World Cup: England 'Well Prepared' For Opener

World Cup: 11 Players You Need To Watch

Updated: 3:39pm UK, Thursday 12 June 2014

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

Like the Grand National, the World Cup has become a great participation event in offices, clubs and schools.

Join the sweep, pick the top scorer, guess how far England will go, perhaps even have a bet.

So to help, here's a team of men who are probably not big names in your household or workplace - but might be in a month's time.

:: Thibos Courtois, goalkeeper (Belgium/Atletico Madrid)

Actually a Chelsea employee, but doing so well on loan at Atletico that his future has become a big debating point in the last few months.

If Belgium are to do as well as the bookies predict, then he is certain to have enhanced his reputation even further.

Italy's veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon has picked him out as a man to watch - and he should know.

:: Mauricio Isla, attacking right-back (Chile/Juventus)

Older than some of his colleagues in this fabled team at the age 25 and with almost half a century of appearances for Chile behind him, he has a great chance to win more admirers of his charging runs down the right.

Chile are in the same group as Spain and Holland but do not rule out Isla helping dump one of those giants out at the first hurdle.

:: Raphael Varane, central defender (France/Real Madrid)

He has only played five times for France, but at 21 years old he is part of a badly needed new generation for the 1998 world champions.

Big and strong - not to mention fiery - he got involved in an altercation on the pitch with opposition boss Diego Simeone at the end of the Champions League final, in which his Real team beat city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Jose Mourinho says he's the world's best young defender.

:: Mats Hummels, central defender (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)

If Germany go a long way in the World Cup, Hummels has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament.

A dominant figure who can play as well as block, he also has a memorable name and a girlfriend, Cathy Fischer, who has been described as Germany's top WAG.

:: Yuto Nagatomo, left-back (Japan/Inter Milan)

Nagatomo has talked ambitiously about Japan winning the World Cup. One day, perhaps. Although they did reach the last 16 in 2010.

If they are to do it again, he will need to be at his best, both in defence and marauding down the left.

:: Juan Cuadrado, midfield (Colombia/Fiorentina)

Top scorer from midfield for Fiorentina in the Italian League with 11 goals last season, Cuadrado was converted from a right-back and is already interesting many of Europe's top clubs.

There is every chance there will be a long queue at his agent's door after the World Cup.

:: William Carvalho, midfield (Portugal/Sporting Lisbon)

You thought Angola was not the place to look for football talent?

This young man from Luanda has to force his way into Portugal's team but he is big and powerful (think Manchester City's Yaya Toure) with a future to match.

:: Paul Pogba, midfield (France/Juventus)

Still only 21, he has been in the headlines since Sir Alex Ferguson decided he was not good enough for Manchester United.

His poise belies his years. Zinedine Zidane, a World Cup winner in 1998, says his young countryman will become one of Europe's best central midfielders.

:: Ciro Immobile, striker (Italy/Borussia Dortmund)

This guy could be huge and may even be the World Cup's top goalscorer - worth a punt at around 50-1 if you like a bet.

No one got more than him in Italy last season and he has just signed for Dortmund.

Mario Balotelli is the big name in the Italians' attack ... so far.

:: Carlos Bacca, striker (Colombia/Sevilla)

Now carrying a nation's goalscoring hopes on his shoulders after injury ruled out his more illustrious colleague, Radamel Falcao, but he is up to the task.

He scored four goals towards the end of the season for his Spanish club, the Europa League winners.

And Bacca has every chance of helping Colombia progress from a group that also includes Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan - therefore boosting his own reputation.

:: Joel Campbell, striker (Costa Rica/Arsenal)

You're going to hear plenty about Joel Campbell because he is a big threat to England's hopes of progress from Group D.

Arsenal have loaned him out for the last three seasons, most recently to Greek club Olympiakos, for whom he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

His mum told him to read Psalm 27 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" - before matches and apparently he does so.

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Great North Swim Challenger Dies Taking Part

A 52-year-old man has died after taking part in the Great North Swim in Windermere.

He was taken to hospital by air ambulance because of a "medical emergency", Cumbria police said.

Officers attending the event were alerted to the incident on Friday afternoon.

The man, who has not been named, was from Wallington, south London, police said.

The event's organiser, Nova International, released a statement, expressing its condolences.

It said: "Nova International deeply regrets the tragic loss of life at the Great North Swim today and offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of the individual concerned.

"In the case of a fatality there is a strictly planned procedure that we adhere to with the professional organisations.

"We must ensure that the next of kin are informed before any further comment is made but we will provide an update as soon as we are in a position to do so."

The Great Swim Series is staged in lakes, lochs and docklands across the country, its website says.

The Great North Swim was being staged this weekend and consists of various courses of between a half-mile and 3.1 miles.

