Northern Ireland Clashes: Four Officers Injured

Four police officers have been injured after more than 30 petrol bombs as well as other missiles were hurled at them in another night of Union flag demonstrations in Northern Ireland.

The most serious disorder was witnessed in Carrickfergus and the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey, both on the northern outskirts of Belfast.

A bus was also set on fire during the disorder. Police deployed water cannon in an attempt to restore calm.

Two people were arrested, police said.

A small viable pipe bomb device was found on the Westlink dual carriageway in Belfast but it was unclear whether it was linked to the loyalist disorder.

There were widespread demonstrations across Northern Ireland on Friday night in co-ordinated action dubbed Operation Standstill by organisers. Police said most of the protests were peaceful.

Many roads were blocked off between 6pm and 8pm as loyalist protesters again took to the streets to voice their opposition to Belfast City Council's decision to limit the number of days the Union flag flies at City Hall.

Rugby fans travelling to Ravenhill in east Belfast for Ulster's crunch Heineken Cup game against Glasgow faced major disruption due to the pickets.

Protesters carry the Union flag in Newtownabbey

But the city centre was not as empty as might have been expected after an online campaign urged people to defy the protests.

They were urged instead to stage an "Operation sit-in" in cafes, pubs and restaurants to give businesses hit by the six-week campaign of street action a much-needed boost to trade.

Restaurateur Michael Deane told Sky News that the crisis has cost his business dearly but refused to give up.

"I think Belfast is a fabulous city. I've invested everything I have in this city," he said.

"Whether I would come to visit Belfast, looking from outside what you see on the television, no I probably wouldn't but let's hope this all goes away very quickly and people can see the Belfast that we saw last year because it's a fabulous city."

And while loyalists called people onto the streets to protest, young church leaders called them to prayer instead.

Andrew Masters, from the Christian organisation called What Now? told Sky News: "We're asking people to pray at 11:11 every day and for two real simple prayers, that peace would come and hope would come and that things that have been lost - the finance, the business, the hope - would be returned."

Around 70 police officers have been injured and more than 100 people arrested in six weeks of trouble since Belfast City Council limited the number of days the Union flag flies over Belfast City Hall.

More than 100 people have been arrested during weeks of trouble

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesman said: "Police will continue to pursue a vigorous evidence gathering operation to bring those involved in the violence to justice."

The Democratic Unionist Party and Progressive Unionist Party have both submitted challenges in Belfast council over the decision to restrict the flying of the flag.

They claim the move contravened its equality policy.

A Belfast City Council spokeswoman said: "The decision to introduce the policy of flying the Union flag at City Hall was taken democratically by elected members at the monthly meeting of Belfast City Council on December 3.

"The council has taken legal advice throughout this process and the decision is in keeping with the outcome of the equality impact assessment that was undertaken in line with the advice of the Equality Commission.

"The designated days agreed are in keeping with those notified by the UK Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport."

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Two Stabbed To Death In Birmingham City Centre

A man is being questioned on suspicion of stabbing two men to death in Birmingham city centre last night.

The men, who are believed to be in their 40s, were attacked just before 6pm.

One victim is thought to have been stabbed outside a Sainsbury's store in Martineau Place, while the other was found slumped near a Boots store in Union Street with fatal injuries.

Officers administered first aid on both men, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

A man was arrested in New Street near the Odeon Cinema minutes after the stabbings.

Inspector David Keen said: "Two men have suffered fatal injuries - these have been inflicted in the heart of the city at a busy time when workers and shoppers would be heading home.

"There are potentially hundreds of witnesses, either people who saw the stabbings or the offender leaving the scene, and I'd urge people to get in touch immediately - they could have vital information.

"A large police presence was quickly on the scene and a man was arrested swiftly."

Forensics and search experts cordoned off several scenes in and around Union Street to preserve evidence.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Crews arrived to find two men who had been stabbed and were being given excellent first aid by police officers and passers-by.

"Both men went into cardiac arrest. Crews and the team of medics administered advanced life support to both men but sadly, despite the best efforts, nothing could be done to save them and they were confirmed dead on scene."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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Jimmy Savile 'Abused Dying Hospice Patients'

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Jimmy Savile sexually abused dying hospice patients, detectives are expected to reveal.

