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Robber On The Run After Fleeing Court Dock

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 22 Juni 2013 | 16.12

Police are searching for a teenage robber who fled a court dock as a judge was about to send him to jail.

Unemployed Ricky Kerry, 19, ran from the dock at Southend Crown Court after being sentenced to 28 months in prison for robbery, said Essex Police which has begun a manhunt.

A spokesman added: "He made off on foot at just after 12.45pm in the direction of Baxter Avenue. He was wearing a grey tracksuit and has brown eyes."

It is understood Kerry, of Southend, escaped through heavy double doors at the entrance to the court and down two flights of stairs.

Security guards chased him but could not catch him.

The force said Kerry was being sentenced for a robbery in Southend in April in which he punched a man and took his mobile phone.

Anyone with information should contact Essex Police on 101.


16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

GCHQ Spies 'Tap Fibre Optic Cables For Data'

British spies have secretly accessed fibre-optic cables carrying huge numbers of emails, Facebook messages and other communications, according to The Guardian.

Documents given to the newspaper by US whistleblower Edward Snowden suggest eavesdropping agency GCHQ can analyse data from the network of cables that carry global phone calls and internet traffic under an operation codenamed Tempora.

The newspaper said data had been shared with the organisation's US counterpart, the National Security Agency.

GCHQ, in Cheltenham, refuses to comment on intelligence matters but insisted it was "scrupulous" in complying with the law.

It is the latest in a string of leaks from Mr Snowden, who has told The Guardian he wants to expose "the largest programme of suspicionless surveillance in human history".

The newspaper said there were two principal components to the agency's surveillance programme, called Mastering the Internet and Global Telecoms Exploitation.

The paper claimed Operation Tempora had been running for 18 months.

GCHQ and the NSA can access communications including recordings of phone calls and a user's entire internet history, the documents suggest - and their scans apparently entirely innocent people as well as specific suspects.

Edward Snowden Edward Snowden has been charged with espionage

Mr Snowden, who fled the US for Hong Kong after deciding to reveal the NSA's secrets, told the paper: "It's not just a US problem. The UK has a huge dog in this fight," he said.

"They (GCHQ) are worse than the US."

The Guardian reported that GCHQ lawyers told US counterparts there was a "light oversight regime" in Britain compared with America.

The newspaper said the documents revealed that by last year GCHQ was handling 600 million "telephone events" each day, had tapped more than 200 fibre-optic cables and was able to process data from at least 46 of them at a time.

The intelligence gathered is understood to have led to a number of high-profile arrests and convictions, including a terror cell in the Midlands. It is also claimed to have led to the arrest of London-based individuals planning attacks prior to last year's Olympic Games.

A source close to the intelligence agencies told Sky News' Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge that GCHQ scanned data for possible indications of a threat to national security, and that most of the information is not looked at in detail.

The work is legal and subject to ministerial scrutiny, the source said.

Ridge said: "At the same time this is of course going to reignite the big debate over the balance between protecting national security and making sure that people's personal details aren't compromised."

Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch's director Nick Pickes said: "If GCHQ have been intercepting huge numbers of innocent people's communications as part of a massive sweeping exercise, then I struggle to see how that squares with a process that requires a warrant for each individual intercept. This question must be urgently addressed in Parliament."

A GCHQ spokeswoman said: "Our intelligence agencies continue to adhere to a rigorous legal compliance regime."

US authorities have filed espionage charges against Mr Snowden, a former CIA technician who formerly worked for the NSA, and have asked Hong Kong to detain him.


16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jeremy Forrest: Child Sex Teacher Jailed

A teacher who fled to France with his pupil and spent a week on the run has been jailed after admitting five counts of sexual activity with a child.

Jeremy Forrest, who was convicted by a jury yesterday of abducting the schoolgirl, pleaded guilty to the additional charges and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

During his trial, the prosecution labelled him a "paedophile" and said he "groomed" the vulnerable teenager.

