COALITION RIFT OVER ECONOMY WIDENS
David Cameron has lashed out at the Liberal Democrats for being "all over the place" as coalition divisions over how to balance the books deepen.
The Prime Minister dismissed the level of influence Nick Clegg's party had over last week's Autumn Statement, insisting the measures unveiled had been "distinctly" Conservative.
Lib Dems would "prop up a failing Labour government" after the general election next year putting the "hopes, dreams, and livelihoods" of millions of Britons at stake, he claimed.
FORCES JOINED IN HUNGER BATTLE
Leading church figures including the Archbishop of Canterbury have joined politicians from across Parliament to launch a blueprint to eliminate hunger in Britain by 2020.
The Feeding Britain report was prompted by concern over the "unprecedented" numbers of people depending on food banks in the UK.
It called for action to speed the processing of benefits to ensure new claimants are not left for weeks without an income; stop "rip-off" companies charging higher prices to the poor; and end the "scandal" which sees millions of tonnes of waste food destroyed by supermarkets and food manufacturers.
CAMERON DRIVE FOR MATHS AND SCIENCE
David Cameron has pledged to "lift our children's horizons and pull our country up in the world" through a major drive to boost British brainpower in mathematics, science and technology.
Around 15,000 teachers will be sent back to the classroom for retraining under the £67 million initiative to raise school standards in the subjects.
School leavers will be offered a substantial amount of cash towards university costs in return for becoming a teacher once they graduate in maths or physics.
HOSTAGE'S FAMILY BLASTS RESCUE BID
The UK-based family of a British-born hostage killed by Islamic militants has said he might still be alive had it not been for an attempted US rescue mission.
Luke Somers, 33, was shot by his al Qaida captors as they fought US special forces attempting to extract him and South African teacher Pierre Korkie.
Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAB) posted a video online on Thursday, threatening to kill the American citizen within three days but his stepmother Penny Bearman and half-sister Lucy Somers indicated they still had hope because previous threats had not been carried out.
WILLIAM TO LAUNCH WILDLIFE CRUSADE
The Duke of Cambridge will begin his American tour by branding the illegal wildlife trade as one of the most "insidious forms of corruption" in the world.
William and Kate are due to arrive in New York later this evening for a three-day visit that has generated "incredible" excitement among New Yorkers.
The second in line to the throne has been campaigning to save threatened animals for a number of years and will tell delegates at a Washington conference tomorrow some animal parts are worth more then their weight in gold.
ACTION URGED ON 'INVISIBLE KILLER'
A ban on building schools, hospitals and care homes next to air pollution hotspots must be introduced to help cut the tens of thousands of deaths estimated to have been caused by the "invisible killer", MPs have said.
More than 1,000 schools must also be fitted with air filtration systems to protect children from deadly traffic fumes, the Environmental Audit Committee recommended.
It warned that youngsters face lung damage as a result of the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that is a by-product of motor engines and suggested that pollutants could also cause infant death.
MP PLAYED CANDY CRUSH IN COMMONS
An MP has admitted playing a popular puzzle game on his iPad while in a parliamentary committee meeting.
The Sun published pictures of Nigel Mills playing the hit online game Candy Crush Saga during a Works and Pensions Committee meeting, of which he is a member.
The paper quoted a source who said they had seen the Amber Valley MP playing the game over a period of two and a half hours, while the Conservative, elected in 2010, admitted what he had done.
CUTS 'MAY DESTROY MY POLICE FORCE'
A police chief has warned his force could be "unsustainable" within three years if funding cuts continue at current levels.
Neil Rhodes, chief constable of Lincolnshire Police, outlined his concerns in a letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May, seen by the Daily Telegraph.
In the letter he said his force could be the first "to fall over" as cuts to officer numbers in response to a reported £10.4m budget shortfall would mean it would be unable to police effectively.
JUDGE TO DECIDE ON DEWANI CASE
A South African judge will decide today whether or not to drop the case against honeymoon murder-accused Shrien Dewani, four years after his bride Anni was gunned down in Cape Town.
Judge Jeanette Traverso will rule on whether there is enough evidence implicating 34-year-old Dewani in the death of his wife on their honeymoon in November 2010.
Three men have already been convicted of their role in the death, after the taxi the Dewanis were travelling in was hijacked as they passed through a township late at night.
FAMILIES ON RATE RISE KNIFE-EDGE
The Bank of England will warn that an extra 300,000 families risk struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments in the face of a sharp interest rate rise, according to reports.
While older savers will benefit from a increase, the younger generation is likely to suffer, the central bank is expected to warn.
The number of homeowners that fall into arrears increases significantly when mortgage repayments go over 40% of gross income, which is already the case for 360,000 households, the Daily Mail said.