The late TV star also used the cover of his charity work to attack victims at many hospitals around the country, according to a dossier to be published by Scotland Yard.

It marks the end of the police investigation into allegations against Savile alone.

Prosecutors are also expected to offer an explanation over why Savile was never charged after some complaints were investigated during his life.

In the 10-week inquiry launched in October, after a TV documentary exposed Savile as a predatory and prolific paedophile, 450 people claimed they were his victims.

Detectives had already revealed that they have formally recorded 31 rape allegations and a total of 199 crimes, mostly of sex abuse, across 17 police force areas.

Peter Saunders, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: "Savile is one of the worst offenders in history.

"I'd put him alongside killers such ad Fred West, Harold Shipman and the Moors Murderers, because he killed his victims' spirit and soul.

"Everywhere he went was an opportunity to commit his vile crimes against the most vulnerable victims in the most inappropriate places, hospitals, hospices, schools and children's homes."

The inquiry in Savile's crimes was launched in October

He added: "Although Savile will never face justice, the police investigation has allowed people to speak up where they didn't before and free themselves of their burden."

It is thought that a Department of Health investigation into Savile's abuse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor - where he was a volunteer worker and allowed unprecedented access - will be expanded because of allegations from many other health establishments.

Broadmoor patient Steven George said: "For those who had gone while he was still living to the police they must be absolutely furious and there were I understand quite a few, I experienced the same almost cynical laughter when I tried to report him when he was alive and I hated that.

"But I would keep on reporting and I think victims need to come forward."

Scotland Yard has closed the part of Operation Yewtree that investigated claims of crimes committed by Savile alone, but continues to examine allegations of Savile offending with others, and suspects with no connection with him.

:: Watch live coverage from 10am on Sky News (Sky channel 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82).

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California School Gunman 'Planned Attack'

A 16-year-old who walked into a rural California high school and shot one student and fired at others had planned the attack, officials have said.

The victim is in a critical but stable condition, and the suspect, whose pockets were stuffed with ammunition, is still being interrogated following the shooting on Thursday at Taft Union High School.

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said that the suspect, a pupil at the school, had used a shotgun which belonged to his brother and went to bed on Wednesday night with a plan to shoot two fellow students.

Surveillance video shows the alleged shooter trying to conceal the gun as he nervously entered the school, about 120 miles north of Los Angeles, through a side entrance.

He shot one teenager and tried to shoot a second student but missed. A teacher also suffered a minor pellet wound to the head.

When the shots were fired, teacher Ryan Heber tried to get the more than two dozen students out a back door and engaged the shooter in conversation to distract him.

Campus supervisor Kim Lee Fields responded to a call of shots fired and also began talking to the teen.

Sheriff Youngblood said: "They talked him into putting that shotgun down. He in fact told the teacher, 'I don't want to shoot you,' and named the person that he wanted to shoot.

"The heroics of these two people goes without saying: to stand there and face someone who has a shotgun, who's already discharged it and shot a student, that speaks volumes for these two young men, and what they may have prevented.

"They could have just as easily ...tried to get out of the classroom and left students, and they didn't.

"They knew not to let him leave the classroom with that shotgun."

The suspect was arrested about 20 minutes after the shooting and the victim with serious injuries was airlifted to hospital in nearby Bakersfield.

Local news media reported receiving phone calls from people who were hidden in closets inside the school.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with husband Mark Kelly

The attack prompted US Vice President Joe Biden to pledge that he would make recommendations on gun control to President Barack Obama in the next five days.

Mr Biden has been meeting groups ranging from victims of gun violence to members of America's powerful gun lobby as the country considers its response to the Newtown school massacre, which left 26 people dead.

"I have committed to him I will have his recommendations to him by Tuesday," Mr Biden said on Thursday, ahead of a meeting with sportsman and hunting organisations.

Mr Biden said the recommendations would be ideas gleaned from the various groups he has been meeting with in recent weeks. 

