Schumacher Medical File Suspect Found Hanged

A man arrested over the suspected theft and leaking of a medical file related to Michael Schumacher has been found hanged in his cell, prosecutors have said.

The man worked for the Rega air ambulance service, which organised the Formula One world champion's transport from a French hospital to Switzerland in June.

He was arrested on Tuesday and questioned by police, before being detained in a Zurich jail, according to a statement from the Zurich prosecutor's office.

The man, who has not been named, had denied any wrongdoing.

Schumacher struck his head on a rock while skiiing in Meribel

Prison officers found the man dead when they came to bring him breakfast. He was due to appear at a scheduled hearing before a judge today.

Prosecutors say initial investigations indicate nobody else was involved in the man's death.

Last month prosecutors tracked the IP address of a computer used in the theft of the medical records to the Zurich-based company Rega.

The company denied any wrongdoing and, along with Schumacher's family, pressed charges against "unknown persons" for violating professional secrecy.

The German driver won seven Formula One world titles during his career

The records were stolen and offered for sale to journalists for €50,000 (£39,600).

Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion, suffered serious brain injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps on December 29.

He was reportedly travelling at speeds of up to 60mph when the accident happened.

He spent more than five months in a hospital in Grenoble, before being brought by ambulance on June 16 to a high-tech clinic in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Schumacher won a record 91 Grand Prix victories during his career. He left motor racing in 2013 after a disappointing three-year comeback.

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Chicken Bug Retailers Could Be Named

A consumer group is urging food standards bosses to name retailers found selling fresh chickens containing a bug blamed for tens of thousands of cases of food poisoning every year.

The bug campylobacter was found in 59% of samples in a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which also found it on the outside of packaging in 4% of samples.

The agency has declined to name supermarkets and other retailers involved until it has more data from its 12-month survey which runs until February 2015.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: "The FSA's survey reveals unacceptably high levels of campylobacter and they must now publish the names of the retailers so consumers are aware of the best and worst performing shops.

"Campylobacter is responsible for thousands of cases of food poisoning and the deaths of 100 people every year so much more must be done to minimise the risk of contamination at every stage of production."

The FSA says chicken is quite safe as long as it is thoroughly cooked

FSA chief executive Catherine Brown said: "There is still a lot more to be done by all elements of the supply chain to ensure that consumers can be confident in the food they buy.

"As soon as we have enough data to robustly compare campylobacter levels in different retailers we will share that data with consumers."

Over the 12 months 4,000 samples of whole chickens bought from UK retail outlets and smaller independent stores and butchers will be tested. The new results are for the first quarter and represent 853 samples.

Ms Brown said the survey "will give us a clearer picture of the prevalence of campylobacter on raw poultry sold at retail and help us measure the impact of interventions introduced by producers, processors, and retailers to reduce contamination".

The survey is aimed at helping stem the prevalence of the campylobacter bug

She added: "The chicken supply chain is looking at how interventions such as improved biosecurity on farms, rapid surface chilling, and anti-microbial washes can help reduce campylobacter.

"So when they take action and invest in interventions designed to make a difference, these survey figures will enable us to see if they really do make an impact."

She said low levels of contamination on packaging may show that leak-proof wrappers used by most retailers is working.

Campylobacter is killed by thorough cooking, but is the most common form of food poisoning in the UK. It affects an estimated 280,000 people a year, and the majority of these cases come from contaminated poultry.

The FSA said that previous studies carried out into the prevalence of the bug had also shown around two thirds of raw poultry carry it.

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Crocodile And Shark Fight To Death In Australia

Tourists looked on in shock as a three-legged, 18ft saltwater crocodile fought a bull shark in a titanic face-off.

One of Australia's most famous crocodiles, Brutus, was spotted wrestling with the creature between its jaws on the banks of the Adelaide River in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

The shark appeared to be no match for the 80-year-old reptile who, despite missing a front leg and most of his teeth, had the the sea creature firmly in his grasp.

Andrew Paice was on an hour-long wildlife cruise with his family and said his seven-year-old daughter was left "awestruck".

"So were the rest of the people (on board) including the guide - he had never seen it before either and he had been there for about 30 years. He was so excited," he said.

"It was on the way back to the jetty, we went past Brutus again, he was up on the bank.

"As we were going past, we noticed that there was a fin. We thought it was a barramundi (fish) or something.

"And the guide took the boat in for a closer look and lo and behold ... it was a shark."

