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UK: Elderly and Disabled Could Be 'Forced to Commit Suicide' Under Changes to Rules

Christopher Hope
The Telegraph
Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:00 EST

Increasing numbers of elderly and infirm people will be pressured into killing themselves under changes to assisted suicide rules, it has been claimed.

A group of leading lawyers, peers and former judges including Baroness Butler-Sloss, the former head of the family division of the High Court, are warning that the plans pose "serious dangers for public safety".

In a significant intervention, they are warning the proposed changes go against the will of Parliament and risk reducing the Director of Public Prosecutions from an enforcer of the law, to an arbitrator.

Baroness Butler-Sloss, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, a former Lord Chancellor, and Lord Carlile of Berriew, the Government's terrorism legislation adviser, are among those have come together in an unprecedented coalition to express concern about the impact of the changes proposed by Keir Starmer, the DPP.

Julian Ryall
The Telegraph
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:50 EST

China has admitted secretly salvaging a British submarine sunk in an accident in 1931, but claimed there was no sign of the remains or personal effects of the 18 men who were entombed in HMS Poseidon when it went down off the former naval base of Weihai.

Beijing has only confirmed that it raised and scrapped the Poseidon in 1972 after its fate was reported by The Daily Telegraph shortly after the anniversary of the sinking on June 9.

But China's claim that the hull of the vessel contained no human remains, identity tags, watches, rings or other personal items has provoked anger among relatives of the men who died.

"It was a shock to discover the Chinese authorities' claims and I'm deeply upset and disappointed," said Penny Lewis, whose grandfather, Able Seaman Frederick Tolliday, died in the accident.

"And that is not only for myself, but especially on behalf of my father and grandmother who were both still alive in 1972 when the Poseidon was recovered," she said.

Angela Charlton
The Associated Press
Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:05 EST

The European Union has battled long and hard for this moment: the imminent choice of its first president.

To get there, the EU strong-armed Irish voters, brushed aside hostile French and Dutch ballots, and pressured the Czech president into agreeing to a single leader to give Europe a strong voice on the world stage.

Yet after all that, EU leaders meeting Thursday may end up picking someone from a small country with little international power instead of a charismatic heavyweight to head this continental bloc of 27 nations, half a billion people and huge economic heft.

To pick a boss they can all live with, they must strike the right balance between big countries and small, east and west, socialists and conservatives, perhaps male and female. They must maneuver between proponents of a strong Europe and those who fear it - eurocentrics and euroskeptics, in the local parlance.

It's a diplomatic minefield.

Associated Press
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:14 EST

Beijing - Two people in China who received swine flu vaccinations died in the past week but at least one death appears unrelated to the vaccine and the other was being investigated.

The country's health ministry reported the deaths late Friday on its Web site - the first time China has announced deaths with potential links to the Chinese-made swine flu vaccine.

An autopsy showed one victim suffered a heart attack and, "experts have basically ruled out the possibility that the patient's sudden death was the result of immediate allergic reactions to the flu vaccines," the ministry statement said.

Liz Hazelton
Daily Mail
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:54 EST

Under attack: Elizabeth Hitch found comments by her pupils on Facebook offensive

A headteacher has suspended three pupils after they set up a Facebook group attacking her dress sense.

Elizabeth Hitch was so incensed by comments on the social networking site that she threatened dozens of others at Beaumont School, St Albans, with disciplinary action.

She then fired off letters to parents of students who had participated in the discussions, claiming that the remarks were 'offensive' and some were 'illegal.'

The education authority said that the Facebook site amounted to 'cyberbullying.'

The drama began after a group of pupils set up a group on Facebook last week which attracted more than 200 members.

It was brought to the attention of Mrs Hitch who immediately suspended the pupils she considered to be the ringleaders.

RIA Novosti
Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:51 EST

Russian President Dmitry Medevedev issued an order on Saturday for the country's weapons depots to undergo safety checks, after a fire that killed two people and injured many others.

A naval arms depot in Russian Volga city of Ulyanovsk burst into flames on Friday night.

Medvedev, currently in Singapore for a summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum countries, held a video conference on the fire with Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev and senior emergencies official Ruslan Tsalikov.

Turkey offers to store uranium for Iran

RIA Novosti
Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:49 EST

Turkey has said it would be willing to store enriched uranium for use in Iranian atomic power plants, to ease international concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Friday that no formal request from Iran has been received, but that if asked, Turkey "would not say no".

The issue was discussed on Thursday by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Charles Pasqua
France 24
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:55 EST

Former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, sentenced to one year in prison for his role in the illegal sale of arms to Angola in the 1990s, said then president Jacques Chirac was fully aware of what was going on.

Former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, sentenced in late October to one year in prison for his role in the arms-to-Angola or "Angolagate" scandal, insisted Thursday that France's highest-ranking officials knew about the sale of arms in 1995.

During a press conference in Paris, Pasqua told reporters that then president Jacques Chirac and his top presidential aid, and former prime minister, Dominique de Villepin were fully aware of the arms sales, and had failed in their duties by keeping quiet about this knowledge.

Click here to see the video.

David Charter
The Times
Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:52 EST

Nick Griffin allied himself firmly with Jean-Marie Le Pen, of the French National Front, yesterday to create a pan-European party and claim of about £360,000 a year in taxpayer funding for the far Right.

The European Alliance of National Movements would fight "this monstrous federal Europe" from within, Mr Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, said as he shared a platform with the veteran French far-right figurehead and a Hungarian nationalist party. But he was too quick to assume that extra European money would start flowing into BNP coffers because EU officials said that the group had missed the deadline to apply for funds for next year and still had to pass two key tests.

Michael Holden
Reuters
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:42 EST

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will face questioning next year about Britain's entry into the Iraq war from a committee which has heard the decision was illegal and based on deception, its chairman said on Friday.

The order to send 45,000 British troops to take part in the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein has always been controversial and led to massive anti-war protests in London.

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