There was widespread disruption to London’s Tube network during the previous three walkouts
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London Underground staff are set to begin a fourth 24-hour strike later on Sunday after negotiations with Tube bosses failed last week.
Members of the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) will walk out from 1829 GMT.
The unions say cutting around 800 jobs will affect the safety of the service – a claim Transport for London disputes.
It said it would try to run as many trains as it could but most journeys were likely to be disrupted.
There is likely to be further disruption to the travel network on Monday as commuters return to work.
Union members have already staged three strikes in recent months over the job loss threats.
The two sides had met at the conciliation service, Acas, last week to try to avert a walkout, but the talks broke down.
But Transport for London (TfL) claimed that the unions walked away from an offer of a further six weeks to review staffing plans.
The unions countered this and said London Underground management had rejected their proposal to suspend the strikes for 12 weeks while further safety evaluations were carried out over a 12-week period.
The row centres on the future of 800 employees in ticket offices at Underground stations.
Managers say fewer staff are needed at counters because of the widespread use of Oyster swipe cards.
But the RMT says this will affect both passenger and staff safety.
But Tfl refuted this, saying all stations will be staffed while open.
On its website, TfL has said that volunteers would be on hand at key stations to assist passengers, and an extra 100 buses would be running.
It warned that its cycle hire scheme was likely to face high demand and that some Tube stations would be closed.
It advised people to check before embarking on their journey, but has already said that on Monday, it expected to be able to run trains on all lines except the Circle line – although some sections of lines may have no service.
In Zone One, it expected the Piccadilly and Circle lines to be out of service, while service would start on the Central line from 1000 GMT.
Among the 77 stations already announced as expected to be closed throughout the day are Charing Cross, Clapham Common, Heathrow Terminal 4, Shepherd’s Bush and Piccadilly Circus.
Others could be partially closed, TfL warned.
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England captain Andrew Strauss says he has not even considered the possibility of a final-day declaration in Brisbane.
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The snowfall looked picturesque but caused heavy problems in some places
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Heavy snow is set to continue to spread across much of the UK on Sunday, with north-east England and eastern Scotland bearing the brunt of it overnight.
Temperatures early on Sunday are expected to drop below zero across the UK, with minus 7C quite common.
Northern Ireland could see snowfall in the afternoon of up to 10cm (3.9in) – resulting in likely travel disruption.
BBC weather forecaster Simon King said Siberian winds from Monday will also make the cold weather feel worse.
Met Office severe weather warnings for heavy snow and widespread ice remain in place for eastern Scotland, north east England, down to Yorkshire and Humber.
Mr King said the snow was drifting westwards across the southern uplands and central lowlands of Scotland – with up to 15cm (5.9in) expected in some areas.
He added that although there would be some sunshine in many parts of the UK, including East Anglia and North Wales later on Sunday, Northumberland, Durham, Nottingham and the Chilterns could expect further snow showers.
Cloud was forecast for Devon and Cornwall but Mr King said temperatures would remain low.
Up to 40cms (16in) fell in parts of north-east England and Scotland on Saturday – said to be the most widespread snow at this time of year since 1993.
The cold weather has caused much disruption since Thursday.
Several weekend sporting fixtures were cancelled, including race meetings and the FA Cup second round fixtures involving Hartlepool United against Yeovil Town and Notts County against Bournemouth.
Several football matches in Scotland, including Sunday’s Alba Cup final, were also called off.
But Newcastle United have drafted in extra staff to try to ensure Sunday’s clash with Chelsea goes ahead.
A spokesman for Northumbria Police warned: “Anyone going outside should consider whether their journey is critical and if they must venture out should dress appropriately.”
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Away from the roads, Norwich, Inverness, Newcastle, Luton and Durham-Tees Valley airports all experienced disruption to flights.
In Jersey, a lightning strike disrupted radar equipment, also leading to flight problems.
A man died after jumping into the icy River Lune in Halton in Lancashire in an attempt to save his pet springer spaniel.
Pet owners have been warned to be careful while out walking their animals
The easterly winds show no sign of letting up, with the cold weather expected to last until next week at least.
Mr King warned: “As we go into Monday, one feature which will become significant is the wind. From Siberia, it will pick up quite significantly from Monday through to Tuesday. It will feel quite bitterly cold.
“Temperatures on the thermometers will be around 1C but it will feel much colder than that.”
The unusual weather is being caused by high pressure over Greenland and low pressure in the Baltics, forcing cold winds from the north-east across Europe.
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Some parts of the UK have had their coldest November night on record as the freeze continues.
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The US writes to Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblower site Wikileaks, warning him not to release diplomatic files.
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Dr Foster rated death rates in hospitals, deaths after surgery and a range of other measures
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An analysis of deaths in English hospitals has found 19 NHS trusts have rates that are higher than would be expected.