Local newspaper reports on Tuesday suggested Brutus emerged the victor.

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Commuters Push Train Off Trapped Passenger

"People power" has saved a commuter after he became trapped between a train and a station platform.

Dozens of passengers helped tilt the carriage on Wednesday to free the man, who slipped as he was boarding just moments before the train was due to leave Sterling Station for Perth, Western Australia.

Security cameras captured the fall which resulted in the passenger's left leg becoming wedged in a two-inch gap between the carriage and platform.

Station staff's attempts to pull him free failed, and passengers were initially told to move to the opposite side of the carriage in the hope their weight would shift it away from his leg, without success.

The man slipped as he was boarding the Perth-bound train

Eventually, they were asked to get off the vehicle and help push the train to free up enough space for him to be lifted back up to safety.

Claire Krol, a spokeswoman for train operator Transperth, said: "It is the first time we've seen something like this happen.

"We were really fortunate that the staff were there straight away ... and all of the passengers not only listened to the instructions from staff, but pitched in and helped.

"This is a real case of passengers of working together ... and people power are the perfect words to describe it."

The man was treated by paramedics but was able to catch a later train.

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Woman Arrested After Elderly People 'Poisoned'

A woman has been arrested for "administering a noxious substance" after 16 people fell ill at a care home, police have said.

The 23-year-old was held after a number of people at Goldfield Court in West Bromwich were taken ill with what police described as food poisoning symptoms.

Four of the people were taken to hospital for treatment, with two being kept in overnight.

The woman was arrested on Monday and is now at a secure unit after she was released on bail while investigations continue, a force spokeswoman said.

West Midlands Police spokeswoman Keiley Gartland said: "Further tests and enquires are underway to determine the exact nature and cause of the illness.

"An individual has been arrested and is currently assisting the police with their enquires.

"Anyone with information in relation to the investigation should contact Sandwell Police by dialling 101, anyone with any concerns should contact the extra care unit."

Goldfield Court, which is run by Housing & Care 21, is described as  "extra care housing" for older people. There are 93 flats at the site.

In a statement issued on its website, Housing & Care 21 confirmed a care worker had been suspended.

It said: "Housing and Care 21 can confirm that a care worker has been suspended from Goldfield independent living scheme in West Bromwich.

"We are providing information and assistance to the police and Sandwell Social Services and will support them with any further investigation.

"Our thoughts are with both residents and staff at the Goldfield community and we will ensure they are fully supported during this difficult time."

Police said they were working with Goldfield Court's management and with Sandwell social services department.

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The Blond Bombshell's Bombshell

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

It was the blond bombshell's bombshell.

Boris Johnson will be back in parliament in 2015. That much we know.

"Now is the time to stop the speculation and the shilly-shallying, we might as well knock that on the head and be clear," he told me in an interview.

Officially the Prime Minister and other Cabinet ministers are tweeting and texting their delight that a "star player" is back on the national Conservative team.

Boris Johnson could help tackle the UKIP threat

A day after Baroness Warsi's unexpected resignation, the PM was dealt another morning surprise on his holidays.

Mr Johnson is one of the very few frontbencher politicians of any party who can cut through to young voters. In return, the Mayor predicts - publicly - that David Cameron is going to win a majority.

The bigger picture is far more complicated and entwined with Tory polling prospects.

If the Conservatives do well and Mr Cameron is returned to Downing Street, Mr Johnson will remain as London Mayor and an MP for a year, confirming to me he would not initially serve in the Cabinet.

The hope is that Mr Johnson will increase the trickle of UKIP voters back to the Conservatives for next May.

Star player? David Cameron has welcomed Mr Johnson's decision

If Conservative prospects do not improve, however, Mr Johnson's presence on the national stage could create some problems and lead to factionalism among the candidates seeking to replace Mr Cameron after an election loss.

In that case, in theory, he, as Mayor, has debarred himself from standing in a post-election leadership contest. But he has shown some flexibility in such promises before.

The Mayor however does have some problems explaining why he is breaking a "solemn vow", made in 2012, not to combine the mayoralty with any other public office.

His answer: that he only made that promise for the period that the London economy was in difficulty.

He told me today: "[It was] impossible to do the two things whilst London was going through recession.

"I'm not going to say job done but London was going through tough times and now things are much better."

Having saved London, he now thinks he has time to return to the national stage.

And then, underlining his popularity, he rode off on his bike with a crowd of onlookers taking selfies. 

