Tape Measure 'Better For Weighing Up Obesity'

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

The current method of judging obesity is so complex it should be replaced by a simple tape measure, according to a leading specialist.

Dr Jude Oben, from the Obesity Action Campaign, said the body mass index, or BMI, is "tedious" to calculate and poorly understood by patients.

He told Sky News that straightforward measurement of waist size was a more accurate assessment of someone's fat - and far more user friendly.

"The fat inside your abdomen is a good indicator of your metabolic risk," he said.

"For example your risk of heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, post-menopausal breast cancer, colorectal cancer. 

"So why not measure it simply? A tape measure does that."

He said studies show men should keep their waist - measured at the level of the belly-button - below 90 cm (35.5 inches). Women should keep it below 80cm (31.5 inches).

At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight

BMI is a complex calculation in which a patient's weight in kilogrammes is divided by the square of their height in metres.

If the result is greater than 25, patients are judged to be overweight.

"By that point most of them have switched off or left the room," said Dr Oben.

BMI takes no account of muscle mass. Athletes can register as being overweight even though they have minimal body fat.

Catherine Dias has had a weight problem for many years. But she still hasn't got to grips with BMI - and much prefers measuring her waist size.

"It's simple, it's easy. You know what you have to get down to," she said.

"To do it the other way it's a lot of calculations. I couldn't do that."

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UK Soldiers Laid To Rest 100 Years After WW1

Ten British soldiers who died in France during World War One and whose remains were found in 2009 have been formally identified.

The soldiers died in battle on October 18, 1914, while serving with the 2nd Battalion The York and Lancaster Regiment.

Their remains were discovered during construction work near the French village of Beaucamps-Ligney and have been identified from DNA samples.

:: As part of Sky News' coverage of the centenary of World War One, we have launched a twitter account and will tweet daily updates to followers on the events that took place from 1914 to 1918. You can follow it @SkyNewsWW1

Identification of the soldiers means their relatives - who were informed this week - will be able to see their forefathers laid to rest 100 years after the outbreak of war.

The soldiers are due to be reburied with full military honours at the Commonwealth War Grave Commission cemetery in October.

The event has been organised by the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regimen, which traces its history back to The York and Lancaster Regiment.

The soldiers have been named as Private Herbert Ernest Allcock, Private John Brameld, Corporal Francis Carr Dyson, Private Walter Ellis and Private John Willie Jarvis.

Also identified are the remains of: Private Leonard Arthur Morley, Private Ernest Oxer, Private John Richmond, Private William Alfred Singyard and Lance Corporal William Henry Warr.

Maureen Simpson, granddaughter of Pte Brameld, of Sheffield, said: "I think it's wonderful, I think they've done a fantastic job, it just closes the book, doesn't it, it puts an end to wondering what happened to them.

The remains were found in 2009 in the French village of Beaucamps-Ligney

"My father Arthur was only two when his father was killed, and used to go with the British Legion to France to look at the war graves, in the hope that he would be able to find him, but he never did before he died in 1979.

"I think my grandfather joined up when he was 18, then came out of the Army for about five or six years, and was in the reserve, working as a table blade grinder in Sheffield, and was then sent for when the war began."

Denise Womersley, great great great niece of Pte Ellis, said: "Obviously it is nice finally to know what happened to him. I had been researching the family tree and knew he was in the Army, but nothing more.

"Now he can be buried in the way that he deserved."

Defence Minister Lord Astor of Hever said: "Our thoughts remain with all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country.

"Although these soldiers fell almost a century ago, the Ministry of Defence still takes its responsibility extremely seriously to identify any remains found, trace and inform surviving relatives and to provide a fitting and dignified funeral so they rest in peace."

Work to identify a further five sets of remains found in the same village in 2009 is continuing.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said a team of experts is working to identify the remains.

The team is particularly interested in speaking to the families of the following soldiers: Lance Sergeant George Edwardes, Private Horace Foster, Private Ross Jeff, Private Gavin Lowe, Private William Albert Sunderland and Private David Wilson Williams.

:: Anyone who thinks they might be related to these soldiers is asked to contact the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre team on 01452 712612.

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Jean McConville Murder: Man Appears In Court

A veteran republican charged in connection with one of the most notorious murders of the Northern Ireland Troubles has been remanded in custody.

Ivor Bell, 77, appeared in court in Belfast on Saturday charged with aiding and abetting the murder of mother-of-10 Jean McConville in 1972, along with membership of the IRA.

The court heard police had decided to charge Bell, who was part of the IRA ceasefire negotiations team, after he gave an interview to researchers compiling a Troubles archive at Boston College in America.

A US court ordered it to be handed over to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Jean McConville was murdered in 1972

Mrs McConville, 37, was snatched from her home by the IRA in front of her children, shot in the back of the head and then secretly buried.

She was accused of passing information to the British Army, although an investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman rejected these claims.

Her children were told their mother had abandoned them.

The funeral of Jean McConville held in 2003

Her remains were not discovered until August 2003 over the border in the Republic of Ireland, on Shelling Hill beach in County Louth – 50 miles from her home.

The IRA admitted responsibility for her killing in 1999, however no one has ever been charged with her murder.

Bell, from Ramoan Gardens in the Andersonstown district of west Belfast, was arrested on Tuesday. He was refused bail by the district judge.

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'Good Samaritan' Steals Collapsed Woman's Purse

CCTV images have been released after a woman had her purse stolen as she lay unconscious after suffering a seizure.

West Midlands Police want to trace two women in connection with the incident in Summer Row in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, February 22.

The 25-year-old victim blacked out and collapsed, and the pair - who at first appeared to be Good Samaritans - went to help.

"The thief pretended to be looking through the woman's bag in an attempt to find medication but the purse was then found to have gone," said PC David Horton, from Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter police team.

"It's not clear if the two women were together or if one of the women was indeed trying to help, but we ask people to help us trace the women pictured in order to help with our enquiries."

The victim recovered after her seizure.

Police want anyone with information to call Birmingham Central Police Station by dialling 101 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Giant Vending Machine Replaces Village Shop

A giant vending machine selling eggs, milk and essentials has been built in a village after no one could be found to run the local shop.

People queue for their shopping

It sells 80 products, including washing powder, shampoo, shower gel, cereal, and, of course, tea.

Standing in the car park of the local pub, the Cock Inn, in the Derbyshire village of Clifton, the machine has already been a great success.

It takes cards and cash and was designed by electrical engineer Peter Fox, who lives just a few miles away in Ashborne.

The simple control pad

He has built in security measures, including cameras, and is able to monitor stock levels remotely.

Mr Fox said: "They (local people) think it's great fun and that the prices are reasonable. Everyone has been very supportive.

"I thought of the idea because I used to live in a small village myself and (the shop) had closed by the time I got back from work.

"I used to think 'wouldn't it be great if there was a big vending machine'."

The machine has been installed in the pub car park

Clifton lost its shop 10 years ago. Andrew Garside, landlord of the Cock Inn, said: "It  closed down because the people retired and no-one else took it on.

"Peter had the idea for the "automated shop" a while ago. It's an absolutely amazing bit of kit.

"All the basics are in there, from toothpaste, eggs, milk, bread, soup. It's gone down extremely well with villagers and people from the local area already."

There are a number of security features

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Pelka Case Council Rated Inadequate By Ofsted

Children's services at the council criticised over the death of Daniel Pelka at the hands of his mother and stepfather has been labelled "inadequate" by Ofsted.

The four-year-old died from a head injury after longstanding abuse by his mother, Magdelena Luczak, and his stepfather, former soldier Mariusz Krezolek.

