UK urges ‘clarity’ on Egypt power

Nick CleggClegg: The government can understand “the intense frustration.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said he wants to see an “orderly transition” of power in Egypt.

Talking to Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 live, Mr Clegg said the process should lead to a more democratic and open future for the country.

He said he could understand the “intense frustration” of people who had hoped for more from last night’s presidential address

But the UK government would not be giving a “running commentary”, he said.

Meanwhile Foreign Offfice Minister Lord Howell has told fellow peers that the Egyptian army faces “grim options.”

During a debate Lord Howell said one “obvious” option would be for the army to mount a military coup.

Another was that they could simply hope to control the crowds.

But a third option was for the military to be drawn into a clash “if massive numbers of people” tried to attack key institutions.

The minister went on to praise the reporting of events in the country, saying “very brave people” had covered the protests, but no-one could predict what was going to happen.

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

Murderer Bamber loses appeal bid

Jeremy Bamber arriving at courtJeremy Bamber received a life sentence for five murders in Essex
Related Stories

The case of Essex killer Jeremy Bamber will not be referred to the Court of Appeal, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has said.

Bamber now has several weeks to respond to the CCRC’s provisional ruling before a final decision is made.

He was jailed for shooting his adopted parents, his sister and her six-year-old twin sons at their farmhouse in Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex in 1985.

Bamber, now 50, was given a whole life sentence for the killings.

He has always protested his innocence and claims his sister Sheila Caffell, who suffered from schizophrenia, shot her family before turning the gun on herself.

A spokesman for the family said they were “very relieved” by the CCRC decision.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Essex Police has co-operated throughout with the CCRC in this matter and has no further comment to make at this time.”

The CCRC said it had sent Bamber’s legal team an 89-page document “setting out in detail the commission’s analysis of the case and the reasons for the provisional decision”.

“As is usual with commission cases reaching this stage, Mr Bamber and his team have been invited to respond to the commission’s case analysis and the reasons for its provisional decision,” a spokesman said.

“Given the lengthy and highly complex nature of the case, we have given Mr Bamber and his team three months in which to respond to our provisional decision (usually the period for a case of this type is 40 working days).

“The commission will then consider whatever representations it receives from Mr Bamber and his team before making a final decision on whether or nor to refer the case for a fresh appeal hearing.”

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

Ministers face prison vote test

Wormwood ScrubsThe government is opposed to giving prisoners the vote but its hand may be forced
Related Stories

Ministers are considering how to respond to MPs’ decision to reject a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling that a blanket ban on prisoners voting in the UK is unlawful.

MPs voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to keep the existing ban in place, adding to pressure on ministers on the issue.

The Council of Europe has urged the UK to ignore the Commons vote, saying it was “deeply disappointed” by it.

Ministers say they will do the “minimum to comply” with the ECHR ruling.

Cabinet Office officials said they are “considering their next steps” after MPs backed a cross-party motion opposing the Strasbourg court’s ruling and urging the final decision on which prisoners should have the right to vote to reside with Parliament.

Despite its hostility to the move, the government says it has to end the ban on inmates voting, or face being sued for tens of millions of pounds.

Ministers say they will do the “minimum necessary” under European law, having earlier indicated they might restrict the right to vote to inmates serving sentences of four years or less. They have until August to say how they will respond to the court ruling.

“My anxiety about this is what 220-odd MPs set out to do was to defy the judgement of a court to whose jurisdiction we have submitted, to breach a treaty obligation”

Sir Menzies Campbell Lib Dem MP

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said the Parliamentary vote was not “the end of the matter” and government would have to “do something”.

“We are going to be obliged by this ruling to vote through – there will be an attempt to vote through – something which most people find repugnant,” he told the BBC’s Question Time programme.

At present in the UK, only prisoners on remand are allowed to vote.

In 2005, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that blanket ban unlawful, and in June, the Council of Europe, which seeks to uphold its rulings and support human rights and the rule of law, urged the coalition to rectify the situation.

The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary body – comprising of delegates from 47 countries – criticised the stance taken by MPs.

“I am deeply disappointed by last night’s vote, in defiance of the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights on prisoner voting,” said Christos Pourgourides, chair of the body’s committee on legal affairs and human rights.

“I had hoped that the parliament of one of Europe’s oldest democracies – regarded as playing a leading role in protecting human rights – would have encouraged the United Kingdom to honour its international obligations, as our Assembly urged only last month.”

Every member state must implement the judgments of the Court, Mr Pourgourides added.

“The UK government has said that it intends to implement this judgment, and I encourage it to find a way to do so that is consistent with its international legal obligations.

“There are different ways this can be done, as shown by the range of positions on this issue in Council of Europe member states.”

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the current situation is “thoroughly unsatisfactory” but the government will have to settle the issue once and for all, while Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has indicated ministers are likely to have to pass legislation in some form.

But during Thursday’s debate, a succession of MPs – mainly from the Conservative benches – said enfranchising prisoners was incompatible with their view of justice, would not reduce re-offending and was unacceptable to most of the public.

