Jeremy Kyle Cancer Battle: Host 'On The Mend'

TV chat show host Jeremy Kyle is recuperating abroad after being treated for testicular cancer.

He is understood to have had chemotherapy following the discovery of a growth late last year.

The 47-year-old presenter has taken a break from recording his ITV daytime programme while he recovers.

He is expected to return to work next week to begin filming new shows.

A statement on his programme's Facebook page said: "Jeremy was diagnosed with cancer just before Christmas. After an operation and chemotherapy treatment, I'm pleased to say he's now on the mend.

"It's been a really tough couple of months for him and his family but he wanted to let you all know that he appreciates your continuing support.

"Jeremy will be back at work next week to start filming new shows which you'll see on TV very soon."

An ITV spokeswoman said: "We wish Jeremy well and are pleased that he is making such good progress."

Kyle has hosted his TV programme for seven and a half years, putting dysfunctional relationships in the spotlight, and many have criticised it for glorifying "broken Britain".

Last week, his show was nominated for the National Television Awards for the best daytime TV show award, although it missed out to This Morning.

Kyle was a salesman before his move into broadcasting, hosting programmes in local radio.

He went on to present his Virgin Confessions show on Virgin Radio before landing his TV slot after Trisha Goddard left her daytime ITV series to head to Channel 5.

Kyle has also launched his programme in the US and has fronted other shows for ITV.

In his autobiography, I'm Only Being Honest, the twice-married presenter talked about how he suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Horsemeat Scandal: Tesco Drops Supplier

Tesco has dropped its frozen burger supplier following an investigation into why horsemeat was used in its products.

The supermarket giant's technical director Tim Smith said new DNA testing would be introduced for all of its meat products to avoid similar mistakes happening again.

He said: "The evidence tells us that our frozen burger supplier, Silvercrest, used meat in our products that did not come from the list of approved suppliers we gave them.

"Nor was the meat from the UK or Ireland, despite our instruction that only beef from the UK and Ireland should be used in our frozen beef burgers.

Tesco's Tim Smith has revealed the findings of the firm's investigation

"Consequently we have decided not to take products from that supplier in future.

"We took that decision with regret but the breach of trust is simply too great."

Silvercrest says that it has "never knowingly bought or processed horsemeat", and insists that all of its purchases are from approved and licensed EU plants.

Around two weeks ago Tesco and a number of other supermarkets removed certain brands of frozen beefburgers from their shelves, after they were found to contain horsemeat.

A study examining the authenticity of a number of beefburger, beef meal and salami products available from retail outlets in Ireland found horsemeat accounted for approximately 29% of the content in one sample of Tesco Everyday Value Beef Burgers.

The findings sparked a national outcry and 10 million burgers were taken off shelves as a result of the scandal.

Mr Smith added: "Ultimately Tesco is responsible for the food we sell, so it is not enough just to stop using the supplier.

"To underpin the strong measures already in place, we will now introduce a comprehensive system of DNA testing across our meat products. This will identify any deviation from our high standards."

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Malala: Shot Teen To Get Replacement Skull

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

British doctors have revealed the remarkable medical procedures which will transform the life of a Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban.

There was international outrage after the Taliban shot Malala Yousufzai, 15, at point blank range in the north western Swat district, because she was campaigning for girls' education.

Following the attack last October she was flown for specialist treatment at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The bullet hit her left brow and instead of penetrating her skull it travelled underneath the skin, the whole length of her head and into her shoulder.

The shock wave shattered the thinnest bone of the skull and the soft tissue at the base of her jaw and neck were damaged. Her left eardrum was destroyed.

Within the next 10 days she will undergo two operations which will replace a missing area of skull and implant a complex electronic hearing device.

A 3D image has been released which shows the extensive damage caused to Malala's skull.

Malala leaves hospital in early January

Surgeons at Birmingham say a 0.66mm titanium metal plate will be screwed into place, having been moulded from a 3D model created through the CT image of Malala's skull.