The 30-year-old insists he still loves the youngster, who broke down in tears and told him she was "sorry" as he was found guilty of her abduction.

She did not attend court for his sentencing but in a victim statement her mother said she had been "robbed" of her childhood.

"I feel like the worst mother in the world," she said. "Someone has got my child and I never saw it coming."

Jeremy Forrest, the British teacher who ran away with a 15-year-old pupil, is escorted in a plane to Britain on October 10, 2012 after being extradited from France. Forrest is led onto a plane to be extradited from France last October

Passing sentence, the judge at Lewes Crown Court said Forrest "chose to ignore the cardinal rule of teaching" by starting a sexual relationship with the teenager shortly after her 15th birthday.

"Your behaviour in this period has been motivated by self-interest and has hurt and damaged many people - her family, your family, staff and pupils at the school and respect for teachers everywhere," Michael Lawson QC said.

"It has damaged you too but that was something you were prepared to risk. You now have to pay that price."

He added: "I have seen nothing in the evidence which shows that at any stage you tried to provide proper boundaries between yourself and her, to discourage her, or let other staff deal with the matter appropriately.

"Indeed all the evidence shows that you encouraged her infatuation and provided opportunities for her to communicate with you and be alone with you."

Jeremy Forrest, with head covered, is escorted to a police car after arriving at Gatwick airport by plane. Forrest arrived back in the UK with his head covered

Rumours of Forrest's relationship with the teenager surfaced in February last year, when the pair were spotted holding hands during a flight on a school trip to Los Angeles.

The girl, now 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted having a crush on Forrest, who taught at Bishop Bell Church of England School in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

They exchanged flirty text messages, tweets and photographs but denied any wrongdoing when pressed by the school.

Fearing their relationship was about to be exposed when police were alerted last September, Forrest abducted the youngster and took her on a cross-Channel ferry to France, where they spent a week on the run.

The couple dyed their hair, assumed false names and dropped a mobile phone into the English Channel in an effort to avoid being caught, but were tracked down after a Europe-wide search.

Jeremy Forrest's family outside Lewes Crown Court The family of Jeremy Forrest give their reaction to the sentencing

In a statement read outside court, Forrest's family said he was "very sorry for his actions" during what they described as a "sorry episode for all concerned".

"Despite the verdict and today's sentence, there are many factors in this case which need to be examined and addressed, including the failure to properly act on early warnings," they said.

"We sincerely hope these are looked into and not simply swept under the carpet."

A spokesman for Bishop Bell School said the staff had only "very limited anecdotal hearsay and no evidence of relationship" when concerns were first raised.

He said that before Forrest fled the country, the school had intended to remove him from the classroom while an internal investigation into possible professional misconduct was carried out.

School teacher Jeremy Forrest is led from a prison van into Lewes Crown Crown, in Lewes A jury took just two hours to find Forrest guilty of abduction

The spokesman said staff remained "deeply shocked by the actions of Mr Forrest and his betrayal of the trust that was placed in him".

"It is important that the strongest possible message is sent to all who work with children that they hold a position of responsibility and trust for the lives, and wellbeing, of those in their care," he said.

"We take our responsibility extremely seriously and our safeguarding policies and procedures are robust.

"However, we are determined to implement any learning from these events to ensure that all pupils at the school are as safe as they possibly could be."

A police photograph of Jeremy Forrest Jeremy Forrest was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ling, of Sussex Police, said Forrest was in a "position of responsibility, authority and trust over the children in his care, which included this young, vulnerable victim".

"He grossly abused the trust placed in him and his actions caused distress and anxiety amongst parents, family members and the school community," he said.

Nigel Pilkington, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: "We're pleased that Forrest has been sentenced for the full extent of his criminality, sparing his victim and her family from having to go through another trial."

Forrest, of Petts Wood, London, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for each count of sexual activity. The sentences will run at the same time. A one-year sentence for abduction will run consecutively.

