Energy Prices: Labour Accuses PM Of Being 'Weak'

Labour has attacked the Prime Minister for failing to help families struggling with rising energy bills by freezing price rises.

It follows the announcement this week by Southern Electric (SSE) that it is raising its prices by 8.2%.

Other firms in the so-called 'Big Six' are likely to follow suit.

Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint told Sky's Murnaghan programme that David Cameron has two years before the next election to make a decision on whether to help householders and businesses.

The PM has been accused of protecting a market which introduces price rises annually.

The Labour party has promised to freeze prices until 2017 if the party wins 2015's general election.

Ms Flint said: "I would urge David Cameron at look at this now and question whether or not these price rises are justified."

She added that she would also like the main companies to be pressurised into breaking away from "the herd" and lowering prices.

Labour leader Ed Miliband wrote in the Sunday Mirror that Mr Cameron "is the man who lets energy bills go up by £300 for families instead of reforming the energy market".

"He is always weak when it comes to standing up to the strong. And this is the week when the country could see it."

The Energy Secretary Ed Davey told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show consumers are likely to see higher bills as international wholesale gas prices rise.

"The gas price has gone up by 50% over the last five years and over 50% of the bill is wholesale gas price. We have also seen a big increase in the network costs because we have got to replace ageing network. These are costs which are impossible to avoid."

However he ruled out cuts to so-called "green" taxes which critics blame for pushing up prices unnecessarily.

"Most of them are actually social policies to help the fuel-poor manage their bills. I don't think we want to get rid of those," he said.

"Moreover we need to help people who aren't necessarily fuel-poor but want to do energy efficiency measures to reduce their bills. It would be silly to get rid of that aspect. If you actually look at the part of the so-called green taxes which is funding renewable energy/low carbon energies it's only 4% of the bill."

But he added that a "massive" wave of investment from China, Japan and Korea would secure the UK's power supply into the future.

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Baby Kidney Donor Is Britain's Youngest

A five-week-old baby is a lifesaver after becoming Britain's youngest ever organ donor.

The infant's tiny kidneys were donated to 22-year-old Samira Kauser and transplanted during a seven-hour operation at St James's University Hospital in Leeds.

The organs were just 4cm long but will grow to up to three-quarters the size of a normal adult's.

Together with the liver, heart and lungs, a baby's kidneys are fully functioning after 37 weeks in the womb.

Ms Kauser, from Halifax, who was spending nine hours a night on dialysis after a genetic condition caused her kidneys to fail, told The Sunday Times she plans to get married next year.

"When I found out (the donor) was a child who had died, I felt so sad," she said.

"I thought about the parents and how much they wanted to donate and I knew I had to have the operation, even though I was scared."

The operation took place at Leeds' St James's University Hospital

She added: "Words cannot express the gratitude I feel to the parents of this baby.

"They have lost so much - much more than I can ever comprehend.

"Their only solace is that someone else has been able to carry on with their life. It's a massive gift."

The Sunday Times said the transplant had reignited the debate about whether organs from so-called "beating heart" babies, who are being kept alive on ventilators but are certified as brain dead, should be made available to patients on the donor waiting list.

It said a decision on the issue is expected within the next six months.

Transplant surgeon Niaz Ahmad, who led the team that carried out the transplant, told the newspaper: "There is such an acute shortage of organs that we're now prepared to do this.

"This case, I hope, shows that it can work."

Around 19.7 million people are on the NHS organ donor register.

More than 7,200 people are waiting for a transplant - 6,000 of whom need a new kidney.

Some 2,820 kidney transplants were carried out last year.

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Unemployed Migrants: '600,000 Living In UK'

More than 600,000 unemployed migrants from across the European Union are living in the UK, according to a survey seen by the Sunday Telegraph.

The 291-page report - commissioned by the Brussels commissioner for employment and social inclusion, Laszlo Andor - found there were 611,779 "non-active" EU migrants in the UK last year compared with 431,687 in 2006 - a 42% increase.

The total number of jobless migrants is greater than the population of Glasgow.

While between 2005 and 2006 the growth of non-active EU migrants in the UK stagnated, since 2006 it has been steadily rising, the report said.

The newspaper said that the number of people arriving without employment had increased by 73% in the three years to 2011.

It reported that the figures meant the annual cost to the National Health Service amounted to £1.5bn.

The details emerged as a poll indicated there was strong public support for an early referendum on withdrawing from the European Union.

The opinion poll for the Mail on Sunday found more than half of voters want a referendum on the UK's membership before the next election.