In a separate procedure a cochlear implant will be fitted, the type of device that provides a sense of sound to someone who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.

A small area will be drilled in the skull behind the titanium plate to allow the electronics to be implanted.

Malala was released as an outpatient in early January to continue her recuperation at the family's temporary home in the Midlands with her father Ziauddin, mother Toorpekai and younger brothers Khushal and Atul.

Shortly after Malala arrived in Birmingham her father released a statement saying: "I am awfully thankful for all the peace-loving well-wishers who strongly condemn the assassination attempt on Malala, who pray for her health and support the grand cause of peace, education, freedom of thought and freedom of expression."

The Pakistan government has since given Malala's father a job in the UK. He has been appointed the education attaché at the Pakistan Consulate.

Since the attack, a campaign has gathered pace for Malala to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after she became a symbol of the struggle for women's rights in Pakistan.

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Prince Charles Takes Rare Tube Journey

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince Charles joined London Underground commuters as he boarded the Tube for the first time in 33 years.

Bemused passengers looked on as the future King and the Duchess of Cornwall swiped their commemorative Oyster cards at Farringdon Station.

The royal couple took the one-stop journey to King's Cross on the Metropolitan line alongside members of the public.

Prince Charles uses his Oyster card to pass through the barriers

A brand new but empty S-Stock train arrived to transport the royal couple. Having only come into service at Farringdon, passenger numbers were limited.

But throughout the three-minute journey commuters were unable to get close to the royals, who were there to mark the 150 anniversary of the London Underground.

Having arrived in Farringdon by royal limousine, Charles and Camilla were presented with their Oyster cards, each charged with £10.

Camilla on the platform for the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross

But both Charles and Camilla would have been eligible for a Freedom Pass for the over 60s.

While Camilla is thought to have used the London Underground in the past, the prince last travelled on the Tube in 1979 when he opened the first stage of the Jubilee line.

The Duchess of Cornwall is understood to be a fan of Harry Potter, so as she arrived at King's Cross she and the Prince were taken to Platform 9 and ¾.

"Platform 9¾" is where the Hogwarts Express departs in the Harry Potter book. The Duchess was also presented with an £8 souvenir photo.

One Australian tourist told Sky News: "The last thing we expected to see in London was the royal family and all of a sudden the doors opened on Platform 9 ¾ and Prince Charles was there."

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Tragic London Marathon Runner Used Stimulant

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A young woman who died in the London Marathon was using a stimulant which has since been banned, an inquest has heard.

After Claire Squires, 30, collapsed and died in the run last April, a public outpouring of support led to more than £1m being donated to her chosen charity.

The inquest at Southwark Coroner's Court heard that Miss Squires died from acute cardiac failure.

On the day of the race, Miss Squires had put Jack3d in her water bottle, the hearing was told.

The popular stimulant used to contain an amphetamine-like substance DMAA, and experts say this contributed to her death.

DMAA was banned from shelves and internet sales in the UK in August last year over fears it could be lethal when used during rigorous activity.

Jack3d since removed the ingredient from their product.

The court heard how several US soldiers had died after taking DMAA during training, and it was subsequently banned by the US Army.

Mr Van Herrewage arrives at the inquest

It was legal in the UK at the time Claire was using it.

Her boyfriend, Simon Van Herrewage, said she had not used it much before, but that she used it for a boost during the London Marathon.

"She put one scoop in her water bottle and said she would only use it if she hit a wall," he said.

"She was trying to beat her previous time and do it in under four hours."

In a statement, cardiologist William McKenna said: "The presence of a substance found it the blood was an important factor in the outcome." 

Dr Nicola Drake, who treated Miss Squires at St Thomas' Hospital, told the court that the drug makes "heart levels increase".

"It makes the heart work harder than it normally would," she said.

