Michael Le Vell Will 'Fight' Child Sex Charges

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has said he is innocent of all child sex charges against him and will "fight them vigorously".

Le Vell, who plays garage owner Kevin Webster in the ITV soap opera, is accused of 19 child sex offences, including child rape, and sexual activity with a child between 2001 and 2010, Greater Manchester Police said.

Le Vell, 48, a father-of-two whose real name is Michael Turner, will appear in court charged with the offences on February 27.

Le Vell said: "I would like to make it quite clear that following the serious allegations that have been brought against me on Thursday 14th February 2013, I am innocent of these charges and intend to fight them vigorously.

"I will now put all my efforts into clearing my name and proving my innocence."

ITV has dropped him from further episodes of the show. 

Michael Le Vell was first questioned over the child sex allegations in 2011

A spokesman said: "Given the serious nature of these charges, Michael Le Vell will not be appearing in Coronation Street pending the outcome of legal proceedings. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."

The actor was initially arrested in connection with the offences in September 2011.

The investigation was dropped three months later when authorities said there would be no further action taken against him as there was not enough evidence.

However, following a review of the case by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service the decision has been taken that it is in the "public interest" to charge the actor.

Speaking after the investigation against him was dropped in 2011, Le Vell said he was "delighted" to have been "completely exonerated", thanked police for their "thorough" investigation and Coronation Street staff and the public for their support.

Le Vell vowed to put the allegations behind him and returned to the show after a short break and is now currently involved in some of the soap's main storylines.

Alison Levitt, QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, reviewed a file of evidence in relation to allegations of sexual offences and looked again at a decision previously made not to prosecute.

Ms Levitt said: "I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.

"I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child."

Le Vell, who split from his wife Janette Beverley last year, is one of television's most famous faces after playing car mechanic Kevin Webster for the past 30 years in the TV show.

Originally from Manchester, he began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop after taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school.

He first joined the soap in 1983 and quickly endeared himself to fans who have followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin, from Brian Tilsley's apprentice mechanic through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor, and fathering two teenage girls as well as a love child from his affair with Molly Dobbs.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Isleworth Mona Lisa Is A Genuine Da Vinci

Art experts have confirmed that a painting dubbed the 'Isleworth Mona Lisa' is an earlier version of Leonardo da Vinci's 16th century masterpiece.

The Swiss-based Mona Lisa Foundation commissioned a number of tests, including carbon-dating of the artwork and geometry analysis, which they say prove the painting is the work of the Italian master.

The Isleworth Mona Lisa was so-called because it was discovered in a country house in the town in west London in 1913.

But some art experts doubted its authenticity when it was unveiled in Geneva last September.

The more famous Louvre Mona Lisa

In silencing the critics, vice-chair of the Mona Lisa Foundation David Feldman said: "When we add these new findings to the wealth of scientific and physical studies we already had, I believe anyone will find the evidence of a Leonardo attribution overwhelming."

Mr Feldman, an Irish-born international art and stamp dealer, said he was contacted after the public unveiling of the portrait - which shows a much younger woman than in the Louvre - by Italian geometrist Alfonso Rubino.

"He has made extended studies of the geometry of Leonardo's Vitruvian Man" - a sketch of a youth with arms and legs extended - "and offered to look at our painting to see if it conformed," Mr Feldman added.

Mr Rubino concluded that the painting matched da Vinci's geometry and must be his.

Further tests on the canvas of the painting found that it was almost certainly manufactured between 1410 and 1455 - refuting claims that it was a late 16th century copy.

Documents show that Florentine nobleman Francesco del Giacondo initially commissioned da Vinci to paint a portrait of his wife Lisa.

In French, the Louvre version is known as "La Giaconde" and "La Giaconda" in Italian.

Supporters of the "younger" version say it was almost certainly delivered unfinished to del Giacondo before da Vinci left Italy in 1506 and took up residence in France, where he died in 1519 in a small Loire chateau.

From the Giacondo house, it probably eventually found its way to England after being bought by a travelling English aristocrat, this account runs, while the Paris version was probably painted by Leonardo in around 1516 in France.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Meteorite Shower Hits Russia Injuring Over 900

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

More than 900 people have been injured after a meteor strike in central Russia, the country's interior ministry said.

Fragments of at least one meteorite - the weight of a double-decker bus - were seen falling from the sky in the Chelyabinsk region at around 9am local time, around 1,500km east of Moscow.

A regional governor said 950 people have been injured. Russia's Ministry of Emergencies said at least 82 children were hurt and 34 adults and 12 children were being treated in hospital. Two people are in intensive care.

The meteor lit up the sky

Many were hurt by flying glass as windows were blown in. Witnesses described feeling a pressure wave and hearing explosions overhead as the object hurtled to earth.

The Russian Academy of Sciences estimates the meteor weighed about 10 tonnes and entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of at least 33,000mph (54,000kph) - 15 times the speed of a rifle bullet - and shattered up to 32 miles (50km) above ground.

Meteors typically cause sizeable sonic booms when they enter the atmosphere because they are travelling much faster than the speed of sound.

The meteorite weighed 10 tonnes

The defence ministry said it had identified a six metre crater near a lake in this region and has sent soldiers to the site of the impact.

