Pensions: Flat Rate Set For 2017 Introduction

Details of a radical shake-up of the state pension are due to be unveiled by the Government on Monday.

A single flat rate, equivalent to around £144 in today's money, is expected to be introduced for new pensioners from 2017, to try to simplify the system.

Some six million workers will face higher National Insurance payments in future as the practice of "contracting out" the state second pension to employers is ended.

Those affected are expected to include more than a million private sector staff enrolled in final salary schemes, and an estimated five million public sector workers.

However, it is not clear how many will lose out overall as they are likely to receive a higher state pension than before.

Funds and firms could also alter their schemes and contribution levels to take account of the shift.

Some groups - such as women who have taken career breaks to have children and the self-employed - will benefit.

The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed that the White Paper is being published on Monday.

Iain Duncan Smith and Steve Webb, his Liberal Democrat deputy at the Department for Work and Pensions, are believed to have overcome Treasury concerns to get final sign-off for the policy.

Pensions expert Malcolm McLean, from Barnett Waddingham, said: "The concept of a single, simpler-to-understand state pension pitched at a level that lifts as many people as possible off means testing and encourages them to save privately to give themselves a better standard of living in their later years is very desirable if not essential in a society such as ours with an ageing population."

But he warned: "The task of bringing together the various diverse components that currently collectively make up state pension provision was never going to be easy and it is inevitable that there will be some losers as well as winners in the process of change."

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Belfast Protests: 29 Police Officers Injured

Twenty-nine police officers have been injured during disorder in east Belfast.

Police used water cannon during sectarian clashes overnight between loyalists and republicans in the Castlereagh Street area.

Trouble flared after a city centre demonstration against the council's decision to limit the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall.

Four of the 29 injured officers were taken to hospital and two remain in treatment.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Matt Baggott said: "This was a difficult operation dealing with a large number of people determined to cause disorder and violence. My colleagues brought the situation under control with exceptional courage and professionalism.

"I know the vast majority of people will be grateful for their efforts. Police will continue to engage with all those committed to finding a solution to these issues."

Police officers helped an injured colleague during the protest

Water cannon were deployed and a non-lethal baton round fired by riot police as they separated opposing factions.

A hail of bricks and fireworks rained down at the Albertbridge Road near the nationalist Short Strand.

Earlier on Saturday, nearly 1,000 people gathered at City Hall to protest.

Senior politicians from Belfast, Dublin and London are to meet next week to discuss the protests after more than 40 days of road blocks and sporadic violence by loyalists have failed to produce a solution.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy Martin McGuinness will join Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers and Ireland's Tanaiste (deputy leader) Eamonn Gilmore.

Mr Gilmore said: "This violence is being orchestrated and those behind it are known criminals, intent on creating chaos.

"This has nothing to do with real issues around flags and identity in a shared society, which are the subject of intensive political discussions at present."

Cars were set alight during the rioting

The demonstrations against Belfast City Council's decision to hoist the Union flag only on designated days like royal birthdays have brought many parts of Northern Ireland to a standstill.

More than 70 officers have been injured and over 100 arrests made during weeks of sporadic trouble, the PSNI said.

Businesses in Belfast's city centre have struggled to cope, with many reporting lost trade, and the Confederation of British Industry warned some investors may think again.

A doctor was prevented from attending a terminally ill cancer patient because of loyalist road blocks in south Belfast, it was revealed.

A loyalist protester throws a wooden post at police

The GP was travelling to a home call with the sick man when he was stopped twice by crowds of demonstrators who blocked the road.

Police asked them to move but they refused, nationalist SDLP MLA Conall McDevitt said.

He said: "These are depraved acts which immediately dismiss any claim on a protest being peaceful."

The doctor had to wait until the blockade was lifted.

A unionist forum chaired by DUP leader Mr Robinson and UUP leader Mike Nesbitt met last week to discuss ways of empowering loyalist working class communities.

A second peace rally is to be held outside City Hall later today.

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Boyfriend Remanded Over Murder Charge

The boyfriend of a 23-year-old Russian woman found dead in her south London flat has appeared in court charged with her murder.

