Pistorius girlfriend shot dead
A WOMAN has been found shot dead at the home of South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, it was reported today.
Police in the country have told local media that the woman was his girlfriend and she was shot in the head and arm at his home in Pretoria, Sky News said.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear. Reports say that he may have mistaken her for a burglar. Pistorius, 26, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics.
Horsemeat scandal health fears
MINISTERS are facing calls from MPs for more testing of processed meat amid fears that beef products contaminated with horse meat could contain substances harmful to humans.
In a scathing report, the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee condemned the Government’s “flat-footed” handling of the horse meat scandal, saying its ability to respond had been weakened by cuts to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The committee said the public appeared to have been “cynically and systematically duped” for financial gain by elements of the food industry – raising wider concerns about the safety of the contaminated products.
Miliband accuses PM over economy
BRITAIN’S economy will not recover as long as the living standards of ordinary working families continue to be “squeezed”, Labour leader Ed Miliband will say today.
In a keynote speech ahead of next month’s Budget, Mr Miliband will accuse David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne of failing to understand how wealth is created.
He will issue a renewed call for a temporary VAT cut to kick-start the economy, with the reversal of last year’s Budget cut in the 50p top rate of tax.
Hague unveils human rights plan
BRITAIN is to mount an ambitious programme to build support for human rights in key allies in the struggle against international terrorism, Foreign Secretary William Hague will announce today.
The “justice and human rights partnerships” initiative is intended to enable the UK to share intelligence relating to terrorist activity in countries with suspect human rights records without it leading to the torture or abuse of suspects.
They will include assistance to overseas security services and investigators to enable them to build cases based on evidence rather than confession and to improve their compliance with the law and human rights.
Secure colleges under consideration
SECURE colleges are to be considered in a bid to improve the education received by young offenders as part of a wider shake-up of youth custody revealed today.
Most 15 to 17-year-olds in custody have been excluded from school at some point, while half of those are assessed as having the literacy levels of a seven to 11-year-old.
With a range of contracts for youth custody coming to an end shortly, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has launched a consultation on plans to bolster the education received by young offenders.