He hinted that his ideas could include new restrictions on high capacity ammunition magazines and more comprehensive background checks for gun buyers.

The Vice President also talked with representatives from the National Rifle Association, which opposes reforms like the reinstatement of an assault weapons ban - and has called for armed guards in all US schools.

Adam Lanza and his mother, Nancy Lanza

After the meeting, NRA officials said the discussion was more about demonising the Second Amendment than about keeping students safe and that they "will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be blamed for the acts of criminals and madmen".

Mr Biden and other White House officials have also met mental health advocates to try to figure out how to make it harder for disturbed people to get firearms.

On Wednesday Mr Biden said Mr Obama may take executive action intended to prevent gun attacks.

Mr Biden's involvement in this task force comes in response to the December massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members were killed by a 20-year-old gunman. 

Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14 after killing his mother, Nancy Lanza, at her home. He later killed himself.

He had taken his mother's guns, including a rifle which fires 20 to 30 rounds at a fast pace.

The AR-15 style rifle Lanza used is America's most popular rifle. It is also the weapon most commonly used in mass shootings in the US and is the same as the one used by the gunman in the cinema shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

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Bushfires: Firefighters Race To Beat Heatwave

Firefighters in Australia are racing against the clock to bring the remaining bushfires under control before another heatwave hits parts of the country.

Forecasters are warning more hot weather is on the way this weekend, bringing the risk of more infernos.

Fires have been raging across Australia for nearly a week and while many have been contained, over 100 are still burning and about a dozen remain out of control in the country's most populous state, New South Wales.

A cooler weather front that brought some relief on Wednesday continued in many parts on Thursday, but temperatures are set to soar once again to well over 40 degrees Celsius on Friday, piling pressure on the emergency services.

Thousands of sheep have been killed by the fires

NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said crews were working flat out to do all they could before the heat returned.

"It's about focusing on getting as much contained and consolidated as we can ahead of a return to hotter and dryer conditions dominating much of NSW over the coming days," he told ABC television.

"We're looking at temperatures across much of NSW into low-to-mid 40s and extending into the high 40s on Saturday.

"The only reprieve, if you can call it that, is that we are not expecting significant wind strengths to build.

A firefighter extinguishes one of the bushfires

"But it is almost academic. With such hot, dry and dominant (weather) movement from the northwest, even a moderate breeze is going to be problematic and risky for communities and firefighters over the weekend."

The blazes have burned more than 350,000 hectares (865,000 acres) of land in New South Wales alone, and while more than 100 homes were razed in Tasmania state last weekend, only a handful have been destroyed around the country since then.

No deaths have been reported.

The biggest impact has been on farmers, with vast amounts of pasture, crops and animal feed lost, as well as thousands of head of stock and agricultural infrastructure such as sheds and outbuildings.

In Yass Shire, one of the worst hit areas to the west of Canberra, a fire has so far burnt out 16,000 hectares and killed 10,000 sheep.

As well as New South Wales, fires continue to burn in the states of Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland.

Wildfires are a fact of life in arid Australia, where 173 people died in the 2009 Black Saturday firestorm, the nation's worst natural disaster of modern times.

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Tesco Sees Sales Up 1.8% Over Festive Period

Supermarket giant Tesco has seen UK like-for-like sales in the six weeks to January 5 rise by 1.8%.

It was the strongest rate of growth for Britain's biggest supermarket chain in three years.

Online food sales saw growth of 18% in the period, with more than 500,000 food orders placed in the week before Christmas.

Chief executive Philip Clarke said: "I am pleased with our performance over the important Christmas and New Year period in the UK, which reflects the progress we are making in improving our offer for customers."

The festive period has been exceedingly competitive for Britain's supermarket chain, and while discounter Aldi reported sales up 30% in the run-up to Christmas, Morrisons declined by 2.5%.

Morrisons weakness over the period was partially blamed on a lack of convenience stores but especially on a lack of online options.

Tesco also confirmed that Chris Bush was being appointed as UK managing director.

Mr Bush has been an employee of the firm for more than 30 years.

Mr Clarke has temporarily led both the whole Tesco group and UK business for nine months.

More follows...