Both were jailed for a minimum of 30 years for his murder following a trial last year.

Coventry City Council has faced widespread criticism since the death in March 2012 and a new report published by Ofsted judged children's services at the authority to be "inadequate overall".

It recognised the council's improvements since last year's publication of a damning serious case review criticising children's services handling of the boy's case.

But it said change had been too slow and that measures already put in place at Coventry were "simply not good enough".

The Department for Education also said it was considering what "further actions" were needed to improve the situation, but did not specify what form those measures might take.

Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek were jailed over Daniel's death

It follows a three-week inspection by Ofsted earlier this year.

Coventry City Council said: "The report published today found that caseloads for social workers are too high.

"Although social work teams have been increased, a dramatic increase in workloads - 46% over the last two years - mean that caseloads remain too high."

By the end of February this year, social workers in Coventry were working with 4,529 children in the city - up from 3,085 in March 2013, the council said.

George Duggins, the council's cabinet member for children and young people, today promised a "rapid improvement in services".

He said an extra £5.6m was being invested in the service, to create more social work teams to deal with the huge increase in referrals.

"There is no hiding from the fact that the report's overall findings are disappointing, but many of the problems we face, particularly in the front line of children's social care, is down to the fact of the unprecedented volume of work which continues to increase," he said.

"As the Ofsted report reflects, the findings are not a verdict on the staff, who are working extremely hard in the face of ever-increasing workloads, and their passion, commitment and dedication cannot be questioned.

"We have already responded to this challenge by adding another team of social workers and we have funding to add more as part of the additional £5.6m because as a council safeguarding is one our highest priorities."

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First Female Genital Mutilation Charges In UK

A doctor and another man will be charged in the first UK prosecution for female genital mutilation, the CPS has said.

Dr Dhanoun Dharmasena, from the Whittington Hospital in London, and Hasan Mohamed, who is not a medic, will be charged under the Female Genital Mutilation Act.

Dr Dharmasena, 31, from Ilford, Essex, allegedly carried out the procedure on a woman who had given birth at the hospital in November 2012.

Mr Mohamed, 40, from N7, London, encouraged and helped him, it is claimed.

The pair will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 15.

John Cameron, NSPCC Head of Child Protection Operations, said: "This is great news for the fight against female genital mutilation.

"The fact that we hadn't previously had a prosecution in the UK for this child abuse despite it being a crime for almost 30 years is unacceptable."

Prosecutors also looked at four other cases of female genital mutilation.

One was a new case and three were reconsidered after decisions to take no further action.

The CPS found there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

One of the old cases involved a man calling a female genital mutilation helpline, intended for victims, to ask for the procedure to be carried out on his two daughters.

The new case involved two parents accused of taking their daughter abroad to have the procedure.

The CPS is also considering four other cases.

Female genital mutilation was made a criminal offence in the UK in 1985.

In 2003, the maximum sentence was increased from five to 14 years in jail.

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Evans Trial Witness Admits Being 'Dramatic'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A man who claims to have been raped by the former deputy speaker Nigel Evans has accepted that he was being "dramatic" when he told a friend that the MP had dragged him into his bedroom.

The alleged victim had earlier told the court that Evans had not been violent and had not said anything to him during the incident.

But under cross-examination he admitted having told the police that the MP had pushed him into the bedroom of his constituency home at Pendleton in Lancashire.

Asked by the defence why he had made the claim the man said that it was because he had been embarrassed.

The court heard that earlier in the evening last year the student had been a guest at a dinner party held by Mr Evans.

At the end of the evening, after the other guests had left, the MP poured the young man a drink and sat next to him, putting his arm around him.

The man, who is openly gay, says he slept with the MP but did not consent to sex.

Evans, MP for Ribble Valley, is on trial at Preston Crown Court accused of nine sex charges against seven men.

The alleged rape victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence from behind a screened witness box.

He admitted having texted a friend at intervals throughout the night in question but returned to Evans' bed three times.

Defence barrister Peter Wright QC asked him if he had tried to call the police, his parents or a taxi.

The man said that he had not and accepted that, in the following days, he had returned to his university studies without making a formal complaint.

Reading from a police statement the man had made several weeks later Mr Wright said: "'Nigel pushed me into his bedroom.'  Did you say that?"

The alleged victim replied: "I guess."

Mr Wright: "'He pushed me on to the bed.' Did you say that?"

Alleged victim: "Maybe yes. I think so."

Mr Wright: "Why?"

Alleged victim: "I was embarrassed and humiliated and everything. I was just trying to not seem stupid or weak."

The defence put it to the complainant that he had agreed to sex with Evans on the night in question.

Mr Wright asked:  "Did you simply on reflection wish none of this had ever happened?"

Alleged victim: "I do wish it never happened."

Mr Wright: "...and you have therefore recollected the events to the jury that is inconsistent with what actually took place and that in fact there was consensual sexual activity between you that night?"

Alleged victim: "No."

Mr Wright: "...and in the cold light of day you regretted it..."

Alleged victim: "No."

Mr Wright:  "...and have sought to rationalise your conduct in order to save your own conscience about it."

Alleged victim:  "No. That's so far-fetched."

Evans denies two charges of indecent assault, six of sexual assault and one of rape. The trial continues.

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Pair Admit Burying Parents' Bodies In Garden

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

A couple have admitted burying the woman's parents in the back garden of their home nearly 16 years ago.

Susan Edwards, 55, and her husband Christopher Edwards, 57, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to two charges.

They admitted obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty by burying the bodies of William and Patricia Wycherley sometime between May 2 and May 10 in 1998.

They also admitted a further charge of theft of a credit balance from a bank account between May 4, 1998, and October 31, 2013.

At a previous hearing they denied murdering Mr and Mrs Wycherley, who disappeared 16 years ago.

Police discovered the remains in the garden of their Mansfield home in October last year. Post-mortems revealed that they had both been shot.

Judge Mrs Justice Thirlwall remanded the Edwards in custody.

Their trial begins on June 4 and is expected to last up to four weeks.

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Veiled Acid Attacker Sentenced To 12 Years

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A woman who threw acid in the face of her friend, leaving her scarred for life, has been sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Mary Konye, 22, cried as the sentence was handed down at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Naomi Oni lost her eyelashes and hair following the incident on December 30, 2012, in Dagenham, East London.

The 22-year-old has had skin grafts to cover the severe burns and has been left with scars on her face, legs, chest, stomach and arms.

She also nearly went blind in one eye and lost her eyelid.

In a statement read out in court, Naomi Oni said the attack has made it "a battle to get by each day" at times leaving her feeling suicidal.

She added: " I'm going to have these scars as a reminder forever ... my injuries are due to the carefully planned acts of an evil, wicked person."

She disguised herself in a Muslim veil and followed Naomi Oni home from work before attacking her.

No clear motive has ever been discovered but it is believed the pair fell out in April 2011 after Ms Oni allegedly accused Konye of texting her boyfriend and called her an "ugly monster".

On sentencing Mary Konye, Judge David Radford said Konye had shown no remorse for the "deliberate and wicked act."

Following the assault Konye pretended to offer her former friend support, texting her in hospital.

Although it is thought Konye could have planned the attack for two years, she later suggested Oni had devised the whole thing to get "fame and fortune".

The attack is believed to have been a copycat version of the one suffered by model and TV presenter Katie Piper, who was badly scarred and left blind in one eye in an assault arranged by her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Lynch, in 2008.

