:00:09. > :00:14.Doctors treating former Formula one champion, Michael Schumacher, saying
:00:15. > :00:18.his condition has improved. It follows a second operation to
:00:19. > :00:23.relieve pressure on his brain after a skiing accident. Cannot say he is
:00:24. > :00:26.out of danger but we have gained a bit more time in the development of
:00:27. > :00:30.his injuries and the hours to come are still critical. After the
:00:31. > :00:34.Christmas storms, bosses from the big energy companies are to be
:00:35. > :00:38.summoned by MPs to explain their response to the power cuts.
:00:39. > :00:45.George, this one is on me. By incest. Money, J. Dame Penelope
:00:46. > :00:50.Keith, in recognition of her good life. One of the many women awarded
:00:51. > :01:06.a New Year is on. -- New Year is on.
:01:07. > :01:13.Neurosurgeons in France who are treating Michael Schumacher say he
:01:14. > :01:17.is showing a slight improvement following a second operation last
:01:18. > :01:20.night to relieve pressure on his brain. The situation is said to be
:01:21. > :01:31.better controlled although the former world F1 champion is not out
:01:32. > :01:36.of danger. Michael Schumacher is a seven time
:01:37. > :01:39.Formula one World Champion. A man with 91 Grand Prix victories to his
:01:40. > :01:43.name, but loved by millions of fans around the world. He is also a
:01:44. > :01:47.father, husband and brother and today, his family continued their
:01:48. > :01:50.vigil here at the University Hospital in Grenoble after doctors
:01:51. > :01:56.performed that second operation overnight. A quiet Sunday morning
:01:57. > :02:01.skiing with his son. As these pictures show, Racal Schumacher had
:02:02. > :02:04.to be flown by helicopter for emergency treatment after falling
:02:05. > :02:10.and sustaining a blow to the head. An injury that has left him fighting
:02:11. > :02:16.for his life. Doctors operated for a second time overnight. They say it
:02:17. > :02:22.has believed pressure on his brain but for now, they are taking it hour
:02:23. > :02:26.by hour. TRANSLATION: The situation is better controlled than yesterday.
:02:27. > :02:30.We cannot say he's out of danger but we have now gained more time in the
:02:31. > :02:37.development of his injuries and the hours to come are still critical.
:02:38. > :02:41.Schumacher is no stranger to rest. A love of speed, danger and living
:02:42. > :02:45.life on the edge led him to be described by his closest rival in
:02:46. > :02:51.motor racing folklore as the greatest adventurers. This area of
:02:52. > :02:55.France is a paradise for skiers but accidents on slopes leave the
:02:56. > :03:01.neurologist Ward at this hospital a busy place at this time of year.
:03:02. > :03:05.Mary's husband suffered a brain haemorrhage after a skiing accident
:03:06. > :03:08.last week. He is on course to make a full recovery and return to
:03:09. > :03:13.Britain, with his wife grateful for the care they received. On the
:03:14. > :03:18.minute of his accident, the care has been superb. From the transfer to
:03:19. > :03:22.the first hospital and onto here, it has been so efficient and caring.
:03:23. > :03:26.Michael Schumacher transcended his sport in a way that few drivers
:03:27. > :03:31.really do. Now he faces his toughest fight yet, with doctors unable to
:03:32. > :03:34.give a long-term prognosis at this stage.
:03:35. > :03:38.Doctors say that they will only provide updates as and when they
:03:39. > :03:44.can, so that agonising wait for family and for those willing him to
:03:45. > :03:51.pull through this continues. And that will continue, it seems, for
:03:52. > :03:54.days and weeks to come. The bosses of the UK's energy
:03:55. > :03:57.distribution companies are to be summoned before MPs following the
:03:58. > :04:01.Christmas storms which left thousands of homes without
:04:02. > :04:05.electricity, some for days. Their response to the power cuts were
:04:06. > :04:11.unacceptable according to the chairman of the Commons energy
:04:12. > :04:16.Select Committee, Tim Yeo. He says the compensation is inadequate.