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Belfast City Hall Set To Raise Union Flag

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

The Union Flag is being raised on Belfast City Hall today to mark the birthday of the Duchess of Cambridge, but it is unclear whether it will it help or hinder efforts to resolve the crisis over the emblem in Northern Ireland.

Five weeks have passed since the city's council voted to restrict the flying of the Union Flag to 17 designated days, such as royal birthdays, but tension surrounding the issue has continued unabated.

The east of the city witnessed disturbances for a sixth consecutive night - albeit on a reduced scale - but there is no such thing as an acceptable level of violence as far as the First Minister is concerned.

Peter Robinson told Sky News: "Many people have already distanced themselves from the protests because of the violence.

"When I hear those who purport to lead the protest talk about the Police Service of Northern Ireland as 'terrorists' or 'Nazis', they are not using the language of unionism, they are using the language of republicanism."

Tensions over the flag have sparked a series of disturbances in Belfast

Loyalists will welcome the fact that the Duchess's birthday is being marked in the traditional fashion, but they recognise that the return of the flag is only temporary - so far short of what they demand.

On one hand, it is about the flag - a potent symbol of their Britishness - but it is also about demographics. Protestants no longer hold sway in Belfast and some working class unionists have lost faith in politics.

Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt, the leaders of the two largest unionist parties, invited disaffected Protestants to raise their concerns through a forum, but protesters have already dismissed the effort.

The First Minister added: "Here is a mechanism whereby you can channel your frustration, where you can indicate the kind of things you want in your area, and political leaders will be listening.

"Now, if you offer a political alternative and people don't take it, then very clearly those are people who are against the process and against democracy."

The crisis has caused enormous damage to the image of Northern Ireland, scheduled to host the G8 Summit of world leaders in June, and a temporary hoisting of the flag is not going to resolve it anytime soon.

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Cyber Attack Threat: UK Armed Forces Warned

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The UK's armed forces are now so dependent on information and communication technology that they could be "fatally compromised" by sustained cyber attacks.

The Defence Select Committee has produced a report that questions the military's contingency plans and urges the Government to do more to address the threat.

"It is our view that cyber security is a sufficiently urgent, significant and complex activity to warrant increased ministerial attention," said committee chairman James Arbuthnot MP.

"The Government needs to put in place - as it has not yet done - mechanisms, people, education, skills, thinking and policies which take into account both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities which cyberspace presents."

Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude is the minister responsible for cyber security, but the report recommends that more ministers should engage and take on responsibility.

"Unless we have a really vigorous approach to defending against the sort of cyber attacks that are developing at a rather quick rate day by day, minute by minute, second by second, unless we have a really vigorous approach we are at risk of our armed forces as well as the whole of the rest of the government infrastructure being compromised," Mr Arbuthnot told Sky News.

GCHQ is considered a world leader

Dr Andrew Murrison, the Minister for International Security Strategy, has defended the Government's efforts.

He said: "There's no complacency and we will continue in a very rapidly evolving field to make sure we do absolutely everything to reduce the chance of there being a significant attack here."

GCHQ, the Government's communications headquarters, is considered a world leader.

Under the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, £650m was allocated to a new cyber security programme.

It showed significant recognition of the threat, but in truth no budget can ever be big enough. According to the Boston Consulting Group, the UK is the best prepared country to face a cyber attack.

But countries like Israel, China and the United States are well advanced, and are bettering their systems at a quicker pace.

Major General Jonathan Shaw, the former head of the Defence Cyber Security Programme, told Sky News that the UK competes favourably.

He said: "The way that British government is organised and the security side is actually extremely effective at coping with threats.

"It's a very collegiate atmosphere and the ability of GCHQ to spread their knowledge across government actually gives us a real advantage over someone like the United States which has a much more stovepipe government system."

What is not known is how offensive the UK's strategy is. The Government is clear about the threat it faces, but declines to speak about any aggressive action it takes against states regarded as hostile.

The Defence Select Committee's report should be seen as an attempt to reinvigorate the military and Government's efforts - not as an outright criticism of what has been done.