Previously, Ms Oni had told the court that Konye knew the impact the attack had on her after they watched a TV documentary about it.

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Spurning Evans 'Would Have Felt Awkward'

By Becky Johnson, Sky News Correspondent

The man who alleges MP Nigel Evans raped him after a party last year has told a court he "didn't feel able" to tell the MP he did not want to sleep with him.

The 22-year-old student claimed he froze in shock when he woke up to find Evans having sex with him.

During cross examination it was suggested to the man, who was giving evidence from behind a screen, that the sex was consensual.

"No, not at all, no" the student replied.

Peter Wright QC asked the alleged victim: "He didn't forcibly remove your clothing and he hadn't forcibly got you into the bedroom?"

"No," the young man replied.

The court heard that earlier in the evening the student had been a guest at a dinner party at Evans' constituency home in Pendleton, Lancashire, last March.

At the end of the evening, after the other guests had left, the MP poured the young man a drink and sat next to him, putting his arm around him.

The defence barrister asked the alleged victim, who is openly gay, why at no point he stopped the MP's advances.

The young man replied that it would have been "awkward".

He agreed with the barrister when it was put to him that he had "made a conscious decision to undress in this man's bedroom and get into bed with him" but maintained he did not agree to sex.

It was put to him that at no point had he said "no" to the MP, even during intercourse.

He agreed but said he hadn't done "anything flirtatious" and had told Evans he was tired.

He denied that he had earlier been kissing the MP and had suggested that he follow Evans into his bedroom.

The man is one of seven who allege that the former deputy speaker assaulted them between 2002 and 2013.  Evans denies one rape, two indecent assaults and six sexual assaults.

The trial will resume on Friday.

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Driver Sought In Melanie Hall Murder Probe

Missing Melanie Case: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 8:48am UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Bones found in a bag near a motorway slip road are those of missing hospital clerk Melanie Hall, according to Sky sources.

Here is a timeline of events since the 25-year-old disappeared.

:: 1996
June 9: Miss Hall goes missing after a night out at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath with her boyfriend of three weeks, German doctor Philip Karlbaum.

Police interview 850 people who were at the club and around 1,250 taxi drivers and mini-cab drivers.

Underwater search units begin a four-week trawl of a one-mile stretch of the River Avon.

June 17: Dr Karlbaum describes his devastation at his girlfriend's disappearance.

November: A reconstruction of Miss Hall's last-known movements is shown on BBC's Crimewatch.

:: 1998
June: Miss Hall's parents Steve and Patricia say they are almost certain she has been murdered as they make a new appeal on the second anniversary of her disappearance.

Mrs Hall says: "Not only has the person responsible deprived us of our daughter's life, but they have deprived us of laying her to rest with the love and dignity she deserves.

"She is out there on her own and we have nothing to grieve over."

:: 1999
August: Police divers search the River Avon again between Cleveland Bridge and Chatham Row after a tip-off from someone who remembered hearing a man and woman argue on the riverbank.

:: 2003
March: Two men from the Bath area, both in their 30s, are arrested over Ms Hall's death and later bailed.

Police spend two weeks searching fields in Inglesbatch village near Bath.

April: Officers appeal for a new witness, believed to be called Shelley, to come forward. The woman was drinking in a Bath pub the night Miss Hall disappeared.

August: The two men arrested in March are released without charge due to lack of evidence.

:: 2004
November 17: An inquest records an open verdict.

Coroner Paul Forrest says there was no explanation for her disappearance but speculates that she was killed soon after she went missing.

Her family make another appeal for information about her final moments.

:: 2006
June: Miss Hall's parents make another appeal on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance.

Mrs Hall said: "We feel somehow that we're running out of time - we would just like an outcome."

Mr Hall said: "You have to try to lock the awfulness of the truth at the back of your mind."

:: 2009
October 5: A workman finds a bag of bones as he is clearing vegetation on the M5 slip road at junction 14, north of Bristol.

October 8: Police confirm the remains have been identified as those of Melanie Hall.

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G4S Staff To Be Charged Over Deportation Death

Three G4S detainee custody officers are to be charged with manslaughter over the death of a man who was being deported.

Colin Kaler, Terrence Hughes and Stuart Tribelnig are to be charged in connection with the death of Jimmy Mubenga, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

A statement from the three men's solicitor said they would be "vigorously denying these charges in court".

Mr Mubenga died in October 2010 after being restrained on board a British Airways flight to Angola while he was being deported.

Almost two years later prosecutors decided that no charges should be brought over his death.

But the case was reopened after an inquest into Mr Mubenga's death recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

Kaler, Hughes and Tribelnig are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 7.

G4S will not face charges of corporate manslaughter after the CPS decided there was insufficient evidence for such a prosecution.

Mr Mubenga was in the process of applying for permission to stay in the UK permanently when it was decided he should be deported after serving two years in jail for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mr Mubenga and his wife, Adrienne Makenda Kambana, had been living in Ilford, east London, after arriving in the UK from Angola in 1994.

He died of cardio-respiratory collapse, where the heart stops beating and a person stops breathing, the inquest found.

A G4S spokeswoman said: "The death of anyone in our care is deeply felt by all of us and the death of Mr Mubenga was a tragic event.

"The welfare of those in our care is always our top priority and we took great care to ensure that our employees on this contract, which has been carried out by another provider since November 2011, were made aware of their responsibilities in this respect.

"These employees were also trained, screened and vetted to the standards defined by strict Home Office guidelines.

"We believe that at all times we acted appropriately and in full compliance with the terms of our contract with UKBA and it should be noted that the Crown Prosecution Service found there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against G4S in this case."

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EE Customers Angry Over Signal Problems

Mobile network operator EE has apologised for signal problems that have stopped some of its 27 million customers from using its network.

Some phone owners were not able to make calls, text or use the internet because of a technical fault.

The problem started on Wednesday evening, but was resolved by Thursday morning, according to the company.

"Last night's technical issue that caused a small proportion of our customers to experience problems with their signal has been resolved and all customers are now receiving a normal service," a spokesperson said.

"We apologise for the inconvenience caused to those customers affected."

The company, which also operates under the T Mobile and Orange brands, earlier tweeted that it was aware of "Gremlins in the system".

Some customers said a humorous tweet was not a suitable response

Some Twitter users expressed their anger at the company's seemingly light-hearted approach to the problem.

Richard Antwi said: "Customer service @EE getting it so wrong with the humour. what is there to laugh about when the service has been down for 2 hours?"

Megan Kelly added: "Must be on at least 6 hours without signal now? Sort it out @EE".

The glitch comes a week after EE was named the best network provider in the UK by consumers.

The report by network analysts RootMetrics found that the major networks provided "hugely varying" levels of service across the UK, with EE winning or tying for first place in every category.

Sky News technology correspondent Tom Cheshire said: "An EE spokesman told me the outage had affected less than 5% of its customers - it seemed to affect subscribers to the network's flagship 4G plan in particular.

"Some customers are still reporting that their service is out-of-action.

"Every mobile network suffers outages and 4G especially remains a relatively young technology in the UK.

"What customers have been angered by is the network's slow response in acknowledging the problem, and its ongoing failure to communicate with users properly."

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Single Punch Killer's Sentence To Be Reviewed

A man who killed a stranger with a single punch has had his sentence referred to the Court of Appeal for being "unduly lenient".

Lewis Gill, 20, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for manslaughter after knocking Andrew Young to the ground in Bournemouth last November.

The sentence was widely criticised and Attorney General Dominic Grieve has now sent the case to the Court of Appeal.

