Eric Joyce: Alcohol Ban On MP After Bar Fight

MP Eric Joyce has been banned from buying and being served alcohol from all parliamentary facilities following his arrest after a brawl in a bar at the House of Commons.

The independent Member of Parliament for Falkirk was held after the fight broke out at the Sports and Social Club bar, and is still being questioned by police in custody.

It is the second time Mr Joyce, who in the past month has spoken of his struggle with alcoholism and violence, has been arrested in a year in Parliament.

A House of Commons spokesman said: "The House Authorities take their responsibility for the welfare of those who work in and visit the Commons Estate very seriously.

It is the second time Eric Joyce has been arrested in Parliament in a year

"Alcohol-related incidents on the Estate are rare, and the serious incident last night was counter to the policies in place.

"Given the Member for Falkirk has previously been found guilty of an alcohol-related incident on the Parliamentary Estate, the Speakers and House Authorities have agreed that with immediate effect the Member for Falkirk will be prohibited from purchasing and being served alcoholic beverages from all Parliamentary facilities.

"This ban will be indefinite subject to the outcome of police investigations."

Mr Joyce's arrest raises questions about the drinking culture in the Houses of Parliament.

There are 27 places - including bars, restaurants, cafes and gift shops - where MPs, peers, staff and members of the public can buy alcohol on the estate, which serves around 15,000 passholders, and some 8,000 people on an average working day.

Witnesses say around 150 people were taking part in a karaoke night at the venue at the time of the fight.

Tony Grew, from the PoliticsHome website, said he saw the MP "wrestling on the ground with two police officers".

Mr Joyce, who is no stranger to controversy and is due to stand down at the 2015 general election, is now facing pressure to quit.

There are 27 places where MPs can get an alcoholic beverage on the estate

Speaking from Mr Joyce's constituency in Denny, Falkirk, Sky's James Matthews said people were "disappointed and disgusted".

"I think they have had enough of Eric Joyce here and the general view is that he should step down now," he said.

One constituent described his arrest as "a disgrace", while another said he should "resign".

At the EU summit in Brussels David Cameron was asked about whether constituents should be able to sack their MPs.

The Prime Minister replied: "I do support the recall proposals that were in our manifesto. I still think it is right if we can find a way of putting this in place. I think it is an important idea.

"As for Eric Joyce, I think this is going to have to be properly looked at. I'm sure that the authorities, both inside and outside of the House, are more than capable of doing that."

Mr Joyce resigned from the Labour Party after headbutting Tory rivals Stuart Andrew and Ben Maney in a different Commons bar called Strangers' Bar, last February, where the average cost of a pint of beer is £3.30 and a glass of red wine £2.88.

On that occasion the 52-year-old also punched Tory councillor Luke Mackenzie and Labour whip Phillip Wilson and insulted police officers. After leaving Mr Andrew with a bloodied nose, Mr Joyce told police: "He deserved it."

Mr Joyce, who accepted he was "hammered" on red wine during the brawl, launched into a frenzied attack after shouting that the Strangers' Bar "was full of ******* Tories".

The former soldier walked away from Westminster Magistrates Court with a fine and pub banning order after admitting four counts of common assault. He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,400 to victims after he entered early guilty pleas.

Mr Joyce was also given a 12-month community order - banning him from entering pubs and licensed premises for three months - and imposed with a curfew order from Friday to Sunday.

After the hearing, he admitted he was lucky not to be jailed and said he was "deeply apologetic".

MPs are automatically expelled from their seats if they receive a jail term of more than one year.

Michael Connarty, MP for Linlithgow & East Falkirk, suggested Mr Joyce's problems may stem from his time in the armed forces.

"I think he is a perfect example of combat stress," he told Sky News.

"I have dealt with people who go through combat stress here in Scotland, who are basically ... exactly like Eric, who have come out of the armed forces, not really fitted into civilian life ... excess alcohol intake, they've lost their families, lost their homes ... have been rehabilitated - but they have to give up alcohol to do that ... I think Eric has that problem."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said police were called shortly before 10.30pm "to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons".

"Officers attended and a man aged in his 50s was arrested in connection with this incident. He remains in custody and inquiries continue," he added.

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Philpott Fire Trial: 'No Heroic Rescue Plan'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A father accused of killing his six children in a house fire has told a court there was no plan to rescue the youngsters and be a "hero".

Mick Philpott was being cross-examined by the prosecution during his manslaughter trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Philpott was asked why, when he realised there was a fire in the house, did he not use a fire extinguisher, which was in the kitchen, or water from the kitchen to try to put it out.

Richard Latham QC said: "Your plan was to go out, rescue your children, and be the hero wasn't it?"

Philpott replied: "No I don't see myself as a hero."

Mr Latham continued: "You went straight past the source of water, and straight past the fire extinguisher."

Philpott said: "The 999 call was my priority."