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Illinois Lottery: $1m Winner Poisoned To Death

A man who died after winning $1m (£620,000) in the Illinois Lottery was poisoned with cyanide, a medical examiner has ruled.

Urooj Khan, who scooped the bumper prize in the summer, was initially found to have died of natural causes but a full toxicology test, demanded by a relative, has now revealed he had ingested a deadly amount of cyanide.

A murder investigation has been launched by Chicago Police Department, and it is likely that his body will be exhumed as part of the inquiry.

Cook County medical examiner Stephen Cina said such cases of cyanide poisoning were "pretty unusual".

"I've had one, maybe two cases out of 4,500 autopsies I've done," he added.

The next step in the probe could be to exhume Mr Kahn's body

Mr Khan died on July 20, 2012, a day after the $425,000 (£264,000) cheque from his lottery win was issued.

Instead of taking the full $1m (£620,000) over installments, Mr Khan opted to take his winnings in a lump sum of just over $600,000 (£372,000). After taxes, the winnings amounted to about $425,000 (£264,000).

Mr Khan's cheque was cashed on August 15. If a lottery winner dies, the money typically goes to his or her estate.

The 46-year-old, who owned a number of dry cleaners, bought the winning scratchcard at a 7-Eleven near his home in West Rogers Park, Chicago.

He recalled the win days later during a ceremony in which Illinois Lottery officials presented him with an oversized check, explaining how he jumped up and down and repeatedly shouted, "I hit a million!".

The 7-Eleven store where Mr Khan purchased his winning ticket

He said he was so overjoyed he ran back into the store and tipped the salesman $100 (£62).

"Winning the lottery means everything to me," Mr Khan added at the June 26 ceremony, also attended by his wife, their daughter, and several friends.

He said he would put some of his winnings into his businesses and donate some to a children's hospital.

At the time of Mr Khan's death, no signs of trauma were found during external checks and no post mortem was done because they were not automatically performed on those aged 45 and older unless the death was suspicious. The cut-off has since been raised to 50.

A basic toxicology screening for opiates, cocaine and carbon monoxide came back negative, and the death was ruled a result of the narrowing and hardening of coronary arteries.

But a family member, who has not been identified, came forward and asked the authorities to look into the case further.

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British Soldier Killed By 'Uniformed Afghan'

A British soldier has been shot dead by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The soldier from 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment, was killed in the southern Helmand province on Monday evening.

Isaf spokesman Major Martyn Crighton told Sky News: "A International Security Assistance Force Service member from the United Kingdom died yesterday when an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against both Afghan National Army soldiers and Isaf troops at Patrol Base Hazrat, which is in Nahr-e Saraj district.

"During the engagement the attacker was killed and there were some other folks who were wounded. They were subsequently taken to an Isaf medical facility to be treated."

The soldier's family have been informed of the death.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Major Laurence Roche, said: "This is an extremely sad day for the Corps of Royal Engineers and everyone serving with Task Force Helmand. Our thoughts are with the soldier's family and friends at this time."

More than 60 personnel with the Nato-led International Security Assistance Forces (Isaf) were killed in 47 attacks by members of the Afghan security forces last year, eroding trust between Afghan soldiers and their foreign counterparts.

All six fatalities suffered by the current British six-month tour in Afghanistan are believed to have been the result of insider attacks.

The Taliban often claims such attacks, but Isaf officials say most stem from personal grudges and cultural misunderstandings

The international force is currently planning to withdraw most of its troops  from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

The patrol base where the latest attack happened was due to be handed over to Afghan control soon. Afghan forces already take the lead on security for 87% of the population ahead of the withdrawal.

The killing came as US President Barack Obama prepared to host his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on Friday to discuss long-term US military and civilian support for Afghanistan.

Insider attacks are likely to be high on the agenda, as is the issue of a continued US military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

Reports citing the US Defence Department suggest between 3,000 and 9,000 troops could remain to focus on preventing al Qaeda from regaining a foothold.

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Teenage Girl Killed In Police Pursuit Crash

A 13-year-old girl has died in a crash involving a car which was being pursued by police in south east London.

