Don't Drink Two Days In A Row, Government Says

People should only drink alcohol every other day to avoid health problems like cancer, heart attacks and liver disease, government officials are warning.

The new guidelines drawn up by Public Health England, a government quango promoting healthy living, will recommend drinkers follow a "one day on, one day off" rule.

The 92-page paper says: "Daily drinking is a key contributor to increased risk, so it is possible that promoting a simple approach such as never drinking two days in a row would have a positive impact."

However, the advice has been criticised as "nannying" and experts questioned whether it would decrease health risks and encourage heavy drinkers to cut back.

"Giving up alcohol on alternate days is not something most doctors would recognise as a helpful strategy to curb excessive drinking," GP Martin Scurr told the Daily Mail.

"It's hard to see how this plan from Public Health England will persuade excessive drinkers to rein back."

Conservative MP and former minister Gerald Howarth said the advice was "completely unrealistic" and an example of the "nanny state".

"People have the common sense to know how to look after themselves," he told the Mail.

The Public Health England strategy said changes to alcohol pricing as well as the availability and strength of alcohol are more likely to have "immediate positive impacts" and it would continue to work on those areas.

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Laughing Gas Crackdown Amid 'Disturbing' Craze

A "deeply disturbing" laughing gas craze sweeping the country is being fuelled by internet videos that glamorise use of the substance, council leaders say.

Hauls of canisters are confiscated from UK streets every night, with one London council - Hackney - seizing 1,200 on one Saturday alone.  

Officials in Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Thames Valley have also reported increasing numbers of canisters being found.

Council leaders are so concerned they have launched a campaign to highlight the dangers of the chemical.

Thousands of canisters are seized every weekend (pic Rob Brewer/Flickr)

In particular, the Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for web giants, such as YouTube, to crack down on internet videos which promote the use of laughing gas.

The association, which represents around 400 councils in England and Wales, said it was "deeply disturbing" that people widely view nitrous oxide as a "safe" legal high.

And the LGA warned that the chemical - which is regularly taken at nightspots, festivals and parties by almost half a million young people across the country - has been linked to a number of deaths.

It said abusing nitrous oxide can lead to oxygen deprivation resulting in loss of blood pressure, fainting and even heart attacks.

"It is deeply disturbing that this drug, which can be highly dangerous, is still widely viewed as safe," said Katie Hall, chairwoman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board.

"It is imperative that users understand just how harmful it can be. This gas can kill and much more needs to be done to get this message across.

"We are particularly concerned about internet pages and uploaded clips which are effectively 'promoting' this as a harmless drug.

"The web giants must do more to crack down on this, they cannot simply sit on their hands and ignore what is happening on their own sites.

"We are calling on the big internet corporations to step up to the plate and show responsibility by providing health warnings and links to drug awareness charities."

While inhaling nitrous oxide is not illegal, council officers are able to seize canisters under unauthorised street trading regulations.

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Nigel Farage 'Set To Stand As MP In Kent'

Farage MP Bid: Westminster's Worst Kept Secret

Updated: 6:31pm UK, Friday 08 August 2014

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

It's Westminster's worst kept secret: Nigel Farage hopes to stand for Parliament in South Thanet.

UKIP was keen to make the official announcement in a few weeks' time, but a local official has let the cat out of the bag.

Rozanne Duncan, the South Thanet party secretary, told the Financial Times: "It is the worst kept secret in town. We now have two names on the list and one of them is Mr Farage.

"Whether he will get selected or not is another matter… although I'd be surprised if he didn't."

A UKIP spokeswoman refused to confirm the reports, saying: "Nothing has been confirmed, the list hasn't been drawn up yet.

"It is one of our most winnable seats. The process will take longer because it's a popular seat and there will be a lot of candidates."

Mr Farage has previously confirmed he intends to stand to be an MP in 2015, and the South Thanet selection doesn't come as a surprise.

Recent polling of marginal seats by the Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft indicate that UKIP has a chance of winning two parliamentary seats: Thurrock and South Thanet. The party already has a candidate in Thurrock - Tim Aker.

There are other reasons that South Thanet is the perfect pick for Mr Farage.

The UKIP leader has told me previously that he wants to stand somewhere where he has a local connection and somewhere that is a seaside town (where the party traditionally does well.)

