Headlines News

By Marcel Michelson PARIS (Reuters) - Heavily indebted cross-Channel tunnel operator Eurotunnel will meet with its creditors on Wednesday morning ahead of a crucial commercial court decision on its request to get creditor protection. A company spokeswoman said the meeting, in Paris, will be aimed at "taking stock" and would not necessarily result in a last-minute debt restructuring deal. The Paris commercial court is set to rule around 1230 GMT (1:30 p.m. British time) on a request by Eurotun ...

Police have been given extra time to question two people about the murder of a 37-year-old woman in Swansea. Jaspal Marsh was found stabbed to death at her home in Howards Way, Gorseinon, on Saturday evening. Detectives now have another 36 hours to question a man and a woman, both from the Swansea area, over the insurance worker's death. Police still want to trace a silver Mazda 6 car seen near her home between Friday midnight and 0200 BST Saturday. A post mortem examination has confirmed Mr ...

A crackdown against mini-motorbike owners who cause a nuisance and drive dangerously is being promised by Home Secretary John Reid. The laws on the "mini-motos" are not being changed but the government has given £200,000 to enforce the rules in 28 areas of England and Wales. New guidance is being issued to make clear that people who misuse such vehicles can have their bikes crushed. Tories say they fear the plans may be headline grabbing. 'It's torture' The Motor Cycle Industry Associ ...

LONDON (Reuters) - The government should begin closing women's prisons because the majority of female offenders are convicted of non-violent offences and could be treated in the community, a charity said on Wednesday. The Howard League for Penal Reform urged the government to think radically about how to deal with female offenders because under the current system, two thirds of women released fro ...

The number of prisoner complaints soared to a record high last year, a report has revealed. A total of 460 grievances were filed by inmates, the largest number in the 12-year history of the Scottish Prison Complaints Commission (SPCC). The report also showed there were 70 more complaints than the previous year. The biggest number of grievances came from Dumfries Prison where five individuals logged most of the 172 complaints. During the past year the 178-bed jail has seen a large increase in ...

Two open prisons in the North West have had the highest number of absconders in the country over the last decade. The figures were obtained by the BBC News website using the Freedom of Information Act earlier this year. Thorn Cross near Warrington and Kirkham Open Prison near Blackpool have both had more than 1,100 inmates abscond over the past 10 years. Their combined totals make up more than a third of the national total for the years 1997-2006. Kirkham Prison had a total of 1,154 prisoner ...

Inter Milan have completed the signing of former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira from Juventus for £6.5m. The 30-year-old completed his transfer on Wednesday morning, ending interest from Manchester United. Vieira joins the exodus of players from the troubled Italian side who have been relegated to Serie B for their part in Italy's match-fixing scandal. The sale represents a big loss for Juve who signed France midfielder Vieira from Arsenal in July 2005 for £13.7m. Vieira becomes ...

Chocolate giant Cadbury Schweppes has said the salmonella contamination at one of its production plants will cost it about £20m this year. Half of the £20m relates to the cost of recalling one million chocolate bars, while the rest comes from advertising costs and "manufacturing improvements". Cadbury's said the cost included £6m it hoped to recover through its insurance. The news came as the firm announced a 20% rise in pre-tax profit for the first half of 2006. Compensation  ...

By Afif Diab BAALBEK, Lebanon (Reuters) - Israeli commandos snatched suspected Hizbollah members from Lebanon's ancient city of Baalbek on Wednesday in a helicopter-borne night raid backed by air strikes that killed 19 people, including four children. Three Lebanese army soldiers were also killed in a separate Israeli air strike in south Lebanon, security sources said. The latest violence shattered a partial lull in Israeli bombing and erupted despite intensive international diplomacy aimed a ...

A series of bombs have hit the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing three people and injuring nine, officials say. Up to three blasts were reported in the city's Tayaran Square, where labourers wait for daily construction work, police said. The bombings came a day after a series of attacks killed more than 50 people in Baghdad and north of the city. Bomb attacks in recent weeks have killed hundreds of Iraqis, despite a security clampdown across Baghdad.