Thatcher's Ironclad Funeral Plans Revealed

Baroness Thatcher left instructions that the current prime minister should give a reading at her funeral, it has been reported.

Britain's first and only female PM will be given a ceremonial funeral with full military honours at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday, which will be attended by the Queen.

It is the same status as that accorded to the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, although some Tories want a full state ceremony.

Her friends and family indicated that Lady Thatcher said she did not want such treatment; she did not want to lie in state and thought a fly-past would be a waste of money.

But there were far more details left by Lady Thatcher on how she thought her memorial service should be carried out, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mark Thatcher greets his sister Carol as she arrives at their mother's home

They were said to include the choice of hymns - among them the patriotic I Vow to Thee, My Country - and readings from the Bible.

She specified that the prime minister at the time of her death should read a lesson from the Gospels.

Her choice of reading was John 14.1, which says: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

"I go to prepare a place for you."

Another lesson will be read by Lady Thatcher's 19-year-old granddaughter Amanda, the Telegraph said.

The service will also include readings from the Book of Common Prayer, including the burial prayer that begins: "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower."

The service will be held at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday

There will be the traditional reading for meeting the body arriving at a church, which begins: "I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord. He that believeth in me, yea, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Among the other hymns selected by Lady Thatcher are John Bunyan's To Be A Pilgrim and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

It has also been announced that MPs and peers will be able to pay their respects to Lady Thatcher in Parliament's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft on the eve of her funeral.

The chapel will be open on Tuesday evening so members and staff from both Houses can visit the former prime minister's coffin.

Around 100 people, mainly family members and MPs, will also be invited to a short service led by the Dean of Westminster welcoming Lady Thatcher's body.

A painting of Lady Thatcher in the Downing Street study

Downing Street said she requested her body rested overnight in the historic chapel, and the Queen had given her consent.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening, Lady Thatcher's daughter Carol arrived at her mother's home ahead of the funeral.

Miss Thatcher flew in from overseas and was driven to the Belgravia townhouse in central London, where she was greeted outside by her brother Sir Mark.

Earlier Sir Mark said his family has been overwhelmed by the messages of support, as well-wishers continued to leave floral tributes throughout the day outside the Chester Square property.

He said his mother would have been very proud to know the Queen would attend her funeral.

She will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, and other heads of state and foreign dignitaries from around the world are attending.

The Queen will attend Lady Thatcher's funeral

The Queen also went to Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

The funeral plans were revealed as Downing Street released two collections of photographs on the Flickr website documenting Lady Thatcher's time in office and her lasting influence inside Number 10.

The photos show renovations she ordered during her time in power, while her third general election victory is featured with her giving a three-fingered salute outside Number 10.

Lady Thatcher died at The Ritz in central London on Monday morning after suffering a stroke. She had battled ill health for a number of years.

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Weather Turns As Spring Finally Starts

Spring is at last set to begin in earnest this weekend, with forecasters predicting temperatures of up to 20C (68F).

Sunday is expected to be the warmest day of the year so far after what has been a dismal and extended winter dogged by snow and freezing conditions.

Sunshine in the South East and East Anglia will deliver the highest temperatures, with weather in the North and West due to remain wet and cloudy.

But even there, temperatures will still be in double figures after months struggling to rise above freezing - with highs of 14C (57F).

Temperatures in most of England and Wales are not forecast to drop below 10C (50F) on Saturday night.

Supermarkets are bracing themselves for an increased demand for ice cream and barbecue meats, with Asda predicting a 50% surge in sales of sunglasses.

March was one of the coldest on record

Sky weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said SAturday would see some unsettled conditions that it would still feel warmer.

"Despite the rain and the strong winds, temperatures should be in double figures for most places today so feeling milder than recently," she said.

Looking ahead to Sunday, she added: "It is likely to stay dry and warm across parts of south-east England and East Anglia, ahead of the rain.

"Temperatures will be in double figures for most and across East Anglia and the London area we could see highs of 18-20C."

However, next week is set to bring an unsettled spell of spring weather, with bands of rain and showers moving across the UK.

The change in the weather is due to the jet stream, the narrow band of strong wind that moves weather systems around the globe, finally moving north.

It had been diverted south in recent weeks, making March one of the coldest on record and extending the winter for Britain.

