Britannia Radio

Children among 225 dead as Israeli rockets fall on Gaza At least 225 people died in the heaviest air strikes ever seen in the Gaza strip yesterday. Many of the victims were children on their way home from school and policemen parading for a graduation ceremony. Palestinian doctors say a further 700 were wounded. Israeli military sources said a total of 100 missiles were fired at more than 50 targets including Hamas bases. Hamas, which seemed to have been taken completely by surprise, threatened revenge. (Sunday Times) Brown plans ‘coalition for change’ with US Gordon Brown is to use his New Year message to vow a new alliance with US president-elect Barack Obama, seeking a "coalition for change" on the economy, environment and terrorism. In his traditional turn-of-the-year address, the Prime Minister will also pledge that the Government will be a "rock of stability" during the coming recession. Brown is to travel to Washington in February soon after Obama takes power for the first bilateral talks between the leaders. (Independent on Sunday) Millions face pay cuts in 2009 Employers' group the British Chamber of Commerce says a survey of firms shows that millions of private-sector workers will have their pay frozen or cut next year. Director-general David Frost said: "In the last two weeks directors have started talking to me about reducing pay next year... This is the third recession I've seen, and I've never seen employers cutting wages before." Frost was critical of continued job creation and pay rises in the public sector. (Sunday Times) Parents ‘killing’ kids with kindness The Government is to accuse British parents of "killing their children with kindness" in a new public information campaign aimed at combatting childhood obesity. The Department of Health is to tackle "shocking" levels of ignorance among parents with graphic examples of children dying early from diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The campaign is based on a report which says that children in three million families will become overweight without better information. (Observer) Glitch hits National Lottery A technical fault meant that players of the national lottery were unable to buy tickets in parts of the UK yesterday. Lottery operator Camelot said a "temporary issue" caused a number of shop terminals to crash and prevented people from playing the lottery online. Newsagents began reporting problems processing tickets early yesterday, and large parts of the system crashed just before 2pm. Some were unable to print tickets, and put up signs saying the lottery was "unavailable". (Sunday Telegraph) A nurse found tied up in the boot of her own car near her home in Airdrie, Scotland, after she was reported missing may have spent ten days there. Magdeline Makola, 38, was found wearing just her nightclothes, suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. (Observer) British farmers are to receive a "subsidy bonanza" in European support because of the fall in value of sterling against the euro. Landowners have the right to demand their payments from the Common Agricultural Policy in euros, then change them to pounds. (Observer) The Conservatives are to propose three new tax cuts in a bid to counter their image as the "do nothing" party. George Osborne will say a Tory government would aim to reduce National Insurance, income tax on savings and the tax burden on the over-65s. (Sunday Times) Five of the Church of England's most senior bishops have accused the Government of being "morally corrupt", "beguiled by money" and of presiding over a country suffering from family breakdown, excessive debt and a growing divide between rich and poor. (Sunday Telegraph) A study commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions found that single mothers returning to work face stress, depression and financial hardship. New Government plans will tell mothers to look for work once their youngest child is over the age of one. (Independent on Sunday) Alternative 'healers' in Glastonbury are up in arms about the town's new Wi-Fi network which they say is upsetting "positive energy fields" in the body which they call "chakras". Glastonbury is the first town in the country to have its own free-to-use Wi-Fi network. (Sunday Telegraph) An estimated 150,000 ordinary Pakistanis paid their respects at the grave of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday on the first anniversary of her murder, amid concerns of a new war between Pakistan and India. (Observer) Diplomats are watching to see if Robert Mugabe takes his usual holiday this year. The Zimbabwean president is due to take his wife Grace to the Far East, but analysts say he may feel too insecure in his position to leave the country. (Sunday Times) A man who dressed as Father Christmas before killing nine people who were celebrating Christmas together had