South Thanet is in Kent, where he was born, and it is a coastal constituency encompassing holiday spots Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

He also does not have the challenge of an incumbent MP.

The current South Thanet MP is the Conservative Laura Sandys, who is standing down at the next election.

UKIP will be irritated that the timetable for the long-awaited announcement has been scuppered by local activists.

However, if Mr Farage is serious about returning to Westminster, South Thanet may be his only realistic chance.

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MH17 Disaster: Family 'Can't Begin To Grieve'

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

The father of one of the victims of the downed MH17 flight says he cannot properly grieve for his son until his body is returned to Britain.

Liam Sweeney, 28, was among the 298 people who were killed when the Malaysia Airlines plane crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17.

Liam Sweeney's father Barry

His father Barry told Sky News the family still have not been told when Liam will be flown back to Newcastle from the Netherlands, where formal identification took place earlier this week.

Mr Sweeney said: "I don't know how we're getting him back or when we're getting him back. We're just waiting to hear from the foreign office to see what the next procedure is.

"It's very difficult because now we're looking to closure, wanting to get Liam home and we're wanting to send him off in the right way.

"I think when his body was identified reality then sets in, you know he has died. Before that there's that little hope.

"I know at 33,000ft it's very unlikely that somebody's going to survive especially if it's hit by a missile, but we need to move on.

"We need to be able to grieve as a family and the sooner we get him home and we get him buried that's when we can start looking to the future."

The Foreign Office says it is in discussions with Dutch authorities about when the British victims will be repatriated.

Mr Sweeney hopes it will happen within days rather than weeks but is still waiting to hear if he will be able to travel to the Netherlands.

Liam, a devoted Newcastle United fan, was travelling to New Zealand with his friend and fellow supporter John Alder to watch their team play in a pre-season friendly when their flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down.

Wreckage from the plane in eastern Ukraine

The club has announced that it will pay tribute to the two men at the first home game of the season against Manchester city on August 17.

Wreaths will be laid on the pitch and a minute's silence will be observed.

Mr Sweeney has also been told about a lasting tribute to the pair.

"Newcastle United are going to name a garden of remembrance after them and there's going to be an achievement board that's going to be named after the two lads as well, the Alder Sweeney achievement award and the Alder Sweeney memorial garden which is very, very nice" he said.

"They'll live on forever."

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Armed Siege At The Top Of Wales' Tallest Tower

A gunman sparked a major police operation when he took a man hostage at the top floor of the Meridian Tower in Swansea - Wales' tallest building.

Armed officers were sent to the scene with a trained negotiator and a police helicopter after the alarm was raised at 4pm.

About two hours later, officers fired a Taser gun to subdue a suspect who was then arrested.

Nobody was hurt in the siege on the 28th floor of the 300ft-high (90m) tower, which has become a landmark on the city's skyline since it was completed in 2009.

As the drama unfolded, roads were closed and people were told to avoid the area.

South Wales Police said a handgun had been recovered from the scene and a local man was in custody.

Superintendent Andy Kingdom said: "Thankfully this very serious incident ended peacefully with no injuries to anyone involved.

"I'd like to thank my officers for the bravery and professionalism they showed during what was a very tense situation.

"I'd also like to thank the public for the co-operation they have shown throughout."

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Firefighters Launch Fresh Wave Of Strikes

Firefighters in England and Wales will launch a fresh wave of strikes today.

The action comes amid a bitter row with the Government over pensions, with no sign of a breakthrough in the long-running dispute.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will walk out for two hours at noon and again for an hour at 11pm.

Strikes will be held at the same times over the next eight days.

Fire brigades will again put contingency plans in place, including using contract staff. Fewer fire engines will be available during the action.

The union has been campaigning for the past few years against controversial Government plans to change pensions.

The FBU claims firefighters will have to work longer and receive lower pensions when they retire.

The union accused the Government of "walking away" from talks earlier this week.

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Smart Glasses For Blind 'In Shops By 2016'

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Reporter

Pairs of high-tech smart glasses, designed to help millions of blind and partially sighted people to see, could be in shops in 2016.

The specs use a specially adapted 3D camera to maximise a person's remaining vision by separating and highlighting objects ahead.

They were created by researchers at the University of Oxford, who linked up with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to develop them further.

RNIB Solutions managing director Neil Heslop said trialists had experienced extraordinary things while testing the glasses.