The judge also imposed a sexual offences prevention order on Forrest, banning him from working or volunteering with children and unsupervised contact with children forever.


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Serious Speeding Offences In UK Jump By 10%

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 21 Juni 2013 | 16.12

The number of drivers summoned to court for speeding increased by 10% last year - meaning more drivers are committing the most serious speeding offences, new figures reveal.

In 2012, 48,000 drivers - nearly 1,000 a week - appeared before magistrates for breaking the speed limit - up from 44,000 the previous year.

But the number of fixed penalty notices for lower-level speeding offences fell by 6% to almost half a million.

In total, British motorists were fined £30m for speeding last year.

The police data, obtained by a freedom of information request from LV= car insurance, suggests a growing minority of drivers are committing the worst offences.

Most drivers who were caught speeding said they were spotted by fixed speed cameras (62%), with a significant proportion caught by police with a camera at the roadside (22%) and police without a camera (10%).

Many motorists admit they regularly exceed the speed limit without getting caught.

One in seven (14%) drivers say they avoid detection by memorising where police patrol in their area, while others have technology in their vehicles, such as SatNavs, to detect fixed speed cameras and alert them while driving (16%).

Britain's roads are set to get even faster in future as last week the Government announced that trials of an 80mph speed limit could take place from August this year.

According to current Association of Chief Police Officers guidelines, a motorist caught driving at 80 mph on the motorway (70mph speed limit) would receive an on-the-spot fine but would need to be travelling at 96mph to receive a court summons.

If the speed limit is increased to 80mph, it is possible that only those driving well over 100mph would receive a court summons.

John O'Roarke, managing director of LV= car insurance, said: "While overall speeding convictions are down, it appears that the police are rightly taking a hard line on the most serious speeding offences.

"However, if a driver is caught exceeding the limit by even just a few mph, they can still be fined and given penalty points. Drivers should take care to know their limits to avoid a fine, penalty points or worse."


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UFO Desk: Why MoD Shut Real-Life X-Files

The mystery behind the closure of the Ministry of Defence's UFO desk and hotline in 2009 has been solved with the release of declassified files.

The Government shut down its UFO operations because they served "no defence purpose" and were taking staff away from "more valuable defence-related activities", according to 25 files from the National Archives.

Documents reveal 643 sightings were reported in 2009, treble the previous year and the second highest recorded since 1978 when 750 sightings were logged.

UFO files Diagram of 'UFO sightings' in Derbyshire and Staffordshire in 2009

They include accounts of alleged abductions, contact with aliens - including a person who claimed they'd been living with an alien - and UFO sightings near UK landmarks like the Houses of Parliament.

Despite these, in a briefing for then defence minister Bob Ainsworth in November 2009, Carl Mantell, of the RAF's Air Command, said in more than 50 years, "no UFO sighting reported to (MoD) has ever revealed anything to suggest an extra-terrestrial presence or military threat to the UK".

The memo said there was "no defence benefit" in the recording, collating, analysis or investigation of the sightings, adding: "The level of resources diverted to this task is increasing in response to a recent upsurge in reported sightings, diverting staff from more valuable defence-related activities."

UFO files An apparent UFO sighting at Stonehenge in 2009

Officials predicted a backlash from "ufologists" to the decision to close the UFO desk, and also noted that they had "deliberately avoided formal approaches to other governments on the issue" amid fears of "international collaboration and conspiracy".

The files also revealed campaigns by ufologists for the Government to investigate sightings more thoroughly, with letters sent to senior ministers, former prime minister Gordon Brown and even the Queen, calling for more action.

After the closure, air traffic control centres and local police forces were advised to no longer refer UFO sightings to the MoD.

An official MoD statement said: "The Ministry of Defence has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra-terrestrial life.

UFO files Image of an apparent UFO taken by a correspondent in Swansea

"However, in over 50 years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom.

"The MoD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings. There is no defence benefit in such investigation and it would be an inappropriate use of defence resources.

"Furthermore, responding to reported UFO sightings diverts MoD resources from tasks that are relevant to defence.

