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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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