Balcony Warning After Britons Hurt On Holiday

A British holidaymaker has been killed and several others hurt after falling from balconies, even though the summer getaway is yet to begin.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of seven cases so far this year - half the figure for the whole of 2012.

Four people were injured - one of them fatally - in June alone.

Many falls involve some of the three million young holidaymakers who head overseas every summer, sometimes drinking vast amounts of alcohol or taking drugs.

They are especially common in popular resorts such as Sunny Beach in Bulgaria and the Spanish island of Majorca.

Jon O'Shaughnessy, British consul in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, said: "Accidents can and do happen and climbing from balcony to balcony, jumping off them or drinking excessively while on one only increases your chances of something going wrong.

"All too often these incidents cost lives but the risks can be avoided if you take a moment to just think about the possible consequences."

Amid fears of further balcony deaths this summer, the Foreign Office and Association of British Tour Operators (ABTA) have launched a new campaign warning of the dangers of high-rise accommodation.

A leaflet offering advice on staying safe features a picture of the injuries Jake Evans suffered after falling head first from a balcony in Magaluf while reaching for a cigarette lighter.

The 19-year-old from Liverpool fell seven floors onto a plastic sun lounger, fracturing his skull, snapping his wrist and breaking all the fingers on his right hand.

He said: "Drinking most definitely affects your judgement. Had I been sober I'm sure I wouldn't have made the same decision to lean over for the lighter.

"Looking at the height I fell and my injuries I know I'm lucky to be alive.

"But the accident has changed my life. I have recurring problems with my back and right wrist and doctors have told me I probably always will."

The warning follows the death of Liam Davies, also 19, who is believed to have fallen more than 130 feet to his death after returning to his hotel in Sunny Beach after a night out with friends.

The teenager's body was found on the ground below the balcony of his room earlier this month.

Mr O'Shaughnessy said: "Our staff have seen the devastating effects a momentary lapse in judgement can have on victims and their families and we are working hard to ensure people understand the risks."

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EU Summit: Cameron Claims Rebate Victory

The Prime Minister has slammed an EU summit "ambush" aimed at shaving hundreds of millions of pounds off Britain's rebate.

David Cameron said proposed changes could have slashed the rebate by £1.5bn over the 2014-2020 budget period and that he found the way negotiations had been conducted "immensely frustrating".

He said: "I am frustrated I have to go through that battle all over again.

"But in this town you have to be ready for an ambush at any time, and that means lock and load and have one up the spout, and be ready for it.

"And that is exactly what I did."

The late-night dispute in Brussels centred on whether the agricultural grants to new EU members should be included in calculations for the UK rebate.

Herman Van Rompuy said youth unemployment was the summit's priority

French negotiators are said to have argued that the rural development spending should be excluded from the sums - potentially reducing the £3bn annual rebate by 10% - around £300m a year - according to the PM.

However, Mr Cameron was adamant that the issue was settled in the UK's favour by EU leaders back in February.

Downing Street sources indicated that European Council president Herman Van Rompuy had assured him the position had not changed, and the agricultural spending would be included in rebate calculations.

Speaking after the talks, Mr Cameron said the rebate was "completely secure".

He added: "It is, and I won't lie, it is immensely frustrating sometimes, the way this organisation works.

"In February, in the conclusions, it was written that the British rebate would continue as before...

Angela Merkel was expected to challenge the PM over claims of GCHQ snooping

"It is frankly not acceptable for it to be left to the last minute and then an attempt at reopening it, and an ambush at 1am at the end of a European Council meeting.

"I think this is no way for an organisation to conduct itself."

The PM said there had been progress at the talks on reducing the burden of EU regulation but that the pace of change was "not fast enough".

He announced the creation of a task force of six business leaders to investigate the impact of red-tape on UK firms and come up with suggestions on how to cut it ahead of the next EU summit.

Sky News Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones said there had been "fairly acrimonious" discussions but the rebate issue appeared to be settled - for now.

But he said other European leaders are likely to raise the rebate again in the future if David Cameron presses ahead with plans to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU.

Earlier, it emerged that the European Parliament had backed down after months of resistance to spending restraint as the seven-year EU budget was agreed.

The ceiling for spending from 2014-2020 will fall for the first time to 908bn euro (£776bn), as national leaders agreed in February.

The 136bn euro (£116bn) budget for 2014 is nearly 6% lower than this year.

But there is still criticism that administration costs will be rising, while MEPs claim they have negotiated guarantees that the full budgets will be used - unlike previous years when there have been large underspends.

Mr Van Rompuy has declared improving the job prospects of young people the main theme for the two day gathering.