Senior Tory backbencher David Davis, one of the those who put forward the motion, suggested that he and others would not be satisfied with a mooted compromise allowing those serving terms of less than a year to be given the vote.

Several Labour and Lib Dem MPs have warned that defying the European Convention of Human Rights – to which the UK has been a signatory since its inception – on the issue would have serious consequences.

“My anxiety about this is what 220-odd MPs set out to do was to defy the judgement of a court to whose jurisdiction we have submitted, to breach a treaty obligation,” former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell told Question Time.

“The strength of the European Convention on Human Rights is that it affects the lives of everyone one of us every day and that is why the Convention should be reaffirmed.”

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

Ski helmet use ‘makes sense’

A skier wearing a helmetMost head injuries occur when skiers hit their head on the snow
Related Stories

Helmets should be included in ski hire packages to protect against head injuries, say researchers in the British Medical Journal.

University of Innsbruck sports scientists say research has shown ski helmets reduce head injuries by 35% in adults and 59% in children under 13.

Awareness of brain injuries from accidents could also increase helmet use, they argue.

But some instructors think they are unnecessary.

Austrian researchers from the Department of Sports Science at Innsbruck looked at a number of past studies in this area to inform their view.

They found that between nine and 19% of all skiing injuries reported by Austrian ski patrols and emergency departments are head injuries – and severe head injuries, including traumatic brain injury, are a leading cause of death in winter sports.

Another study found that adults and children, of all ages, wearing a helmet while skiing were significantly less likely than those without a helmet to have a head injury.

Thus the researchers concluded that, “wearing a ski helmet seems to make sense to prevent head injuries in all age groups”.

Other studies found that 74% of head injuries occurred when skiers hit their head on the snow, 10% when they collided with other skiers and 13% when they collided with fixed objects.

This suggests that “protecting the head with a helmet must be beneficial”, the researchers say.

Gerhard Ruedl and colleagues at Innsbruck also tackle the theory that helmets impair hearing and reduce a skier or snowboarder’s field of vision, but are not convinced by the arguments.

There is another point of view that wearing a helmet could provide a false sense of security and encourage more risky behaviour on the slopes.

But since studies show that helmet use is higher in more skilled skiers, the researchers conclude that, “the use of a helmet is not necessarily associated with a higher level of risk-taking but primarily with a higher level of skill.”

Mother and children wearing helmetsChildren under the age of 13 are advised to wear a helmet when skiing or snowboarding

Ultimately, they call for better education about brain trauma injuries and for the wearing of helmets to be made routine.

Many countries and ski areas have decided to promote and encourage the use of helmets on the slopes.

In Austria, for example, it is obligatory for children under 16 to wear a helmet when skiing or snowboarding.

In the United States, where latest data shows that helmet use has risen to nearly 50%, some resorts have made helmets compulsory for their employees.

A number of high-profile skiing accidents have had an effect.

A mother of four children died on an Austrian ski run in 2009 when she collided with a German politician. The politician was wearing a ski helmet and survived. The woman, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered a fatal brain injury.

Actress Natasha Richardson died while skiing in Canada in 2009 after a fall on a beginner’s ski run. She also sustained a severe head injury and was not wearing a helmet.

Betony Garner, spokesperson for the Ski Club of Great Britain, says that helmet use on the slopes has increased dramatically over the last few years.

“Our view is that children under the age of 13 should wear a protective helmet and adults should use their own discretion,” she said.

Although many snowboarders wear helmets because it’s seen as part of a snowboarder’s attire and the design of helmets has become more streamlined, colourful and trendy in recent years, Ms Garner says helmets are still not for everyone.

“There are still a big group of people who won’t wear a helmet – experienced skiers and some ski instructors, because they are not used to it and just don’t think it’s necessary.”

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

Crofter ‘last’ to swim cattle over the sea to Skye

Cattle swimming to Skye

The last crofter in Scotland to swim his cows between winter grazings has just completed his herd’s annual passage across the sea to Skye.

Related Stories

The last crofter in Scotland to swim his cattle between winter grazings has completed his herd’s crossing of the sea to Skye.

Swimming livestock between islands was once a familiar scene in the Highlands.

But Iain MacDonald, who grazes his cattle on a small island off Skye, is believed to be the last person to still move his animals this way.

The 79-year-old crofter times the short crossings at low tides and has not lost an animal in 61 years of doing it.

Mr MacDonald, who is originally from Glasgow, took part in his first “ferrying” expedition when he was 18.

Iain MacDonaldIain MacDonald completed his first ferrying when he was 18

Recalling that first crossing, he told BBC Alba: “They were two-year-old bullocks.

“Some of the men were scared and then they had one or two drams and they were as brave as lions.”

When he was younger Mr MacDonald, who lives in Staffin, on Skye, swam with the livestock but he now uses a boat.

He moves his cattle to Stenscholl island in October and they graze on the isle before being moved back to Skye.