"MoD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them."

UFO files Photograph of a 'UFO' taken at Blackpool Pier in 2008

Sightings recorded in the documents, which cover the years 2007 to 2009, include:

:: A letter from a school child to the MoD asking for the truth about UFOs after she had seen some strange lights, and including a drawing of an alien in a UFO waving.

:: A report received via the UFO hotline by someone who had been "living with an alien" in Carlisle for some time, and one from a man from Cardiff who claimed a UFO abducted his dog, car and tent while he was camping with friends in 2007.

:: Sightings of UFOs over the Houses of Parliament, Stonehenge and Blackpool Pier.

UFO files An apparent UFO seen over Duns, Scottish Borders in 2008

Nick Pope, who previously worked on the MoD's UFO desk, said: "I hope people have as much fun reading these real-life X-Files as I had working on them.

"These documents don't resolve the UFO mystery, but they certainly show how the phenomenon was just as intriguing to the Government as it is to the public.

"These are the real-life X-Files. Most UFO sightings had conventional explanations, but a small percentage remained unexplained.

"These included cases where UFOs were seen by police officers, chased by pilots and tracked on radar.

UFO files A letter and drawing from a Manchester schoolgirl sent in 2009

"Whatever you think about UFOs, the release of these files shines a light on one of the most intriguing subjects ever studied by the British Government".

The files include 4,400 pages and cover the work carried out in the final two years of the MoD's UFO desk, from late 2007 until November 2009.

Also contained in the files are briefings about possible reasons for the surge of UFO sighting reports.

The files suggest that it was believed the increase could be partly a result of the craze for releasing Chinese lanterns at weddings and public holidays.


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Hunt: NHS Errors 'Cost 3,000 Lives Last Year'

Around 3,000 NHS patients died needlessly last year because of poor care, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will say in a speech later.

He will also confirm that nearly 500,000 people were harmed unnecessarily as he calls on the NHS to end the "silent scandal of errors".

Mr Hunt's words come after allegations that top bosses at the Care Quality Commission were involved in a cover-up of its failure to investigate a spate of baby deaths.

One of the women implicated, ex-CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower, has resigned from her current post as a non-executive trustee of the Skills for Health lobbying body, while her former deputy Jill Finney has been sacked as chief commercial officer of internet domain company Nominet.

The CQC revealed both women and media manager Anna Jefferson were present during a discussion about deleting an internal review which criticised the CQC's inspections of University Hospitals of Morcambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, where a number of mothers and babies had died.

The three women deny that they tried to cover up the report and Ms Bower insists she "gave no instruction to delete" the report.

Mr Hunt told Sky News' Sunrise programme that the NHS was not "in crisis" and said a new system of tough inspections would help prevent a repeat of the Morecambe scandal.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt Mr Hunt says the UK has become 'numb' to NHS failings

He also suggested former executives responsible for the alleged cover-up at the CQC could be stripped of their pensions.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "These are very, very serious allegations and they should have very, very serious consequences if they are proved.

"I know the CQC are looking into disciplinary procedures and what can be done, what sanctions are available, whether you can have forfeiture of pensions, all those things."

In a speech at University College London Hospitals, Mr Hunt will reveal that 325 "never events" were recorded last year - incidents so unacceptable that they should never happen.

He is expected to say the UK has become "so numbed to the inevitability of patient harm that we accept the unacceptable" and call for a more open culture where errors are constantly revealed and reduced.

"The facts are clear," Mr Hunt will say.

"Last year there were nearly half a million incidents that led to patients being harmed, and 3,000 people lost their lives while in the care of the NHS.

Joshua Titcombe died aged just nine days old in Furness General Hospital in 2008 after staff failed to spot and treat an infection Concerns were raised after Josh Titcombe died at Furness General Hospital

"It is time for a major rethink - a different kind of culture and leadership, where staff are supported to do what their instincts and commitment to patients tell them.

