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British Museum emptied over ‘gas’

British MuseumThe museum is home to the Elgin Marbles

At least 3,500 people were removed from the British Museum in what was described as a “gas” incident.

Visitors to the museum in Bloomsbury, central London, complained of an odd smell and irritation in their eyes and throats.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Purely as a precaution everybody was evacuated from the building.

“We think it is something that got into the air conditioning system.”

No one needed hospital treatment.

A British Museum spokeswoman said: “There was a gas incident in the museum at about 12.30.

“There were no injuries but the museum was promptly evacuated. Police are investigating to ascertain what happened.”

The London Fire Brigade was also at the scene.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

First pictures of PM’s new baby

David Cameron holding his baby daughter, Florence Rose Endellion CameronFlorence’s full name is Florence Rose Endellion Cameron

The first pictures of David and Samantha Cameron’s baby daughter Florence have been released.

Florence was born in the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on Tuesday after Mrs Cameron gave birth earlier than expected.

The prime minister and his family are in Cornwall on a two-week summer holiday.

Mrs Cameron and Florence left hospital on Friday and Mr Cameron has said he will take paternity leave.

Florence’s full name is Florence Rose Endellion Cameron.

The Camerons’ fourth child, she was born weighing 6lbs 1oz following a caesarean delivery.

Her parents revealed on Wednesday that they had chosen Endellion – after the Cornish village of St Endellion – as one of their daughter’s middle names, to reflect the county of her birth.

The Camerons’ first child, Ivan, who was born profoundly disabled and needed round the clock care, died in February 2009.

Florence CameronFlorence is the Camerons’ fourth child

They have two other children, Nancy and Arthur, who are six and four years old respectively.

It is the second time since 2000 that the wife of a sitting prime minister has given birth.

When Cherie Blair gave birth in May 2000 it was the first time a serving prime minister’s wife had given birth for more than 150 years.

Mr Cameron will become the first British prime minister to take statutory paternity leave since it was introduced in 2003.

He had been due to return to work next week, but it is not yet known how much paternity leave he will take.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is covering for Mr Cameron, said on Friday that he would “just carry on holding the fort” until the prime minister returned to Downing Street.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Kane wins Edinburgh comedy award

(back from left) Josie Long, Greg Davies, Sarah Millican (front from left) Russell Kane and Bo Burnham.Josie Long, Greg Davies, Sarah Millican, Russell Kane and Bo Burnham are nominated for the Best Comedy Show award

The winner of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards will be announced later.

There are five acts nominated for the Fringe’s top comedy prize, which is now in its 30th year.

The shortlist includes two women for the first time – Sarah Millican and Josie Long – and the youngest-ever nominee, 20-year-old Bo Burnham.

Also on the list is one of the tallest men in comedy, 6ft 8in Greg Davies, and Russell Kane, who is nominated for the third consecutive year.

The awards, which have been running since 1981, were formerly known as the Perriers and the If.Comeddies.

They have launched the career of most major comedy stars of the past three decades, including Lee Evans, Frank Skinner and Steve Coogan.

“Star” names, who have already had a TV series or can perform in a 500-seat venue under their own name, are not eligible for the award.

The nominations for Best Comedy Show, which has a £10,000 prize, are:

Bo Burnham: Words, Words, WordsGreg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs at a DogJosie Long: Be Honourable!Russell Kane: Smokescreens and CastlesSarah Millican: Chatterbox

The nominations for Best Newcomer are:

An Audience with Imran YusufAsher Treleaven: Secret DoorGareth Richards: Stand Up Between SongsLate Night Gimp Fight!Roisin Conaty: Hero, Warrior, Fireman, LiarThe Boy With The Tape on His Face

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Pub stabbing man dies in hospital

A man has died in hospital after he was stabbed in an incident in north London, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Officers were called to reports of a fight on the A10 Great Cambridge Road, Enfield, at about 2200 BST.

A 41-year-old man was found with a stab wound to the neck. He was taken to an east London hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 2300 BST.

Two people were arrested and are being questioned at a north London police station.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Letters sent over teacher arrests

Letters have been sent to parents with children at two schools after two teachers were arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.

The men, aged 37 and 43, have been suspended from their jobs at separate schools in Solihull, West Midlands.

The letters have been sent to parents and carers with children at St Patrick’s School in Earlswood, and Monkspath School in Shirley.

Solihull Council said an advice line was also open over the weekend.