CCTV images of the assault show Mr Young challenging a cyclist who was riding on the pavement.

Gill, an acquaintance of the cyclist, arrives at the scene and watches the discussion before lunging at the 40-year-old.

Gill then walks away, glancing back momentarily at his victim lying on the street.

The attack occurred outside Tesco Metro in Charminster Road, Bournemouth.

Lewis Gill pleaded guilty to manslaughter

Mr Young sustained a serious head injury and died the next day at a hospital in Southampton.

Gill, of Sutton in Surrey, will have his case reviewed at the Court of Appeal in five to seven weeks.

The victim's family described his sentence as an "absolute joke".

Speaking after the sentence was passed in February, Mr Young's mother, Pamela, said her son had Asperger's syndrome, which affected his social skills.

"He was very precise and particular because of his Asperger's, and he wouldn't have liked seeing someone riding a bicycle on the pavement because it was dangerous," she told the Dorset Daily Echo.

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Claudia: Mystery Man Wanted Over Disappearance

By Gerard Tubb, North Of England Correspondent

A mystery man whose DNA was found in a car belonging to missing York cook Claudia Lawrence is being sought five years after her disappearance.

The possible clue is one of several potential new leads thrown up by a police review of the murder investigation.

Unknown DNA was found on a cigarette butt in Claudia's car

The 35-year-old should have walked to the University of York to start her shift at 6am on the morning of Thursday, March 18, 2009, but never arrived and was reported missing the following day by her father Peter, 70.

A lengthy police investigation drew a blank and a cold case review was launched in October, which has involved forensically re-examining her home in the Heworth area of York and re-interviewing her family and friends.

Fingerprints have also been found on items in Claudia's house

Detectives from North Yorkshire Police have now revealed:

:: A DNA profile of an unidentified male has been found on an Embassy Regal cigarette butt in her car.

:: Fingerprints of unidentified people have been found in Claudia's house.

:: Phone records show she spent time in the Acomb area of the city which has not been accounted for.

:: Her hair straighteners were missing from her home.

:: Her mobile phone was probably deliberately turned off at lunchtime on March 18.

:: Police are concentrating on a "number of individuals" but there are no official suspects.

Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn told a news conference that although the last known sighting of Claudia was on Wednesday afternoon, the evidence suggests she went missing the following day.

Police also want to identify this man

He said: "Claudia's bed was made and it appears that she had eaten breakfast and brushed her teeth, it is our belief that she had left for work on the morning of Thursday, 19 March, 2009."

Detectives have also released photographs of Claudia's car and the missing hair straighteners and CCTV pictures of a man they want to identify who told staff in a York Co-op store in April 2009 that he knew Claudia.

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Man Held As Woman And Teenagers Stabbed

A man has been arrested after a woman and two teenage girls were stabbed at a house in Birmingham in a suspected domestic incident.

Police were called to Little Green Lane, Small Heath, at 7.20am by a resident who reported hearing screams from the home.

An injured man was arrested in the street and a knife was found nearby.

The woman, in her 40s, and a 16-year-old girl were found inside the house with multiple knife injuries.

Another girl, thought to be 13, was found outside on the pavement. She had also suffered multiple knife injuries.

An unharmed baby was found inside the home and is currently being cared for by family members.

The arrested man has been taken to hospital with a minor cut to his hand.

Speaking about the victims, West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Jack Hadley said: "The seriousness of their injuries is unclear at this stage.

"This appears to be a contained, domestic incident: one man was arrested outside the address and we are not actively seeking anyone else in connection with the incident."

Wyndcliffe Primary school - adjacent to the house in Little Green Lane - has been closed for the day as police have cordoned off the area to allow forensic examiners to scour the location.

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Death Of Child On Bathroom Floor Examined

By Gerard Tubb, North Of England Correspondent

The death of a seven-year-old girl left on the bathroom floor of her Doncaster home by a paramedic instead of being rushed to hospital is to be examined by a coroner.

When Izabelle Easen suffered an asthma attack in 2008, James McKenna declared her dead at the scene, ignoring rules stating he should continue resuscitation and get her to hospital for treatment that might have saved her life.

The inquest, at Doncaster Coroner's Court, is being held only after a Sky News investigation identified Izabelle from redacted minutes of McKenna's disciplinary hearing.

McKenna was struck off over his behaviour.

But Yorkshire Ambulance Service did not tell Izabelle's mother anything was wrong, nor was she informed a hearing was being held about her daughter's death.

McKenna was found to have mistreated other patients including a retired South Yorkshire teacher who was dying of cancer, with a hospital nurse telling the hearing the man suffered as a result.

The man's widow, who has asked not to be identified, was not told about the negligence but has not pushed for an inquest to protect his elderly mother from hearing the distressing details.

Sky's investigation uncovered a culture of secrecy in the NHS, with the regulator of paramedics, the Health Professions Council (HPC), and a number of ambulance services keeping details of paramedic misconduct from the families of dead patients.

In another case, Marion Giles was paid an out of court settlement by North East Ambulance Service after Sky News informed her that paramedic Brian Jewers was struck off over her husband's treatment.

A coroner subsequently ruled there had been a failure of care after Jewers refused to give Grahame Giles, 61, a vital injection following a heart attack in 2008.

Mr Giles' widow Marion Giles accused the NHS of criminal behaviour, while Izabelle's mother Lorna Easen said it was "morally wrong" she had not been told about what had happened.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine Police Appeal Over Abuse Suspect

Police searching for Madeleine McCann have launched a search for a man who abused children in holiday homes in Portugal.

Officers from Operation Grange have identified a series of 12 crimes between 2004 and 2010 where a male intruder entered villas occupied by UK families on holiday in the Western Algarve.

In four of these incidents - between 2004 and 2006 - the man sexually assaulted five white girls, aged between seven and 10, while in their beds.

Madeleine disappeared in 2007

The cases are not identical but there are enough similarities for police to believe finding this suspect could be key.

In most cases it was low season, there were no signs of forced entry, nothing was taken and the intruder appeared between 2am and 5am.

A three-year-old Madeleine vanished in May 2007 from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends

Of the 12 offences at the centre of the new lead, four were in Carvoeiro, six in the Vale da Parra and two in Praia da Luz.

On one occasion, the man assaulted two girls in the same villa.

A distinctive burgundy long-sleeve top worn by the suspect

DCI Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer, said the suspect had an "unhealthy interest in young white female children".

"We need to establish the identity of this man," he added.

"These offences are very serious and no one has been charged in connection with them. We also need to eliminate this man from our enquiries and ascertain whether these offences are linked to Madeleine's disappearance.

"If you have been a victim of a similar crime please come forward, even if you reported the incident to police in Portugal, or anywhere else. Please do not assume we have been made aware of it.

"While some of these offences have been in the public domain before, following our appeal in October three more were reported to us as a direct result of that appeal. One of those reports we believe is the first in the potential series."

Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley in Leicestershire

Police believe the suspect may have been in the villas for some time before being disturbed by parents or a child waking up - and he remained calm even when interrupted.

The noise of a bin collection lorry was heard nearby on two occasions.

The suspect is described as having tanned skin with short, dark, unkempt hair.

Witnesses say he spoke English with a foreign accent and his voice has been described as slow, or possibly slurred.

On two occasions, in Vale de Parra and Praia da Gale, he was wearing a distinctive burgundy long-sleeve top with a white circle on the back.

Sometimes he was bare chested, displaying what several witnesses describe as a pot belly.

Three victims talked of a noticeable odour.

Portuguese police closed their inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance in 2008 but Scotland Yard opened a new review of the evidence in 2011.

Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was taken

Police are still hunting a man seen carrying a girl fitting Madeleine's description on the night of her disappearance.

DCI Redwood added: "Our appeal last year was very successful and we had over 5,000 calls which generated new information for us and which we continue to investigate.

"We still need to establish the identity of a man seen by three witnesses, carrying a child fitting Madeleine's description towards the beach or town areas at about 10pm on the night Madeleine disappeared.

"The witnesses have described the man in the e-fits as being white, aged in his 30s, with short brown hair, of medium build, medium height and clean shaven.

"The Metropolitan Police Service continues to offer a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for the abduction of Madeleine McCann from Praia da Luz, Portugal on 3 May 2007."

Anyone with information should call 0800 0961011 - or +44 207 1580 126 for non-UK residents.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Budget 2014: 'For Makers, Doers And Savers'

Budget 2014: Key Points At A Glance

Updated: 2:27pm UK, Wednesday 19 March 2014

The Chancellor George Osborne has delivered his fifth budget. Here are the key points.

Savings

:: Tax-free ISAs to be boosted to £15,000 per year from July. Junior ISAs up to £4,000 a year.

:: Stocks and shares ISAs can be tranferred to new single ISA scheme.

:: Premium Bonds cap lifted from £30,000 to £40,000 in June, and to £50,000 next year.

:: 10p rate of tax for savers to be abolished.

:: Zero tax band to cover £5,000 of savings.

Reliefs

:: Alcohol escalator to be scrapped for all alcohol duties, instead a rise with inflation.

:: Scottish whisky duty to be frozen as it is "a huge British success story".

:: Cut of 1p in duty per pint of beer.

:: Export finance lending interest rate to be cut by a third and lending doubled to £3bn.

:: From 2015, all long haul air passenger flights carry same, lower, band B tax rate.

:: Right to Build scheme for builders of their own homes including £150m of finance to support it.

:: New £200m fund for councils "to bid for" to fix potholes across Britain.

:: Additional £140m help for flood damage.

:: September's fuel duty rise will not be brought in.

Taxes

:: Duty on fixed-odds betting terminals to rise to 25%.

:: Horse race betting levy to be extended to bookmakers based offshore.

:: Bingo duty will be halved to 10% "to protect jobs and protect communities".

:: Tobacco duty to remain at 2% above inflation and escalator will not be stopped.

:: Increased disclosed tax avoidance schemes scrutiny for the wealthy.

:: City fines over Libor rate-rigging to continue going to military charities and emergency service charities.

:: From midnight anyone buying home over £500,000 through corporate entity to pay 15% stamp duty to "avoid abuse".

:: "We will expand the tax on residential properties worth over £2m to those worth more than £500,000."

:: Private jets, previously not taxed, will see tax levied on flights.

Income Tax

:: Personal tax allowance rises to £10,500 next year, giving average saving of £800.

:: 40p tax rate threshold to rise from £41,450 to £41,865 from next month and then up by further 1% to £42,285 next year.

:: Transferable tax allowance for married couples rising to £1,050.

Pensions

:: All retirees on defined contribution pensions to be offered free, impartial, face-to-face advice.

:: No need for pensioners to buy annuities if they do not wish to.

:: Removal of all remaining tax restrictions on how pensioners have access to their pension pots.

:: Income requirement for flexible draw-down from £20,000 to £12,000, raised cap draw-down limit from 120% to 150%.

:: Lump sum small pot level lifted five-fold to £10,000.

:: Almost doubling total pension savings as a lump sum to £30,000.

:: £20m  to be spent in next two years working with consumer groups over pension advice.

:: New Pensioner Bond paying market leading rates, issued by National Savings and Investments, open to everyone aged 65 or over. Available from January next year.

 

Spending and Welfare

:: Foreign aid to be 0.7% of national income.

:: Public sector spending reduction to reach £1bn by 2015-16.

:: A permanent cap on welfare, excluding state pension, set at £119bn in 2015-16, rising in line with forecast inflation to £127bn in 2018-19.

Growth

:: Independent OBR growth forecast revised upwards to 2.7%, up from 2.4% in Autumn Statement.

:: Growth next year is also revised up to 2.3%, then 2.6% in 2016 and 2017, with growth expected to return to long-term trend of 2.5% in 2018.

:: 1.5 million new jobs forecast in next five years.

Borrowing

:: Deficit this year of 6.6% reduced to 5.5%  next year, then expected to be 4.2%, 2.4% and finally 0.8% in 2017-18. Following year forecast surplus of 0.2%.

:: Expect to borrow £108bn this year, £12bn less than forecast last year. No borrowing from 2018-19.

:: OBR forecasts public debt to be 74.5% of GDP this year; 77.3% next year; peaking at 78.7% in 2015-16 - lower than the 80% previously forecast - before falling to 78.3% in 2016-17, then falling to 76.5% and then 74.2% in 2018-19.

:: The new £1 coin to thwart forgery and "In honour of our Queen".

Jobs

:: Support for more than 100,000 new apprenticeships.

:: New Alan Turing Institute for computing "big data" to boost Britain's IT prowess.

Business

:: New allowance for ultra high pressure, high temperature oil field for North Sea oil and gas.

:: Tax relief of up to 25% for touring theatrical productions.

:: VAT relief on fuel for air ambulances and inshore rescue boat services across Britain, and a new air ambulance for London.

:: Accept recommendation to move collection of Class 2 NICs into self-assessment, abolishing for 5 million people "this wholly unnecessary bureaucracy".

:: Corporation tax - high street stores will get £1,000 off their rates, and businesses the £2,000 Employment Allowance.

:: From next year, corporation tax to drop from 21% to 20% and under-21s taken out of the jobs tax.

:: Business rates discounts and enhanced capital allowances will be extended for another three years.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Max Clifford 'Claimed He Slept With Diana Ross'

By Tom Parmenter, News Correspondent, Southwark Crown Court

A former model has told a court that Max Clifford claimed he had slept with US singer Diana Ross.

The woman, who cannot be named, was giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court about a meeting she had with the celebrity publicist in the early 1980s.

She explained how she was an aspiring 17-year-old fashion model who came to London from the north of England and was told Clifford could help her career.

She said: "I was trying to follow my dream."

Inside his New Bond Street offices, the woman said Clifford showed her framed newspaper front pages and pictures of celebrities on the walls and then claimed "he had slept with Diana Ross".

Clifford clearly shook his head in the dock when the allegation about the American superstar was made.

The former model told the court: "For me, Diana Ross was a very beautiful, famous woman, I couldn't imagine why she would sleep with him."

The woman claimed Clifford then said: "I need to see your figure ... I need you to take your dress off."

She said she eventually did take her dress off despite reservations about the underwear she was wearing.

She alleged Clifford quickly became excited about the holes in her tights and she claimed he started saying: "Oh my God, what a turn on, what a turn on."

Clifford said he slept with Diana Ross, claimed an alleged victim in court

The woman said he groped her chest area and arms, adding: "At this point I'm feeling utterly stupid, totally in shock, I'm just not doing anything."

The publicist then performed a sex act while he took a telephone call from his wife, the ex-model added.

Unlike other earlier witnesses the former model said she remembered Max Clifford as "well endowed."

Her detailed descriptions of the sex acts led to several jury members collapsing in laughter in court prompting an adjournment.

After they had composed themselves the judge told them he understood their outburst but asked them to "settle down and remember where we are and what we are dealing with".

Following the alleged sex acts, she claimed Clifford insisted she should come to dinner with his wife and American film producer Cubby Broccoli.