"We must make sure that patients know where the buck stops and who is ultimately responsible for their care.

"And above all, we must listen more to NHS staff, so we can design systems that encourage them to act safely whatever pressures they face."

Mr Hunt has said he is "very pleased" the individuals involved had now been named and that it is a sign the NHS is changing.

Concerns were first raised about the Morecambe Bay trust in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave it a clean bill of health.

In his speech today Mr Hunt will add: "In the wake of Mid Staffs, Morecambe Bay and many other shocking lapses in care, we must ask ourselves whether we, along with other countries, have become so numbed to the inevitability of patient harm that we accept the unacceptable."

The Health Secretary will call for the NHS to become the "world's safest health system" and a return to the days when the name of the responsible doctor and nurse were clearly written above every hospital bed.

Figures for 2011/12 show 70 patients as having received "wrong site" surgery, where the wrong part of the body or even the wrong patient was operated on, and 41 people were given incorrect implants or prostheses.

Despite such failings, health officials said the NHS tops a comparison on patient safety, beating France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the US.

It sees nearly three million people every week and around 0.4% of those appointments ended up with incidents of harm while 0.003% ended with a person's death.

:: Watch Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt speaking live on Sky News from 9.30am on satellite channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


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Billing Errors Cost Families Up To £400 A Year

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 20 Juni 2013 | 16.13

Millions of families are being left up to £400 out of pocket due to errors in calculating their household bills.

A new report claims 70% of consumers have been overcharged in the past year, with a third more than once.

Billing mistakes by firms responsible for essential bills, such as utilities, telecoms and mortgages totalled around £6.7bn in 2012, according to figures from price comparison website uSwitch.com.

It found customers were overcharged an average of £196 and had to wait around 53 days for a refund, with one in 10 overcharged by £400 or more.

More than one in ten (13%) had to wait between two to six months to get their money back. Some (12%) are still trying to get the issue resolved, while 6% were never refunded.

The most common causes of the errors included charges being added to a bill which never should have been (42%), incorrect tariff or product details being used (32%) or a special offer or discount not being applied to the bill (25%).

Some 95% of the mistakes were spotted by the customers themselves - not the companies.

And researchers found that a quarter of people received a bill that simply did not add up.

On average people spent eight hours and £23 on phone calls and correspondence trying to sort out mistakes, with just 7% receiving an instant refund.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: "Overcharging on household bills is rife and yet it still seems to be down to the customer to spot it.

"Consumers have to keep their wits about them and ensure that they check all their household bills carefully - if you are not checking then the chances are that a mistake will have slipped through and this could be costing you dear.

"At the same time I would urge companies to do as much as possible to help their customers by making household bills simpler, clearer and easier to understand."

She added: "Nobody can afford to be left out of pocket because a company didn't quite get its sums right."


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NHS 'Cover-Up' Staff Could Be Named

A decision not to name those accused of covering-up failures by an NHS watchdog to properly investigate baby deaths could be reversed.

The Care Quality Commission has been accused of destroying an internal report into maternity units that were part of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust.

An independent investigation that was leaked on Wednesday found the CQC failed to properly inspect the Morecambe Bay Trust, where up to 16 babies died.

CQC chief executive David Behan said legal advice was being reviewed to see if the names of those responsible for deleting a critical review of the initial inspection could be "put into the public domain".

Joshua Titcombe died aged just nine days old in Furness General Hospital in 2008 after staff failed to spot and treat an infection Joshua Titcombe died in Furness General Hospital after staff failures

He said: "Ever since I commissioned this independent review it has been our intention to place the report into the public domain.

"We received legal advice that we could not name individuals and to do so would be to break the law. We are now seeking a review of the original legal advice."

A spokeswoman confirmed to Sky News that the review is "happening this morning" but couldn't provide details of how long it may take or when names may be made public.  

Concerns were first raised in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave the trust, which serves 365,000 people in south Cumbria and north Lancashire, a clean bill of health.