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Thousands Demand Privacy Payout From Facebook

A lawyer who plans to sue Facebook over privacy on behalf of thousands of people says he has been overwhelmed with support.

Clients from more than 100 countries have signed up to join Max Schrems' legal challenge.

Among them are more than 1,000 people from the UK and Ireland.

Mr Schrems is claiming damages of €500 (£397) per supporter in the Austrian courts for alleged data protection violations by the social network, including over the US Prism spy programme.

The class action claims Facebook is in breach of European law on users' data and it violates rights by tracking internet use on external sites.

Mr Scrhems said the maximum number of users he will represent is 25,000, giving him and his team time to verify each account.

He said that at peak times since last Friday a new user was joining the claim every six seconds.

"We have hoped for large support, but the number of participants in such a short time exceeded my most optimistic expectations," he said.

Germany, regarded as one of Europe's more privacy conscious countries, has the highest number of people backing the case with 5,287.

When the numbers hit 25,000, the campaign will continue to register additional users in case the claim is expanded.

The action is being taken against the Irish subsidiary of the New York-listed web giant.

Facebook has several weeks to respond to the claims.

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Boris Johnson: 'I Will Stand As MP In 2015'

Six People Who Will Not Welcome Boris MP

Updated: 3:51pm UK, Wednesday 06 August 2014

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

As Boris Johnson finally announces he will try for a return to Parliament, here are six people who will not welcome his decision:

:: George Osborne – The other man in the race to succeed David Cameron will be glancing up from his economic figures with a sigh and the certain knowledge that whatever he achieves in number 11, his jokes don't rival the Mayor's and he doesn't have the same popular touch that so often helps in a leadership race.

The Chancellor recently suggested he had urged Boris to make a Commons comeback, and Boris immediately accused him of making it up, suggesting the Osborne camp was engaging in a "dirty tricks plot". 

Mr Osborne has had four years pushing through austerity measures while watching Boris abseilling and opening Olympic ceremonies. He'll be bracing himself for the blond bombshell's arrival. 

:: Nigel Farage – Just choked on his pint of bitter. Last year Boris claimed he was invited to speak at UKIP's party conference by Nigel Farage's wife. He said: "My message to the charming Mrs Farage is don't vote UKIP, don't even think about it."

Some of Farage's followers will appreciate the Johnson humour and the conservative values behind it, even if it is aimed at their camp. The UKIP leader, knowing how well light banter worked to win his voters, will worry Boris might outwit him.  

:: Michael Gove - The Former Education Secretary is now Chief Whip and has to contemplate trying to control the man he once described as not being "a team player".

It's reported that the strong George Osborne supporter recently stunned guests at a private dinner saying: "The whole Boris routine will wear thin with the electorate very quickly if he became PM. And he can't make tough decisions."

Mr Gove thought education was tough to reform.

:: Nick Clegg – The Deputy Prime Minister will not welcome the prospect of a coalition Government with Boris in it should the cards fall that way come May 2015.

It is understandable. The mayor did call him the Prime Minister's "lapdog-cum-prophylactic protection device".

He also called him a "wobbling jelly of indecision and vacillation" - and an "idle bum".

Mr Clegg, meanwhile, refers to Boris as "Slacker Johnson".

They share little common ground.

:: David Cameron – The poor Prime Minister has been battered by the revolving door of politics as he tries to quietly point at fish on his family holiday.

Warsi out, Boris in. He will have wholeheartedly welcomed neither.

Cameron and Boris are widely considered the "best of enemies" and the mayor's return to Parliament is a double-edged sword.

No doubt the PM recognises the power of Brand Boris in an election campaign could help him win outright.

But how long before the Tories tire of him and the popular Mr Johnson becomes the more appealing option?

Friends close, enemies closer.

:: David Axelrod – Barack Obama's former adviser and strategist in the Labour election campaign machine might want a rethink.

"The Axe" was working on the basis the Tories would be "hard put to say they are in touch with the experience of everyday people" and had been pushed further right by UKIP.

Despite being anything but (Eton, Bullingdon), Boris manages to pull off "man of the people" in a way that more than matches Nigel Farage's "pint down the pub popularity".

Labour will be painfully aware of Boris's star appeal and the party's message will have to be loud if it is to be heard over the politics of personality.

Strange that another white, male Etonian in the Tory party has helped broaden its appeal.

