Lidl To Remove Sweets From Checkouts

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

I understand that Lidl will announce plans to remove all chocolate and sweets from the checkout queues in their supermarkets later on this week.

The move is likely to be welcomed by consumer groups and parents alike, in the face of growing concerns about childhood obesity on the rise in the UK.

According to Sky sources, the discount retailer has been in consultation with customers for several months and the move is in response to preferences expressed by shoppers.

Parents face 'pester power' at the till while waiting with their children to pay for groceries.

Today, the National Obesity Forum said the UK is in danger of surpassing predictions of a 2007 report which estimated that 50% of the nation would be obese by 2050.

Lidl's action will likely increase the pressure on other supermarkets to take more definitive action.

All of the major supermarkets have committed to removing artificial 'trans fats' from their products.

But according to a Which? report published in December 2012, while Sainsburys and Tesco have banned sweets from supermarket checkouts, the policy doesn't apply to their smaller convenience stores.

Asda, Iceland and Morrisons all aim to 'limit' the sale of sugary treats near checkouts, but do not impose a blank ban like the one Lidl is proposing.

Waitrose doesn't have any policy in place on sweets at the checkout.

Last year, Lidl UK increased the number of 'healthy tills' in stores nationwide to 1,200.

The tills replaced 'treat' items such as chocolate with products of a higher nutritional value such as multivitamin juice and fresh fruit, as part of a healthy initiative to promote fresh fruit and vegetables to customers.

More follows...

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

N Ireland Child Abuse Inquiry: Hundreds Respond

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

More than 400 people have applied to speak to the state inquiry into historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland, the largest tribunal of its kind anywhere in the UK.

Most applications, some 280, were from people living in Northern Ireland, but 63 came from Great Britain, 61 from Australia, 20 from the Republic of Ireland and the remainder from elsewhere.

The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry was established by the Stormont Executive this time last year and will hold its first public evidence session today at Banbridge Courthouse in County Down.

It has a remit to investigate historical child abuse and/or neglect in institutions over a 73-year period up to 1995 and is currently investigating 13 establishments, including Kincora Boys' Home in Belfast.

Kincora was the scene of a notorious sex scandal and while three members of staff were convicted in the 1980s, questions remain about who knew what and why it continued.

The inquiry's chairman, Sir Anthony Hart, a retired senior high court judge, will make a short statement before an opening address from senior counsel to the inquiry, Christine Smith QC.

More than 300 witnesses are expected to give evidence during the public sessions, the majority in person although some may give their evidence in writing or via a live video-link.

Applications to participate in the statutory inquiry are now closed but potential witnesses can still apply to speak to the Acknowledgment Forum, a less formal evidence-gathering process operating in parallel.

The first "thematic module of evidence" will focus on two former institutions run by the Sisters of Nazareth: St Joseph's Home and Nazareth House Children's Home, both in County Londonderry.

The public hearings are expected to continue until June 2015 and under the terms of reference, the inquiry must complete its investigation by mid-summer and submit its report by January 2016.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obesity: Scale Of Problem 'Underestimated'

The true scale of Britain's obesity crisis may have been seriously underestimated, a report has found.

The National Obesity Forum said the UK is in danger of surpassing predictions of a 2007 report which estimated that 50% of the nation would be obese by 2050.

The organisation's latest report calls on health officials to introduce hard-hitting awareness campaigns - similar to those for smoking - to try to curb the problem.

It also called on family doctors to proactively discuss weight management with patients and to check waist circumferences.

The report said: "It is entirely reasonable to conclude that the determinations of the 2007 Foresight Report (i.e. that half the population might be obese by 2050 at an annual cost of nearly £50bn), while shocking at the time, may now underestimate the scale of the problem."

Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: "We're now seven years on from the Foresight Report.

"Not only is the obesity situation in the UK not improving, but the doomsday scenario set out in that report might underestimate the true scale of the problem.

"There needs to be concerted action.

"There is a lot more we can be doing by way of earlier intervention and to encourage members of the public to take sensible steps to help themselves - but this goes hand in hand with government leadership and ensuring responsible food and drink manufacturing and retailing."

Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and wellbeing at Public Health England (PHE), said: "Obesity is an international problem.

"It is a complex issue that requires action at national, local, family and individual level.

"Everyone has a role to play in improving the health and wellbeing of the public, and children in particular.

"PHE are committed to helping to tackle obesity through a range of approaches that support action on the local environment to make eating less and being more physically active easier."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fracking: Cameron Offers Councils Drill Money

David Cameron has announced £1.7m for councils which agree to drill for shale gas sparking angry protests from campaigners who say it amounts to little more than bribery.

David Cameron said the Government was "going all out for shale" as he announced local authorities that allow drilling will receive 100% of the business rates collected from the scheme - double the current 50%.

Whitehall officials estimate that could be worth £1.7m extra a year for each site a council agrees.

The announcement sparked angry scenes at a fracking site in Barton Moss, near Salford, Manchester, where protesters confronted lorries entering the plant, then handcuffed themselves to the vehicles.

The business rates money will be in addition to a promise last year that shale exploration firms will also pay out £100,000 when a test well is fracked and 1% of revenues, a deal which could in total be worth up to £10m.

Anti-fracking protester Theo Simon on top of a lorry at the site

However, campaigners dismissed the business rates payout as bribe money and said it was not enough in the face of the vast profits that stand to be made by the energy firms and the damage that would be caused to local areas.

Mr Cameron's announcement comes as the French energy giant Total has announced it will invest millions with a 40% interest in two shale gas exploration licences in the UK.

Mr Cameron said: "A key part of our long-term economic plan to secure Britain's future is to back businesses with better infrastructure.

"That's why we're going all out for shale. It will mean more jobs and opportunities for people, and economic security for our country."

The protest was against an exploratory drilling site known as Barton Moss

Jackie Anderson, a teacher who lives within a mile of an exploratory drilling site at Barton Moss near Salford, was on Sunday protesting about the effects of fracking on the community.

She told Sky News: "For the local residents it's got no benefit whatsoever. More and more the businesses and the councils are going to benefit because the incentives are going to them and we're getting none of the benefits at all."

A Local Government Association spokesman said: "Given the significant tax breaks being proposed to drive forward the development of shale gas and the impact drilling will have on local communities, these areas should not be short-changed by fracking schemes.

"One per cent of gross revenues distributed locally is not good enough; returns should be more in line with payments across the rest of the world and be set at 10%."

Protesters handcuff themselves to a lorry at Barton Moss

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process that involves drilling thousands of feet down into the earth to create a narrow well. Water and chemicals are then pumped in at high pressure to create fractures in the rock. Gas then flows from the cracks and is captured.

Vanessa Vine, who founded the British Anti-Fracking Action Network, said: "Concerns of local residents range from everything from heavy traffic through villages, damage to the roads, right up to triggering of earthquakes and permanent, potentially permanent contamination of the groundwater, of the aquifer, of drinking water."

The Government estimates the industry could attract £3.7bn a year in investment and support 74,000 jobs.

Last year, a study by the British Geological Survey suggested there could be enough shale gas in the north of England to supply Britain for 40 years.

Areas of the UK affected by fracking

It is thought there may be as much as 1,300 trillion cubic feet at the Bowland site in Lancashire alone.

Energy minister Michael Fallon said he expected between 20 and 40 wells to be drilled over the next couple of years but that it was as yet unclear whether it would provide "a really good reliable source of cheap energy".

"It is only right, when there is local growth and local jobs, that the councils are able to retain more of the business rates in order to help improve or maintain local services.

"I think that is only fair that local people should see some of the direct benefit."

Lawrence Carter, from Greenpeace, said: "This is a naked attempt by the government to bribe hard-pressed councils into accepting fracking in their area.

"Cameron is effectively telling councils to ignore the risks and threat of large-scale industrialisation in exchange for cold hard cash."

Shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex said: "Gas will remain an important part of our energy mix in the future, and if shale gas can replace our rapidly depleting North Sea reserves it could help improve our energy security.