But monitoring body Dr Foster’s annual assessment of 147 trusts shows an improvement on 2009, when the figure was 27, the Observer newspaper reports.
The survey also shows that four trusts had a higher than expected number of patients who died after surgery.
The NHS Confederation said the report showed where the NHS “could do better”.
Dr Foster’s survey looks at overall death rates and deaths after surgery as well as a range of other indicators to try and build a picture of patient care.
Two trusts – Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals and University Hospitals Birmingham – had higher than expected overall death rates and deaths after surgery.
DR FOSTER ASSESSMENT19 hospital trusts in England had significantly high death ratesFour trusts had significantly high rates of deaths after surgeryTwo trusts feature on both lists62,800 “adverse medical events” reported in English hospitals30,500 life-threatening blood clotsNearly 10,000 patients recorded as having accidental puncture or lacerationApproximately 6,000 patients with bed pressure soresMore than 2,000 patients with post-operative intestinal bleeding1,300 surgery patients recorded with sepsis
Source: Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2010
A spokesman for Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust said its figures reflected that it looks after a population with the highest rates of smoking in the country, along with alcohol problems, obesity and heart disease, and that many of the patents who walk through its doors are already very ill.
Roger Taylor, director of research at Dr Foster, said overall, there does seem to have been an improvement since last year.
“It’s getting better, that’s the good news.
“Safety standards are improving, mortality rates are falling, the variation between the best and the worst is getting less.
“However, we do still have a long way to go in terms of involving patients in decisions about their care, enabling them to understand what their options are and ensuring they can always reliably and safely get the best quality care.”
The report acknowledges the figures cannot be taken in isolation but should act more like an alarm to point up possible areas of concern.
“What we must do with this is start asking questions: Go on the ward, look, judge and improve where we need to”
Richard Hamblin Care Quality Commision
Richard Hamblin of the NHS safety regulator the Care Quality Commission says they are a useful tool if used properly.
“If a mortality rate is higher than we would expect, or higher than it is elsewhere, we need to start asking why is this?
“Are the patients sicker? Is it that the care is worse? Is it something to do with how the details of the patients are being recorded?
“What we must do with this is start asking questions: Go on the ward, look, judge and improve where we need to.”
Of greater concern perhaps are more than 62,000 accidents, mistakes or avoidable complications recorded across all 147 hospital trusts.
The report says many incidents go unrecorded – so the true number may be much higher.
Nigel Edwards, acting chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents the majority of NHS organisations, said: “These are important figures which demonstrate the progress that has been made in many parts of the NHS towards providing better and safer standards of care.
“The news that there has been a reduction in the numbers of hospitals where there are concerns over mortality rates demonstrates the efforts that are being made to improve services, but there is no room for complacency.”
He added: “There are still parts of our health system where particular services are having problems, and for the hospitals concerned this report presents an opportunity to learn and improve.
“There will always be variations in any nationwide system but the golden principle must be that our NHS is safe for the patients who rely on it – this report shows where we can do better.”
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The army says the curfew is needed to save lives but the opposition says the move is illegal
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A curfew is in place in Ivory Coast ahead of Sunday’s presidential run-off election, forecast as a close race between President Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara.
At least three people were shot dead in Abidjan on Saturday in protests against the night-time curfew, which remains in effect until Wednesday.
The election is intended to reunite the country which split in two following a northern rebellion in 2002.
The military has appealed for calm.
“It is our duty to sound the alarm and put security measures in place to save lives,” said army chief Gen Philippe Mangou.
Yves Doumbia, a spokesman for the mayor in Abidjan’s Abobo neighbourhood, said the three people were killed when police opened fire on a crowd which had become unmanageable.
“The police used teargas and fired live rounds at a crowd, killing three and wounding seven,” he told the Reuters news agency.
Presidential Contenders
Laurent Gbagbo (left)
Age: 65Southerner, ChristianFormer history teacher, now presidentTook 38% of the first-round vote
Alassane Ouattara (right)
Age: 68Northerner, MuslimEconomist and former prime ministerTook 32% of the first-round voteCountry profile: Ivory Coast
The curfew was announced after earlier clashes in and around Abidjan, the commercial capital, in which at least four people were killed and dozens injured.
But the opposition candidate, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, said the move was illegal and unconstitutional, arguing that a curfew should only come after the election if there was trouble.
No candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the first round four weeks ago, leaving the two frontrunners to go head to head.
The result is expected to be extremely close, says the BBC’s John James in Abidjan – testament to the fact these are the first open democratic elections the country has seen in 50 years since independence.
The two candidates left in the race represent the two sides of the north-south divide that exists religiously, culturally and administratively, our correspondent says, with the northern half still controlled in part by the soldiers who took part in the 2002 rebellion.
