Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 10 Januari 2015 | 22.11
The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said there is now "no chance of finding them alive".
The pair were among four men believed to have been on a night out in the town who had gone into the water in the early hours of this morning.
Two managed to get back to shore and called the coastguard just after 1am, saying two of their companions were missing.
Volunteer lifeboat crews are expected to resume searches in waters close to the shoreline, although the helicopter crews have returned to base having "exhausted all possible options", the coastguard said.
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Gallery: Two Missing In Sea Off Brighton
The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission, with "no chance of finding them alive", the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. Pic: Jason Reeve
The head of the Professional Footballers' Association has apologised for comparing convicted rapist Ched Evans' situation to the Hillsborough disaster.
The comments made by Gordon Taylor led to calls from Liverpool fans for the PFA chief executive to resign.
Mr Taylor was speaking in a radio interview after Oldham Athletic confirmed plans to sign Evans had collapsed.
"He (Evans) would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right," Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"If we are talking about things in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough.
Video:'The Deal Could Not Go Ahead'
"And it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time - indeed by the police at the time.
"He's in a very difficult situation because he's been put through a wringer and the minute you show any sympathy for Ched everybody will say 'Well, what about the other parties concerned?'
"And that's why I'm making the point that nobody's forgetting them."
Amid widespread criticism, Mr Taylor returned to the airwaves to apologise.
"The last thing I intended to do was to upset anybody connected to the Hillsborough case," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"I've long been a supporter of them (the Hillsborough families) so if that's the impression they got, it's a totally wrong one and I'm very sorry for that."
Video:4 Jan - What Do Fans Think?
Social media users were quick to condemn Mr Taylor's initial comments.
Paul LFC Foreman posted on Twitter: "Expect nothing more than a P45 for #GordonTaylor in the morn from @PFA absolutely disgusting comments not even comparable #JFT96."
Liverpool-based singer Pete Wylie said: "@PFA @LFC should withdraw the players from all activity-including playing-until Gordon Taylor apologises AND resigns+takes Evans too #JFT96."
Oldham Athletic's deal to sign Evans collapsed after staff, sponsors and fans suffered "vile" threats, the football club said.
The League One outfit had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition.
The club's main sponsor ZenOffice also threatened to pull out if they signed him.
Video:21 Nov: U-Turn 'Right Decision'
After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".
However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.
"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.
"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."
The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.
Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.
A New York judge has told radical preacher Abu Hamza he is "evil" as she sentenced him to life in prison for supporting terrorist organisations.
The 56-year-old was found guilty of 11 charges last May, including a plot to establish an al Qaeda training camp in the US state of Oregon.
He was also convicted of providing a satellite phone and advice to Yemeni militants who kidnapped Western tourists in 1998.
UK Home Secretary Theresa May said she was pleased with Hamza's sentence
Judge Katherine Forrest told Hamza: "Evil comes in many forms but doesn't always show itself immediately in all its darkness...
"There is a side of you which this court believes is evil."
Video:May 2014 Abu Hamza Found Guilty
The judge said his actions were "barbaric, misguided and wrong".
Sky News' Hannah Thomas-Peter, who was at Friday's hearing, said Hamza addressed the Manhattan court shortly before learning his fate.
He said even a lenient sentence would "consume the rest of his life", and pleaded to be kept in a medical facility.
Hamza, who wore blue prison clothes, asked the court that his incarceration not be a "back door for a slow-motion crucifixion, not a back door for torture".
He also complained about his last two-and-a-half years in a Manhattan holding prison.
"I've been coerced to do things no disabled should be asked to do," he said.
"This is torture. When the cuts happen, when the pain happens, when the stress happens."
Hamza finished by pleading in the courtroom, just a few blocks from Ground Zero, that "the victims of all wars get together ... and investigate how the (Twin) Towers collapsed".
He said he wanted "victims of all this false intelligence to see their day in court".
Throughout the hearing, Hamza had access to a prosthetic with a pen attachment for making notes, which he seldom wore.
Video:Archive: Terror Camp In Oregon
Manhattan prosecutor Preet Bharara issued a statement on the sentencing that made reference to the jihadist attacks in France.
"Abu Hamza's blood-soaked journey from cleric to convict, from imam to inmate, is now complete," he said.
Hamza's lawyers said their client's toenails were not cut for nine weeks, causing them grow painfully into his skin.
His legal team have argued he is too disabled to spend life in a high-security jail.
They say the court should consider Hamza's disabilities - including his amputated forearms, psoriasis, diabetes and high blood pressure.
UK Home Secretary Theresa May said on Friday: "His sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and I am pleased he will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs."
In the 1990s Hamza led London's Finsbury Park Mosque, which was reportedly attended by 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and shoe-bomber Richard Reid.
Hamza denied ever having met the pair.
He later spread violent messages at the mosque after the 9/11 attacks.
Hamza was jailed in Britain for seven years for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred in 2006.
The first widespread snowfall of the year is expected today as a second burst of extreme weather from across the Atlantic sweeps parts of the country, the Met Office has said.
More than 100,000 homes were left without power on Friday as hurricane-force winds bringing gusts of up to 113mph battered the north of Britain, bringing down power lines.
The worst affected areas were across the Highlands, islands, Aberdeenshire and the central belt of Scotland.
There was also major disruption to travel services. National Rail said trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Carstairs will divert and not call at Motherwell today.
The Forth Road Bridge was temporarily closed after a van was blown over
While flooding near Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands has meant trains are not running between Perth and Inverness.
Ferries were cancelled, roads closed and the Forth Road Bridge was shut for a period after a van was blown onto its side.
Video:Latest Sky News Weather Forecast
A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest there since records began in 1970.
High winds caused severe problems on the A1 throughout Yorkshire and the North East as a number of lorries were blown over, blocking the carriageway.
The trans-Pennine A66 route has been closed to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles between Brough and Bowes.
The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the US hitting warmer air in the south.
Gales are expected to return this weekend but are due to peak at around 80mph.
Forecasters said they will be accompanied by snow with yellow "be prepared" weather alerts in place for all of Scotland, the north and Midlands of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "There will be snow, mainly over hills, but also to lower levels for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Video:Sub-Zero Temperatures Grip US
"Tonight there will be further wintry showers in the north and west, with snow over northern hills, reaching lower levels at times.
"Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England are most at risk from snow and ice."
The Met Office said between 2cm and 4cm of snow, and perhaps 8cm on the highest ground, is likely.
Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said it has restored supplies to around 60,000 customers and is working to restore electricity to more than 32,000 customers.
It said its engineers were continuing to reconnect homes today, but staff were "facing a monumental task'' in getting to damaged lines in remote parts.
Scottish Power said around 20,000 customers have been reconnected after losing power, with work ongoing to reach a further 800 properties.