Vanessa Vine, founder of the British Anti-Fracking Action Network

"It is right that any communities that host nationally significant energy infrastructure are able to share in its rewards.

"But the Government must get its priorities right. Only by fully addressing legitimate environmental and safety concerns about fracking with robust regulation and comprehensive monitoring, will people have confidence that the exploration and possible extraction of shale gas is a safe and reliable source that can contribute to the UK's energy mix."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dementia: 15-Minute Test To Spot Signs Early

A test that can be completed in 15 minutes has been developed to help doctors spot the early signs of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

The test can be filled in online or on paper and tests language ability, reasoning, problem solving and memory.

It is designed to tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the health service in the coming few years.

Around 800,000 people in the UK already suffer from dementia and the number is due to increase as the population ages.

Currently, the disease can only be diagnosed through in-depth testing of a person's cognitive abilities.

Patients have to carry out a series of complicated tests, usually overseen by a highly qualified expert.

The new test should help doctors or ordinary people identify as early as possible if there are any problems with their faculties so they can get a specialist assessment as soon as possible.

The test, called the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE) was developed by Ohio State University College of Medicine's Department of Neurology.

An early study by Dr Doughlas Scharre of the Ohio State University Medical Center found SAGE could spot mild thinking and memory issues in 80% of those tested.

A new study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry screened 1,047 individuals aged over 50 using SAGE.

It found that, in finding signs of mild cognitive impairment in 28% of those screened, the test proved effective at assessing large numbers of people with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

The article in the journal said: "Community cognitive screening using SAGE was found to be feasible and efficient in diverse settings with both small and large groups."

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, warned the test result should not be taken as a diagnosis.

He said: "Further research is needed to confirm whether the test would be suitable to assess and track changes in people's memory and thinking skills.

"One drawback of this study is that the test was not compared with other existing cognitive tests.

"It's important to note that the test is not designed to diagnose dementia, and people who are worried about their memory should seek advice from a doctor rather than attempting self-diagnosis with a test at home.

"Diagnosing the different diseases that cause dementia can be difficult in the earliest stages.

"Years of research are needed to develop any new diagnostic test, and this means continued investment in research is crucial."

You can try two sample papers of the test here and here.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Snow-Hit Sheep Farmers Fear Worse Is To Come

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Farmers will have to prepare for the impact of more extreme weather on livestock and crops, according to the National Farmers Union.

The Union's deputy president has told Sky News he believes climate change may be to blame for unseasonal conditions like the damaging spring snowfall in 2013.

Meurig Raymond told Sky News: "The industry is facing the volatility of weather - maybe climate change. So feeding the world is going to be important going forward. We as farmers have to face up to that, but wake up for society as well."

His comments come as farmers say it will take years to recover financially from losses suffered during the coldest spring in 50 years.

Months on from snowfall that struck during lambing season, farmers have told Sky News their industry is still reeling from the heavy losses of livestock.

On the hills above Llanfairfechan in North Wales farmer Gareth Wyn Jones feeds the sheep that survived the heavy snow.

In March and April he spent weeks digging through feet of snow to recover the bodies of sheep and lambs that had perished.

Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones tends to his livestock in North Wales

Now, on a cold, sunny winter morning he surveys the surrounding hillsides that offer a stunning view across the Irish Sea.

He says the snow came at the worst possible time for sheep farmers. Most of the animals that died were new born lambs.

He estimates hundreds died on his farm alone.

"We lost about eighty breeding ewes and we lost a hundred ponies but we were fortunate - we dug eighty or ninety ewes out. A neighbour of ours lost half his hill flock overnight - gone," he said.

"There are some massive losses just in this little valley in North Wales."

Farmers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Shropshire, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Isle of Man also lost thousands of sheep and lambs.

The number of deaths forced the Welsh Assembly and Defra to temporarily relax strict EU rules that prevent farmers from burying dead animals. Usually farmers have to pay for carcasses to be removed.

Hundreds of sheep have been lost due to bad weather

Since the snowfall Defra says it has been working with farmers and  the insurance industry to ensure farmers are protected for future weather events.

They have also been working with the Met Office to publish detailed weather forecasts for farmers.

