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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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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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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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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Friday's rainy weather 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.

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.

A flash flood following heavy rain in Maidstone, Kent

"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.

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

There could be more floods on Sunday

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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Caroline Graham: Man Held Over 1989 Murder

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man on suspicion of murdering a young woman who disappeared 25 years ago.

Caroline Graham, 19, was living in Portadown, County Armagh when she went missing in 1989.

The arrest comes as forensic scientists examine items of potential interest found during a search of Caroline's last known address.

The items were uncovered by specialist victim recovery dogs brought into the Hanover Street flat.

A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: "Detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating the murder of Caroline Graham in Portadown in 1989 have arrested a 53-year-old man.

"He has been arrested on suspicion of Caroline's murder and possession of a firearm. He was arrested in County Antrim this morning and is being questioned at the Serious Crime Suite in Antrim town."

Police re-opened the case two years ago following a search of waste ground near the flat.

The search of Caroline's flat was conducted under warrant but with the consent of the current owner of the property.

Detectives do not believe the owner has any knowledge of the events of 1989.

They have appealed without success for two soldiers, who gave Caroline a lift in a black XR3i, to come forward.

Earlier this week, Detective Chief Inspector Pete Montgomery said: "Despite all the hurdles posed by the passage of time, I still believe that a form of closure is possible for Caroline and her family.

"It is appropriate to once again begin a planned search operation, primarily to locate Caroline's remains but also as an important part of the overall investigation into her murder."

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Breast Cancer Drug 'Too Expensive' For NHS

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

A life-extending breast cancer drug has been rejected for routine use by the NHS because it is "too expensive".

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has issued a final draft blaming the high price for making it "impossible to recommend".

The drug, Kadcyla, is known to increase life expectancy by an average of around six months, with minimum side effects.

It treats people with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Kim Mawby, 45, has been trialling the drug for three years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

She was initially given six months to live but now lives a normal life with her husband and three children.

Kim Mawby says the drug has given her a normal life

"I think it costs about £6,000 a month," she said.

"A lot of people are going to say that's too much money but I don't think you can put a price on someone's life.

"When I wake up I do feel incredibly lucky that I am still here, that I am able to just get up and go to work, see the kids off to school.

"I do sit back and think 'wow, if it wasn't for this drug I wouldn't be watching (my son) going to school on his first day'."

Sir Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of Nice, says the cost of the drug works out at £90,000 per patient, per year.

Jennifer Cozzone, from Roche, says Kadcyla is good value for money

"This drug is so expensive that it's way beyond even that additional flexibility that we can offer," he said.

"I can't negotiate the price with the manufacturer. It's entirely in Roche's hands, the manufacturer's hands, now. They know what they need to do."

However, Roche says the price reflects the value it provides to patients.

Jennifer Cozzone, from Roche, told Sky News that Nice was the first organisation to reject the drug, which she said demonstrated the system in the UK was broken.

A campaign made breast cancer drug Herceptin more widely available

"Every other country, including countries nearby like Norway or Sweden or Switzerland, who have very similar economies to ours, have considered Kadcyla to be good value for money and made it available routinely at very similar prices to what we're talking about here," she said.

Nice says other countries have different arrangements for funding pharmaceuticals.

Kadcyla is available to some patients in the UK through the Cancer Drugs Fund, but Nice says that is not a "long-term mechanism".

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Nice is an independent expert body that is responsible for evaluating what drugs should be available from the NHS, taking into account cost, demand and effectiveness.

"Kadcyla will still be available to patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund if their doctor thinks it is right for them and we remain open to discussions with the manufacturer about the price of Kadcyla to the NHS."

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Lib Dems 'To Stop Drug Users Going To Jail'

By Joanna Simpson, Sky News Reporter

The Liberal Democrats are announcing that if they win the next General Election they will stop people found in possession of drugs for personal use being sent to jail.

The manifesto pledge will state that if no other offence has been committed an alternative sentence should be given instead of a prison term.

The effective decriminalisation they say would be more effective as it should be regarded as a health issue therefore the drugs and alcohol policy would be removed from the Home Office brief and given to the Department of Health.

The party states that each year more than 1,000 people in England in Wales are jailed for possession of drugs for their own personal use.

It says the £5m would be better spent tackling addiction in the community as many of those imprisoned have a medical problem.

Civil penalties such as warnings or fines could be among those imposed instead or criminal cautions, probation or community service.

Currently the maximum penalty for possession of a Class A drug in the UK is seven years in prison. For a Class B drug it's up to five years and Class C up to two years.

For all classes of drugs there can also be an unlimited fine given either as an alternative or in addition to the jail term.

In 2012, the UK Drug Policy Commission published a report called "A Fresh Approach to Drugs".

It was based on a six-year study which recommended that possession of certain drugs for personal use should become a civil rather than a criminal offence.

The independent advisory body, which included scientists and senior police officers, wrote: "The evidence from other countries that have done this is that it would not necessarily lead to any significant increase in use, while providing opportunities to address some of the harms associated with existing drug laws."

The Home Secretary Theresa May rejected it, telling MPs: "People can die as a result of taking drugs, and significant mental health problems can arise."

The report stated that the UK has 2,000 drug-related deaths each year and more than 380,000 problem drug users.

Support services warn that criminalising people means those in need may be reluctant to ask for help.

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Antarctic Researchers Lose Heating At -55.4C

British researchers living on an ice shelf in Antarctica have said they are in "good spirits" after experiencing a 19-hour power outage during record freezing temperatures.

The 13 staff members from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have been dealing with a "serious operational incident" at the Halley Research Station since the end of last month.

