Rotavirus: Babies To Get Vomiting Bug Vaccine

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky Reporter

A vaccination programme aimed at protecting babies against one of the most common causes of diarrhoea in young children begins today.

The rotavirus vaccination will be given to all infants aged between two and three months.

According to Public Health England, it will protect more than 675,000 babies from the highly infectious bug which causes diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and dehydration.

At the moment, almost every child will have had the viral infection by the age of five and it is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in infants and very young children.

The vaccine is already routinely used in many other countries

Children will receive the vaccine orally as two separate doses of liquid drops.

Dr Paul Cosford, medical director at Public Health England, said: "Rotavirus is a highly infectious and unpleasant illness that affects thousands of young children each year.

"While most recover within a few days, nearly one in five will need to see their doctor, and one in 10 will end up in hospital as a result.

"Although good hygiene measures can help prevent spread of the disease, the best way to protect your baby from catching rotavirus is to get them vaccinated."

Vaccination experts believe the immunisation programme will halve the number of vomiting and diarrhoea cases caused by rotavirus, meaning fewer children end up going to their GP or to hospital.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP, told Sky News: "The vaccination has been routinely used for many years in other countries. Overall it looks extremely safe.

"It's given by a couple of drops in the mouth and it's a weakened form of the virus which you'd be exposed to anyway, but this way you're being exposed to a weakened form so you don't get the symptoms but you do build up an immunity."

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Marriage Tax Breaks Fast-Tracked By Cameron

Plans for a tax break for married couples will be introduced this year in a move to head off a revolt by Tory backbenchers.

Details of the policy, which is a pet project of David Cameron's, are now expected to be in George Osborne's Autumn Statement.

They should then be included in the next Finance Bill and come into force early in 2014, with couples starting to benefit around the election a year later.

Government sources had previously indicated it was likely to be tabled in April 2015 but a backbench revolt has led to it being brought forward.

The move will now reportedly form a key part of Mr Cameron's party conference speech in October, with Mr Osborne fleshing out the plans in his statement in November.

Rebel MPs led by former minister Tim Loughton had been preparing to back an amendment to this year's Finance Bill in the Commons on Tuesday calling for an immediate tax break.

But the Prime Minister, speaking on his Asia trip, urged MPs to let the Government "get on with it" instead and promised plans would be outlined soon.

He said: "The point is that we are going to be putting in place the marriage tax proposal in law. We will be announcing plans for that in this parliament, quite shortly in fact."

Of Mr Loughton's proposed change to the Finance Bill, he added: "I don't think that the amendment is in line with the plans that we have."

Mr Loughton said that if the plans were officially confirmed to him, he would be happy not to push his amendment in the Commons.

He added: "If it is going to come in the Autumn Statement I, for one, will be absolutely delighted to welcome it."

Fast-tracking the policy may placate Mr Cameron's restive MPs but will highlight divisions over the policy within the coalition.

The Tory manifesto in 2010 promised a tax break worth £150 to married couples but the Liberal Democrats argue it discriminates against unmarried couples.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has previously ridiculed the proposals as "patronising drivel that belong in the Edwardian age" and launched a fresh attack on Monday.

He warned it would punish widows or spouses abandoned by their partners, as well as people who are unmarried and said he would rather see the money spent on childcare support.

"This desire of the Conservative Party to hand-pick couples through the tax system who conform to their image of how you should conduct your life, I don't think it's fair," he said.

"And I certainly don't think it's fair on all those other people who are going to have to pay higher taxes to fund this proposal.

"If you have got hundreds of millions of pounds to spend on tax breaks like that then I would much rather spend it on all working families to improve the tax breaks we are going to give them on childcare, for instance."

The coalition agreement spells out that Lib Dem MPs can abstain on a plan to recognise marriage in the tax system, which would split the Government.

Labour has also condemned the measure.

Shadow Treasury minister Catherine McKinnell said: "At a time when the Government's failed economic policies mean living standards are falling, we should be helping all families and not just some.

"Millions of people who are separated, widowed or divorced, as well as married couples where both partners work and use all their personal allowance, won't get any help from this out-of-touch policy.

Campaigners accused the Tories of promoting a "fantasy 50s family" where a married couple includes a breadwinner and homemaker.

