Sex Assault Suicide: Police Defend Handling

Greater Manchester Police has defended its care of Frances Andrade, who killed herself after giving evidence against her abusers.

The violin teacher's testimony was central to the case against choirmaster Michael Brewer and his ex-wife Kay, who were found guilty of sexually assaulting their victim more than 30 years ago.

In a statement released after the verdicts, Mrs Andrade's son Oliver said his mother had praised an officer assigned to look after her, but that police had "heavily advised" her not to receive therapy until the end of the case.

He said: "She was forced to cope on her own with only the support of her family and very close friends.

"This meant that even after several attempts at her own life she did not get the help she needed. The state of mental healthcare in this country needs reform."

Greater Manchester Police say it is the force's policy to encourage victims to seek support.

Victim Frances Andrade has been described as "an amazing person"

GMP's head of public protection Detective Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle said: "I would firstly like to extend my sympathies to the family of Frances Andrade.

"Our thoughts remain with them at this desperately difficult time and it is tragic she is not able to see she has been vindicated for the bravery she consistently showed throughout the investigation.

"I want to make it clear that it is Greater Manchester Police's policy and practice to encourage victims to seek whatever support they need.

"The advice to Frances not to seek support may have been given by another party but it was not the advice of Greater Manchester Police. Victims who have suffered sexual abuse have every right to seek whatever help they need.

"As Frances' son Oliver said in his very moving statement, the GMP officer who was assigned the case did everything he could to help Frances."

The body of Mrs Andrade, 48, was found less than a week after she gave evidence in the trial at Manchester Crown Court.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to continue with the trial and Judge Martin Rutland ruled that news of Mrs Andrade's death should be kept from jurors until after they reached their verdicts.

After sending the jury out, the judge said: "Tragically a lady has lost her life during the course of these proceedings. She took her own life. She left no note. We do not know the circumstances in which she took her own life."

Mrs Andrade was visibly agitated on occasions as she gave her evidence over two days on January 16 and 17.

She chose to take to the witness box in full view of everyone in the courtroom, including the two defendants in the dock.

The jury heard that the police investigation was sparked by National Youth Choir teacher Jenavora Williams after Mrs Andrade, her friend, told her about her time at Chetham's.

Mrs Andrade told the court she wanted it to be dealt with internally but she said Mrs Williams went to the police in 2011 without telling her.

She then agreed to co-operate with the police and help the prosecution.

The mother-of-four, from Guildford, Surrey, who was married to acclaimed viola player Levine Andrade, was supported from the public gallery by one of her sons.

At one point she complained about Brewer smiling as she gave her evidence, but she chose to press on without drawing a curtain to block off the dock.

Judge Martin Rudland remarked that she was "clearly undergoing a cathartic experience, whatever the source" while giving evidence.

He said she was "combative" during cross-examination by Kate Blackwell QC, representing Brewer, and she had taken personal issue with some of the barrister's questions but the judge indicated that Ms Blackwell had acted professionally.

During the cross-examination, Mrs Andrade told the barrister: "You are hugely insulting, even though it's your job."

The judge told the defendants a jail sentence for both of them was "inevitable" as he remanded the pair in custody.

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Belgium Plane Crash Kills Five

A small passenger plane has crashed at Belgium's Charleroi airport, killing five people and closing the international hub used by low-cost carriers.

The aircraft, a Cessna, had problems on takeoff and tried to return to Charleroi to make an emergency landing but crashed on the side of the runway, airport officials said.

"There was a problem on takeoff and they tried to come back, but unfortunately the plane crashed," said Melissa Milioto, an airport spokeswoman.

After having problems the plane crashed next to the runway, trying to land

Two adults and three children, reportedly all from the same family, were killed.

According to the news website sudinfo.be, the victims were a 68-year-old grandfather, a 39-year-old mother, and three children aged 7, 6 and 3. They are thought to be from Brussels.

There were no immediate indications of what caused the crash, which happened at 10am local time (9am GMT).

Firefighters sprayed water on the plane that was reduced to a wreck of twisted metal, with only the tail still visible.

Police said the airport, which is a hub for Ryanair and other low-cost carriers, would be closed until mid-afternoon. Several flights were cancelled and others delayed or diverted.

Queues of passengers built up after the airport was closed

"Our priority is dealing with this drama. Flights are being diverted to Liege and Brussels," Ms Milioto said.

The crash came at the start of the Belgium school half-term holidays.

Charleroi airport, also known as Brussels South Charleroi, serves as the country's second international airport after Brussels' main Zaventem airport and expects to handle 140,000 passengers over the half-term holiday period.

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US Blizzard Dump Cuts Power To 650,000

A massive storm packing hurricane-force winds and blizzard conditions has dumped more than two feet of snow on the northeast of the United States and knocked out power to 650,000 customers.

A state of emergency has been declared in five states and thousands of air flights have also been affected as a result of the monster storm.

Snow made identifying cars virtually impossible

The storm has been blamed for at least four deaths in New York and Canada.

More than 28 inches of snow had fallen in parts of central Connecticut by early Saturday, and areas of southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire notched over two feet or more.

Massachusetts has also prohibited vehicles from using any road in the state.

The National Weather Service (NWS) says up to three feet is expected in Boston, threatening the city's 2003 record of 27.6 inches.

Throughout the Northeast, hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses lost electricity.

Airlines cancelled more than 5,300 flights through Saturday, and New York City's three major airports and Boston's Logan Airport closed.

Numerous cars that had been abandoned on the Long Island Expressway on Friday night remained stuck on Saturday morning, trapped by ploughed snow.

High winds blastered houses with driving snow

A nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, automatically shot down due to the snow but regulators say there is no threat to public safety.

The most intense part of the storm moved into Connecticut on Saturday morning as conditions eased around New York City.

According to forecasters, the storm is expected to hit New England throughout Saturday afternoon, with 75mph winds and a risk of up to 36 inches of snow.

The NWS also warned about the risk of flooding along the Atlantic Coast possibly affecting up to eight million residents.

Boston was expected to receive more snow on Saturday

NY mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier advised against panic buying of food and fuel, like what occurred during Hurricane Sandy.

Central Park in New York City reportedly received up to 8in of snow during the dumping.

Flights to and from Britain and other international destinations have been badly affected and airport staff advised passengers to check status with their airlines.

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Horsemeat Scandal An 'International Conspiracy'

How Horsemeat Scandal Unfolded

Updated: 9:29pm UK, Friday 08 February 2013

The horsemeat scandal has been unfolding for weeks and products have been flying off the shelves, although not in a good way. Where did it all begin?

January 16

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland says beefburgers with traces of equine DNA, including one product classed as 29% horse, are being supplied to supermarkets by Silvercrest Foods in Ireland and Dalepak Hambleton in Yorkshire, subsidiaries of the ABP Food Group.

Ten million suspect burgers are taken off the shelves, including by retailers Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores.

A third company, Liffey meats, based in Co Cavan, Ireland, was also found to be supplying products to supermarkets with traces of horse DNA.

January 17

The ABP Food Group suspends work at its Silvercrest Foods plant in Co Monaghan, Ireland, until further notice.

Sainsbury's, Asda and the Co-op later withdrew some frozen products as a precaution but had not been found to be selling contaminated food.

January 23

Burger King, which is supplied burgers by ABP Food Group, switches to another supplier as a precautionary measure.

January 25

Waitrose removes a range of frozen burgers made by Dalepak but says its burgers have been tested and are 100% beef.

The Food Standards Agency said tests at a Dalepak plant in North Yorkshire had found no traces of meat contaminated with horse or pork DNA.

However, Aldi found traces of pig and horsemeat in samples taken from three lines of Dalepak burgers.

It withdrew Specially Selected Aberdeen Angus Quarter Pounder, Oakhurst Beef Quarter Pounders and Frozen Oakhurst Beefburgers from sale.

February 4

Production at a second meat supplier, Rangeland Foods in Co Monaghan, is suspended after 75% equine DNA is found in raw ingredients, The Department of Agriculture confirm.