While nearly two-thirds support a vote in the Commons on the issue as early as next month, almost half said they would vote to quit the EU if a poll went ahead in 2014.

Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to hold a referendum by 2017, but has dismissed the idea of holding it before the next general Election in 2015.

Boris Johnson has said he would like to see a longer waiting time between migrants arriving in the UK and being able to claim benefits.

Speaking to Sky's Dermot Murnaghan London's Mayor said: "We're aware of the issues that will arise on January 1, 2014 but the UK is still a country and a society that over a long period has benefited from talented people come to work here."

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False Widow Spider Gives Boy 'Red Raw' Wound

A schoolboy who was bitten by Britain's most venomous spider has said the creature left him with a "red raw" wound and a "burning sensation" in his arm.

William Fraser was bitten by the flesh-eating false widow spider as he slept at his home in Sutton, south London.

The spiders are on the march in Britain, migrating from southern England where they are most commonly found to counties further north.

"My arm was swollen," William told Sky News. "It was hot and I felt faint.

"My forearm was red raw and I could feel this burning sensation before a blister appeared."

Louisa Giordano and her husband, who live nearby, suffered a similar night-time encounter.

Spider bite victims Louisa Giordano and William Fraser

She described the experience as "unnerving", adding: "Every time I see a spider, I break into a cold sweat.

"I'm always looking around to make sure there's none nearby."

The bites are the latest to involve the false widow, or Steatoda nobilis, which is thought to have arrived in Britain from the Canary Islands more than 100 years ago.

An amateur footballer from Dawlish, Devon, was left unable to play after a bite meant he required emergency surgery.

Meanwhile, a mum in Hirwaun near Aberdare, south Wales, has described stumbling across a nest of 50 of the spiders outside her garden shed.

The false widow can cause serious allergic reactions but is less venomous than its more famous cousin, the black widow.

There are no reports of anyone having been killed by the species.

James Reynolds, who works at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford, Oxfordshire, said the spider is "not too dangerous", although reactions to bites can vary from person to person.

"They give you a bad bite and you might experience some swelling or some chest pains," he said.

"But I wouldn't be concerned at all. They're not aggressive and although they can be found around garden sheds, they're not often seen in built up areas when you're most likely to come into contact with them."

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Boris And Osborne In China To Push Trade

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent in Beijing

The Chancellor and the Mayor of London will announce a raft of deals during separate trade visits to China, including a partnership to develop Manchester Airport.

Shortly after his arrival, George Osborne said 'Airport City' - five million square feet of land next to the airport which will become  retail, office and manufacturing space - would be built in conjunction with Beijing Construction Engineering Group.

"£800m of investment; 16,000 new jobs; one of the biggest developments since the Olympic games, and I think it shows our economic plan of doing more business with China and also making sure that more economic activity happens outside the city of London is working," he told Sky News.

"That's good for Britain and is good for British people."

Similar projects in Amsterdam and Frankfurt have proved successful and eased congestion at other airports.

Alongside the commercial strands of his visit, the Chancellor will also hold governmental meetings with his Chinese counterpart Ma Kai, the first face-to-face bilateral ministerial contact between the UK and China for over a year.

The UK has been in the political dog house with China since May 2012 when David Cameron and Nick Clegg chose to meet and be photographed with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.

The meeting enraged Beijing given the controversial claim China holds over Tibet.

An £800m investment in Manchester Airport will create thousands of jobs

Asked by Sky's Dermot Murnaghan about the conflict between China's human-rights record and forging stronger business links with the country, Boris Johnson said his job was to promote the interests of London.

"My job as Mayor is not to have a foreign policy but to get on and promote the interests of the greatest city on earth which is what we're doing," he said.

"There are many interesting foreign policy problems around the world I could get involved in, whether or not that would improve global hopes for a resolution, I have my reservations.

"This is not the reason I'm here in China. I think we can respectfully move on to the real agenda which is intensifying links between London and China."

Mr Osborne is travelling with the UK Trade Minister Lord Green, City Minister Lord Deighton and the Minister for Science and Innovation, David Willetts.

With them are executives from a variety of British technology companies who will try to showcase the best of Britain's digital technology industry in China.

The delegation will hope the trip allows UK companies to gain access to the rapidly expanding Chinese market.

"The Chinese economy is changing," Mr Osborne said.

Chinese tech company Huawei is investing £1.3bn in British broadband

"Those who think it is just a low-wage, low-tech economy are making a mistake.

"It is becoming a cutting edge player in industries like technology and this is a huge opportunity for Britain."