Temperatures for last month were an average of 2.5C (36.5F), according to the Met Office, which makes it the coldest March since 1962.

It would also make it the fourth coldest March since records began in 1910.

Hundreds of farmers lost livestock in the snow, which hit just as spring lambs were being born across the country.

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Four Missing In House Fire In East London

Four people are missing and two men have been taken to hospital after a house fire in east London, emergency services have said.

Fire crews tackled the blaze in a semi-detached house set back from Romford Road in Forest Gate on Saturday morning.

Fire station manager Daniel Alie, who was at the scene, told Sky News: "The fire caused severe damage to the house and the roof was destroyed."

Firefighters said all rooms must be checked for the missing people

Firefighters rescued a man from the roof of the building by ladder and another man escaped from the front of the house before the fire brigade arrived.

Both men were taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service suffering from smoke inhalation.

The building is believed to have been formally disused but may have housed squatters.

Mr Alie told Sky News: "We believe it is possible that the house was used as a squat but this is unconfirmed at this time.

Fire investigators continue to scour the site

"We are not sure how many people are in there and there will be a thorough search of every room."

Eight fire engines from Leytonstone, East Ham, Plaistow, Stratford, and Bow fire stations attended the call, which was received at 3.09am.

There were around 60 firefighters and officers at the scene, and equipment included an aerial ladder platform and fire rescue unit.

Mr Alie added: "Our fire investigation unit is now working to find out what caused the blaze."

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'Free' Web And App Games Investigated

So-called "free" web and app-based games for children are under investigation following concerns that users can run up substantial costs.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it was investigating whether children were being unfairly pressured or encouraged to pay for content in free games, such as upgraded membership or virtual currency in forms including coins, gems or fruit.

The investigation will look into whether these games include "direct exhortations" to children to do something that will require making a purchase, or to persuade their parents or other adults to make a purchase for them.

It will also consider whether the full cost of some of these games is made clear when they are downloaded or accessed.

The OFT has written to companies who offer such games asking them for information on how they market to children.

It is also asking parents and consumer groups for information about potentially misleading or commercially aggressive practices.

OFT senior director for goods and consumer, Cavendish Elithorn, said: "We are concerned that children and their parents could be subject to unfair pressure to purchase when they are playing games they thought were free, but which can actually run up substantial costs.

"The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected.

"We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary."

Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, said it was "disappointing" that apps aimed at children have been allowed to charge "ridiculous amounts" for extra features.

He pointed to one game, My Little Pony, which he said charged users £69 for some in-app purchases.

Mr Lewis said: "When games such as My Little Pony, which are obviously targeted at young children, bait kids with £69 purchases of a 'mountain of gems', something is going wrong in the system.

"What's really disappointing is it's been allowed to get this far. Apple especially makes a play of only allowing approved apps in its store.

"So why does it allow games that can be targeted at young children to charge such ridiculous amounts for in-app purchases?

"As always, an OFT investigation, even if it does advise action, will take time. So the most important message meanwhile is to protect yourself."

MoneySavingExpert.com said case studies reported on its forum included a seven-year-old who racked up a £69.99 bill on the College Girl app, a parent who was unaware their five-year-old had spent £65 on in-app purchases and a child who spent £80 on the Tiny Pets app.

Last month, Apple agreed pay out around £66m ($100m) to settle a US lawsuit which claims children were improperly charged while playing iPad and iPhone games.

It was alleged that poor safeguards meant kids were easily able to buy extra features for the free games without their parents' knowledge or permission.

The tech giant agreed to give a £3.30 ($5) credit to an estimated 23 million people who were affected. However, if parents can show they were charged more than £20 ($30) then cash refunds will be offered.

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Leeds Hospital Victim's Mother Wants Answers

By Frazer Maude, North Of England Correspondent

The mother of a young girl who died following heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary has said she wants to know how and why her daughter died.

Siobhan Casey, from Rossington near Doncaster, has written to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust with a list of 27 issues that she wants them to address following the death of her four-year-old daughter Mylee.

Mylee had surgery to remove a build up of muscle on her heart that was restricting blood flow on March 15. Several hours after the four-hour operation, Mylee began to show stroke-like symptoms of stiffness down one side of her body.