Mr MacDonald said he would continue ferrying for as long as he was fit, adding: “I’m now 79 and have been doing it for 61 years. I’ll do it for another 20 years.”

The crofter is among a handful who continue traditional farming methods in the 21st Century.

On the Western Isles, sea shepherds tend flocks of sheep on pastures of the Shiant Islands off the coast of Lewis and Pabbay off Harris.

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

Taylor war crimes trial extended

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor in court on 8 February 2011 Charles Taylor is accused of selling “blood diamonds” from Sierra Leone

It is not clear whether the former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, will return to court in The Hague as his war crimes trial draws to a close.

Mr Taylor and his defence lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, staged a boycott of the court earlier this week after a disagreement with the judges.

The ex-leader faces 11 counts – including murder, rape, and the conscription of child soldiers during Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 1990s.

He denies all the charges.

The end of this marathon trial has been marked by bad tempered exchanges between the judges and Charles Taylor’s defence team.

His lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, walked out of court in protest on Tuesday, and later Mr Taylor also mounted a boycott.

They are upset at the court’s refusal to accept a 500 page written summary of the trial that was submitted late.

But the judges have ordered Mr Griffiths to return to the courtroom, and to apologise for his behaviour.

Mr Griffiths has told the BBC he will appear on Friday, but he would not say what Charles Taylor intends to do.

By now, the court should have heard the closing arguments from the defence.

The absence of Mr Taylor and his lawyer have made this impossible.

This is supposed to be the close of the trial, with the judges expected to deliver a verdict later in the year.

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

Top Gear to cut Mexico comments

Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James MayThe BBC apologised for the episode, shown on BBC Two on 30 January
Related Stories

An episode of Top Gear in which its presenters mocked Mexicans will be cut before the show is broadcast in the US.

Last week the BBC apologised for the show, in which Richard Hammond alleged they were “feckless [and] flatulent” and Jeremy Clarkson poked fun at the Mexican ambassador to London.

Eduardo Medina Mora later complained to the corporation about the comments.

A BBC spokeswoman said shows like Top Gear were “routinely edited for international transmission”.

Top Gear is shown in the US on the BBC America channel. The episode in question will be broadcast next week, without the “news” section in which the comments were made.

The section in question sees the trio of presenters discuss new cars and indulge in light-hearted banter.

In last Sunday’s Observer, comedian Steve Coogan said the show’s broadcast on 30 January suggested the BBC had a “tolerance of casual racism”.

In a letter to Mr Medina Mora, the corporation said it was sorry if it had offended some people, adding that jokes based on national stereotypes were part of Britain’s indigenous humour.

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

Drunk A&E patients ‘should pay’

Accident and Emergency genericThe patient group said drunk people should also be charged for using ambulances
Related Stories

Drunk people should pay for the treatment they receive at accident and emergency units, a patient’s group has said.

The Scotland Patients Association said nurses and doctors were often abused by those who had overindulged in alcohol, particularly at weekends.

They said the time had now come for such people to pay for services.

Margaret Watt, chair of the group, said she would be raising the issue with Scotland’s health secretary.

Ms Watt said: “Anyone who has been abusing alcohol and can’t stand on their feet and is admitted to hospital at the weekend should pay towards their treatment.

“Staff are used and abused by these people.”

Ms Watt said drunk people should be charged for using ambulances and for the time of staff who treated them.

She said that the money generated from such a scheme should then be invested in increasing NHS staff numbers.

Ms Watt said she would be raising the idea with Nicola Sturgeon at a meeting on 10 March.

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

Brick attack sentence ‘lenient’

Samantha SadlerSamantha Sadler was a part-time model before the attack

The mother of a teenager scarred for life when a brick was thrown at a car has criticised the sentence given to her attacker.

Athlete Samantha Sadler, 17, of Widnes, Cheshire, was heading home from training when the brick was thrown.

Runcorn magistrates fined the 14-year-old £200 and gave him a 12-month referral order after he admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Samantha’s mother said the sentence was “insulting”.

Clare Fraser said her daughter was left with a fractured skull, broken nose and fractured eye socket after the incident last June and had to have tests on her brain after the attack.

She said: “He should have at least been given a custodial sentence.

“It would have sent a message out that you’re not allowed to do these type of things.”

Samantha Sadler after the attckThe 17-year-old was left with a fractured skull, broken nose and fractured eye socket

The youth was initially charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent but his defence team argued there was no intent in the offence.

The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and ruled a guilty plea to the lesser charge was acceptable.

Samantha, a promising athlete who worked as a part-time model before the attack, said she is now well enough to train but suffers from occasional double vision.

She said: “I was petrified at what could happen because I couldn’t see anything so I thought that I might be blind for the rest of my life.

“I was saying I’d never be able to run again, to compete or train, never be able to do modelling. It was so scary as well.

“It’s made me more determined to be more successful in athletics. I really want to do it for myself now to prove that nothing can hold me back.”

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