Wednesday's report suggested that CQC bosses were so concerned about protecting the watchdog's reputation that they ordered an internal review to be deleted because it showed their original inspection was flawed.

One of the senior managers at the CQC at the time refused to comment when contacted by Sky News.

Jill Finney was Deputy Chief Executive at the CQC between 2009 and March 2013 and put the phone down when asked if she would discuss the scandal.

She is now Chief Commercial Officer at internet firm Nominet UK. 

Joshua Titcombe died in 2008 aged just nine days old in Furness General Hospital, one of the hospitals overseen by Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, after staff failed to spot and treat an infection.

His father James said the news of the cover-up was "shocking".

"It embodies everything that is wrong with the culture in the NHS. It's something that's been rotten really about the system," he said.

"We need it to change. We need that culture to change. Patient safety should be the number one priority, and organisations that work within regulation need to be aligned with that principle."


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Poor Children Are Being 'Failed By Schools'

Disadvantaged children are being failed by the education system, according to the chief inspector of schools.

In a speech Sir Michael Wilshaw warned there was an "invisible minority" of disadvantaged children living in "leafy suburbs, market towns or seaside resorts" who were being let down by their schools.

He said these children were "labelled and buried in lower sets" then allowed to coast through schools.

He believes an army of top teachers employed by the Government is necessary, used to target schools that are failing.

Sir Michael Wilshaw Sir Michael Wilshaw says some schools are "coasting"

"The quality of education is the most important issue facing Britain today," he said.

"In the long term, our success as a nation - our prosperity, our security, our society - depends on how well we raise and educate our young people across the social spectrum."

Sir Michael was once head of Mossbourne Academy, Hackney, a failing school which under his direction has become one where places are sought after.

He said: "Nothing is predictable or predestined about poverty leading to failure - I've always believed that. Poor children can do well."

The head now is Peter Hughes. He said: "Mossbourne has shown the rest of Hackney what can be achieved. People now believe it is possible. People come and see how we've done it and that's having a ripple effect."

In the last 20 to 30 years, standards in schools in major cities such as London, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Leicester have been transformed, and problems of under-achievement have shifted to deprived coastal towns and rural areas of the country, especially in the East and South East of England, Sir Michael will argue.

There are also a significant number of poorer children in reasonably rich areas such as Kettering, Wokingham, Norwich and Newbury, who are being failed by their schools.

"Today, many of the disadvantaged children performing least well in school can be found in leafy suburbs, market towns or seaside resorts," he said.

"Often they are spread thinly, as an 'invisible minority' across areas that are relatively affluent.

"These poor, unseen children can be found in mediocre schools the length and breadth of our country. They are labelled, buried in lower sets, consigned as often as not to indifferent teaching. They coast through education until - at the earliest opportunity - they sever their ties with it."

Sir Michael urged the consideration of a "National Teaching Service", with teachers employed directly by the government who can be sent to struggling schools.

:: Watch Sir Michael Wilshaw's speech live at 10am on Sky News - satellite channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and freeview Channel 82.


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Bulgaria Balcony Fall Death: Brit Teen Killed

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 19 Juni 2013 | 16.12

A "popular and well-liked" British teenager has died after apparently plunging 10 floors from a hotel balcony while on holiday in Bulgaria.

Liam Davies, 19, was believed to have fallen more than 130ft to his death after returning to the hotel in a taxi with friends on Sunday following a night out.

They did not have enough money to pay the fare and so Mr Davies reportedly went to his 10th-floor room to get some cash, but never returned.

When his friends went to look for him they found his body on the ground below the room's balcony. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim, known as Shaun, was on a package holiday in the popular resort of Sunny Beach on the Black Sea coast.

Mr Davies, from Llanelli, south Wales, worked as a customer care assistant for McDonald's at the town's Trostre Retail Park.

"We are extremely saddened by the news of the death of Liam Davies, known to McDonald's friends and colleagues as Shaun," said Ann Jones, business manager of the restaurant.

