Former Miss Venezuela And Ex Killed In Robbery

Armed robbers have shot dead a former Miss Venezuela and her British ex-husband in front of their five-year-old daughter.

Monica Spear, 29, and Thomas Henry Berry, 39, were on holiday in Venezuela when the attack happened between Puerto Cabello and Valencia.

Their daughter Maya was shot in the leg during the attempted robbery. She survived and is recovering in hospital.

Authorities said police had arrested five suspects, some under the age of 18.

Monica Spear was crowned Miss Venezuela in Caracas in 2004

President Nicolas Maduro said the victims' car burst a tyre after running over something on the road, apparently placed by robbers to stop traffic.

He said a recovery truck arrived to help the family but its crew were chased away after they were ambushed by armed robbers.

"They were inside the car and were riddled (with bullets)," the president said on state TV.

"I ask those who assassinated this young person: what explanation do you have?"

It is understood the couple separated last year

Friends have left messages on Twitter. Venezuelan salsa singer Oscar D'Leon wrote: "I'm so sad for my Venezuela. My condolences for Monica Spear's family.

"Rage and impotence are what I feel right now."

The 2004 Miss Venezuela winner lived in the US but was on holiday at the time of the shooting.

Venezuela has one of the world's highest murder rates, with 79 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence.

Mr Maduro says beating violent crime is his top priority but opponents say the government's plans do not tackle root causes, such as impunity for criminals, corrupt courts and complicity by some poorly-paid police.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said he and Mr Maduro should leave their political differences to one side.

"We should unite to win the war against violence and insecurity. We're in an emergency ... this situation calls for all of us to take a look at ourselves as a country."

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US Helicopter Crashes Off North Norfolk Coast

Four crew members have died after a US military helicopter crashed in Norfolk during a training mission.

The Pave Hawk was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down in Cley-next-the-Sea at around 7pm on Tuesday.

The aircraft was carrying ammunition at the time of the crash, and police are investigating if it poses any risk to the public.

A 400-metre cordon has been set up around the site, which was at a nature reserve, and residents were allowed to stay in their homes, although pedestrians and motorists were cleared from the scene.

The helicopter was based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The military helicopter crashed in Cley Next The Sea in North Norfolk

The 48th Air Wing of the US Air Force based at RAF Lakenheath said on Twitter: "We can confirm that one of our HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters was involved in an incident during a training mission outside Cley-Next-The-Sea."

Around a dozen emergency vehicles from the fire brigade, coastguard and police are at the scene.

Cley artist Rachel Lockwood said: "We had never seen so many police cars and fire engines, so went to have a look.

"The beach road to Cley is sealed off. There are lots of fire engines near the Dun Cow pub at Salthouse.

"A helicopter is hovering over the marsh with a light beaming down."

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust said the helicopter crashed on the shingle bank at the Cley Marshes nature reserve.

Two US HH-60 Pave-Hawk helicopters seen flying in France in 2010

A spokesman for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said: "We were asked for three lifeboats to respond to reports that an aircraft had possibly ditched in the sea.

"Lifeboats Wells, Sheringham and Cromer were launched at the request of the coastguard but were stood down when it was confirmed that the aircraft had come down over land."

A derivative of the more famous Black Hawk helicopter, the Pave Hawk gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

They are used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

They have a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops.

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Storms: UK Hit By More Flooding And Chaos

Britain is being battered again by storms and gale force winds - bringing flooding and travel chaos to many parts of the UK.

Stormy seas have caused problems in southwest coastal regions, and forecasters say there will be more violent weather over the next few days.

Inland, some villages on the Somerset Levels have been cut off, with residents in Muchelney, near Somerton, being supplied by boat.

Muchelney in Somerset has been cut off, and many of the houses are flooded

In a statement to the Commons, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said seven people had died and 1,700 homes had been flooded in England.

He said one million homes have so far been protected by flood defences, but there was a likelihood of more flooding "for some time to come" in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Three severe flood warnings are in place in Dorset

As gusts of up to 70mph hit western coasts, people were urged to remain vigilant and stay away from coastal roads, promenades and jetties with 25ft-high waves crashing on to beaches.

There are fears the next high tides will bring further coastal flooding.