The Chancellor will lead the delegation to the Shenzhen-based headquarters of Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications manufacturer, and TenCent, the world's third largest gaming and social media firm.

Huawei's growing footprint in Europe and America has caused controversy, with some suggesting that Chinese involvement in Western telecoms firms poses a security risk.

Despite that, Huawei has already pledged to invest £1.3bn in the UK's broadband network over the next four years.

Mr Osborne's visit is a clear endorsement of the company.

Diplomats point out that inward Chinese investment to the UK in the last 18 months has been greater than the past 30 years combined, despite the row over the Dalai Lama meeting, for which the UK has refused to apologise.

The London Mayor's trip is separate but the broad objectives are the same.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg met the Dalai Lama last year

Mr Johnson is travelling with the chief executives of several large companies including Justin King of Sainsbury's and Marc Bolland of Marks & Spencer.

He will spend three days in Beijing, where he will visit a UK brands fair, take a ride on the subway and attend a private meeting with China's richest man, Wang Jianlin, whose company Dalian Wanda is investing heavily in the Nine Elms area of London.

Mr Johnson will then travel to Shanghai before ending his trip in Hong Kong.

Both men are effectively cashing in on the thawing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

By the end of the week, they hope to have signed a variety of deals, forged new relationships and facilitated meetings between UK and Chinese firms.

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Will Young Calls For End To 'Gay' As School Slur

Will Young has told Sky News more should be done to clamp down on homophobic language and the use of the word "gay" as an insult in schools.

The singer told the Murnaghan programme he had taken up the issue with Education Secretary Michael Gove because he believes it to be a "crisis".

The Pop Idol winner, who came out shortly after winning the show and has gone on to have an enduring music career, said he had been impressed by the politician's views on the problem.

Young highlighted statistics that show 23% of young gay people attempt suicide and 56% will self harm.

He has been working with the charity Stonewall to address the issue of perjorative language used in relation to homosexuality.

He said 81% of gay people who hear the word used as a derogatory term feel distressed about it.

"Gay was claimed as a negative term in the 80s so I grew up with people saying 'That's so gay, this is so gay' and it's never really been addressed."

Ofsted does not currently have a set agenda for tackling homophobic language but Young said there is a "huge opportunity" to change that.

The star said only one in 10 teachers is trained in how to communicate to children that it is the wrong language to use.

Young is now working with Stonewall to set up a programme to train more teachers.

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Sir Richard Branson Defends Farewell To Britain

Sir Richard Branson, who has spent decades flying the flag for British business through his Virgin brand, has said he decided to move a Caribbean tax haven for his health.

The entrepreneur has reportedly sold his Oxfordshire estate and will spend his sixties living on Necker - the island he bought in the 1970s and recently rebuilt after a devastating fire.

The Sunday Times reported that the move meant the entrepreneur would not be required to pay any tax on personal income made outside Britain, although he would still be taxed on UK earnings.

His companies, which include airlines, balloon flights and health clubs, will also pay a significant amount of corporation tax.

However, in a blog posted on Sunday, Sir Richard stressed he had lived in the British Virgin Islands for seven years and would not live somewhere he did not want to simply in order to pay less tax.

"I have not left Britain for tax reasons, but for my love of the beautiful British Virgin Islands and in particular Necker Island, which I bought when I was 29 years old, 34 years ago as an uninhabited island on the edges of the BVI.

Sir Richard bought Necker Island 34 years ago

"Seven years ago we decided to move permanently to Necker as we feel it gives me and my wife Joan the best chance to live another productive few decades. We can also look after our health (Joan is approaching seventy and I'm not far behind).

"I still work day and night, now focusing on not-for-profit ventures, but on Necker I can also look after my health. There is no better place to stay active and I can kitesurf, surf, play tennis, swim, do Pilates and just play."

Sir Richard also said that he spends most of his time starting not for profit ventures, the income from which is donated to charity.

"I spent 40 years working day and night in Great Britain building companies and creating competition and choice for consumers across a whole range of industries," he wrote.

Sir Richard's Virgin Atlantic calls itself a 'major British success story'

"The companies we created from scratch have created tens of thousands of jobs and paid hundreds of millions in tax.

"Now in my 60s I'm proud of what we've achieved and contributed and now spend the vast majority of my time building not-for-profit ventures, raising awareness around important issues and earning money for charity." 

Sir Richard started the Virgin brand as a mail order record retailer in 1970 and founded the Virgin Atlantic airline 14 years later.

He is Britain's sixth wealthiest man with a £2.9bn fortune, according to Forbes magazine.