Her mother said she wasn't informed straight away, and there was a gap of 13 hours between the symptoms being noticed and Mylee being given a CT scan.

The scan showed two areas of brain damage, prompting doctors to perform emergency surgery to remove blood clots. The next day an MRI scan showed more extensive brain damage, and on March 21, Mylee died.

"I want answers to why it happened," said Ms Casey. "Answers to why she wasn't treated more effectively and quicker than she was."

Four-year-old Mylee died on March 21

She also claims that staff on the unit were discourteous, unsympathetic and not fully trained in treating head injuries.

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust told Sky News it cannot discuss the clinical details of individual cases, but did issue a statement, saying: "We extend our deepest sympathy to Mylee's family and have been speaking to her mother about the family's concerns and have arranged a meeting with her next week to discuss these further. In such circumstances families understandably want to ask many questions and we will do everything possible to help."

Two weeks ago operations in the children's heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary were suspended by NHS England when figures suggested the unit had an uncommonly high death rate.

That data was later found to be flawed, and surgery partially resumed earlier this week.

NHS England have apologised for any inconvenience the decision to suspend surgery may have caused, but not for making the decision.

Earlier this week, the deputy director of medical services for NHS England, Mike Bewick, said the unit had been investigated in detail during the 11-day period that surgery was suspended for.

Mylee's mother, Siobhan Casey, says she is still waiting for answers

He said that investigation had shown that "it was obvious that the unit is completely safe".

The unit is still under scrutiny by NHS England, which will now look into the hospital's handling of data, and into the way they deal with patient complaints. There will also be a review of patient case notes for the past three years.

Campaigners recently succeeded in their bid to have the High Court quash part of a review into children's cardiac surgeries in England that had initially earmarked the Leeds unit for closure. That would mean hundreds of patients would have to be treated in Newcastle, Birmingham or Liverpool.

The judge in the case ruled that the consultation process which led to the NHS deciding which units to close was legally flawed and unfair.

Some of the campaigners maintain that the suspension of surgery just 24 hours after the ruling was a political move deliberately aimed at undermining the credibility of the unit.

They are now calling for a full investigation into the NHS's decision.

Child surgery lawyer Laurence Vick told Sky News: "The families do need to know that their concerns are being addressed and so far their worries are that they haven't been and all the attention has been on the successful outcomes rather than the unsuccessful ones.

"They feel like they are the forgotten families in all of this."

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Shoppers 'Misled' By Copycat Packaging

Retailers are misleading shoppers into buying own-brand products which "borrow" elements from the packaging of well-known competitors, according to a watchdog.

A fifth of Which? members said they had accidentally bought a supermarket version of a favourite brand at least once with 60% of those saying the mistake left them feeling annoyed or misled.

The consumer group found more than 150 own-label products had mimicked the packaging of products such as McVitie's digestives, Kellogg's coco pops, Simple cleanser and wipes, Radox bath gel and Jacob's cream crackers.

Lurpak butter seemed to have "a recognisable own-label imitator" in most major supermarkets, Which? said.

Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Boots, Superdrug and Tesco were named for stocking such items.

Own-label products, which tend to be cheaper than brands, are becoming more popular among shoppers struggling with tightened finances and rising food prices, according to separate research from the group.

Its survey on own-brand packaging found 18% of members had deliberately bought an own-label product because it resembled the branded equivalent, with 60% of these shoppers doing so because it was cheaper and 59% wanting to see if it was as good.

But consumers looked upon own-brand products less favourably when they were confused by the packaging, with 38% of those who bought such a product by mistake saying it annoyed them and 30% reporting that they felt misled.

British Brands Group director John Noble said: "Our research shows that consumers are more likely to buy own-label products if they look like brands.

"Brands survive by being distinctive and standing out, and retailers are free-riding on brands' reputations.

"Currently in the UK there is little to stop a competitor packaging its product to look like a familiar brand, whether or not the product's performance is in any way similar.

"That can't be good if we want a market in which shoppers can make informed decisions at speed."

Boots said that colours could be synonymous with certain active ingredients and helped consumers find the right product, while Morrisons, Superdrug and Aldi all said retailers used the same colours as branded products to help customers find products quickly.