The teenager was travelling with her mother, father and brother in Ilderton Road, between New Cross and South Bermondsey, on Sunday when their Volkswagen Polo and a Peugeot 308 that was being chased by a marked police car collided.

The girl, who was in the rear of the car, died at the scene from her injuries, Scotland Yard said.

The site of the fatal crash on Ilderton Road

Her parents and brother were taken to hospital and their injuries were not thought to be serious.

The male driver of the Peugeot was arrested and taken into custody. A female passenger was taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries.

The incident happened just before 6.30pm and police, ambulance and fire crews attended.

The Metropolitan Police said the pursuing police car had its blue lights and sirens on when the collision happened.

Police are investigating the scene

Commander Tony Eastaugh said: "An innocent family are now dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one.

"The Metropolitan Police has now begun a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this terrible incident. The thoughts of our staff and officers are with the family at this time."

Traffic police and officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards are now investigating, the force said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been informed and an investigator was at the scene assessing the circumstances of the collision.

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Cameron And Clegg: 'Coalition Is Steadfast'

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will describe their coalition as "steadfast and united" as they mark the halfway point in their power-sharing Government.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister will make a rare joint appearance later today to set their new priorities for the next two and a half years.

The raft of pledges will include childcare bills, infrastructure investment and help towards care costs for the elderly.

They will insist their "sense of shared purpose" on the big issues has grown over time as they publish a mid-term review that looks back at how successful the Government has been in meeting its coalition agreement promises and commits them to further reforms.

In a joint forward to the report, the PM and Deputy Prime Minister wrote: "We are dealing with the deficit, rebuilding the economy, reforming welfare and education and supporting hard-working families through tough times.

"And on all of these key aims, our parties, after 32 months of coalition, remain steadfast and united.

The coalition's new priorities are expected to include childcare costs

"Of course there have been some issues on which we have not seen eye to eye and no doubt there will be more. That is the nature of coalition.

"But on the things that matter most - the big structural reforms needed to secure our country's long-term future - our resolve and sense of shared purpose have, if anything, grown over time."

Details of some policy pledges in review, which aides insist is not a re-launch, are still being thrashed out and announcements fleshing out the proposals are expected to be rolled out in the coming months at a rate of almost one a week.

One of the first is expected to focus on extra help for families struggling to meet childcare costs.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg are considering a scheme that would allow families to claim up to £2,000 per child every year from their tax bills to cover the cost of child minders and nurseries, according to reports.

The coalition is also expected to focus on 'dignity in old age'

It could mean working women becoming entitled to claim a flat-rate tax allowance to help cover the costly bills in move that would replace the £700m voucher and allowances scheme, it adds.

The joint forward states: "Today, at the halfway point in this parliament, we are taking stock of the progress we have made in implementing the coalition agreement that we signed in May 2010.

"But we are also initiating a new set of reforms, building on those already under way, to secure our country's future and help people realise their ambitions.

"We will support working families with their childcare costs. We will build more houses and make the dream of home ownership a reality for more people.

"We will set out plans for long-term investment in Britain's transport infrastructure. We will set out two big reforms to provide dignity in old age: an improved state pension that rewards saving, and more help with the costs of long-term care."

The two leaders list welfare reforms, tougher school standards, council tax freezes, protecting the NHS from spending cuts and help with energy bills, fuel duty cuts and increases in the personal income tax allowance among the Government's achievements.

They add: "Two-and-a-half years ago, our parties came together in the national interest and formed a coalition at a time of real economic danger. The deficit was spiralling out of control, confidence was plummeting, and the world was looking to Britain with growing anxiety about our ability to service our debts.

"This government's most urgent job was to restore stability in our public finances and confidence in the British economy. In just two years we have cut the deficit by a quarter and have set out a credible path towards our goal to balance the current budget over the economic cycle."

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Child Benefit Payment Cut-Off For Families

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

Child benefit payments to more than a million people are due to be cut from Monday, as part of the Government's plan to reduce spending.

If either parent earns £50,000 then payments are to be reduced on a sliding scale, with those on a salary of £60,000 or more losing it altogether.

