Ski Hosting Ban: British Company Leads Appeal

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

A British ski holiday company is leading an appeal against a ban on ski hosting in the French Alps.

The appeal comes after a court in Albertville in France said that the informal on-piste group tours led by ski reps are illegal.

The judge ruled that all future hosts must be fully qualified ski instructors certified by the notoriously tough French examining system.

Yorkshire-based Le Ski has joined forces with 12 other British tour operators to argue that the decision is in breach of European law.

Nick Morgan from Le Ski told Sky News: "I think that somebody somewhere has gone a little bit too far in the formation of the law and we are hoping that that is seen by the appeal court and if not is taken up by the European Court in Luxembourg."

In 2012 a ski rep was arrested on the piste and the company was then prosecuted for compromising safety.

Some British skiers say they miss the social side of skiing in a group

Simon Atkinson from the French Ski School says: "Even when they say they're only there to help them round the slopes, the people who are on holiday actually do think that they're responsible for them.

"So when they go on to the slopes, they put their whole confidence in that person to take them round and they follow them."

Some British skiers on holiday in Courchevel told Sky News they are missing the social side of skiing in a group this season.

Julie Tate said: "I miss the guiding more than I thought I would, it's really important to me because I come skiing by myself and skiing with a small group of people with a guide is a really good way to get to know people on the slopes."

John Willis explained: "Rather than spend all day looking at the map and planning my route, the guide used to be there and I could follow them. I'm totally lost without them."

The next step in the legal process will be an appeal heard in a French court in Chambery.

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Iraq: Government Rejects Torture Allegations

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Government says it "absolutely rejects" allegations of "systematic" abuse and torture by British soldiers in Iraq.

Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke to Sky News after it was revealed the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been asked to investigate hundreds of abuse allegations.

It is understood a German human rights organisation and a British law firm have presented a dossier to the ICC containing accusations of more than 1,000 cases of torture against Iraqi civilians, and 200 cases of unlawful killings, including many in custody.

The Berlin-based European Centre for Constitutional Rights and UK-based Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) will launch their case at an event in London on Tuesday.

Phil Shiner, a solicitor from PIL, told Sky News: "This is historic. The UK has never been investigated by the ICC. There is clear evidence this goes right to the top."

But speaking on the Murnaghan programme, Mr Hague said: "The Government has always been clear, and the armed forces have always been clear, that they absolutely reject allegations of systematic abuse by the British armed forces.

"The British armed forces uphold high standards, and they are the finest armed forces in the world."

He added: "But where there are substantiated allegations of things going wrong, these things have been or are being investigated. That does not require references to the International Criminal Court."

The Government has set up a body to investigate accusations of abuse arising from the Iraq conflict.

The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) investigates allegations of abuse against Iraqi civilians by British troops between 2003 and 2009.

It is led by a retired detective and is due to complete its investigations by the end of 2016.

Commenting on the reports, the Ministry of Defence said: "These matters are either under thorough investigation or have been dealt with through various means including through the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, independent public inquiries, the UK and European courts and in Parliament.

"As such, further action through the ICC is unnecessary when the issues and allegations are already known to the UK Government, action is in hand and the UK courts have already issued judgments.

"Should we be approached by the ICC, we will take the opportunity to explain the very extensive work under way to deal with historic allegations of abuse.

"We reject the suggestion that the UK's Armed Forces - who operate in line with domestic and international law - have systematically tortured detainees.

"But of course the UK Government regrets the small number of cases where abuses have taken place. Wherever allegations have been substantiated, we have compensated victims and their families."

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IDS Wants Two-Year Ban On Migrant Benefits

EU immigrants may have to wait for up to two years to claim benefits in the UK - rather than the current period of three months, Iain Duncan Smith has said.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Work and Pensions Secretary said he had been speaking to other member states including Germany, Italy and the Netherlands who were supportive of the idea.

He said Britain should ask migrants to "demonstrate that you are committed to the country, that you are a resident and that you are here for a period of time and you are generally taking work and that you are contributing".

He added: "At that particular point ... it could be a year, it could be two years, after that, then we will consider you a resident of the UK and be happy to pay you benefits."

Sources close to Mr Duncan Smith stressed that he was merely expressing an aspiration for the future, rather than outlining a policy.

Mr Duncan Smith wants migrants to demonstrate 'commitment'

Rehman Chisti, Tory MP for Gillingham and Rainham, told Sky News: "We have to do is what is in our national interest and therefore we have to work with other European countries to ensure they understand that it is also in their national interest to ensure that people have to wait for a certain period of time before they claim benefits.

