Fracking: Cameron Offers Councils Drill Money

David Cameron has announced £1.7m for councils which agree to drill for shale gas sparking angry protests from campaigners who say it amounts to little more than bribery.

David Cameron said the Government was "going all out for shale" as he announced local authorities that allow drilling will receive 100% of the business rates collected from the scheme - double the current 50%.

Whitehall officials estimate that could be worth £1.7m extra a year for each site a council agrees.

The announcement sparked angry scenes at a fracking site in Barton Moss, near Salford, Manchester, where protesters confronted lorries entering the plant, then handcuffed themselves to the vehicles.

Anti-fracking protester Theo Simon on top of a lorry at the site

Six people - three men and three women - were arrested on suspicion of either obstructing the highway or obstructing police.

About a hundred people have been living in tents and caravans at the spot near the M62 where IGas has been given permission to carry out exploratory drilling.  Most are local but others have travelled from various parts of the UK to join in.

The business rates money will be in addition to a promise last year that shale exploration firms will also pay out £100,000 when a test well is fracked and 1% of revenues, a deal which could in total be worth up to £10m.

However, campaigners dismissed the business rates payout as bribe money and said it was not enough in the face of the vast profits that stand to be made by the energy firms and the damage that would be caused to local areas.

The protest was against an exploratory drilling site known as Barton Moss

Mr Cameron's announcement comes as the French energy giant Total has announced it will invest millions with a 40% interest in two shale gas exploration licences in the UK.

Mr Cameron said: "A key part of our long-term economic plan to secure Britain's future is to back businesses with better infrastructure.

"That's why we're going all out for shale. It will mean more jobs and opportunities for people, and economic security for our country."

On a visit to Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, in the area Total will be looking to develop shale gas wells, the Prime Minister added: "We have the strongest environmental controls in this country. Nothing would go ahead if there were environmental dangers. I think people can be reassured by that.

Protesters handcuff themselves to a lorry at Barton Moss

"But I actually believe it's when these wells go ahead, when people start to see the benefit, when people see there aren't environmental concerns, they will see that it is quite right that this is part of our long-term economic plan."

Jackie Anderson, a teacher who lives within a mile of an exploratory drilling site at Barton Moss near Salford, was on Sunday protesting about the effects of fracking on the community.

She told Sky News: "For the local residents it's got no benefit whatsoever. More and more the businesses and the councils are going to benefit because the incentives are going to them and we're getting none of the benefits at all."

A Local Government Association spokesman said: "Given the significant tax breaks being proposed to drive forward the development of shale gas and the impact drilling will have on local communities, these areas should not be short-changed by fracking schemes.

Areas of the UK affected by fracking

"One per cent of gross revenues distributed locally is not good enough; returns should be more in line with payments across the rest of the world and be set at 10%."

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process that involves drilling thousands of feet down into the earth to create a narrow well. Water and chemicals are then pumped in at high pressure to create fractures in the rock. Gas then flows from the cracks and is captured.

Fears have been raised over fracking

Vanessa Vine, who founded the British Anti-Fracking Action Network, said: "Concerns of local residents range from everything from heavy traffic through villages, damage to the roads, right up to triggering of earthquakes and permanent, potentially permanent contamination of the groundwater, of the aquifer, of drinking water."

The Government estimates the industry could attract £3.7bn a year in investment and support 74,000 jobs.

Last year, a study by the British Geological Survey suggested there could be enough shale gas in the north of England to supply Britain for 40 years.

It is thought there may be as much as 1,300 trillion cubic feet at the Bowland site in Lancashire alone.

Energy minister Michael Fallon said he expected between 20 and 40 wells to be drilled over the next couple of years.

He told Sky News: "We know now that we are sitting on top of hundreds of millions more cubic feet of this gas than we originally thought. What's so important now is to encourage companies to go down there and find out whether we can get it out as a new, home-grown source of energy.  

"That is extremely important for every local community and what we are doing today is saying it is for that local people, who have some of the hassle when they are getting it out, when they are exploring for it, that they should be able to retain all of the benefits."