The Conservatives have promised to legislate to make striking more difficult in some core public services if they win this year's general election.
Under the manifesto commitment, industrial action in areas such as health, transport, the fire services and schools would require at least 40% support of those eligible to vote - as well as a majority of those who have actually voted.
The move is an attempt to stop strikes going ahead which have been supported by, sometimes, only one in ten
The TUC has denounced the plan as a 'democratic outrage' which would make it "virtually impossible for anyone in the public sector to go on strike".
The proposals also pledge to end the ban on the use of agency staff to cover for striking workers, and promise a review on the possible introduction of minimum service levels to ensure that core services remain available during strikes.
Video:Tube Strike Causes Travel Misery
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told Sky News: "A lot people are affected by these strikes, hardworking people going about their daily business don't actually have the opportunity of participating in that ballot.
"So I think it is absolutely right that before a strike can be called in an essential public service there has to be very, very strong support from the membership of that union."
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said the proposed measures would "shift the balance completely in favour of the government and employers, and away from dedicated public servants".
He added: "The UK already has tough laws on strikes - there is no need to make them stricter still."
Video:Acting RMT General Secretary
GMB general secretary Paul Kenny pointed out that Conservatives failed to secure 40% support of those who voted in the 2010 general election, while only 15 Tory MPs had the backing of 40% of those entitled to vote in their constituencies.
Nearly three-quarters (86) of 119 significant ballots for industrial action conducted between August 2010 and December 2014 would have been invalid under the proposed thresholds.
Among those was last year's London Underground strike, which fewer than one third of eligible RMT members voted for, said the Conservatives.
And next week's planned bus strikes in London would be banned, as only 16% of those entitled to vote backed the 13 January action in a ballot which attracted a turnout of just 19%, a party source said.
Video:Commuters React To Tube Strike News
Labour election campaign vice-chair Lucy Powell also criticised the plans. She said: "The Tories have run out of ideas for the country so are resorting to playing political games with the unions.
"They should be finding solutions to reach negotiated settlements to avoid industrial action.
"The current laws governing strikes were introduced by Margaret Thatcher - not exactly a friend of the unions."
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 09 Januari 2015 | 22.11
By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter
Cancer drug companies say they are "outraged" that their treatments may be taken off a list of approved medicines after a review by NHS England.
More than 40 drugs currently on offer to cancer patients are being re-evaluated as part of cost cutting after the Cancer Drugs Fund overspent by £100m.
Since 2010, the Government has put aside hundreds of millions of pounds for the fund separately from NHS spending on cancer drugs as some treatments cost tens of thousands of pounds a year per patient.
Decisions on future provision are expected next week but some manufacturers have said their products have been earmarked for withdrawal within two months - though patients already using the affected drugs will continue to get them.
Gary Hendler, president of Eisai's global oncology business unit which makes a breast cancer drug called Halaven, claimed the review process was based on "arbitrary scoring" and told Sky News: "We are extremely shocked, what we are asking for is the Prime Minister to pause the current process of rationing cancer drugs."
One breast cancer patient also spoke out about the review.
Shani Lloyd Roberts, 32, has secondary breast cancer and has been taking a life-prolonging drug for 16 months.
It is not yet known whether or not her drug will be offered to new patients but she is concerned about the review cutting choice to cancer patients.
"Why take drugs away that are actually working for people? If someone's going to be diagnosed today, tomorrow, a week or a month down the line, they're not going to be offered the same drug that's working for somebody else.
"I don't understand that, it makes no sense and makes life a little bit scarier."
Cancer Drugs Fund chair, practising oncologist Peter Clark, defended the process: "We need to get maximum value for every pound we spend through the CDF.
"We can no longer sustain a position where we are funding drugs that don't offer sufficient clinical benefit when drugs that will do more for patients are coming on stream."
NHS England said excluded drugs would include some which "offer some benefit but are very costly" and said it was essential that patients were able to access the latest treatments.
It pointed out that there was a formal review process available to affected firms.
Tarja Stenvall, general manager of Sanofi, which says its prostate cancer drug Jevtana and bowel cancer treatment Zaltrap are among those being withdrawn, also called on the Government to halt the process.
The full details of the review will be announced next week.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Rosamund Pike are among the leading contenders for awards at this year's BAFTAs.
Redmayne and his co-star Felicity Jones have been nominated for their roles as Stephen and Jane Hawking in the film about the scientist's life, The Theory Of Everything.
"I'm feeling amazing, I'm feeling really extraordinary, we're in Los Angeles and we just found out so we're about to open a bottle of something," Redmayne said, after the nominations were announced by BAFTA host Stephen Fry in London.
Jones said: "I'm sort of stunned and excited. It's wonderful. I'm looking forward to celebrating with a glass of champagne and Skyping my family."
In the best-actor category, Redmayne is up against fellow English acting darling Cumberbatch, who is nominated for his part in The Imitation Game, about the life of wartime codebreaker Alan Turing.
Video:Curtain Raised On BAFTA Awards
The other best actor contenders are Jake Gyllenhall for Nightcrawler, Michael Keaton for Birdman and Ralph Fiennes for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The nominees for best actress are Jones, Pike for Gone Girl, Amy Adams for Big Eyes, Julianne Moore for Still Alice and Reese Witherspoon for Wild.
But it is Wes Anderson's stylish comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel that surprisingly leads the pack with 11 nominations.
One of those nominations is for best film; it is up against Birdman, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game.
Birdman, a dark comedy tipped for glory at the Golden Globes this weekend, and The Theory of Everything both received 10 nominations, while The Imitation Game got nine.
Mike Leigh's Mr Turner is up for four awards, including costume design, but Timothy Spall was snubbed for his performance in the title role which won him the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film version of Paddington, which stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of the famous bear, picked up two nominations.
Other nominations include nods for Keira Knightley and Imelda Staunton for best supporting actress, along with Steve Carell and Ethan Hawke for best supporting actor.
The winners will be announced at London's Royal Opera House on 8 February.
Al Qaeda is plotting to massacre huge numbers of civilians in Britain and other western countries, the head of Mi5 has warned.
Andrew Parker, director general of the security service, told a select group mostly from the Royal United Services Institute at his London headquarters that while the so-called Islamic State is the newest threat to the West and that self-started lone wolf plots are hard to foil, al Qaeda still has ambitions for something more spectacular.
He said: "We know that terrorists based in Syria harbour... ambitions towards the UK - trying to direct attacks against our country, and exhorting extremists here to act independently."
But this was in addition to newly identified plans from al Qaeda to revisit their traditional style of operations.
He said: "…we still face more complex and ambitious plots that follow the now sadly well-established approach of al Qaeda and its imitators: attempts to cause large scale loss of life, often by attacking transport systems or iconic targets.
