News Headlines - 15 February 2012

▽Honduras prison fire kills at least 272 - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/15/honduras-prison-fire-kills-dozens
A fire has swept through a jail in Honduras, killing at least 272 people, a fire department spokesman said on Wednesday. Many of the dead were believed to be inmates.

▽David Cameron to back minimum alcohol price - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/15/cameron-supports-minimum-price-alcohol?newsfeed=true
David Cameron will signal support for putting a minimum price on alcohol, using a visit to a hospital in the north-east to warn that excessive consumption of alcohol costs the NHS ￡2.7bn a year.
A government strategy on alcohol is due to be published shortly, after nearly a year of consultation with the drinks industry and health experts.

▽Bank of England increases inflation forecast - Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/270a4b48-57c4-11e1-b089-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1mS6xBiAO
The Bank of England slightly increased its forecast for inflation in two years’ time, but markets continued to bet that the Bank was poised to pump more money into the economy.

▽UK unemployment continues to climb - BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17039513
UK unemployment rose by 48,000 to 2.67 million in the three months to December, official figures have shown.
The unemployment rate was 8.4%, the Office for National Statistics said, the highest for 16 years.

▽Syrian President Sets February 26 Constitutional Referendum - Voice of America
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Syrian-Activists-Say-Government-Troops-Storm-Hama-139346218.html
Syria's state news agency says President Bashar al-Assad has set a February 26 national referendum on a new constitution.