Doctor denies Jackson death charge

Michael Jackson's doctor has appeared in court in the US charged over the star's death.

Dr Conrad Murray, a Houston cardiologist who was with Jackson when he died, pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter when he appeared at Los Angeles Superior Court.

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'Ice problem' in BA jet accident

Plane safety requirements did not cover the particular ice problem which probably caused a Boeing 777 to crash-land at Heathrow Airport two years ago as the risk was "unrecognised at that time", an official accident report has said.

The crash of the British Airways 777 on January 17 2008 came after the plane lost power due to a restricted fuel flow to both engines, said a final report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

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Electoral reform plans considered

MPs are due to vote on proposals to hold a referendum on abandoning the first-past-the-post system for general elections.

Under electoral reform plans championed by Gordon Brown, the country would be asked to choose whether to switch to the alternative vote (AV) method.

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Ainsworth set to be grilled by MPs

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth is due to face MPs over the latest developments in Afghanistan and the "tough choices" faced by the UK's military in the future.

He will give evidence to the defence select committee a day after the UK death toll in Afghanistan exceeded that of the Falklands war.

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Newlove widow launches pub scheme

The widow of a man beaten to death by a gang of drunken yobs has called for pubs and bars to help end Britain's binge-drinking culture.

Helen Newlove, whose husband Garry was killed in front of her and their three daughters in Warrington in August 2007, wants better training for pub workers.

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Children to visit Jade Goody grave

Jade Goody's children have not stopped talking about their mother since the day she died, their father Jeff Brazier has said.

Bobby, six, and Freddy, five, will mark their first Mother's Day without Goody next month on the first anniversary of the reality TV star's death from cervical cancer.

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Immigration system 'ineffective'

Britain's immigration system is not operating effectively and faces a damaging loss of public support, a report has warned.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, detailed a catalogue of basic administrative errors in hundreds of cases handled by the UK Border Agency.

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Age no contraceptive, women warned

Women over 35 are being warned not to throw away their contraception following fears that the message on infertility and age has gone "too far".

While fertility declines as women get older, the "constant stream" of information about it could be encouraging older women to abandon contraception and risk unplanned pregnancy, said the Family Planning Association (FPA).

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Law 'should protect snow clearers'

Almost three out of four people think the law should protect civic-minded people who clear snow off pavements from possible legal action, according to a new poll.

The Local Government Association (LGA) survey found 73% of adults thought householders who cleared pavements outside their homes should be protected from potential lawsuits if someone slipped and was injured.

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Harman slams BBC over older women

The BBC needs to "wake up" to the dearth of older females on its programmes, Women and Equality Minister Harriet Harman has said.

The House of Commons leader said older women have disappeared from the small screen - much to the irritation of viewers.

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