Phil Everly, Half Of Pioneer Rock Duo, Dies

Phil Everly - who with his brother, Don, made up the revered US rock and country duo - has died aged 74.

He passed away in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank following complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his wife, Patti, told the LA Times.

His wife told the newspaper that the disease was contracted through a lifetime of smoking and that the family was "absolutely heartbroken".

The Everly Brothers, with their high, close-harmony singing, had 19 top 40 hits during their heyday between 1957 and 1962.

Their songs include Bye Bye Love, All I Have To Do Is Dream, Cathy's Clown, and Wake Up Little Susie.

They profoundly influenced 1960s-era groups and singer-songwriters ranging from Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who early in their careers called themselves the Foreverly Brothers, to Simon and Garfunkel, the Byrds, the Hollies and the Beach Boys.

"Perhaps even more powerfully than Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers melded country with the emerging sound of Fifties rock & roll," Rolling Stone magazine said in placing the brothers at No.33 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists.

Tributes have poured in for the youngest of the duo.

Rock and country singer-songwriter Charlie Daniels tweeted: "Rest in peace Phil Everly. You guys brought us a lot of pleasure back in the day."

Phil in London in 1974

Linda Ronstadt, who recorded one of the biggest hits of her career in 1975 with her interpretation of the Everlys' When Will I Be Loved, said: "They had that sibling sound. The information of your DNA is carried in your voice, and you can get a sound (with family) that you never get with someone who's not blood-related to you.

"And they were both such good singers -- they were one of the foundations, one of the cornerstones of the new rock 'n' roll sound."

Lyricist Sir Tim Rice posted on Twitter: "Death of the great Phil Everly one of the saddest musical exits of all time for me. He and Don more influential than even they knew."

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong wrote: "The Everly Brothers go way back far as I can remember hearing music. Those harmonies live on forever. We're gonna miss you Phil. Gratitude."

Singer Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Frank, tweeted: "Touring with Phil and Don was one of the thrills of my life. I love you Phillip - Godspeed."

Don was born in 1937 in Brownie, Kentucky, to Ike and Margaret Everly, who were folk and country music singers.

Phil was born to the couple on January 19, 1939, in Chicago where the Everlys moved to from Brownie when Ike grew tired of working in coal mines.

The singer attends a ceremony in Hollywood in 2011

The brothers began singing country music in 1945 on their family's radio show in Shenandoah, Iowa.

Their career breakthrough came when they moved to Nashville in the mid-1950s and signed a recording contract with New York-based Cadence Records.

In all, their career spanned five decades, although they performed separately from 1973 to 1983 after a dramatic onstage break-up during a concert in California.

Phil threw his guitar down and walked off, prompting Don to tell the crowd: "The Everly Brothers died 10 years ago."

During their breakup, they pursued solo singing careers with little fanfare. Phil also appeared in the Clint Eastwood movie Every Which Way But Loose.

After their decade-long estrangement, the brothers reunited in 1983 - "sealing it with a hug," Phil said at the time.

They were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, the same year they had a hit pop-country record, Born Yesterday.

Speaking in an interview in 1986, Don said the duo were successful because "we never followed trends".

He added: "We did what we liked and followed our instincts. Rock 'n' roll did survive, and we were right about that. Country did survive, and we were right about that. You can mix the two but people said we couldn't."

Phil is survived by Don, wife Patti, mother Margaret, sons Jason and Chris, and two granddaughters.

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Weather: Dozens Join Search For Missing Teen

More than 100 volunteers are searching for an 18-year-old student who went missing after heading out to take photos of the latest storms.

Harry Martin was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth, to take pictures of the bad weather.

The search came as extensive flood warnings remained in place on Saturday, a day after high winds and high tides combined to batter Britain's coastal communities and leave flood plains submerged.

Police, the Coastguard, Plymouth's RNLI lifeboat, and the coastal rescue helicopter based at RNAS Culdrose were called in as the search for Harry resumed on Saturday.