February 5

Frozen meat at Freeza Meats company in Newry, Northern Ireland, is found to contain 80% horse meat, The Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland said. It is potentially linked to the Silvercrest factory in the Republic of Ireland.

Asda withdraws products supplied by Freeza Meats.

February 6

Tesco and Aldi take down frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals produced by French food supplier Comigel following concerns about its Findus beef lasagne.

The FSA reveals a second case of "gross contamination" after some Findus UK beef lasagnes were found to contain up to 100% horse meat. The products were made by French food supplier Comigel.

February 8

Aldi withdraws its Today's Special Frozen Beef Lasagne and Today's Special Frozen Spaghetti Bolognese after tests showed the products contained between 30% and 100% horsemeat.

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Aamir Siddiqi Hitmen Jailed For 40 Years

Two hitmen who stabbed an innocent schoolboy to death by mistake have been jailed for a minimum of 40 years.

Ben Hope, 39, and Jason Richards, 38, both from Cardiff, were each paid £1,000 in "blood money" to murder a middle-aged family man who owed money to a shady businessman.

But the "hit" went wrong when the balaclava-clad killers, who were high on drugs, went to the wrong address in Roath, Cardiff, in April 2010 and murdered teenager Aamir Siddiqi by mistake.

The 17-year-old's frantic parents, Iqbal and Parveen, fought to save their son but were also knifed by the killers, who let out chilling howls.

Both men had protested their innocence throughout the four-and-a-half month trial at Swansea Crown Court and attempted to blame each other.

Aamir Saddiqi had won a place at Cardiff University

But a jury unanimously found them guilty of Aamir's murder and the attempted murder of his parents.

In sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said he had no choice but to "significantly increase" the minimum term of 30 years the prosecution had asked for.

"Aamir Siddiqi was the youngest child and only son of Sheikh Iqbal and Parveen Ahmed," he said.

"He was a bright, gentle and courteous boy who was much loved by his family. He had secured a place to study law at Cardiff and his future was brimming with promise.

"He was awaiting the arrival of his Koran teacher when he rushed past his parents to open the door.

Aamir's parents, Sheikh Iqbal and Parveen Ahmed

"You two came in, wearing balaclavas and making a terrible wailing sound. Your attack on him was brutal, savage, callous and cruel.

"You hacked him to death in front of his parents, who fought in vain to save Aamir.

"It was simply good fortune that they were not killed. It was your intention that they should die too. The aggravating features of this case mean the starting point should significantly increase.

"The starting point is 40 years. If you die in jail, few will shed a tear and many will say it will be more than deserved."

Following the sentencing, Aamir's sister, Nishat Siddiqi, posted on her Twitter page: "Am amazed and humbled by the kindness, love and support shown to my family and me in the aftermath of Aamir's murder. I will never forget."

The teenager was set upon on the doorstep of his home

During their trial, the court heard Hope and Richards had been paid by a businessman, angry over a collapsed property deal, to kill a father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street.

But they went instead to a similar looking red brick, end-of-row house just around the corner in Ninian Road in the leafy suburb of Roath.

Aamir had run down the stairs to answer the door expecting to see his imam, who was due to give him a Koran lesson. Instead, he opened the front door to two masked killers high on heroin.

Hope and Richards wielded daggers over their heads and howled as they set upon the helpless A-level student.

The teenager desperately tried to run back into the house but they chased him and repeatedly lashed out.

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Dale Cregan 'Fired 32 Bullets In 31 Seconds'

By Nick Martin, at Preston Crown Court

Relatives of two police officers allegedly shot dead by gunman Dale Cregan wept as they heard how the victims were gunned down in a hail of 32 bullets.

Dale Cregan launched a 31-second attack on PC Fiona Bone, 32, and PC Nicola Hughes, 23, after luring the pair to a bogus burglary with a 999 call, a jury was told. 

He ended the emergency call by telling the operator: "I'll be waiting," Preston Crown Court was told.

The jury heard how Cregan later handed himself in to police at Hyde Police station telling them: "Sorry about those two that have been killed, I wish it was men."

He allegedly went on: "I've dropped the gun at the scene and I've murdered two police officers. You were hounding my family so I took it out on yous (sic). I'm wanted by the police and I've just done two coppers."

The jury was shown video of the moment Cregan was arrested at the front desk of the police station.

Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes were shot dead

He is seen speaking on his mobile phone, cradling it, after a police officer jumps over the front desk and handcuffs him.

Relatives and friends of the two murdered officers sobbed as they watched footage of the pair leaving the police station for the last time.

Chilling details of the double shooting were revealed for the first time in court this morning.

The court was told how on September 18 last year, Cregan was in hiding in a house in Abbey Gardens, Hattersley, Greater Manchester after making the 999 call.

Nicholas Clarke QC told the jury: "He had carefully put in place a plan that he knew would ensure that an unsuspecting police officer or officers would be sent to the door, to attend to a householder who had been the victim of damage to his house.

"Cregan knew that the officers who attended would have no idea what would be waiting for them."

PC Hughes and PC Bone were assigned the call and made their way from Hyde Police station to the address.

"On arrival, the two officers stepped out of their van and walked forward the short distance to number 30.

"Cregan's carefully laid plan had been successful," said Mr Clarke.

"He had lured two unarmed officers to his door and he was armed, ready and waiting for them.

"As Nicola and Fiona walked through the small front garden, he opened the front door and immediately fired his Glock."

The jury heard how both officers were shot in the chest. The body armour they were wearing protected them and the bullets did not penetrate, the prosecution said.

The officers, the court heard, made a "tactical retreat".

"PC Fiona Bone moved to the right, getting out of the line of sight and PC Nicola Hughes turned to run up the path. As they retreated more shots were fired.

"PC Hughes was shot just below her armoured vest in the middle of her back and was immediately paralysed causing her to fall forwards onto the path.

"As she was falling or lying flat on her stomach she was shot three more times.

"Cregan then turned his attention to PC Fiona Bone. She was trapped in front of the lounge window and he discharged 24 shots at her. Some struck the officer others the house," the court heard.

She managed to draw and fire her Taser but it was discharged into a hard surface, probably the paving, the jury was told.

The court was told that only a matter of 31 seconds had passed between PC Hughes switching off the engine of their vehicle and PC Bone firing the Taser.

Mr Clarke said: "Most of the bullets struck her body armour or the wall at the front of the house but she was the central target."

PC Bone was shot between five and eight times receiving a total of eight gunshot-related injuries, the prosecution said.

"As she turned and fell one bullet managed to get through under her arm. She was killed by a perforating shot to the upper left side of her chest which caused fatal injuries to the top of her heart.

"Cregan wasn't finished. He turned his attention to PC Hughes and fired three more shots into the back and side of her head. She was shot eight times causing a total of seven gunshot-related injuries," the jury heard.

The court was told that Cregan fired a total of 32 bullets at the two unarmed police officers.

Mr Clarke added: "Before he fled Abbey Gardens he made sure he left his usual calling card.

"He launched a fragmentation grenade back towards the garden of number 30 where the two police officers were lying on the floor."

Cregan denies the murders of PCs Bone and Hughes, the murders of Mark and David Short, the attempted murders of three others in a pub, and the attempted murder of a woman called Sharon Hark.

He also denies a single charge of causing an explosion.

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EU Leaders Agree Historic Budget Deal

European Union leaders have agreed a historic budget deal at a summit in Brussels.

The breakthrough was declared in a tweet from the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, saying: "Deal done! #euco has agreed on #MFF (Multi-annual Financial Framework) for the rest of the decade. Worth waiting for."

Initial reports said the agreement fixes a spending limit of 960bn euros (£820bn) for projects the EU can promise to fund between 2014 and 2020. That is far less than the 1.03tn euros (£871bn) that the EU Commission originally proposed, reflecting Europe's tough economic times.

But not all those projects will ever be completed, meaning the maximum amount it will ever pay out is 908.4bn euros (£774bn).

The current spending limit is 942.8bn euros (£803.4bn) so the actual spending cap will be reduced by 34.4bn euros (£29.3bn).

However, the EU Parliament must still approve the deal - and they have suggested that such drastic cuts are unacceptable.

More follows...