Dr John Van der Walt, who conducted the post mortem, concluded that "acute cardiac failure due to extreme physical exertion complicated by the presence of DMAA was the cause of death."

Miss Squires' boyfriend also told the hearing that she had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat by an acupuncturist.

But her GP told the inquest that she never went to see him with concerns over her heartbeat.

Miss Squires collapsed and died a mile from the finish line of the London marathon last April.

The 30-year-old hairdresser from NorthKilworth, Leicestershire, was running to raise funds for the Samaritans in honour of her brother Grant, who died of a drug overdose in 2001, aged 25.

Before the race she had raised £500 but following news of her death, thousands of well-wishers have left donations of more than £1m.

She was treated by medical teams positioned along the route before she was rushed to hospital by ambulance where she was later pronounced dead.

She had previously undertaken a string of gruelling physical challenges for charity, including a marathon in Belfast and the Great North Run.

Asked how long she trained for the London Marathon, her boyfriend said "she never stopped training".

"She ran five times a week and she knew how to build up for a marathon."

After the inquest Mr Van Herrewage said: "This has been an extremely difficult time for us, Claire's death has left a gaping hole in our hearts and in our lives.

"We'll always remember her with a big smile on her face trying to make everyone she met feel good about themselves.

"The outcome of the inquest left us feeling a little numb, Claire took part in the marathon to do some good and challenge herself in the same way she did for many other events.

"Claire was passionately against the use of drugs and would never ever have taken anything that would have caused her harm or even worse risk to life.

"She innocently took a supplement that at the time was entirely legal and widely available on the high street, and somewhat worryingly apparently used by so many others."

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Fuel Prices: Cost At Pump 'Is Fair'

The road fuel sector is "working well" according to a report into the UK's £47bn market by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

The regulator said high prices at the pumps were a result of increasing crude oil prices and taxes - not a lack of competition.

In the 10 years between 2003 and 2012, petrol prices increased from 76p per litre (ppl) to 136ppl, and diesel rose from 78ppl to 142ppl.

But the OFT stressed that over this period, taxes and duties rose by 24ppl and crude oil went up 33ppl.

It said had not identified any evidence of anti-competitive behaviour at a national level - where competition was strong - but admitted there could be some issues at a local level.

The regulator also found "very limited evidence" that oil and gas companies do not pass on lower crude oil prices to retailers and motorists as quickly as they could.

In 2012 supermarkets sold almost 40% of the UK's road fuel

It comes amid concerns that pump prices rise quickly when the wholesale price of crude oil goes up but fall more slowly when it drops.

The chief executive of the OFT, Clive Maxwell, said: "We recognise that there has been widespread mistrust in how this market is operating.

"However, our analysis suggests that competition is working well, and rises in pump prices over the past decade or so have largely been down to increases in tax and the cost of crude oil."

The report did find that fuel is often significantly more expensive at motorway service stations - in August, prices were on average 7.5ppl more for petrol and diesel was 8.3ppl higher.

As a result, the regulator called for the Department for Transport to consider introducing new road signs displaying prices to drivers before they pull into a service station.

The OFT said the growing influence of supermarkets had been a key feature of the sector over the past decade.

The 'big four' - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - have increased their share of road fuel sold in the UK from 29% in 2004 to 39% in 2012.

The report recognised that many independent dealers had found it difficult to compete, with the total number of forecourts falling from 10,867 in 2004 to 8,677 in 2012.

But the OFT also said that - pre-tax - the UK has some of the cheapest road fuel prices in Europe.

As a result of its findings, the regulator will not launch a full investigation into the road fuel market - despite calls for one from campaigners.

Quentin Wilson, from campaign group FairFuelUK, said UK consumers would be disappointed by the OFT's findings.

"Every motorist and business in Britain instinctively knows that 'something's not right'," he said.

"The Americans and the Germans are holding inquiries – why aren't we?

