UK news: Poor fear they won't achieve aspirations

YOUNG people from the poorest families fear they will achieve few or none of their goals in life, such as finding a decent job or buying a house, according to new research.

One in four from poor homes said "people like them" did not succeed in life, a study by the Prince's Trust and the Royal Bank of Scotland found.

Clegg rallies over debt

THERE must be "no blinking" on the government's programme of deficit reduction, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was set to say today, as he insists the shared agenda of cutting debt is the "glue which binds this coalition together". Mr Clegg was to insist the government must "hold our nerve".

Financial service firm complaints soar 26%

THE number of people complaining about financial services firms soared by 26 per cent in the past year as disputes involving controversial payment protection insurance doubled, the Financial Ombudsman Service said today.

The ombudsman received more than one million inquiries from consumers in the 2010-11 financial year - the equivalent of around 4000 every working day - with a fifth turning into formal complaints.

EasyJet airs tax worries

PROPOSED changes to the Air Passenger Duty airport departure tax would have a "destructive" effect on the economy, the environment and jobs, a report commissioned by airline EasyJet said today.

The changes would reduce UK passenger numbers by three million a year, increase CO2 emissions by 360,000 tonnes a year and reduce tourist spending in the UK by 475m a year, the report said.

Gerrards hit baby hat-trick

ALEX Gerrard is pregnant with her third child, the model has revealed.

The wife of Steven Gerrard, 28, already has two girls, Lilly-Ella, seven, and Lexie, five, with the Liverpool and England football star.

She said: "It wasn't planned, but me and Steven are over the moon."

London: Hundreds of women were set to converge on parliament today to demonstrate against increases to the age at which they can start claiming their state pension. Charity Age UK warned that the government's plan to raise the state pension age to 66 by 2020 does not give people enough time to plan.

Birmingham: A gecko has turned up safe and well after hitching a 100-mile ride inside an envelope following an internet shopping mix-up. Sahara, the leopard gecko, sneaked into a parcel at his owner's home near Birmingham and spent two days en route to Berkshire.