"We want a debate among European states to ensure that we come out with a policy which is fair to all. In my view, it is absolutely fair and proper that when you have EU migrants travelling to the UK they should stay here for a fair period of time before they can claim benefits."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron is under fresh pressure over Europe after 95 Tory MPs said parliament should have powers to veto laws from Brussels.

The backbenchers have written to him saying the Commons should have the authority to block new EU legislation and repeal measures that threaten Britain's "national interest".

According to the Sunday Telegraph, signatories to the missive - drafted by senior MP Bernard Jenkin - include James Clappison, Conor Burns, John Baron, Anne Main and former defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth.

The PM has been asked to make a national veto 'a reality'

Another six apparently support the proposal but have not added their names - some because they are in government jobs.

Parliament currently has no automatic veto over EU laws, and the Prime Minister can only use the UK's veto to head off new rules in the most sensitive issues - such as defence and the budget.

A committee of MPs which scrutinises EU laws last month recommended that a national veto be introduced.

And the MPs' letter, sent to the Prime Minister this weekend, called on Mr Cameron to adopt the policy.

"Each time you have stood up for British interests in Brussels, you have achieved a great deal," it said.

"Building on your achievements, we would urge you to back the European Scrutiny Committee proposal and make the idea of a national veto over current and future EU laws a reality."

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We will of course study this idea closely. But we need to look at what it would mean in practice.

"We've always been clear that Parliament is sovereign and more power for national parliaments must be a key part of a new settlement, including a 'red card' power so groups of national parliaments can block unwanted EU interference."

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Flooding: Heavy Rain To Bring More Flood Woes

Further heavy rain next week is expected to bring more misery to parts of the UK that have already seen widespread flooding.

Seventy-nine flood warnings remain in place throughout the country while there are 117 flood alerts.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired another meeting of Cobra, the Government's emergency committee, on Saturday.

He said: "River levels continue to rise and remain high in some areas, particularly parts of the Thames. I have chaired another Cobra meeting today to ensure that the Environment Agency, local authorities and emergency services are well prepared to continue supporting those at risk."

He urged the public "to remain vigilant" and said the Government was "continuing to focus on flood protection and support for those affected".

The EA's flood warnings and alerts

River levels have been rising steadily in counties including Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and across the Midlands following days of downpours, the Environment Agency said.

Rivers including the Hampshire Avon through Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, the Stour in Dorset, the Parrett in Somerset and the Severn through the Midlands showed little signs of receding.

Harry Martin went missing on January 2

Communities along the River Thames throughout Surrey, Berkshire and Oxfordshire have also been warned that they face the risk of flooding.

Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said more heavy rain was due from today.

"There's going to be a band of rain coming from the West in the afternoon. It'll be over south west England from midday and spread slowly eastwards across the rest of the country."

But she said that although there might be some "moderate to heavy bursts", there were not significant amounts of rain expected until Wednesday.

Eight people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since the beginning of the Christmas period, with around 550 properties flooded since the new year. Some 140 properties have been flooded in Wales.

On Sunday, police said coastguards had discovered a body in the sea in the search for missing photography student Harry Martin, but that it had not been identified at this stage.

The 18-year-old left his home in Newton Ferrers, Devon, on January 2 to go out to take pictures of the stormy sea.

Hundreds help in a clean-up of Aberystwyth promenade

In Aberystwyth more than 200 residents volunteered for a three-and-a-half hour clean-up of the town's promenade, which was severely damaged by storms.

Councillor Ceredig Davies, who represents central Aberystwyth, said: "We used buckets and spades and wheelbarrows to put the sand back from the promenade, where it was washed in the storms.

"There were thousands of tonnes of sand there and the volume shifted by people today was hundreds of tonnes.

"It was great community spirit. It was back-breaking work but everyone felt that they had achieved something. They felt like they were doing their bit in putting our promenade back to how we like it."

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Snow-Hit Sheep Farmers Fear Worse Is To Come

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Farmers will have to prepare for the impact of more extreme weather on livestock and crops, according to the National Farmers Union.

The Union's deputy president has told Sky News he believes climate change may be to blame for unseasonal conditions like the damaging spring snowfall in 2013.

Meurig Raymond told Sky News: "The industry is facing the volatility of weather - maybe climate change. So feeding the world is going to be important going forward. We as farmers have to face up to that, but wake up for society as well."

His comments come as farmers say it will take years to recover financially from losses suffered during the coldest spring in 50 years.

Months on from snowfall that struck during lambing season, farmers have told Sky News their industry is still reeling from the heavy losses of livestock.