"The OFT appears to have failed to address the key issues of why diesel is more expensive than unleaded in the UK when this is not the case in Europe, why falls in the oil price take so long to be reflected at the pump and why there are such variations in price."

But oil analyst Malcolm Graham-Wood from VSA Capital welcomed the report.

"This totally concurs with our own view that there is no collaboration and that retail petrol prices in the UK fairly reflect the price of crude oil ... for better or worse," he said.

"Groups like FairFuelUK seem to think that just because petrol prices vary from different areas that this is due to collaboration and price fixing which is patently not the case."

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Israel Strikes Convoy On Syria-Lebanon Border

Israel has struck a suspected weapons convoy on the border of Syria and Lebanon, according to multiple sources.

Israeli jets carried out the strike overnight on the convoy which was said to be on its way into Syria, in the area of the Lebanon-Syria border.

Three squadrons of four jets carried out three separate sorties against the convoy, hitting it near the Lebanese village of Nabi Chit, about half way up the border with Syria in central Lebanon.

Early reports said the strike happened inside Lebanon, but Sky sources said the attack took place just inside Syria.

Sky News Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley said: "We know from Sky sources that the Israelis have conducted an air strike involving three sorties by 12 planes - a very heavy airstrike, a high level of intent - on the village of Nabi Chit, near the bigger Syrian town of  Zabadani. It's inside Syrian territory, therefore representing a possible strategic escalation.

"I'm told by security sources that were not directly involved that the most likely target were either shore to ship missles - very sophisticated missiles of the kind used by Hizbollah against an Israeli ship a few years ago off the coast of Lebanon - or sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles, both of which the Damascus regime have access to from Russia.

"They are recently understood to have taken substantial imports of these from Russia.

"Why are they such a worry to the Israelis? If Hizbollah were to get access to such anti shipping missiles and particularly to very sophisticated anti aircraft missiles, it would prevent the Israelis carrying out just the sort of airstrike that they've just done - it would shift the balance towards Hizbollah.

"Israel has always enjoyed air superiority in the region and it would lose it if these missiles were able to find the way into Hizbollah's hands.

"There is less of a suggestion that it was targeting chemical weapons."

Israel has in the last few months boosted isecurity and put a lot of tanks on its northern border with Syria, around the disputed Golan Heights. It has also installed its Iron Dome anti-missile missile system which has been used successfully to stop rockets coming out of Gaza.

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

Hizbollah also failed to comment.

In the run-up to the raid, Israeli officials had been warning very publicly of the threat posed to their country should high-tech anti-aircraft or anti-tank missiles reach Israel's enemies.

Lebanese militant group Hizbollah is a known enemy of Israel and has connections with Syria.

Israel fears sophisticated weaponery stockpiled by Bashar al-Assad's regime could fall into the hands of Hizbollah and could then be used to launch an attack against its citizens.

It was originally thought that Israel had waited until the convoy had crossed the border into Lebanon. A strike just inside Lebanon would had caused fewer diplomatic problems for Israel as it would avoid provoking Syria's ally Iran.

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Cumbria Votes Against Nuclear Waste Site

Cumbria County Council has voted against proceeding with plans to build an underground nuclear waste dump.

Council leaders rejected a move to the next stage of studying a possible suitable site by seven votes to three.

There were huge cheers from environmental campaigners outside the council chamber in Carlisle when the decision was announced. 

More than 32,000 people had signed a petition against the £12bn underground storage facility.

Greenpeace energy campaigner Leila Deen said: "This decision represents yet another major blow for the Government's attempts to force the construction of costly nuclear power plants.

"Even the Prime Minister admits we need a plan to store waste before we can build a single new plant.

"This decision shows that dumping waste in uncertain geology near one of the country's most pristine national parks is not a solution.

"Ministers must now re-consider their nuclear ambitions and turn their attention instead to clean, sustainable and renewable energy."