The emergencies ministry said that 20,000 rescue workers had been dispatched to help the injured and locate those needing help.

More than 500 people have been injured

Resident Anna Pinkus told Sky News she saw a bright light outside her window and then heard three explosions.

"It was a very loud sound. After that our windows began to shatter and shiver so it was very terrifying. First we thought it was a plane crash."

Planetary scientist Professor Ian Crawford of Birkbeck University said this was an unusual case as meteorite hits rarely cause any damage.

Viktor was injured by a shock wave

"Several times a year meteorites are observed to fall on the earth's surface but damage to people or property is very unusual - there are only several recorded cases of buildings being hit by meteorites."

Describing the course of the meteorite he said: "I think it's very likely that it would have been a larger lump of rock that broke up in the earth's atmosphere – this is usually what happens.

"The rock comes in from space and hits the earth's atmosphere. That decelerates it and puts a lot of stress on it. Then it's likely to fragment into lots of pieces."

The local office of the National Emergencies Ministry said in a statement: "A meteorite disintegrated above the Urals (mountain range in central Russia), partially burning up in the lower atmosphere.

The crash site of a piece of meteor (Pic: Chelyabinsk MVD)

"Fragments of the meteorite reached Earth, falling in sparsely populated areas in the Chelyabinsk region."

Many drivers in Russia have video recorders fitted in their cars in case of accidents or disputes with traffic police. Footage from these uploaded to YouTube show the fireball crashing to the ground.

There were reports of traffic in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk grinding to a halt and people seeking shelter in buildings as the fireballs lit up the sky.                 

The emergencies ministry confirmed the mobile phone network was temporarily cut. Schools were closed for the day across the region after the impact blew out windows.

The meteor hit Chelyabinsk

The meteor hit less than a day before the asteroid 2012 DA14 is to make the closest recorded pass of an asteroid to the Earth - about 17,150 miles (28,000km). But the European Space Agency in a tweet said its experts had determined there was no connection.

The Chelyabinsk region is Russia's industrial heartland, home to many factories and other huge facilities that include a nuclear power plant and the Mayak atomic waste storage and treatment centre.

A spokesman for Rosatom, the Russian nuclear energy state corporation, said that its operations remained unaffected.

"All Rosatom enterprises located in the Urals region - including the Mayak complex - are working as normal," said a Rosatom spokesman.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Contact Lens Fluid Saved Missing Backpacker

The British backpacker who went missing in the Australian Outback for more than three days survived by drinking contact lens solution, his mother has said.

Samuel Woodhead, 18, disappeared on Tuesday after he set out for a jog from a cattle station in Queensland.

But the chance discovery of packets of lenses in his rucksack - put there by his father, Peter - kept him going in the scorching heat.

The teenager was said to be a little sunburned following his ordeal, but was hydrated and otherwise well.

His relieved mother Claire, 54, described how her son survived in the 40C heat.

Rescuers gather near a helicopter after Sam was found safe and well

"His father had packed boxes of contact lenses in his rucksack in an outside pocket and he'd forgotten to take them out," she revealed.

"He's lived on the fluid that the contact lenses ... you know the little packs of contact lenses? He's literally lived on those packs of contact lenses for three nights."

Relatives said the teenager, a keen long-distance runner, owed his life to rescue workers who launched a massive helicopter search of the desolate region after he was reported missing from Upshot Station, near the town of Longreach, on Tuesday.

Mrs Woodhead, who travelled out to Australia, said: "I've spoken to Sam on the phone and I'm flying out to Longreach."

Sam with his mother and sister before his adventure

She added: "I'm very, very relieved indeed. I've just had the worst three days of my life, and when I got the message from the pilot on the plane (that he had been located), I just cried."

The former Brighton College student, from Richmond upon Thames, in Surrey, is now in hospital.

Samuel's delighted sister, Rebecca, announced on Facebook that her brother had been found.

She wrote: "We have been told that they have found Sam!! We have no information on his condition or where he was found yet, so keep your fingers crossed."

She later said his injuries were no worse than "minor sunstroke, dehydration and chapped lips".

Earlier, Sam's father Peter told Sky News: "It's an incredibly exciting and happy ending to what's been a real nightmare. Our thanks go to all those who have joined the search, a lot of which have been volunteers in very hostile territory."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Child Murderer Subhan Anwar Killed In Jail

A child murderer has been killed in Worcestershire's Long Lartin Prison, the Ministry of Justice has said.

Two prisoners are being held in police custody after the death of Subhan Anwar, who was jailed in 2009 for torturing and killing a two-year-old girl.

Anwar is understood to have been held hostage in his cell at the Category A jail before he was killed.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "An incident at HMP Long Lartin on Thursday February 14 resulted in the death of prisoner Subhan Anwar.

"Two prisoners are now in police custody and the matter is being investigated by police."

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: "West Mercia Police has launched a murder investigation after a 24-year-old man died in Long Lartin prison last night.

"The body of the man was found by prison officers just before 8pm on Thursday, February 14.

"Two men aged 47 and 45 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody."

Anwar was jailed for a minimum of 23 years for the murder of his partner's daughter Sanam Navsarka.

His partner Zahbeena Navsarka was cleared of her daughter's murder but found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for nine years.