On the hills above Llanfairfechan in North Wales farmer Gareth Wyn Jones feeds the sheep that survived the heavy snow.

In March and April he spent weeks digging through feet of snow to recover the bodies of sheep and lambs that had perished.

Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones tends to his livestock in North Wales

Now, on a cold, sunny winter morning he surveys the surrounding hillsides that offer a stunning view across the Irish Sea.

He says the snow came at the worst possible time for sheep farmers. Most of the animals that died were new born lambs.

He estimates hundreds died on his farm alone.

"We lost about eighty breeding ewes and we lost a hundred ponies but we were fortunate - we dug eighty or ninety ewes out. A neighbour of ours lost half his hill flock overnight - gone," he said.

"There are some massive losses just in this little valley in North Wales."

Farmers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Shropshire, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Isle of Man also lost thousands of sheep and lambs.

The number of deaths forced the Welsh Assembly and Defra to temporarily relax strict EU rules that prevent farmers from burying dead animals. Usually farmers have to pay for carcasses to be removed.

Hundreds of sheep have been lost due to bad weather

Since the snowfall Defra says it has been working with farmers and  the insurance industry to ensure farmers are protected for future weather events.

They have also been working with the Met Office to publish detailed weather forecasts for farmers.

Joanne Briggs, from the National Sheep Association, told Sky News: "The time it will take for affected sheep farms to recover cannot be underestimated - it's not just the financial implications, which will take at least two or three years for business to overcome, but the loss of genetics from their flocks.

"Some bloodlines can never be replaced and that can mean a backward step of a decade or more for elite pedigrees.

"Like the animals that they care for, sheep farmers in general are incredibly resilient, but the spring of 2013 came at the end of an incredibly difficult 12 months and will leave a legacy for many years to come.

"But everyone can do their bit to support them, by making sure that when they buy lamb it is sourced from the UK."

Back on the farm in North Wales Mr Wyn Jones keeps an anxious eye on the long-term forecast.

He says he's not sure if they could cope with another spring snowfall. Most of his ewes are pregnant again and he's counting on the lambs due to be born this spring to help rebuild his livelihood.

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Manchester Tram Death: Man Dies By Debenhams

A man has died after been struck by a tram in a busy city centre.

The man, who has yet to be identified, was hit outside Debenhams in Market Place, Manchester city centre, at around 6.15pm on Saturday.

Fans trying to get home from Old Trafford after Manchester United's match with Swansea were advised to avoid the city centre in the aftermath of the incident.

Onlookers described seeing the man being dragged and trapped underneath the Metrolink carriage as he crossed the junction of Market Street and High Street.

The tram network was temporarily closed while emergency services dealt with the scene.

The rail network was working as normal so people were advised to use trains if possible.

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Man Who Saved Two Sons Was 'Amazing Father'

The family of a man who died after rescuing his two children from strong currents at an Australian beach says they are "devastated" by his death.

Andrew Priestley, from Leicestershire, died in hospital after getting into difficulty at Burrill Beach, around 155 miles south of Sydney on Australia's east coast.

The 44-year-old was with his family when the tragedy happened at around noon on Friday.

"The family of Andrew are devastated about his death in Australia. He died after saving his children," the family said in a statement released by the Foreign Office.

"Andrew was the most amazing husband and father that any family could wish for.

"The support and messages we have received have been overwhelming and we are thankful for that.

"It is heartbreakingly impossible at this moment to imagine our lives without him. We would ask that our privacy is respected at such a sad time."

Emergency services at the scene on Friday

Mr Priestley lifted his sons onto a surfboard before onlookers ran into the water and brought them to safety.

He was then overcome by waves and was unconscious by the time emergency services arrived.

Police and paramedics tried to revive him on the beach. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Milton Hospital.

A statement from New South Wales Police Force said: "Emergency services were called to Burrill Beach just after midday, where they found a man unconscious.

"The 44-year-old was taken to Milton Hospital where he was pronounced dead."

It was the second drowning on the beach in two months, after a Filipino national died there in December.

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Duggan Vigil: Hundreds Gather In Tottenham

A vigil for Mark Duggan - whose death at the hands of police marksmen in August 2011 sparked nationwide riots - has passed peacefully.

Hundreds of relatives and supporters of the 29-year-old gathered outside Tottenham police station and appealed for those taking part to remain peaceful.

His aunt Carole Duggan told the crowds: "Let's show the country that we are not this gangster family that the media has been systematically portraying us as. Mark was not a gangster ... we are just an ordinary family.