Felipe Lopes, 27, was remanded in custody at Bromley Magistrates' Court and will appear next at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Scotland Yard said.

Lopes was arrested on the street in the Farnborough area of Bromley, south London, on Wednesday morning after police discovered the body of Anastasia Voykina a few miles away at an address in Streatham at around 2am on Monday.

A post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as multiple fractures to the face, head and neck.

A missing person report for Ms Voykina was made on Sunday after people she knew became concerned.

Officers had gone to a maisonette in James Boswell Close, Streatham, where they found her body.

Formal identification has not yet taken place but detectives are confident the deceased is the missing woman. Next of kin have been informed.

Police said she made a phone call to her family on December 30, which was the last known contact with her.

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Insurers To Claw Back Cost Of UK Floods

By Isabel Webster, West Of England Correspondent

The clean-up from the 2012 floods is expected to cost insurers over £1bn and push premiums up for a fourth consecutive year.

Eight thousand properties were flooded last year, according to the Environment Agency, as flooding remains Britain's greatest risk.

Residents and business owners in the town of Braunton in Devon experienced flash floods in the days before Christmas.

Pub landlord Mark Ridge, from the London Inn, is expecting to claim in excess of £160,000.

He had initially thought the damage could be repaired in a fortnight but has now been told he will have to close until Easter.

"It soon became apparent that it was a rip-out job, strip the whole pub, and get the insurances involved," said Mr Ridge.

The flood-damaged London Inn in Braunton

"That's everything from the buildings, to contents, stock, loss of earnings, staff wages have to be claimed for as well. All of which we have to pay for first and then claim back - so it's not an easy task."

Four of the top five wettest years on record have been since the year 2000 which is putting pressure on the Government and insurers to renew their 10-year deal to provide universal cover for all homes, including those in flood prone areas.

Mohammad Khan, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), said: "The weather events of 2012 have dented insurers' profits and will probably lead to renewal premiums rising by up to 5% for those unaffected by the floods and by up to 50% for those flooded.

"The UK floods therefore, have also brought into sharp focus the current standoff between the insurance industry and the Government on the renewal of the Flood Principles - agreement needs to be reached in 2013."

The negotiations over continued cover from insurers, in return from assurances from the Government including the managing of flood risks and robust planning controls, will continue until June.

Last year's flooding is expected to push up insurance premiums

Matt Cullen, from the Association of British Insurers, warned: "We've calculated following some extensive research that if we don't reach agreement with the Government over what replaces the Statement of Principles then around 200,000 homes in flood-proned areas could struggle to access cover."

But the Government has played down the likelihood of such a situation.

A Defra spokesperson said: "We want to find a lasting solution that secures the affordability and availability of flood insurance for the first time, without placing unsustainable costs on wider policyholders or taxpayers.

"Our primary role is to prevent flooding in the first place. We are on course to spend £2.3bn on preventing flooding and coastal erosion over this four-year period."

PwC said it estimates the cost of the floods to the insurance industry in 2012 to now add up to around £1bn.

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Mali: British Military Plane 'Leaving Today'

The first British military plane destined to assist the French operation in Mali will leave this afternoon, Sky sources say.

The RAF C17 will stop off in Paris to load before a 10-hour flight to the West African country and will not arrive before tomorrow, the sources added.

It comes after Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister had agreed to provide "logistical military assistance" to the French.

David Cameron spoke to Francois Hollande on Saturday evening as France attempted to contain al Qaeda-linked rebels in the north of the West African country.

French fighter jets and attack helicopters launched fresh strikes on Islamist strongholds in northern Mali on Sunday.

Prominent Islamist leader Abdel Krim  - nicknamed "Kojak" - is reported to have been killed in the strikes.

French troops prepare to board a flight to Mali from a base in Chad

A 600-strong multi-national West African force, authorised by the UN Security Council to help the Mali government reclaim control of the north of the country, is also on its way to the capital Bamako. It will be commanded by General Shehu Abdulkadir of Nigeria.

In addition, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Togo have all pledged around 500 troops this weekend, while Benin has said it will send 300 soldiers.