Vanessa Vine, founder of the British Anti-Fracking Action Network

Lawrence Carter, from Greenpeace, said: "This is a naked attempt by the government to bribe hard-pressed councils into accepting fracking in their area.

"Cameron is effectively telling councils to ignore the risks and threat of large-scale industrialisation in exchange for cold hard cash."

Shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex said: "Gas will remain an important part of our energy mix in the future, and if shale gas can replace our rapidly depleting North Sea reserves it could help improve our energy security.

"It is right that any communities that host nationally significant energy infrastructure are able to share in its rewards.

"But the Government must get its priorities right. Only by fully addressing legitimate environmental and safety concerns about fracking with robust regulation and comprehensive monitoring, will people have confidence that the exploration and possible extraction of shale gas is a safe and reliable source that can contribute to the UK's energy mix."

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Southwest Airlines Flight Lands At Wrong Airport

A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago is under investigation after it landed at the wrong airport seven miles from its intended destination.

Flight 4013, carrying 124 passengers and five crew members, was scheduled to fly from Chicago's Midway International Airport to Branson Airport, Missouri.

But the Boeing 737-700 landed at Taney County Airport instead, on a runway half the size of it proper destination.

It was unclear why the flight went to the wrong airport.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Tony Molinaro said an investigation has been launched.

Airline spokesman Brad Hawkins said: "The landing was uneventful, and all customers and crew are safe.

"Our ground crew from the Branson airport arrived at the airport to take care of our customers and their baggage."

Flight 4013 had been scheduled to go from Branson to Love Field in Dallas. Mr Hawkins said another aircraft was flown into Branson at 10pm on Sunday to take the passengers and crew to Dallas.

The runway at Taney County, also known as M. Graham Clark Airport, is 3,738ft. Branson Airport's website says its runway is 7,140ft long.

The Southwest plane is able to take off from Taney County and the company said it expected it to fly out "as early as tomorrow (Monday) morning".

It is the second time in two months that an aircraft has landed at the wrong airport.

In November, a Boeing 747 Dreamlifter which was supposed to deliver parts to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, landed nine miles north at Colonel James Jabara Airport.

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Polar Vortex II Set To Strike US This Week

America is set to be hit by another blast from the polar vortex - although temperatures are likely to be higher than last week's extreme conditions.

The polar plunge is expected to move south from Canada, bringing colder air and sub-zero temperatures to the US this week.

Forecasters say it will sweep over the lower Mississippi Valley and Midwest on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then hit the East on Thursday.

The main thrust of the cold air will follow up a couple of days later.

More sub-zero temperatures are set to hit the US. Pic: AccuWeather.com

However, the conditions will be far less challenging than last week's record-breaking polar air blast which affected more than half the US population.

"Following the retreat of Arctic air this weekend, waves of progressively colder air will move southward over Canada this week," said Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather.com's lead long-range forecaster.

"We will likely see a piece of the polar vortex break off and set up just north of the Great Lakes spanning January 16 to 20.

"This next main arctic blast will not rival, nor will be as extensive as the event last week."

Many areas are still recovering from last week's polar vortex, which saw the mercury plunge to -12C (11F) in New York City and -24C in Chicago.

The Niagara Falls froze during last week's polar vortex

Ice has blocked the Delaware River in New Jersey, forcing roads to close and causing a severe flood risk.

Water has built up behind the ice dam, and emergency services fear when temperatures rise it could devastate the area.

"If in fact the ice jam breaks then we'll have a rush of water which could cause flash flooding," said Qareeb Bashir, from Trenton Emergency Management.

A Coast Guard cutter was brought in to keep shipping lanes open, but the ice was too thick to break in places.

A 65ft-long cutter breaks up ice on the Delaware River

Residents have flocked to the river banks to take pictures of the polar conditions.

Rick Wilson, from Yardley, Pennsylvania, told an ABC TV station: "Incredible. I came down here just to take pictures of this. My grandchildren would not believe this. This looks like something you'd find in Antarctica."

Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: "After a milder spell, plunges of cold air are expected later in the week.

"The first is expected across parts of Canada, the Midwest and eastern parts of the US over the next few days.