Treasury minister David Gauke said it was a decision that had to be made to save the taxpayer as much as £1.5bn a year.

"Everybody has got to make a contribution, we're reducing benefits and we've made some cuts in benefits," he said.

"But it's right that those who are earning more than average, those who are in fact in the top 10-15%  of earners, make that contribution."

As many as 300,000 of the 1.1 million who will see changes to their child benefit are yet to have received a letter from the Government informing them of the cuts.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has said it had been unable to contact everyone as it held incomplete data on some customers following changes to their income, relationship status, or address.

Child benefit is currently £20.30 a week for the first child and an additional £13.40 for each child after that.

For a family with two children and one parent earning more than £60,000 it means losing £1,752 per year.

But if both parents earn £49,000, the benefit will be unaffected.

Mother Mel Smith will be among the parents to lose out

Those expecting to lose payment have until the end of today to opt out of receiving the money by filling in a form on the HMRC website.

Otherwise they will continue to receive the handout and have to complete self-assessment forms to repay it in tax.

Mel Smith has two young children and does not work, but her husband's salary level means they will lose all of their child benefit.

"It doesn't seem fair when we only have one income," she said.

But while taking with one hand the Government is considering ways to give with the other.

It is thought new proposals may include allowing families to offset some of their childcare costs against their tax, making it easier for mothers like Mel to return to work.

"I would seriously consider going back to work full time if that were introduced," she said.

"It would be better for me to do full time really than part time but again you have to weigh up whether it works out as a family."

It is estimated that around one million women are missing from the workforce because of the price of childcare, which amounts to almost 27% of the average family income.

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NI Clashes: 'Several Shots Fired' At Police

Frontline police officers in Belfast have reportedly come under gunfire as fresh violence erupts over the flying of the Union flag.

A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after gunshots were reportedly fired during clashes between loyalist and nationalist protesters.

Sky sources revealed that pictures from a PSNI helicopter prompted the detention of the suspect.

The PSNI said last night around 100 loyalists pelted officers with rocks, fireworks and fire bombs in the Newtownards Road, Albertbridge Road and Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas of the city.

One officer was said to have been injured.

A PSNI spokesman said they were investigating reports from their own officers that a number of shots were fired at police lines.

Conall McDevitt, policing spokesman for the nationalist SDLP, said the firing of shots at police officers ended any claim to legitimacy by protest organisers.

Police used water cannon to extinguish the fires

"Whatever grievance some people may have had, it is totally lost when they allow people to use these protests as cover for attempted murder," said the South Belfast MLA.

"There is only one response possible - and that's a firm policing response against everyone involved in illegal protests and anyone seeking to organise or encourage illegal or violent demonstrations."

The violence followed a tense but peaceful march on Saturday by around 1,000 loyalists.

There was a heavy police presence, including officers in riot gear with dogs stationed within the historic civic building itself and on surrounding side streets.

But as the flag-waving crowds dispersed, ugly scenes flared again.

Loyalist violence on Friday night saw 18 people arrested and nine police officers injured.

More than 30 petrol bombs, along with fireworks, ball bearings and masonry were hurled at officers during a sustained attack in the east of the city. Up to 300 people were involved in the disturbances.

None of the police injuries are life threatening, however one female officer required medical treatment at the scene by an ambulance.

The disturbances occurred after protesters headed home

The PSNI said it would be seeking further arrests in the coming days in relation to the disorder and have appealed for witnesses.

On Thursday 10 police officers were injured during a demonstration in east Belfast.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson said violence against the police was a "disgrace" and those behind days of unrest were playing into the hands of dissident republicans.

Street protests have been going on for more than a month now against the decision to reduce the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall. There have also been death threats to politicians.

Mr Robinson said: "The violence and destruction visited on the PSNI is a disgrace, criminally wrong and cannot be justified.

"Those responsible are doing a grave disservice to the cause they claim to espouse and are playing into the hands of those dissident groups who would seek to exploit every opportunity to further their  terror aims."

Sky's Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said: "There is the potential for the violence to intensify, and the gunshots from with the loyalist area is a very worrying development.

"The clashes between police and loyalists came after the officers were accused of brutality after the march."

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