Video:'A Huge Worry To Us'
"We know, for example, that a group of core al Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West."
Al Qaeda experts are known to have moved from Pakistan to Syria, where they may be able to draw on British volunteers to conduct attacks in the UK. Their mission is entirely focussed on plots against the West.
They are known to be led by Muhsin al Fadhli, an expert bomb maker wanted by the FBI who has a $7m price on his head. He moved to Syria two years ago and was unsuccessfully targeted in a coalition air strike last year.
It is also known that British citizens are in the ranks of al Qaeda in Syria and could be used in a major atrocity back home.
The domestic spy chief spoke hours after the UK's COBRA committee ordered a boost to national security.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: "Following the attacks we took the precautionary step yesterday of increasing security at the French-UK border.
"The UK threat level, which is set by the independent Joint Terrorism Advisory Centre, remains at severe; that means a terrorist attack is highly likely and the public should remain vigilant.
"This morning I chaired COBRA to consider Britain's response to the attacks and our own preparedness to a similar attack."
Extra police have already been deployed at British ports and stations serving the Eurostar.
Lone wolf plots aimed at the police and military have surged over the last year and these have combined with the Paris killings to cause unease among officers.
"It's a huge worry for us," said Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police.
"There is a particular increased threat to police officers at the moment and there have been a number of attacks foiled in differed parts of the country, but I can tell you that our officers are very concerned about it… they see what happened in France, and clearly we are an unarmed police force but it is the nature of that threat which is worrying but despite that our officers go out there and do their duty."
Such concerns from front line police reflect similar fears in the intelligence community. Put simply - the world is getting more dangerous.
The head of the Professional Footballers' Association has apologised for comparing convicted rapist Ched Evans' situation to the Hillsborough disaster.
The comments made by Gordon Taylor led to calls from Liverpool fans for the PFA chief executive to resign.
Mr Taylor was speaking in a radio interview after Oldham Athletic confirmed plans to sign Evans had collapsed.
"He (Evans) would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right," Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"If we are talking about things in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough.
Video:'The Deal Could Not Go Ahead'
"And it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time - indeed by the police at the time.
"He's in a very difficult situation because he's been put through a wringer and the minute you show any sympathy for Ched everybody will say 'Well, what about the other parties concerned?'
"And that's why I'm making the point that nobody's forgetting them."
Amid widespread criticism, Mr Taylor returned to the airwaves to apologise.
"The last thing I intended to do was to upset anybody connected to the Hillsborough case," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"I've long been a supporter of them (the Hillsborough families) so if that's the impression they got, it's a totally wrong one and I'm very sorry for that."
Video:4 Jan - What Do Fans Think?
Social media users were quick to condemn Mr Taylor's initial comments.
Paul LFC Foreman posted on Twitter: "Expect nothing more than a P45 for #GordonTaylor in the morn from @PFA absolutely disgusting comments not even comparable #JFT96."
Liverpool-based singer Pete Wylie said: "@PFA @LFC should withdraw the players from all activity-including playing-until Gordon Taylor apologises AND resigns+takes Evans too #JFT96."
Oldham Athletic's deal to sign Evans collapsed after staff, sponsors and fans suffered "vile" threats, the football club said.
The League One outfit had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition.
The club's main sponsor ZenOffice also threatened to pull out if they signed him.
Video:21 Nov: U-Turn 'Right Decision'
After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".
However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.
"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.
"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."
The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.
Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.
Hurricane-force winds have brought gusts of around 110mph to Scotland as extreme weather from across the Atlantic reached Britain.
A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest there since records began in 1970.
A train near Culpar was hit by a tree - the debris was cleared
The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the US hitting warmer air in the south.
The winds have brought power lines down and caused travel disruption.
Video:The latest UK weather forecast
Up to 85,000 properties in Scotland were left without power while ScotRail suspended its rail services "for safety reasons". Some services have since been resumed.
The Forth Road Bridge was closed for some hours when a van blew over and Aberdeen Police said a number of trees had been blown down on Aberdeenshire and Moray roads.
Police in Inverness said several roads and bridges, including the Skye Bridge and Dornoch Bridge, had been closed in northern Scotland and travel conditions in the Highlands and Islands were "hazardous".
The winds followed Met Office amber warnings for northern and central Scotland.
Flood warnings are also in place with all schools in the Western Isles and Orkney been closed as a precaution.
Video:Sub-Zero Temperatures Grip US
Gusts of between 60mph and 70mph were predicted throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Met Office issued yellow "be prepared" warnings.
The bad weather led to delays to CrossCountry trains running between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Newcastle, while in Kent a broken-down train at Westgate-On-Sea caused hold-ups to services between Margate and Chatham.
Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "We'd advise anyone planning to travel ... to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely."
The AA has also warned that drivers faced "potentially hazardous" conditions.
John Seymour, national manager of the AA's severe weather team, said: "Drivers need to be prepared for possible widespread travel disruption and challenging driving conditions across the affected areas.
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Gallery: Large Parts Of US In Deep Freeze
A frozen beach at Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois
Commuters endure sub-zero temperatures in Chicago as a deep freeze sweeps across much of the nation
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 08 Januari 2015 | 22.11
David Cameron has reiterated his support for the French people as an emergency government meeting was held to discuss the implications of an attack on a French magazine for the UK.
Speaking in Manchester, where he has talking to business leaders, the Prime Minister said: "Everyone's thoughts will be with the French people. These events are a challenge to our security. But also a challenge to our values."
Soon after the Cobra meeting got under way, 24 hours after the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in France on Wednesday, police in London and other force areas held a minute's silence.
Theresa May is chairing the Government's emergency Cobra committee
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey was among a number of officers who held a tribute outside Scotland Yard to those who had died.
"Today was about remembering our colleagues in France and remembering the terrible events of yesterday," he said.
Video:Paris Attack: Brothers On The Run
"Our thoughts are with both the French people and our colleagues in the French police and security service for what they are doing at the moment."
Officers in Leicestershire, Greater Manchester, West Mercia, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Durham also held similar tributes.
ACPO vice president and Greater Manchester chief constable Sir Peter Fahy said: "All members of the British police forces are shocked at the savagery of this attack.
"In any democratic society it is the role of the police to protect basic human rights and our two French colleagues died protecting free speech. We stand in solidarity."
Video:Cameron: We Stand With France
Members of the security services and police attended the meeting chaired Home Secretary Theresa May.
Shortly afterwards it was announced security at Britain's ports and train stations had been tightened.
Earlier, Labour leader Ed Miliband had earlier tweeted: "We stand in solidarity with France against this evil attack by terrorists intent on attacking our democratic way of life & freedom of speech."
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg told his radio show on LBC on Thursday that the Cobra meeting was to double check that all the necessary measures to ensure UK security were in place.