"More significant cold air will affect those areas by the weekend, but thankfully it doesn't look to be as cold as last week."

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Road Rage Victim Made Several 911 Calls

A man who was killed during an alleged road rage attack made several calls to 911 as he was chased across two states, according to police.

Timothy Davison, 28, was driving home along Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania when he was shot multiple times and later died in hospital.

Pennsylvania State Police said there was no indication the victim had provoked his attacker.

Captain Steven Junkin said Mr Davison may have first encountered the gunman on Interstate 70 in Maryland and travelled up to 15 miles while being pursued before he was forced off the road in Pennsylvania.

He said the victim called 911 in both Maryland and Pennsylvania. Authorities have not released the content of those calls.

Captain Junkin said: "We obviously have an individual out there who was so incensed that he continued to pursue Mr Davison and took it to that next step.

"This actor had murderous intent. He murdered an individual for whatever slight he perceived."

Mr Davison was on his way home on January 4 to Poland, Maine, when he was killed. His funeral took place on Saturday.

Police and the FBI are appealing for help from the public and car body work firms to find a "dark coloured" Ford Ranger XLT pickup with damage on the driver's side caused by ramming Mr Davison's car.

Officers are investigating another incident of road rage which took place several hours before the fatal attack.

In that incident, a black truck pulled up alongside another car in Monaghan Township, Pennsylvania, and someone inside fired several shots, missing the driver.

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Dementia: 15-Minute Test To Spot Signs Early

A test that can be completed in 15 minutes has been developed to help doctors spot the early signs of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

The test can be filled in online or on paper and tests language ability, reasoning, problem solving and memory.

It is designed to tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the health service in the coming few years.

Around 800,000 people in the UK already suffer from dementia and the number is due to increase as the population ages.

Currently, the disease can only be diagnosed through in-depth testing of a person's cognitive abilities.

Patients have to carry out a series of complicated tests, usually overseen by a highly qualified expert.

The new test should help doctors or ordinary people identify as early as possible if there are any problems with their faculties so they can get a specialist assessment as soon as possible.

The test, called the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE) was developed by Ohio State University College of Medicine's Department of Neurology.

An early study by Dr Doughlas Scharre of the Ohio State University Medical Center found SAGE could spot mild thinking and memory issues in 80% of those tested.

A new study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry screened 1,047 individuals aged over 50 using SAGE.

It found that, in finding signs of mild cognitive impairment in 28% of those screened, the test proved effective at assessing large numbers of people with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

The article in the journal said: "Community cognitive screening using SAGE was found to be feasible and efficient in diverse settings with both small and large groups."

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, warned the test result should not be taken as a diagnosis.

He said: "Further research is needed to confirm whether the test would be suitable to assess and track changes in people's memory and thinking skills.

"One drawback of this study is that the test was not compared with other existing cognitive tests.

"It's important to note that the test is not designed to diagnose dementia, and people who are worried about their memory should seek advice from a doctor rather than attempting self-diagnosis with a test at home.

"Diagnosing the different diseases that cause dementia can be difficult in the earliest stages.

"Years of research are needed to develop any new diagnostic test, and this means continued investment in research is crucial."

You can try two sample papers of the test here and here.

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Madeleine McCann Police 'To Make Arrests'

British police are reportedly preparing the ground to make their first arrests in the hunt for Madeleine McCann.

Scotland Yard detectives flew out to Portugal on Sunday night to interview three burglars who were in the area when the three-year-old went missing, the Daily Mirror said.

Mobile phone records show the men made numerous calls to each other in the hours after she disappeared while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz in May 2007, it is claimed.

A spokeswoman for the Met Police confirmed the Crown Prosecution Service has sent an International Letter of Request to ­Portuguese authorities on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.

She declined to give details or discuss what the letter contained.

Madeleine's parents say the move 'could be a significant new lead'

A spokesman for Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, told the Mirror he believed it was likely the burglars were the targets.

"The letter is a significant development. It is necessary for British police to request the ­Portuguese authorities allow them to operate on their turf," he said.

"It means they have the intention of arresting and interviewing X, Y or Z. We don't know who they have their sights on but it's likely it is the burglars.

