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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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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Harrison Ford: 'Hopes For Good News Soon'

Harrison Ford has spent a second night in hospital after being injured while filming the news Star Wars movie at Pinewood Studios.

The actor broke his ankle and had to be airlifted to hospital in Oxford where he has been treated for his injury.

A publicist for the film told Sky News they were: "Hoping to announce some good news soon."

Ford, 71, was reported to have been hurt when the door of the Millennium Falcon fell on him.

The cast of Star Wars episode vii

A spokesman for Ford's wife, the Ally McBeal actress Calista Flockhart, told The Daily Telegraph she was flying out to the UK to be with her husband.

The actor is reprising his role as Han Solo in the latest episode in the Star Wars franchise, Episode VII, which is being directed by JJ Abrams and is scheduled for release in December 2015.

Harrison Ford and wife Calista Flockhart

Disney spokesman Paul Roeder said filming would continue on schedule while Ford recovers.

A spokesman for Lucasfilm said: "Harrison Ford sustained an ankle injury during filming today on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII.

"He was taken to a local hospital and is receiving care. Shooting will continue as planned while he recuperates."

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford will reprise their roles

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said confirmed they had been called to the set at around 5pm on Thursday and confirmed the actor had been airlifted to hospital.

He added the actor had been injured by a "garage door" and said: "The Health and Safety Executive have been informed and will look into it."

Ford's co-stars include many of those who were in the original film - Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - including Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

The plot of Episode VII has been kept a secret, but Abrams said it would also feature Lord Of The Rings star Andy Serkis and 12 Years A Slave actress Lupita Nyong'o.

The plot takes place 30 years after the end of Return Of The Jedi.

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Two Casualties As Plane Crashes Near M1

A light aircraft has crashed close to the M1 motorway in Nottinghamshire with two people on board, according to police.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokeswoman confirmed there were two casualties in the accident, which took place close to junction 26 of the motorway, near Hucknall Aerodrome, at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

It was unclear what condition they were in.

The spokeswoman said: "The police, fire service and ambulance service attended and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch will be investigating this incident."

More follows...

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Rise Of The Robots: UK Inventors' US Mission

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

British robots are set to invade America.

Seven UK robotics companies will tour Silicon Valley as part of a trade mission organised by the Technology Strategy Board.

The companies include Reach Robotics, which makes robotic toys, Shadow Robot, makers of a controllable hand, and Maplebird, which is developing a prototype drone that mimics the flight of a bird.

Silas Adekunle says 'British talent is booming'

Zoe Webster, from the Technology Strategy Board, told Sky News: "The mission allows us to help a group of the most innovative companies in robotics and autonomous systems to go out to see the largest markets in the world, and get some unique insight into the world.

"In the UK we're particularly strong at things like design, usability - and those are key aspects in robotics, in order to make real systems that real people will use."

The UK has a strong research tradition in robotics, but a more limited record of developing that research.

More recently, companies have come out of research institutes like the Bristol Robotics lab.

Silas Adekunle, the founder of Reach Robotics, told Sky News: "British talent is booming. There are lots of research labs at the forefront of technology.

"In the States, they're more about commercialising it. As we keep developing and bringing new technologies to life, we'll also get to that stage, where we can exploit the results of that research."

Much of that commercialisation has been driven by the convergence of other technologies - notably, the smartphone.

Maplebird's prototype drone mimics the flight of a bird

Rich Walker, managing director of London-based Shadow Robot, told Sky News: "Mobile phone technology has been a game-changer for robotics.

"Packing sensors, actuators and batteries in computing into tiny spaces. And with that, we can take robot hands out of the lab into the world."

US tech giants have been looking to use robots in the real world. Amazon's warehouses are full of Kiva robots, which move pallets around.

Google has bought eight robotics start-ups, including Boston Dynamics, the makers of animal and human-like machines.

UK companies have a long way to go if they are to catch up. The mission to Silicon Valley aims to give them a head start.

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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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War Zone Sex Crime Summit 'Has Opened Eyes'

By Rachel Younger, Sky Correspondent

A summit that brought together 123 countries to end rape in conflict has opened the eyes of the world, according to the Foreign Secretary.

In his closing speech at the conference in London, William Hague said: "I hope it is a moment we will look back on and say this was where we started to tip the tipping point, this was where we started to turn the tide, this was where we demonstrated to millions of people that it is possible to succeed in defeating and ending sexual violence in conflict."

The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict was co-chaired by Angelina Jolie.

Ms Jolie hugs one of the delegates

The Hollywood star was visibly moved as she told the audience: "For me, and I suspect for many of you, this summit has been an emotional experience.

"We have all come together based on a common desire to end war zone sexual violence, and we have mapped out every area of action we need to take."

The four-day event was attended by over 2,000 delegates - including foreign ministers, survivors and workers in the field.

The Foreign Office has refused to say how much it cost, but it has yielded some immediate results.

Rape victim Poline Akello from Uganda

Three more countries - Benin, Niger and Cameroon - have signed up to the UN Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence, bringing the number of signatories to 150.

An extra £6m has been pledged by the UK to help survivors and an international protocol has been agreed on how to prosecute those responsible.

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who attended the closing session, praised the work of Ms Jolie and Mr Hague, who began their campaign two years ago.

William Hague with John Kerry

Ms Jolie said one of the "most heartening" aspects of the summit had been seeing so many of the world's male leaders "prepared to confront the taboos" surrounding the subject.

Poline Akello, who was abducted from her home in Uganda and held as a sex slave for seven years, told Sky News she was delighted voices like hers had finally been heard.

"I think things will change after this summit. Because leaders will be ashamed - I myself will be ashamed - if something is not done after this," she said.

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Injured British Rower Rescued In Atlantic

A Briton trying to row solo across the Atlantic from New York to Stornoway in Scotland has been rescued after suffering a back injury.

Niall Iain Macdonald sent out a distress call on Friday and was picked-up by the US coastguard early the following day, abandoning his seven-metre boat.

The 39-year-old rower was in pain, his face was covered in blood from a cut to his head and he was "very thankful" to be rescued, said coastguard spokesman Lt. James Provost.

Mr Macdonald, who was being treated at the Bayonne Medical Centre in New Jersey, was around 100 miles off the New York coast when he made the call.

He contacted British coastguards in Falmouth, Cornwall, on Friday evening at around 8.30pm in what a spokeswoman described as "a considerable amount of pain and distress".

She said Mr Macdonald, from Stornoway in the Western Isles, had injured his back in what may have been a weather-related fall.

The coastguard told US colleagues where he was.

They then confirmed Mr Macdonald had been located and was brought on to a rescue vessel.

The Scotsman said on his website his transatlantic attempt was to raise money for the Scottish Association for Mental Health

He began his 3,400-mile journey in New York on June 5, aiming to reach Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis at the beginning of September.

He wrote: "Only 10 people have successfully rowed solo from west to east across the North Atlantic (more people have walked on the moon!) and no one has ever completed the route that I am undertaking."

The challenge would have involved rowing for 12 hours each day for the three-month period.

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