Aberystwyth sea front has been left with hole in the wall

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Specialist search dogs and members of the public are continuing to search for Harry. This will continue throughout today.

"Over 100 members of the public have volunteered to assist with searches in the local area of Newton Ferrers.

"We would ask any members of the public wishing to assist in our search to attend Noss Mayo village hall in order that officers can co-ordinate the search.

"We advise the public not to put themselves at risk."

Two people have already died in the storms.

Scores of people attended Noss Mayo villlage hall to join a police search

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

Police said another man had to be pulled from the sea in Newquay, Cornwall, at about 4.30am on Saturday after ignoring warnings about the fierce storms.

The ferocious weather has left widespread damage.

University student Millie Farmer said the promenade in Aberystwyth, west Wales, was a "complete mess" after giant waves smashed the sea front.

She estimated that the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"They're starting to clear up. It's a complete mess," said 19-year-old Miss Farmer, from Shepreth, Cambridgeshire.

Barmouth sea front in west Wales also suffered damage

"You can't see the road. The promenade slabs have been scattered everywhere. It's an extension of the beach."

The high waves forced around 100 people living close to the seafront to seek shelter on higher ground, with many taking shelter in rest centres.

Not far away, rail lines in north Wales were left buckled by the power of the sea and a road collapsed in Amroth, Pembrokeshire.

Natural Resources Wales said the storm was the worst to have affected the south and west Wales coastline in 15 years.

High tides and large waves also flooded streets in Looe in Cornwall and Salcombe and Kingsbridge in Devon.

A man and child were almost swept away by a huge wave at Mullion Cove in Cornwall as they peered over the sea wall to watch the raging sea.

The worst affected area is the Severn Estuary

Elsewhere in Cornwall vehicles driving on a coastal road were swamped and almost washed away by a tidal surge.

The hundreds of spectators flocking to view areas hit by high waves and flooding prompted the Environment Agency to issue a warning, urging people to stay away.

Residents in Chiswell and Portland in Weymouth, Dorset, were evacuated ahead of high tide on Friday night and a siren also sounded on Saturday repeating the warning.

Red flood warnings and yellow flood alerts in the south west

Homes have already been flooded inland across the UK as well after rivers from Cornwall to Scotland burst their banks.

The worst affected areas are the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire and the River Stour in Dorset.

The danger has been created by a combination of the effects of widespread heavy rain mixed with exceptionally high tides along the west of the UK.

Whitby and South Shields are among the areas at risk in the North

Water levels at the part of the River Severn affected by tidal flows are approaching the highs of 2007 that left huge areas inundated.

The Environment Agency say that defences put in place after the 2007 floods are largely holding up so far.

A spokesperson said most recent estimates suggest that around 90 properties have flooded since yesterday, bringing the total number of properties flooded to around 220.

Weather watchers risk a soaking at Westward Ho!, Devon. Pic: Chris Wileman

But they added that continued heavy rain and high tides are leaving several areas around the UK, both on the coast and inland, still at risk of flooding.

Forecasters warned the bad weather conditions will continue over the next few days, with many areas already saturated.

Up to 30mm (1.2ins) of rain is forecast in south east England on Saturday and similar amounts on higher ground on Sunday.

On Friday, it emerged that Scotland had suffered its wettest December on record.

The Met Office has also revealed the month was the UK's "stormiest" (meaning it endured the largest number of Atlantic storms) since 1969.

River Severn levels are reaching historic highs at Epney, Gloucestershire

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Outbreaks of rain will push up from the south and spread northwards, but by this afternoon further rain will follow in behind, where it may linger across East Anglia and south-east England.

"Here we could see around 20-30mm of rain fall in just 6 hours, so the greatest risk of flooding will be across these areas.

"Tomorrow more rain is expected from the south-west, spreading across most of the UK and the Republic of Ireland."

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

Other areas that have been hit by the latest bout of flooding are the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and parts of Dorset and Wales.

A canoeist on Worcester racecourse. Pic by Dave Key

The Thames Barrier was shut for three hours on Saturday morning and was due to close again on Saturday afternoon to protect the capital from flooding.

