A pub chef and his manager have been jailed for perverting the course of justice after a Christmas dinner left a mother dead.
The meal at the Railway Hotel in Hornchurch, Essex, in December 2012 also left 33 others ill with food poisoning.
Mehmet Kaya and manager Ann-Marie McSweeney were sentenced to 12 and 18 months respectively after being convicted of falsifying food safety records.
Mitchells & Butlers, the chain which owned the pub, was fined £1.5 million after being found guilty of placing unsafe food on the market.
Della Callagher, 46, died two days after eating the turkey dinner, which a Havering Council investigation found was either not cooked or reheated properly.
Della Callagher died two days after eating Christmas dinner at the pub
Kaya and McSweeney forged records relating to the cooking of the turkey meat, hindering the investigation into the cause of the poisoning.
Judge Alastair Hammerton said there had been "systematic failings" in record keeping at the Railway Hotel.
"I am satisfied that when the decision to fabricate records was reached, both of you suspected that inadequate care had been taken by someone in respect of storage and/or cooling and/or cooking of turkeys that was to be served on Christmas Day," he said.
Addressing McSweeney, he added: "I am satisfied that you were in charge and in control of the cover-up, that no cover-up could have occurred had you decided not to embark on it."
A woman who alleges she was assaulted by Gary Glitter when she was 13 has tearfully told a court how he molested her in his dressing room after a show.
Glitter - real name Paul Gadd - was wearing a silver sequinned jumpsuit when, as a girl, the woman was taken backstage after she went to see him perform in Watford.
Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London, the woman said she was introduced to Glitter by her mother's partner, who had connections in the music industry.
The woman said: "Gary Glitter was my idol, and he (my mother's partner) said that he would arrange for me to go there and see him in concert, and meet him afterwards."
"My mum's partner knocked on the door and it wasn't a normal knock - it was like this (she demonstrated a rhythmic knock)."
The girl and the two adults were invited into the dressing room where Glitter was sitting with his bodyguard.
"He (Glitter) was wearing his outfit that he was wearing on stage - a silver sequinned jumpsuit, with silver platform boots, and the zip came to about halfway down so you could see his chest," she said.
The court was told that, after a while, Glitter asked if the girl - who was wearing a purple skirt and shirt - could be left alone with him, and the adults, including the bodyguard, left the room.
Describing what happened, the sobbing witness said: "He asked me to sit on his lap, which I did. He then asked me for a kiss, which I gave him a peck on the lips. He then asked me for another kiss and I gave him another peck on the lips."
Glitter then kissed the girl more forcefully, before sliding his hand up her skirt and indecently assaulting her, jurors heard.
When asked if the singer had said anything to her during the incident, the woman replied: "He asked if I liked it."
Still sobbing, she told jurors that she told him she did, and at the time had meant it.
The alleged victim said the ordeal lasted for about 10 minutes, and only stopped when there was a knock on the dressing room door.
The woman said she did not tell anyone about the encounter "because he said it was his and my secret. I said I wouldn't tell anybody".
The alleged incident is said to have taken place between October and December 1980, and Glitter is accused of two counts of indecent assault.
The 70-year-old, from Marylebone in central London, who is accused of a number of historic sex offences against three girls, denies all the charges.
Broadcasters have suggested they would be prepared to "empty chair" leaders who decline to participate in the TV debates, as they revealed their latest proposals.
Sky News, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have also proposed holding the debates during the election campaign, on 2, 16 and 30 of April.
The Prime Minister has previously indicated that he does not want the debates to be held in the six-week election campaign.
In a joint statement, the broadcasters said: "The party leaders will be formally invited to take part in these debates.
"In the event that any of the invited party leaders decline to participate, debates will take place with the party leaders who accept the invitation."
Video:TV Debates: Will They Go Ahead?
The new format idea follows three months of talks between the broadcasters and the political parties.