"Whether the Portuguese will co-operate remains to be seen. It is a very sensitive issue with differences they have had.

"Police want to be given a chance to arrest key suspects. It doesn't prove they have Madeleine but it will rule them in or out of the investigation and that is i­mportant.

"Kate and Gerry don't want to build up their hopes too high but they realise it could be a significant new lead."

The little girl vanished from this holiday apartment in May 2007

It would be Scotland Yard's first arrests since it set up Operation Grange in 2011 to review Madeleine's disappearance.

It is claimed that days before the little girl vanished, the gang raided another holiday flat in the Algarve resort, disturbing a child.

The ­youngster's parents reportedly interrupted the burglars who fled.

Madeleine vanished from her holiday apartment while her parents were dining in a tapas bar 90 yards away.

Portuguese police reopened their investigation last year, more than three years after it was shelved.

It is running in parallel with the Scotland Yard inquiry but the Met Police commissioner has called for the two forces to work together as one team.

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Wrong Body Sent Home To Grieving Family

The daughter of a woman who died unexpectedly while on holiday in the Caribbean has demanded answers after the wrong body was sent to the US in a coffin.

Lisa Kondvar, of Rhode Island, said her 82-year-old father Peter Porkka is distraught after being unable to properly say goodbye to his wife of 60 years, Margaret.

She said the family discovered another woman's body in the open coffin at a New Jersey funeral home, just hours before a funeral wake was due to take place.

She said: "I looked up, and I was like, 'Good God, are you kidding me?' I was stunned."

The family went ahead with the wake before handing the body over to authorities.

Mrs Porkka, 82, died the morning after Thanksgiving during her annual holiday to St Maarten.

Her body was taken to Emerald Funeral Home on the island, but the funeral director denied a request to see her and requested a $7,000 (£4,250) wire fee to send the body back to the US.

But after her family paid the fee, they discovered the body of a tall brunette woman inside rather than their short, blonde, mother.

They believe a hospital or the funeral home confused Mrs Porkka's body with that of a Canadian woman who died on the island around the same time. Mrs Porkka's body may already have been cremated in Ottawa.

Inside the coffin was a pouch containing jewellery that did not belong to Mrs Porkka.

St Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said last week the government has formed a committee to investigate the case at the request of US officials.

DNA tests will be carried out to verify the identities of both bodies.

Ms Wescot-Williams said both women were in the 80s and died on November 29 from natural causes. Their bodies were flown to the US on the same airline.

Orlando Vanterpool, director of the Emerald Funeral Home, said: "To my knowledge, we sent the correct human remains. Everything was regulated with the government.

"All the paperwork was in order, but apparently somewhere, somehow, something happened."

Ms Kondvar said no cause of death for her mother has been provided and the death certificate issued in St Maarten listed her as a man.

She told CNN: "It pains me that she's gone, and it's even worse because I don't have her and I want to hold her one more time, and I can't do that."

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Sean Turner Inquest: Parents Blame Hospital

By Isabel Webster, West of England Correspondent

A mother whose son died at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children claims failings in his treatment and care left him with "no chance of survival", an inquest has heard.

Four-year-old Sean Turner was admitted to hospital for vital corrective heart surgery in January 2012 but died in March, six weeks later, from a brain haemorrhage shortly after a cardiac arrest.

Avon Coroner's Court heard that his parents, from Warminster in Wiltshire, believe his treatment - as a high-dependency patient on Ward 32 - contributed to his death.

Reading a written statement to the court, Sean's mother Yolanda Turner described her son as a "happy lively little boy".

Mrs Turner said that when he was moved from the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to Ward 32 it was the "beginning of the end for Sean" and was the "worst decision" for him due to inadequate staffing levels, poor hygiene standards and a lack of training.

Fighting back tears, she recalled how her pleas for pain relief for her young son, who was in "considerable pain", were ignored, adding: "I cannot understand how a child could be left to suffer so long."

Sean's father, Stephen Turner, also fought back tears and struggled to speak at times as he recalled the moment his son had a cardiac arrest in his arms.