The prosecution asked why, in an emergency, when Philpott woke up naked to discover the fire, did he bother to put on his boxer shorts and socks and not just slip on his jogging bottoms. It was "the natural thing to do", Philpott said.

Mr Latham suggested that a ladder, close to a back window was "all part of the plan".

He asked: "You thought it was going to be unlocked didn't you? You were going to be able to get your children out and be the hero and victim at the same time."

Philpott replied: "Definitely not."

Back (L-R) Duwayne and John, Front (L-R) Jack, Jessie, Jade and Jayden

Mr Latham put to the 56-year-old that the plan was "to light that fire, make a 999 call, rescue them with the ladder from out the back window wasn't it?"

Philpott told the court: "Ladies and gentlemen, I did not light that fire, I did not endanger my children and nor did my wife."

He was asked why, on the 999 call did he say "God help me" and not "God help the children". Mr Latham said it was because "you knew you were responsible for this nightmare".

Philpott said: "I am in a distressed state, my heart is broken. What I say is not meant to come out like that."

Mick Philpott and his wife Mairead both deny killing their six children after a fire at their home on Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, in May last year.

Jade Philpott, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jessie, six and Jayden, five, all died in the fire.

Their brother Duwayne, 13, died in hospital three days after the blaze.

A third defendant, Paul Mosley also denies six counts of manslaughter.

The trial continues.

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Stephen Lawrence Murderer Drops Appeal

One of the two men jailed for the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence has dropped his appeal against the conviction.

Surveillance footage of Dobson used in the trial

Gary Dobson was handed a life sentence for his part in the 1993 killing at the Old Bailey in January last year.

The second man, David Norris, is continuing his attempt to have the conviction overturned.

A spokeswoman for the Judicial Office said: "Gary Dobson has abandoned his renewed application to appeal his conviction for the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

"David Norris's renewed application seeking permission to appeal his conviction will be heard on a date to be fixed."

Last summer, applications for permission to appeal by both men were rejected by a single judge who considered the papers from the case.

But Dobson and Norris, who are both in their thirties, still had the right to renew their applications before a panel of judges sitting at the Court of Appeal.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, described the murder as a "terrible and evil crime".

David Norris will continue his fight for a reversal of his conviction

He urged police not to "close the file" on catching the rest of the killers after the Old Bailey heard that a gang of five or six white youths set upon A-level student Stephen in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993.

He said the murder was committed "for no other reason than racial hatred".

Mr Justice Treacy told the pair: "A totally innocent 18-year-old youth on the threshold of a promising life was brutally cut down in the street in front of eyewitnesses by a racist, thuggish gang."

The breakthrough in the investigation came when a cold case team of forensic scientists was called in.

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Shark Dies During Kmart Advert Filming In US

A white tip shark shipped from New York and placed into an outdoor pool in Los Angeles for a Kmart advertisement has died after showing signs of distress.

The American Humane Association (AHA), which monitored the production, said everything was done to try to save the 5ft-long shark but it died after being moved to an aquatic compound for care on March 6.

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which said it received details of the shark's death from two on-set whistleblowers, criticised the AHA.

In a letter to the group, Peta said: "Sharks are sensitive animals who, in captivity, require a highly specialised and controlled environment.

"Given the delicate nature of this species, why would the AHA approve the transport and use of this animal?"

Karen Rosa of the AHA said the shark was placed into a 60,000-gallon (272,765-litre) outdoor tank, adding that it was a good amount of water for the animal.

"We honestly don't know why the animal died. It was not being mistreated. It was not being harmed," Ms Rosa said.

Once the shark showed distress signs, oxygen was pumped into the tank and the shark was given a shot of adrenaline to try to stabilise it, Ms Rosa said.

"We take this matter seriously and safety is always our paramount concern," Howard Riefs, a spokesman for Kmart owner Sears Holdings, said in a statement.

The death follows longstanding criticism of the use of animals in Hollywood productions.

Last year, the horse-racing show Luck on HBO was axed after the deaths of three horses used in the drama series.

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Newborn Baby's Body Found Near Reebok Stadium

The body of a newborn baby has been found abandoned near the Bolton Wanderers football stadium.

Greater Manchester Police were called to Ox Hey Lane, Lostock, near Bolton, on Thursday afternoon after receiving a call that a body had been found.

The spot is about half a mile from the Reebok Stadium.

The road, which is in a mainly rural area but is close to the M61, was sealed of while police carried out a forensic examination.

The force made an appeal to the baby's parents and asked for help from the community.

The body was wrapped up in clothing and plastic bags, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Officers also recovered a note which requested that the baby receive an Islamic burial.

The age, sex and ethnicity of the baby is not yet known and it is unclear whether the baby was born alive or stillborn.

Chief Inspector Carol Martin said: "Obviously this is an extremely upsetting incident and our investigation at the moment is twofold: finding out how and when the baby died, and locating the parents.

"I cannot begin to imagine what either parent may be going through and we are very worried about their physical and emotional state.