Iain Cairns tries on the hi-tech specs

He told Sky News: "They've recognised faces, they've avoided obstacles, they've even seen their own guide dogs for the first time."

Participant Iain Cairns was impressed with the glasses, despite saying he felt like Star Trek character Geordi La Forge when wearing them.

He said: "To have something that will help me to keep independent, able to walk to work, to make tea - I think it will make a big difference to my quality of life."

The glasses help Mr Cairns to pour a cup of tea without spilling a drop

Around 360,000 people in Britain are registered blind or partially sighted.

The RNIB believes the new smart glasses could help as many as 150,000 of those and around 15 million people could benefit worldwide.

At the moment, the glasses are rather bulky. They are also fairly expensive and participants have to carry around a connected laptop with them.

But the project recently won £500,000 from the Google Impact Challenge - a competition to develop tech to transform lives - which means the team can now modify the headset further.

Sky's Gemma Morris, as seen through the smart glasses

Project leader Dr Stephen Hicks said: "The Google Impact Grant will allow us to make smaller, lighter and cheaper versions that people can carry around.

"It will be powered by something about the size of a mobile phone that can slip into your pocket."

He said nothing like their prototype has ever been made before.

"This is really pushing the limit of what we can do in wearable displays and it's great to be able to have a chance to use this in a way which is potentially going to help millions of people," he said.

Wider trials are soon to get under way and the team hopes to have a smaller version of glasses in shops as early as 2016 with a target price of around £300.

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UK Hosts First Footgolf International Open

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

The first UK International Open for the new sport of footgolf is hoping to showcase the game.

It starts in Manchester today, with competitors from across Europe hoping to win the title.

The sport is a combination of two of the biggest participation sports in the world, so it is perhaps not surprising that its popularity is really kicking off.

The UK is following in the footsteps of the US, where there are more than 200 courses, as well as countries including the Netherlands, Hungary and Italy. 

At a coaching session for young boys and girls at the UK Footgolf Academy at Doncaster College, ex-Premier League footballer Bryan Hughes teaches the basics.

"In the UK at the moment we've got more than 40 courses," he said.

"By the end of the year we'll have 60 to 70, and by the end of next year there'll be 200. So it's showing really rapid growth."

There has already been a footgolf world championship, won by Hungary in 2012.

Mike O'Connor, from UK Footgolf, said this weekend's tournament would highlight the appeal of the game.

Hungary are the current world footgolf champions

"There are players from all over Europe coming to the event, and one from Argentina coming to take part," he said.

"But it's open to everybody. There's a mixture of players coming, from some of the best footgolfers in the world to people who just enjoy having fun playing their favourite new sport."

Many golf courses were initially wary of sharing their fairways with footgolf. But those promoting the game say they're gradually getting on side.

An 18-hole footgolf course fits on to nine holes of a traditional golf course, and the 52-centimetre diameter holes don't have to be cut into the greens.

Catherine Parkinson, from Doncaster College, told Sky News the decision to let the new sport use their underused golf course has been a blessing.

"For us it is mainly about widening access to the sport and the community. But the commercial element has been a real bonus," she said.

The course has taken more than 2,000 £10-per-round green fees in just a few weeks. 

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Britain Braced For Flash Floods From Bertha

Heavy rain has caused flash flooding in parts of the UK - and forecasters are warning of further storms on Sunday as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha hit.

The Met Office says Bertha's transition from a tropical to an extra-tropical storm is a "particularly hard one to forecast" but it is expected to affect the UK tomorrow.

The British Red Cross said it was on standby and has enlisted hundreds of volunteers to help people in affected areas.

Lightning hits Eggborough Power Station in Yorkshire. Pic: Phil Lowe

Residents had to be evacuated after heavy rain flooded several streets in the Lincolnshire town of Louth on Friday.

Downpours also led to waterlogged roads in and around York and in Maidstone, Kent.

There were reports of power outages in Cambridgeshire, where the A14 was flooded.

Old Trafford, where England's test match has been disrupted by heavy rain

Environment Agency flood warnings and alerts remain in place in numerous parts of the country.

Friday's rainy weather - which saw more than a month's rainfall overnight - was unconnected to Hurricane Bertha, which has been travelling across the Atlantic.

Bertha wreaked havoc in the Caribbean islands with gusts of more than 90mph, leaving thousands of homes without power.