Rough seas caused part of a cliff at Rock-A-Nore, outside Hastings in East Sussex, to collapse.

Around 100 flood warnings remained in place across the UK.

Numerous transport services and routes have been hit by the storms.

Trains were cancelled in Wales and the south and south west of England and several roads and bridges close to the coast have been subject to restrictions.

Parts of Gloucestershire are underwater after the Severn's banks broke

Dozens of lower-league football matches across the UK have been postponed because of the weather or water-logged pitches.

The Government has been forced to deny claims that austerity cuts will hit flood defences - despite reports that hundreds of frontline jobs are being cut.

Belfast escaped major flooding on Friday, but similar weather conditions are forecast for Sunday and Monday and sandbag barriers along the Connswater River will remain in place.

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World War Two Bomb Kills Bulldozer Driver

A bulldozer driver has been killed and eight other people injured after a Second World War bomb exploded at a rubble storage site in Germany.

Police in the town of Euskirchen, near Bonn, said the blast shattered the windows of nearby offices and houses within 400 metres.

The blast shattered windows in nearby homes and offices

Norbert Hardt, from the Euskirchen Police Department said the blast caused "considerable damage" in the immediate vicinity as well as in nearby streets and "even in the city centre area".

Although unexploded World War II-era bombs are frequently discovered in Germany, it is rare for them to explode and result in death and injury.

In 2012 some 2,500 residents were evacuated from their homes in Munich after a similar bomb was detonated in a controlled explosion which set fire to nearby buildings.

The force of the blast shook the city and sent a giant fireball rising into the sky.

Allied airplanes dropped millions of tons of ordnance on Germany during World War II in an effort to cripple the Nazi war machine.

Tens of thousands of unexploded bombs are believed to be still lying in the ground across the country.

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US Weather: 16 Dead As Snow Batters Eastern US

At least 16 people have died due to blizzard-like conditions battering the eastern half of the US, leaving nearly two feet of snow.

Around 1,900 flights have been cancelled across the country as howling wind and sub-zero temperatures wreaked chaos.

Governors in New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency and urged residents to stay at home, while hundreds of schools were shut down in Boston and New York.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "This is nothing to be trifled with. People should seriously consider staying in their homes."

The deaths include those caused by difficult traffic conditions in Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

A composite Nasa satellite image shows snow blanketing the Eastern seaboard

A massive pile of salt fell on a worker at a Philadelphia storage facility, killing him. And authorities say a woman with Alzheimer's disease froze to death after she wandered away from her rural New York home.

Forecasters say temperatures were plummeting to well below freezing, and wind chill readings could hit minus 10F (-23C).

Another wave of cold air was already blasting through the Midwest after moving down from Canada.

Outreach teams were searching streets in New York City and Boston for homeless people at risk of freezing to death.

Meanwhile, some major highways in New York state were shut down overnight, and some commuter trains around New York City were operating on a reduced schedule.

Amtrak planned to run trains on all of its Northeast lines on Friday but operate on a modified schedule, spokeswoman Christina Leeds said.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered non-essential state workers to stay at home, with state offices and courthouses closed.

While many flights were cancelled, planes were taking off from Washington

The heavy weather began on Thursday, just a day after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was sworn in to lead the nation's largest city and a few days before Boston Mayor Thomas Menino ends 20 years in office.

Mr De Blasio, who in 2010 criticised predecessor Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his handling of a post-Christmas storm, said 1,700 snowplows and 450 salt spreaders were hitting the streets in New York City.

"We have to get it right, no question about it," he said.

"We are focused like a laser on protecting this city."

The snowstorm worked its way east from the Midwest, where it dropped up to 17 inches of snow in parts of Chicago and prompted the cancellation of hundreds of flights at both of the city's airports.

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Paul Walker: Fast & Furious Star Going 100mph

Fast & Furious star Paul Walker was travelling at more than 100mph at the time of his fatal car crash, a coroner's report has revealed.