"It is likely the mother in particular will require some form of medical attention and I want to appeal directly to both parents or anyone who knows them to contact police or visit your GP or local hospital.

"It is vitally important that I stress support networks are in place and are waiting and on hand to help the parents."

Ms Martin added: "While we cannot speculate on the ethnicity of either parent, there was a note left requesting the baby receive an Islamic burial and we have already reached out to the Muslim community through their Friday prayers through our partnership connections at the Bolton Council of Mosques.

"The answer undoubtedly lies somewhere in the community and I want to ask the Bolton community as a whole whether they know of anyone who may have tried to conceal a birth or who recently has been pregnant but now is without a baby or appears withdrawn, upset or in physical discomfort.

"I also want to appeal to residents in the Lostock area who perhaps use Ox Hey Lane for running, cycling or walking on a frequent or daily basis: have you noticed a pile of what appeared to be clothing and plastic bags in the shrubbery off the tarmaced area recently?

"If so, please call us."

Police said a post-mortem was expected to take place on Monday.

The body was found shortly before 4.55pm. Police have not said how they are treating the death.

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'James Bond Watch' Sex Abuse GP Faces Jail

A GP used a secret camera inside his James Bond-style wristwatch to record himself abusing female patients.

Dr Davinderjit Bains is facing jail after using his position at a medical practice in Royal Wootton Bassett, near Swindon, to assault 30 women as young as 14.

The 45-year-old filmed the attacks on his Tieex 4GB Waterproof HD Spy Watch DVR, which has been likened to something out of a 007 film.

It has a built-in camera on the face - with simple on and off buttons to record - and can be bought on the internet for less than £60.

Detectives branded Bains a "sexual predator" and said he had "massively" breached the trust that patients place on their doctor.

Swindon Crown Court heard that Bains had admitted more than 30 charges, including sexual assault and voyeurism.

The police investigation began in June last year when a 19-year-old woman told officers she thought Bains had filmed her as she showered and alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by him in Swindon.

Detectives discovered his hi-tech wristwatch with spy camera when they arrested him at his surgery.

They later recovered 361 high-quality video clips from Bain's watch and home computer.

Detective Inspector Mark Garrett, who led the investigation, said Bains had used his position as a GP to abuse patients.

"They put their trust in their doctor and Dr Bains breached that trust massively - compromising his professional position - and breached that trust to the highest order," he said.

"He is a sexual predator, simple as that. And he was allowed to abuse his position of trust and offend for two years."

Bains, who qualified as a doctor from Mangalore University in 1993 and became a GP in 2007, is currently suspended from practising by the General Medical Council.

He was remanded in custody pending his sentence.

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HS2 High-Speed Rail Scheme's 'Unlawful' Ruling

The Government insists its HS2 high-speed rail project has not hit the buffers after a High Court judge ruled the consultation process for compensating those affected was "unlawful".

It was the only successful case among five in which Mr Justice Ouseley had been asked to send the multi-billion pound project back for reconsideration.

He described the compensation consultation process "as so unfair as to be unlawful".

But despite the decision at London's High Court, Transport Minister Simon Burns insisted the scheme would not be held up.

"This has been a convincing victory for the Government," he said.

"It's a green light to go ahead. It will not hold up us going ahead with the project, which is in the national interest.

"This is a major landmark victory for HS2 and the future of Britain.

"HS2 is the most significant infrastructure investment the UK has seen in modern times and a project the country cannot afford to do without.

The scheme has provoked angry opposition

"The judgement ensures that nothing now stands in the way of taking our plans to Parliament.

"We will now move forward as planned with the crucial business of getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017 and delivering enormous benefits for the country."

The first phase of HS2 would see a high-speed railway line running through Tory heartlands from London to Birmingham.

The decision on compensation was a victory for the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA), consisting of more than 70 affiliated action groups and residents' associations.

Human rights lawyer Richard Stein, who helped represent HS2AA, said: "This was never a Nimby argument. Many thousands of people living along the route will not be able to sell their homes for some 15 years because their homes are blighted.

"They should not have to bear the burden for this national project.

"We hope now that proper arrangements are put in place by the Government for compensation for those who live by the proposed HS2 route to make it possible for them to move if and when they wish, in the same way that the rest of us can."

Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: "We've now had nearly three years of dither and delay over HS2 which must now come to an end.

"It is vital that the Government now gets on with introducing the necessary legislation to make this scheme a reality on the ground. When they do so, they will have cross-party support from Labour."

Supporters point to the benefits of a reduction in journey times between the UK's two biggest cities.

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Liver Transplant Patients Offered New Hope

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

The world's first machine which can keep livers alive outside the body is offering transplant patients new hope.

About 8,000 people are currently waiting for a liver transplant in the UK and every year 100 die before they get the operation.

The new portable device, created by Oxford University, is about the size of a shopping trolley and can keep a donor organ alive for more than 24 hours.