Anwar and Navsarka, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, were condemned for their cruel and selfish treatment of Sanam.

The violence inflicted on the youngster happened near the end of her life.

Anwar and Navsarka, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, tried to claim Sanam had stopped breathing after they left her alone in the bath for 10 minutes.

But she was found to have 107 separate external injuries when she died.

Her tiny hand prints and bloodstains were found inside cupboards at the home in Huddersfield and also at a former property in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Both of her thigh bones had been fractured, causing fatty deposits to enter her bloodstream and resulting in her death, and she had fractures to both of her arms.

As well as putting her in a tumble dryer, Anwar dumped her in the bin as her mother looked on.

Long Lartin is a maximum security prison near Evesham, which holds up to 622 inmates who must be serving a minimum sentence of four years.

In a January 2012 report, chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick revealed that two rows of individual "bleak cages" were being used as a grim exercise yard for segregated inmates at the prison.

He said the cages were "not fit for purpose" and their use was unacceptable.

In August 2011, child killer Andrew Randall, who tortured and sexually abused his seven-week-old daughter Jessica, had his throat slashed by fellow inmates at Long Lartin but survived.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nadine Dorries' Expenses To Be Investigated

Controversial Conservative MP Nadine Dorries is facing an investigation into her expenses claims by the parliamentary expenses watchdog.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) compliance officer Peter Davis said he had reason to believe Ms Dorries may have been paid travel and accommodation costs she was not entitled to.

"An investigation will be conducted into claims submitted under the following areas of the third and fourth editions of the MPs' scheme of business costs and expense - accommodation expenditure, travel and subsistence," he said in a statement.

Ms Dorries has denied ever claiming "a penny" that she was not entitled to, telling Sky News that she was "totally relaxed" about the investigation.

The Mid-Bedfordshire MP said she believes Ipsa is "targeting" her in order to try to justify its own funding to taxpayers because of her high profile as an MP since her appearance in the reality TV show I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!.

Ms Dorries said: "Ipsa are desperate to get an investigation, I'm a high profile MP after going in the jungle which made them start crawling all over me, I'm considering whether it's harassment."

She said Ipsa was accusing her of subletting her flat because an electricity bill for a three-month period last summer when her daughter was home from university was higher than her normal bills.

As a lone parent she said she was entitled to have her daughter stay with her, adding: "I know I'm known as Mad Nad but I'd have to be insane if I'd done that (sublet the flat)."

The second allegation relates to a travel ticket claim that was submitted twice in error by a member of staff who had accidentally "pressed the button twice", she said.

"Ipsa was asleep on the bloody job not filtering out claims like that," she added.

Ms Dorries remains suspended from the Tory whip following her appearance on I'm A Celebrity.

Usually a prolific tweeter, she posted a message a few hours before the investigation was announced, saying: "I'm taking a break from Twitter for the half term week and spending some time getting some fresh air with my three girls."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gay Marriage: Anger At David Jones' Comments

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky News Reporter

Welsh Secretary David Jones has provoked criticism after saying that same-sex partners could not provide a "warm and safe environment" to raise children.

The Conservative MP made the remarks when asked on ITV Wales' Face To Face programme about the Government's plans to introduce gay marriage, which he voted against.

He said: "I regard marriage as an institution that has developed over many centuries, essentially for the provision of a warm and safe environment for the upbringing of children, which is clearly something that two same-sex partners can't do."

The Prime Minister's spokesperson responded by saying David Cameron rejects Mr Jones' claims about children in same-sex families and that he is in favour of same-sex adoption.

"The Prime Minister believes gay families can provide warm and safe environment for raising children," the spokesperson said.

The shadow Welsh secretary, Owen Smith, claimed the comments proved that "nasty party is alive and well under David Cameron".

He said: "David Jones' comments are profoundly offensive and he should apologise immediately."

Equality campaigning group Stonewall have also attacked the Welsh Secretary's comments as "offensive and inaccurate".

David Jones' voted against gay marriage, in a free vote earlier this month along with one hundred and thirty six Conservative MPs.

He defended his position in a statement: "I made the point of stressing that I was fully supportive of committed same-sex relationships. I also strongly approve of civil partnerships.

"I simply sought to point out that, since same sex partners could not biologically procreate children, the institution of marriage was one that, in my opinion, should be reserved to opposite sex partners."

The equal marriage bill is passing through Parliament after gaining a 225-majority on February 5, though it is likely to face more opposition in the House of Lords later this year.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Horsemeat Found In Schools, Pubs And Hotels

Lancashire County Council has confirmed that horsemeat has been found in cottage pies served at 47 schools.

The council said it has withdrawn the products from all of the schools' kitchens but it will not say which schools served the contaminated meat.

The news comes as the Food Standards Agency (FSA)  published the results of tests on all supermarket beef products, revealing that 29 of the 2,501 samples contained horsemeat.

There are around 900 more test results to be released, with the next batch to be revealed next Friday.

The agency's chief scientist, Andrew Wadge, told Sky News that he was reassured by the results so far, but retailers need to take responsibility.

"If you're in the business of selling food, you have to make sure you're clear to consumers that what you sell is what it says on label," he said.