French military strikes on the country have already claimed the lives of at least 100 rebels in a fight over the strategic town of Konna.

Eleven Malian soldiers are reported to have been killed and a further 60 wounded in the recent fighting.

Mr Hollande has raised his country's terror threat level amid fears of retaliatory attacks in France.

He said France "has to take all necessary precautions" in the face of a terrorist threat, including "surveillance of our public buildings and our transport network".

The UN's Sahel envoy Romano Prodi, left, and President Dioncounda Traore

A Downing Street spokesman said last night: "The Prime Minister spoke to President Hollande this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the Malian government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country.

"The Prime Minister has agreed that the UK will provide logistical military assistance to help transport foreign troops and equipment quickly to Mali.

"We will not be deploying any British personnel in a combat role.

"Both leaders agreed that the situation in Mali poses a real threat to international security given terrorist activity there.

"They discussed the need to work with the Malian government, regional neighbours and international partners to prevent a new terrorist haven developing on Europe's doorstep and to reinvigorate the UN led political process once the rebel advance has been halted.

"The National Security Council, which was already due to meet on Tuesday, will now consider the situation in Mali and discuss what needs to be done to secure a lasting political settlement in Mali."

Islamist rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali last spring

One French pilot has died in the military action after hundreds of French soldiers were deployed in the country.

Mr Hollande took action in Mali at the request of interim President Dioncounda Traore, who has declared a state of emergency.

Western governments expressed alarm on Thursday after an al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured Konna, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600km (375 miles) south.

The Malian army has said it was attacking the "last pockets of resistance" by insurgents in Konna after they recaptured it with the help of the French.

Mr Hollande said the "terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists" in northern Mali "show a brutality that threatens us all." He vowed that the operation would last "as long as necessary".

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has now authorised the immediate deployment of troops to Mali.

The bloc's commission president, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, said it made the decision "in light of the urgency of the situation".

French Mirage 2000 D aircraft en route to the Mali operation

For the past nine months, the Islamic militants have controlled a large swathe of northern Mali, a lawless desert region where kidnapping has flourished.

Mr Hollande said the operation was aimed in part at protecting 6,000 French citizens in Mali, including seven who are being held captive.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Senegal and Nigeria also responded to an appeal from Mali's president for help to counter the militants.

Late last year, the 15 nations in West Africa, including Mali, agreed on a proposal for the military to take back the north, and sought backing from the UN.

The Security Council authorised the intervention but imposed certain conditions, including the training of Mali's military, which has been accused of serious human rights abuses since a military coup last year sent the nation into disarray.

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of poverty-stricken Mali.

Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam, but in recent months the terrorist group and its allies have taken advantage of political instability, taking territory they use to stock weapons and train forces.

The Islamists have insisted they want to impose Sharia only in northern Mali, though there long have been fears they could push further south.

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British Girl, 8, Killed In Jamaica Gun Attack

A family is in shock after a "happy, playful" British girl was killed by a gunman who opened fire in a cafe in Jamaica.

Imani Green, eight, was visiting relatives on the island with her mother when she was shot in the northwestern village of Duncans, in Trelawny.

Local journalist Nicky Williams told Sky News the attacker entered the premises - which was owned by a family member - on Friday evening and began arguing with another man shortly before the shooting.

Imani, from Balham, south London, is reported to have been shot twice, first in the head and then the shoulder. She was taken to hospital but later died. Three others were injured in the shooting.

Imani's brother Dean Palmer, who is in his 20s, told Sky News he was completely devastated by the death of his sister, who he described as "an extremely brave girl".

Speaking before he left the UK for Jamaica, he said Imani suffers from sickle-cell anaemia and visits relatives there twice a year to get away from cold weather that worsens her condition.

He said the family had been in two minds about whether to take her this time but the trip went ahead.

Deputy Superintendent Steve Brown, from Kingston Police, told Sky News officers were yet to establish a motive for the shooting.

"We do not know the motive. What we can confirm is that Imani was not the target of this shooting," he said.

Imani's head teacher at Fircroft Primary School, in Tooting, said everyone was "deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news".

"Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, to whom we pledge our continuing love and support," she said.

"Imani was a happy, playful child who was popular with staff and pupils alike.

"She dealt with her illness very bravely and coped well with the special arrangements we had to have in place to support her.

"She had been given special permission to travel to Jamaica so that she could benefit from the warmer climate and we had been in contact with the local primary school she was attending whilst there to make sure she was receiving an appropriate education.

"We are now in the process of contacting all the families of children in the same year group to break this terrible news to them and we will be taking steps to offer support and counselling."

Imani's cousin, Marco Dane, 17, who also lives in London, told Sky News: "She was a sweet, innocent girl. She always had a smile on her face."

The British Foreign Office said: "We are providing consular assistance and liaising with local authorities."

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Big Issue Sellers Stabbed To Death Named

Two Big Issue sellers, stabbed to death in a city centre, have been named by police.

Wayne Lee Busst, 32, and Ian Watson Gladwish, 31, both from Birmingham, were killed on Friday just before 6pm.

One of the men was found outside a Sainsbury's store in Martineau Place, and the other slumped yards away near Boots in Union Street.

Both had suffered stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

West Midlands Police believe the killer was known to his victims and that they were not random attacks.

The force has said hundreds of people may have witnessed the stabbings which took place in a busy shopping street.

Police at the scene on Union Street in Birmingham city centre

Detective Inspector Buck Rogers, who is leading the investigation, said: "We have had a fantastic response from the public so far and their information has proved vital to our investigation.

"Early enquiries suggest that this wasn't random. The attacker appears to have known his victims."

Officers have been granted more time to question a 23-year-old man who was arrested shortly afterwards on Friday and remains in police custody.

John Bird, founder of The Big Issue magazine, has condemned the double killing as "utterly senseless".

In a statement, Mr Bird said: "Myself and everyone at The Big Issue have been deeply saddened to hear the tragic news that two of our well-liked, Birmingham-based vendors, were stabbed to death in the city centre.

"We are struggling to make any sense of this utterly senseless attack, and our sincerest condolences go out to the families of the victims.

"This awful crime, perpetrated against two hard-working, mild-mannered men only serves to illustrate the extreme vulnerability of people who live and work on the streets, which is why we at The Big Issue are constantly trying to create opportunities which will help our vendors to get off the streets and out of harm's way.

"We are truly devastated that these two individuals have been deprived of just such a future," he added.

Witnesses, or anyone with information about the stabbings, are urged to contact the police on 101.

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David Cameron Faces Party Battle Over Europe

David Cameron is facing a challenge to hold his party together as battle lines are drawn over Europe.

With just over a week until the Prime Minister's key speech on Britain's relationship with the EU, Tory Europhiles have launched a fight-back against demands for an in-out referendum.

Cabinet minister Ken Clarke will share a platform with Labour peer Lord Mandelson later this month to stress the benefits of remaining in the union.

The move comes after fellow Conservative Lord Heseltine warned that the economy would suffer if Mr Cameron took a "punt" and committed to a national poll on membership.

Around 20 Tory MPs have also apparently signed a letter, due to be published this week, warning of "massive damage" if the UK leaves the EU.

Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, told Sky's Murnaghan show that he, Mr Cameron and many other MPs were in agreement on the EU's importance to Britain.

The Lib Dem said the idea of isolating Britain from Europe was "just mad". "That would be completely the wrong thing," he said.

"In the end it is our national interest, our national interest in terms of our economy and jobs and society that has to come first in any approach."

Labour leader Ed Miliband on Sunday criticised Mr Cameron's handling of the situation as "incredibly dangerous", and he ruled out promising a referendum before the future shape of the EU was clear.

Lord Heseltine says the economy will suffer if a referendum is called

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I think he is essentially sleepwalking us towards the exit door of the EU.

"The last thing we should do is start saying for some date five, six, seven years hence, let's decide now to have an in-out referendum."

Mr Miliband went on: "As Michael Heseltine said very well ... that means you are having a referendum on a negotiation that has not yet begun, with a timescale that is uncertain and an outcome that is unknown. That is an incredible gamble.