Some 5.6 million are out of work in the eurozone, and in Greece and Spain the unemployment rate has rocketed to over 50%.

The council president is emphasising the need for money to be pumped into projects that could boost their employment chances.

But Mr Cameron also hopes to urge looser labour market rules and deregulation to help small and medium sized companies.

The PM has staked Britain's continuing membership of the EU on his ability to negotiate fundamental reform of it - with an in-out referendum due to be held in 2017 if the Tories win the general election.

Mr Cameron could also face questions at the summit from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others after it emerged that eavesdropping agency GCHQ has been mass-monitoring global phone and internet traffic.

Berlin has openly challenged the validity of the Project Tempora surveillance operation, the existence of which was revealed by US National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

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Jamie Oliver's Ministry Of Food Shut Down

Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food centre has been temporarily shut down for the "welfare of staff and the public".

The TV chef opened the flagship Rotherham centre in 2008 as part of a television series of the same name.

It provides regular cooking workshops and also has a cafe.

The local authority said the closure followed health and safety concerns raised by the staff and their trade union.

"There are no issues relating to the safety or quality of the food produced and sold," a spokesman for Rotherham Borough Council said.

"Five years after the Ministry of Food launched in Rotherham, it is appropriate that this assessment takes place to ensure the service continues to meet its main objectives of encouraging local people to cook and eat healthy food and providing training activities in local communities."

Oliver chose Rotherham for the project after a row with local parents, who were filmed posting fast food and fizzy drinks to pupils through the fence at Rawmarsh Comprehensive School.

The parents claimed they were rebelling against Oliver's healthy eating campaign. He reacted by using the town as a base for his 2008 television series.

The centre is run by seven members of staff along with volunteers.

Other Ministry outlets were later set up in Bradford, Leeds, Newcastle, Alnwick and East London.

A statement from the Ministry of Food said: "(On Wednesday) Rotherham Borough Council confirmed that the town's Ministry of Food Centre has had to temporarily close to allow for a review of the All Saints' Square premises.

"Rotherham Borough Council are working with the Jamie Oliver Foundation so that the centre can reopen at the earliest opportunity."

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Boy Bitten By Dog At Ballymena Primary School

A five-year-old boy was being treated in hospital after he was mauled by a dog being shown to school children as a last day of term treat.

The attack took place at Carniny Primary School on the outskirts of Ballymena on what was the last day of the summer term.

The boy was taken to Ulster Hospital in Belfast with a facial injury.

It is understood the dog - described as a large terrier -  was being shown to pupils in the school playground on Friday morning. Four adults were present at the time of the attack.

Raymond Ross, principal of the school, said staff had been left distressed by the attack.

He said: "The dog was in a very controlled position.

"The teacher's husband brought the dog in today in an enclosed playground and the children, from outside the playground, watched the dog play and jump around and they really enjoyed that.

"A number of children had the opportunity to stroke the dog and then suddenly the dog turned on the little child, as if it flicked its head to one side and caught the child in the face.

"We are just shocked by what has happened. It has been a very distressing day."

Children at the school were due to go home at lunchtime to start their summer holidays.

Ballymena Borough Council confirmed the dog, which belonged to a teacher at the school, had been humanely destroyed.

A statement said: "Our thoughts are with the child and his family at this distressing time.

"A representative from Environmental Health attended the school following the incident and, having liaised with those involved, instigated appropriate actions to seize the dog.

"The dog has now been put down."

A statement from the school added: "We can confirm an incident took place this morning involving a pupil and a dog.

"The school staff have found the incident to be very distressing. Our thoughts are with the child and his family."

An investigation has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive.

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Moors Murderer Ian Brady Loses Prison Bid

Ian Brady will stay at a maximum security hospital after losing his £250,000 legal bid to be transferred to a jail.

The decision, which follows a week-long public hearing, means the Moors Murderer will remain at Ashworth Hospital on Merseyside on the grounds that he is mentally insane.

The tribunal was the first time Brady has been seen in public since the 1980s, when he was taken back to Saddleworth Moor in the search for the bodies of two of his victims.

The hearing was also the first time he had spoken in public since being jailed for life at Chester Assizes in 1966.

But families of the victims have criticised the mental health tribunal, saying it gave Brady the opportunity to "grandstand".

The decision on Brady's appeal was given by the three-man panel headed by Judge Robert Atherton, who heard the tribunal at Ashworth Hospital.

Reasons for the decision will be given at a later date because of the length of the material the panel needs to consider.

Brady, pictured in 1966, is one of Britain's most notorious killers

After the ruling, Dr David Fearnley, medical director at Ashworth, said the judgement was "consistent with the expert opinions of our clinicians".