Clifford allegedly told her that Broccoli could get her a role on a James Bond film if she performed sexual favours for him.

The woman told the court she "loathed" the Bond movies and had simply wanted to be a fashion model.

She added that she later ignored multiple phone calls from the publicist to go to the dinner and only reported her allegations to the police when she saw Clifford had been arrested in December 2012.

Clifford is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven women and girls.

He denies all the charges and his trial continues.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Claudia Lawrence: Dad's Grief On Anniversary

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The father of missing York woman Claudia Lawrence says her five-year absence is "like a cancer" that "just gets worse and worse".

Peter Lawrence, speaking at a news conference to mark the fifth anniversary of his younger daughter's last known contact with anyone, appealed for people who know what happened to come forward.

The 67-year-old said he often wonders: "Where are you Claudia? Are you safe? Is someone holding you? Have you been hurt? Even, of course, are you alive?"

He added: "It's actually, I suppose, a bit like a cancer and it just gets worse and worse because there is no resolution until we know what happened to Claudia."

Ms Lawrence, 35, was reported missing after failing to turn up for her shift as a cook at the University of York on the morning of March 28, 2009.

North Yorkshire Police believe she was murdered, but a long-running investigation which focused on her relationships with men drew a blank and a new team of detectives launched a cold case review in October.

The terraced home where Claudia lived alone in the Heworth area of York has been re-examined by forensic experts, and her family and friends have been re-interviewed.

In the most personal and emotional of the many briefings Mr Lawrence has given since 2009, he made a direct appeal to whoever is responsible.

"Please, please, do realise what it is doing to us," he said. "It just eats into you like a hole and it is torture."

Mr Lawrence, a solicitor, praised the thoroughness of the new police team which is understood to have uncovered new leads.

Last week, Claudia's 70-year-old mother Joan told Sky News she believes the investigation, led by Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, will end the mystery.

"I think if they don't (solve the case), they will have tried their utmost," she said.

"They're working so hard on it. I don't think they'll give up easily."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Childcare: £2,000 Boost For Working Parents

Working parents are to get up to £2,000 of tax-free childcare in a move to target families who are "running to stand still".

The scheme will be worth up to £2,000 per child per year when it launches in autumn next year - £800 more than the £1,200 originally proposed last year.

The Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News the move would target hard-working parents who were "going out to work just to pay the nursery fees" saying many felt they were just "running to stand still".

It was only expected to apply to children under the age of seven, but parents will now be entitled to the money until their son or daughter's 12th birthday.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will unveil details of the childcare scheme

Nearly two million families could benefit from the scheme - twice as many as the present voucher scheme, which is only available where adopted by an employer.

However, it has been criticised for excluding couples where one parent does not work and for applying to richer households with incomes of up to £300,000. Those where one parent earns more than £150,000 will not be able to take advantage of the scheme.

Speaking to Sky News Nick Clegg denied the scheme was unfair and said families on Universal Credit would now have 85% of their childcare costs met.

Mr Clegg said: "If you have two children and you have to pay their childcare costs then it's (the scheme is) worth up to £4,000 to you."

David Cameron said the policy, which effectively covers 20% of childcare costs up to a maximum of £10,000 a year, would help "hard-pressed families" and "provide financial security for the future".

Asked by Sky News whether he would be taking advantage of the tax-free childcare scheme for his children he replied: "I won't be taking it up." His salary crosses the £150,000 limit.

Earlier this month, the Family and Childcare Trust said parents now spend more on part-time childcare than their mortgage repayments.

How it works

However, Labour's Lucy Powell, the shadow minister for children, said the proposals were "too little, too late".

"Mr Cameron has cut support for children and families by £15bn since he came to office," she said.

"This Government has done nothing in this Parliament to help parents experiencing a cost-of-living crisis."

As well as the childcare tax break, the Government is to give an extra £50m to nurseries looking after the most deprived three and four-year-olds.

Families claiming Universal Credit will also have 85% of their childcare costs met, up from 70%.

The announcement comes as the Chancellor prepares to unveil this year's Budget.

George Osborne, who will set out the Government's spending plans for 2014-15 next Wednesday, has warned of "difficult decisions" to come.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Claudia Lawrence: Dad's Grief On Anniversary

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The father of missing York woman Claudia Lawrence says her five-year absence is "like a cancer" that "just gets worse and worse".

Peter Lawrence, speaking at a news conference to mark the fifth anniversary of his younger daughter's last known contact with anyone, appealed for people who know what happened to come forward.

The 67-year-old said he often wonders: "Where are you Claudia? Are you safe? Is someone holding you? Have you been hurt? Even, of course, are you alive?"

He added: "It's actually, I suppose, a bit like a cancer and it just gets worse and worse because there is no resolution until we know what happened to Claudia."

Ms Lawrence, 35, was reported missing after failing to turn up for her shift as a cook at the University of York on the morning of March 28, 2009.

North Yorkshire Police believe she was murdered, but a long-running investigation which focused on her relationships with men drew a blank and a new team of detectives launched a cold case review in October.

The terraced home where Claudia lived alone in the Heworth area of York has been re-examined by forensic experts, and her family and friends have been re-interviewed.

In the most personal and emotional of the many briefings Mr Lawrence has given since 2009, he made a direct appeal to whoever is responsible.

"Please, please, do realise what it is doing to us," he said. "It just eats into you like a hole and it is torture."

Mr Lawrence, a solicitor, praised the thoroughness of the new police team which is understood to have uncovered new leads.

Last week, Claudia's 70-year-old mother Joan told Sky News she believes the investigation, led by Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, will end the mystery.

"I think if they don't (solve the case), they will have tried their utmost," she said.

"They're working so hard on it. I don't think they'll give up easily."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lenny Henry Attacks Britain's 'White' TV

Lenny Henry is calling for a reversal in the "paucity" of ethnic minorities on British television and comedy programmes.

The comic first spoke about improving diversity in film and television in 2008 but described his frustration that so little has changed to an audience at a Bafta lecture on Monday night.

Just 5.4% of the broadcasting industry is made up of black, Asian, minority and ethnic (BAME) people, he said.

"The evolution of BAME on TV seems to lurch one step forward and two steps back."

Henry said he had been "very blessed" but was speaking on behalf of 2,000 people who have left the industry due to a lack of job opportunities.

He compared US and UK programmes and how well they represent BAME talent.

Henry met the Queen at Buckingham Palace last month

While there is a "paucity" of black talent in British "high-end drama and comedy" such as Miranda and Broadchurch, the US has invested and nurtured talent which is evident in shows such as Scandal, Grey's Anatomy and Elementary.

Actor David Harewood, who has starred in the hit show Homeland, has been vocal about how few jobs he is offered in the UK.

Using Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech as inspiration, Henry said he has a "screen dream" and wants to hold executives and commissioners to account over their decisions.

"I have a 'screen' where the actors of the future are cast not by the colour of their skin but by their talent alone," he said.

Henry is taking a proposal to ring-fence budgets for BAME productions to the BBC director general Tony Hall and Ofcom today.

He said executives must meet two out of three criteria that 50% of on-screen and production staff are from an ethnic minority and that 30% of the company is controlled by black people.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Max Clifford 'Claimed He Slept With Diana Ross'

By Tom Parmenter, News Correspondent, Southwark Crown Court

A former model has told a court that Max Clifford claimed he had slept with US singer Diana Ross.

The woman, who cannot be named, was giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court about a meeting she had with the celebrity publicist in the early 1980s.