Red areas show the flood warnings in place in Scotland

Aberystwyth seafront - including 600 rooms of the university's student halls of residence facing the beach - was evacuated and rescue centres set up as high tides battered the coastline.

Aberystwyth seafront has been evacuated because of the storm

Sky's Mike McCarthy, at the scene, said: "The worst predictions are being realised. We have seen waves bringing rocks and stones forward over the fencing."

Student Millie Farmer, 19, said 12ft waves had crashed on to the promenade, ripping up paving slabs and leaving debris scattered on the front.

More flooding is expected in Dorset

The severe weather also took its toll on the transport network and there was more disruption for commuters with roads closed and trains delayed or cancelled in areas.

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Southern Railway services between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey will be out of action until early February after a landslip in Ockley.

A rock fall in Porthcothan Bay, Cornwall

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning "be aware" - for heavy rain, along with hail and thunder, in southern and western parts of Scotland, across Northern Ireland, north Wales, northwest and northeast England and the South.

With the ground already saturated following recent storms, the Environment Agency (EA) has issued three severe flood warnings.

All are in Dorset - one is near Bournemouth, another at Preston Beach in Weymouth, and the third is in the Chiswell area of Chesil Beach.

A large wave hits a train travelling through Dawlish in Devon

There are also more than 300 flood warnings and alerts covering every region in England and Wales.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 12 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts in place.

This is the latest storm front to hit Britain

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Newborn Baby's Body Found Dumped In Rubbish

The body of a newborn girl has been found dumped in a biomedical waste disposal truck at a hospital in India.

The child died in the early hours of Monday morning and her family paid the privately-owned Mata Chanan Devi Hospital 1,500 rupees (£15) to keep her body in a mortuary overnight.

However it was missing when the family returned to collect it at around 10am.

Ashok Kumar, the newborn's uncle, said: "We asked for it and it wasn't there.

The child had been treated at the Mata Chanan Devi Hospital

"One of the hospital staff suddenly ran towards a truck collecting biomedical waste. He looked in the garbage bags and found her there."

The hospital has denied medical negligence, and the hospital's medical superintendent Dr Nidhi Sareen has promised to conduct an internal inquiry.

Delhi's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said: "Dumping a newborn's body into the garbage is cruel and inhuman. We'll investigate the matter and take action against the guilty."

The hospital's biomedical waste storage site

According to some reports, it is thought that the hospital staff mistook the newborn's body as an amputated limb and dumped it into the truck.

Rajesh Kumar Verma, the newborn's father, said his daughter was born prematurely at Khanna Nursing Home in Janakpuri at 1.30pm on Sunday.

The family said she had swelling in her head and the doctors advised them to take her to the hospital.

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Britain Braced For More Floods And Chaos

A violent storm brewing in the Atlantic is set to bring more flooding and travel chaos today as Britain returns to work after the Christmas holidays.

The weather conditions that brought misery over the festive period continued to prove treacherous at the weekend - with a 47-year-old man becoming the third person to die in the storms.

The unnamed man died when his mobility scooter fell into the swollen River Thames at Osney Lock, Oxford, at 6.30pm on Saturday.

The scene where the man on his mobility scooter fell into the river

A search is continuing for an 18-year-old student who went missing after heading out to take photos of the storms.

Harry Martin was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth.

Forecasters are warning gusts of up to 70mph will hit western coasts early this morning.

A severe flood warning is in place near Bournemouth

As winds whip up rough seas in the Atlantic, it could lead to even further coastal flooding with 10-metre-high waves possible for southwest England, Wales, and western Scotland.

Harry Martin went missing in the storms

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning "be aware" - for heavy rain overnight in southern parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, southern Wales, north-east England and the South.

Up to 40mm of rain could fall in higher ground.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued one severe flood warning - near Bournemouth, Dorset - and more than 80 flood warnings covering every region.

It urged communities in Dorset and Oxfordshire to prepare for "significant flooding" in the lower reaches of the Thames, Dorset Stour and Frome rivers.

More flooding is expected on the Somerset Levels and rivers in the South East, including the Severn, remain "very high" after recent rainfall.

The EA says some 220 properties have been flooded so far, miles of coastline have been battered and roads and fields across the country left under water.

A yellow warning has been issued for the whole of west Britain

The severe weather has already taken its toll on the transport network - with more disruption expected for morning commuters.