It has also been revealed that Whitbread, one of the UK's largest hospitality companies, said horsemeat was found in its beef lasagne and burgers.

The meals were sold at Whitbread companies Premier Inn, Brewers Fayre, Beefeater Grill and Table Table.

The contaminated meals were served at Premier Inns

The firm said the products had been removed from their menus and will not be replaced until further testing has been carried out.

And officials said burgers containing horsemeat had been supplied to hospitals in Northern Ireland.

David Bingham from the health service's Business Services Organisation, which provides meat for the health trusts, said a range from a company in the Republic of Ireland had been withdrawn.

After the results on the school meals were revealed, Lancashire County Councillor Susie Charles said: "Relatively few schools in Lancashire use this particular product but our priority is to provide absolute assurance that meals contain what the label says - having discovered this one doesn't, we have no hesitation in removing it from menus.

"This does not appear to be a food safety issue but I've no doubt parents will agree we need to take a very firm line with suppliers and it is a credit to our officers that we have been able to quickly identify the problem and take the product off the menus."

A Department of Education spokesperson also gave reassurances that it was not a food safety concern.

"While the Food Standards Agency is clear there is no identified public health risk, this nevertheless represents a serious and unacceptable breach of trust," the spokesperson said.

"Suppliers and caterers should be urgently reassuring schools and parents about the action they are taking."

A range of products, including burgers, have been contaminated

Meanwhile, pub and hotel group Whitbread said they had sent 30 products to be tested and the company received the results on Thursday afternoon.

A spokesman said: "We are shocked and disappointed at this failure of the processed meat supply chain.

"As an industry it is clear we need the supply chain to deliver products to the highest standards of food integrity and quality that we and our customers expect.

"As a responsible business we shall work with the FSA to implement a robust testing regime to avoid this happening in the future. We would like to sincerely apologise to our customers for any concerns or inconvenience that this may cause."

Following the release of the FSA results, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said the food industry has a lot of work to do in the wake of the scandal.

"It's wholly unacceptable that if people buy products marked beef, they turn out to be horsemeat," he said.

"That's why it was so important to undertake this intensive testing activity to gain a meaningful picture.

"My concern is for consumers. The news for them today is that the vast majority of products tested are completely clear of horse DNA.

"Food businesses now have a lot of work to do. They need to move quickly to complete these tests and they need to show their customers they've taken the right steps to make sure this doesn't happen again."

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Huge Asteroid To Skim Past Earth At 18,641mph

A 150ft-long asteroid will skim past the Earth within the next two hours - closer than any other near-miss on record.

The huge chunk of rock - so big it is capable of wiping out London - will travel closer to the planet than many satellites.

But while it should be visible as a tiny dot of light crossing the sky to those using binoculars, scientists say there is no chance it will hit Earth.

There is a remote possibility that it could collide with one of more than 100 telecommunication and weather satellites in fixed orbits.

Experts have been closely tracking the asteroid, 2012 DA14, since its discovery a year ago.

They say it will reach its nearest point to Earth at around 7.30pm UK time on Friday.

It will stay at least 17,200 miles (27,681km) away - easily far enough to be safe - but very close in astronomical terms.

Astronomer and asteroid expert Dr Dan Brown, from Nottingham Trent University, said: "It will be too faint for the naked eye but with binoculars it should be visible if you know where to look. It will be low to the northeastern horizon and moving quite quickly.

"You'll be able to see it pass from the constellation Leo to roughly the Plough, more or less from anywhere in the UK, and it will be bright for about an hour."

DA14 belongs to a dangerous family of near-Earth objects (NEOs) that are small enough to be missed but large enough to cause serious damage.

It was detected in February last year by La Sagra Observatory in southern Spain as it fell under the spotlight of the Sun's rays.

Travelling at between 12,427mph (20,000kph) and 18,641mph (30,000kph) - around five miles a second, or eight times the speed of a rifle bullet - the asteroid will fly inside the orbits of high geostationary satellites.

Scientists at Nasa's Near-Earth Object programme at California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory estimate and object of this size makes a close approach like this every 40 years.

The asteroid, weighing 143,000 tons, would wipe out an area of 750 square miles if it hit the Earth's surface.

The European Space Agency said the asteroid is not linked to the meteorite hit in Russia earlier on Friday, with scientists calling it a coincidence.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius Breaks Down In Tears In Court

Olympic star Oscar Pistorius has broken down in tears as he appeared in court charged with murdering his girlfriend.

He stood before magistrate Desmond Nair with his head bowed as the charge was read out.

Prosecutors say they intend to prove Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder of the top South African model Reeva Steenkamp.

Local news correspondent Barry Bateman described him as "sobbing uncontrollably" as he sat in the dock.

Pistorius' father Henke leaned forward and placed his hand on his son's back during the 40-minute hearing.

Oscar Pistorius is charged with murdering Reeva Steenkamp

Prosecutors had asked to deal with the bail hearing as a section six offence, meaning the accused has to provide exceptional circumstances to be released on bail. The defence opposes this.

The case was postponed until Tuesday, and Pistorius will remain in custody until then.

A statement on behalf of his family and management said he denies the charge in the strongest terms.