:04:17. > :04:21.It has been a miserable Christmas for many as floods and storms meant
:04:22. > :04:27.150,000 households saw their electricity cut off at some point in
:04:28. > :04:31.the past week. More than 20,000 homes were without power on
:04:32. > :04:35.Christmas Day itself. The company that looks after the power lines
:04:36. > :04:39.says that everyone affected over the Christmas period has now been
:04:40. > :04:43.reconnected. Though some are still their electricity from generators
:04:44. > :04:47.will stop at the performance of these distribution firms has come in
:04:48. > :04:51.for sharp criticism and MPs now plan to call them to account. Generally,
:04:52. > :04:55.it was not satisfactory. Too many consumers were left without power
:04:56. > :05:00.for too long and without information of when it would be restored. At a
:05:01. > :05:03.time when people are dependent on a continuous supply of electricity, to
:05:04. > :05:09.be left without power overnight or for more than two days, that is the
:05:10. > :05:13.unacceptable. One of the companies has said that it will increase
:05:14. > :05:15.compensation for those affected on Christmas Day. And in a statement,
:05:16. > :05:32.the company said: The Prime Minister has already said
:05:33. > :05:37.that lessons will have to be learned after he was confronted last week by
:05:38. > :05:42.one angry resident in the Dulwich of holding in Kent. Fresh storms are
:05:43. > :05:47.expected to sweep across Wales, the South and south-east of a one later
:05:48. > :05:50.tonight, and the environment agency still has eight flood warnings in
:05:51. > :05:56.place with 29 in Scotland. People are racing themselves for more
:05:57. > :05:59.trouble ahead. The government has urged political
:06:00. > :06:01.parties in Northern Ireland to continue their efforts to find a
:06:02. > :06:05.solution to a number of divisive issues in the peace process after
:06:06. > :06:10.months of talks failed to produce a final agreement. The five main
:06:11. > :06:13.parties met overnight in an effort to settle differences over parades,
:06:14. > :06:22.flags and how to deal with killings committed during the troubles.
:06:23. > :06:26.Despite hard work, long days and negotiating through the night,
:06:27. > :06:30.Richard Haass could not get a deal. Talks broke down before six this
:06:31. > :06:35.morning but the American chairman said that the process had not been a
:06:36. > :06:39.failure. I believe that we have made significant progress but this is a
:06:40. > :06:43.work in progress. Yes, it would have been nice to have come out tonight
:06:44. > :06:50.and say that we have got all five parties signed on to the text, but
:06:51. > :06:55.we're not there. Overnight, Dr Haass put final proposals to the five
:06:56. > :07:00.parties in the Stormont executive. Nationalist politicians were in
:07:01. > :07:04.favour generally. It is compromise, but short of what we were
:07:05. > :07:08.proposing. But we think the majority of people will want to see it
:07:09. > :07:12.embraced. That is why we have taken a positive attitudes towards it. But
:07:13. > :07:19.Unionists had concerns. We entered this process to come to the right
:07:20. > :07:25.deal. To get the right deal for the people of Northern Ireland. Not any
:07:26. > :07:29.deal. So why was there no agreement? A number of areas remain
:07:30. > :07:34.unresolved including a code of conduct for people involved in
:07:35. > :07:36.parades. On the issue of the past, it is believed there was
:07:37. > :07:40.disagreement over the language in proposals of how to deal with
:07:41. > :07:45.unsolved killings. The discussion has focused on parading, the past
:07:46. > :07:49.and flags. The matter is left over after years of peace process
:07:50. > :07:52.negotiations. For now, getting a deal has proved too difficult.
:07:53. > :07:56.negotiations. For now, getting a Chris joins us from Belfast. Any
:07:57. > :08:00.date set for a resumption of the process? Although the talks have
:08:01. > :08:06.broken up, the process has not broken down. Richard Haass has gone
:08:07. > :08:10.home to America, but it is said he will continue to try to resolve
:08:11. > :08:13.these issues in the New Year. David Cameron said that although he was
:08:14. > :08:18.disappointed there was no agreement, he says that he thinks the talks
:08:19. > :08:23.were successful in generating common ground. The Irish Prime Minister
:08:24. > :08:27.says that this is not a failure, just a step not taken. There is no
:08:28. > :08:30.finger-pointing from the parties, which is a good sign, but there is
:08:31. > :08:37.no doubt that the fact that such intense negotiations chaired by an
:08:38. > :08:41.experienced, failed to reach an agreement underlines that these
:08:42. > :08:47.difficult disagreements are difficult to overcome.
:08:48. > :08:50.Thank you. Shares in Debenhams fell by 10% this morning after the
:08:51. > :08:52.department store said that trading in the run-up to Christmas had been
:08:53. > :08:57.disappointing. In a statement, the retailer predicted Roberts of ?85
:08:58. > :09:03.million before tax for the first half of the financial year, down
:09:04. > :09:06.from ?115 million the year before. New libel laws aimed at giving
:09:07. > :09:09.better protection to people expressing their opinions are to
:09:10. > :09:14.come into force in England and Wales. The government says the
:09:15. > :09:21.changes will reverse the chilling effect current legislation has on
:09:22. > :09:26.freedom of expression and debate. Traditionally, it was newspapers who
:09:27. > :09:32.were sued for defamation. But the Internat, blogs and tweets mean that
:09:33. > :09:35.we are all publishers now. And all potentially at risk of legal action.
