The recession could be over, according to Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England. There are signs that economic growth "has resumed" between July and September, Mr King told the influential House of Commons Treasury Select Committee. This is the first time that the governor has indicated the recession, which has been raging for over a year, is coming to an end, though he warned that there was a "long hard road ahead" - Daily Telegraph
New York City officials are the latest to consider banning smoking in their parks and outside spaces - and where the US leads, the UK often follows. Having driven smokers outside their workplaces and enclosed public places, city authorities are considering limiting the options for a quick puff. The possibility of extending smokefree legislation was outlined in a public health policy document. However the mayor, Michael Bloomberg - who has championed anti-smoking programmes but is up for re-election - appeared to qualify the extent of the restrictions. He wanted "to see if smoking in parks has a negative impact on people's health", suggesting it "might not be logistically possible to enforce a ban across thousands of acres" - The Guardian
Tory MP Chris Grayling has pledged to axe ID cards if he becomes Home Secretary after the next election. He is working on a programme of changes he will make in his first 100 days in office if Conservatives win. Scrapping the cards is top of the list. The ID card system was about to collapse in chaos, Chris Grayling told a meeting in his Epsom constituency. He said: "The scheme has to go. If the Conservatives win the election I will be the person wielding the axe." - Surrey Comet
The Sun is spotlighting its campaign to Save the Great British Pub on its Sun Talk online radio show. Host Jon "Gaunty" Gaunt will launch the campaign from 10am today, as VAT increases force the closure of 52 pubs nationwide every week - The Sun
Customers at a Liverpool pub fled in terror yesterday after a man walked in with a gun and shot himself dead. Police were called to the Prince George pub, in Longmoor Lane, Fazakerley, just after 2.30pm. It is believed the man, who has not been named but is thought to be in his 30s, walked into a room at the small family-run pub and then shot himself in the head. Police later found a body at the scene and recovered a firearm - Liverpool Echo
Police are investigating an undercover film that shows a supermarket worker licking fresh chickens before putting them back on sale at an Asda store. The mobile phone footage also shows the man wreaking havoc in the aisles during his night shifts, urinating in a bin in the gentlemen's lavatory, playing cricket with food items, smashing eggs and setting off fire extinguishers - The Times