It mimics the body, pumping red blood cells into the organ, monitoring the temperature and oxygen levels.

It has already been used by King's College Hospital in two successful operations.

Ian Christie, 62, from Devon was the first person to benefit from the so-called miracle machine.

He said: "I feel better than I've felt for 10 to 15 years, even allowing for the pain and wound that's got to heal.

"I'm getting better and better day by day."

Currently, organs have to be kept in ice which can damage them and mean some operations fail.

One benefit of the new technology is that livers could be repaired before being put into a patient

One of the machine's inventors, Professor Constantin Coussios, from Oxford University, said: "It was astounding to see an initially cold grey liver flushing with colour once hooked up to our machine and performing as it would within the body.

"What was even more amazing was to see the same liver transplanted into a patient who is now walking around."

Some 20 more operations need to be carried out before the pilot trials are complete.

A further 35 patients have already given their consent to the procedure.

It is unclear how much the machine will cost but inventors hope if it is successful not only could it be rolled out across Europe but it could also be used on other organs.

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Mother On Death Row Has Conviction Overturned

A mother on death row for 22 years for killing her four-year-old son in 1989 has had her conviction overturned.

A federal appeals court ruled Debra Jean Milke's case was tainted by a detective with a history of lying under oath.

Prosecutors had said Milke dressed up her son Christopher in his favourite outfit and told him he was going to see Santa Claus at a shopping centre during the holidays.

Instead, he was taken into the desert by her boyfriend and another man and shot three times in the back of the head as part of what prosecutors said was a plot by Milke and the two other defendants to collect a $50,000 life insurance policy.

The 49-year-old was convicted in October 1990. The Arizona Supreme Court had gone so far to issue a death warrant for Milke in 1997, but the execution was delayed because she had yet to exhaust federal appeals.

A three-judge panel said the prosecution failed to disclose information about a history of misconduct by detective Armando Saldate Jr, who said that Milke confessed to plotting her son's murder.

There was no other witness or recording of the purported confession by Milke, who has proclaimed her innocence.

"No civilised system of justice should have to depend on such flimsy evidence, quite possibly tainted by dishonesty or overzealousness, to decide whether to take someone's life or liberty," Chief Justice Alex Kozinski wrote in the decision.

The trial amounted to "a swearing contest" in which the judge and jury ultimately believed the detective over Milke, but they didn't know of his record of dishonesty and misconduct, Mr Kozinski wrote.

The ruling reversed a US District Court judge's ruling and ordered the lower court to require Arizona authorities to turn over all relevant personnel records for the detective.

Once the material is produced and defence lawyers have time to review it, prosecutors will have 30 days to decide whether to retry her. If they don't, she will be released from prison.

In 2009, Milke's defence lawyer Michael Kimerer said his client maintains her innocence and was a loving mother who still grieves her son's death.

"Our main concern is the fact that I have a client that never confessed and a police detective who said she gave a confession. There was no tape recorder, no witnesses, nothing. Just his word," Mr Kimerer said then.

Milke would have been the first woman executed in Arizona since the 1930s had her appeals run out.

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Hacking: Ex-Daily Mirror Editor Interviewed

Former Daily Mirror editor Richard Wallace has been interviewed under caution in relation to a phone hacking investigation, Sky sources say.

The Met Police said a 51-year-old man went to a station in south London about 1pm and was questioned by detectives from Operation Weeting, Scotland Yard's investigation into phone hacking.

The Met Police said he was interviewed under caution, but not arrested, over "the suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails at Mirror Group Newspapers."

Wallace was later released.

This follows the arrest in early morning raids of four current and former Trinity Mirror journalists on Thursday.

People editor James Scott and deputy editor Nick Buckley were held, along with former editor of the Sunday Mirror Tina Weaver and former deputy editor of the newspaper Mark Thomas.

They were all released on bail until April.

Scotland Yard said the alleged conspiracy is being treated separately from the two plots being investigated at the now defunct News of the World, and its inquiry is focused on the Sunday Mirror in 2003 and 2004.

More follows...

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Oklahoma Mum 'Tried To Sell Kids On Facebook'

A young mum has been accused of trying to sell her children on Facebook to bail her boyfriend out of jail.

Police in Sallisaw, Oklahoma said Misty VanHorn contacted a potential buyer via the social networking site.

They said the 22-year-old mother was looking to get $1,000 (£670) for her two-year-old, or $4,000 (£2,680) for the toddler and her 10-month-old baby.

"Just come to Sallisaw, it's only 30 minutes away and I'll give you all of her stuff and let y'all have her forever for $1,000," she allegedly wrote via Facebook.

The unidentified female buyer from Fort Smith, just over the state border in neighbouring Arkansas, notified the authorities last week.

Police moved in to arrest her soon after.

Neighbours said VanHorn had been going door to door trying to raise the $1,000 bond money to free her partner for days.

She is now being held in the Sequoyah County Jail on $40,000 (£26,800) bail.