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Choirmaster Michael Brewer Guilty Of Sex Abuse

The woman at the centre of sex abuse allegations involving top choirmaster Michael Brewer killed herself during the trial, it has been revealed.

The body of violin teacher Frances Andrade, 48, was found at her home less than a week after she gave evidence against Michael Brewer at Manchester Crown Court.

Brewer, a former National Youth Choir music director, and his ex-wife were found guilty on five counts of indecently assaulting the former music student more than 30 years ago.

The 68-year-old was convicted of sexually abusing the victim in his office at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester when she was aged 14 and 15.

His ex-wife, Kay Brewer, 68, was also convicted of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade, then known as Shorney, when she was an adult at their former family home.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on charges that Brewer raped the same victim when she was aged 18 and that Mrs Brewer aided and abetted the attack.

And Brewer was cleared of one charge of indecently assaulting the victim as a child in his home.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to continue with the trial and the judge ruled that news of Mrs Andrade's death should be kept from jurors until after they reached their verdicts.

Sending the jury out, the judge told the court: "Tragically a lady has lost her life during the course of these proceedings. She took her own life. She left no note. We do not know the circumstances in which she took her own life."

Mrs Andrade was visibly agitated on occasions as she gave her evidence over two days on January 16 and 17.

She chose to give evidence in the witness box in full view of everyone in the courtroom, including the two defendants in the dock.

The jury heard that the police investigation was sparked by National Youth Choir teacher Jenavora Williams after her friend, Mrs Andrade, told her about her time at Chetham's.

Mrs Andrade told the court she wanted it to be dealt with internally but she said Mrs Williams went to the police in 2011 without telling her.

She then co-operated with the police and agreed to take part in the prosecution.

The mother-of-four, from Guildford, Surrey, who was married to acclaimed viola player Levine Andrade, was supported from the public gallery by one of her sons.

At one point she complained about Brewer smiling as she gave her evidence, but she chose to press on without drawing a curtain to block off the dock.

Judge Martin Rudland remarked that she was "clearly undergoing a cathartic experience, whatever the source" while giving evidence.

He said she was "combative" during cross-examination by Kate Blackwell QC, representing Brewer, and she had taken personal issue with some of the barrister's questions but the judge indicated that Miss Blackwell had acted professionally.

During the cross-examination, Mrs Andrade told Miss Blackwell: "You are hugely insulting, even though it's your job."

One of the defendants' four daughters audibly gasped in the public gallery when the jury returned its verdict on Kay Brewer.

The jury was told Mrs Andrade did not consider the Brewer's actions sexual abuse at the time and did not make an official complaint.

In a separate incident, Brewer quit Chetham's in 1994 after an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

The court heard she regularly visited his office and recalled he would persuade her to take off her top and bra and he would fondle her.

Giving evidence, Brewer -  who was awarded an OBE for services to music in 1995 - admitted the 1994 affair. The full extent of the relationship was covered up as he resigned.

Brewer went on to become the artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has directed the World Youth Choir.

Judge Martin Rudland told the defendants a jail sentence for both of them was "inevitable" as he remanded the pair in custody.

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Cregan 'Victim' Chased Through House And Shot

One of Dale Cregan's alleged victims was chased through his house and shot repeatedly, before a grenade was thrown at him causing "devastating" injuries.

Three months after his son Mark was gunned down in a local pub over a perceived snub to a rival family, killers turned up at David Short's door.

"He was chased through the house and shot many times," said prosecutor Nicholas Clarke QC.

"He tried to run around the side of the house to escape. His injuries were already unsurvivable and then a grenade was thrown onto him.

Mark Short was shot dead at the Cotton Tree pub in Droylsden

"Its explosion had devastating consequences for his torso. It is the first time in this country that a military grenade has been deployed in this way."

Earlier, Mr Clarke told the jury about the background to the murder of Mark Short at the Cotton Tree pub on May 25.

He said: "The Short family had been involved for a number of years in a long-standing feud with members of another local family, the Atkinsons.

"The families had reached a state of uneasy peace following their lengthy dispute."

But the court heard that on May 13, there was a row in the Gardeners Arms pub which carried on into the Cotton Tree.

The row was between Theresa Atkinson - dubbed "the matriarch of the Atkinson family" - and Raymond Young, a member of the Short family.

The jury was told she responded by shouting: "I'm going to get you done by my sons, I'm gonna get you done by my sons."

Cregan denies the charges against him

Mr Clarke told the court that after this incident Theresa Atkinson repeatedly tried to contact her son Leon's mobile phone and they spoke the next morning.

Mr Clarke said straight after that call Leon Atkinson contacted his two brothers and sent a text message to his "old friend" Dale Cregan, who then began making contact with the other defendants alleged to be involved with the Cotton Tree murder.

The jury heard on the night of May 25 the Short family and friends gathered at the Cotton Tree pub for drinks.

The prosecution claims Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne, travelled to a caravan park in Prestatyn, North Wales, to give himself an "incontrovertible alibi".

Cregan, Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley, and Damian Gorman, 37, from Glossop, were to carry out the attack, it is claimed.

Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden, and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, were to act as "spotters" to ensure the targets - the Short family - were in the pub.

A car pulled up at the pub at 11.49pm, which the prosecution say carried Cregan, Livesey and Gorman.

Mr Clarke said Raymond Young was in the bar and saw the door open. He saw the gunman enter wearing a black balaclava.

"In his outstretched hand was a gun. The gun was fired. Mark Short was nearest to the door when the gunman came in," Mr Clarke said.

Mark Short fell to the ground as the firing continued, focused on the people stood around a pool table.

Three more men, John Collins, Michael Belcher and Ryan Pridding, were also hit and fell to the floor, before the gunman jumped into the front seat of the waiting car.

Mr Clarke added: "At the time that his son Mark was shot, David Short, the head of the Short family, was using the toilet. Otherwise he himself would have been a target. His son died in his arms."

All of the men deny the charges. The trial continues.

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Dale Cregan 'Shot Cops Until Gun Was Empty'

The Defendants And Charges

Updated: 1:23pm UK, Thursday 07 February 2013

This is the list of all ten defendants and the charges they face. All of the defendants deny the charges.

Dale Cregan, 29 - Accused of the murder of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, and Mark and David Short, the attempted murders of three others in the pub at the time, the attempted murder of a woman called Sharon Hark on the same day, and a single charge of causing an explosion

Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne – Accused of the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murders of three others in the pub at the time

Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley - Accused of the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murders of three others in the pub at the time

Damian Gorman, 38, from Glossop - Accused of the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murders of three others in the pub at the time

Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden - Accused of the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murders of three others in the pub at the time

Matthew James, 33, from Clayton - Accused of the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murders of three others in the pub at the time

Francis Dixon, 37, from Stalybridge – Accused of the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day, and a single charge of causing an explosion

Anthony Wilkinson, 38, from Manchester – Accused of the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day, a single charge of causing an explosion, and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life

Jermaine Ward, 24 – Accused of the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day, and a single charge of causing an explosion

Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, is accused of assisting an offender

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Pryce: 'Huhne Forced Me To Have Abortion'

Chris Huhne's ex-wife has claimed the politician forced her to have an abortion in the 90s because it was "bad timing" to have a baby.

Vicky Pryce broke down in tears as she made the revelation during her evidence in her trial over allegations she took speeding points for the politician back in 2003.

She also told Southwark Crown Court that Huhne had nominated her as the driver without telling her and then pressured her to confirm this to police.

The Lib Dem wanted to avoid losing his licence because he was worried it would affect his chances of selection as a prospective parliamentary candidate, she said.

As the mother-of-five spoke about their 26-marriage, she revealed she had become pregnant unexpectedly in 1990 but had a termination.

Sunday Times political editor Isabel Oakeshott

Weeping, she told the court: "I got accidentally pregnant and obviously wanted to keep the baby because it was healthy. In fact, I quite like babies, that's why I have so many."

"He absolutely resisted it, saying it was bad timing, bad financially, bad for his career to be tied down again and despite my protestations, he got me to have an abortion, which I have regretted ever since."