Video:Cartoonists Back Je Suis Charlie
He wrote on his twitter page in French on Wednesday night, saying: "British people are in solidarity with the French people. These acts of terror will never shake our commitment to freedom of expression."
Nigel Farage appeared on Channel 4 News and said: "(The attacks) are truly horrific with obviously some very worrying implications for our civilisation."
He added that he believed the free movement of people across European borders did not aid the fight against attacks like those that happened in Paris.
Mr Clegg used his radio programme to criticise Mr Farage for making political capital out of the tragic events in France and implying British Muslims are "part of the problem".
Video:Vigils Held Across France
MPs, peers, parliamentary staff and journalists gathered in Westminster Hall at noon to mark events by holding pens in the air.
Tesco has confirmed it is to close 43 unprofitable UK stores and halt construction on almost 50 others as part of a plan to revive its fortunes.
In the wake of four profit warnings last year and the accounting scandal which saw group chief executive Dave Lewis take charge of the UK business, Tesco said it had enjoyed a good Christmas.
Like-for-like sales fell just 0.3% in the six weeks over Christmas - better than analysts predicted - although like-for-like sales in its third quarter were down 2.9%.
But Tesco's sales woes - a result of a lack of focus on its core store offering in the past and the strong challenge from discounters - are only part of the problem for Mr Lewis.
He used the trading update to confirm a number of changes in order to ensure no repeat of the £263m profit over-statement - including new guidelines for supplier negotiations - and outlined plans to streamline the business.
Video:Tesco Cuts: An Expert's Verdict
Its head office in Cheshunt is to close in 2016 while it confirmed the sale of Tesco Broadband and Blinkbox, the video steaming service, to TalkTalk.
Options were being explored for Dunnhumby, the unit which manages its Clubcard loyalty scheme, signalling a likely sale process which could value it at up to £2bn.
Tesco did not disclose the locations of the 43 stores to close but Mr Lewis revealed that a "significant proportion" would be Tesco Express convenience shops.
Changes to store management and working-hour flexibility structures would deliver savings of £230m annually but result in a one-off cost of £300m, Tesco said.
It also plans to close its final salary pension scheme but said colleagues would soon be offered turnaround-based bonuses.
Tesco confirmed too that it had poached Halfords boss Matt Davies to run the UK business but he would not be able to start work until 1 June.
The announcements were cheered by investors, with Tesco's share price - having taken a battering last year - up almost 14% on the FTSE 100 in early afternoon trading.
Sainsbury's and Morrisons also saw their values shoot up but Halfords lost more than 5% on news of Mr Davies' departure.
On the shop floor, Tesco joined the New Year price war with major rivals by cutting prices from today on hundreds of branded products.
It said the move, resulting in average savings of 25% on brands such as Hovis, Coca-Cola, Marmite and Tetley, was a response to "demands from customers for simpler, lower and more stable prices."
Video:TalkTalk: Blinkbox About The Future
Commenting on the Christmas sales performance, Mr Lewis said: "We are seeing the benefits of listening to our customers.
"In difficult circumstances the team has begun the challenging task of reinvigorating our business. There is more to do but we have taken the first important steps in the right direction.
"Our recent performance gives us confidence that when we pull together and put the customer first we can deliver the right results."
The average cost of unleaded petrol has tumbled below the 110p-per-litre mark for the first time in five years.
Drivers have been benefiting from lower prices at UK pumps as the cost of oil plummets on world markets - the result of a glut in supply and fears for global economic growth.
Figures released on Thursday by Experian Catalist showed the average cost of unleaded on Wednesday fell to 109.8p - a drop of more than half 1p in a day.
Sources suggested that falls in average petrol costs of more than 2p in a day last month had not been seen in 15 years.
Petrol prices fell by 10p-a-litre in December alone - from 121.44p at the start of the month.
Video:Why Has The Price Of Oil Plummeted?
Experian Catalist said the last time unleaded stood below 110p was on 3 January 2010.
Diesel also continued to fall but more slowly, with the average on Wednesday at 117p-per-litre.
Fuel experts have suggested that the dramatic fall in oil costs is likely to result in unleaded petrol prices going below 100p-per-litre in the coming months.
The chief executive of Sainsbury's which, along with its major supermarket competitors, has led the way in passing on petrol price cuts to motorists, told Sky News on Wednesday he believed such a price was possible.
The Government has ordered an investigation to ensure petrol retailers, energy firms and airlines are charging customers fairly.
Brent crude oil was trading at $51-per-barrel on Friday having lost more than half its value since June.
Security at ports and train stations that act as a border into the UK has been tightened up in the wake of the attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris, the government has said.
The Prime Minister's spokesman told journalists that there had been no change to the UK's terrorism threat level but the government had decided to take extra measures.
Sky sources said a visible extra security presence was expected to be in place both at British and French ports and stations which serve destinations in the UK.
It is believed that passengers using stations serving Eurostar and Le Shuttle and ports that serve ferries to and from France will be among those affected.
Passengers, cars and freight trains at places like Calais and the Gard du Nord in Paris could be subject to extra checks.
Video:Gunmen Spotted At Petrol Station
The sources said that the decision to boost security was not based on any specific intelligence, but rather was "an appropriate" response to the events on Wednesday that left 12 people dead after an attack on a French satirical magazine.
The current threat level remains at severe, the Home Office said.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The cowardly attacks that took place in Paris yesterday have shocked and sickened people in the UK and around the world.
"In deliberately targeting and murdering journalists, the terrorists were attacking freedom and democracy. And in murdering police officers, they attacked the people who risk their own safety every day to protect us and our way of life."
The sources added that there was no evidence of a link between Britain and the attacks in France, or indeed the suspects and Britain.
Video:Notre Dame Rings Out For The Dead
There has also been no intelligence to suggest that any copy cat type attacks may happen in the UK.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is in the process of updating advice to British travellers to France.
Earlier, the FCO described Wednesday's attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris and the latest in Montrouge on its website and told visitors: "You should take extra care at this time and follow the security advice issued by the French authorities."
The department said an additional counter terrism officer from the Metropolitan Police will be based at the British Embassy in Paris.
It has emerged that on Wednesday, Mr Cameron, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande had a joint phone call.
Video:Sky News Debate: Freedom Of Speech
Earlier, Mrs Merkel and the Prime Minister had been given a joint briefing by British intelligence services - a move that Downing Street described as unusual.
Meanwhile, an extract of a speech that the Director General of MI5, Andrew Parker, is due to give has been released.
In it, he says: "It is too early for us to come to judgements about the precise details or origin of the attack but it is a terrible reminder of the intentions of those who wish to do us harm.
"As you would expect, we are offering our French colleagues our full support as they respond."