Julianne Marriott, from group Don't Judge My Family, said: "It's out of step with modern families who come in all shapes and sizes and discriminates against families with single parents, widows and widowers, couples who both work and couples who chose not to marry.

"This marriage tax announcement isn't about keeping families together; it's about keeping the Tory party together. We believe the Government should be spending £500m on helping all families, not judging them."

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Woolwich: Lee Rigby Funeral In Next Two Weeks

The funeral of Drummer Lee Rigby will be held in Bury in the next two weeks, according to Sky sources.

Drummer Rigby was attacked as he returned to base in Woolwich after working at the Tower of London in May.

He died from multiple cut and stab wounds, a post-mortem examination found.

Bury has strong links with Drummer Rigby's regiment, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Michael Adebolajo is one of the men charged with Drummer Rigby's murder

The regiment traces its roots back to the famous Bury-based Lancashire Fusiliers. Drummer Rigby is from nearby Middleton.

An inquest heard the soldier, who was 25, suffered such "extensive and serious" injuries that he had to be identified using his dental records.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, of Romford, Essex, and Michael Adebowale, 22, of Greenwich, London, are both charged with his murder.

They are accused of hacking the soldier to death, and will be asked to enter their pleas in September.

On Friday they spoke only to confirm their names as they appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from separate rooms at HMP Belmarsh.

The men were told a plea and case management hearing would take place on September 27. They are expected to stand trial on November 18.

They are also charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to believe that violence would be used.

Adebolajo faces further charges for the attempted murder of two police officers.

He appeared to still have his left arm in a bandage after being shot by armed officers at the scene of Drummer Rigby's death.

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Hot July Across UK As Summer Finally Arrives

Summer could finally be around the corner with weather forecasters predicting that the UK could enjoy warm weather for the rest of July.

With parts of Britain on Sunday experiencing the hottest day of the year so far - 27.2 Celsius being recorded at London Heathrow - memories of one of the coldest springs on record could soon be banished.

Forecasters have said that a build-up of high pressure will lead to fine weather across the UK resulting in below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures.

Enjoying the sun after one of the coldest spring on record

A few outbreaks of rain are expected between now and Friday but then the warmer weather is expected to return and stay right through into August.

Sky News Weather Producer Joanna Robinson said: "There will be showers around today, but more prolonged rain will move in from the west tonight, which will extend slowly eastwards tomorrow. 

"The wind will pick up as well. Wednesday and Thursday will see showers or longer spells of rain, but by Friday high pressure will build from the south-west settling things down. 

"This coming weekend looks mainly fine and dry, with temperatures climbing across all areas, not just south-east England. England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will see temperatures into the mid-20s, while Scotland and Northern Ireland will see the low-20s."

"It looks like high pressure will keep things settled and very warm for a good part of July too," she added.

"I'm sure there will be showers around at times and some coastal areas may be cooler, but overall the next few weeks currently look dry and very warm, with plenty of sunshine."  

This follows a particularly cold start to the year, with March being the coldest on record since 1962.

March was colder than the preceding winter months of December, January and February, which had not happened for almost 40 years.

June looks like it was fairly average in terms of temperature, with below-average rainfall for England, Wales and Scotland.

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Smethwick Fire: Massive Blaze At Recycling Plant

A blaze at a plastic recycling factory, described by firefighters as one of the biggest ever seen in the West Midlands, is believed to have been started by a single Chinese lantern.

At its height, some 200 firefighters were tackling the blaze at the site in Smethwick, on the outskirts of Birmingham.

An estimated 100,000 tonnes of recycling material and a factory unit were set alight, and crews battled to stop the flames spreading to neighbouring businesses.

Vij Randeniya, chief fire officer at West Midlands Fire Service, told Sky News: "We believe a Chinese lantern dropped onto some bales of plastic and, looking at CCTV, it would appear that was the cause.

"Chinese lanterns have been involved in a number of incidents and firefighters have been campaigning for there to be better controls.

"They look really nice but they do pose a danger."

Two firefighters were taken to hospital and 11 more were treated at the scene by paramedics, although their injuries are thought to be minor.

Mr Randeniya said firefighters were tackling "one of the largest fires we've experienced", with intense heat released from the burning plastics.