Pryce, 60, had two sons and a daughter with Huhne in the 80s and 90s and has two daughters from her first marriage.

The new dramatic claim about their marriage came as she gave evidence in her defence at her trial for perversion of the course of justice.

She is accused of taking speeding penalty points for her then husband but denies the charge on the grounds of marital coercion.

Huhne, 58, has already pleaded guilty to lying to police about who was driving. He has resigned as an MP and faces jail.

Chris Huhne finally admitted this week that he was driving

Pryce said she "resisted" when the politician first asked her to take his penalty for driving too fast so that he could avoid prosecution and keep his licence.

"I had absolutely no wish to take on his points because I knew full well he was a very, very fast driver and very often ignored speed limits and had brought it on himself," she told the court.

She said they had argued for "a number of days" but then it "went quiet".

Earlier, Sunday Times political editor Isabel Oakeshott said Pryce had told her she was presented with a "fait accompli" by Huhne.

Giving evidence for the prosecution, she said: "My understanding was that they had had a row about it and she had confronted him and asked him why on earth she had received this letter.

"He had filled the form out, nominated her without any consultation about it and put her in an extremely difficult position. She was understandably very upset about it."

Chris Huhne's girlfriend Carina Trimingham

Pryce had been "very, very unhappy" at going along with his lie" and "felt that she had been put into an impossible situation by doing so", she continued.

"She was very clear that he had pressurised her into signing the form and the context of that was that he risked losing his licence at that point because he had already amassed so many penalty points and he very much needed to be able to drive for his job at that time."

Ms Oakeshott first met Pryce at the Lib Dem party conference in 2010, shortly after Huhne had left her for another woman. They met again for lunch in March 2011, where the economist first revealed the points swap.

"She mentioned to me towards the end of the meal that she had taken speeding points on behalf of her husband. She had been pressured to do that.

"Obviously that's a very serious allegation against a serving government minister."

Pryce had made the allegation "slightly under her breath" and did not go into details, but said it had happened in 2003, she told the court.

The pair later agreed the claims could run as part of an interview with Pryce, where they would be put to her as Westminster rumours, she said.

Ms Oakeshott added that it was Pryce's idea to record Huhne's phone calls to try and goad him into admitting his crime - recordings of which have now been played in court.

The economist was conscious of the possibility of being prosecuted, and they drafted an agreement to protect her ahead of publication.

Ms Oakeshott described her as a "fragile" woman whose emotions would "go up and down a lot", whose image of a businesswoman in heels and a suit was a sort of "armour".

"I was amazed throughout my dealings with her that she was constantly on the edge of tears. It took very, very little to tip her into a tearful condition," she said.

"This was a broken woman, her marriage had collapsed in the most dramatic and horrible of circumstances and she was clearly absolutely devastated over it, no doubt about that.

"I got the impression that despite how she had been treated by her husband she was still very much in love with him, and it was really a terrible time."

Ms Oakeshott added that if Pryce had been making the story up, it would have been "better than that" and not something that incriminated herself.

She described Huhne as "ferociously intelligent and ferociously ambitious" and a "very controversial figure" in Westminster.

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Woman Found Guilty Of Murdering Grandmother

Nicola Edgington has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering grandmother Sally Hodkin.

More follows...

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Alan Greaves: Funeral For Attacked Organist

The widow of a man who was killed on his way to midnight mass has told how her thoughts turned to those responsible as she sat by his body on Christmas Day.

Church organist Alan Greaves, 68, was attacked on Christmas Eve as he made the short walk from his home to his church in Sheffield.

Speaking at his funeral, Maureen Greaves said: "Alan bought me my last bunch of flowers on Christmas Eve morning. When I went to thank Alan and give him a kiss, he said to me 'I love you so much Maureen, and I'm so glad that I married you."

She added: "On Christmas Day when I sat beside Alan's bruised and battered body, it was only natural that my thoughts would turn to the men who had so cruelly and brutally attacked him.

"But even then, I could hear Alan saying to me 'Maureen, don't give yourself permission'.

"I am so truly thankful to have loved and been loved by Alan. I am so proud of the man he was, and of the life that he lived.

"As my husband and my best friend, Alan loved me really well.

"He did so many little things that showed me every day how much he cared for me and supported me in all that I did."

Earlier, Mrs Greaves told Sky News that her husband's death was a "very great shock".

The couple were married for 40 years

The couple both worked for the Church Army and devoted a lot of time to helping and supporting others.

Just weeks before his death, Mr Greaves had helped establish a new food bank project for people in South Yorkshire.

Mrs Greaves said: "Obviously the house is full of memories. One of the saddest memories is that the piano has fallen silent.

"It is not something I'm going to get rid of, I will keep it and Alan's two daughters can play the piano and one day one of them might inherit it."

Close friend Rev Canon Simon Bessant told Sky News: "He was involved in the local school, he played the piano, he was a school governor, he did lots of visiting, he did counselling, a lay preacher and he's been involved in so many things.

"He never drew attention to himself, he was a fairly quiet person and I think it is people like that that often make the difference because they quietly get on and do things."

The couple got married in Sheffield in 1972 and had four children together.

Since the murder, the family has been touched by the huge support from people affected by his death.

Mrs Greaves said: "It has been very overwhelming and humbling.

"Whenever I have walked on the streets people have come to me to give me a hug to say how sorry they are and especially to ask if they can do anything for me.

"Some people that have done that I know well - others have been complete strangers."

Two men have been charged with Mr Greaves murder. Jonathon Bowling, 22, and 21-year-old Ashley Foster are in custody awaiting trial.

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Two Children Among Dead In Denver Shooting

Denver police have said at least two children are among three people shot and killed at a house in the northeast part of the city.

Police Lieutenant Matt Murray says one other child was taken to hospital, according to KUSA-TA.

Denver Police Chief Robert White said three people were killed. It is still unclear if the third person is the wounded child or if someone else was shot.

KMGH-TV reported that its news chopper filmed one child being carried out on a stretcher from the home at East 49th Avenue and Pearl Street.

Police did not release other details.

More follows...

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Mid Staffs Hospital Report: Bosses Slammed

Victims' Families Speak Of Failures

Updated: 7:20am UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The families of three patients that died at Stafford Hospital have spoken of the neglect and failings there.

It was March 2010 when 61-year-old Alan Nash walked into Stafford Hospital for a routine colonoscopy.

Inquiries were already underway into a scandal, which suggested that between 2005 and 2008 up to 1,200 patients may have died needlessly.

As a result the Nash family believed the standards of care would be high. But Mr Nash's bowel was perforated and he died the same day.

His daughter Marie Hillman said: "We felt that all eyes would be on Stafford Hospital so there would not be any mistakes. Obviously it is one of the biggest regrets I have that we talked him into going."

His wife Jenny Nash: "I don't exactly know where the room is where they do the colonoscopy. But I was just sitting in the waiting room and it is not a big area anyway.

"I did hear. It was just like somebody had been punched in the stomach where you get that gasp, if you like and it was quite loud. I think that is when they actually perforated it."

Ms Hillman said: "He had gone into hospital for a routine diagnosis. It was just like a nightmare. A nurse said to me, you will probably find that this happened at home. This happened before he came in.

"And I thought there is no way. Dad walked into the hospital, there is no way this happened at home."

The family thought that they were trying to blame Mr Nash and "pass the buck".

His wife said: "I wasn't with him at the time, I was outside. I didn't know he was going to die."

Ms Hillman maintains that there has been no apology at all.

She said: "We would like more answers. We would like reassurance that steps have been put in place that would prevent this from happening to somebody else. But we haven't had that as of today."

In the case, the hospital did not accept that it had breached its duty of care.

Doreen Duff had already suffered a stroke before she moved to Stafford and came under the care of the local hospital.

She developed asthma and other complications and used the Accident and Emergency on a number of occasions before she was admitted. Doreen was 64 when she died in 2008.

Her husband James Duff said: "The A&E department was just chaotic. You couldn't get a doctor. If you did see one they would go off once they had seen you and they wouldn't come back until they had time again. Short staffed, rude, very, very dirty.

"At one time she was discharged from A&E and was back in A&E within an hour. She suffered more strokes and was eventually paralysed from the neck down and couldn't speak.