Southern Railway services between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey will be out of action until early February after a landslip in Ockley.

And there is likely to be trouble on the roads, with the RAC expecting today to be one of the busiest days of the year for breakdowns, with 11,000 call-outs expected.

People in Wales are bracing themselves for more flooding and damage after the worst storms in 15 years battered the coastline on Friday.

Tewkesbury is underwater due to floods again

Aberystwyth University is evacuating students who live in halls of residence facing the seafront as more strong winds approach.

Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: "As the UK returns to work after the Christmas and New Year holidays, some travel disruption is likely on Britain's roads and railways.

"Also, there's likely to be more flooding, with coastal areas at greatest risk as winds gust up to 70mph in the West.

"The storm system out in the Atlantic has whipped up the sea creating a large swell which is heading towards us early on Monday morning, so that combined with strong winds could cause flooding at high tide.

"The spring tides are past their peak now, but the high-tide waters are still likely to cause concern."

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Osborne: More Cuts Are Needed In 2014

George Osborne will paint 2014 as "the year of hard truths" by warning voters that only more austerity measures can pay for tax cuts and better job prospects.

In a speech setting out his priorities for the next 12 months, the Chancellor is to warn that despite an improved economic outlook there is "still a long way to go".

He will suggest that Labour wants to take Britain back to "borrowing and spending and living beyond our means - and let the next generation pay the bill".

Prime Minister David Cameron kicked off an economic offensive on Sunday by committing to sustained rises in the state pension until 2020 and emphasising his desire to offer more tax cuts.

He said that easing the burden on lower earners was his priority but faced Labour claims of planning a new "tax cut for millionaires" after failing to rule out cutting the 45p top rate of income tax.

In Birmingham later today, Mr Osborne will tell voters that tax cuts can only be afforded if further significant reductions are made in the public spending the revenues paid for.

"As a result of the painful cuts we've made, the deficit is down by a third and we're borrowing nearly £3,000 less for every one of you and for every family in the country," he will say.

"That's the good news. The bad news is: there's still a long way to go.

"We're borrowing around £100bn a year - and paying half that money a year in interest just to service our debts. We've got to make more cuts.

"That's why 2014 is the year of hard truths. The year when Britain faces a choice.

"Do we say: 'the worst is over; back we go to our bad habits of borrowing and spending and living beyond our means - and let the next generation pay the bill'.

"Or do we say to ourselves: 'yes, because of our plan, things are getting better. But there is still a long way to go and there are big, underlying problems we have to fix in our economy'."

But shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said: "George Osborne should admit his policies have failed and led to a cost-of-living crisis.

"While millions of ordinary working people are worse off under the Tories, he and David Cameron are paving the way for yet another top rate tax cut for millionaires.

"The reason more spending cuts are needed after 2015 is because his failure on growth and living standards since 2010 has led to his failure to balance the books.

"What we need is Labour's plan to earn our way to higher living standards for all, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and get the deficit down in a fairer way."

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Cameron's Pledge To Guarantee State Pensions

Voters 'Won't Back Tories' In 2015

Updated: 1:13am UK, Sunday 05 January 2014

More than a third of people who voted Conservative in the last general election say they would not vote for the party in the next election, according to a poll carried out by Lord Ashcroft.

The former Tory Party deputy chairman's findings revealed around half of the 'defectors' had switched allegiance to the UK Independence Party, with a fifth aligning themselves with Labour or the Lib Dems and a third undecided.

But in a more positive message for the Tories, 56% of those 'defectors' believe David Cameron is the best of the three main party leaders and say their preferred outcome in 2015 would be a Conservative majority.

The poll showed the 'defectors' significantly outweigh the number of new backers from other parties since 2010, making it more difficult for David Cameron to win an overall majority in 2015.

Commentary on the research, Lord Ashcroft said: "This research shows it is far from impossible for the Tories to win outright. But to do so they will need the votes of everyone who supported for them last time, plus practically everyone who is even prepared to think about doing so next time."

The poll found many voters in all camps gave at least a grudging recognition that the coalition had done well in dealing with the economy.

Mr Cameron and George Osborne were more trusted than Ed Miliband and Ed Balls to manage the economy in the country's best interests by a margin of 57% to 43%.