The body of 29-year-old Miss Steenkamp was discovered at the athlete's property in the Silver Woods gated community in eastern Pretoria on Thursday morning.

She had been shot four times. A 9mm pistol was found at the scene.

A police officer holds a gun taken from Pistorius' home

Local media have reported that she was shot through a bathroom door.

Pistorius, 26, spent Thursday night in custody and was subject to blood-alcohol, DNA and other tests, as forensics experts continued to work at the crime scene at his home in an upmarket gated estate.

His lawyer Kenny Oldwage said his client was "very well, obviously emotional, but fine".

Police were called to Pistorius' home at around 4am on Thursday by neighbours who heard gunshots. He is the only suspect in the case.

Pistorius made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete at any games.

He did not win a medal but did make the semi-finals of the 400 metres and the final of the 4x400 relay, propelling the world's best-known Paralympian to the level of an international track star.

Meanwhile a celebrity reality show featuring Miss Steenkamp will still be broadcast on South African television despite her death, the producers have said.

The pre-recorded show filmed in an exotic location in Jamaica features the blonde model and several local personalities competing for prize money.

Producers of Tropika Island of Treasure said they had decided not to shelve the show, which will premiere on Saturday, two days after she was shot dead.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coca-Cola Habit Linked To NZ Mother's Death

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A New Zealand mother died from a cardiac arrest after drinking up to 18 pints of Coca-Cola a day for two years a coroner has ruled.

The huge consumption of the fizzy drink by Natasha Harris, a mother-of-eight, played a substantial part in her death, the inquest heard.

The 30-year-old from Invercargill on New Zealand's south island died in February 2010 of cardiac arrhythmia - or a disrupted heartbeat - following about 18 months of ill health. She was found slumped in the bathroom at home, gasping for air.

Coroner David Crerar said: "It is more likely than not that the drinking of very large quantities of Coke was a substantial factor that contributed to the development of the metabolic imbalances which gave rise to the arrhythmia."

He added: "All constituents of Coke are entirely legal, are enjoyed by millions and Coca-Cola cannot be held responsible for the health of consumers who drink unhealthy quantities of the product."

Ms Harris had drunk Coke heavily since her teens and the amount she drank meant she had more than twice the safe daily limit of caffeine.

Her partner, Chris Hodgkinson, said she had a poor diet and would drink Coke first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

All her teeth had been removed because they were rotting, and one of her children was born without tooth enamel.

She did not drink alcohol or smoke cannabis, but smoked about 30 cigarettes a day.

Coca-Cola says the cause of death is not clear

Coca-Cola, however, said the cause of death was far from clear.

In a statement the company said the coroner himself acknowledged he could not be certain what caused Ms Harris' heart attack.

The statement said: "We are disappointed that the coroner has chosen to focus on the combination of Ms Harris' excessive consumption of Coca-Cola together with other health and lifestyle factors as the probable cause of her death.

"This is contrary to the evidence that showed the experts could not agree on the most likely cause."

The coroner recommended the New Zealand Ministry of Health considered whether current warning labels on soft drinks gave enough protection to consumers on the dangers of drinking too much of them.

He also recommended Coca-Cola should consider labelling how much caffeine is in its drinks, and include warnings on drinking too much caffeine.

In response, Katherine Rich from the industry body the NZ Food and Grocery Council, said: "In his finding, the Coroner recognises that tobacco warning labels made absolutely no difference to Ms Harris' decision to smoke up to 30 cigarettes a day, so it's hard to reconcile this with the recommendation that warning labels on caffeinated beverages should be considered and may have influenced her decision to consume excessive amounts of soft drink.

"The FGC does not support the coroner's call for warning labels on fizzy drink. No regulatory system can legislate for extreme cases."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pregnant Kate: Now Oz Mag To Show Pictures

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

An Australian publication has followed the lead of the Italian gossip magazine Chi and said it will publish photographs of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge in her bikini.

The weekly magazine Woman's Day will be on sale on Monday and will feature the pictures of Kate and William's Caribbean holiday, where the Duchess was snapped wearing a blue bikini and strolling on a beach.

Editor Fiona Connolly has defended her decision to publish the prints, telling Sky News: "The photos are what our readers want to see. Kate looks beautiful, glowing and healthy."

Ms Connolly said it was her understanding that the photographs were taken by a member of the public rather than "a photographer hiding in the bushes" and, as a result, were not an invasion of the royal couple's privacy.

The editor said the pair had been mingling with others on a public beach and would have been aware that there were other holidaymakers around with cameras.

The issue will also feature pictures of Kate's sister Pippa Middleton, who was holidaying with the royals on the island of Mustique, staying in a £5.1m villa.

Ms Connolly said the photographs show Kate "fabulous, fit and glowing, out and about on a public beach".

She said British journalists and picture editors would no doubt be "frustrated" that they were not also running the pictures because of the "gentleman's agreement" between editors and the royal family about what sort of photos would be published.

Kate was on holiday in Mustique with her husband William and sister Pippa

"As a magazine that does publish photos of the royals, I am sensitive to the sort of pictures that shouldn't be published," she said, referring to the 2012 topless shots of the Duchess that appeared in various magazines.

"These are certainly not photos that they would disapprove of - they are happy."