A flash flood following heavy rain in Maidstone, Kent

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "Ex-hurricane Bertha has become more of a typical depression now, albeit with very warm, moist air wrapped up within it.

"It is looking likely that the storm will reach southwest England and Wales by around 6am on Sunday and then track northeast across northern England during the afternoon, to eventually lie off the east coast of Scotland on Sunday night.

There could be more floods on Sunday

"Gusts of 50mph to 60mph are expected, especially along the south coast with large waves, spray and the chance of some coastal flooding.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said there was still a chance that the storm may pass to the south of the country, giving the UK a brighter day.

But Environment Agency flood risk manager, Craig Woolhouse, said: "Heavy rain on Sunday may lead to localised surface water flooding in some parts of England and Wales.

"On Sunday and Monday a combination of high spring tides and strong westerly winds brings a risk of large waves and spray and possible flooding to the South West coast of England and along the Severn Estuary."

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Israeli Shells Pound Gaza As Fighting Resumes

Hamas has vowed it will not back down as Israel pounded Gaza with a fresh wave of strikes, killing five Palestinians.

The Israeli military has launched 30 airstrikes on Gaza since midnight on Saturday as talks to extend the temporary ceasefire stalled.

Palestinian health officials claim senior Hamas official Moaaz Zaid was among three Palestinians killed in an attack on a mosque. Two people travelling on a motorcycle died when they were struck by a bomb.

Another two Palestinians were shot dead by soldiers and dozens wounded in clashes with Israeli forces amid violent protests in occupied West Bank.

Palestinians pray over the bodies of three members of the same family

The deaths bring the number of dead in the month-long conflict to nearly 1,900. The United Nations, which has condemned Israel's actions, say 1,354 of those killed have been civilians.

Israel has lost 64 soldiers during the conflict, while three civilians have died from rocket fire into the country.

Israel says Hamas has fired six rockets across the border since the 72-hour ceasefire ended on Friday morning.

Smoke rises from what witnesses said was an Israeli strike on Gaza City

Hamas spokesman Fawzy Barhum said: "There will be no going back, the resistance will continue. The occupier's intransigence will get it nowhere and we will make no concessions on the demands of our people."

The resumption of violence came as Britain announced it would send a team of NHS experts to help victims wounded in Gaza.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The conflict in Gaza has taken a terrible toll.

"The NHS has always stepped up to the plate to help those in need and this expert team will play a crucial role in helping hundreds caught up in this conflict."

Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli border guards in West Bank

The UK team consists of doctors, nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists and paramedics - and their specialities include trauma and plastic surgery.

And the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said its appeal for Gaza had raised £4.5m from the British public in less than 24 hours.

Mr Cameron is under increasing pressure to suspend arms exports from British manufacturers to Israeli forces following the resignation of foreign minister Baroness Warsi over the Government's line on Gaza this week.

A Palestinian boy sleeps in a UN-organised shelter

Lady Warsi said the Government's approach had been "morally indefensible" and has stepped up her call for action to be taken.

"For me at that moment the concern that I had was that even if the ceasefire had held, and I sincerely hoped it had, there was still no clear language from the Government in relation to the condemnation of what had happened," she said.

"There was no clear commitment that we would lead the international effort on accountability on both sides for what had happened.

Protesters in London march on Hyde Park

"Our language was not there. It was lagging behind. I don't think it was just words that would have stopped me from doing what I did.

"I think it was a combination of issues. It was the language that we were using, I think it was our lack of support for international justice and accountability for the crimes that had been committed."

In London protesters calling for an end to the "massacre" in Gaza marched on Hyde Park.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has urged the coalition to halt arms export licences for ammunition, drone parts and armoured vehicles, which are being used in Operation Protective Edge. He had indicated on Thursday an announcement would be imminent.

Baroness Warsi's resiganation has placed pressure on David Cameron

The United States said it still hoped the three-day ceasefire could be revived and Egypt, which attempting to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians with US and European mediators, insisted negotiations were making progress.

However, little movement seems to have been achieved and the two sides are still far apart on meeting terms of agreement.

In an interview with the New York Times on Friday, Barack Obama urged Israel to recognise Palestinians had a right to land and space to live.

He said: "It has consistently been my belief that you have to find a way to live side by side in peace with Palestinians ... You have to recognise that they have legitimate claims, and this is their land and neighbourhood as well."

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