But it would be "hard" to persuade people that they were feeling the benefits of improved growth rates in their own lives given that the Government had no scope for large giveaways.

In fact a small majority 54% said they expected no improvement or a slight worsening in the economy over the next one or two years - with 46% anticipating a significant improvement.

The findings are from Project Blueprint: Phase 4, the latest round of Lord Ashcroft's research into the Tories' prospects of winning the next election outright.

The Tory peer said the Conservatives need to offer a clear direction to win the next election, not simply highlighting Labour's weaknesses and relying on progress achieved since 2010.

"Drawing a contrast with Labour and highlighting progress on welfare, immigration and the macro economy, important though they are, will only take the Tories so far," he said.

"It needs to be clearer what would be on offer under a new Conservative government. It is one thing to say don't turn back, but we also need to know where we're going."

The poll interviewed 8,053 adults online between November 4 and 10.

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Weather: Risk Of Flooding As More Rain Arrives

The UK is bracing for more storms, high tides and gale-force winds on Sunday as communities already hit by a trail of devastation begin to assess the damage.

More than 200 homes have been flooded along the west of the UK from Cornwall to Scotland, with miles of coastline battered and roads left under water.

Prime Minister David Cameron has praised the "great work" of emergency services and the Environment Agency (EA) in responding to flooding.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for rain in the south of England and snow in the north of England and southern Scotland.

People brave high tides on a beach in Brighton

Up to 40mm of rain could fall on higher ground on Sunday and there are more warnings of flooding and travel disruption.

:: Send us your weather photos or video to news@sky.com or text your pictures to 84501. But don't take unnecessary risks.

The EA warned that the south and west coasts of England and the Severn estuary still remain at risk of coastal flooding into next week.

The damage on the sea front in Aberystwyth

Communities along the North East, including Whitby and South Shields, could also see flooding as well as parts of the south coast including Portsmouth.

It comes as searches resumed in south Devon for missing 18-year-old university student Harry Martin, who was last seen leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth, on Thursday to take photographs of the weather.

Two people have already died in the storms. A 27-year-old man from Surrey was found on Porthleven Sands beach in Cornwall after he was swept out to sea on New Year's Eve.

The Thames Flood Barrier has been closed again

And a woman died after being rescued from the sea in Croyde Bay, north Devon.

There are currently 99 flood warnings and 256 flood alerts in place in England and Wales.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "The worst of the bad weather is not yet over so I've chaired an emergency meeting of all departments involved to make sure the preparations to respond are in hand."

The bad weather has caused widespread damage in coastal areas, including the sea front in Aberystwyth, west Wales, and damaged rail lines in north Wales.

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Stormy Weather: 21 Severe Flood Warnings

Hundreds of flood alerts have been issued for today covering almost the whole of the UK - with the South West expected to bear the brunt of the storms.

Twenty one severe flood warnings, which indicate a risk to life, are in place as heavy rain and winds gusting up to 60mph are due to hit western areas this morning.

The latest violent storm to sweep in from the Atlantic, combined with exceptionally high tides, is prompting fears of major flooding and travel chaos.

Fourteen of the severe warnings are around the Cornwall, Devon and Dorset coastline.

High tide times for the South West this morning

Three are in Gloucestershire - around the River Severn and its estuary, near Cheltenham. Four others are in Wales - including Barmouth, on the north-west coast.

In south Devon, areas include Plymouth, and stretches from Exmouth to Lyme Regis, and Start Point to Dawlish Warren. In the north of the county, areas around Ilfracombe and Barnstaple are under threat.

Bad weather has been lashing Britain for a number of weeks

On Cornwall's Atlantic Coast, areas around Newquay, Wadebridge and Bude also have severe flood warnings. And there is another at Preston Beach In Weymouth, Dorset.

More than 400 weather warnings and alerts are also in place, affecting every region of England and Wales.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is warning of a risk of flooding in Belfast, and says Larne, Newry, Newtownards and Clough are also at risk.

The Environment Agency has three severe warnings along the River Severn

Democratic Unionist Party politician Gavin Robinson tweeted people had been stealing sandbags in the city ahead of the storm.

He wrote: "At a time when people are stretching themselves to help others, reports of sandbags being stolen and sold are disturbing and depressing."