Oldham Athletic's deal to sign convicted rapist Ched Evans is off after board members and their families were threatened, a club director has said.
The football club had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition, local police and politicians voicing their concerns and the club's main sponsor ZenOffice threatening to pull out if they signed him.
"The board of directors has been keen to pursue this deal despite the criticism so this has come as a test of their resolve", Sky's sports correspondent Paul Kelso said.
"Evans may have to go further down the football pyramid to get back into the game."
After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".
Video:4 Jan - What Do Fans Think?
However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.
"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.
"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."
The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.
Video:21 Nov: U-Turn 'Right Decision'
Oldham's joint owner Simon Corney had said on Wednesday that there was an "80%" chance of the 26-year-old being signed after talks over several days.
But the deal collapsed amid reports that at least one staff member was told a named relative would be raped if the deal was not stopped.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP), however, said the force was not aware of any threats.
Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.
Video:22 Oct: Evans Wants To Clear Name
The Professional Footballers' Association denied it was "driving any deal".
"We fully recognise that this is a delicate and emotive case and entirely respect that there are opposing views," it said in a statement.
He had trained with his previous employers Sheffield United after leaving jail but any hopes of him rejoining them were dashed by fierce opposition from influential figures including Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 07 Januari 2015 | 22.11
Overwhelming patient demand has seen accident and emergency waiting times plunge to their worst levels in a decade and several hospitals implement major incident plans to cope.
Health professionals estimate nearly a third of people going to A&E are not emergency cases, while a lack of community healthcare has also been blamed for adding to the problem.
In response to the crisis, many viewers have contacted Sky News via email to relate their personal experiences of A&E.
Here are some of them:
:: Alan Pitts
Video:Why Are A&E Wards Struggling?
"My 92-old-mother spent just over 24 hours in the A&E department in December. They ran out of blankets pillows, chairs and beds.
"The hospital was like a third world country. The general manager of the hospital advised me that the hospital was operating in an unsafe condition."
:: Barry Fryer
"My 96-year-old mother recently had a bad fall and had to wait on a trolley in a corridor for three hours whilst the staff dealt with more serious patients.
"There was no room on the wards and there were 10 patients on trollies in the corridor. Some were bleeding from cuts and wounds.
"The more serious patients turned out to be aggressive drunks which ended up in security staff and the police being called.
"My mother was 'seen' within the four-hour period but that was only someone taking details of the problems. She was not treated or seen by a doctor for more than seven hours.
"Why should drunks take over A&E departments and why shouldn't they be made to pay for the costs of their self-inflicted problems clogging up A&E?"
:: Wendy McKenzie - her mother, who died last August, had been a patient at two hospitals
Video:A&E: Where Is Problem Most Acute?
"Both hospitals have large A&E departments and in all instances my mum was treated very well. Even if there was a wait someone kept checking on her.
"The last incident could have been very traumatic as she had taken a bad fall.
"The ambulance service were great, ensuring that mum suffered as little discomfort as possible and stayed with her until they could officially hand her over to the medics in A&E.
"The team there again were great.
"Yes, we had to wait even though this was late at night, but nurses continually checked on her and she was treated well.
"Sadly she did not survive, passing away two days later due to a massive haemorrhage. I cannot speak more highly of how she was treated."
:: Shona Wedderburn
"I was in A&E three weeks ago and I was seen within half-an-hour for an X-ray and I was taken into the nurse within an hour of that for my details tombs confirmed.
"I did have to wait nearly four hours to see the doctors but that was due to six ambulances coming in with emergencies, two of which were for resuscitation so to say that 92.6% is bad is wrong."
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Gallery: When Should You Go To A&E?
Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness
Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
The Government has rejected Labour's calls for an emergency summit to discuss ways of easing the growing pressure on accident and emergency (A&E) departments.
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham had called for health, social care, council and emergency services to meet after the worst A&E admissions figures in a decade.
More than a dozen hospitals including Addenbrooke's in Cambridge have declared major incidents because of a surge in demand.
Hospitals in England and Wales which have declared 'major incidents'
London's Fire Brigades' Union has also protested about the knock-on effect, saying vehicles have been pressed into service as makeshift ambulances.
But a Department of Health spokeswoman said: "The Secretary of State (Jeremy Hunt) has been holding weekly meetings about A&E pressures since March last year.
Video:A&E Departments Struggling To Cope
"Alongside colleagues across government and the NHS nationally, we continue to work with the local NHS to help support them through the winter."
:: Click here for the In The Margins console
David Cameron has admitted the NHS is under pressure following the release of figures showing waiting times at A&E in England have hit their worst level in 10 years.
However, he dismissed claims the service is on the brink of disaster.
Mr Burnham has published a letter accusing Mr Hunt of failing to anticipate the current problems.
Reports of fire engines and police cars being increasingly used as ambulances raised "major patient and public safety concerns", he wrote.
Video:Why Are A&E Wards Struggling?
Mr Burnham said any summit needed to include representatives from the police, fire and ambulance services as well as NHS professionals.
The latest figures on A&E waiting times showed just 92.6% of patients were treated within the four-hour time limit against a target of 95%
The figure is much worse in Wales, where Labour is in charge, but Mr Burnham told Sky News the statistics are not the most important thing.
He said: "What really matters is that there are thousands of people today waiting on a trolley in hospital corridors, held in the back of ambulances outside A&E, people who cannot get the care they need in a very serious situation.
"The emergency services are not functioning as they should be. That's a serious issue. It requires urgent action and constructive suggestions."
The British Medical Association says there are now "unprecedented levels of pressure" on the health service, while the Royal College of Nursing said the system was in "crisis".
Video:More People And Harder To Discharge
Mr Cameron said there was a "short-term pressure issue which we need to meet with resources and management".
He added: "A lot of the pressure on A&E is coming from frail, elderly people, often with many different health conditions and the best place for them, frankly, is not A&E.
"They should be being looked after by the family doctor or in other health settings and I think the long term challenge is to make sure those sorts of settings are more available."
The hospitals that have declared major incidents are:
:: The Royal Bolton Hospital :: Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge :: Scarborough Hospital In Yorkshire :: Royal Stoke University Hospital :: Peterborough City in Cambridgeshire :: Gloucestershire Royal Hospital :: Cheltenham General Hospitals :: Walsall Manor in the West Midlands :: Croydon Hospital in south London :: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals :: Ashford and St Peter's hospitals in Surrey :: Stafford's County Hospital :: Leicester General, Glenfield and Leicester Royal hospitals
More than 100 people have offered a new home to a dog left a railway station with a suitcase containing his belongings.
The Scottish SPCA had calls from people as far away as California and Tennessee after the story of shar-pei crossbreed Kai being abandoned at Ayr station in South Ayrshire made the papers all over the world.