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Retailers Set Goals On World Cup Success

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

England fans are not the only ones hoping the players can find the back of the net as their World Cup campaign finally gets under way.

Retailers too are banking on success.

The Centre for Retail Research has estimated that every time England scores - shops, restaurants and pubs will benefit to the tune of almost £200m.

At Sainsbury's, designers started working on the merchandise more than a year ago.

Corporate affairs director Alex Cole said: "The longer England stays in the tournament, the more excuse we have got for parties as a nation.

"But also the sun is really important so the sunnier it is the more likely we are to say, yes, we will have a BBQ and get some people round to watch the match with us."

The further in the competition England progress, the better for retailers

But it is not just sales of sausages and beer that soar. TVs are selling well. So too are souvenirs and sportswear.

Takeaway pizzas are expected to sell in their millions but many people will head straight from work to bars or restaurants to watch the matches.

Phil Collinson, manager at Rileys Sports Bar in central London, is expecting 30,000 fans to come through the doors during the tournament.

"It's our responsibility to make sure everyone from all the different nations has the chance to see the matches," he said. "It will be an incredible atmosphere and great to be part of."

Reaching the final 16 is expected to see the takings by retailers, bars and restaurants rise by more than £1.3bn while a place in the final would be worth almost £2.6bn to the economy.

Michael Jarman says success equals spending

With England taking on Italy in their first game, it can mean split loyalties if you are running an Italian business in the heart of London.

But while there is no surprise who Lorenzo Mariotti, manager of the restaurant Little Italy in Soho, wants to win, he knows the importance of the home nation staying in the competition.

"We really need both teams to play well and go (as) far as they can and hopefully meet in the semi-final or final," he said. "It will be the most great game of the World Cup."

Former footballer and city trader Michael Jarman says success in the tournament will see football fans out spending.

"You find the general morale and momentum of the UK consumer is going to be more upbeat, a bit more optimistic," he said.

"You then have the new football season starting. Naturally there will be a better feel-good factor."

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Queen's Birthday Honours: Stephen Sutton's MBE

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Reporter

Stephen Sutton, the teenage cancer sufferer who raised more than £4m for charity, has been honoured with an MBE in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours.

Stephen, who was 19 when he died last month, had been told about the honour before his death.

His fundraising efforts have inspired others to help him raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

His mother, Jane Sutton, said he saw it as an incredible honour to be nominated and gave it the thumbs up.

Jolie receives an honorary Damehood for her work to fight sexual violence

In a statement she added: "Although Stephen continually told all of us that he didn't do his charity work for recognition, even he acknowledged that to be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire was 'awesome'."

He is joined on the list by the likes of actress Angelina Jolie, who is receiving an honorary Damehood for her work to fight sexual violence.

This week, Jolie has taken centre stage at a summit in London to End Sexual Violence in Conflict (ESVC).

Her honorary Damehood is part of the Diplomatic Service and Overseas Birthday 2014 Honours List for exceptional service to Britain overseas.

Jolie said: "Working on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) and with survivors of rape is an honour in itself.

"I know that succeeding in our goals will take a lifetime, and I am dedicated to it for all of mine."

In the acting world, Dame Maggie Smith is made a Companion of Honour, while Daniel Day-Lewis receives a knighthood, and Homeland star Damian Lewis gets an OBE.

In sport, Britain's winter Olympic winners are honoured. Skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold receives an MBE, as do visually-impaired skier Kelly Gallagher and her guide Charlotte Evans.

An OBE also goes to Wales rugby head coach Warren Gatland, while England women's cricket captain Charlotte Edwards receives a CBE.

Homeland star Damian Lewis gets an OBE

Golfer Laura Davies becomes a Dame, as do author Hilary Mantel and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.

And MBEs go to Torchwood star John Barrowman, singer songwriter Cerys Matthews, and Nicola Clarke, chair of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation.

The Cabinet Office said 1,149 people had received an award and alongside the famous faces, 73% have been given to people for the charity or voluntary work they do for their local community.

Ron and Avril Head, who have fostered 140 children over the past 30 years, were in shock at receiving their MBEs.

Mrs Head said: "We hope this will be a way of promoting fostering. There are hundreds of children waiting for people to look after them and hopefully we might inspire people."

IT entrepreneur Scott Fletcher, from Manchester, also gets an MBE for helping young people into work.

Women receive 49% of the honours, while 6.2% of all those honoured come from ethnic minority communities, a slight increase on recent lists.

The last New Year Honours List was the first in which the women outnumbered the men.

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Delays In Cancer Tests May Put Lives At Risk

Cancer patients' chances of survival could be put at risk by growing delays in the NHS carrying out tests that can diagnose the disease, experts have warned.

The number of patients in England waiting longer than the recommended six weeks for investigations such as MRI and CT scans has doubled in a year.