The state has taken custody of the children.

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Marijuana Bong: Toddler Made To Smoke By Mum

A mother who got her 22-month-old son to smoke her marijuana bong has been arrested, after mobile phone video emerged of the incident.

Rachelle Braaten was detained by police in Centralia in Washington state last Friday.

Rachelle Braaten appears in court. Pic: KOMO-TV

She is now facing multiple charges, including delivery of a controlled substance to a minor.

KOMO-TV said the 24-year-old reportedly told police: "I guess it was a joke and stupid mistake that wasn't really funny."

In the video the child can be seen briefly sucking on the bong.

He coughs and people can be heard laughing.

Braaten said her son did not act sick afterwards.

He has since been placed in protective care, along with his five-year-old brother.

Police also found 40 marijuana plants when they arrested Braaten.

She remains in jail on $5,000 (£3,350) bail.

Washington is one of very few states which allows the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

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Shark-Wrestler Grandad 'Disgusted' By Sacking

A grandfather who grappled with a shark on a busy beach has told of his disgust at being sacked from his job after footage of his feat went round the world.

Charity worker Paul Marshallsea, 62, said he and his wife Wendy had been on long-term sick leave with stress and were on holiday on their doctor's advice when the incident happened.

He told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan he was feeling better by the time of the incident: "We'd been there a few weeks and I did feel better.

"When I came back I went to the doctor and told him I was better. The day I came back was the day I was ready for work."

Mr Marshallsea, from Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, was called a hero after he waded in to the surf and grabbed the 6ft shark by the tail amid fears it would attack paddling children.

A local news crew caught his exploits on camera and his story made headlines around the world and earned him praise from lifeguards.

But now Mr Marshallsea has lost his job with children's charity the Pant and Dowlais Boys & Girls Club. He had been signed off with work-related stress since last April.

The grandfather-of-one and his 56-year-old wife, who also worked for the charity and was off ill at the time, flew back to Britain to letters informing them they had been sacked.

He has now hit back saying he was "disgusted" by the way he has been treated. He said: "What am I going to do now? There's not much call for shark wrestlers in Merthyr Tydfil."

Mr Marshallsea claims that he should have received a pat on the back for his efforts and that he only took the holiday with his wife on the advice of his GP.

Mr Marshallsea worked as project co-ordinator at Dowlais Engine House, where the charity has a base, and his wife was a senior youth worker.

He had been featured on Sky News for his work with the charity and once met Prince Charles, who visited to find out about the project's work in the town.

The letter he received read: "Whilst unfit to work you were well enough to travel to Australia and, according to recent news footage of yourself in Queensland, you allegedly grabbed a shark by the tail and narrowly missed being bitten by quickly jumping out of the way, the photographs and footage appearing in newspapers and television broadcasts."

A follow-up letter added: "The breakdown of the trustees' confidence and trust in you and your ability to perform the role is so great that we find that dismissal is the only course of action we can recommend."

Mr Marshallsea said running the club became increasingly stressful as it gained in success and the couple were working up to seven days a week.

"We created a whip to hit our own backs. It grew so big and we didn't realise. There was no stopping it."

Sky News contacted the charity trustees and is awaiting their response.

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Nicola Furlong: Man Jailed Over Assault On Friend

The friend of an American on trial for the murder of an Irish exchange student in Tokyo has been convicted of sexually assaulting the woman she was with on the night she died.

Tokyo District Court found James Blackston guilty and sentenced him to three years in prison for the attack on the unidentified woman in a taxi on the way to a Tokyo hotel last May.

Prosecutors had asked for a four-year sentence.

Blackston, a 23-year-old dancer from Los Angeles, and his friend, Richard Hinds, who is on trial for Miss Furlong's murder, had been out drinking with the two women.

Testimony in Hinds' trial also ended on Wednesday and a verdict is expected on March 19.

According to evidence in both trials, Ms Furlong, who was studying and living about 60 miles away from the capital on an exchange programme, and her friend went to Tokyo to see a Nicki Minaj concert.

Richard Hinds is on trial for Nicola Furlong's murder

After the concert, the two met Hinds, of Memphis, Tennessee and Blackston and went with them to a bar.

At some point both of the women passed out. Prosecutors have suggested they were drugged.

Security camera footage presented as evidence showed Blackston sexually assaulting Ms Furlong's friend in a taxi on the way to the hotel, where the men borrowed wheelchairs to get the unconscious women to the rooms.

Police were called to the Keio Plaza Hotel when a loud noise was heard from Hinds' room in the early hours and Ms Furlong was found unconscious. She died later in hospital.

Prosecutors say Hinds strangled Ms Furlong, a Dublin City University student from Curracloe, Co Wexford, with a towel to keep her quiet after she regained consciousness.

Hinds denies the charges.

Hinds was 19 and a minor under Japanese law when he was arrested, but is being tried in an adult court.