:09:36. > :09:44.Writers and campaign groups say that the old law made it too easy to sue
:09:45. > :09:48.for libel. Simon saying was sued by the British chiropractic Association
:09:49. > :09:53.for a critical article. The eventually dropped their claim. With
:09:54. > :09:56.the old once, it was very easy for large corporations to shut up their
:09:57. > :10:03.critics. One say that, I mean not just nationally and in newspapers,
:10:04. > :10:06.but also citizen journalists. The act introduces a tougher test for
:10:07. > :10:12.bringing claims. Claimants must prove that they have or will suffer
:10:13. > :10:15.serious reputational harm. And companies must show serious
:10:16. > :10:19.financial loss. Those writing in scientific journals are given more
:10:20. > :10:24.protection, as are those who operate websites.
:10:25. > :10:28.The new defamation act seeks to tilt the delicate balance between freedom
:10:29. > :10:35.of expression and the right to protect reputation on the other, in
:10:36. > :10:39.favour of freedom of expression. But now some legal experts say that the
:10:40. > :10:43.pendulum has swung too far in favour of free expression. Take a company,
:10:44. > :10:49.a small company producing organic vegetables. Somebody says of them
:10:50. > :10:53.that they are not organic at all. That really they are using
:10:54. > :10:58.chemicals. Unless they can prove that they have because loss, there
:10:59. > :11:01.is nothing they can do about it. Publishing critical material about
:11:02. > :11:06.people and organisations remains potentially dangerous. But from
:11:07. > :11:14.tomorrow, we can all write, blog and post with more confidence that we
:11:15. > :11:17.will not end up in court. Nearly 1200 people have had their
:11:18. > :11:22.work and achievements recognised in the New Year Honours. And for the
:11:23. > :11:25.first time, women make up more than half the list, including the actress
:11:26. > :11:29.Penelope Keith, who has been made a dame. These is APPLAUSE report
:11:30. > :11:35.contains flash photography. She has enjoyed the Good Life, and
:11:36. > :11:39.now she is heading for the palace. If you so much a snigger, I am going
:11:40. > :11:44.indoors. Penelope Keith comes a dame for services to arts and charity. I
:11:45. > :11:50.think is a recognition not only for my years as an actress, 54, which is
:11:51. > :11:52.extraordinary, but also for all the charities with which I am
:11:53. > :11:57.associated. I think they will be thrilled.
:11:58. > :12:01.Also becoming a dame, actress Angela Lansbury, for services to drama. It
:12:02. > :12:06.is a lovely thing to be recognised and given that gnawed of approval by
:12:07. > :12:11.your own country. Irony cherish it. Award winning sculptor, Antony
:12:12. > :12:16.Gormley, behind the Angel of the North, receives a knighthood. Ash
:12:17. > :12:22.library cherish it. A knighthood for market share -- Marcus Tatchell, the
:12:23. > :12:28.man who oversaw the birth of Prince George.
:12:29. > :12:35.Ruth Jones is appointed MBE. After their son Jimmy was murdered in
:12:36. > :12:38.south-east London, Ariane Margaret Mizen set up the Jimmy Mizen
:12:39. > :12:42.Foundation for young people. They both become MBEs. It is all about
:12:43. > :12:47.the people who supported us and continue to support us. We will
:12:48. > :12:52.never give up the work that we do, working for peace for our beautiful
:12:53. > :12:56.young people. And like most of the names on this list, they are people
:12:57. > :13:01.not in the public eye who have made a significant contribution to their
:13:02. > :13:05.community. The maybe a few hours of 2013 left
:13:06. > :13:11.here, but already thousands of people have started to welcome in
:13:12. > :13:15.2014. Auckland in New Zealand marked the
:13:16. > :13:21.New Year with a huge fireworks display over the city's Sky Tower.
:13:22. > :13:24.And Australia has just marked the start of 2014 with fireworks over
:13:25. > :13:29.the Opera house and the Sydney Harbour. More than 1.6 million
:13:30. > :13:32.people are expected to line the harbour for a view of the display
:13:33. > :13:40.with seven tonnes of pyrotechnics being used.
:13:41. > :13:41.Quite a display. The next