planned to escape to Canada, it has emerged. Instead, Bruce Pardo committed suicide at his brother's house. (Independent on Sunday) A spate of Hollywood movies in production reveal a new trend for films about global economic disaster. One of the first will be an adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in which the Depression looms large. (Observer) Secret details including two cherubs have emerged in a 350-year-old British painting after it was cleaned. Portrait of a Lady and a Boy with Pan by John Hayls was painted in 1655-9, and is thought to have been overpainted 70 years ago. (Sunday Telegraph) An autobiography by Jonathan Ross has disappointed publishers, selling less than 100,000 copies. Ross's Why do I Say These Things failed to make the Sunday Times bestsellers list in the wake of his BBC suspension. (Sunday Times) The weak pound and recession conditions mean that Britain's living standards will fall to the lowest of any major economy in 2009, according to new research. As recently as 2007, the UK was at the top of the list, says Oxford Economics. (Observer) The world economy is to shrink, for the first time since WWII. New forecasts by HSBC and others show that global GDP will contract in 2009, making it the worst peacetime year for both rich and poor countries since the Great Depression. (Sunday Telegraph) The Royal Bank of Scotland is close to abandoning the £7bn sale of its insurance arm as fears grow in the city that the banking giant will issue a fresh profits warning in the new year. An announcement is possible in the next few weeks. (Sunday Times) Opera star Katherine Jenkins was booed by animal rights campaigners when she opened Harrods' winter sale. Harrods sells fur. (Independent on Sunday) Prince Edward is at the centre of an animal cruelty row after he was pictured possibly striking one of his dogs with a walking stick while out shooting. (Sunday Telegraph) "It is typical of evil governments down the years that they think nothing of the convenience of their citizens: I am sure the last thing Joseph wanted [was to] travel to Bethlehem just to register and pay a tax" - Tory MP John Redwood. (Sunday Times) The audience wept after a performance of No Man's Land when Sir Michael Gambon read a speech Harold Pinter asked him to recite at his funeral. The playwright died on Christmas day. (Observer) Sacked Today programme presenter Edward Stourton has made his peace with the BBC. He will continue to broadcast on Radio 4. (Independent on Sunday) A forgotten story by PG Wodehouse, unseen since it was published in an American magazine in 1915, has been rediscovered. (Sunday Times) Barack Obama and his family were left in the dark after a power blackout caused by heavy rain as they holidayed on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. (Independent on Sunday) John Thurso, Lib Dem MP for Caithness, has been awarded the title of Best Parliamentary Beard 2008. (Sunday Times) Explorer Pen Hadow is to lead a team to the North Pole to measure the thickness of the shrinking Arctic ice cap. (Sunday Times) Fourteen-year-old Eleanor Simmonds, the disabled swimmer who won two golds at the Olympics, is to become the youngest person ever honoured with an MBE. (Sunday Mirror) Joseph Stalin is a front runner to be named 'greatest Russian' in a public vote held by Russian state TV, despite massacring millions of his own people. (Independent on Sunday) It's rumoured that Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green has been courting singer Christina Aguilera to design a clothing range. (Sunday Mirror) Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was murdered by repeat offender Roy Whiting in 2000, is to receive an MBE in the new year for services to child safety. (News of the World) A French newspaper claims it has found Bernard Madoff's yacht, moored in  Antibes. The financier is alleged to have perpetrated the biggest fraud in history, and has many creditors. (Independent on Sunday) Madonna and Guy Ritchie spent Christmas together despite their ongoing divorce. The couple were photographed together with their children in central London. (People) A former lover of singer Amy Winehouse claims she used to have toast and crack for breakfast. Alex Haines says Winehouse spent £3,500 a week on drugs. (News of the World) TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson is to be paid £175,000 for her upcoming appearance in Celebrity Big Brother, causing fury among other contestants, who will all get less. (News of the World) Heather Mills is being taken to court for constructive dismissal by her nanny, who alleges she was forced to give the former model spray tans and blow dry her hair. (Sunday Mirror) Wayne Rooney has revealed that he considers himself to be a "quiet and shy person at heart". The Man United and England forward denies he has a temper problem. (Sunday Mirror)