Although murder in Japan can carry the death penalty, prosecutors are seeking a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment for Hinds.

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China: Safety Fears As More Dead Pigs Found

Residents of Shanghai have become increasingly concerned about contaminated water as the number of dead pigs found floating in a river rose to nearly 7,000.

The pig carcasses started appearing in Shanghai on Saturday and are thought to have been dumped in the city's main Huangpu river further upstream after dying of disease.

Workers have been removing the carcasses but have been overwhelmed as increasing numbers of dead pigs have appeared.

Local television showed men digging a mass grave and then dumping dead pigs from a cargo net into the hole, as a worker in a white biohazard suit poured disinfectant on the carcasses.

Shanghai's government has denied that its water is unsafe, saying: "Treated water meets national drinking water hygiene standards."

However, residents have continued to question the government assurances as the problem has worsened.

One comment posted on an online forum, under the name of Youshan Wanshui6_6, said: "So many dead pigs and the water quality has not been affected. Who are you fooling? Do you think people are idiots?"

Shanghai has pointed the finger at Jiaxing in the neighbouring province of Zhejiang, a major centre for pig breeding.

Many of the pigs have been dumped in a mass grave

A Jiaxing official has admitted that some of the dead pigs could be from the area.

In an online chat on the website of the People's Daily newspaper, the unnamed agriculture official said: "We do not rule out the possibility of dead pigs in Jiaxing's waterways floating into Shanghai.

"But as far as we grasp the current situation, there are dead pigs from areas outside Jiaxing also flowing in," he said.

The official added that a handful of tags found on the dead pigs in Shanghai had been traced to a local producer and police were bringing a case against the individual, who was not identified.

Shanghai's agricultural commission said on Monday that some of the animals had tested positive for porcine circovirus, which it described as a common swine disease that does not affect humans.

The city has tightened supervision over its markets to avoid tainted meat from the dead pigs being sold to consumers, the Shanghai Daily said.

Meat producers in China sometimes sell animals that have died from disease, instead of disposing of them, amid lax food safety laws.

Around half of the world's 1.3m pigs slaughtered annually for meat are raised in China, many of which are reared in intensive farms which have been accused of promoting the spread of disease.

In 2007, an outbreak of high fever blue ear disease in pigs in China affected 50 million animals.

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Dave Lee Travis Arrested Again By Police

Dave Lee Travis has been re-arrested over new sex claims dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, according to Sky sources.

The former Radio 1 DJ was previously arrested in November by police investigating the Jimmy Savile abuse claims over two allegations that he groped or molested two women.

"He answered his bail and was re-arrested and questioned over new allegations from new victims," Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said.

"A number of new allegations have emerged over the past few weeks, since his initial arrest.

"More alleged victims have come forward to make complaints to Scotland Yard about alleged misbehaviour, sexual abuse, by Dave Lee Travis - enough for him to have been re-arrested."

It is not clear exactly how many fresh allegations the 67-year-old faces. He has since been released by police.

Officers are reportedly expected to make a decision on any charges by next month.

At the time of his first arrest he denied any wrongdoing. He stressed that the allegations against him had nothing to do with children and that he did not want his name associated with "bloody evil" child abuse.

Speaking outside his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, at the time, he said: "The point I want to make here is that none of the things I've been talking to the police about, or have talked to them about, is to do with children."

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said a man in his 60s from Bedfordshire had been interviewed when he answered bail on Monday.

He said the man was "further arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in connection with further allegations made to Operation Yewtree".

Police working on Operation Yewtree have said they are looking at three categories of offences; those allegedly committed by Savile alone, those allegedly committed by Savile and others, and alleged offences by others.

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Philpott House Fire Trial: Father Breaks Down

By Darren Little, Nottingham Crown Court

A father accused of killing six of his children in a house fire slumped in the dock as his frantic 999 call was played to a court.

A sobbing Mick Philpott put his head in his hands and almost disappeared from view as a jury at Nottingham Crown Court listened to the recording.

Once the phone call finished Philpott was asked if he wanted a break, but got back to his feet and insisted on continuing to give evidence.

"I was hysterical," he said.

"How do you explain not being able to get to your babies?"

He wept as he said he was "screaming for his daughter" after climbing a ladder and trying to break her bedroom window.

Giving evidence at the start of his defence, the 56-year-old insisted he had nothing to do with the blaze - but that he had his suspicions about who did.

Anthony Orchard QC, defending Philpott, asked him: "Did you set the fire?"

"No," Philpott replied.

"Are you connected to the setting of the fire?" the counsel continued. Philpott responded: "No."

Floral tributes outside the Philpott home in May last year

Mr Orchard then asked the defendant if he knew who did start the blaze, to which Philpott replied that he did not.

Asked by the counsel: "Do you have your suspicions?" - Philpott answered: "I do."

Philpott admitted he, his wife and their co-accused Paul Mosley had engaged in sexual activity just hours before the fire.