"These are difficult fires to extinguish and we anticipate being here for a number of days," he said.

A spokesman for Birmingham International Airport said there was no disruption to flights, despite a plume of thick black smoke more than 1,800m high that could be seen from 30 miles away.

A number of roads around the recycling plant were closed but the nearby M5 motorway remained open.

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Meat From Diseased Cattle Sold By Defra

Meat from cattle slaughtered after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is being sold for human consumption by Defra, the food and farming ministry has said.

The meat is banned by most supermarkets and burger chains, The Sunday Times reported.

Tesco, for example, rejects it because of "public-health concerns surrounding the issue of bTB and its risk to consumers".

But carcasses from around 28,000 diseased animals are sold to caterers and food processors every year.

The meat then finds its way into schools, hospitals and the military, or is used in products such as pies and pasties, the newspaper said.

A Defra spokeswoman said: "All meat from cattle slaughtered due to bovine TB must undergo rigorous food safety checks before it can be passed fit for consumption.

"The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed there are no known cases where TB has been transmitted through eating meat and the risk of infection from eating meat, even if raw or undercooked, remains extremely low."

Cattle which test positive for bTB must be slaughtered. Unless a private slaughter is arranged, the animals are taken to slaughter by Defra, which then pays compensation to farmers based on the market value.

Compensation ranges from £81 for a dairy calf up to £1,717 for an older breeding bull. Payments for pedigree cattle vary from £639 to £4,471.

Meat from slaughtered cattle is sold with no warning to processors or consumers that it comes from a bTB-infected herd.

A spokeswoman for the FSA said: "All meat must be marked with an identification mark which will indicate the approval number of the plant of origin.

"However, meat from TB reactors (animals that have failed tests for TB), once it has been passed as fit for human consumption, is not required to be marked in any way to distinguish it from other meat.

"Meat which passes the post-mortem inspection is fit for human consumption and does not need additional labelling."

The spokeswoman said that where an inspection of a carcass reveals tuberculous lesions in more than one organ or region it is declared unfit for human consumption and destroyed.

If the lymph nodes in only one organ or part of the carcass are infected, that area is removed and the rest is considered safe to enter the food chain.

"Cooking this meat would be an additional safety step, but we would emphasise the risk even before cooking is very low," she said.

George Browning, an organic farmer in Frankton, Warwickshire, told Sky News he would be "happy enough" to eat meat from a TB-infected animal.

"It's a waste for one thing," he said. "I'd rather eat something that had had TB than had been filled with drugs of all sorts, which I'd view as more unsafe to eat.

"People have got used to having cheap food and if you want cheap, you can't afford to be picky about what's in there."

The Sunday Times claimed Defra's reassurances contrasted with experts' warnings that rising levels of bTB in cattle are becoming a serious threat to human health.

Such claims have been used to justify a cull of tens of thousands of badgers which are said by some to help spread the disease between cattle.

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Duchess' 'Hotel' Baby Birth Not For Everyone

The Duchess of Cambridge is just weeks from becoming a mum for the first time - in the "hotel-like" environment of a private hospital.

The experience at the Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital, where it costs £5,000 for the first day of a normal delivery, will differ significantly from that of most expectant parents.

Manchester couple Chloe Renwick, 27, and Matthew Lee-Cook, 28, whose baby is due at around the same time as the Duke and Duchess', have been speaking to Sky News in the months leading up to their big day on July 17.

The pair, who are more than happy with their NHS treatment at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester, told Sky's Adele Robinson what they make of the offering at the other St Mary's - which includes a glass of champagne to toast the new arrival.

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Dundee's Landmark Tower Blocks Demolished

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

A church in Dundee was the meat in a "demolition-sandwich" when two neighbouring tower blocks were blown down.

St Martin's Episcopal Church is situated just metres from Butterburn and Bucklemucker Court multi-storeys, which have been razed to the ground.

The congregation was decanted elsewhere for their Sunday worship, where prayers were said for the church to survive intact.

The top of one of the buildings appeared to fall onto its side

The Bishop of Brechin, the Right Reverend Dr Nigel Peyton, told Sky News before the demolition: "We'll be praying for everyone involved in the whole day, really. 

"There'll be a lot of other neighbours anxious about their properties and we'll be praying for them. We are confident that the blow down of the 'multis' will go well. 