Protesters welcomed the decision to vote against a site in Cumbria

Earlier, leaders of Copeland borough councillors voted six to one in favour of moving to the next stage in the search for a site to bury radioactive waste.

But the Cumbria County Council vote over-rides decisions taken by borough authorities in the area.

If the site was given the go ahead it would have been the first of its kind in the UK. Currently most nuclear waste is stored at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Cumbria Council leader Eddie Martin said: "Cumbria has a unique and world-renowned landscape which needs to be cherished and protected.

"While Sellafield and the Lake District have co-existed side by side successfully for decades, we fear that if the area becomes known in the national conscience as the place where nuclear waste is stored underground, the Lake District's reputation may not be so resilient."

Deputy Leader Stewart Young added: "The case for investment in Sellafield is now more pressing than ever.

"We had always raised concerns over the lack of any plan B from Government and the fact that West Cumbria was the only area to express an interest in the process left the Government with few options if we decided not to proceed.

"It is now time for the Government to secure the long-term future of the nuclear industry and put in place robust storage arrangements at Sellafield while it decides how to continue the search for a repository elsewhere in the UK."

Currently most nuclear waste is stored at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Energy Minister Ed Davey said the Government will continue to work with communities to find a waste site.

"There is support out there some communitites realise there's a huge economic benefit for their area.

"We already store a huge amount of waste from the last six decades. We store it safely, but we wanted a long-term storage process and we're going to work with other communities to do just that."

As councillors were meeting, protesters gathered to make their views heard. 

Cumbria resident Miles Fielding told Sky News:  "There are already problems in the continent where there are nuclear dumps with leakage and known cancers occurring in the villages where the dumps are, so it's just not worth playing with."

Also outside the meeting were people staging a demonstration in favour of the plans because of the jobs a new site would create.

Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of Prospect, which represents 12,000 nuclear workers, said: "A decision not to proceed to the next stage of feasibility studies will take us straight back to the drawing board.

"The alternative to building a repository is not no radioactive waste, just continued surface storage. Therefore, the assessment of the scientific case for a geological disposal facility needs to weighed against the pros and cons of the alternatives.

"The next stage consists of experts conducting desk-based geological studies, compiling a waste inventory and discussions over the social and economic implications.

"It is still a long way from a green light for any excavation or exploratory groundwork.

"Not only does the vote have vast implications for the economic wealth of West Cumbria, which relies so heavily on the nuclear industry for jobs and growth, it potentially casts a shadow over any nuclear renaissance in the UK."

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EastEnders Murder: Tony McCluskie Jailed For Life

The brother of former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years for her murder.

Tony McCluskie had previously admitted manslaughter but was found guilty of murder by an 11 to 1 majority.

The 36-year-old window cleaner had claimed he killed his sister after a tirade of abuse. He said the last thing he remembered was her coming at him with a knife.

Miss McCluskie's torso was found floating in the Regent's Canal in east London a week after the killing after the suitcase her brother had used to dump the body broke open.

Her limbs were found wrapped in black bags a week later, but her head was not discovered for six months.

She had been hit over the head at least twice before her body had been hacked into six pieces.

Tony McCluskie was caught on CCTV dragging the suitcase containing her body

Alison Saunders, London's Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: "The strong case against McCluskie led to him admitting unlawfully killing his sister and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying it was not intentional and that he had lost control.

"But the prosecution did not accept his plea to manslaughter. We felt that the evidence of brutality showed a deliberate intent to cause death or serious bodily harm to Gemma, which amounts to murder."

The prosecution said Miss McCluskie had been killed after telling her brother to move out of the flat they shared in Shoreditch, east London last year.

Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, said there had been tensions between the pair for some time.

"Gemma told a friend 'He's permanently stoned. He puts a spliff in his mouth first thing in the morning and doesn't know what he's doing'," he told the court.

"On Thursday March 1 last year, McCluskie had got up, gone to the bathroom and forgotten the taps were on in the sink.