He said: "The nurses on Ward 32 cared but did not have the knowledge or know-how to give Sean the level of care he so desperately needed."

Sean died at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

"No parent should be put in this situation, in a safe environment - having to beg for help. We have to live with this for the rest of our lives."

At least 10 families, including the Turners, allege their children have either died or were left damaged following treatment on Ward 32 since 2008 and are taking legal action against the University Bristol Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol).

In November last year, Avon Coroner Maria Voisin returned a narrative verdict in the case of another one of the 10 children - seven-year-old Luke Jenkins - who died three weeks after Sean on Ward 32.

Luke's parents, from St Mellons, Cardiff, believed the hospital could have done more to save their son's life, but the coroner found "no evidence that a gross failure led to or contributed to his death".

Two further inquests are due in February and March 2014.

Robert Woolley, chief executive of UH Bristol, said in a statement: "We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr and Mrs Turner for the loss of their son, Sean.

"We always aim to do our best for the children and families under our care and we are fully committed to working with the coroner to help her investigate the reasons for Sean's death.

"It would not be appropriate for us to comment further until the inquest has concluded."

The inquest into Sean's death is expected to last two weeks.

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Dave Lee Travis Trial: Jury Selection Starts

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Jury selection has started a day before former TV and radio star Dave Lee Travis is due to stand trial over more than a dozen assault allegations.

The 68-year-old broadcaster faces 13 charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

The offences, which he denies, allegedly occurred between 1976 and 2008.

Eleven women have made accusations against him, the youngest was 15 years old at the time of the alleged offence. 

Appearing under his real name of David Griffin, the DJ sat in the dock at Southwark Crown Court as jurors were selected.

Potential jury members were excused from sitting on the case if they had connections to the BBC, Classic Gold FM, Chiltern Radio or the Metropolitan Police's Operation Yewtree.

The DJ has consistently denied any wrongdoing since he was first arrested at his former home near Leighton Buzzard in November 2012.

Operation Yewtree was set up after the Jimmy Savile scandal but the current case is not connected with Savile.

During a long career in radio and television Dave Lee Travis, known as DLT, was the host of the BBC Radio One breakfast show between 1978 and 1980.

He famously resigned from the station while on air in 1993.

Jurors were told that his trial is due to start on Tuesday and could last for six weeks.

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Ireland Chess Killer 'Ate Victim's Body Parts'

A lodger has admitted killing a man during a row over a game of chess - and is said to have eaten his victim's heart.

Saverio Bellante claimed to have eaten his landlord's organ after a violent argument.

But a post-mortem found that while one lung was missing, the heart was intact.

The examination found that a lung was removed from the body of researcher Tom O'Gorman, 39, during the attack and had not yet been located, the Irish Independent reported, citing an undisclosed source.

Mr O'Gorman's body was found with multiple stab wounds at his home in Beech Park Avenue, Castleknock, in north Dublin, where the accused had been living as a tenant. He had also been beaten several times over the head with a dumbbell.

Bellante, 34, originally from Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily, has been charged with murder.

The paper said it had not been possible to establish whether Mr O'Gorman was already dead before his body was mutilated.

Irish police were alerted to the killing when the accused, who was described as "calm," phoned emergency services at 1.50am on Sunday.

Bellante appeared before Blanchardstown District Court on Monday. Detective Garda Patrick Traynor told the court that Bellante admitted the murder when he was cautioned.

Judge David McHugh ordered that he undergo a medical assessment.

It is understood Mr O'Gorman was a former journalist with The Voice Today, a Roman Catholic newspaper.

A graduate of University College Dublin, he had more recently been a researcher with the Dublin-based Catholic lobby group the Iona Institute for seven years, and is believed to have taken in a lodger in recent months to help supplement his income.

David Quinn, director of The Iona Institute, said Mr O'Gorman's friends and colleagues were left devastated by his death.

"On behalf of everyone at The Iona Institute, I would like to express our total shock and deep sorrow at the terrible and untimely death of Tom O'Gorman," he said.

"Tom was a friend as well as a work colleague to us all. He was a fond and dear friend and we will all miss him.

It is not thought alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident.

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