"Ashworth Hospital has been subject to in-depth scrutiny and the public has been able to see at first hand the quality of care which we offer to all of our patients," he said.

"Mr Brady suffers from a severe personality disorder and a mental illness which still require high quality care.

"It is a testament to the staff of Ashworth Hospital that we have been able to stabilise his schizophrenia to the degree we have.

"However, his condition is chronic and will require this support for the foreseeable future."

Terry Kilbride, whose brother John was one of Brady's victims, said he had "good reaction" to the decision.

"It means that they're going to keep him alive," Mr Kilbride said.

Brady has been at Ashworth Hospital since 1985

Brady - who claims to have been on a hunger strike since 1999 - told the hearing he was merely "a petty criminal".

He described his crimes as "recreational killings" which were part of an "existential experience".

His legal application challenged the order made under the Mental Health Act when he was transferred from prison to Ashworth in 1985, when he was diagnosed as being a paranoid schizophrenic.

Brady's legal team argued that, despite his severe personality disorder, he is not mentally ill and therefore no longer fulfils the legal criteria for detention in hospital.

He suggested that, if he is allowed to go back to a jail, he would be "free to end his own life" by starving himself to death.

Brady, whose legal costs will be paid by the taxpayer as he gets legal aid, has the right to challenge the decision, which would require a further hearing at an Upper Tribunal.

Brady and his partner, Myra Hindley, were convicted of luring children and teenagers to their deaths, with their victims sexually tortured before being buried on Saddleworth Moor.

Hindley died in hospital, still a prisoner, in November 2002 at the age of 60.

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Whistleblower Snowden 'May Return To The US'

Edward Snowden's father has said he is reasonably confident the whistleblower will return to the US if certain conditions are met.

In an interview with NBC, Lonnie Snowden also said he plans to make that point in a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder later today.

Those conditions could include not detaining Mr Snowden before trial, NBC reported.

In the interview, Mr Snowden's father also expressed fears his son is being manipulated by others, including WikiLeaks.

Edward Snowden is said to still be in the transit area of Moscow airport

Edward Snowden fled the US after leaking details of American telephone and internet surveillance programmes and has been charged with spying offences.

He flew out of Hong Kong to Moscow, and he is still believed to be in a transit area of the Russian city's Sheremetyevo airport.

A view of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport

Washington is seeking his arrest. The case has created a diplomatic row involving the Hong Kong, the US and Russia.

Hong Kong said it had allowed him to fly to Moscow last Sunday because the US government had made formal mistakes in documents it submitted seeking his arrest – such as getting Mr Snowden's middle name wrong.

WikiLeaks has assisted Mr Snowden and Julian Assange has praised him

But the United States accused it of acting in bad faith.

The US top diplomat in Hong Kong, consul-general Stephen Young, also warned of repercussions.

"They've been throwing out some arguments as to what was going on.

"But frankly I don't think we had a good-faith partner throughout that process."

The consul-general also accused Hong Kong of "obfuscating" the real issues.

Hong Kong officials said immigration records listed Mr Snowden's middle name as Joseph, but the US government used the name James in some documents and referred to him only as Edward J Snowden in others.

"I've spent three years working for good relationship between Hong Kong and the US and we've had a loss of trust at this point," said Mr Young, who is due to retire later this year.

Mr Snowden abandoned his high-paying job as an IT technician contracted to the National Security Agency and went to Hong Kong on May 20.

Barack Obama has sought to play down the international row

He then began issuing a series of leaks on the NSA's global gathering of phone call logs and internet data, including in China and Hong Kong.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen said US suggestions that the government connived in Mr Snowden's departure were "totally untrue".

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Turkey: Stabbed UK Teenager 'Recovering Well'

A British teenager left critically ill in Turkey after being stabbed repeatedly while on holiday with his family is recovering well, his aunt said.

Seventeen-year-old Dwayne Ward, from Middlesbrough, was discovered in a garden in the Tepe district of the popular holiday resort of Marmaris.

He was taken to hospital after reportedly being stabbed up to 20 times, and Mrs Ward said: "We have been told he is recovering well, thankfully."

Maramis state hospital, where he is being treated, said the teenager's condition was "stable" and he was out of intensive care.

It added: "He continues to be treated in a normal ward in our hospital. He is progressing well. It is not certain when the patient will be discharged."

The attack on the teenager happened in the Tepe district of Marmaris

Two men have been arrested over the attack.

Turkey Daily News said one of the suspects, a 31-year-old identified only as A.D., was held on charges of "looting, injuring intentionally and depriving of freedom".

Dwayne's school, Macmillan Academy in Middlesbrough, said staff and students were deeply saddened by the attack.

