Britain today: A-ha! Alan Partridge goes to US

Published on Saturday 12 December 2009 11:11

STEVE COOGAN has revealed he will set Alan Partridge: The Movie in America.

The British actor and comedian confirmed the long-rumoured film spin-off of his cult character was finally under way. But while he plans to make the film in the US, he vowed not to "Americanise" Partridge.

IN BRIEF

Essex: Emergency service workers resumed their search of a house where an elderly couple died after a fire.

Firefighters suspect a relative of the couple may also have died in the blaze in Saffron Walden, Essex, yesterday.

Police said a man and woman – thought to be aged 80 and 70 – died after fire broke out at around 9am.

Northern Ireland: Police were questioning a man today about the death of a 15-month-old girl injured in an alleged assault at a house.

The girl was under intensive care at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after being hurt in Co Fermanagh.

"OK, yeah. I suppose that has to be the prime contender"

Sir Paul McCartney says his marriage to Heather Mills was one of his biggest mistakes

Blair says Iraq invasion was right without WMD

TONY Blair said he believes it still would have been right to have invaded Iraq even if it was known then that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction.

In an interview to be broadcast tomorrow on BBC1's Fern Britton Meets ... Tony Blair, he said the threat posed by Saddam to the wider region meant it was right to remove him from power.

Archbishop attacks Labour

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has attacked the Government for treating religious believers as "oddities".

Dr Rowan Williams said ministers were wrong to think that faiths were no longer relevant, and criticised Labour for looking at religion as a "problem" rather than valuing its contribution to society.

Asda announces cut of up to 3p a litre at petrol pumps

MOTORISTS were benefiting from lower petrol prices today after Asda announced a cut of up to 3p a litre at its pumps.

Campaigners said they hoped the move would spark a price war among retailers.

Asda said drivers filling up at its forecourts would pay no more than 103.9 pence per litre for unleaded and 105.9 pence per litre for diesel. With average UK prices currently at 108.99ppl for petrol and 110.26ppl for diesel, motorists will save an average of 2.75 filling up a 55-litre tank.

Pocket money up in 2009

CHILDREN received an average of 6.24 a week in pocket money during 2009 – a slight increase on the previous year despite the recession, research showed today.

But although their pocket money has risen during the past 12 months, the average sum is still well down on the 8.37 a week UK children were given in 2005, according to Halifax.