The animal welfare charity hopes to rehome Kai once he has had surgery to his eyelids, which are curled under meaning his eyelashes touch his eyeballs.
"He needs surgery which is quite a common procedure. He won't be able to leave till he has had that so he will be with us for the next three to four weeks," a spokeswoman for the charity, which is based in Glasgow, said.
Kai, who is aged between two and three, was found tied to a railing outside the station with the case containing items including a pillow, toy, food and a bowl.
Video:Can You Help Find This Dog A Home?
Alan Grant, a senior animal care assistant at the Glasgow centre, said: "It would certainly have been very distressing for him at the time he was abandoned.
"He has been tied up to a fence and watched his owners walk away and leave him, and that's distressing for any dog, even if you just tie your dog up outside the shop and go into the shop, most dogs will panic so it must have been very, very distressing for him watching his owners walk away.
"He's settled into the centre not bad and he seems very people-orientated, but it's certainly not the right manner to leave any animal in."
Video:Puppy Saves Man From Burning House
The charity said abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
The dog was sold on the Gumtree website in 2013 and the charity is appealing for information to help trace whoever bought him.
A woman told a jury how consultant paediatrician Michael Salmon fondled her breasts "to check for breast cancer" when she visited him as a 15-year-old with migraines.
She said he sent a nurse out of the consulting room, then told her to remove her top and bra before examining her.
She said: "I was stunned. I didn't understand what was going on. I have buried this stuff for a long, long time."
She told Reading Crown Court how she felt at the time: "He's a doctor, I'm a child trying to believe him that what he is doing is right."
The woman, who is now 48, said she did not report it to police, but did tell her school friends.
"I spoke to school friends at the time because we were all being touched at school. We were 'here's another one'."
She reported Salmon to police in 2013 when her mother read his name in a newspaper.
She said she had earlier had seven months of counselling over alleged abuse by another man connected to her boarding school. She did not mention Salmon during the counselling sessions.
That suspect was never charged because he was old and suffering from dementia, the court was told.
Defence barrister Sarah Jones suggested the witness had reported Salmon only because she was frustrated by the lack of prosecution against the other man.
The witness said that was not true. She had not mentioned Salmon during counselling because she was concerned with the abuser at her school.
She said: "I'm not out for punishment. I'm speaking today because I didn't speak out when I was 15."
Salmon, 79, from Salisbury, was struck off the medical register in 1991 after admitting indecently assaulting three young patients.
In the current trial he denies 16 charges involving young female patients: three rapes, 11 indecent assaults and two of arranging abortions.
The alleged offences were committed in the 1970s and 80s.
A major sponsor has threatened to withdraw its support from Oldham Athletic Football Club if they sign convicted rapist Ched Evans.
ZenOffice made the threat after reports the 26-year-old had agreed personal terms and could be in the squad for Saturday's game against Doncaster.
The company said in a statement it had sponsored League One Oldham for five years and the relationship was based on "mutual respect" and the fact they shared the same "family and community" values.
But it warned: "ZenOffice do not agree that the current path OAFC are embarking on espouses these values.
"Therefore it is with much regret that ZenOffice would like to confirm that we will end our association with Oldham if the move goes ahead to sign Ched Evans."
Video:5 Jan - No Decision From Oldham
According to Sky sources Oldham were on the verge of signing Evans after canvassing opinion among fans and sponsors including ZenOffice.
Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper said: "There has been a split among fans and sponsors but one of the major sponsors ZenOffice have assured them they will remain a key part of the club.
"If Evans completes the switch he'll be attending a medical and the staff will be ready to carry that out. It looks like three days of waiting for a resolution is almost over."
Video:4 Jan - What Do Fans Think?
Secondary shirt sponsors, Carter Moore Solicitors, have apparently told Oldham they will continue to back them whether they sign Evans or not.
But the club have come under increasing pressure to turn their back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition and local police and politicians voicing their concerns.
The Wales international has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October after serving half of a five-year sentence for rape.
Video:Evans Has 'Served His Time'
He had trained with his previous employers Sheffield United after leaving prison but any hopes of him rejoining them were dashed by fierce opposition from influential figures including Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Reports that Evans had been offered a contract by a leading Maltese club were denied by his spokesman.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 05 Januari 2015 | 22.11
Two of Oldham Athletic's sponsors say they will cut ties with the club if convicted rapist Ched Evans is signed.
Craig Verling, a director of Verlin Rainwater Solutions which sponsors a stand at Boundary Park, said: "The club know our stance and that is if they sign or allow Ched Evans to train we will be out of the door."
Mecca Bingo also says it will end its association with the club if the move takes place.
Evans is believed to have held fresh talks with the side, who insisted in December they would not offer him a contract or a chance to train.
Thousands of people have signed a petition against him potentially joining the club.
Video:'It's A Very Difficult Situation'
The letter to Oldham chairman Simon Corney - which has attracted more than 20,000 signatures since Sunday - came as the club prepared to stage a news conference today.
Now a local newspaper reports that Mr Corney is "wavering" as a result of the backlash, and the decision hangs in the balance.
Manager Lee Johnson told reporters that the decision was for the board, adding: "Whatever the board decides I will be a part of."
Evans was released from prison in October after serving two-and-a-half years of a five-year sentence for rape.
Video:What Do Fans Think?
He still protests his innocence. Oldham have yet to comment.
Evans had an offer to train with former club Sheffield United retracted in November following a backlash.
Tranmere and Hartlepool have also rejected the opportunity to sign him.
The PFA has said it will support Evans continuing his football career.
Video:Justice Secretary On Evans' Future
News of Oldham's interest has prompted a lively debate on fan forums.
Oldham have previously signed a player convicted of a criminal offence.
Lee Hughes, who served three years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving, played for the club after his release in 2007.
The shadow minister for sport Clive Efford said: "The FA should act for the good of the game and not accept the registration of Ched Evans."
Video:The Legal Position
Greater Manchester's Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd, said: "Ched Evans is a convicted rapist and, whilst I strongly believe in the principle of rehabilitation, it will send out entirely the wrong message if they offer him a contract."
Buckingham Palace says there is "no record" of the Queen ever meeting a woman who claims she was forced to have underage sex with Prince Andrew.
Sky News understands the Duke of York flew home on a private jet from a ski resort in Verbier, Switzerland, following the allegations, which were made in court papers in the US.
The Duke is understood to be planning to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, later this month, despite the controversy.
A royal aide, meanwhile, has said that after the traditional New Year break a "resilient" Duke of York would "move on and push ahead" with his work.
Buckingham Palace has in recent days issued two denials over the woman's claims.
It has "emphatically denied" the Duke had sexual contact with the woman, who has been named in reports as Virginia Roberts.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman insisted "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" was "categorically untrue".