The academy said its thoughts and prayers were with him and it hoped he would make a full recovery.

Marmaris is a popular holiday resort

The Foreign Office said it was providing consular assistance.

Local residents reportedly spotted the teenager's bloody body lying in a garden at around 7.30am on Tuesday.

A doctor was said to have stabilised him at the scene before paramedics took him to hospital, where he was placed in the intensive care unit.

Dwayne was staying at the Ali Baba Hotel with his brother and mother while on holiday.

His mother said: "Dwayne's facing another operation this morning. His dad's flying out from the UK to be with him."

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Oscar Pistorius Returns To Track After Killing

Oscar Pistorius has returned to training for the first time since shooting girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead at his home in South Africa.

The double-amputee Paralympian champion, known as Blade Runner, was back on the track as he took part in a session at the University of Pretoria.

His agent Peet van Zyl said Pistorius told him his return was "bittersweet" and "a very emotional experience".

He was seen training in a two-minute video clip released by his family.

Pistorius, who has also competed in the Olympics, is first sitting on a chair at his usual training track at the university as pulls on his carbon fibre running blades.

The 26-year-old South African then does some light jogging on the track and, finally, wipes his face with both hands as he walks off, hinting at the emotion Van Zyl described.

The agent said: "It was a very emotional experience for him to put the blades back on, to walk back on to the track, get the smell of the track.

"It was tough for him. He said to me it was like a bittersweet feeling and emotion for him to be back on the track."

The runner is accused of murdering his girlfriend

A family statement says he is not aiming for a return to competition but using it to help him mentally prepare for his upcoming trial.

Earlier this year, Pistorius, who is on bail, faces charges of premeditated murder over Ms Steenkamp's death on Valentine's Day - February 14 .

The sports star denies murder and says he shot his 29-year-old girlfriend accidentally, believing she was an intruder in his Pretoria house.

His next court appearance is August 19, when prosecutors may indict him and a date could be set for the start of his murder trial, possibly in September or October.

He faces a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison if he is convicted by a judge of premeditated murder. There is no trial by jury in South Africa.

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Protester Shot Dead In Alexandria Clashes

Violent clashes in the Egyptian city of Alexandria have left one man dead and more than 70 people injured.

A health ministry official said the man was killed by gunfire on Friday during clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Mursi.

It was unclear whether the victim was a supporter. He died near the Muslim Brotherhood's local offices in the city's Sidi Gaber neighbourhood.

State news agency MENA said 70 people had been injured.

A man grimaces in pain after being hit by a rock during the clashes

TV Footage showed protesters running from the scene as gunshots were heard.

The offices of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of Mr Morsi's party, were also set on fire during the confrontations.

At least four people have died since Wednesday in clashes in the Nile Delta - three in the city of Mansura and one in Zagazig - medics said.

The unrest is seen by many as a prelude to mass anti-Morsi protests planned for Sunday - marking a his first year in office.

The June 30 protest was called by Tamarod, a grassroots movement which says it has more than 15 million signatures for a petition demanding Mr Morsi's resignation and a snap election.

It alleges that Mr Morsi reneged on his promise to be a president for all Egyptians and has failed to deliver on the uprising's aspirations for freedom and social justice.

The president himself warned in a televised speech on Wednesday that the growing polarisation threatens to "paralyse" Egypt.

The army, which oversaw the transition from former president Mubarak's autocratic rule but has been on the sidelines since Morsi's election, warned it would intervene if violence erupts.

It has brought in reinforcements to key cities, security officials said.

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Nelson Mandela's Health 'Greatly Improved'

Nelson Mandela's condition has shown "great improvement" over recent days, his ex-wife has said after visiting the anti-apartheid icon.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela spoke to reporters outside the Pretoria hospital where the 94-year-old is being treated for a recurring lung infection.

"I am not here to answer any medical questions, I'm not a doctor, but I can say that from what he was a few days ago, there is great improvement," she said.

"Clinically, he is still unwell. It becomes very difficult to understand the seeming impatience and statements like: 'It is time for the family to let go'.

A young girl holds a picture of Nelson Mandela outside the hospital

"And statements like: 'We are praying for the family not to pull the tubes'.

"Those are insensitive statements that none of you would want made about your parents and grandparents."

Ms Madikizela-Mandela added: "It is very special to us that you (the media) are here, in Orlando, where it all began, as long ago as 1943."

Her remarks come one day after Mr Mandela's daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, criticised "vultures" in the media, saying interest in the first black South African's illness had "gone overboard".

Supporters have been praying, singing and dancing outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where South Africa's first black president was taken three weeks ago.

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