She explained how she was an aspiring 17-year-old fashion model who came to London from the north of England and was told Clifford could help her career.

She said: "I was trying to follow my dream."

Inside his New Bond Street offices, the woman said Clifford showed her framed newspaper front pages and pictures of celebrities on the walls and then claimed "he had slept with Diana Ross".

Clifford clearly shook his head in the dock when the allegation about the American superstar was made.

The former model told the court: "For me, Diana Ross was a very beautiful, famous woman, I couldn't imagine why she would sleep with him."

The woman claimed Clifford then said: "I need to see your figure ... I need you to take your dress off."

She said she eventually did take her dress off despite reservations about the underwear she was wearing.

She alleged Clifford quickly became excited about the holes in her tights and she claimed he started saying: "Oh my God, what a turn on, what a turn on."

Clifford said he slept with Diana Ross, claimed an alleged victim in court

The woman said he groped her chest area and arms, adding: "At this point I'm feeling utterly stupid, totally in shock, I'm just not doing anything."

The publicist then performed a sex act while he took a telephone call from his wife, the ex-model added.

Unlike other earlier witnesses the former model said she remembered Max Clifford as "well endowed."

Her detailed descriptions of the sex acts led to several jury members collapsing in laughter in court prompting an adjournment.

After they had composed themselves the judge told them he understood their outburst but asked them to "settle down and remember where we are and what we are dealing with".

Following the alleged sex acts, she claimed Clifford insisted she should come to dinner with his wife and American film producer Cubby Broccoli.

Clifford allegedly told her that Broccoli could get her a role on a James Bond film if she performed sexual favours for him.

The woman told the court she "loathed" the Bond movies and had simply wanted to be a fashion model.

She added that she later ignored multiple phone calls from the publicist to go to the dinner and only reported her allegations to the police when she saw Clifford had been arrested in December 2012.

Clifford is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven women and girls.

He denies all the charges and his trial continues.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saturated Fats And Heart Disease: No Link Found

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

A massive international study of 600,000 people's diets has found saturated fats like butter may not be as unhealthy as first thought.

For decades, health advice has been to cut down on saturated fats - found in butter, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, cheese and cream.

And instead people were urged to eat polyunsaturated fats - found in olive and sunflower oils and other non-animal fats.

However, research led by Cambridge University scientists, indicates there is no evidence to support current guidelines which restrict eating saturated fats to prevent heart disease.

The team collated results from 72 unique studies from 18 different countries and also found "insufficient support for guidelines which advocate the high consumption of polyunsaturated fats (such as omega 3 and omega 6) to reduce the risk of coronary disease".

The findings are at odds with decades-old advice on how to eat healthily to take care of our hearts.

Current NHS guidelines say a diet high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk of heart disease.

For decades, health advice has been to cut down on saturated fats

Men are not recommended to eat more than 30g of saturated fats and women no more than 20g.

However, most of us eat 20% more than this, which is considered to be unhealthy.

Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, the lead author of the research, said: "These are interesting results that potentially stimulate new lines of scientific inquiry and encourage careful reappraisal of our current nutritional guidelines.

"In 2008, more than 17 million people died from a cardiovascular cause globally.

"With so many affected by this illness, it is critical to have appropriate prevention guidelines which are informed by the best available scientific evidence."

The British Heart Foundation, which commissioned the research, says the findings could mean it is time to look into this accepted wisdom.

The organisation is calling for more studies to clarify what is good and bad for our hearts.

But is stresses that the findings do not mean it is fine to eat lots of cheese, pies and cakes.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Childcare: £2,000 Boost For Working Parents

Working parents are to get up to £2,000 of tax-free childcare in a move to target families who are "running to stand still".

The scheme will be worth up to £2,000 per child per year when it launches in autumn next year - £800 more than the £1,200 originally proposed last year.

The Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News the move would target hard-working parents who were "going out to work just to pay the nursery fees" saying many felt they were just "running to stand still".

It was only expected to apply to children under the age of seven, but parents will now be entitled to the money until their son or daughter's 12th birthday.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will unveil details of the childcare scheme

Nearly two million families could benefit from the scheme - twice as many as the present voucher scheme, which is only available where adopted by an employer.

However, it has been criticised for excluding couples where one parent does not work and for applying to richer households with incomes of up to £300,000. Those where one parent earns more than £150,000 will not be able to take advantage of the scheme.

Speaking to Sky News Nick Clegg denied the scheme was unfair and said families on Universal Credit would now have 85% of their childcare costs met.

Mr Clegg said: "If you have two children and you have to pay their childcare costs then it's (the scheme is) worth up to £4,000 to you."

David Cameron said the policy, which effectively covers 20% of childcare costs up to a maximum of £10,000 a year, would help "hard-pressed families" and "provide financial security for the future".

Asked by Sky News whether he would be taking advantage of the tax-free childcare scheme for his children he replied: "I won't be taking it up." His salary crosses the £150,000 limit.

Earlier this month, the Family and Childcare Trust said parents now spend more on part-time childcare than their mortgage repayments.

How it works

However, Labour's Lucy Powell, the shadow minister for children, said the proposals were "too little, too late".

"Mr Cameron has cut support for children and families by £15bn since he came to office," she said.

"This Government has done nothing in this Parliament to help parents experiencing a cost-of-living crisis."

As well as the childcare tax break, the Government is to give an extra £50m to nurseries looking after the most deprived three and four-year-olds.

Families claiming Universal Credit will also have 85% of their childcare costs met, up from 70%.

The announcement comes as the Chancellor prepares to unveil this year's Budget.

George Osborne, who will set out the Government's spending plans for 2014-15 next Wednesday, has warned of "difficult decisions" to come.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lenny Henry Attacks Britain's 'White' TV

Lenny Henry is calling for a reversal in the "paucity" of ethnic minorities on British television and comedy programmes.

The comic first spoke about improving diversity in film and television in 2008 but described his frustration that so little has changed to an audience at a Bafta lecture on Monday night.

Just 5.4% of the broadcasting industry is made up of black, Asian, minority and ethnic (BAME) people, he said.

"The evolution of BAME on TV seems to lurch one step forward and two steps back."

Henry said he had been "very blessed" but was speaking on behalf of 2,000 people who have left the industry due to a lack of job opportunities.

He compared US and UK programmes and how well they represent BAME talent.

Henry met the Queen at Buckingham Palace last month

While there is a "paucity" of black talent in British "high-end drama and comedy" such as Miranda and Broadchurch, the US has invested and nurtured talent which is evident in shows such as Scandal, Grey's Anatomy and Elementary.

Actor David Harewood, who has starred in the hit show Homeland, has been vocal about how few jobs he is offered in the UK.

Using Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech as inspiration, Henry said he has a "screen dream" and wants to hold executives and commissioners to account over their decisions.

"I have a 'screen' where the actors of the future are cast not by the colour of their skin but by their talent alone," he said.

Henry is taking a proposal to ring-fence budgets for BAME productions to the BBC director general Tony Hall and Ofcom today.

He said executives must meet two out of three criteria that 50% of on-screen and production staff are from an ethnic minority and that 30% of the company is controlled by black people.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saturated Fats And Heart Disease: No Link Found

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

A massive international study of 600,000 people's diets has found saturated fats like butter may not be as unhealthy as first thought.

For decades, health advice has been to cut down on saturated fats - found in butter, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, cheese and cream.

And instead people were urged to eat polyunsaturated fats - found in olive and sunflower oils and other non-animal fats.

However, research led by Cambridge University scientists, indicates there is no evidence to support current guidelines which restrict eating saturated fats to prevent heart disease.