"When Doreen went in she was quite a bubbly person and had quite a good quality of life. She had lost the use of her left side but she had still got all the right side and she was as bright as a button.

"When she came out she was paralysed from the neck down, couldn't speak and everything had just gone. That was just because of the care she received in Stafford Hospital, a lack of care. Not giving her medication, not given the proper fluids and left in a bed that is wet, in your own faeces.

"After what we have all been through, the relatives of these, the care still isn't as it should be. They are still getting complaints coming through."

Deb Hazeldine suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of her 67-year-old mother Ellen's death from the hospital superbug C-difficile at Stafford Hospital.

"I will never get over it," said Ms Hazeldine who admits that she still struggles to cope more than six years after her loss.

She said: "My mum was diagnosed with bone cancer in March of 2006. She had some aggressive chemotherapy and unfortunately she suffered a fall at home.

"She didn't sustain any injuries at that point and she was taken into Mid-Staffs where she was told she would need physio and rehabilitation just to get her back on her feet."

Her mother was put onto an open ward despite a family request for her to have a side room or an isolation wing.

"She very quickly contracted C-diff and MRSA. She died from C-diff. She was sitting in a bed in a ward and I was sitting opposite her. We were chatting and faeces fell and covered half of the floor. Obviously it was at visiting time and other people were looking across. My mum just started to quietly cry.

"She was mortified that she was in this state. I looked for a nurse and pressed the buzzer and after about five minutes nobody came.

"I got down on my hands and knees and I started to clean it. I couldn't let my mum sit there like that. 

"When she died we had a call from the undertakers that stated that mum had so many hospital infections that the hospital said she had to be buried in a sealed body bag because she would contaminate the ground she went into.

"Even now we are hearing of complaints that there is lack of support on the wards, these families are still raising the same concerns as I was raising six years ago, of having to go in and support their loved ones.

"I don't understand that six years on, I really don't understand that."

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RBS Hit With £390m Fine For Fixing Libor

Revealed: The Secret Libor Messages

Updated: 3:48pm UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

Sexual references, free meals and coded discussions were all part of the communications between RBS staff and others as they abused Libor rate-setting - even after they knew investigators were on the trail.

:: August 20, 2007

Yen Trader 4: where's young [Yen Trader 1] thinking of setting it?

Yen Trader 1: where would you like it[,] libor that is[,] same as yesterday is call

Yen Trader 4: haha, glad you clarified ! mixed feelings but mostly I'd like it all lower so the world starts to make a little more sense.

Senior Yen Trader: the whole HF [hedge fund] world will be kissing you instead of calling me if libor move lower

:: December 5, 2007

Yen Trader 2: FYI libors higher again today

Yen Trader 4: 'ucksake. keep ours low if poss. don't understand why needs to go up in yen

Yen Trader 2: no reason dude[,] [Bank C] and [Bank D] went high yest

Yen Trader 4: send the boys round

Yen Manager: pure manipulation going on

:: April 2, 2008

Senior Yen Trader: i am sure some HF [hedge fund] will complain tomorrow

Yen Trader 1: tough

Senior Yen Trader: we will say we lower every tenor ..1m 3m 6m ..we feel rbs name has very good credit ..no problem getting money in

Senior Yen Trader: good way to boost share price!

:: September 15, 2008

Yen Trader 1: can we lower our fixings today please [Primary Submitter]

Primary Submitter: make your mind up[,] haha , yes no probs

Yen Trader 1: im like a whores drawers

:: August 22, 2007

Yen Manager: Hi Mate, where are u calling the 6m and 3s Libor today?

Yen Trader 1: i put in 1.05 and 1.15

Yen Manager: ok cool...is that close to consensus?

Yen Trader 1: i think my 3s are too high[,] 6s will prob be 1.13 too[,] but i wanted high fixes today

Yen Manager: ok cool[,] its all a random variable for us at this stage it is just we have some small fixings

Yen Trader 1: well let me know if you have any preferencves [sic][,] each day

Yen Manager: thx will do

:: December 3, 2007

Yen Manager: for choice we want lower libors...let the [Money Market] guys know pls

Yen Trader 2: sure i am setting today as [Yen Trader 1] and cash guy off [Primary Submitter]

Yen Manager: great set it nice and low

Yen Trader 2: 1.02 in 6m or lower

Yen Manager: yeh lower

Yen Trader 2: 1.01 then cant really go much lower than that

Yen Manager: ok

Yen Trader 2: u care for 1m and 3m too[?] looks to me like fra map pretty flat

Yen Manager: lower generally dude

Yen Trader 2: cool

Yen Manager: within the acceptable bounds

:: February 15, 2007, showing Libor collusion between RBS and UBS

Yen Trader 2: how many people can u get to put this 1m libor low

UBS Yen Trader: well us[,] [Bank E,] and a few others i think

February 21, 2007

Yen Trader 2: what ur guys calling 3s libor[?] we need to get some low fixes

UBS Yen Trader: .64[,] yes will ask for low low high[,] 1m 3m 6m

Yen Trader 2: our guy agrees but reckons it will be 67[,] not good

UBS Yen Trader: no way! …

UBS Yen Trader: […] make sure your boys set low 1m and 3m

Yen Trader 2: will try though [Yen Trader 1/backup Yen LIBOR submitter] wants high 3s and 6s

UBS Yen Trader: we want high 6's too? don't let [Yen Trader 1] keep 3m high to help [Senior Yen Trader][,] i hate that guy

:: May 7, 2008

UBS Yen Trader: Hi [Sterling Cash Trader] if this is you can you pls ask for a low 6m in jpy for the next few days[.] Hope you are ok, was good seeing you last week[.] Cheers [UBS Yen Trader]

Sterling Cash Trader: Hi mate, I mentioned it to our guy on Friday and he seemed to have no problem with it, so fingers crossed.

:: December 4, 2008, showing Swiss Franc Libor manipulative conduct within RBS

Swiss Franc Trader: can u put 6m swiss libor in low pls?

Primary Submitter: NO

Swiss Franc Trader: should have pushed the door harder

Primary Submitter: Whats it worth

Swiss Franc Trader: ive got some sushi rolls from yesterday? …

Primary Submitter: ok low 6m , just for u

Swiss Franc Trader: wooooooohooooooo[,] 0.01%? thatd be awesome

Primary Submitter: 1.33

Swiss Franc Trader: perfect[.] u r a nice man

:: January 30, 2009

Primary Submitter: libors as requested

Swiss Franc Trader: you a top dog

:: May 5, 2009

Swiss Franc Trader: can we get high 3m, low 6m pls!

Primary Submitter: maybe

Swiss Franc Trader: PPPPLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEEE

Primary Submitter: ok 41 52

Swiss Franc Trader: perfect perfect

:: May 14, 2009

Swiss Franc Trader: [Primary Submitter] pls can we get super high 3m[,] super low 6m

Swiss Franc Trader: PRETTY PLEASE!

Primary Submitter: 41 & 51

Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that[,] i would lvoe [sic] u forever

Primary Submitter: 41 & 55 then …

Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice

:: June 26, 2009, :: RBS collusion with interdealer brokers

Interdealer Broker B: Hello mate, [Yen Trader 1]? You all set?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Right listen we've had a couple of words with them, you want them lower right?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Alright okay, alright listen, we've had a couple words with them. You want them lower, right?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Alright okay, alright, no we're okay just confirming it. We've, so far we've spoke to [Bank F]. We've spoke to a couple of people so we'll see where they come in alright. We've spoke, basically one second, basically we spoke to [Bank F], [Bank G], [Bank H], who else did I speak to? [Bank I]. There's a couple of other people that the boys have spoke to but as a team we've basically said we want a bit lower so we'll see where they come in alright?

Yen Trader 1: Cheers.

Interdealer Broker B: Cheers no worries mate.

March 3, 2010, Former Sterling Cash Trader now employed by Interdealer Broker A

Former Sterling Cash Trader: can i pick ur brain?

Primary Submitter: yeah …

Former Sterling Cash Trader: oh[,] we hve a mutual friend who'd love to see it go down, no chance at all?