"We've made our preparations, we've talked to the contractors and have a lot of confidence in them and we've certainly told our insurers!"

A huge pile of debris was left after the towers were brought to the ground

Preparations for the plume of dust included sealing the church organ in plastic, removing valuable items from the premises and taping up exterior doors.

The demolition of the 25-storey blocks removed two landmarks that have been prominent on the Dundee skyline since 1971. 

The 374 flats were demolished by explosives placed strategically in the structure of the buildings. 

A cloud of dust hangs over Dundee after the demolition

More than 10,000 detonators were used by the contractors SAFEDEM, which has worked on the tower blocks for several months, removing internal fittings and weakening support walls prior to the final 'blow down'. 

An exclusion zone has been set up closing off 20 surrounding streets and, as well as St Martin's Church, around 600 homes and 60 business premises were evacuated.   

Dundee City Council advised people in the area to keep windows and vents closed, not to hang out their washing and to cover garden fish ponds.

The demolition took place as part of a regeneration project for Dundee's Hilltown area.

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Salford Murder: Police Seek Linzi Ashton Ex

The ex-boyfriend of a 25-year-old mother who was "brutally murdered" in her home is being hunted by police.

Detectives in Salford said Michael Cope, 28, was their main suspect in the death of Linzi Ashton and have warned locals against "harbouring" him.

Bar worker Ms Ashton suffered "obvious face and head injuries" in the attack and her body was found in the early hours of Saturday by relatives, police said.

It is understood her daughters Destiny, seven, and Daisy, two, were not at home in Westbourne Road, Winton, at the time.

The couple had an "acrimonious" relationship, police said, and officers had been called to the address in the past. Because of this, the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Ms Ashton's children were not at home at the time of the attack

A post-mortem examination on Ms Ashton's body was taking place on Sunday. Neighbours have laid flowers close to the scene as police continue to look for clues.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Shenton said: "I have named Michael Cope as I believe he is responsible for Linzi's death.

"Linzi and Michael Cope have been in a relationship and that relationship has been acrimonious and the subject of reports to police.

"A young woman has been brutally murdered and our thoughts are with her family and friends at what is obviously a totally devastating time for them.

"I will take a dim view of anybody who provides assistance to Cope knowing that he is being sought by Greater Manchester Police."

:: Anyone with information should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

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Cameron Meets Newly-Elected Pakistan PM

David Cameron has promised to "stand together" with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism after holding talks with the country's newly-elected prime minister.

Mr Cameron, the first world leader to visit Nawaz Sharif since his surprise landslide victory in June, said the battle required "tough and uncompromising" action, as well as efforts to tackle the causes of extremism and radicalisation.

Afghanistan was high on the agenda for the Prime Minister following his visit to Camp Bastion and talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai a day earlier.

Afghanistan was on the agenda following Mr Cameron's visit to Camp Bastion

"I profoundly believe that a stable, prosperous, peaceful and democratic Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest, just as a stable, prosperous, peaceful and democratic Pakistan is in Afghanistan's interest," Mr Cameron said.

He told Mr Sharif: "I know you and President Karzai will work together towards those ends."

Mr Cameron's visit came as a car bomb exploded in a market in Peshawar, killing 15 people and injuring 28. At least three children were among the dead.

Children were among those killed and injured in the blast in Peshawar

Speaking after his meeting with Mr Cameron, Mr Sharif condemned the attack.

"Pakistan has suffered the most in terms of human and financial losses," he said.

"We are, therefore, resolved to tackle the menace of extremism and terrorism with renewed vigour and close cooperation with our friends."

Mr Cameron said Mr Sharif was in a "strong position" to put pressure on the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal.

Mr Cameron holds a news conference in Islamabad following the talks

"Pakistan has had this democratic transition, which ... will raise its profile in a thoroughly good way in the eyes of the world," he said.

Mr Cameron also used the talks to urge Pakistan to go "further and faster" in boosting trade links with the UK.

A Number 10 source said there was "potential for British business given the growth in the Pakistan economy".

Earlier, the Prime Minister visited Pakistan's national monument where he met people taking part in the British Council's Active Citizens programme, which aims to empower young people to bring about change in their communities.

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