The newly-released documents also show neither the actor nor his friend Roger Rodas - who was driving the Porsche Carrera GT - had any alcohol or drugs in their systems.

Both men's deaths in Santa Clarita, California, were ruled to be accidents.

The report said the car was travelling at "unsafe speed, approximately 100+ mph, in the #1 eastbound lane on Hercules Street approaching Constitution."

"For unknown reasons, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle partially spun around.

Police said the wrecked car looked like it "was almost split in half"

"The vehicle then struck a sidewalk and the driver's side of the vehicle struck a tree and then a light post ... The force of these collisions caused the vehicle to spin 180 degrees ... The passenger side of the vehicle then struck a tree and the vehicle burst into flames."

The police officer who first arrived at the scene following the crash told investigators "it appeared that the vehicle was almost split in half".

Walker's body was found in a "pugilistic stance," as if he were bracing for impact, and died from "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries".

The report lists a number of fractures - some the result of the intense heat. It said Rodas died from "multiple traumatic injuries".

Investigators had previously refused to set a firm speed at which the car was travelling until Porsche engineers extracted data from on-board 'black boxes'.

Thousands of fans and car enthusiasts attended a memorial and car cruise event last month in tribute to the actor and his friend.

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Goa Building Collapse Kills Six And Traps Dozens

At least six people have been killed and dozens more are trapped after a building collapsed in the Indian state of Goa.

Police Superintendent Shekhar Prabhudesai said authorities are still trying to determine how many people were on site when the five-storey structure, which was under construction, crumpled in Canacona, about 44 miles (70km) from the state capital of Panaji.

Rescuers are digging through the debris in the coastal village in search of survivors.

Witnesses said about 40 workers were on site.

"It was like an earthquake when the building fell," said Ramesh Naik. "You could not see what exactly had happened because of the dust."

Rescue workers using cranes and bulldozers, shovels and bare hands, struggled to shift concrete slabs and other debris to free the workers as hundreds of onlookers stood watching the rescue efforts.

Ambulances took at least three seriously injured workers to a hospital for treatment.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known.

"We will immediately arrest the builder, the contractor and municipal officials involved in sanctioning this construction site," Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

"I am personally monitoring the situation," he added.

Building collapses are common in India, as massive demand for housing and lax regulations often encourage builders to cut corners by using substandard materials or add unauthorised extra floors.

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Schumacher Remains 'Critical But Stable'

Former Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher remains "critical but stable" in hospital after a skiing accident, his family says.

The racing star has been at Grenoble University Hospital in France in a medically-induced coma for six days following the accident in the French Alps.

Schumacher's wife Corinna arrives at hospital this morning

Schumacher's wife, brother and father arrived at the hospital this morning with FIA President Jean Todt.

No official statement has been made on the 45-year-old's condition, but friend and former Formula 1 driver Philippe Sttreiff told reporters yesterday that Doctor Gerard Saillant, a friend of the Schumacher family, said: "Michael's life in not in danger anymore".

Gerard Saillant (R) allegedly revealed Schumacher's life was not in danger

Speaking outside the hospital he said: "I'm repeating what Gerard Saillant told me. Gerard Saillant said it is a serious condition but his life is not in danger anymore now, thankfully."

But Schumacher's manager later confirmed his condition remained "stable, but still critical".

The star's manager Sabine Kehm has played down rumour's about his condition

Sabine Kehm also sought to play down media speculation about his health, and requested respect for the family's privacy.

"Michael's condition remains critical but stable," she said in an email. 

"We would like to clearly stress that any information regarding Michael's health not coming from the doctors treating him or from his management must be treated as invalid and pure speculation."

Citing consultations with Schumacher's doctors, she said no press conferences were expected before Monday.

Meanwhile, a camera reportedly attached to Schumacher's helmet is being examined in the hope it will reveal more about the circumstances of his accident.

Authorities are checking the device while also questioning Schumacher's son, who was with him at the time of the accident.

Ms Kehm said the helmet had been handed over to authorities "voluntarily".