Primary Submitter: haha [former UBS Yen Trader at Bank C] by chance

Former Sterling Cash Trader: shhh

Primary Submitter: hehehe …

Former Sterling Cash Trader: gotcha, thanks, and, if u cud see ur way to a small drop there might be a steak in it for ya, haha

Primary Submitter: noted ;-)

Former Sterling Cash Trader: 8-)

:: September 19, 2008 RBS Yen Trader engaged in 'wash trades' to compensate brokers

Interdealer Broker B: can you do me a favour … you're not going to get paid any bro for this and we'll send you lunch around for the whole desk. Can you flat…can you switch two years semi at 5 3/4 , 100 yards [meaning 100 billion yen] … between UBS. Just get … take it from UBS, give it back to UBS. He wants to pay some bro. We won't bro you …

Yen Trader 1: Yeah, yeah …

Interdealer Broker B: Yeah. Yeah. 100 yards … actually can you make it 150 and I'll send lunch around for everybody?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

:: November 22, 2010, conduct continues after US investigatrions start

Senior Yen Trader: hey ...you think we be able to convince [Primary Submitter] to change the libor today?

Yen Trader 1: i can try ... at the moment the FED are all over us about libors

Senior Yen Trader: thats for the USD? [$]

Yen Trader 1: ye[]s

Senior Yen Trader: dun think anyone cares the JPY libor

Yen Trader 1: not yet[,] i will walk over ot [sic] them

:: November 24, 2010, reflecting feigned refusal over Bloomberg Chat, immediately followed by agreement in recorded telephone conversation

Senior Yen Trader: was wondering if it suits you guys on hiking up 1bp [base point] on the 6mth Libor in JPY ... it will help our position tremendously

Primary Submitter: how you doing with all the volatilities these days? … to be honest happy with levels we see at the moment

Senior Yen Trader: ok no prob ... wouldn't want to cause any problem ... thanks mate

A telephone conversation commences: Senior Yen Trader: Hello?

Primary Submitter: Morning, [Senior Yen Trader]? Hi, [Primary Submitter].

Senior Yen Trader: Yeah, how are you?

Primary Submitter: I'm pretty good sir. Very Good. We're just not, we're not allowed to have those conversations on [instant messages].

Senior Yen Trader: Oh, sorry about that. I didn't know.

Primary Submitter: (laughter)

Senior Yen Trader: (laughter) Oh because of the, the BBA [British Bankers' Association] thing?

Primary Submitter: Yes, exactly.

Senior Yen Trader: Ah, ok ok.

Primary Submitter: So yeah, leave it with me, and uh, it won't be a problem.

Senior Yen Trader: Ok, great.

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Huhne's Ex-Wife Declared 'I Want To Nail Him'

Chris Huhne's wife revealed to the press that she had taken his speeding points in revenge for his affair with another woman, a court has heard.

Vicky Pryce was warned by a journalist that the revelation would inflict "maximum and perhaps fatal damage" on the senior Liberal Democrat.

But the economist and mother of three replied: "I have no doubt as I definitely want to nail him. More than ever actually and I would like to do it soon."

The declaration was contained in an email between Pryce, a former government adviser, and Isabel Oakeshott, a reporter for The Sunday Times.

Their exchanges before the story broke were revealed on the first day of Pryce's trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.

The case went ahead 24 hours after Huhne pleaded guilty to lying to police about the speeding offence, which was committed in 2003.

After repeated denials, the former energy secretary finally admitted his then wife had taken the points for him so he could avoid prosecution.

Huhne has now officially resigned as an MP after switching his plea to guilty and being warned he faces a likely prison sentence.

Pryce denies perverting the course of justice, claiming she was coerced into taking the points, and is now being tried alone.

Chris Huhne and girlfriend Carina Trimingham leaving court on Monday

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC said the points swap came to light only in 2011 because the defendant had wanted to ruin her former husband's career.

The jury heard she was furious after Huhne abruptly ended their 26-year marriage and left her for PR consultant Carina Trimingham.

Pryce was told the bombshell news of the MP's affair - and that he had been rumbled by the press - as she watched a World Cup football match.

A year later, in March 2011, she tipped off the Sunday Times about their points swap and started considering the best way to destroy her ex via the press.

"Her revenge in the end was to pass the story of the 2003 points to the newspaper so they would publish it and destroy his political career," Mr Edis said. "It was Pryce's plan that she would get her revenge by putting an end to all that.

"She would publish what she and he had done together without complaint in 2003 so she would get her revenge for the undoubtedly very bad way he had treated her."

Ms Oakeshott recommended that the paper ran several pieces, including a front page story and news features.

"This is what I strongly recommend you do, given your dual objectives of bringing Chris down ... without seriously damaging your own reputation in the process," she said.

She later warned about the risk of criminal proceedings, after which Pryce wrote: "I would need some reassurance that it would bring Chris down."

Ms Oakeshott replied: "The bottom line is that this story will bring Chris down if you are prepared to go on the record, with the minor risk this carries.

"I think you can make yourself out to be very much the honourable one, saying it has very much been on your conscience ever since, saying you knew it was wrong but you were bullied into it."

Attempts by Pryce and the newspaper to elicit a confession from Huhne by recording phone calls were played to the court.

The jury heard the politician urging his ex-wife to "stop telling ridiculous stories" and "maliciously briefing the press" in a bid to blacken his name.

Pryce, at times angry and swearing as the MP continues to deny the crime, insisted she was not behind the newspaper speculation.

"Why would I tell anyone about me taking your points? It's not in my interests. Are you a moron?", she said.

Huhne repeatedly warned her not to talk to journalists and said the story would not come out if they do not "stand it up".

During the calls, Pryce also made several digs at Huhne's new partner Ms Trimingham, calling her "your f****** man".

In the four conversations, she told Huhne she did not want to "perjure" herself by denying the story, saying: "It's one of the things that always worried me when you made me take them in the first place."

Mr Edis said: "You might come to the conclusion that these telephone calls are two manipulative people trying unsuccessfully to manipulate each other."

The QC explained that the marital coercion defence could only apply if Pryce was made to feel that she had no choice but to take the points.

He said the jury would have to decide whether she was "weak-minded" and forced to help her husband, or a "strong-minded and manipulative" woman acting of her own free will.

"From the emails, she is certainly quite a subtle, clever person," he said.

He also pointed out that, in 2003, Pryce was a very senior civil servant and an economist with a good career in her own right who was free to support herself if her marriage ended.

The case has now been adjourned and will resume on Thursday.

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One Million Dollar Bionic Man Makes Its Debut

A million-dollar bionic man - complete with artificial organs, synthetic blood and robot limbs - is set to go on display at the Science Museum in central London.

Costing almost £640,000 ($1m), it is cheaper than the Six Million Dollar Man from the cult 1970s TV series, but the 6ft 6in (2m) humanoid nonetheless has a lot in common with the screen version.

The artificial man was assembled by a team of leading robotics experts for a new Channel 4 documentary, How To Build A Bionic Man.

It incorporates some of the latest advances in mechanical limbs, as well as an artificial pancreas, kidney, spleen and trachea, and a functional blood circulatory system.

The bionic man with robotics expert Rich Walker (L)

The man's head features a pair of retinal implants behind his brown irises, to allow him to sense objects in front of him, cochlear implants to allow him to hear and is covered with artificial skin.

He even has artificial intelligence and a speech synthesis system allowing him to understand simple statements and respond to questions.

The finished "man" can walk and talk, and apparently says his name is Rex and informs people that he likes Ralph Lauren and rap music.

Lee Majors played The Six Million Dollar Man in the US TV show

All of his components could theoretically be welded to a human body to replace missing or worn out parts.

The aim was to show how close medicine has got to what seemed like pure science fiction only a couple of decades ago.

Although the bionic man was built for Channel 4, it is going on display at the Science Museum to allow people to see close up how quickly the science of bionics is progressing.

Clare Matterson, of the Wellcome Trust, which is supporting the exhibition, said: "Throughout history people have always sought to enhance themselves to overcome disabilities or to become 'bigger, better, stronger and faster'.