It includes one debate between David Cameron and Ed Miliband which will be hosted by Sky News and Channel 4.
Two debates between the leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru will be broadcast on the BBC and ITV.
The broadcasters said: "Over the three months since the original proposal was put forward, the broadcasters have also continued to monitor the electoral landscape, as we promised to do, taking into account the polling evidence, and the expressions of public support for the debates to go ahead and for a wider range of parties to be included in the debates.
"In view of these factors, the broadcasters are now inviting party leaders to take part in the following debates within the official election campaign and approximately two weeks apart."
The plan, which was leaked yesterday, has been welcomed by the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.
Video:PM Accused Of 'Running Scared'
The Green Party said: "The decision to include the Greens follows hot on the heels of a remarkable 'Green surge' that has seen the Party's membership rise at an unprecedented rate and outstrip that of the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
"The Green Party, which has polled on double digits twice this week, is polling at its highest levels ahead of a General Election for decades."
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: "This is welcome news from the broadcasters, who have listened to the compelling case for including the SNP in leaders' debates.
"With a larger membership than the Lib Dems and UKIP combined, and more elected MPs than UKIP, the case for including the SNP in the televised debates was unanswerable."
However, Northern Ireland's DUP leader Peter Robinson reacted angrily, writing to the BBC and ITV to ask why his party has not been included.
In a letter, he warned that the broadcaster's decision lacked "logic and credibility" and that the DUP had more seats that the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.
Video:Rivals Round On Camera-Shy Cameron
The fresh initiative has also been criticised by the Liberal Democrats, who argue they should be included in all the debates.
A Lib Dem spokesman said: "We have always been clear that as a party of government, we must be able to defend our record in all the TV debates.
"We will continue to make that case in our discussions with the broadcasters."
A Labour spokesman said: "We will debate anyone the broadcasters choose to invite and we are pleased to see the clear proposal to have three debates all in the general election campaign.
"The broadcasters have obviously made a very significant move to adopt wholesale the Prime Minister's proposals and it surely now not possible for him to maintain his opposition to participating in these debates."
Mr Cameron has yet to react to the latest proposals.
Video:2010 - The Sky News Leaders' Debate
However, a party spokesman said: "Any new proposals will be considered as part of the ongoing debates process."
The PM has previously suggested he would not partake in any debate without the Green Party.
The broadcasters' new plans could mean that, if they are rejected by Mr Cameron, the debates could still take place.
A clock counting down to the killing of Japanese hostages by Islamic State has reached zero - but the militant group has yet to break its silence on the pair's plight.
Posted alongside gruesome images of other murdered hostages on a website linked to the jihadist organisation, the clock counted down to the now-elapsed deadline previously given by IS.
They had given Japan 72 hours to pay a $200m ransom for the release of Kenji Goto, a journalist, and Haruna Yukawa, a private military company operator - if the ransom is not paid.
In the video, a black-clad militant addressed the camera in English
Earlier, the mother of one of the men pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.
Junko Ishido said her son, Mr Goto, is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.
Video:The Growth Of Islamic State
"I say to you people of the Islamic State, Kenji is not your enemy. Please release him," she said.
In the video, a black-clad militant brandishing a knife addresses the camera in English as he stands between two hostages wearing orange jumpsuits.
"You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200m to save the lives of your citizens," he says.
The footage, identified as being made by the group's al Furqan media arm and posted on militant websites, also sees the militant criticising the Japanese government's support for US-led airstrikes against IS.
Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the government is making every effort to secure the hostages' release.
"We have received offers of cooperation from various countries. We are continuing to analyse information," he said.
Asked whether Japan would pay the ransom, Mr Kishida said: "We will not give in to terrorism. We will fight against terrorism in cooperation with other countries."
IS has seized swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria in an attempt to form an Islamic Caliphate.
Videos featuring a British-accented jihadi were published showing the murders of US hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British hostages David Haines and Alan Henning.
