CAMERON’S ’VICTORY’ ON NEW EU BOSS
David Cameron appeared to win the first skirmish in the battle to pick the leader who will shape Europe’s future.
During late night talks in Brussels, the Prime Minister made clear he would not back the front runner vying to take the European Union’s top job and other leaders agreed they should look around for more candidates.
Jean-Claude Juncker, an EU veteran with federalist ambitions, had arrived in Brussels signalling he wanted immediate official backing to succeed Jose Manuel Barroso as European Commission president later this year.
NEW OBESITY ADVICE BACKS 3% GOAL
Obese or overweight people are being told that losing as little as 3% of their weight can have significant beneficial effects, in new NHS guidance urging a “respectful and non-judgemental” approach to the problem.
Stigmatising obese and overweight people with a “for goodness sake pull yourself together” approach does not work and can deter people from seeking help, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said.
It has also told GPs to identify people who can be referred for weight management programmes such as Weight Watchers in a bid to help them slim down.
YES AND NO CAMPS IN COST ESTIMATES
Competing estimates of the costs and savings of Scottish independence will be set out today as the Scottish and UK governments outline their visions for the nation’s constitutional future.
The Scottish Government is expected to set out several billion pounds of savings if assets such as embassies and defence equipment cannot be shared after independence.
Meanwhile, the UK Treasury will call on the Scottish Government to provide estimates for the cost of independence as it prepares to publish its own price tag for a Yes vote.
TESTOSTERONE ’CAN HELP MEN SLIM’
Testosterone therapy acts as a powerful slimming aid for obese men who lack the hormone, research has shown.
The treatment led men to lose around a fifth of their weight after six years. On average, their body weight fell from 20 stone (127kg) to 16 (102kg) and their waist size decreased by 4.7in (12cm).
Tests showed that the 46 participants were also healthier, with reduced blood sugar, levels of “bad” cholesterol, blood pressure and markers of liver disease.
CALL FOR HEALTH WARNING ON DRINKS
Health warnings should be added to sugary drinks in an attempt to make them as socially unacceptable as cigarettes, a leading figure in public health has said.
Professor Simon Capewell, professor of public health at the University of Liverpool, called for the UK Government to follow the example of legislation under consideration in California proposing warnings to consumers about the contribution of fizzy drinks to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
In an personal view published on bmj.com, Prof Capewell said a third of children and two-thirds of adults are now overweight or obese in the UK.
VICTIM’S FATHER IN GUN CONTROL PLEA
The father of one of the victims of British-born gunman Elliot Rodger has pleaded with politicians to take action on gun control as the dead were honoured at a memorial service.
Christopher Michael-Martinez was one of six students killed by Rodger during a gun and knife massacre near Santa Barbara, California on Friday evening.
Mr Martinez’s father Richard begged politicians to do something about the issue as he paid tribute to his son on a day of mourning at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB).
FIGHTING INTENSIFIES AFTER ELECTION
Dozens of dead insurgents lay piled in a van outside a morgue, and a rebel said more were on the way.
Bomb disposal experts disarmed a mortar round lodged in a corpse. A wrecked and blood-soaked truck at the Donetsk airport showed the grisly aftermath of battle.
The fight for eastern Ukraine seems to have taken a ferocious turn, as both sides step up their attacks after the rebellious regions mostly boycotted a presidential election that delivered a decisive winner.
PRISON SERVICE ’IS UNDER STRAIN’
The prison service is creaking under “unprecedented strain” because of fewer staff, worsening safety and fewer rehabilitation opportunities, according to the Prison Reform Trust
A new report by the trust blamed severe austerity cuts to the Ministry of Justice budget for creating a “race to the bottom” in prison conditions.
It comes as prison numbers soared by more than 500 in the two weeks between May 9 and May 23, compared to an overall increase of 1,496 in a whole year between March 2013 and March 2014.
1D MEMBERS FILMED IN ’JOINT’ VIDEO
A video appearing to show two members of boy band One Direction smoking what they call a “joint” has emerged, as the group bring their world tour to England.
Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are heard joking about “illegal substances” as they smoke a rolled-up cigarette in the back of a car.
Tomlinson, who is believed to be filming the video, is heard saying “So here we are, leaving Peru. Joint lit. Happy days!” as smoke fills the camera shot. (
