Blair hails new MP generation Tony Blair yesterday hailed the new generation of MPs rising through Labour’s ranks, saying that the party would offer the best combination of youth and experience at the next election. Mr Blair gave Gordon Brown his strongest endorsement yet as the next Prime Minister, suggesting that the two men have perhaps reached an understanding of the date that Mr Blair will stand down.
Mr Blair singled out David Miliband and James Purnell as typical of the talent that would give the party a fresh face to rival the Tories under David Cameron.
No charge for SAS solider
An SAS corporal, who has been under investigation for two years after shooting dead an Iraqi civilian, has been told he will not be charged.
Corporal H, who cannot be named, was facing a possible murder or manslaughter charge. But the Army Prosecuting Authority has decided that the soldier acted within the rules of engagement.
The Iraqi who died, Ghanin Gatteh al-Roomi, who was seen entering a house in southern Iraq with a rifle, was killed after Corporal H fired his weapon through the door of the house.
Hotel put guest details in skip
A top hotel gave criminals a golden opportunity for identity fraud when it threw out thousands of personal documents.
Slips containing credit-card numbers, addresses, phone details and even the signatures of guests were dumped in an open skip by the staff of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, whose owner has apologised. Guests at the five-star hotel regularly include MPs and senior business figures.
Experts said that the hotel had been highly irresponsible for presenting fraudsters with information they could use to clear bank accounts. Professor Martin Gill, of the University of Leicester, said that what had been done offered a “field day” to fraudsters.
Murder arrests
Two Thai fishermen have been arrested over the rape and murder of the British student Katherine Horton, 21, from Cardiff. They were held on the island of Koh Samui, where Miss Horton was last seen on New Year’s Day, and flown to Bangkok for DNA tests. Police had earlier impounded seven fishing boats, saying that the crews were prime suspects.
Imam cancelled
Britain’s most senior civil servant has withdrawn an invitation to a militant Muslim cleric to be the guest of honour at a Whitehall reception. Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, received complaints about asking Sheikh Riyadh ul-Haq, 35, also known as Abu Yusuf, to speak at a function to mark Eid ul-Fitr.
Burly soldiers
The Army is relaxing its rules on admitting clinically obese men. The Ministry of Defence has decided that weight limits designed to screen out unfit applicants are also excluding strong candidates. Men with a body mass index of 32 will now be considered — up from the previous level of 28. Candidates must still pass physical fitness tests.
Mistaken identity
A 67-year-old man died after a fight with a neighbour he mistook for a burglar. Derek Bishop failed to recognise his 21-year-old neighbour and confronted him, believing that he was about to break into a property in the street in Longbridge, Birmingham. Mr Bishop died in hospital. The neighbour was arrested and later released without charge.
Meal cheats
A third of 16 to 24-year-olds have passed off a ready meal as their own creation in order to impress someone, according to the Department of Health. The department has launched a Fuel for Living guide to help young people in the kitchen and to boost their intake of fruit and vegetables to the recommended level of five portions a day.
Nuclear waste panel rebuked
The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management should accept greater input from scientific experts on a long-term store for radioactive waste, a report from the Royal Society says.
The government panel has been widely criticised for ignoring the advice of nuclear experts. The committee will issue its final advice to ministers in July.
Prescott criticised
John Prescott’s skills were called into question again after the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was described as unfocused, lacking leadership and comparable to a “pantomime horse” in a MORI opinion poll of government officials leaked to The Sunday Times.
'Respect' reduced
Tony Blair will confirm tomorrow that his plans to tackle anti-social behaviour will be drastically reduced after opposition from Cabinet ministers. The “Respect” scheme will receive about £25 million of the £90 million that was promised by the Prime Minister last year.
Image of terror
Publishing images of kidnap victims increases public support for negotiating with terrorists, experts say. The findings of a study in European Journal of Social Psychology suggest that people were 15 per cent more fearful of terrorist threats if they had seen pictures of captives.
Scots in Basra
Almost 200 Scottish soldiers have flown to Iraq for a tour of duty lasting several months. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion of The Royal Scots travelled from their base in Edinburgh to Basra and will see service in the south of the country. The Royal Scots said they were trained and ready for the job.
Delusions of the overweight
Fat people do not perceive themselves as fat, a poll indicates. Cancer Research UK questioned more than 4,000 people, of whom more than half were overweight or obese, but 87 per cent of the obese underestimated their weight — 69 per cent describing themselves as overweight and 17 per cent saying they were of normal weight. Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of cancer, the charity says.
Doorman shot
A masked gunman opened fire on a nightclub doorman who was walking to his car after finishing work at a club in Southsea, Hampshire. The attacker, who was wearing a copy of the mask used in the film Scream, ran away after the shooting. The victim, 32, had surgery to remove shotgun pellets from his leg.
Murder charges
A 13-year-old boy and a 37-year-old man have been charged with the murder of a woman found dead in a flat fire. Jo Butler, 38, was discovered at her home in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, on Wednesday. The pair will appear at Hinckley Magistrates’ Court today.
Art 'eases stress'
University of Westminster researchers studied a group of 28 stressed City workers during their lunch break at the Guildhall Art Gallery in Central London. Saliva samples taken before and after the trip showed a 32 per cent reduction in the cortisol stress hormone by the visit’s end.
Calmer Thames
Fast patrol boats that send out lower wash waves have been ordered for the River Thames. The Port of London Authority will operate the boats between Putney and Teddington from September. The vessels will patrol daily, assisting river users, overseeing regattas and providing emergency support.
Expensive cuppa
A rare Chinese green tea, which is 300 times more expensive than a standard cuppa, goes on sale in Britain this month. Tieguanyin tea, which costs £1,700 per kg — roughly £8.50 for a cup — is made from loose oolong leaves that can be re-brewed up to seven times.