"The last time we saw Kate looking really unwell, coming out of hospital and at a really tough time for her in her pregnancy - to see these photos where she's fit and healthy and really glowing is even more reason to celebrate."

The couple are expecting their first child in July.

In December Kate was admitted to hospital with a severe form of morning sickness, which pushed the couple to announce the pregnancy.

The news that an Australian magazine is publishing the pictures comes at a particularly sensitive time, just two months after a pair of Australian radio presenters made a prank call to King Edward VII's Hospital in London where Kate was being treated.

Pretending to be the Queen and Prince of Wales they were able to speak to a nurse about her condition. The nurse who put the call through, Jacintha Saldanha, subsequently committed suicide.

On news that Chi was publishing the photos St James's Palace issued a statement saying: "We are disappointed that photographs of the Duke and Duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas.

"This is a clear breach of the couple's right to privacy."

Ms Connolly admitted the bidding for the photos between several of Australia's biggest selling weekly gossip magazines was "furious".

Last year the Royal Family launched legal action against French magazine Closer, over paparazzi pictures of Kate sunbathing in bikini bottoms on the balcony of a private chateau in the South of France.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sars-Like Virus Spreads To Family Member

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Doctors have confirmed the first case of known human-to-human spread of a deadly new respiratory virus in Britain.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the man had been in close contact with a relative who had picked up the infection while travelling in the Middle East and Pakistan.

The so-called "novel" coronavirus causes severe breathing problems and has killed five of the 11 confirmed cases around the world. 

The HPA announced on Monday the first case in a UK resident, and said the critically ill man was being treated in isolation at the Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester.

A third case involves a man from Qatar who is receiving treatment in the UK.

The new case is receiving intensive care at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. It is understood that he has an existing medical condition that may have made him more susceptible to respiratory infections.

Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA, said: "Confirmed novel coronavirus infection in a person without travel history to the Middle East suggests that person-to-person transmission has occurred, and that it occurred in the UK.

"This case is a family member who was in close personal contact with the earlier case and who may have been at greater risk of acquiring an infection because of their underlying health condition.  

"To date, evidence of person-to-person transmission has been limited. Although this case provides strong evidence for person-to-person transmission, the risk of infection in most circumstances is still considered to be very low."

Coronaviruses can cause the common cold, but can also result in more severe illness such as Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

Anyone who develops a fever, cough, and breathing difficulties within 10 days of travelling to the Arabian peninsula or surrounding countries should seek medical advice and mention their travel itinerary.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

BBC And Savile's Estate Sued By Sex Victims

Jimmy Savile's estate and the BBC are being sued on behalf of 31 alleged sex abuse victims.

Solicitor Alan Collins said a writ has been issued at the High Court and the number of victims his firm Pannone is in contact with "grows on a daily basis".

He said: "The purpose of issuing the writ is to protect our clients' position and to seek management directions from the court to ensure the claims are administered as efficiently as possible.

"At this stage we are unable to expand in detail on the nature of the cases or the allegations that have been made, which range in seriousness from inappropriate behaviour to serious sexual abuse."

A BBC spokesman said: "We're unable to comment on any legal claims of this nature made against the corporation."

Savile's £4m estate has already been frozen by executors NatWest.

Another lawyer representing more than 50 of Savile's victims, Liz Dux, has previously confirmed that all of them will be pursuing civil claims for compensation.

She said that her clients would sue Savile's estate and would also pursue claims against the organisations responsible for where the alleged abuse took place.

The full scale of the late TV presenter's 54-year campaign of abuse was detailed in a joint police and NSPCC report in January.

It revealed that Savile's youngest victim was an eight-year-old boy and that he also abused seriously ill children.

There are now 214 criminal offences recorded against his name, including 34 rapes.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gerry McCann: Make Leveson's Proposals Law

The father of missing Madeleine McCann has told Sky News that the Government should put Lord Leveson's recommendations into law "without meddling and back-door deals".

Writing for Sky News Online, Dr Gerry McCann said: "Anything less than Leveson's full recommendations will never satisfy the victims of press abuse."

Dr McCann and his wife Kate gave evidence to Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press standards and ethics about their treatment by the media following the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine in May 2007.

She disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, shortly before her fourth birthday and the family has been the subject of high-profile press coverage ever since.

The McCanns were among dozens of witnesses who gave evidence to Lord Leveson in the wake of the 2011 phone-hacking scandal which ultimately led to the closure of the News Of The World Sunday tabloid.

The Leveson Report proposed that a new press regulator needed statutory underpinning if it were to be truly independent.

But Prime Minister David Cameron has argued against the need for new legislation to bring the press to heel.

The Conservatives have unveiled plans for a Royal Charter which Culture Secretary Maria Miller said would allow the principles in Lord Leveson's report to be "implemented swiftly and in a practical fashion".

She said: "I have grave concerns about a press bill and am not convinced that it is necessary on the grounds of principle, practicality or necessity."

But Dr McCann, who is active in the Hacked Off campaign, was critical of the charter proposal saying: "The Conservative party can't rewrite Leveson now."

Hacked Off earlier dismissed the Charter plan as "a surrender to press pressure" and reiterated its call for Lord Leveson's recommendations to be implemented in full.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bankrupt Martine McCutcheon Thanks Her Fans

Former EastEnders star Martine McCutcheon has thanked her fans for their support after being declared bankrupt.