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Ebola Outbreak: 45 Deaths In Three Days

Ebola Cure 'A Long Way Off': Facts About Virus

Updated: 3:54pm UK, Wednesday 30 July 2014

A cure for the deadly ebola virus, which has killed hundreds of people in West Africa, is "a very long way off", an expert has told Sky News.

David Evans, a professor of virology at Warwick University, said ebola is the latest disease to be transmitted "very efficiently" because of international travel.

More than 670 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria have fallen victim to the viral illness, which has a fatality rate of up to 90%.

Those with ebola will often be overcome by a sudden onset of fever, as well as weakness, muscle pain and headaches.

The body is then gripped by vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes, kidney and liver problems and bleeding.

The time between infection and symptoms appearing is anything from two days to three weeks.

Ebola is spread through the direct contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of those infected.

The liquid that bathes the eye and semen can transmit the disease, Prof Evans said.

Horseshoe bats are believed to be the natural host of the viral disease, he said.

"These bats transmit the virus between themselves, but periodically it then ends up in probably primates or other types of bushmeat which are then hunted by villagers and the virus is then transmitted from the sick animals to humans," he said.

Transmission has also been documented through the handling of chimpanzees, gorillas and porcupines.

One of the reasons for the disease's rapid spread is a tradition at burial ceremonies for mourners to have direct contact with the body of the deceased.

"Therefore barrier methods that prevent that direct contact, including things like washing of hands and things like that provide a reasonable level of protection," he said.

Healthcare workers treating patients are particularly at risk.

Public Health England said in a risk assessment published earlier this month said that the current outbreak could increase the risk for Britons working in humanitarian and healthcare delivery.

But the threat to tourists, visitors and expatriates is still considered "very low if elementary precautions are followed".

Prof Evans said there had been "periodic outbreaks" of ebola since the first recorded instances in 1976, but this is the deadliest so far.

There were two simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara, Sudan and Yambuku, a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the Ebola River.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows the previous deadliest outbreak was the one in the DRC, when 280 out of 315 people infected died.

In the same country in 1995 another outbreak claimed 254 lives, with 315 patients infected.

In 2000, there were 425 cases in Uganda and 224 people died.

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British Students Stabbed To Death In Borneo

Two British medical students have been stabbed to death after leaving a bar in the Borneo city where they were on a hospital placement.

The two men, named by Newcastle University as Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, died after they were attacked by a group of men in Kuching.

The friends were reportedly followed in a car and knifed as they returned to a backpacker lodge from the bar, where a row had earlier taken place.

Four men have been arrested following the murders in the Jalan Padungan district.

The friends were on a medical placement in Borneo's Sarawak state

The fourth-year students were in the Malaysian part of the island in Sarawak province on attachment to a hospital in Kuching, the university's acting vice-chancellor Professor Tony Stevenson said.

Prof Stevenson said in a statement: "We were informed this morning of the very sad news that two of our fourth-year medical students working at a hospital in Kuching, Borneo, have been tragically killed.

"Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were on a six-week work placement, along with five other medical students, to put the skills they had learnt during their time here at the university into practice.

"This has come as a huge shock to us all and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time.

The city of Kuching in Borneo where the two men died. Pic: CoolCityCat

"Two of our members of staff are flying out to Kuching as soon as possible and we are working closely with the British high commissioner to support the other students and to co-ordinate their return to the UK."

The students - both keen sportsmen - were due to finish their placement on Friday.

Mr Dalton was from Ambergate, Derbyshire, had achieved four A* grades in his A-levels and had been featured in the local paper when he took part in a sponsored bike ride for the Alzheimer's Society, the Derby Telegraph reported. 

Mr Brunger, from Gillingham, took part in the 2013 Great North Run in Newcastle, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK.

Sarawak Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung said the arrests were made two hours after the 4.15am attack, the Malaysian State News Agency Bernama reported.

A knife was also recovered and a Perodua Viva car allegedly used in the attack has been seized.

Dr Chai told a news conference that two of the suspects have criminal records for drug abuse and armed robbery.

He also said a police forensic team found the first victim lying face down on the road with two stab wounds in the chest and two in the back.

The second victim was lying on a path, about two metres from the first victim, with a single stab wound to his chest.

The Borneo Post reported that they were attacked by a group of men as they made their way back to a backpacker lodge from the Travillion bar in the early hours. It followed a row in the bar over noise.

The students' bodies are at Sarawak General Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

An FCO spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance to their families at this difficult time."

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