Ivorian army troops and UN peacekeepers have been deployed across the country, the world’s biggest cocoa producer, because of fears that the run-off will trigger violence.
The elections have been cancelled six times in the past five years.
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China has expressed concern about military activity so close to its territory
South Korea and the United States are due to begin four days of joint military exercises in the waters off the Korean west coast.
The US says they are defensive exercises designed to deter North Korea from launching further attacks across its border with the South.
North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island last week left two marines and two civilians dead.
North Korea has condemned the exercises as a provocation.
China has also expressed concern about military activity by foreign navies so close to its territory, and has warned the Americans not to stray too close.
The BBC’s Chris Hogg, in the South Korean capital Seoul, says military sources there say that planning for the war games began before North Korea’s deadly attack on Yeonpyeong island. But they add that the intensity of the live fire and bombing drills will now be stepped up.
The US aircraft carrier the USS George Washington and four other US navy vessels will be joined by South Korean destroyers, patrol vessels, frigates, support ships and anti-submarine aircraft.
The drills are expected to take place about 125km (77 miles) south of the disputed maritime border between the two Koreas, about 40km off the Korean coast.
North Korea: Timeline 2010
26 March: South Korean warship, Cheonan, sinks, killing 46 sailors
20 May: Panel says a North Korean torpedo sank the ship; Pyongyang denies involvement
July-September: South Korea and US hold military exercises; US places more sanctions on Pyongyang
29 September: North holds rare party congress seen as part of father-to-son succession move
29 October: Troops from North and South Korea exchange fire across the land border
12 November: North Korea shows US scientist new – undeclared – uranium enrichment facility
23 November: North shells island of Yeonpyeong, killing at least four South Koreans
In pictures: S Korean anger US-South alliance under pressure Koreans angry and worried Brief history of the Korean War
The aircraft carrier is likely to be stationed further south in international waters, but still technically within striking range of Chinese cities.
A statement from North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said: “If the US brings its carrier to the West Sea of Korea (Yellow Sea), no-one can predict the ensuing consequences.”
On Saturday, North Korea accused the South of using civilians as human shields on Yeonpyeong island.
The North’s state media said the South was using the deaths of the two civilians for propaganda, in its words “creating the impression that the defenceless civilians were exposed to indiscriminate shelling from the North”.
Pyongyang said it had been provoked by the South’s military exercises, which were being carried out close to Yeonpyeong. It said the North had sent a “telephone notice” on the morning of the shelling “to prevent the clash at the last moment” but the South continued its “provocation”.
South Korea says two men in their 60s, who were working on the island, were killed by the shells.
The funeral service for the two marines who died, Seo Jeong-woo and Moon Kwang-wook, was held on Saturday at a military hospital in Seongnam, close to Seoul, and was broadcast on television nationwide.
Hundreds of government and military officials, politicians, religious leaders, activists and civilians attended. Among them were Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik.
The US has called on China, North Korea’s only ally, to increase its pressure on Pyongyang to prevent further incidents.
China has said its “top priority” is to keep the situation under control. Beijing has begun a series of talks in an attempt to ease the tension.
However, the top US military commander, Admiral Mike Mullen, said he did not know “why China doesn’t push harder” with Pyongyang.
In an interview with CNN due to be broadcast on Sunday but released as a transcript, Adm Mullen said Beijing appeared to mistakenly believe it could control North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il.
“I’m not sure he is controllable,” Adm Mullen said.
South Korea has increased its troop numbers on Yeonpyeong and says it will change its rules of engagement to allow it to respond more forcefully if incidents such as Tuesday’s happen again.
The tension comes as the North is undergoing an apparent transition of power from Kim Jong-il to his young son Kim Jong-un.
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Prime Minister Brian Cowen is to call a general election in the new year 
Protesters vented their fury about the austerity package and bail-out 
The 1990s were good for the Irish Republic’s economy, with low unemployment, high economic growth and strong exports creating the Celtic Tiger economy. Lots of multi-national companies set up in the Republic to take advantage of low tax rates.
At the beginning of 1999, Ireland adopted the euro as its currency, which meant its interest rates were set by the European Central Bank and suddenly borrowing money became much cheaper.
Cheap and easy lending and rising immigration fuelled a construction and house price boom. The government began to rely more on property-related taxes while the banks borrowed from abroad to fund the housing boom.
All this left Ireland ill-equipped to deal with the credit crunch. The construction sector was hit hard, house prices collapsed, the banks had a desperate funding crisis and the government was receiving much too little tax revenue.
The economy has shrunk and the government has bailed out the banks. A series of cost-cutting budgets have cut spending, benefits and public sector wages and raised taxes. But there are still doubts about future government funding.
The main concern for the Republic’s economy is its banks, most of which are now controlled by the government. They have had to borrow at least 83bn euros (£71bn) from the European Central Bank because other banks will not lend to them.