The Love Actually actress had petitioned for bankruptcy at Kingston-Upon-Thames County Court.

Bankruptcy trustee KPMG said the celebrity's largest creditor was the taxman - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Joint trustee David Standish said: "We are now responsible for administering her estate and are in the process of establishing the individual's assets and liabilities."

McCutcheon with Hugh Grant at the Love Actually premiere

Fans and friends rallied behind the actress, with Twitter follower WadeWarren4 telling her: "Sorry to hear your news, its easy to judge when you don't know the facts. Best wishes x"

The 36-year-old star tweeted: "I can't begin to express my love and gratitude for such kind and encouraging messages. I'm truly so touched. I love you guys. Thank you. Xx"

McCutcheon became famous playing Albert Square barmaid Tiffany Mitchell before being killed off in 1998 in a dramatic scene with her on-screen husband Grant, played by Ross Kemp.

She later starred in romantic comedy Love Actually alongside Hugh Grant, and also had a number one single in 1999 with Perfect Moment.

Other career highlights for the Hackney-born actress include winning an Olivier Award for her role as Eliza Doolittle in the stage production of My Fair Lady.

More recently McCutcheon, who married partner Jack McManus last year, has starred in a yoghurt advert and had a novel called The Mistress published.

According to her management's website, she is working on a second novel and is in the studio working on new material.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK Troops Prepare For Afghan Deployment

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The next deployment of British forces to Afghanistan is undergoing final preparations before heading out in April.

Troops have been taking part in exercises on Salisbury Plain, with actors playing the role of Afghan Forces to add realism to the training.

This tour will be different to previous deployments, with the emphasis very much on Afghan security forces.

British troops will play a back seat role, advising, training and supporting when necessary.

Not being in control will be uncomfortable for the British but it is the evolution of the conflict.

By the end of the year the British presence in the country will reduce by 3,800 and the mission will be over by the end of 2014.

Indeed this deployment, Herrick 18, will number 8,000 personnel, more than 1,000 fewer than recent predecessors.

More than 80% of operations are now Afghan-led and training at a lower level is almost completely carried out by local forces.

The challenge facing both Afghan and coalition forces will be the summer fighting season.

If the Taliban is contained then there is a possibility some soldiers might return early from this deployment.

Insider attacks probably pose the greatest threat to coalition forces. They are mindful, too, that the Taliban might want to see them off with a bloody nose.

Although 2014 will see then end of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) mission, some troops are expected to remain in the country for training and diplomatic duties.

Washington is yet to agree final figures but it will be crucial to Afghanistan's future security and prosperity.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Horsemeat: British Plants Raided Amid Warning

Those guilty of passing off horsemeat as beef are being threatened with the "full force of the law" after two British processing plants were shut down following raids.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson made the warning before heading to Brussels today for a summit on the scandal.

It came after the Food Standards Agency (FSA), accompanied by police, swooped on a slaughterhouse and a meat manufacturer after apparently uncovering "a blatant misleading of consumers".

Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and meat processing plant Farmbox Meats in Llandre near Aberystwyth, West Wales, had records seized and have been temporarily closed. The firms' owners deny any wrongdoing.

At the Farmbox Meats facility, Sky News saw large crates of meat - some covered by tarpaulin and others open - left in outdoor areas during the night, before they were removed this morning.

Its owner, Dafydd Ffredric Raw-Rees, told Sky News no meat had been seized during the raid and said the plant was operating as normal today. The FSA subsequently confirmed it should not be.

Farmfox Meats owner Dafydd Ffredric Raw-Rees

The FSA, which is investigating claims the firms supplied and used horse carcasses in burgers and kebabs, says it has "detained" all meat found at both raided premises and seized paperwork and customer lists.

Speaking after the latest developments, Mr Paterson said: "This is absolutely shocking. It's totally unacceptable if any business in the UK is defrauding the public by passing off horsemeat as beef.

"I expect the full force of the law to be brought down on anyone involved in this kind of activity."

And David Cameron, speaking at PMQs, described the situation as "appalling" and "completely unacceptable".

"If there has been criminal activity, there should be the full intervention of the law," the Prime Minister said.

Until now, meat linked to the scandal is thought to have come from suppliers in continental Europe, but for the first time it appears the contamination may also stem from British premises.

Andrew Rhodes, FSA director of operations, said: "I ordered an audit of all horse producing abattoirs in the UK after this issue first arose last month and I was shocked to uncover what appears to be a blatant misleading of consumers.

"I have suspended both plants immediately while our investigations continue."

Police and FSA officials raided the Farmbox Meats site in northwest Wales

Slaughterhouse owner Peter Boddy said he would co-operate with FSA officers and claimed they had not "raided" his Todmorden premises.

"It was not a raid - they are welcome to visit whenever they want, they just wanted to see my records which I will be showing them," he told ITV.

Mr Paterson has met representatives of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, which represents food retailers and suppliers, to discuss plans for a new regime of quarterly testing of products.

Results of tests into the extent of contamination of beef products are expected on Friday.