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Madeleine Appeal Angers Praia Da Luz Residents

Praia da Luz has achieved that unwanted badge of geographical infamy: a town identified with a shocking or awful event.

Like Hungerford, Soham and Columbine this pretty tourist enclave on the Algarve achieved international prominence after the disappearance of Madeleine McCann on May 3, 2007.

Understandable then that many of the residents - especially British expats - are less than welcoming to the media which have returned to cover this fresh appeal.

One man who owns a flat in the building where the McCanns were staying was visibly angry at our presence, calling us "pathetic" as he walked away in disgust.

The management of The Ocean Club say there is a good reason for local people wishing the attention would fade: its bad for business.

They refused a request by Sky News to film in the restaurant where the McCanns were staying, but admitted that bookings have still not recovered six years after her disappearance.

The apartment building where Madeleine disappeared

Graham Roberts retired here 18 years ago, where he plays the piano every Sunday at the Fortaleza da Luz restaurant.

"There's no doubt that the case has changed the town. People who live here can't understand why Madeleine McCann in particular gets all the publicity when hundreds of children go missing every year," he said.

"There was another appeal recently and posters were put up again all over town. They were ripped down in days. People don't want to be reminded of what happened here."

We met one woman who had made the trip to Luz because she had seen the town on news reports and wanted to visit.

Mary Pearson, a tourist from Cumbria, told Sky News she hopes the reconstruction will eventually help the family be reunited.

"It's just awful what they are going through, I really hope someone remembers something," she said.

"Even if some of the locals don't want the cameras back, if it brings some closure to the parents then it will be worth it."

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Madeleine McCann Timeline Of Events 'Wrong'

British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann investigation have revealed that key details in the timeline of her disappearance were wrong.

The revised details will be documented in a new Crimewatch appeal on the case to be broadcast on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the BBC programme, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

"Our work to date has significantly changed the timeline and the accepted version of events that has been in the public domain to date.

"It has allowed us to work with Crimewatch to build the most detailed reconstruction as yet, and highlight very specific appeal points.

"I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together within the overall context of that appeal, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward."

The timeline of Madeleine's disappearance has 'significantly changed'

The full reconstruction of the events six years ago when Madeleine went missing starts with a scene of Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry playing tennis.

Madeleine, dressed in pink shorts, T-shirt and hat, then runs across the court, holding a batch of tennis balls.

In another clip, the McCanns are asked how often they think of their daughter, who went missing when she was three years old on May 3, 2007 from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Mr McCann says: "When it's a special occasion, when you should be your happiest and Madeleine's not there, that's when it really hits home. Obviously, Madeleine's birthday goes without saying."

Mrs McCann adds: "It's when you have big family occasions really. That's it isn't it? 'Family occasion' and you haven't got your complete family."

During the programme, DCI Redwood discusses how the police have approached the inquiry.

Gerry and Kate McCann tell Crimewatch their anguish is undiminished

He says: "Primarily what we sought to do from the beginning is try and draw everything back to zero if you like. Try and take everything back to the beginning and re-analyse and reassess everything, accepting nothing.

"The careful and critical analysis of the timeline has been absolutely key.

"Primarily, we're focused on the area between 8.30pm and 10pm. We know at 8.30pm that was the time Mr and Mrs McCann went down to the tapas area for their dinner and we know that around at 10pm that was when Mrs McCann found that Madeleine was missing."

A number of e-fits are also to be shown in the appeal in a bid to "identify the men and eliminate innocent sightings".

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation, hope to track down as many people present in the Portuguese town at the time.

Since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified by the Met Police, including 15 UK nationals.

Madeleine seen on the day before she went missing in May 2007

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request to mostly European countries in relation to some of the persons of interest as well as accessing phone records.

A large but "manageable" list of phone numbers identified as being in Praia da Luz - though not necessarily used to make phone calls - has been drawn up by detectives with a "significant" number unattributed to any named person.

British detectives launched a fresh investigation in July this year - two years into a review of the case.

The Met Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries are working together in pursuing new leads.

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Battersea Murder: Two Charged Over Teen Death

Police have charged two men with the murder of Kyle McDonald, who was gunned down in London last month.

The 19-year-old from Fulham was shot dead on September 18 in Battersea.

Noor Omar, 23, of St Johns Hill, and Darrell Michael Giscombe, 23, of Weekley Square, are due to appear at Hendon Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Police believe Mr McDonald may have sustained his injuries in Musjid Road before collapsing in Coppock Close, where he was found by officers.

A post-mortem examination confirmed he died from a single gunshot wound.

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