Many Japanese have responded to the Islamic State's demand for a $200m ransom for two hostages with a meme mocking the Islamist group.
A hashtag, which translates as "ISIS crappy collage grand prix" or "photoshop grand prix", was created and users have been using it to post parodies of the hostage video.
The video released by the group on Tuesday shows a militant, dressed in black and brandishing a knife as he stands between Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, who are both clad in orange jumpsuits.
Twitter posts show the IS militant posed as a movie villain
This image has been photoshopped to make the British-accented jihadi a ninja and Dr Evil, while in others the two hostages appear as Japanese anime characters.
In another mocked-up image the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is seen laughing and pointing as the video plays on a screen.
The meme plays on the fact that the image of the two kneeled figures and their captor appears to have been photoshopped onto the desert background.
Social media users have been criticised for not taking the threat seriously
According to the social media analytics site, Topsy, the hashtag has been used more than 70,000 times since Tuesday as many use it to express their defiance.
djvjgrrl wrote on Twitter: "Tomorrow will be sad but it will pass and #ISIS will still be a big joke. You can't break our spirit."
But some people have criticised the posts for not taking the IS threat seriously.
JB~kun wrote: "So here I was checking this hashtag and apparently some of the Japanese tweets are making fun of the whole thing. Japan pls."
A cash deal of more than £10bn could lead to the creation of the UK's largest mobile phone operator, with Three taking over O2.
Three's parent, Hutchison Whampoa - owned by the richest man in Asia, Li Ka-Shing - said it was in "exclusive negotiations" with Telefonica to buy the UK's second-largest mobile firm for £10.25bn.
Hutchison confirmed in its statement that it had offered £9.25bn, with a deferred further payment of up to £1bn after completion of the deal but it said any agreement would be subject to due diligence and regulatory approvals.
Any tie-up would be likely to interest industry authorities as it would reduce the number of players in the UK mobile phone market to three - hitting competition - despite the possibility of both brands remaining.
The telecoms watchdog, Ofcom, could demand that Three and O2 hand over some spectrum capacity to rivals.
A combined player would create a company with a current market share of around 40% - with 31 million customers between them.
Three, which is currently the smallest of the UK's mobile operators in terms of market share behind Vodafone, has been setting lower price tariffs in a bid to attract new customers and grow its stable.
EE - which is the current market leader with 32% - is on the verge of being snapped up by former O2-owner BT in a deal worth £12.5bn.
BT is bidding to become a so-called "quad play" provider by bundling home phone, mobile, TV and broadband services together in a single package.
Its proposed deal with EE sparked a frenzy of speculation about whether other players in those markets would look to follow suit through either acquisitions or partnerships.
Telefonica's willingness to part with O2 was seen as acceptance that it did not want to enter the quad play arena in what is a declining mobile phone market.
It is widely believed to be looking at emerging markets to achieve growth.
Travelodge is investigating after a woman checked into one of their hotel rooms and found the words "I'm going to rape you" on the TV screen.
The woman was staying at the Whitemare Pool branch near Newcastle on Wednesday when she discovered the message.
She tweeted an image of the screen with the message: "Thanks @TravelodgeUK as a woman staying alone in one of your rooms this is great. Check your TV welcome messages."
The woman - who does not wish to be named - informed staff and was given an apology and a refund. The words were also removed from the screen.
The incident happened at the Whitemare Pool Travelodge
The hotel said an investigation was being carried out but there was a possibility that someone may have used the television manufacturer's code to the change the settings.
A Travelodge spokesman said: "We can confirm that a customer has advised us that an unauthorised message was placed on a television in one of our hotels.
"We have already been in contact with the customer involved and apologised that such a message could appear.
"We take the security of our guests and our systems very seriously and while this is an isolated incident, applicable to only one room, we have consequently launched a full investigation with our television supplier."
The woman has since praised Travelodge on Twitter for the way they handled her complaint.
