Burnham: High-Sugar Cereals Should Be Banned

High-sugar breakfast cereals should be banned to stop children getting fat, according to the shadow health secretary Andy Burnham.

The Labour frontbencher said regulations should be introduced to cap the levels of salt, fat and sugar in food.

Mr Burnham has started garnering public and expert opinion on the subject as part of a consultation on tackling obesity.

"If we fail to act we are storing up huge problems for the country and the NHS in the long term," he said.

He is floating the idea of a 30% cap on sugar in cereals, arguing that many children's breakfast cereals are over one-third sugar by weight.

"I don't think any parent would be comfortable with their child eating something that is 40% sugar," he told The Daily Telegraph.

Last week, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures revealed 26.6% of British girls were obese and 22.7% of boys - double that of youngsters in France.

The coalition says voluntary deals with industry through the Responsibility Deal has cut salt, fat and sugar content in our food.

But Mr Burnham says the current voluntary approach is not working and new drastic measures are required to combat childhood obesity.

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Nepali Army Officer Faces Torture Charges

A Nepali army officer has been in remanded in custody charged with two counts of torture after being arrested in the UK.

Colonel Kumar Lama, 46, of St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, is accused of inflicting severe pain or suffering when he was acting in an official capacity.

The offences are said to have taken place between April 15, 2005 and May 1, 2005, and April 15, 2005 and October 31, 2005 at the Gorusinghe Army Barracks at Kapilvastu, Nepal.

The offences are alleged to have taken place as the then-government fought a decade-long Maoist insurgency.

Lama was arrested under a law which allows the prosecution of suspected torturers, even if the alleged offence has no connection to the UK.

At Westminster Magistrates Court, Judge Quentin Purdy ruled that Lama would be held in custody as there was risk he would leave the country if released.He will appear at the Old Bailey on January 24.

Lama is serving as a military observer with the UN Mission in South Sudan but had been spending Christmas in Britain when he was arrested, the court heard.

His wife and two children, aged 21 and 17, live in the UK.

The British ambassador in Kathmandu was summoned by Nepal's government in protest over the officer's arrest.

Nepal's deputy prime minister Narayankaji Shrestha said the government had demanded the immediate release of Col Lama and had instructed its embassy in London to submit a protest note to the British government.

Two diplomats from the Nepalese embassy were in court for the short hearing.

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Girl Guides Could Drop God And Queen From Oath

The Girl Guides are considering whether to remove any mention of God or the Queen from their oath.

The voluntary organisation, which boasts more than half a million members, has launched an online consultation into changes to the pledge that Guides take when they join, known as the Promise.

Girlguiding UK said the move was necessary because an increasing number of girls and volunteers do not identify with the current oath.

In a statement the organisation said: "The Promise is guiding's beating heart - it is the core expression of values and the common standard that brings everyone in guiding together.

Girlguiding UK was established in the UK in 1942

"Over the past few years we have heard from more and more girls and leaders who struggle with the wording, particularly in interpreting what it really means to girls today.

"Girlguiding UK is committed to retaining a Promise that is in line with its original principles, but we know it is crucial that girls and young women understand and believe in the words they say."

Guides currently promise to "love my God" and "serve the Queen and country", as well as do their best, help other people and keep the Guide law.

Respondents to the consultation are asked to express their preferences for alternatives such as "do my duty to God", "be true to a higher ideal" and "serve the highest truth and love faithfully at all times".

Options mooted to replace the current mention of the Queen include "serve the Queen and my country", "engage myself with responsibility in the community I live in" and "be true to my country".

The move towards a new oath has been seen as an attempt to attract a new breed of volunteers to lead the Guides.

Last year 50,000 girls were on waiting lists to join the 102-year-old organisation because of a lack of trained leaders, according to reports.

But it also reflects a modernising leadership, with new Girlguiding UK chief executive Julie Bentley telling The Times in November that the Guides are the "ultimate feminist organisation".

Last month, the Scout Association also announced it had launched a consultation to see if members would support an alternative Scout Promise for those who feel unable to pledge a "duty to God".

The Guides' consultation, which is open to members and non-members, will close on March 3.

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Duncan-Bailey Search: Woman's Body Found

A body has been found by police officers investigating the death of a mother-of-two, Scotland Yard has said.

Officers believe it is that of Janelle Duncan-Bailey, 25, who has not been seen since she went missing in south London in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police said a 30-year-old man was arrested on Friday night on suspicion of her murder and remains in custody at a police station in the capital.

A Met spokesman said: "Officers attended Mayfield Crescent, Thornton Heath this afternoon (Saturday) following intelligence received.

Ms Duncan-Bailey pictured in the dress she was wearing when she disappeared

"The body of a woman was found in a vehicle parked there.

"While formal identification awaits, we are confident the deceased is Janelle Duncan-Bailey, 25, of Pawsons Road, Thornton Heath.

"Next of kin have been informed."

Ms Duncan-Bailey left her children - boys aged two and seven - with a friend in Bromley while she attended a family function, police said.