The woman's father, Sky Roberts, claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail that his daughter met the Queen during a visit to London.
However, a palace spokesman insisted: "There is nothing to suggest the claim is true. We have no record of such a meeting."
Jeffrey Epstein was jailed for 18 months in 2008
Scotland Yard has confirmed it has not received a complaint relating to the case, but added it would investigate if an allegation was made.
Two Sunday newspapers have published details of interviews with the woman, who reportedly named Prince Andrew in US court documents.
Her claim is part of a lawsuit in connection with American billionaire and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of the Duke.
Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York two years after his release from prison in 2009, and has faced criticism over their friendship.
In an interview in 2011 he denied any sexual contact with any of the young women connected to the banker.
The woman claims that between 1999 and 2002 she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.
She is believed to have been 17 at the time - underage in US law.
The accusation is reportedly contained in a motion filed in a Florida court this week which is part of a lawsuit over how prosecutors handled Epstein's case.
An associate of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, has branded the claims against her as "untrue" and "obvious lies" after she, too, was reportedly named in the court documents.
But the woman has hit back, saying in a statement: "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent and the reason why I did for a long time.
"That trend should change. I'm not going to be bullied back into silence."
The Queen is to make a three-day state visit to Germany with the Duke of Edinburgh this summer, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The 88-year-old monarch and her 93-year-old husband will travel to the country in June at the invitation of Germany's president, Joachim Gauck, a human-rights campaigner and former East German dissident.
The royal couple last made a state visit to Germany in November 2004.
The trip will follow shortly after the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Prince Philip saw wartime service in the Royal Navy while the Queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a mechanic.
The June trip will be the fifth state visit by the royal couple to Germany.
In July 2000, during an official visit to Berlin, the Queen opened the new British embassy.
Buckingham Palace said in a short statement: "The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will make a state visit to the Federal Republic of Germany from 24 to 26 June.
"Her Majesty and His Royal Highness are visiting at the invitation of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Joachim Gauck."
Mr Gauck and his partner, Daniela Schadt, were the guests of the Queen and Duke at a lunch at Buckingham Palace in November 2012.
News of the state visit comes just two days before German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits London for talks with Prime Minister David Cameron.
The Queen and Prince Philip have scaled back their overseas trips in recent years, allowing other members of the royal household to represent them, including Prince Charles, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry.
Last year they attended the 70th anniversary commemorations of D-Day in France and also made a one-day trip to Rome.
Prior to that, the monarch had not left Britain since visiting Australia in October 2011.
The battleground for the most unpredictable General Election in decades shifted to spending today as five senior ministers lined up to pull apart Labour's plans.
In an unprecedented move George Osborne, Theresa May, William Hague, Sajid Javid and Nicky Morgan joined together to present a document they claimed showed £20.7bn of unfunded Labour spending promises.
Mr Hague, the Leader of the House of Commons, said that using Treasury costings this amounted to £1,199 more borrowing and debt for every working household.
The Tory fight-back line-up
Between them they highlighted a number of unfunded Labour spending promises including:
:: Food waste in landfill ban = £500m
Video:Miliband Outlines Labour Plans
:: Cancellation of police spending cuts = £299m
:: Forcing teachers to have teacher status = £177m.
Labour was swift to dismiss the Tory spending figures as a "dodgy dossier."
Ed Balls MP, Labour's shadow chancellor, said: "This dodgy Tory dossier is riddled with untruths and errors on every page. It isn't an impartial exercise but a political smear based on false assumptions made by Tory advisers, including dozens of claims which are not even Labour's policies."
They pointed out that David Cameron had announced £7.2bn of unfunded tax cuts at the Conservative Party Conference.
Critics were also quick to point out the Tories had based their figures on a number of assumptions. Labour has pledged only to "make cycling safer" and yet this had been costed at £63m.
And questions were raised over whether it was right to use Government figures for party political gain.
It came after Ed Miliband attempted to take the fight to the Tories by rallying party activists to wage a "once in a generation fight" claiming he could "rebuild the country".
Video:Winner Might Not Get Number 10 Keys
On day one of the General Election battle, as politicians returned to Westminster after the Christmas break, the Labour leader promised action on the deficit, the NHS and the return to 1930s levels of public spending.
However, Mr Osborne accused Mr Miliband of making £2.3bn of unfunded spending cuts in that speech alone with pledges on GP appointments, one-week cancer tests and apprenticeships.
Mr Miliband urged party members at a rally in Salford to take to the doorsteps and hold four million conversations with voters, saying his party could match the Tories' spending power only by marching on the streets to speak directly to people.
He said it was time to determine who the country works for. "It is a choice between a Tory plan where only a few at the top can succeed and our public services are threatened - or a Labour plan that puts working people first, deals with the deficit and protects our NHS."
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Gallery: In The Margins: The Monday Tour
Joey Jones takes a journey across the UK as part of Sky News' In The Margins campaign
And he accused the Prime Minister - who was noticeably absent from today's proceedings - of playing "risky and irresponsible games" with the European Union for political gain.
With 122 days to go until the vote, Sky News has launched a campaign looking at the 150 marginal seats which could be so influential in the outcome of the election.
Nick Clegg also kick started his party's own fight for a return to power in a coalition, burnishing Lib Dem credentials as the party that could anchor either the Tories or Labour from the worst of each party's cutting and borrowing excesses.
He accused the Tories of attempting to sell swingeing public service spending cuts as "continuity" when they were "even deeper" because of £7bn of unfunded tax cuts.
He said: "That's not sticking to the plan. That is a new plan to shelter the very wealthy and impose unnecessary cuts to public services."
He also warned that Labour will "borrow and borrow" and the country could end up paying billions more each year in interest on the debt.
It comes as Britain's former top civil servant, Lord O'Donnell warned in an exclusive interview with Sky News that the face of Westminster could be very different after May and the Government could be a coalition of three parties.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 04 Januari 2015 | 22.11
A major search effort has resumed in a bid to find the missing crew of an overturned cargo ship.
Two helicopters, four lifeboats and five coastguard rescue teams are looking for the eight people who were on the Cypriot-registered Cemfjord.
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said "every effort" was being made to find them.
Pictures released by the RNLI show the Cemfjord during the rescue operation
The Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) has also deployed a team to investigate.
The search was sparked after the crew of a passenger ferry raised the alarm when they spotted the upturned hull of the vessel in the Pentland Firth, off the north coast of Scotland.
After darkness fell it was called off, although passing vessels were asked to scan the area, between Orkney and John O'Groats.
The MCA spokeswoman said: "The search has resumed this morning, with two helicopters, four lifeboats and five coastguard rescue teams. There is no sign of any of the crewmen.