Carole Duggan calls for "calm" at the vigil

"Please remember we are here to respect Mark. He didn't get justice, but the fight goes on. So please let's do it respectfully and calmly."

The event was arranged in protest against what his family have branded a "perverse" inquest finding that Mr Duggan was lawfully killed by police, despite jurors also finding that he was unarmed when he was fatally shot.

A minute's silence was held and 20 doves released as the protest came to an end.

His aunt added: "What we really want the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) to do now is to do what they should have done in the beginning and that is a thorough investigation.

"Over 65% of the IPCC members are ex-police, so therefore they are investigating their own people, and I believe that's why Mark did not get the justice that he should have got," she added.

Earlier, Tottenham MP David Lammy warned troublemakers to stay away after police said some protesters could "provoke disorder" at the event.

He told Sky News police believed some elements of the "criminal fraternity" wanted to cause trouble at the vigil.

Mark Duggan's killing sparked riots across Britain

"I am absolutely clear and so are (the police), the people of Tottenham do not want trouble, the family do not want trouble, there's no room for it, no excuses for it and of course the police will have to police this event carefully and safely and ensure we do not see silly scenes on our streets again," he said.

Scotland Yard said it had extra officers on standby and would be ready to "intervene immediately" if trouble broke out.

The statement issued by the Metropolitan Police said: "Today is a busy day in the capital and we have a policing operation in place across London.

"This includes having additional officers on standby that could respond to any incident that occurs.

"Part of this operation includes assessing all available information and intelligence, and we are aware of a limited amount of information that indicates a small number of people are expressing their desire to use this vigil as an opportunity.

"This information includes the intention of protest groups to attend and of people looking to provoke disorder. We will be ready to intervene immediately if required.

"The family has expressed that they wish this vigil to be held in a dignified and peaceful manner.

"The MPS has met with the organiser to ensure that we can appropriately facilitate their plans."

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Jaguar Land Rover: Record Breaking World Sales

Britain's largest car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has reported record breaking global sales for 2013.

The iconic British brands sold 425,006 vehicles in 2013 - up 19% on 2012 - setting new sales records in 38 international markets.

It is thought sales have been doing particularly well in Germany, as well as the rapidly growing developing economies of India and China.

In the UK Jaguar sales were up 15% and Land Rover sales were up 13%.

Globally Land Rover is proving the firm favourite among customers representing the largest share of sales with 348,383 sold in 2013, an increase of 15%.

But demand for the luxury Jaguar has surged over the last 12 months, almost doubling its international sales to 76,668.

Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), said: "2013 has proven to be a very positive year for Jaguar Land Rover thanks to continuing strong demand for vehicles across the range.

"Our unrelenting focus on design, technology, innovation and quality has seen Jaguar Land Rover reach global consumers in more markets than ever before thanks to its most desirable product line-up, enriched further in 2013 by the Jaguar F-TYPE and all-new Range Rover Sport".

The glowing sales report comes just days after the car giant launched the first phase of a recruitment drive to take on employees at its new engine manufacturing centre.

Around 600 jobs will be created over the next four years at the firm's site near Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

More than £500m is being invested in the centre, where low-emission engines will be built.

It also has design and manufacturing plants in Merseyside and Warwickshire and its head office is in Coventry.

The company said they support more than 190,000 UK jobs through the supply chain, dealer network and "wider economy".

The latest sales figures represent a major turn around for the company, which was taken over by Indian firm Tata Motors in 2008, after it went cap in hand to the Government for bailout funds during the economic slowdown.

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Missing 12-Year-Olds Found Safe And Well

Police hunting for two 12-year-old girls who went missing in north London say they have been found safe and well.

Best friends Wiktoria Popiel and Vitalija Sidlauskaite were last seen in Wood Green at around 5pm on Saturday.

Wiktoria was walking Vitalija to a bus stop on Lordship Lane but did not return home.

Sky's Tom Parmenter was filming an interview with Vitalija's mother at her home in Tottenham when officers told her the good news.

Wiktoria and Vitalija vanished in London

Irina Versinina broke down in tears as they told her the two girls had been picked up near Euston station and were unharmed.

"This is good news, but how she can do like this?" she said, her eyes welling with tears. "Twenty four hours! Not call, not nothing. I can't believe that she can do like this.

"I have a lot of questions, but if she want to go to walk, she go to the garden to walk, because this is a very difficult situation."

She was then escorted away to be reunited with her daughter.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Police are pleased to report that Wiktoria Popiel and Vitalija Sidlauskaite have been found safe and well.

"We thank the media and the public for their assistance."

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