Joanne Briggs, from the National Sheep Association, told Sky News: "The time it will take for affected sheep farms to recover cannot be underestimated - it's not just the financial implications, which will take at least two or three years for business to overcome, but the loss of genetics from their flocks.

"Some bloodlines can never be replaced and that can mean a backward step of a decade or more for elite pedigrees.

"Like the animals that they care for, sheep farmers in general are incredibly resilient, but the spring of 2013 came at the end of an incredibly difficult 12 months and will leave a legacy for many years to come.

"But everyone can do their bit to support them, by making sure that when they buy lamb it is sourced from the UK."

Back on the farm in North Wales Mr Wyn Jones keeps an anxious eye on the long-term forecast.

He says he's not sure if they could cope with another spring snowfall. Most of his ewes are pregnant again and he's counting on the lambs due to be born this spring to help rebuild his livelihood.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Manchester Tram Death: Man Dies By Debenhams

A man has died after been struck by a tram in a busy city centre.

The man, who has yet to be identified, was hit outside Debenhams in Market Place, Manchester city centre, at around 6.15pm on Saturday.

Fans trying to get home from Old Trafford after Manchester United's match with Swansea were advised to avoid the city centre in the aftermath of the incident.

Onlookers described seeing the man being dragged and trapped underneath the Metrolink carriage as he crossed the junction of Market Street and High Street.

The tram network was temporarily closed while emergency services dealt with the scene.

The rail network was working as normal so people were advised to use trains if possible.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flooding: Heavy Rain To Bring More Flood Woes

Further heavy rain next week is expected to bring more misery to parts of the UK that have already seen widespread flooding.

Seventy-nine flood warnings remain in place throughout the country while there are 117 flood alerts.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired another meeting of Cobra, the Government's emergency committee, on Saturday.

He said: "River levels continue to rise and remain high in some areas, particularly parts of the Thames. I have chaired another Cobra meeting today to ensure that the Environment Agency, local authorities and emergency services are well prepared to continue supporting those at risk."

He urged the public "to remain vigilant" and said the Government was "continuing to focus on flood protection and support for those affected".

The EA's flood warnings and alerts

River levels have been rising steadily in counties including Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and across the Midlands following days of downpours, the Environment Agency said.

Rivers including the Hampshire Avon through Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, the Stour in Dorset, the Parrett in Somerset and the Severn through the Midlands showed little signs of receding.

Harry Martin went missing on January 2

Communities along the River Thames throughout Surrey, Berkshire and Oxfordshire have also been warned that they face the risk of flooding.

Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said more heavy rain was due from today.

"There's going to be a band of rain coming from the West in the afternoon. It'll be over south west England from midday and spread slowly eastwards across the rest of the country."

But she said that although there might be some "moderate to heavy bursts", there were not significant amounts of rain expected until Wednesday.

Eight people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since the beginning of the Christmas period, with around 550 properties flooded since the new year. Some 140 properties have been flooded in Wales.

On Sunday, police said coastguards had discovered a body in the sea in the search for missing photography student Harry Martin, but that it had not been identified at this stage.

The 18-year-old left his home in Newton Ferrers, Devon, on January 2 to go out to take pictures of the stormy sea.

Hundreds help in a clean-up of Aberystwyth promenade

In Aberystwyth more than 200 residents volunteered for a three-and-a-half hour clean-up of the town's promenade, which was severely damaged by storms.

Councillor Ceredig Davies, who represents central Aberystwyth, said: "We used buckets and spades and wheelbarrows to put the sand back from the promenade, where it was washed in the storms.

"There were thousands of tonnes of sand there and the volume shifted by people today was hundreds of tonnes.

"It was great community spirit. It was back-breaking work but everyone felt that they had achieved something. They felt like they were doing their bit in putting our promenade back to how we like it."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing 12-Year-Olds: Police Search For Girls

Police are searching for two 12-year-old girls reported missing after a walk to a local bus stop, Scotland Yard has said.

Friends Wiktoria Popiel, from Wood Green, and Vitalija Sidlauskaite, from Tottenham, north London, were last seen together on Morley Avenue in Wood Green at around 5pm on Saturday.