"Science is making aspirations and even fantasy ever more possible. We only have to look back at last summer's Paralympics to see how transforming technology has become."

The 1970s show The Six Million Dollar Man featured a former astronaut whose body was largely rebuilt with artificial parts after he suffered a near-death accident.

Lee Majors played Colonel Steve Austin, whose bionic left eye allowed him to see miles into the distance. His bionic left arm allowed him to lift bulldozers and his bionic legs allowed him to run at 90mph. The show's catchphrase was: "We can rebuild him."

The Science Museum exhibit opens on Thursday and aims to explore how perceptions of human identity change as progress is made in bionics.

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Tia Sharp: Neighbour Charged Over Murder Hunt

A neighbour of the grandmother of murdered schoolgirl Tia Sharp has been charged with wasting police time.

Paul Meehan, 40, from Croydon, south London, will appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on February 28.

Tia's body was found in the loft of her grandmother Christine Sharp's house in New Addington in August last year, more than a week after she went missing.

Christine Sharp's boyfriend, Stuart Hazell, is charged with murdering Tia between August 2 and 11.

Stuart Hazell is charged with the schoolgirl's murder

A plea hearing has been listed for March 8 at the Old Bailey, and a trial date has been set for May 7.

Christine Sharp was arrested on suspicion of murder but in December she was told she would face no further action in relation to the case.

The disappearance of the schoolgirl sparked a huge search around the Croydon area with family members leading the campaign.

Police officers had previously visited Christine Sharp's home, but it was only days into the search that Tia's body was discovered hidden in the loft.

Christine Sharp faces no further action over Tia's murder

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Kate Back To Duties As Pregnancy Progresses

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge is to meet women recovering from substance abuse at a project in London, St James' Palace has announced.

The Duchess' aides said: "The Action on Addiction programme at Hope House offers a safe, secure and comfortable place for women to recover from substance dependence and receive additional support for other compulsive disorders."

"Her Royal Highness will meet clients and staff at the 23-bed residential treatment centre."

When she visits the project on February 19, Kate will be approaching the half-way mark of her pregnancy.

At 19 weeks it would be possible for William and Kate to discover the sex of their baby.

Approaching 20 weeks, an unborn child's ears and eyes, which will be closed, are in their final position and the mother may feel movement in her stomach.

Kate's last public engagement was to the National Portrait Gallery in January where, alongside Prince William, she unveiled her first official portrait.

Kate selected Action on Addiction as one of her first patronages, alongside East Anglia's Children's Hospices, The Art Room and the National Portrait Gallery.

She also chose to become a volunteer in the Scout Association.

On Valentine's Day last year Kate travelled to an Action on Addiction project to meet recovering alcoholics at a dry bar in Liverpool.

It was one of the Duchess' first solo engagements, conducted while Prince William was working in the Falkland Islands as a search and rescue pilot.

Weeks earlier the Duchess had privately visited the headquarters on Action on Addiction to gain an in depth understanding of the charity's work.

The 12-24 week programme at Hope House is for women aged 18 or over who have undergone detoxification and first stage treatment.

During the programme, clients participate in daily groups and workshops where they share experiences, as well as one-to-one counselling in private therapy rooms.

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Weather: Heavy Snow As 80mph Winds Blow In

After a brief respite from winter weather, freezing temperatures and gale force winds will be felt in many parts of the UK in the coming days.

Scotland will experience gusts of 70mph to 80mph and up to four inches (10cm) of snow will spread from the north to many parts.

Areas of higher ground in the south will also see accumulations.

Sky News weather producer Christopher England said: "There will be drifting in the stiff wind and blizzard conditions are likely at times. The blustery winds will be a hazard to high-sided vehicles too, with north-south routes most at risk.

"Snow showers will extend to most parts overnight, although they will tend to die back towards western coasts later, and with a widespread frost developing, there will be a risk of ice."

Men take photos on the Scottish border in Northumberland

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" snow warning from 4pm to midnight. It said the wintry showers will turn to snow inland and there is a 70% probability of low temperatures and icy conditions.

Temperatures will drop to -2C overnight but the wind chill factor will make it feel much colder.

Further snow showers are expected on Tuesday as temperatures will continue to fall through the week, mainly in the north, bringing a risk of ice to untreated surfaces.

Snow storms brought parts of the country to a standstill at the end of last month.

On January 25 hundreds of drivers were forced to spend the night in their cars on the M6 in Lancashire after more than a foot of snow fell.

The snow was followed by widespread floods caused by the thaw and heavy rain.

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Richard III: Council Car Park Skeleton Is King

Remains found beneath a council car park in Leicester have solved the 500-year-old mystery about the final resting place of King Richard III, archaeologists say.

Researchers said they had concluded "beyond reasonable doubt" that the skeleton, which showed evidence of an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, was the monarch.

There were cheers at the University of Leicester as the announcement was made.

Bone specialist Jo Appleby said a study of the remains provided "a highly convincing case for identification of Richard III".

The remains were found on the first day of a three-week dig

"The analysis of the skeleton proved that it was an adult male but was an unusually slender, almost feminine, build for a man. This is in keeping with historical sources which describe Richard as being of very slender build," she said.

DNA samples from Michael Ibsen - a Canadian-born furniture maker who is a direct descendant of Richard's sister, Anne of York - provided further certainty.

Dr Turi King, the project geneticist, said: "There is a DNA match between the maternal DNA from the descendents of the family of Richard III and the skeletal remains we found at the Greyfriars dig.

Richard III was the last Plantagenet monarch

"In short, the DNA evidence points to these being the remains of Richard III."

The skeleton, with severe trauma to the skull and an arrow in the back, was unearthed on the first day of a three-week dig at the site of what is believed to have been the choir of Greyfriars Church.

Historical records show the long-lost church was the burial site of the monarch, following his brutal death at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

Michael Ibsen provided DNA for comparison

The remains were found in good condition - with feet missing - at a depth of 68cm. The hand were crossed over the front of the pelvis and there was no evidence of a coffin or shroud found.

The king's remains will now be reinterred at Leicester Cathedral, the nearest consecrated ground, in keeping with archaeological practice.

Shakespeare portrayed Richard III as a hunchbacked tyrant but modern historians argue that the king was the victim of Tudor propaganda.

The car park where the skeleton was found

His brief reign from 1483 saw liberal reforms, including the introduction of the right to bail and the lifting of restrictions on books and printing presses.

Richard III was the last Plantagenet monarch, a Yorkist defeated by Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII.

"It will be a whole new era for Richard III," the Richard III Society's Lynda Pidgeon said. "It's certainly going to spark a lot more interest.

"Hopefully people will have a more open mind toward Richard."

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Malala: Schoolgirl Shot By Taliban Speaks Out

The Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban has spoken out about her recovery for the first time since she was nearly killed.

Malala Yousufzai, 15, underwent successful surgery to reconstruct her skull and restore her hearing at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham at the weekend.

She escaped death by a matter of inches when she was shot on a school bus in northwestern Pakistan on October 9 last year - as the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her jaw, "grazing" her brain.

The Islamist gunmen said they targeted her because she promoted girls' education and "Western thinking".

In a message recorded by the hospital on Sunday, Malala said she was "feeling alright" and "happy that both the operations were successful".

She said: "I can also walk a little bit, I can talk and I'm feeling better."

"It does not feel like I had a very big operation," she added, despite undergoing five hours of surgery.

Malala on her path to recovery

Her doctors have expressed their delight at her recovery. They hope that the latest procedures - to put a titanium plate on her damaged skull and to fit a cochlear implant - will be the last surgery she needs.

Neurosurgeon Anwen White said that her "brain is healing very well" and she did not expect any long lasting cognitive problems.

She said the teenager would continue with rehabilitation and then "hopefully be discharged home fairly soon".

University Hospitals Birmingham medical director Dave Rosser said Malala was "doing very well".

He added that just a day after the operations Malala was "already talking about resuming her work and furthering her cause for women's education".

"Most of us would be feeling sorry for ourselves 24 hours after an operation like that, not talking about helping other people."