Flags have been flown at half-mast at Government buildings across the country following the death of the Saudi king but the tribute angered critics of the country's human rights record.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died on Thursday night, aged 90, after almost two decades leading the oil-rich country.
Downing Street and Whitehall buildings, including Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, were instructed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to fly the Union Flag at half-mast for 12 hours in tribute.
Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "deeply saddened" by the king's death and Prince Charles set off for Riyadh to pay his repsects on behalf of the Queen.
November 2012: David Cameron with King Abdullah
But others have voiced anger at the tributes to a king who presided over a country where a woman was recently beheaded in public, a blogger was sentenced to receive 1,000 lashes for 'insulting Islam' and where women have long been banned from driving.
Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, dismissed the flag tribute as "a steaming pile of nonsense", adding that it was "a stupid act on its own and a stupid precedent to set".
Video:King's Key Achievements
Former Conservative MP for Corby, Louise Mensch, took to twitter to vent her anger, tweeting: "It is so unacceptable to offer deep condolences for a man who flogged women, didn't let them drive, saw guardian laws passed and starves them."
She even tweeted "F*** YOU" in reply to a tweet from the British Embassy in Riyadh which quoted the Prime Minister's sorrow at the king's death.
The head of Amnesty International implored the world not to forget the country's human rights abuses amidst the tributes to the dead king.
Salil Shetty said: "The Saudi regime seems insensitive to human rights and human dignity and unfortunately they are also protected by many Western countries because they have oil and because they are seen as allies in the fight against terrorism."
But Westminster Abbey argued refusing to lower its flag would not have helped the "desperately oppressed Christian communities of the Middle East".
Video:Thousands Mourn Saudi King Abdullah
"For us not to fly at half-mast would be to make a noticeably aggressive comment on the death of the king of a country to which the UK is allied in the fight against Islamic terrorism," a spokesman said.
A spokesman for UKIP leader Nigel Farage said lowering the flags showed "respect for an ally in the war against terror" and that the issue of human rights should be taken up with the new king.
But one of his MPs, Douglas Carswell, disagreed, saying officials had seriously blundered and showed "immoral" values far from those of the British public.
Referencing the civil service mandarin from television series Yes Minister, he said: "Sir Humphrey's values need to be aligned more closely to people in this country rather than being quite so immoral.
"Saudi Arabia is a country that doesn't let women drive and publicly executes people."
A ceremony for Saudi Arabia's new king is being held in the capital Riyadh following his predecessor's death.
King Salman, 79, succeeds his half-brother King Abdullah, who died aged 90 following a short illness after two decades in power.
The new monarch - who runs the world's largest oil producing nation - has already announced he will continue the economic and foreign policies of his predecessors and called for unity among Arab states.
Dignitaries gather for the ceremony in Riyadh
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," Salman said.
"The Arab and the Islamic nations are in dire need of solidarity and cohesion," he added.
Video:King's Key Achievements
Salman, who was the Crown Prince, had represented Abdullah at recent public events due to the late king's ailing health.
Thousands of people have been on the streets of Saudi Arabia mourning Abdullah who ascended the throne in 2005.
Another of his half-brothers Moqren has been confirmed as the new Saudi Crown Prince.
The public has been invited to pledge allegiance to Salman and Mogren at the royal palace.
The Prince of Wales, representing Her Majesty The Queen, and Prime Minister David Cameron are to travel to Saudi Arabia to pay their condolences.
And flags have been flown at half mast at Westminster following the death.
Video images showed Abdullah's body shrouded in a simple beige cloth, in line with Islamic traditions, being carried at his funeral at a mosque in Riyadh.
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Gallery: Pictures: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful American ally who joined the US fight against al Qaeda and sought to modernise the conservative Muslim kingdom, has died aged 90
The King maintained historically close ties with Washington, but there was friction as he sought to put those relations on Saudi Arabia's terms. He is seen here with Barack Obama last year