Wiktoria (pictured above right) was walking Vitalija (above left) to a bus stop on nearby Lordship Lane but did not return home.

The Metropolitan Police said they may have got on a bus towards Tottenham or have gone to the ice rink at Alexandra Palace.

Vitalija Sidlauskaite (l) and Wiktoria Popiel (r)

Speaking to Sky News's Tom Parmenter, the mother of Vitalija said she was "desperate for news".

The tearful mum said the pair were very close friends who spent a lot of time together.

She said her daughter did have a mobile phone with her but that it did not have a SIM card for making calls.

She suspected they may have been heading towards the ice rink at Alexandra Palace but did not know if they made it there.

The mother said she was searching parks and hospitals in a desperate bid to find the pair.

The pair were walking to this bus stop

Wiktoria's first cousin Alicja Ochramowicz told Sky News: "It was just a normal evening, she left the house with he friend and she said 'I'll be back shortly'."

"All she had was her Oyster card, no mobile phone, no spare clothes...it is not even an option that she has run away."

Wiktoria Popiel

The 18-year-old cousin said the pair were: "Best friends - they only hang around with each other - it is just them two all the time."

She said: "We have asked all of her friends but heard nothing."

"We'd just ask we to tell her she is Okay. I'd just say 'please come home'." 

She described her cousin as "outgoing, friendly - they used to go to the same school and then Vitajla changed schools."

Vitalija's mother urged people who were out walking or exercising in parks in the areas around Wood Green to report any sightings or information that may help the police find the girls.

A police spokesman said: "Their disappearance is completely out of character for both girls and they have never gone missing before.

The street where the girls were last seen

"Their families and police are extremely concerned for their welfare and urge anyone who sees them or who has information about their whereabouts to call police on 101."

Wiktoria was wearing glasses, a brown jacket with fur around the hood (the same as the one in the top picture), blue jeans and blue trainers. She speaks English and Polish.

Vitalija was wearing blue jeans and a black jacket. She speaks English and Russian.

:: Watch Sky News live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq: Government Rejects Torture Allegations

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Government says it "absolutely rejects" allegations of "systematic" abuse and torture by British soldiers in Iraq.

Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke to Sky News after it was revealed the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been asked to investigate hundreds of abuse allegations.

It is understood a German human rights organisation and a British law firm have presented a dossier to the ICC containing accusations of more than 1,000 cases of torture against Iraqi civilians, and 200 cases of unlawful killings, including many in custody.

The Berlin-based European Centre for Constitutional Rights and UK-based Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) will launch their case at an event in London on Tuesday.

Phil Shiner, a solicitor from PIL, told Sky News: "This is historic. The UK has never been investigated by the ICC. There is clear evidence this goes right to the top."

But Mr Hague told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "The Government has always been clear, and the armed forces have always been clear, that they absolutely reject allegations of systematic abuse by the British armed forces.

"The British armed forces uphold high standards, and they are the finest armed forces in the world."

He added: "But where there are substantiated allegations of things going wrong, these things have been or are being investigated. That does not require references to the International Criminal Court."

The Government has set up a body to investigate accusations of abuse arising from the Iraq conflict.

The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) investigates allegations of abuse against Iraqi civilians by British troops between 2003 and 2009.

It is led by a retired detective and is due to complete its investigations by the end of 2016.

Commenting on the reports, the Ministry of Defence said: "These matters are either under thorough investigation or have been dealt with through various means including through the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, independent public inquiries, the UK and European courts and in Parliament.

"As such, further action through the ICC is unnecessary when the issues and allegations are already known to the UK Government, action is in hand and the UK courts have already issued judgments.

"Should we be approached by the ICC, we will take the opportunity to explain the very extensive work under way to deal with historic allegations of abuse.

"We reject the suggestion that the UK's Armed Forces - who operate in line with domestic and international law - have systematically tortured detainees.

"But of course the UK Government regrets the small number of cases where abuses have taken place. Wherever allegations have been substantiated, we have compensated victims and their families."

:: Watch Sky News live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More