In April, the figure reached 16,981 - or 2.2% of all the patients waiting for such tests.

That was a six-year high and compared to April 2008 when just 2,904 patients were waiting for the 15 checks which also include audiology assessments or cardiac echos.

Macmillan Cancer Support called the delays "worrying" and said each hospital has a responsibility to meet the targets.

But it added "the Government and the next also need to take responsibility".

The charity's chief executive Ciaran Devane said: "It is extremely worrying that the proportion of people who face delays in receiving vital tests which can diagnose cancer has doubled since this time last year, from 1.1% to 2.2%.

"Only two weeks ago we heard that more people are waiting longer to start treatment and now more people are waiting longer just to get diagnosed.

"Once again, we see that cancer care in this country isn't fixed. The NHS is under strain and cancer risks being overlooked and not given the focus it needs.

"Each individual hospital has a responsibility to meet these targets, or they risk putting a patient's best chance of survival at risk."

An NHS England spokeswoman said: "Timeliness of diagnosis and treatment is what patients expect and is essential to providing high-quality care.

"The vast majority of patients get their tests promptly with most patients waiting less than three weeks from referral, despite the number of tests rising by almost 56,000 when compared to the same period last year."

On Friday, it was announced that extra funds are to be ploughed into the NHS to help keep waiting times down.

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Barefoot Boy To Be Reunited With Family

A three-year-old boy who was found alone and barefoot in a Birmingham street is to be reunited with his family.

Police made an appeal on Friday morning to trace his parents and about an hour later the child's "distressed" father contacted police to report him missing. 

The youngster was discovered in Chesterton Road, Sparkbrook - a few streets from his home - by a member of the public who alerted officers just before 10pm on Thursday.

They went to the scene and took him to a police station. He was later looked after by social services.

The child was believed to be of Somali origin but had been unable to give officers his name or any other details.

West Midlands Police say the child was black, has short black afro hair, and wore a yellow t-shirt and navy tracksuit bottoms.

Chief Inspector Ian Green, from Birmingham East Police, said: "We are very relieved to be able to hand back the little boy back to his family.

"We will of course be investigating how the boy got out of the house and we'll be speaking with the family.

"We would like to thank local people and the media for their help.

"We really appreciate all the shares and re-tweets on social media which we know has reached hundreds of thousands of people."

Earlier, Acting Inspector Amer Shams said: "This is obviously very unusual and worrying."

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Armed Robber On The Run Is 'Threat To Public'

A convict on the run from an open prison is one of nearly 90 currently at large from the same jail.

Police have warned David Blood, who absconded from Ford Prison in West Sussex on Thursday, may pose "a threat to the public".

The 48-year-old is one of the latest inmates to go on the run from the jail, with Sussex police revealing there are 89 convicts missing from Ford, including a number of murderers, and some who have been missing for years.

It is thought to be the second time Blood has escaped from an open prison. It is understood he went missing from HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire in April 2012.

On that occasion, he was not found until almost three months later.

Blood was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court in 2003 after he was convicted of robbing a post office in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands with a number of other men in December 2000.

PC Stephen Reed said: "Because of Blood's record, we have to consider that he could pose a threat to the public.

Simon Rhodes-Butler handed himself in at Sutton police station

"I would urge anyone that sees him to contact us on 999 rather than approaching him."

Police have described Blood as 6ft 1in tall (1.85m), of small build with brown eyes and cropped black hair. He is known to have links in Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Blood's escape is the latest in a spate of inmates absconding from open prisons.

The most high-profile offender to go missing was the violent armed robber Michael Wheatley - known as Skullcracker.

Wheatly carried out a raid on a building society while on the run after being let out of the Standford Hill prison in Kent last month.

He was later jailed for life.

The latest escape came as another convicted robber who had failed to return to Ford on May 22 handed himself into police.

Simon Rhodes-Butler - who robbed a garage owner of his watch in March 2011 - has been charged with escaping lawful custody.

His capture brings to 89 the number of inmates at large from the prison.

In a statement Sussex police said: "Some have been missing for a matter of weeks but others have been missing for a number of years.

"We are focused on returning each and every one of these people to prison."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The Justice Secretary has been clear that keeping the public safe is our priority and has already ordered major changes to tighten up temporary release processes and open prison eligibility.

"Absconds have reached record lows under this Government - down 80% over the last 10 years - but each and every incident is taken seriously, with the police contacted as a matter of urgency.

"Open prisons and temporary licence are an important tool in rehabilitating long term offenders but not at the expense of public safety."

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Named Doctors 'Will Improve Hospital Care'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Hospital patients will for the first time be assigned a named consultant responsible for all their care.

New guidance from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges puts individual doctors in charge of patients, even if they have multiple medical problems.