Meanwhile, Waitrose announced it has withdrawn its beef Essential British Frozen Meatballs after pork was found in two batches. The supermarket said they were made at the ABP Foods-owned Freshlink factory in Glasgow last summer.

And on Tuesday Supermarket giant Tesco became the latest retailer to drop a major supplier after discovering a range of spaghetti bolognese ready meals contained more than 60% horsemeat.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh called for Europe-wide testing of meat products, raising concerns that horsemeat sometimes contained the painkiller bute.

She said: "I raised the problem of bute-contaminated horsemeat being released into the food chain with Defra ministers last month, yet up until two days ago horses were still not being tested for bute and were being released for human consumption.

"Parliamentary answers released this week show 9,405 horses were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption abroad last year. We must make sure horsemeat is not contaminated with bute."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Barclays Chief: Tax Planning Still Important

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Tax planning will remain an important element of the services Barclays offers to corporate clients despite its decision to close a controversial unit which generated vast profits for the bank, according to one of its most senior executives.

An internal memo written yesterday by Eric Bommensath, the head of markets within Barclays' investment bank, said the group would be involved in "a narrower range" of tax-related activity than in the past but that "efficient tax planning remains an important part of financial transactions in complex global markets".

The memo has been obtained by Sky News.

Mr Bommensath's note followed the announcement by Antony Jenkins, Barclays' chief executive, that he would close the Structured Capital Markets (SCM) business, which had delivered bumper profits - and bonuses - but caused reputational damage to the bank by undertaking complex transactions purely to help clients avoid tax. Sky News revealed at the weekend that SCM would be closed.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Jenkins said it was not yet clear whether the employees in the SCM business would be redeployed elsewhere within Barclays. Some of them are likely to be among 1800 investment bank staff being axed as part of the new chief executive's effort to make the business more efficient.

Mr Bommensath's note made it clear that tax planning would remain an integral part of Barclays' offering to clients, and may raise questions about exactly which activities will be circumscribed under the bank's new rules.

"Our tax-related activity will now be delivered by teams integrated into the FICC [fixed income, currencies and commodities] and Equities businesses within Markets, and clearly linked to commercial activity. This will mean that we are involved in a narrower range of tax planning than we have been in the past. We will also maintain a Markets Portfolio Management Group, responsible for managing down our legacy positions over time," he wrote.

"Graham Wade will join the Markets Management Committee and be responsible for the integration of tax-related activity into the Markets business, reporting to me. He will focus particularly on implementing a Tax Risk and Approvals Framework, which will ensure that all new activity is consistent with our tax principles.

"Efficient tax planning remains an important part of financial transactions in complex global markets. By integrating support for our clients' tax planning into the Markets business we can better deliver commercially-driven tax solutions that are compatible with our purpose as an organisation."

Barclays also published a series of tax principles yesterday which it said would govern its involvement in transactions.

The Guardian reported today that the SCM unit will take up to a decade to close as Barclays winds down long-term schemes for clients.

Mr Jenkins declined to specify yesterday how much profit SCM had generated for Barclays. The division was recently accused of aiding "industrial scale tax avoidance" by Lord Lawson, the former Chancellor and a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

LA Manhunt: Dorner Shootout Ends In Cabin Fire

A driver's license bearing the name of Christopher Dorner has been found inside the burned cabin where the murder suspect was thought to have been hiding.

Charred human remains found inside the property in California's Big Bear Lake area have not yet been identified and forensic tests are being carried out.

However, Dorner, an ex-policeman suspected of three murders, is believed to have taken shelter in the cabin with an arsenal of weapons after a gunfight with officers.

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said two deputies were injured in the shootout, one of whom died from his injuries.

The noise of the gun battle was broadcast by KCAL-TV, whose reporter suddenly found himself near the shooting. Someone could be heard yelling at the reporter to get out of the area.

A law enforcement official said a single shot was heard as police moved in on the cabin.

The suspect did not come out of the property as it was engulfed in flames.

It is not yet clear whether the fire was started from inside or by police officers who were firing bullets and tear gas canisters at the cabin.

In one audio clip purporting to be a police scanner conversation, a male voice can be heard saying: "All right, Steve, we're gonna go, er, we're gonna go forward with the plan, with, er, with the burn. We want it, er, like we talked about.

"Seven burners deployed and we have a fire."

It is unclear whether "the burn" refers to tear gas.

Authorities focused their hunt for Dorner in the mountains since they said he launched a campaign to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for sacking him.

LAPD Commander Andrew Smith had urged Dorner, whose truck was found in the area last Thursday, to surrender, telling him: "Enough is enough."

The LA Times said that on Tuesday, two maids entered a cabin close to where the vehicle was left and found a man resembling his description.

The man reportedly tied up the maids - one of whom was able to break free and raise the alarm - before he left in a purple Nissan parked near the cabin.

Police had been following up hundreds of new leads prompted by a $1m (£640,000) reward for information.

Dorner, a naval reservist, is suspected of killing a couple on February 3 and then ambushing two policemen early on Thursday, killing one.

An angry Facebook rant with threats against the LAPD led officials to assign officers to protect officers and their families.

Within hours of the release of photos of Dorner, described as armed and "extremely dangerous," the suspect then ambushed police in Riverside County, shooting three and killing one police officer.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More