She left the friend's at about 4am on Wednesday to return to Thornton Heath, where at about 4.30am she visited her former partner's home.

Police were called after reports of a domestic incident and Ms Duncan-Bailey left the address with officers.

It is believed she asked to be taken to another friend's house in Limpsfield Avenue, Thornton Heath, and she was last seen between 5am and 5.30am walking towards flats in Limpsfield Avenue.

Ms Duncan-Bailey was reported missing later that day after she failed to collect her children.

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David Cameron Defends Child Benefit Cuts

David Cameron has defended controversial cuts to child benefit payments that come into effect at midnight, insisting the reforms were "fundamentally fair".

The Prime Minister insisted the move - which will see families with one earner on more than £50,000 lose some or all of the payment while households with two parents with salaries just under the trigger keep theirs - was the "right approach".

"I'm not saying those people are rich but I think it is right that they make a contribution," he told BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show.

"This will raise £2bn a year. If we don't raise that £2bn from that group of people, the better off 15% in the country, we would have to find someone else to take it from."

He added: "I think people see it as fundamentally fair that if there is someone in the household earning over £60,000 you don't get child benefit."

The Prime Minister: Cuts are 'fundamentally fair'

It is "full steam ahead" for the coalition, Mr Cameron said as he insisted the Government had a packed agenda.

And he told Marr that he had no intention of stepping aside.

He said: "I want to fight the next election as the leader of the Conservative Party, I want to win a Conservative majority and I want to serve."

Mr Marr interrupted: "And stay as Prime Minister for five years?"

Mr Cameron replied: "That's exactly what I have said."

On Monday, Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will publish a mid-term review of progress the Coalition government has made since 2010 and set out its top priorities for the rest of their term.

Mr Cameron said: "What you are going to see tomorrow is a coalition Government with a full tank of gas, it's full steam ahead.

"We have travelled a long way down the road we need to travel but there is a lot more we need to do.

"Far from running out of ideas, we have got a packed agenda, which concerns things like how do we build roads in Britain to make sure our economy keeps moving, how do we pay for the care for the elderly, how do we have a pension system that encourages saving - big things that our going to equip our country for the next decade."

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Voters Promised A 'Real Choice' On Europe

Voters should be "in no doubt" they will be offered a "real choice" on Europe at the next election, the Prime Minister has said.

David Cameron said any vote would happen within five years but refused to be drawn on whether a poll would include the question whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union.

He said the Government was currently reviewing which powers should be repatriated back to Westminster, claiming the EU working time directive should never have been implemented.

"There is going to be a large negotiation in Europe," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. "When I became Prime Minister, people said to me 'Don't worry, the one thing you won't have is any treaty changes in Europe'.

"I think we have already had three. One we vetoed so we aren't involved in at all... and we have had two others. People should be in no doubt that the Conservatives will be offering at the next election a real choice and a real way giving consent to that choice."

Asked whether any vote could be delayed by five or 10 years, Mr Cameron said: "No, no, that's not going to happen."

The Prime Minister was then asked about his previous description of UK Independence Party members as "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists".

Mr Cameron added: "There are some pretty odd people."

Speaking to Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News, Ukip's leader Nigel Farage hit back.

He said: "It shows how disconnected he is. If he wants to go on being rude about me and rude about Ukip well let him do it, we won't lose any sleep over it.

"I don't think there is any prospect of any deal with the Conservative Party all the while that man leads it, given the way he has behaved and his attitude towards us.

"Look, I would do a deal with the devil if it got us what we need, which is a free and fair referendum so that we in this country can decide who governs us."

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Skydiver Dies After 'Parachute Failure'

A 56-year-old man who died after his parachute apparently failed to open during a skydive has been named as David Ball.

Mr Ball was from the Barnton area of Edinburgh, police said.

The accident happened at Strathallan Airfield near the town of Auchterarder in Perthshire.

Police were called to the scene shortly after 1pm yesterday.

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing today with the assistance from representatives of the British Parachute Association.

"As with all sudden deaths, a full report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal."

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Belfast: Community Leaders Hold Peace Talks

Police have made 70 arrests and charged a total of 47 people with public order offences after three nights of disturbances on the streets of Belfast.

A statement released by Chief Constable Mr Matt Baggott claimed that laser pens had been directed at officers' faces and gunshots were fired during the trouble which erupted over the flying of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall.

"I want to commend the tireless courage of my officers at this very difficult time," he said. "Fifty two colleagues have now been injured while protecting the community during a series of violent incidents.

"You may be assured there will be sufficient resources in the event of more disorder for however long is necessary. The Police Service will continue to do everything possible to maintain law and order and we will deal firmly with outbreaks of violence".

Meanwhile, politicians and church leaders are holding talks at Rev Mervyn Gibson's Westbourne Presbyterian Church to try and forge a resolution to stem the violence.

But Robin Newton of the Democratic Unionist Party said a lack of engagement from protest organisers was making progress difficult. "We have to find a way out of this, but how we do it I don't know," he said.