A Which? spokeswoman said: "Own-brand products can provide good value and several have topped our tests to become best buys.

"But retailers should make sure that people are under no illusions about what they are buying and not leave so many consumers feeling that they have been misled."

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Katharine Giles: Scientist Dies In Bike Crash

An expert in global warming killed while cycling to work has been described as a "talented scientist" who "had a bright future ahead of her".

Dr Katharine Giles, who worked at University College London (UCL), was involved in a collision with a lorry in central London on Monday.

Her death comes just three months after senior colleague, Professor Seymour Laxon, 49, died in a fall, hitting his head and suffering a brain haemorrhage.

Dr Giles, 35, had done pioneering work on climate change, carrying out important research relating to the Arctic and Antarctic.

The scientist had conducted experiments investigating sea ice thickness, and shown how winds affected the newly-exposed Arctic Ocean.

Head of UCL's earth sciences department, Professor Philip Meredith, told staff and students: "Coming so soon after the accidental death of Katharine's own closest colleague, we are all left with a sense of the outrageous unfairness with which some of our best colleagues have been taken from us.

"Katharine had a bright future ahead of her.

"She graduated with a first class degree in earth and space sciences from UCL, studied under Seymour for her PhD, and went on to forge her own career as a research fellow and most recently as a university lecturer."

Other people paid tribute on Twitter. Physiology lecturer Mark Hines ‏said: "Devastated 2 hear today about death of a friend in a cycling accident in London."

Mathias Disney said: "So sorry to hear about death of Katherine Giles UCL colleague & outstanding polar researcher. Just awful & so soon after Seymour Laxon."

Ally Skeats ‏said: "So sad to hear the news about Dr Katharine Giles. Such a young, intelligent life taken too soon."

David J Carr ‏added: "Katharine Giles was one of the most wonderful people I have ever & will ever know. The world is worse for her absence, better for her memory."

Dr Giles' family said: "Katharine was a talented scientist responsible for groundbreaking work on global warming. Her family are very grateful for all the support and appreciation shown to them over this tragic loss."

Scotland Yard said the collision took place at the junction of Palace Street and Victoria Street, near Victoria Station, at 8.25am on Monday.

Dr Giles, from west London, was pronounced dead at the scene. The male driver of the HGV lorry stopped at the scene. He was not arrested.

Any witnesses were asked to call the road death investigation unit at Catford, south east London on 020 8285 1574.

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Emo Teen Is First Sub-Culture Hate Crime Victim

Emo, Goth And Punk Explained

Updated: 1:15pm UK, Thursday 04 April 2013

A look at what defines goths, emos and punks as Greater Manchester Police becomes the first force in the country to officially recognise hate crimes against such sub-cultures.

GMP says it recognises alternative sub-culture as a broad term to define a strong sense of collective identity and a set of group-specific values and tastes. This typically centres on distinctive style, clothing, make up, body art and music preference. Those involved usually stand out to both fellow participants and to those outside the group.

According to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, cultures such as goths, emos, and punks are largely peaceful by definition, and are more interested in music, alternative fashion and niche media than intimidation.

:: EMO

Described as the "new goth" when it started to become a trend in the early 2000s, emo is a youth movement based around dark music, dark clothing and a sometimes darker view of the world. Emos are typically perceived to be angsty or depressed but this is not always the case, according to the Emo Rawr website, which says: "Emo is a meshing of the punk and goth cultures with a twist, gathering its music influences more from the punk side of things and the fashion style more from the gothic side of things."

Emo fashion is characterised by skinny jeans, tight t-shirts, studded belts, canvas sneakers, thick glasses and dark zip-hoodies. They wear less black than goths and often have a long fringe.

Emo music, described as "punk with emotion", has been made popular by bands such as My Chemical Romance, whose album The Black Parade topped the charts, Bullet for My Valentine and Jimmy Eat World.

:: GOTH

Many stereotypes exist of dark, depressed and even evil teenagers who are all about death, pretension and angst. They typically always wear black clothing, or white but never other colours, and have dyed black hair, black nails, white face make-up and black lipstick and eyeliner.

However, Goth.net says: "There is no specific thing that defines what you need to do or be to fit into the goth scene (except, of course, the implied black clothing).

"People in the goth scene all have different musical tastes, follow different religions, have different occupations, hobbies, and fashion sense."

