome services."

Marcy Darnovsky from the Center of Genetics and Society in California said the test is good "for diagnosing rare genetic disorders in babies and children, and it is good for detecting the few genetic variations that cause a few inherited kinds of cancer".

"But it needs to be used with a doctor who can explain to you what the results mean.

"If you're a healthy person and want to know your chances of getting one of the common killer diseases, most cancers, heart disease anything like that, this kind of genetic testing is really useless."

The service is formally launched in the UK today, but the tests will still be carried out in the US. Around 10,000 customers have already paid to have the kit delivered to Britain from America.

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Balotelli Apologises Over 'Anti-Semitic' Pic

Liverpool and Italy player Mario Balotelli has apologised after posting a picture online which was labelled racist and anti-Semitic.

Quickly deleted from the player's Instagram page, the internet meme shows Nintendo character Super Mario and contains the words "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew".

As criticism mounted, Balotelli wrote on his Twitter page: "My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please."

But he later tweeted an apology, saying: "I apologise if I've offended anyone.

"The post was meant to be anti-racist with humour. I now understand that out of context may have the opposite effect. Not all Mexicans have moustaches, not all black people jump high and not all Jewish people love money."

The Football Association has begun an investigation into possible misconduct and asked Balotelli to comment on his actions.

The minimum FA ban for a race-related offence is five matches.

A spokesman for Liverpool said: "We are aware of the posting which has since been promptly deleted by the player.

"We will be speaking to the player about the issue."

It is the latest controversial incident involving the 24-year-old and the image prompted several accusations of racism on social media.

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Gallery: The Italian Striker's Eventful Career

August 2010: Signs for Manchester City for £24m from Italian giants Inter Milan

November 2010: Scores first Premier League goals in 2-0 win at West Brom - but is then sent off for violent conduct

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New Garden City To Be Built In Bicester

A new garden city will be built in Oxfordshire under Coalition plans to deal with a housing shortage.

The new town, which would have up to 13,000 homes, would be built near Bicester and would include a £44m capital investment from the Government for roads including a new junction on the M40.

The plans will be outlined in the National Infrastructure Plan set to be published on Wednesday ahead of the Autumn Statement, alongside a range of other housing measures.

A Government loan would be provided for the development of amenities including green transport.

Ebbsfleet in Kent was announced earlier this year as the location for the first modern garden city.

Bicester has also expressed an interest and could receive a new railway station as part of the proposals announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Mr Clegg told the Daily Telegraph: "The Liberal Democrats have long argued that garden cities are an idea whose time has come again.

"I am delighted that Bicester can now be confirmed as a pioneer in what I hope will be another wave of garden cities in this country.

"Bicester will get help from the Government with both significant capital investment and in helping developers build the amenities that are required to be a true garden town."

Under the proposals, a series of new communities with green spaces, sustainable transport and spacious housing will be built.

Mr Clegg has previously promised at least 10 would be created if the Liberal Democrats are part of the next Government.

:: Watch Sky News for the Chancellor's Autumn Statement live on Wednesday, 3 December, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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UK Households Spend More Than They Earn

Households with a single bread-winner spent more than they earned last year, as the typical outgoings of families increased, official figures show.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its Family Spending report found that households spent £517.30 per week in 2013, a rise of more than £16 on the previous year when adjusted for inflation but below 2006 levels.

Income data had previously shown average weekly earnings at £517 per person during the period.

Housing, fuel and power costs overtook transport to become the biggest area of spending at a record £74.40 per week.

And it seemed people put a higher price on having a good time ahead of debt worries as recreation and culture was the third largest spending category, with an average £63.90.

It includes spending on TVs, computers, newspapers, books, leisure activities and package holidays.

The ONS said average weekly expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks in 2013 was £58.80 - with £15.60 of this being spent on meat and fish, £4.30 on fresh vegetables and £3.30 on fresh fruit.