After Mr Mosley had left in the early hours of the morning, Philpott said he and his wife had gone to bed and were woken by the fire alarm.

He said he tried to get up the stairs to his children but could not get through the smoke and fire.

When asked again about whether he was responsible for the fire Philpott said: "It's impossible for me or my wife to do. They (the children) are my life, my heart. They're everything to me."

He said that in the aftermath of the fire the three of them had another three or four sexual encounters together.

Philpott also said he was an occasional user of cannabis and had smoked after the deaths of the children.

He told the court: "I was finding it very difficult to cope with what was going on. Having sex or smoking cannabis was one way of blocking it out."

Jade, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five, all perished in the blaze on Victory Road in Allenton in May last year.

Their brother Duwayne, 13, was taken to Derby Royal Hospital but died three days later after being transferred to a Birmingham hospital.

Mick Philpott, 56, and his wife Mairead, 31, deny killing their six children after a "plan" to frame his ex-mistress Lisa Willis went wrong. A third defendant, Paul Mosley, 46, also denies six counts of manslaughter.

Miss Willis, 29, lived with the Philpotts and her five children, four of whom were fathered by Mick Philpott, until she left with the youngsters in February last year.

Asked about their relationship, he said: "At that particular time I thought that me and Lisa had this bond that was inseparable."

Philpott told the court he spent a lot of time with his wife and slept with Miss Willis in the evenings.

The court heard he openly discussed his desire to divorce his wife and marry Miss Willis, but said his wife would never leave him.

"She was not going anywhere," he told the jury. "Mairead will always be my wife, even if we got divorced."

Whilst giving evidence, Philpott became emotional while talking of his wife's attempted suicide after Miss Willis moved out.

Philpott told the court he was "distraught" when he realised his wife had taken an overdose.

He admitted the suicide attempt was a "wake up call", and admitted he had "made mistakes and had not been the best husband".

Jurors also heard of the family's appearance on television on the Jeremy Kyle Show - a move Philpott said he regretted because his children were bullied and the family received death threats afterwards.

Asked why he decided to go on the chat show by Mr Orchard, Philpott replied: "We all decided. At that time we needed a bigger house."

In response to claims that the fire was set last year because the family wanted a bigger house, Philpott told the court: "The house was quite sufficient."

The trial continues.

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Danny Nightingale: Wins Gun Conviction Appeal

SAS sniper Danny Nightingale has won an appeal against a conviction for illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition.

Sergeant Nightingale's barrister told three appeal judges that the soldier was put under "improper pressure" to plead guilty.

The judges agreed, quashing the convictions and ordering a retrial after a hearing in London.

Speaking outside court, Sergeant Nightingale said: "I'm absolutely elated. Again, thanking everyone massively for this. I do believe it was the right decision today.

"It is slightly tainted with the fact the retrial will be coming upon us, as it stands, tonight will be a happy night.

"We now have a re-trial to face. We will attack it with the same vigour and tenacity as we've done this."

Sergeant Nightingale and his wife, Sally, upon his release

He said any decision on whether he returned to duty pending the re-trial would be for the Ministry of Defence.

William Clegg QC earlier told the hearing his client had been told by a barrister representing him at the military trial that he would get a five-year jail term if found guilty but might not go to prison if he pleaded guilty.

In written arguments presented to the three appeal judges, Mr Clegg said that "undue pressure" had been placed on Sgt Nightingale by barrister Ian Winter QC.

But when outlining arguments orally, Mr Clegg said the "wrong" occurred when the trial judge - Assistant Judge Advocate General Alastair McGrigor - "entered the arena".

Mr Clegg told the appeal court today: "What he (Mr Winter) was forced to say is 'This is what the judge is saying is going to happen'. This is where the improper pressure came from."

The barrister said, in written arguments given to judges, that the "pressure" placed on Sgt Nightingale rendered his conviction "unsafe" and his guilty plea a "nullity".

Sgt Nightingale, 38, who has spent 11 years in Special Forces and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in military custody after pleading guilty to illegally keeping a pistol.

Nightingale was given the weapon by Iraqi troops he had been training

He had been given the weapon as a present by Iraqi forces he had been training, but had no recollection of owning it after suffering a brain injury.

His sentence was cut to 12 months and suspended by the appeal court last November after a campaign by his wife Sally gathered huge public support for a man described by the appeal court judge as an "exemplary soldier".

Since his release the highly trained elite soldier has been at home in Cheshire, unable to rejoin his regiment whilst awaiting the outcome of his appeal.

"It's very frustrating wanting to do something (but having) no routine," he said before the hearing.

"And yes, being paid to do not what I'm supposed to do.

"You're trained up to do stuff, and you want to do stuff. You can't stand the futility of not doing it. To be told 'that's it, go and do nothing, you can't do anything'. That's hard."

The situation has meant he has spent a lot of time with his two young daughters, Mara, five, and Alys, two.