"He was an extremely popular and well-liked member of the team and we are working to support our staff at this very difficult time."

Friends also paid tribute on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter.

Alison White wrote: "Still in total shock over the death of Shaun - why is it that only the good die young? It was such a privilege knowing Shaun he was one of life's kindest, funniest, most caring people."

A spokeswoman for travel firm Thomas Cook confirmed "the tragic death of Mr Liam Davies whilst on holiday in Bulgaria".

She added: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Liam's family and friends, and our team in resort are providing their total support during this very difficult time."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We can confirm a British national has died at the Sunny Beach resort, in Bulgaria.

"We are liaising with the authorities in the country and consular assistance is being offered."


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Major UK Supermarkets Launch New Food Labels

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

Major supermarkets and food manufacturers are introducing a new traffic light labelling system to help people make healthier choices.

Until now, businesses had different labels on the front of their products to try to explain the nutritional value of meals and drinks, leading to confusion for customers.

This will be replaced by a standardised system across a range of products.

"It's a traffic light system," said Janet Taylor, diet and health manager for The Co-operative Food.

Food labels Some common products featuring the new labelling

"This is basically to help customers make an informed choice, you can clearly see how much fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt is in the product.

"A green traffic light indicates a healthy choice, amber indicates an OK choice and red, well, you should eat this product in moderation. So it really is helping customers choose healthier options."

Those who have signed up to the scheme so far account for more than 60% of the food sold in the UK.

As well as The Co-operative, they include Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, McCain Foods, Mars UK, Nestlé UK, PepsiCo UK and Premier Foods.

The Government hopes others will join.

Public Health Minister Anna Soubry said: "The UK already has the largest number of products using a front-of-pack label in Europe.

"But we know that people get confused by the variety of labels that are used.

"Research shows that of all the current schemes, people like this label the most and they can use the information to make healthier choices.

"We all have a responsibility to tackle the challenge of obesity, including the food industry.

"By having all major retailers and manufacturers signed up to the consistent label, we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food - this is why I want to see more manufacturers signing up and using the label."

The new labelling should start appearing over the next few months, with the majority of products made or sold by participating companies re-labelled by the end of next year.


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Girl Guides: Latest Promise Drops God Line

Girl Guides will no longer pledge their devotion to God when they join the organisation, it has been announced.

The phrase "to love my God" has been dropped from the promise after a consultation suggested different words are needed to include the non-religious.

Instead, girls joining the organisation will now be asked to "be true to myself and develop my beliefs".

A mention of vowing to love or serve God has been included in the promise since the Guides began in 1910.

Girl Guides help a disabled First World War veteran, in 1926 In 1926 Girl Guides help a disabled First World War veteran at a camp

Originally, new members were asked to "do my duty to God", and this was changed to "love my God" in 1994.

The move has been welcomed by secular groups who said it was a "hugely positive" development.

The new promise also asks guides "to serve the Queen and my community" instead of "the Queen and my country".

Around 44,000 people responded to the consultation on changing the wording of the oath, Girlguiding said.

Chief guide Gill Slocombe said: "We hope that our new promise will allow all girls - of all faiths and none - to understand and feel proud of their commitment."

It is the 11th time in the organisation's history that the promise has been changed. The last time was in 1994.

The new promise reads: "I promise that I will do my best: to be true to myself and develop my beliefs, to serve the Queen and my community, to help other people and to keep the (Brownie) Guide law."

A Brownie displays some of the achievement badges on her uniform Girlguiding also runs Rainbows, Brownies, and a senior section

Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "By omitting any explicit mention of God or religion the Guide Association has grasped the opportunity to make itself truly inclusive and relevant to the reality of 21st century Britain."

Girlguiding is a leading UK charity for girls and young women with 546,406 members.

It runs the Rainbows which is for five to seven-year-olds, Brownies, for seven to 10-year-olds, Guides for 10 to 14-year-olds and the Senior Section for 14-25-year-olds.


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