Mark Rogers, from Solihull Council, said: “We have written to all parents and carers of children at the two schools advising them of the situation as far as we can explain it at the moment.”

The men were arrested in Monkspath on Wednesday. They were bailed for further inquiries and for seized property to be examined.

Police officers

A police spokesman said: “At this stage of the inquiry there is nothing to suggest any physical contact between the suspects and the children.”

Det Ch Supt Gareth Morgan, head of West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said it was a sensitive case which would raise many questions among parents.

“It is an immediate priority to reassure them by providing as much information as and when we can to answer those questions,” he said.

“To do that effectively we will progress the investigation as thoroughly and quickly as possible and continue to engage with families and the wider community.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Paris Hilton in US cocaine arrest

Paris Hilton (file picture)Paris Hilton was arrested by police in Las Vegas

American socialite Paris Hilton has been arrested in the US for alleged possession of cocaine, police say.

Ms Hilton was arrested by Las Vegas police when they stopped a car in which she was a passenger.

Officers found some suspicious powder in the car, which later proved to be cocaine.

She was booked into the county jail and will be charged and released on bail later, police said.

Ms Hilton was briefly arrested in July by South African police who suspected her of smoking marijuana, but she was later released without charge.

She served time in jail for drunk driving in 2007.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Scots sex offender ‘may be in NI’

Fraser Benjamin McLaughlin, 57Fraser Benjamin McLaughlin could be in Northern Ireland

A sex offender who broke his bail conditions could be in Northern Ireland, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre has warned.

Fraser Benjamin McLaughlin, 57, from Hamilton in Scotland was last seen getting on a ferry to NI in May.

He has broken Sexual Offenders Register conditions and failed to answer bail over charges linked to child abuse images.

CEOP has said that McLaughlin has “strong links” to Northern Ireland.

He is the 21st convicted child sex offender whose details have been posted on to the CEOP Most Wanted site.

He is described as being about 6ft tall with greying red hair and a small moustache. He may also wear glasses.

He is diabetic and has a heart condition.

When he was last seen, he was wearing a cloth cap, a red and blue jacket and a white sweater.

It is thought he may also have links to Blackpool and Lancashire.

Since the launch of the Most Wanted site in November 2006, 18 of the 21 offenders posted have been located. They had previously been missing for a combined total of 55 years and 3 months.

Chief Executive of CEOP, Jim Gamble, said that McLaughlin should be a “worried man”.

“Only this week another offender posted on the site has returned to custody after he thought he could escape the consequences of his crime.

“Our success in locating these individuals has reached as far as Europe and South America.

“I therefore encourage people to register on the Most Wanted website to look at McLaughlin’s details and those of other individuals to see what they can do to bring those offenders to account.”

Detective Inspector David Tassie of Strathclyde Police said: “Strathclyde Police has been working closely with partners in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland to trace Fraser McLaughlin.

“I would appeal to anyone with information to contact police.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Male oesophageal cancer ‘doubles’

Men with beer belliesAbdominal weight is a risk factor for oesophageal cancer

Cancers of the food pipe in Britain have doubled in men over 25 years, figures from Cancer Research UK show.

However, over the same period – 1983 to 2007 – cases in women only rose by 8%.

Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on – as “beer bellies” – as well as genetic differences.

Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables.

“Being overweight significantly increases the risk ”

Professor Janusz Jankowski Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry

Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.

It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.

In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).

Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.

The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.

The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period.

Professor Janusz Jankowski, an oesophageal cancer expert at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, whose work is backed by Cancer Research UK, said: “One basic issue is that men’s diets are worse than women’s.

“They tend to eat more fatty foods and less fruit and veg.

“Both of those things increase reflux disease, where acid comes up from the stomach.”

But Professor Jankowski said obesity may be a big reason behind the increase.

“Being overweight significantly increases the risk of adenocarcinoma – the main type of oesophageal cancer that’s on the up.

“Men tend to put weight on their abdomen as beer bellies and become oranges, – whereas women tend to put it on differently and become pears.

He said having fat on the abdomen was riskier in this context because it put pressure on the stomach.

The researchers are also studying genetic changes that also appear to be linked to the disease.

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: “These new figures are particularly concerning as oesophageal cancer is a very difficult cancer to treat.

“Oesophageal cancer rates have risen dramatically in the UK compared with many other Western countries so we need to determine the underlying causes.

“To combat the poor survival rate for oesophageal cancer, Cancer Research UK is funding research to find new ways to identify the disease earlier and improve treatment so that more people beat the disease.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.