Patients will have the doctor's name written above their bed. And a named nurse on every shift will provide day-to-day care.

According to the Academy the move should improve patient safety and the quality of care - and was a key recommendation of the Francis Report into the mid-Staffs scandal.

It should also mean patients are discharged only if it is clinically appropriate and they have appropriate support.

Sky News revealed last month that many hospitals are sending patients home overnight without adequate care in place.

Professor Terence Stephenson, Chair of the Academy said: "Doctors recognise that we need to have clear lines of responsibility when it comes to the way patients are treated during their stay in hospital.

"(Patients) need to know who to go to if they have questions or if they think something needs to be done differently.

"This is vital if we are to drive up standards of care and continue to safeguard patient safety."

The guidelines were produced in response to a request by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt said: "Patients tell us that, too often, their care isn't joined up.

"That's why every patient should have a single responsible clinician whose job it is to help them with anything that goes wrong and make sure they get the care they need. This guidance will make that a reality."

The move was welcomed by the parents of two-year-old Alice Mason, who died from irreversible brain damage after a breakdown in communication by doctors at two hospitals caring for her.

Alice's mother Rosalyn told Sky News: "They should have been talking to each other on the phone at the very least.

"Faxes that were supposed to have been received from one hospital did not arrive, voicemails were not picked up. So communication is part of it."

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Twenty-Three Treated In Salmonella Outbreak

More than 20 people at a hospital in the West Midlands have been struck down by an "unusual" salmonella outbreak.

Health officials have expressed concern at how it has been spreading and are investigating the cause.

They said there were usually two to four cases reported across the region each month.

Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital said eight patients were being treated in its wards for the effects of the bacteria. All are in a stable condition.

Four staff members and 19 patients have so far tested positive for a common strain of salmonella.

This has prompted fears of a more widespread community-based outbreak.

Restrictions have been put in place on visitors to eight wards at the hospital, and deep-cleaning processes have been implemented.

A hospital spokesman said tests had not highlighted any signs of the salmonella bacteria in hospital food or water.

All visitors to the medical facility are being asked wash their hands on entry and exit from any ward area.

And they are advised not to visit the site if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting within the previous 48 hours.

Medical director Dr Andrew Catto said: "Any infection in someone who is already ill can be very serious and we are taking every precaution possible to protect our patients and staff.

"We are concerned by the spread and number of patients who have tested positive, as this is unusual.

"Not all community salmonella cases get reported, as many people recover quickly and do not feel the need to go to see their GP.

"Usually, we see between two and four cases across the West Midlands reported monthly and for a hospital to see this number in such a short space of time requires expert investigation."

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Passport Surge: Theresa May Warned A Year Ago

Theresa May was warned a year ago the closure of overseas passport offices would lead to 350,000 extra applications, it has emerged.

It comes as a huge surge of requests for passports was blamed for a significant backlog, prompting the Home Secretary to bring in a series of measures aimed at tackling delays.

Mrs May said the hold-ups, affecting holidaymakers and business travellers had been caused by the highest demand seen for more than a decade, and agreed it was an "unprecedented increase...which no one could have foreseen".

Boxes of applications waiting to be dealt with at Liverpool passport office

But in a report published in July last year, Paul Pugh, the head of the Identity and Passport Service, predicted there would be around an extra 350,000 applications to UK offices as a result of overseas embassies closing their passport desks and relocating operations back to Britain in a £20m cost-cutting move.

In an emergency Commons statement on Monday, Mrs May said the passport office was receiving "350,000 more applications for passport applications and renewals" than normal for this time of year.

Mrs May also indicated the increase was due in part to the "improved economic environment".

She insisted the Government was doing all it could to deal with the backlog of more than 30,000 applications which had not been dealt with within the normal three-week deadline.

In a sign of the continuing crisis, interviews for first-time applicants for passports have been suspended in London, with people directed to other offices in the region.

The Home Office insists the two figures are completely separate

With anger mounting over the delays, Mrs May announced a series of measures aimed at tackling he problem.

Urgent applications will be fast-tracked for free, and an extra 200 staff would be drafted in to deal with applications.

People applying to renew passports overseas for travel to the UK would be given an automatic 12-month extension.

And those applying for passports overseas for their children would also be issued with emergency travel documents for travel to the UK - although they will still have to provide "comprehensive proof" that they are the parents.

Mrs May admitted there was no "big bang, single solution" to the crisis.

But her Labour opposite number accused Mrs May of presiding over a "sorry shambles" and called on her to apologise to the thousands of people whose travel plans had been thrown into doubt.

The Home Office says the 350,000 mentioned in the IPS report and those quoted by Mrs May are two different sets of figures.

The forecast figure was also for the full year, while the extra applications mentioned by the Home Secretary covered the period January to May.

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