"Unsurprisingly, Miss McCluskie was exasperated by this. She had had enough.

Gemma McCluskie's blood was found on a knife in the kitchen of her flat

"Later, while she was out, her friends heard her arguing on the telephone with her brother about what had happened.

"It is clear that Gemma regarded this incident as the last straw and that she wanted the defendant to move out."

After the verdict, Tony McCluskie Senior said he would not desert his son.

"I know that my son, Tony Junior, is suffering too. I will not desert him even though he has committed this terrible crime and taken Gemma's life.

"I hope and pray that one day Tony will be released from prison with a better understanding of his actions."

After the murder, McCluskie sent his sister a text pretending she was still alive and ending "Love ya xx". He later told police that his sister was seen in a local kebab shop after she went missing, and that she had visited their mother in hospital.

The court heard that McCluskie received a series of hoax telephone calls following his sister's disappearance.

In the first call, the defendant was told that if he wanted to see his sister again he needed to £2m to Benfleet International station. A second call requested that he also bring $500 US dollars worth of Iraqi currency, before a third repeated the demand for £2m.

"The truth is that the defendant could not have believed his luck," Mr Aylett said.

"The calls can only have added to the state of confusion as to Gemma's whereabouts."

Police later traced the telephone calls to an address in Kent and arrested a man.

Miss McCluskie played Kerry Skinner, the niece of Ethel Skinner, in the BBC soap in 2001.

More follows...

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US Economy Shrinks For First Time In Three Years

The US economy shrank in the last quarter of 2012, the first contraction in more than three years.

The Commerce Department said the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.1% in the fourth quarter.

It was a stark contrast to the 3.1% growth rate recorded during the July-September quarter.

The deepest cuts in defence spending for 40 years, fewer exports and sluggish growth in company stockpiles have been blamed.

The surprise contraction could raise fears about the economy's ability to handle tax increases that took effect in January and more looming spending cuts.

"It represents a sharp turnaround from the 3.1% expansion seen in the third quarter and confounding economists, who had on average expected to see 1.1% growth," Markit chief economist Chris Williamson said.

"The contraction was the first since the second quarter of 2009."

Food prices have come under pressure in the US due to grain price rises

Some believe the weakness may be because of one-time factors as government spending cuts and slower inventory growth subtracted a total of 2.6 percentage points from growth.

Those volatile categories offset faster growth in consumer spending, business investment and housing - the US economy's traditional core drivers of growth.

For all of 2012, the economy expanded at the rate of 2.2%, slightly up on 2011's 1.8%.

However, the economy may continue to stay weak in early 2013 as Americans come to grips with an increase in social security taxes that has left them with less take-home pay.

Subpar growth has held back hiring as the economy has only created about 150,000 jobs a month, on average, for the past two years.

That level of increase is barely enough to reduce the unemployment rate, which has remained at 7.8% for the past two months.

The Pentagon's military planners have had to slice billions from projects

Economists have forecast little change in the unemployment rate when the government releases the January jobs report on Friday.

"The details of the decline suggest that the underlying performance of the US economy is far better than the headline number suggests," Mr Williamson added.

"In particular, companies sought to cut inventories which had built up in previous months, and if the stock reduction is excluded, the economy grew at a 1.1% annualised rate.

"After a disappointing end to 2012, the first quarter of 2013 may well surprise on the upside as the economy rebounds from a temporary spell of weakness."

Companies frequently cut back on inventories if they anticipate a slowdown in sales. This in turn means factories are likely to produce less.

US economists are now waiting to see the reaction of consumers to the expiration of the social security tax cut.

Congress and the White House allowed the temporary tax cut to end in January, but reached a deal to stop income taxes from rising for most Americans.

The tax increase will lower take-home pay this year by about 2%. It means a household earning $50,000 a year will have about $1,000 less to spend, while a household with two high-paid workers will have up to $4,500 less.

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