Andy Murray fears 'inhumane' heat at Australian Open could kill someone

Briton accuses organisers of putting lives at risk as matches are forced to go ahead in 108F heat By Simon Briggs, Tennis Correspondent, in Melbourne

12:01AM GMT 15 Jan 2014

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Australian Open 2014: With temperatures in Melbourne heating up a mid-afternoon 'siesta' could be the answer

Players away from the show courts are especially vulnerable, as there is no cover from the scorching weather – so why not have a break in the heat of the day?

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Guardian journalists could face criminal charges over Edward Snowden leaks

Journalists at The Guardian newspaper are being investigated by anti-terror police over their roles in the Edward Snowden leaks, a senior policewoman confirms

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Moritz Erhardt inquest: Bank intern's fatal epileptic fit could have been triggered by 'exceptionally' long hours

22 Nov 2013 14:09His death sparked calls to overhaul the culture of punishingly long hours after it emerged he had worked through the night several times

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Hair dye could be placed on banned list thanks to European Union

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent

7:45PM GMT 21 Nov 2013

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Common household chemicals could be banned from sale to the general public as part of a European Union drive to combat terrorism.

Plans published by the Home Office could prohibit the sale of hydrogen peroxide, which has wide-ranging uses in the home including as a hair dye.

Other common household chemicals used as herbicides could also be banned along with nitromethane, which is used as a fuel in model aeroplanes.

Retailers could also face other restrictions on the sale of chemicals including nail varnish remover and types of drain cleaner.

The Home Office plans respond to EU regulations published in February which aim to restrict the availability of chemicals which terrorists can use to make explosives.

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The guidance says: “Home users will be affected. There are legitimate household or hobby uses for some of the chemicals affected by the policy restrictions.

“Homemade explosives have been part of over 70 per cent if UK homeland attacks since the late 1990s.

“They are capable of causing mass harm and significant infrastructure damage.”

The Muslim extremist who attacked London’s transport network on July 7, 2005, used hydrogen peroxide from hair dye to make their explosives which killed 52 innocent people and injured more than 700.

At the inquest into the atrocity, Lady Justice Hallett, the coroner, said it was easier to buy hydrogen peroxide than many ordinary household drugs such as aspirin.

The new consultation set out several options including a ban on sale to the general public of a range of chemicals including hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and potassium chlorate.

Another option said the public would only be allowed to buy the chemicals if they held a licence or gave the supplier their name and address at the time of purchase.

The cost to businesses - in training staff and complying with the regulations - was estimated to run into millions of pounds a year, not including lose revenue from banned goods.

A consultation on the proposals will run for seven weeks.

 Terrorism in the UKNews »Politics »UK News »Crime »David Barrett »

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Princess Eugenie could expand American empire

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The Duke and Duchess of York travelled to New York last month when their daughter Princess Eugenie started work at the online fine art auctioneer Paddle8. The 23-year-old granddaughter of the Queen could, however, soon be back in Blighty.

Her boss, Alexander Gilkes, says the company he co-founded is to open an office in London.

“We’ve got a guy over here right now building a team,” he tells Mandrake at the GQ 25th anniversary dinner at the Phillips Gallery in Westminster, where he led the auction for the Prince’s Trust.

The Princess has a degree in Art History and English Literature from Newcastle University.

“We’re opening an office in London at the beginning of next year. One of our investors is Damien Hirst and his businessman is helping us. Jay Jopling is another investor who is offering us extra office support when we need it.”

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Alexander is the brother of Charlie Gilkes, the nightclub owner, who is a close friend of the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister, Pippa Middleton.

The Old Etonian’s Eighties-themed club in Chelsea, Maggie’s, features speeches by Baroness Thatcher played over speakers in the lavatories.

Due diligence on City merger

Dame Clara Furse, a former boss of the London Stock Exchange, overcame MPs’ worries about her suitability to sit on the board of the Bank of England’s powerful new body overseeing financial stability.

Happily, she had no such concerns about her daughter’s boyfriend, Charlie Southern, 26, who works in finance. He has been “cleared” to marry Cornelia Furse, 26, an analyst at Fidelity International.

Dame Clara gave Cornelia and each of her two brothers, Maximilian and Ralf, £100,000 worth of stock in the LSE stock in 2008. It should be a good wedding.

Read more from Mandrake here

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2011 riots could cost taxpayer £100 million in compensation pay-outs

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The taxpayer could be hit with a bill of £100 million or more for compensating businesses and residents whose property was destroyed in the 2011 riots, according to a new report.

A review of the Riot (Damages) Act - which has not been substantially changed since it was written in 1886 - gave the first official estimate of the potential costs of the disorder in London and other English towns.

It also said the insurance industry has paid out £170 million so far - 2,254 claims in total including more than £1.5 million to domestic policyholders.

Some of the £170 million total is included in the cost to the public purse because the Act allows insurers to be compensated for riot claims.

Neil Kinghan, a former civil servant who was commissioned by the Home Office to conduct the detailed review, said in his report: “Public expenditure cost has been £35.2 million on claims under the Act, but it could still grow to £100 million, or more.”

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It compares with claims totalling £17.2 million which were made after the 1981 riots in Brixton, south London; Toxteth in Liverpool and other parts of the country.

Mr Kinghan said the law should continue to allow insurers to be reimbursed.

But he added that a cap should be introduced so that insurers can only claw back money paid out to businesses with a turnover of less than £2 million. Domestic claims would be unaffected.

He said a cap would “ensure the delivery of best value for money for the Exchequer”.

Insurers had warned Mr Kinghan that it might have been necessary to increase premiums for property insurance if the law was changed to prevented them claiming money back from the Treasury.

Mr Kinghan also recommended that uninsured people should continue to be able to claim under the Act.

In addition, the law should be extended to cover damage to cars, which were not invented when the Act was drawn up, and claimants should be reimbursed “new for old” rather than “old for old”.

Otto Thoresen, director general of the Association of British Insurers, said: “We are concerned that the review recommends that insurer recoveries from the state should be restricted to businesses that turn over less than £2 million a year.

“This could be a disincentive for some larger firms to locate in some areas.

“The Government should carry out an impact assessment on the impact of both of these proposals.”

Damian Green, the policing minister, said: “We aim to launch a public consultation by the end of the year.”

 CrimeNews »Politics »UK News »David Barrett »Law and Order »

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Taxpayer could be forced to hand thousands of pounds to foreign paedophile

"Lord Justice McFarlane said that under the law people facing deportation could only be held under immigration laws while there was a realistic prospect of removal" itemprop

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Could exhumed body of baby 'murdered' 32 years ago lead to fresh conviction for Angel Of Death nurse suspected of 46 deaths yet facing release from prison under Texan law?

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