Tuesday 22 June 2004

Whiting admits killing Sarah Payne

Roy Whiting admitted to killing school girl Sarah Payne yesterday
for the first time almost three years after he was found guilty of
the attack.

Whiting made the confession in court yesterday while giving
evidence in the trial of a prisoner accused of attacking him
because he killed Sarah.

Whiting repeatedly denied murdering her during his trial in
2001.

Source:- The Daily Mail, Tuesday, 22 June, page 5

As HIV costs the NHS £345m, a call to test
‘high risk’ migrants

Migrants should be made to have an HIV test before they are allowed
to enter Britain the independent think tank MigrationWatch demanded
yesterday.

The call came as it was revealed that three out of four cases of
the Aids virus in heterosexuals were probably picked up in
Africa.

Source:- The Daily Mail, Tuesday, 22 June, page 8

We refuse to teach expelled girl who was allowed
back

Teachers have refused to teach a pupil who was allowed back into
school after being expelled for hitting one of their
colleagues.

An independent appeals panel over turned the head teacher’s
decision to permanently exclude Ta’Lisha Edwards, 14, for
slapping her RE teacher on the arm and being abusive, angering
teachers and governors.

The incident occurred at The Becket School in Wilford,
Nottingham.

Source:- The Daily Mail, Tuesday, 22 June, page 19

£6.5m people-smuggling case collapses

Three men accused of people-smuggling walked free yesterday after
prosecutors admitted that key witnesses could no longer be
traced.

 Xing Cheng and Guo Chen denied leading a human-trafficking
operation worth £5.2m from Dragon Palace restaurant in
Aberystwyth, west Wales, after the Jury was told the witnesses had
disappeared.

Source:- The Independent, June 22, page 8

Compromise suggested on child smacking ban

Ministers are all set to oppose a change in the Children Bill in
the Lords today banning all smacking except to prevent immediate
danger to children.

However they may drop opposition to banning punishment that causes
physical or mental harm to children – a move welcomed by
anti-smacking campaigners.

Source:- The Independent, June 22, page 18
 

Charity boost for public schools

Public schools could retain their charity status under a shake-up
of charity legislation, according to evidence from the Charities
Commission.

The Commission said that a narrow beneficiary class that could lead
to higher educational benefits to those well off is acceptable for
charity status.

However, the Government gave assurances that charities charging
higher fees would be forced to pass a public test.

Source:- The Times, June 22, page 2
 

Tenants’ decision proved difficult to live
with

When ministers gave council tenants a choice on whether to accept
£283m of housing improvements they believed the outcome would
be a straightforward “yes”.

But with majority Camden tenants voting “no” in a
ballot the area’s chances of ensuring all its homes are up to
a decent standard by 2010 are nil, damaging one of the
Government’s key policies.

Leader of Camden council Dame Jane Roberts has learned a lesson. To
give people choice, the implications have to be thought
threw.

Source: The Financial Times, June 22, page 3

Homelessness in rural areas soars

Homelessness in rural parts of England has increased by almost a
third in four years, according to research published
yesterday.

The State of the Countryside 2004 found that an increase in the
amount of people moving to rural areas had pushed up house prices.
Pam Warhurst, the chairman of the Countryside Agency, the
government’s advisory body on rural affairs, said that 10,000
affordable new homes were needed in the countryside each
year.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday, June 22, page
9

Scottish newspapers

Explicit comic for young gays “is healthy
read”

A sexually explicit comic designed to help tackle HIV is being
distributed among gay Scottish teenagers.

The magazine features sexual puns and cartoon strips of people in
different sexual positions in an attempt to get 16-24 year olds
talking about safe sex.

The project is being run by health promotion body, Healthy Gay
Scotland, and was funded by the Scottish Executive.

Source:- The Herald, Tuesday, 22 June

Welsh newspapers

Minister to launch asylum book

A book written by asylum seekers and refugees is to be launched in
Swansea tomorrow.

Assembly minister for social justice, Edwina Hart will unveil the
book, called Nobody’s Perfect, which is made up of fiction,
true stories, poetry, opinion pieces and comic writing from asylum
seekers and refugees from 30 different countries.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 22 June page 5

Genetic guidelines in caring for patients

Guidelines produced in Wales are to be used by the UK’s
600,000 nurses to bring genetics into every day care.

The work by the University of Glamorgan will ensure that nurses,
midwives and health visitors can integrate the subject into
day-to-day patient care.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 22 June page 8

Police review patient’s death

Police are to re-investigate the death of a patient at a
psychiatric hospital in Swansea.

Kurt Howard, 32, died at Cefn Coed hospital in the city, in the
summer of 2002. Staff at the hospital were interviewed by police
following following the death, which occurred while Howard was
being restrained.

South Wales Police have now confirmed that they will be
re-interviewing some members of staff in an attempt to clarify
issues raised in connection with the death.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 22 June page 9