The modern goth movement started in the early 1980s as part of the punk subculture.

:: PUNK

Punk evolved from the 1970s music phenomenon. The sub-culture is made up of those considered to have rejected things considered part of society's 'norms' and those thought to often hold anarchist political views.

The look is characterised by piercings, tattoos, Dr Marten boots and multi-coloured Mohawks.

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M&S Sees Clothing Sales Fall As Food Goes Up

Retailer Marks and Spencer has reported a drop of 3.8% in like-for-like clothing sales for the first three months of the year, as food sales rose 4%.

It was the seventh consecutive quarterly fall in underlying general merchandise sales, though the outcome was a touch ahead of expectations.

M&S, which has been the subject of takeover speculation, said sales of its non-food products, spanning clothing, footwear and homewares, at stores open over a year dropped in the 13 weeks to March 30.

As a result of the boost by food, total group sales in the period rose by 3.1%.

The 129-year-old retailer, which serves 21 million customers a week from over 700 domestic stores, had to again rely on its strong food division to support overall growth.

Chief executive Marc Bolland is under pressure to recover M&S's clothing performance after a poor 2012 culminated in a disappointing Christmas.

However, he has cautioned that a new general merchandise management team led by John Dixon, the former boss of food, will not make a major impact on sales until M&S launches its autumn/winter collections in July.

Total UK like-for-like sales rose 0.6%.

"The fourth quarter wasn't as bad as some had expected," James McGregor, director of the retail consultants, Retail Remedy, said.

"General Merchandise is clearly still struggling but these numbers will buy Marc Bolland a few more months. Judgement Day for Marc Bolland will come later this year."

"We are working hard on improving our performance in general merchandise and, despite difficult trading conditions, we made progress in our operational execution," Mr Bolland said.

"In January we said we expect the pressure on consumers' disposable incomes to continue throughout 2013. As a result we were cautious about the outlook for the year ahead and this view remains unchanged."

The M&S share price was up more than 3% in early Thursday trading.

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Fracking Earthquake Fears Dismissed By Study

Fracking: The Pros And Cons

Updated: 2:51pm UK, Thursday 13 December 2012

Opinion about fracking is bitterly divided amid fears of its environmental impact. Here are the key arguments.

What is fracking?

Hydraulic fracturing - or fracking - involves drilling into the ground. Drills go down and then sideways into areas of gas-bearing shale. Small charges are used to blow holes in the walls of the well before water and chemicals are pumped in at high-pressure to shatter the rock. This releases natural gas, formed from deposits of mud, silt and other matter that is stuck in pores within the rock layers, which is then pumped up to the surface.

The Pros

Energy security: Using Britain's own natural gas could provide a major proportion of Britain's energy needs and reduce the country's reliance on imports. Well operator Cuadrilla Resources estimates the Bowland Basin prospect site in Lancashire contains as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of gas. If even a fraction of that is extracted, Cuadrilla says it could make a significant contribution to Britain's energy supplies.

Availability: Britain has high resources of shale gas in areas including the Pennines. It could be an alternative to other fossil fuels and be worth billions of pounds.

Lower prices: There have been claims that the use of shale gas could result in lower energy costs, although the Government's own advisers have now cast doubt on the prospect.

Economic boost: Cuadrilla, the only company currently with a fracking licence, says it could create tens of thousands of jobs and generate significant tax revenue.

The Cons

Safety fears: Cuadrilla's testing in Lancashire caused small tremors in Blackpool in 2011 although there was no structural damage. Strict measures will now aim to minimise any risks.

Contamination: Environmentalists believe the process risks polluting water suppliers with chemicals. In the US, there have been reports of dangerous methane leaks, toxins from extraction plants escaping, sick animals and tap water turning grey. Cuadrilla denies the British water supply could be spoiled and insists fracturing fluid cannot escape from the rock.

Visual impact: There are concerns about drilling and hydraulic rigs, and general industrial development, in areas of natural beauty - although this also applies to many renewable projects.

Shift of focus: Proponents say shale gas could be a transitional fuel that helps to bridge the energy gap but campaigners insist attention should be on developing renewable energy. Environmental groups also claim fracking will affect efforts to slash carbon emissions.

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