Schumacher, known affectionately as Schumi by fans, is the most successful F1 driver in history, racking up a record 91 race wins. He retired in 2012.

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Missing Six-Year-Old Quad Biker Found

A six-year-old boy who went missing while riding a quad bike near a quarry has been found safe and well.

The youngster, whose first name is Callum, had disappeared around 1pm in Trentham Pitts, near Loggerheads, Staffordshire.

His family contacted officers who launched a search for him at the quarry and in woodland with the help of a police helicopter.

Callum, from the Staffordshire Moorlands, who was wearing a plain black helmet, dark blue overalls and white boots, has now been found.

Police thanked members of the public for their help after tracing the youngster close to Loggerheads at about 4.30pm.

Officers had earlier appealed for anyone who saw Callum, who is described as an experienced quad biker, to contact them.

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Nail Removed From Skull After DIY Accident

A 55-year-old man has had a lucky escape after an 8cm-long nail ripped into his skull while he was doing DIY.

Mr Yang is recovering in hospital in Nanjing, in China's Jiangsu province, after the steel nail was removed by neurosurgeons.

He did not realise the nail had penetrated his head while he was using a cutting machine when decorating his home on December 29.

"The nail that got stuck in the cutting machine flew out when I turned on the machine. It ripped into my head and left a small hole on the skin," said the patient.         

Mr Yang's eyesight has not been affected

It was only when he felt sick and had a CT scan that doctors realised he had a nail embedded in his skull.

Luo Liangsheng, a doctor in neurosurgery, said: "The nail penetrated his eye socket and reached the petrosal bone after passing through the middle cranial fossa.

"If we pulled the nail out directly, the surgical risk would be quite high, because the great vessels and nerves might be hurt during the process," he added.

Mr Yang is in a stable condition after his surgery and his vision was not affected.

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NSA Spying: Rand Paul Plans Obama Lawsuit

A Republican Senator says he will take legal action against President Obama for "snooping on the American people," following revelations from Edward Snowden of unlawful spying by the NSA.

Rand Paul is urging anyone in the US with a mobile phone to join the group action which declares the government is not permitted to access the public's emails and phone records without a warrant.

Mr Paul said the purpose of the action is to "protect the Fourth Amendment," the part of the US Constitution which prevents unreasonable searches and seizures.

"The question here is whether or not, constitutionally, you can have a single warrant apply to millions of people," he told Fox News.

Judge Leon declared the NSA spy programme 'Orwellian' and unlawful

"So we thought, what better way to illustrate the point than having hundreds of thousands of Americans sign-up for a class-action suit."

Mr Paul's move comes as a secretive US intelligence court decided the NSA can continue to collect phone data from American citizens for at least another 90 days.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) renewed the NSA surveillance programme on Friday, despite a panel of advisors advising the President Obama that a warrant must be obtained for each search.

US government lawyers have also moved to block a surprise decision by a district judge that ruled the NSA phone records programme was unlawful.

Judge Richard Leon said the NSA's programme was "almost Orwellian," a reference to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984.

He added there was little evidence the operation had prevented terrorist attacks, a conclusion also reached by the advisory panel to President Obama.

Although Mr Leon ruled against the government, he agreed to postpone shutting down the programme until the government considered whether to appeal.

The NSA can continue its surveillance for at least another 90 days

But despite the Justice Department request to have the decision overturned in the Appeal Court, lawyer Larry Klayman, who brought the action, said he intended to take the case to the Supreme Court.

"There are exigent circumstances here," said Mr Klayman. "We can't allow this situation to continue. The NSA's continuing to spy on everybody."

Judges sitting on the FISC have repeatedly approved the NSA spying programme for 90-day periods and ruled it legal - a position that held strong until Judge Leon's unexpected ruling.

Shawn Turner, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said the NSA would be willing to modify the phone records surveillance programme to provide civil liberties protections, as long as the programme remained operationally beneficial.

He added the Obama administration was carefully evaluating the advisory panel's recent recommendations.

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