Police are advising residents in the Sydenham and Victoria Park areas of Belfast to pack a bag and prepare for evacuation, if necessary.

There is also a severe alert at Barmouth in Wales

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has also issued 17 flood warnings.

The flood risk extends along the UK coastline from north west England, through Wales, the South West and southern England.

Areas at particular risk include the Isles of Scilly, the north and south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, the tidal reaches of the River Severn, and the coastline of Wales and Cumbria.

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The Thames Barrier in London has been closed to protect people and property along the river.

Communities in parts of the South East are braced for further deluges, with a risk of more flooding in Little Venice, Yalding, Kent.

Red areas show the flood warning regions in Scotland

In Sussex, police said coastal winds of up to 65mph, combined with high tides and low pressure, are likely to create storm surges.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired an emergency meeting earlier in response to the flooding threat.

"We had a range of ministers from right across government attending, who will be working very closely with local councils, power companies, utilities and transport companies, making sure that all those organisations are absolutely prepared for the bad weather that is coming," he said.

A severe warning is in place at Ilfracombe in Devon

"I would appeal to everyone to keep in very close touch with the warnings that are being put out on a regular basis by the Environment Agency, to pay heed to them, as these floods and the coast will be dangerous."

A search for a 27-year-old man who was swept out to sea while celebrating the new year on the beach with friends near Porthleven, in Cornwall, was called off on Thursday after a body was found.

That came after a woman, thought to be on holiday with her family, died in the surf in north Devon.

High tide at Portreath in Cornwall. Pic: Adam Sprague

The coastguard is also searching for a man who is believed to have fallen into the River Stour, near Iford Bridge in Christchurch, Dorset.

And emergency services across the country are searching for several people who have not been seen since New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile, in Liphook, Hampshire, 300 homes lost power after lines were brought down in the stormy weather.

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A&E Visits: Third Of GPs Back Charges

By David Crabtree, Sky News Correspondent

A third of GPs are in favour of making people pay if they make unnecessary visits to hard-pressed accident and emergency departments.

A new survey asked GPs whether people should pay £5 or £10 for each visit, with the money being refunded if their attendance was found to be justified.

The poll was carried out by the Press Association for Doctors.net.uk, an online network for doctors, and involved canvassing 800 GPs across England.

One in three (32%) family doctors said introducing patient fees for some visits would be the most cost effective way of cutting unnecessary A&E attendance.

Four in 10 (39%) said placing a GP surgery, with extended opening hours, adjacent to every emergency department would help reduce the numbers seeking A&E help and cut spiralling hospital admissions.

Another 11% thought more NHS walk-in centres would help ease the strain, while 8% believed that an improved 111 phone service - set up to replace NHS Direct - could provide the answer.

People using the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham were sceptical about paying for A&E.

George Price said: "It might stop people going because of the cost and others might think that paying a tenner was a good deal to be seen by and A&E doctor, it sounds like a bad idea to me."

Carole Bailey, who was visiting a relative, had reservations about how it would work.

She said: "Who is going to say someone is wasting their time?

"Most people who go must think they are really ill and where do you draw the line?"

Dr Tim Ringrose, chief executive of Doctors.net.uk, said: "It may be a clear departure from the traditional NHS vision, but many doctors are now saying that radical action has to be taken to reverse the 'free at the point of abuse' culture that is a key contributor to the current emergency care crisis in some areas."

Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "Charging patients for the use of emergency departments would put us on the slippery slope towards the Americanisation of healthcare - where only those who can afford it get the care and attention they need.

"Doctors have a duty to provide healthcare to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Patients seek healthcare when they are at their most vulnerable and if they attend A&E, it is usually because they don't know where else to turn.

"Emergency departments are really struggling but the way to solve the crisis is to adequately fund general practice, so that family doctors can provide more care for patients in the community.

"GPs conduct 90% of the NHS contacts for just 8.39% of the NHS budget. If general practice was better funded many people who are seen in emergency departments could be seen by a local GP."

The survey revealed that the overwhelming majority believed that changes announced by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in November regarding GP contracts would do little to ease the pressure on A&E units.

It also found that three quarters of GPs (74%) disagreed that giving older people a named GP would cut the numbers ending up in A&E.

Just one in 10 doctors agreed this would help alleviate pressures on the system.

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