Temperatures have been as low as -55.4C (-67.7F) on the Brunt Ice Shelf causing extremely difficult living conditions for the Cambridge-based team.

A statement on the BAS website said "power and some heating are back online" and the station has been able to maintain good satellite communications.

The cause of the power loss is not known.

Electrical and renewable energy engineer Anthony Lister is one of the people in the station who has been keeping the public up-to-date with the situation on Twitter and on his blog.

He wrote: "Whilst all the fun was happening at #halley6 (not that it's over) we had the lowest ever recorded temps down here at -55.4. Which was nice."

Mr Lister says the team is drinking lots of tea and has a big kettle. He reiterated that they are all healthy and making sure the station is in good order.

BAS said: "Contingency plans for alternative accommodation on site are in place and ancillary buildings are being made ready in case of a further power-down.

"Our urgent priority is to ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of the wintering team."

The survey added that all science, apart from meteorological observations has been stopped.

The Halley Research Station is the centre for atmospheric science programmes and the 13 research and support staff are "wintering" there at present.

The BAS website says medical facilities at Halley include a surgery with emergency facilities and there is also a full-time doctor at the station. 

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Chicken Bug Retailers Could Be Named

A consumer group is urging food standards bosses to name retailers found selling fresh chickens containing a bug blamed for tens of thousands of cases of food poisoning every year.

The bug campylobacter was found in 59% of samples in a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which also found it on the outside of packaging in 4% of samples.

The agency has declined to name supermarkets and other retailers involved until it has more data from its 12-month survey which runs until February 2015.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: "The FSA's survey reveals unacceptably high levels of campylobacter and they must now publish the names of the retailers so consumers are aware of the best and worst performing shops.

"Campylobacter is responsible for thousands of cases of food poisoning and the deaths of 100 people every year so much more must be done to minimise the risk of contamination at every stage of production."

The FSA says chicken is quite safe as long as it is thoroughly cooked

FSA chief executive Catherine Brown said: "There is still a lot more to be done by all elements of the supply chain to ensure that consumers can be confident in the food they buy.

"As soon as we have enough data to robustly compare campylobacter levels in different retailers we will share that data with consumers."

Over the 12 months 4,000 samples of whole chickens bought from UK retail outlets and smaller independent stores and butchers will be tested. The new results are for the first quarter and represent 853 samples.

Ms Brown said the survey "will give us a clearer picture of the prevalence of campylobacter on raw poultry sold at retail and help us measure the impact of interventions introduced by producers, processors, and retailers to reduce contamination".

The survey is aimed at helping stem the prevalence of the campylobacter bug

She added: "The chicken supply chain is looking at how interventions such as improved biosecurity on farms, rapid surface chilling, and anti-microbial washes can help reduce campylobacter.

"So when they take action and invest in interventions designed to make a difference, these survey figures will enable us to see if they really do make an impact."

She said low levels of contamination on packaging may show that leak-proof wrappers used by most retailers is working.

Campylobacter is killed by thorough cooking, but is the most common form of food poisoning in the UK. It affects an estimated 280,000 people a year, and the majority of these cases come from contaminated poultry.

The FSA said that previous studies carried out into the prevalence of the bug had also shown around two thirds of raw poultry carry it.

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Daily Aspirin Pill 'Helps Prevent Cancer'

Taking a daily dose of aspirin could help ward off some types of cancer, according to a new study.

Researchers say that long-term use of the drug can significantly cut the chance of dying from gastrointestinal illnesses such as bowel and stomach cancer.

It is estimated that 130,357 cancer deaths could be prevented over two decades if everyone in the UK between 50 and 64 took the drug for 10 years.

However, widespread aspirin use could cause just under 18,000 deaths over the same time period, mainly due to internal bleeding and strokes.

Researchers from the Centre for Cancer Prevention at Queen Mary University of London pulled together data from more than 200 studies on the preventative use of aspirin.

The research examined more than 200 studies on the drug

Lead researcher Professor Jack Cuzick said he believed GPs should recommend healthy patients take a daily dose of the drug.

His team found bowel cancer incidence could be cut by 35%, and deaths by 40%, if people took aspirin for 10 years.

Stomach and oesophageal cancer were reduced by 30%, and deaths from these diseases by 35% and 50%.

But the effect on non-gastrointestinal cancers was less dramatic.

Lung and prostate cancer were reduced by 5% and 10%, and deaths from both by 15%. It also reduced breast cancer incidence by 10% and deaths by 5%.

Heart attack risk went down by 18%, but there was only a 5% dip in mortality rates.

Professor Cuzick said: "Until our study, where we analysed all the available evidence, it was unclear whether the pros of taking aspirin outweighed the cons.

"Whilst there are some serious side effects that can't be ignored, taking aspirin daily looks to be the most important thing we can do to reduce cancer after stopping smoking and reducing obesity, and will probably be much easier to implement."

Long-term aspirin use also increases the risk of dying from a stroke

The risks of daily aspirin use include a sharp increase in serious or fatal bleeding in the gut for people over 70, due to the drug's blood-thinning effect.

It also raised the risk of peptic ulcer by 30% to 60%, and the chances of dying from a stroke by 21%.

There is also no evidence that taking more than a low dose of 75-100 milligrams produces any greater benefit.

Professor Cuzick said anyone considering taking a daily aspirin dose should see their GP as some people are more susceptible to the potential negative effects.

Dr Julie Sharp, head of health information for Cancer Research UK, which co-funded the study, also sounded a note of caution.

She said: "Aspirin is showing promise in preventing certain types of cancer, but it's vital that we balance this with the complications it can cause."

Dr Sharp said the charity was planning a five-year study with 10,000 cancer patients to find out more about how best to use the drug.

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