The figures showed around £22.60 is spent on clothing and footwear.

There was a North-South divide when it came to the regional breakdown of the statistics.

Householders in South East England spent more than Londoners by an average £6 extra at £585.40, partly reflecting higher commuter costs.

The North East spent the least at £424.60 per week.

The figures were compiled at a time when inflation easily outstripped earnings growth, further eroding family spending power.

Rises in the cost of living are currently more evenly matched to wage increases.

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Police Appeal Over Student Protest Unrest

Police have called on the public to help them identify eight people they want to talk to after violence erupted at a student protest in central London on 19 November.

Images have been released of the individuals the Metropolitan Police want to question about offences, including criminal damage to barriers and fencing, assault on police and public order offences.

The march began at midday in central London and moved on to Parliament Square where protesters climbed barriers in the square itself and began throwing missiles at a small group of police officers.

Protective fencing around the grass verge was pulled down and the protesters moved on to occupy the area as officers withdrew from the area.

Thousands of students - some wearing balaclavas or scarves over their faces - took part in the largely-peaceful march through the centre of the city.

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Gallery: Riot Police Confront Student Protesters In London

Student protests against tuition fees, debt and Government cuts turned violent in London

Hundreds of police were deployed and at least 11 people arrested for offences such as affray and criminal damage

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Pair Accused Of Cling Film 'Sex Game' Killing

A man died during a sex game after being wrapped in black plastic sheeting and cling film, a jury has heard.

Alun Williams, 47, was unable to regulate his body temperature and suffered dehydration which led to a heart attack, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Mr Williams, a head chef for P&O Ferries, who lived with his girlfriend, had an interest in bondage and mummification and would meet men online for sex, the trial heard.

Richard Bowler, 35, and David Connor, 23, from Canterbury, are charged with Mr Williams' manslaughter, which they both deny.

They also deny an alternative charge of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Bowler, who has cerebral palsy, wept loudly as prosecutor Ian Hope opened the case and had to be asked by Judge Adele Williams to keep the noise down.

He said Bowler and Connor lived together in a flat in Dover, Kent, with Connor acting as Bowler's "informal carer".

The court heard Bowler had phoned his brother and texted his sister-in-law for help, before calling the police shortly before 6am on 20 August last year.

He told them he had been involved in a "kinky sex session" with a friend who was wrapped up and had stopped breathing.

He was put through to the ambulance service and told them Mr Williams had taken the drug ketamine.

Mr Hope said Bowler cut open the cling film and plastic sheeting to perform CPR and told the emergency services: "I thought he was just sleeping.

"I am sorry, I should have called before.

"He takes ketamine and that mongs him out."

The court heard that Mr Williams was found wrapped tightly from head to toe, with a space left around his nose and mouth so he could breathe.

A hood had been placed over his head, allegedly at Mr Williams' request, and sexual acts involving the three men took place, the court was told.

Connor told the police that he had left the flat at midnight after Bowler told him he had a man coming round for a kinky sex session, the court heard.

He said he returned at 1am and that Bowler told him that Mr Williams had wanted to be wrapped in cling film, the jury was told.

A laptop found in Mr Williams' car showed he had an interest in bondage and mummification, the trial heard.

A post-mortem examination on Mr Williams' body confirmed that he had died suddenly following body wrapping while under the influence of ketamine and methamphetamine.

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Flooding Fund: Â£2.3bn To Protect 300,000 Homes

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 02 Desember 2014 | 23.17

Top Stories

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Passenger Dies On Flight From Heathrow To US

Heroin Misery Of The Trainspotting Generation

Job Losses Warning As Insurance Merger Agreed

Controversial Home DNA Test On Sale In UK

Balotelli Apologises Over 'Anti-Semitic' Pic

New Garden City To Be Built In Bicester

UK Households Spend More Than They Earn

Police Appeal Over Student Protest Unrest

Pair Accused Of Cling Film 'Sex Game' Killing

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