"We know why this is happening. (Mr Cameron) is worried about the threat from UKIP and he is worried about what is happening in his own party."

Rumours have been circulating that Downing Street has given tacit approval to efforts to highlight the dangers of an exit.

In an unusual intervention last week, senior US diplomat Philip Gordon openly stated that America wanted Britain to remain in the EU.

Prominent business figures including Sir Richard Branson have also spoken out about the potentially dire consequences of severing ties.

Tory backbencher Robert Buckland, who has organised the pro-membership letter, said he had been informed that Number 10 regarded his efforts as "helpful".

"There is a silent majority out there who do not want Britain to leave the EU," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"The danger for the Tories is that because the right-wing Eurosceptics are making the most noise, we could slide towards the exit door of the EU."

Meanwhile, a ComRes poll has put UKIP above the Conservatives when people were asked about who they would vote for in the European elections - 35% said they would back the Tories, with 23% saying UKIP. The Conservatives came third with 22%, followed by the Lib Dems on 8%.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage told Sky News: "If it is a protest, there's a lot to protest about because we've got three so-called main parties who resolutely do not want to give the British people a say on their future in the EU."

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'Bucket List' Cancer Teenager Alice Dies

A teenager who gained nationwide fame after writing a "bucket list" of things to do before she died has lost her battle with cancer at the age of 17.

Alice Pyne, from Ulverston in Cumbria, managed to complete most of her list, including meeting Take That and going whale watching.

She was feted by celebrities and politicians as the nation rallied to help her fulfil her dreams.

The list - part of her blog - attracted the attention of footballer Rio Ferdinand, Hollywood actor Channing Tatum and TV host Philip Schofield.

Alice's idea was inspired by the film The Bucket List, which follows Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as they embark on a road trip to do things they want to before they "kick the bucket".

The teenager, who lived with her parents, Simon and Vicky, and younger sister, Milly, achieved many of her wishes, she told in her blog.

She died on Saturday after battling illness for the past six years.

In a posting on Alice's blog, her mother Vicky gave the sad news.

"Our darling girl, Alice, gained her angel wings today. She passed away peacefully with Simon, Milly and myself by her side," she wrote.

"We are devastated and know that our lives will never again be the same."

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Weather Warning: 'Severe' Ice And Snow Ahead

Forecasters have issued a new severe weather warning, with a high chance of disruptive ice and snow in England for much of next week.

The Met Office has raised its alert level to three - one step below a national emergency - and said icy conditions could last until Friday morning. 

Snow is expected in the North and East of the country, where downpours will build up on the ground as temperatures remain below zero.

Some snow is also expected in the South East and South West, along with central areas.

The alert warns of severe weather until Friday

All of Britain is already feeling the effects of winter as temperatures continue to linger at zero or just above.

Commuters have been warned to expect difficult journeys on Monday, when several centimetres of snow is expected across large swathes of the UK.

Snow has already begun to fall in Scotland and will slowly spread south today and overnight delivering a light dusting, but a heavier dump is expected to land over north Wales, central England and northern England tomorrow.

On Saturday, temperatures in some areas were between 2C and 5C (36F-41F), but in Inverness and Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands they never got above -1C (28F).

Temperatures were low across the UK overnight into Sunday, with the lowest reading -6C (21.2F) at Shap in Cumbria at 3am.

Road conditions could play havoc

The AA has warned that 75% of drivers are not prepared for conditions on the roads, and urged drivers to carry an essential winter kit and check their cars before getting behind the wheel.

The RAC is expecting up to 56,000 breakdowns and widespread disruption.

It has placed extra patrols on stand-by to help stranded motorists and said call-outs are expected to rise by 20% or more.

The Highways Agency said it is "well prepared" for winter conditions, adding that a fleet of 500 state-of-the-art winter vehicles were on standby.

A spokeswoman said: "Our roads will be treated whenever there is a risk of ice or snow. However, even when roads have been treated, drivers should still take care, especially on stretches where the local road layout or landscape means there could be a greater risk of ice forming."

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