Mr Newton said there was confusion about exactly what demonstrators wanted. "I think we need a bit of calm and reflection," he said. "We need to get wise heads together."

Police used water cannon to extinguish the fires

Michael Copeland Ulster Unionist Party MLA for the area said he was pessimistic about a positive outcome to the talks because there were no apparent leaders of the demonstrations. "There doesn't seem to be any one person, or group of persons, that we can go to," he said.

A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after gunshots were reportedly fired during the clashes between loyalist and nationalist protesters.

Sky sources revealed that pictures from a police helicopter prompted the detention of the suspect.

Around 100 loyalists pelted officers with rocks, fireworks and fire bombs in the Newtownards Road, Albertbridge Road and Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas of the city.

Conall McDevitt, policing spokesman for the nationalist SDLP, said the firing of shots at police officers ended any claim to legitimacy by protest organisers.

"Whatever grievance some people may have had, it is totally lost when they allow people to use these protests as cover for attempted murder," said the South Belfast MLA.

"There is only one response possible - and that's a firm policing response against everyone involved in illegal protests and anyone seeking to organise or encourage illegal or violent demonstrations."

The violence followed a tense but peaceful march on Saturday by around 1,000 loyalists.

The disturbances occurred after protesters headed home

There was a heavy police presence, including officers in riot gear with dogs stationed within the historic civic building itself and on surrounding side streets.

But as the flag-waving crowds dispersed, ugly scenes flared again.

Loyalist violence on Friday night saw 18 people arrested and nine police officers injured.

More than 30 petrol bombs, along with fireworks, ball bearings and masonry were hurled at officers during a sustained attack in the east of the city. Up to 300 people were involved in the disturbances.

None of the police injuries are life threatening, however one female officer required medical treatment at the scene by an ambulance.

Police have said they would be seeking further arrests in the coming days in relation to the disorder and have appealed for witnesses.

On Thursday 10 police officers were injured during a demonstration in east Belfast.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson said violence against the police was a "disgrace" and those behind days of unrest were playing into the hands of dissident republicans.

Street protests have been going on for more than a month now against the decision to reduce the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall. There have also been death threats to politicians.

Mr Robinson said: "The violence and destruction visited on the PSNI is a disgrace, criminally wrong and cannot be justified.

"Those responsible are doing a grave disservice to the cause they claim to espouse and are playing into the hands of those dissident groups who would seek to exploit every opportunity to further their  terror aims."

Sky's Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said: "There is the potential for the violence to intensify, and the gunshots from with the loyalist area is a very worrying development.

"The clashes between police and loyalists came after the officers were accused of brutality after the march."

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Elvis Impersonators Battle To Be King Of Europe

Elvis impersonators from across the world have been competing in Birmingham to be crowned Europe's king of rock n' roll.

More than 70 sequinned singers swivelled their pelvises in front of a panel of judges at the European Elvis Championships.

The winner will pick up a cash prize, a holiday to Memphis, Tennessee and a jumpsuit made by the creators of Presley's elaborate outfits.

The annual event is held around Elvis' birthday weekend on January 8 and celebrates the musical and cultural icon who died at the age of 42, on August 16, 1977.

Organiser Michael King, from North Wales, said the competitors hail from all over the UK and as far afield as Austria, Italy, France, Hungary and Germany.

An under-14s contest is among the events in Birmingham

"I think first and foremost there was only one Elvis," he said.

"He was a one-off, his music stands the test of time.

"There's so many different things, so many different facets to Elvis, and his musical career. There really is something for everyone.

"He is loved the world over."

Some of the competitors were professional Elvis impersonators, spending thousands of pounds on their stage outfits.

But the weekend also included an under-14s competition, a gospel competition, live bands, Elvis showcases, Elvis merchandise, Elvis disco, Elvis video, and a novice contest.

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Policeman Killed Driving To 999 Call Named

A police officer who died after his car crashed into a tree while answering an emergency call in North Yorkshire has been named.

PC Andrew Bramma, 32, was killed when his patrol car hit a tree in the village of West Tanfield, near Ripon, at 7pm on Saturday, police said.

The married father-of-two was the only person in the vehicle when it crashed and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pc Bramma, who has two young sons, had transferred from Greater Manchester Police to North Yorkshire about four months ago

Officers hold flowers outside Harrogate polcie station

Temporary Chief Constable Tim Madgwick paid tribute to PC Bramma at a press conference at Harrogate police station.

He said: "This is terrible and tragic news and the thoughts of everyone at North Yorkshire Police are with the officer's family at this sad and very difficult time.

"The officer's immediate family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

"Everyone is shocked and saddened by the news of his death and I speak for every member of the force in extending our heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues."

The road was closed for several hours as investigators examined the scene.

The Health and Safety Executive has also been informed and an investigation will be carried out into the cause of the crash, police said.

Anyone who was in the area at the time and saw the vehicle or witnessed the collision is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.

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