The search has been taking place northeast of Wick
"It is early in the day so we will see how the day progresses, but every effort is under way."
German shipping company Brise of Hamburg confirmed that there were eight people on the ship, seven Poles and one Filipino.
A spokesman for the company said: "No distress call was received from the vessel. Bad weather prevailed in the area at the time and conditions remain difficult at the scene, with storm force winds."
Shetland Coastguard was alerted by the NorthLink ferry Hrossey which spotted the vessel around 10 miles east of the Pentland Skerries, about 15 miles from Wick.
The 83-metre bulk cement carrier had been bound for Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK. She was carrying 2,000 tons of cement.
The RNLI tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the crew of the upturned cargo ship, their family, friends and all those involved in today's search operation."
A murder investigation has been launched after a 26-year-old was stabbed to death in Manchester's city centre.
The man was found at about 3.25am in Charles Street in the city centre and died later in hospital.
Detective Superintendent Joanne Rawlinson of Greater Manchester Police said: "A young man has sadly died and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his relatives and friends.
"I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through and specially-trained officers are offering them whatever support we can."
She appealed for any witnesses to come forward, adding: "We are in the very early stages of the investigation and we have a team of experienced detectives working to establish the circumstances leading up to his death."
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Det Supt Rawlinson said:"Although one man has been arrested in connection with the murder, we still need to hear from anyone who was around the Charles Street area in the early hours of this morning or has any information which may assist us with our investigation.
"We will have an increased police presence in the area as we continue our investigation and to reassure local residents, so if you have any concerns or information you wish to provide please come and speak to us."
:: Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Two men have been charged with murder after an alleged axe and knife attack at a Plymouth pub which left builder Tanis Bhandari dead.
Four other people were seriously injured in the "major disturbance" outside the Kings Arms in the village of Tamerton Foliot on New Year's Day.
Police said Ryan Williams, 21, and Donald Pemberton, 20, both of St Budeaux, Plymouth, have been charged with murder.
They are also accused of being in possession of an axe and a knife in a public place.
The pair are due to appear at Plymouth Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The violence took place outside the Kings Arms pub
Police were called to the pub, which had held a New Year's Eve disco, at around 1.30am.
Mr Bhandari was taken to Derriford Hospital with serious injuries, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Another man, aged 21 from Plymouth, remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Three others were treated in hospital.
Detective Inspector Gregg Dawe said: "An axe and knives have been recovered and searches are continuing in the Milford Lane area for any further knives that may have been used.
"I want to thank everyone who has assisted us with the police investigation so far. Searches and inquiries are continuing in relation to this incident."
A statement posted on the Kings Arms Facebook page described the incident as a "terrible attack" on a "lovely group of people on the way home from a great night in our pub".
Salvage experts are assessing how to refloat a car carrier after it ran aground in one of the country's busiest shipping lanes.
Overnight 25 crew members were rescued by a helicopter and lifeboats from the cargo ship which was heading towards Germany and became grounded on a sandbank near the Isle of Wight.
The ship, the Hoegh Osaka, is listing at 45 degrees and there are fears that changes in tide level might destabilise it further.
It was hoped that this morning's high tide would right the ship, but that did not happen and the 180-metre vessel remains stranded on Bramble Bank, in the Solent between Southampton and Cowes.
The stricken carrier has become a tourist attraction with Hampshire Police reporting that car parks along the coast were filling up with people wishing to view it.
Video:RNLI Rescue Operation
It is not yet clear how the 51,000-tonne Singapore-registered ship, which is capable of carrying thousands of vehicles, got into difficulty in an area notorious for its shallow waters.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the salvage company Svitzer had been appointed by the ship's owners, Hoegh Autoliners, and a salvage team was on its way to make an initial assessment.
"Salvage plans will be developed by Svitzer and reviewed by the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage & Intervention, (SOSREP).
"There is no impact on vessels transiting the Solent as the vessel is not within a shipping channel," a spokeswoman said.
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Gallery: Ship Beached In The Solent
The car carrier ship became grounded on Bramble Bank at around 9.20pm, listing at 45 degrees Pic: Jamie Griffin/M & Y News Agency, Portsmouth
Twenty-five crew were rescued by a coastguard helicopter and lifeboats Pic: @CalshotRNLI
League One club Oldham Athletic is set to agree a deal to sign rapist footballer Ched Evans, Sky News understands.
The 26-year-old striker was released from prison in October after serving half of a five year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in 2011.
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), which has always taken the stance that Evans, who still protests his innocence, deserved the chance to resume his career following his release from prison, is due to hold a press conference on Monday concerning the player.
There has been no official confirmation or denial from the club, which last month insisted they would not be offering Evans a contract or an opportunity to train. But it is understood further discussions have taken place since then.
The club has previously signed a former convict as a player.
Lee Hughes, who served three years in prison for causing the death by dangerous driving of father-of-four Douglas Graham in Meriden, near Coventry, in 2004, also signed for Oldham after his release in 2007.
Oldham's reported interest in Evans sparked lively debate on unofficial fans forums, with some supporters saying they would not attend another game at the club's Burnden Park home if Evans signed.
On one fans' forum a member named as Underdog wrote: "Please god no ... we are a family club ... He is a convicted sex offender until the courts decide otherwise ... can you imagine the grief we would get as fans ...This is a nightmare, if he signs I will not be returning back to BP until he has gone and would have to consider my role in playershare and trust oldham."
And Bristolatic wrote: "I wasn't 100% comfortable with the Lee Hughes signing, but he did at least show some contrition ... Ched Evans, on the other hand, has shown no remorse whatsoever. Instead, he has chosen to simply declare that he is innocent.
"My conscience would not allow me to be at a game in which he was playing."
However another poster, Hands On, wrote: "We all have to make our own minds up. I have made up mine and believe he should be given the chance to pursue his chosen profession again. I will continue to support my club."
Reaction on Twitter was similarly divided, with some Oldham fans saying they would stop attending games and others backing the club, saying that everyone deserves a second chance.
Sky News Correspondent Becky Johnson said that while the reaction from fans was important, it was the sponsors' "we really need to watch".
"It will be very interesting to see what sponsors here in Oldham will make of this, if as we understand it is the case that Ched Evans will be coming here, because of course in the end in football it does all come down to money," she said.
Evans had an offer to train with his former club Sheffield United withdrawn in November following a backlash from Blades supporters, sponsors and patrons opposed to his return. Some 160,000 people signed a petition against it.
Other clubs including Tranmere and Hartlepool also rejected the opportunity to sign him and a recently touted move abroad to Maltese club Hibernians floundered due to rules on convicted sex offenders and their probation regime.
Evans was jailed in April 2012 for raping a woman in a hotel room in Rhyl, North Wales.
The player denied the offence, saying the sex was consensual, but he was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court.