"I've probably had more time with my family in the last 18 months than regiment (SAS) guys will have in seven years," he said.

Sgt Nightingale is desperate to get back to work and said: "I still love it. It was the proudest day of my life when I passed (the notoriously tough SAS selection course)."

Mrs Nightingale is more circumspect about the possibility of her husband rejoining the SAS as a frontline soldier after his brain injury, which she believes still affects him.

She feels her husband has been made a scapegoat by the Army and wants to know why, but acknowledges she will probably never get the answers to her questions.

If he does return to work then it will be more upheaval for his young girls according to Sally

"They've got to get used to that again because they have had dad to take them to school, to pick them up from school, do clubs with them, take them swimming," she said.

"You know, he does all those extra bits while I'm working and doing other things. So they've had a really good time with dad."

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Pope Election: Black Smoke Signals No New Pope

Black smoke from the first two votes of the conclave entering its second day has signalled the cardinals tasked with electing a new pope are still not agreed on Benedict's successor.

They are expected to hold a further two ballots later on the first full day of voting.

The cardinals reconvened for the papal conclave behind closed doors after the first round of voting on Tuesday night proved inconclusive.

Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel

They awoke to attend mass in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace and returned to the Renaissance splendour of the Sistine Chapel to hold two morning ballots.

All eyes remain on the chimney atop the Vatican's Sistine Chapel as the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month, will continue until his replacement is found.

The 115 voting eligible church leaders spent the night sequestered in the Santa Marta Hotel on the edge of the Vatican's gardens, without access to television, newspapers, mobile phones or computers.

The cardinals are scheduled to hold four votes each day

They first filed into the chapel chamber, renowned for its ceiling fresco painted by Renaissance master Michelangelo, on Tuesday morning to begin their deliberations.

Hours later after sunset, black smoke billowed from the chimney above the Vatican, indicating that no-one had gained the two-thirds majority needed to become the 266th pope.

Only the emergence of white smoke - produced by mixing the smoke from burning ballots with special flares - will signal that a new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics has been chosen.

The tens of thousands that braved the rain and gathered in St Peter's Square to bear witness to the centuries-old tradition cheered in excitement or booed in mock disappointment.

Among the cardinals gathered in Rome, Italy's Angelo Scola, Brazil's Odilo Scherer and Canada's Marc Ouellet - all conservatives like Benedict - are the three favourites.

Modern-day conclaves normally last no more than a few days.

People packed St Peter's Square on Tuesday night awaiting the site of smoke

However, there is no clear frontrunner, meaning the election could go on for much longer than the two days and four rounds of voting that it took to elect Joseph Ratzinger in 2005, following the death of John Paul II.

Some analysts have suggested that Benedict's dramatic departure - the first papal resignation in over 700 years - could push the cardinals to take an equally unusual decision and elect an outsider.

Hopes are high in the Philippines for the popular Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, and on the African continent for South Africa's Wilfrid Napier, the archbishop of Durban, but in practice their chances are very slim.

Two-thirds of the cardinals are from Europe and North America and the view among many experts is that only someone with experience of the inner workings of the Vatican administration can drive reform and repair the scandal-ridden reputation of the Catholic Church.

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North Korea Threatens 'Merciless' Retaliation

North Korea has confirmed it has pulled out of an armistice with its "enemies" and added the next step was an act of "merciless" military retaliation.

In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, the armed forces ministry argued that the real "warmongering" was coming from the US and its "puppets" in South Korea.

"They would be well advised to keep in mind that the armistice agreement is no longer valid and (North Korea) is not restrained by the North-South declaration on non-aggression," it said.

"What is left to be done now is an action of justice and merciless retaliation of the army and people."

The announcement added to the tide of threats that have been flowing from Pyongyang in recent days, raising military tensions on the Korean peninsula to their highest level for years.

The latest announcment also criticised the South's Park Geun-Hye

The armistice was agreed in 1953 after the Korean War ended. However, the two sides remained technically at war because no peace deal was ever struck.

The North had already announced last week that it would nullify the agreement and other peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest over joint South Korea-US military manoeuvres that began on Monday.

Although observers noted it was not the first time that North Korea had pulled out of the armistice.

The United Nations and South Korea criticised Pyongyang's unilateral withdrawal.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said: "The terms of the armistice agreement do not allow either side, unilaterally, to free themselves from it."

The North has previously threatened to launch nuclear strikes against the US and South Korea in response to fresh UN sanctions adopted after the North carried out its third nuclear test last month.

While the threats have been mostly dismissed as bluster, there are concerns that the North will attempt some form of military provocation in the coming weeks.

Wednesday's statement also carried the first official criticism of South Korea's new president, Park Geun-Hye, since she took office a little more than two weeks ago.

While the spokesman did not mention Ms Park by name, he said the "frenzy" stirred up the "warmongers" in South Korea was orchestrated by the "swish of the skirt made by the owner of Chongwadae (the Blue House)."

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