The team collated results from 72 unique studies from 18 different countries and also found "insufficient support for guidelines which advocate the high consumption of polyunsaturated fats (such as omega 3 and omega 6) to reduce the risk of coronary disease".

The findings are at odds with decades-old advice on how to eat healthily to take care of our hearts.

Current NHS guidelines say a diet high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk of heart disease.

For decades, health advice has been to cut down on saturated fats

Men are not recommended to eat more than 30g of saturated fats and women no more than 20g.

However, most of us eat 20% more than this, which is considered to be unhealthy.

Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, the lead author of the research, said: "These are interesting results that potentially stimulate new lines of scientific inquiry and encourage careful reappraisal of our current nutritional guidelines.

"In 2008, more than 17 million people died from a cardiovascular cause globally.

"With so many affected by this illness, it is critical to have appropriate prevention guidelines which are informed by the best available scientific evidence."

The British Heart Foundation, which commissioned the research, says the findings could mean it is time to look into this accepted wisdom.

The organisation is calling for more studies to clarify what is good and bad for our hearts.

But is stresses that the findings do not mean it is fine to eat lots of cheese, pies and cakes.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police Search For Missing Mother And Child

Police are searching for a one-year-old girl who was taken by her mother during a supervised visit in the West Midlands.

Lola Page was in the care of social services and being looked after by foster parents in Walsall.

Her mother Stacey Ball, 18, took the child from an address in Stroud Avenue, Willenhall, at 1pm on Friday.

It is believed they got into a dark-coloured car which then drove away.

Officers said there have been no sightings of the pair and are becoming increasingly concerned for their welfare.

Police have issued this photo of the pair taken on the day Lola disappeared

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Markham said: "We urgently need Stacey to make contact with us or anyone who may know their whereabouts."

Police have issued a photo of the pair taken on the day Lola disappeared.

The child was wearing a white cardigan and a blue polka dot dress.

Her mother was wearing a long black wig, black leggings and a black and tan patterned dress.

:: Anyone with information should call West Midlands Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Childcare Tax Break: Details To Be Unveiled

Details of a planned £1,200 childcare tax break for families is expected to be unveiled in next week's Budget, according to Sky sources.

Help with the expense of childcare is one of the things people have been pressing for said Sky's Political Correspondent Anushka Asthana, and is part of the Government's drive to help families as well as business.

Figures recently revealed the cost to families for part-time childcare is more than the monthly mortgage repayment.

It follows a consultation on tax breaks for families, and will replace the current childcare voucher system which means everybody who is working, including the self-employed, will be able to qualify for it.

The current voucher system depends on whether an employer agreed to it, and at the moment only 5% do.

It came as Chancellor George Osborne warned  of more "difficult decisions" to come in Wednesday's Budget.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, he confirmed he will use his Commons statement to outline details of the Government's promised cap on welfare payments.

Details of the cap on welfare payments will also be unveiled in the Budget

And he underlined the need to "not waver" from plans to tackle the budget deficit and deal with Britain's debts.

He wrote: "That plan has delivered economic stability and low mortgage rates for families and it has laid the foundations for economic recovery."

But the deficit remained too high, which was why workers in the public sector faced another year of pay restraint and welfare spending would be capped from 2015.

"None of these decisions are easy, but the alternatives are worse," he wrote.

In a sideswipe at his opponents, Mr Osborne said: "Ed Balls and Ed Miliband haven't learned any lessons from the last time they crashed the British economy.

"The question is simple: Why would you give the keys back to the people who crashed the car?"

But Mr Balls, Labour's shadow chancellor, accused Mr Osborne of being "out of touch", and argued ordinary people had yet to see any improvement in their standard of living.

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Claudia Lawrence Case: Mother's 'Nightmare'

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The mother of the missing York woman Claudia Lawrence has praised a new team of detectives investigating her daughter's disappearance and says she constantly thinks of the events she has missed.

Joan Lawrence, 70, says she is confident that the re-launched investigation which began last October is doing all it can to uncover why Claudia, 35, vanished without trace five years ago.

"I think if they don't [solve the case] they will have tried their utmost, and they're working so hard on it," she said.

"I don't think they'll easily give up."

Claudia was reported missing by her father Peter Lawrence, 67, on the morning of March 19 2009 after she failed to turn up for her shift as a cook at the University of York the previous day.

Mother Joan Lawrence is hopeful of the re-launched investigation

Detectives believe she was murdered, but an extensive investigation drew a blank with no trace of her being found and no arrests made.

Mrs Lawrence, who is divorced from Claudia's father, has shown Sky News childhood pictures of Claudia and her older sister Ali in the hope that they might prick the conscience of someone who knows what happened.

"She's missed so much," she said as she looked through photographs showing Claudia as a smiling, dark-haired girl growing up in Malton in North Yorkshire.

"Her best friend has got two children, she missed her wedding, her godmother's died, there's so many things happened in five years," she said.

Claudia mysteriously vanished from her home five years ago

In a briefing to mark the fifth anniversary of the day she was reported missing, detectives are expected to reveal new information about her last-known movements and appeal for information about two vehicles seen in the area at the time. 

Mrs Lawrence, who has never hidden her frustration with the first police investigation, says she hopes the new team led by Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn will be able to solve the mystery.

"One way or the another I have to find out, I can't go on and on and on," she said.

"I need to know and I'll never ever give up hope."

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Vince Cable Wants HS2 Rail Link Built Faster

Vince Cable has called for the controversial HS2 high-speed rail link to be constructed faster, saying it could help close an economic gap between the north and south of England.

In an interview with The Observer the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary said there was clearly a "compelling argument" for speeding up the project.

"Creating jobs outside London, and closing the gap between north and south, has been one of this Government's top priorities," he said.

"On every visit I make to the north of England, I've heard businesses and council leaders make a compelling case for getting to the north more quickly by accelerating parts of the HS2 build.

"That would ensure the economic benefits can be shared sooner by everyone around the country and deserves serious consideration by government."

Mr Cable's comments come a day before HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins will outline his plan for an accelerated construction timetable. He also aims to reduce the cost of the £50-million project to connect London to the Midlands and the North.

He is expected to call for cross-party support for the plan.

Opponents say the scheme will damage the environment

Currently the scheme's first phase, which will see a new line connect London to Birmingham, is set for completion 2026.

The second phase will take the line in a Y-shape to the North West and North East. 

That is due to be completed around 2032/33.

Sir David is expected to suggest that building work on both phases should be started at the same time. 

It is thought he will also propose a brand new station at London Euston.

Longstanding plans to build the new high-speed rail link have proved highly controversial. 

Opposition comes mainly from environmentalists and residents who live on the line's planned route.

Last month judges threw out a Supreme Court challenge brought by objectors who claimed Government ministers had failed to adequately consider possible alternatives.

Some Government ministers have also voiced concerns.

Last week shadow chancellor Ed Balls raised HS2's projected budget, saying Sir David needed to show that costs "have come down markedly."

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Man Held After Woman Stabbed To Death

Police have launched a murder investigation after a woman died after being stabbed.

The 21-year-old victim was attacked at an address in Redditch, Worcestershire, on Saturday and later died in hospital.

A 29-year-old man who was arrested at the scene remains in custody and continues to help police with their inquiries.

A spokesman for the West Mercia force said: "Detectives confirm the investigation into the stabbing of a 21-year-old female in Evesham Road, Redditch, yesterday is now a murder inquiry following the death of the victim this morning."

West Mercia Police say no more details are being released.

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