In another video interview, filmed before her surgery on January 22 but only just published, Malala is heard saying that she was "getting better, day by day".

Surgeons operating on Malala

Speaking clearly but with a slight stiffness in her upper lip, she said: "Today you can see that I am alive. I can speak, I can see you, I can see everyone.

"It's just because of the prayers of people. Because all people - men, women, children - all of them have prayed for me. And because of all these prayers God has given me this new life, a second life.

"And I want to serve. I want to serve the people. I want every girl, every child, to be educated. For that reason, we have organised the Malala Fund."

Malala was airlifted to Britain from Pakistan in October to receive specialist medical care and protection against further Taliban threats.

She is expected to remain in the UK for some time as her father, Ziauddin, has received a diplomatic post based in Birmingham.

The Malala Fund is a girls' education charity set up in late 2012. It launched with a $10m (£6.4m) donation from Pakistan.

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Drunk Son Who Ran Over Mother Is Sentenced

A drunken teenager who ran over and killed his mother in a fit of temper has been sent to a young offenders' institution.

Lewis Foster, 19, was drunk and emotional when he got behind the wheel of his Vauxhall Corsa on July 12 last year.

The landscape gardener had spent the afternoon drinking with his boss in Cornwall but later got into an argument with his mother, Deborah Jones, when he returned to his family home in St Austell.

He began revving the vehicle, causing his mother to come to the lane at the back of the house where the Corsa had been parked and beg him to stop.

Foster, who had a provisional licence, said his foot slipped on the clutch, causing the vehicle to spring backwards and pin his mother underneath the wheels.

She was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead the following morning with a number of severe injuries.

Judge David Ticehurst said the case was "tragic", and described Foster's behaviour as "reckless", adding: "Had you spent a moment or two thinking about the situation, had you not been drunk, had you not been in temper, you would not have been here."

The judge, sitting at Truro Crown Court, said he would "temper justice with mercy," sentencing Foster to 12 months' detention after the teenager pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

He was also banned from driving for four years.

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Gay Marriage: Tories Call For Delay To Vote

Around 180 Conservative MPs are reportedly poised to oppose or abstain in a vote on gay marriage to be held on Tuesday.

MPs will vote on the proposals, which will also allow civil partners to convert their partnership to a marriage and enable married people to change their legal gender without having to end their union, for the first time when the Bill has its second reading on Tuesday.

Backbenchers have made no secret of their opposition to the move and were left even more angered when the Tory leadership made clear it would not include marriage tax breaks in next month's Budget - something that would have been seen as a concession to disgruntled traditionalists.

Twenty five chairmen or former chairmen of Conservative Party associations have written a letter to the Prime Minister, warning him that the policy will cause "significant damage" at the ballot box.

Michael Gove supports the legislation

The letter calls for a decision to be postponed until after the 2015 general election.

It closes by saying: "Resignations from the Party are beginning to multiply and we fear that, if enacted, this Bill will lead to significant damage to the Conservative Party in the run up to the 2015 election."

David Cameron views the introduction of same-sex marriage as the "Conservative Party delivering the promise it made".

But Geoffrey Vero from Conservative Grassroots told Sky News: "It's very dangerous to scratch the core beliefs of many people and this is a matter which should be taken much more slowly and debated across the country."

Minister for culture Ed Vaizey said he did not think the issue would tear the Tory party apart and told Sky News he thought it was a "civilised debate".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a big supporter of reforms, said: "Every year thousands of people choose to marry in a church rather than a registry office because they believe marriage is sacred. Religious freedom is not just for heterosexuals - we should not deny anyone the right to make a lifelong commitment to another person in front of God if that is what they believe and that is what their church allows."

Education Secretary Michael Gove has also thrown his support behind the proposed legalisation of same-sex marriage and promised teachers would not be disciplined for refusing to promote it.

Concerns have been raised ahead of the Commons vote that thousands of teachers could face the sack because they object to the new law.

But Mr Gove made clear that while teachers would have to explain that it is legal, they would not be required to actively promote it.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Gove explained his stance, saying it was wrong to say to gay men and women that their love is less legitimate.

He said: "It's wrong to say that because of how you love and who you love, you are not entitled to the same rights as others. It's wrong because inequality is wrong."

He continued: "Marriage is not undermined by extending it to gay people - it is reinforced by including everyone equally."

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Welsh Secretary David Jones are expected to vote against, while Defence Secretary Philip Hammond will vote against or abstain and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is poised to abstain, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow are gay Christians who would like to marry in their local church where their five children were baptised. Tony said: "It's just about fairness, it's just about being the same as everybody else. We're not asking for more than anyone else, just the same."

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Assad: Syria Can Confront Israeli Aggression

President Bashar al Assad has accused Israel of trying to destabilise Syria after an air strike on a military research base near Damascus last week.

The comments by Mr Assad are the first since the attack on Wednesday that US officials say was targeting a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons inside Syria bound for Hizbollah.

State TV said Mr Assad spoke during a meeting with visiting top Iranian official Saeed Jalili.

Saeed Jalili and Bashar al Assad

The president said Syria is capable of facing current challenges and can "confront any aggression" that would target the Syrian people.

Purported images of the targeted site show destroyed cars, trucks and military vehicles. A building has broken windows and damaged interiors, but no major structural damage.

State news agency SANA quoted Mr Jalili as reaffirming Tehran's "full support for the Syrian people ... facing the Zionist aggression, and its continued coordination to confront the conspiracies and foreign projects".

Following the attack, Syria's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, said Damascus "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation," but that it was up to the relevant authorities to choose the time and place.

Israel's defence minister has indicated that his country was behind the air strike, in the first public comments from his government on the attack.

Ehud Barak brought the issue up at a gathering of the world's top diplomats and defence officials in Germany, initially saying: "I cannot add anything to what you have read in the newspapers about what happened in Syria several days ago."

But he added: "I keep telling frankly that we said - and that's proof when we said something we mean it - we say that we don't think it should be allowed to bring advanced weapons systems into Lebanon."

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Malala: Shot Teen's Surgery 'Successful'

A schoolgirl who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan has had successful surgery, doctors have said.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham confirmed that Malala Yousufzai, 15, underwent cranial reconstruction and cochlear implantation procedures on Saturday.

A hospital spokeswoman said Malala's medical team were "very pleased" with her progress following the operations, which lasted for some five hours.

Commenting on the surgery, the spokeswoman said: "Both operations were a success and Malala is now recovering in hospital.

Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman

"Her condition is described as stable and her medical team are very pleased with the progress she has made so far. She is awake and talking to staff and members of her family."

Malala has been receiving treatment at the hospital since she was flown to Britain in October after being shot in north-west Pakistan for promoting women's rights.

Doctors at the hospital said on Wednesday that Malala was set to undergo surgery for what they hoped would be the last time.

The teenager required the fitting of a custom-made titanium plate to repair damage to her skull, as well as a cochlear implant to help her recover hearing in her left ear.

Malala has been in hospital since October

Speaking earlier this week, Dr Dave Rosser, medical director at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said both procedures were routinely carried out at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Dr Rosser described Malala as a "remarkable young woman" who had made great progress in her recovery.

He also said she was fully aware of the threats the Taliban had made against her life.

Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, Dr Rosser said: "She's not naive at all about what happened to her and the situation in terms of her high-profile.

"She's incredibly determined to continue to speak for her cause."

Dr Rosser said it could take "between 15 and 18 months" for any hearing to recover in her left ear but added that in time she would have almost normal levels of hearing, thanks to the surgery.

Dr Rosser also credited the surgeons who operated on Malala in Pakistan soon after she was shot with saving her life.

Malala escaped death by a matter of inches when she was shot on October 9 last year - as the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her jaw -"grazing" her brain.

In a statement, the hospital said Malala would continue her recuperation as an inpatient until she was well enough to be discharged.

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Blackpool Stab Death Teen's Family Pay Tribute

The parents of a teenager found stabbed and burned in Blackpool have spoken of their sorrow at the loss of their "beautiful" daughter.

A post-mortem examination found 16-year-old Sasha Marsden's body was set on fire after she had died from stab wounds to the head and face.

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