THE WEEK ROUNDING UP ALL THE NEWS

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Apr 13, 2008

MONDAY The BBC received complaints after Anne Robinson asked a contestant to feel her breasts during a celebrity charity version of The Weakest Link. The Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay was cut short following anti-Chinese protests along the route. Security officials extinguished the torch at least three times due to the protests before it was carried on a bus to the relay's end point. The chief strategist for Hillary Clinton's campaign to become the Democratic Party's candidate for the US presidency resigned. Mark Penn stepped down after a row over a potential conflict of interest involving his public relations firm. The inquest into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed found they were unlawfully killed due to the "gross negligence" of driver Henri Paul and the paparazzi. The inquest jury also speci. ed Mr Paul's drink-driving and the fact seatbelts were not worn contributed to their deaths. John Gray, blinded in one eye during the Blitz had his sight restored by Scottish specialists, 66 years later after the event.

TUESDAY The mother of Shannon Matthews was remanded in custody after appearing in court charged in connection with the nine- yearold's disappearance.

Karen Matthews, 32, faces charges of child neglect and perverting the course of justice. Kylie Minogue revealed on US TV that the first doctor she saw failed to diagnose she had breast cancer. Zimbabwe's opposition said its activists have been attacked in a campaign of "massive violence" around the country since recent elections.

"Militias are being rearmed, Zanu-PF supporters are being rearmed, " said MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti. Police in East Ayrshire arrested 17 youths in a series of dawn raids aimed at tackling gang violence. A study suggested people who have had depression may be more 2.5 times more likely to suffer Alzheimer's disease, Dutch researchers found WEDNESDAY The Simpsons was dropped from morning TV in Venezuela after being deemed unsuitable for children - and was replaced by Baywatch.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling received an outstanding achievement prize at the 2008 Galaxy British Book Awards in London. US intelligence sources said that Abu Obaidah al-Masri, the militant chief believed to be a senior planner of al-Qaeda's attacks in Afghanistan, had died. It was announced the BBC's iPlayer video service will soon be available via the Nintendo Wii game console. A police dog saved the life of an anaemic cocker spaniel by donating blood.

Four-year-old German Shepherd Zak is the first police dog in Scotland to take part in a transfusion to save the life of another animal.

THURSDAY Pop star Sir Elton John raised dollars-2.5m for Hillary Clinton's US presidential campaign with a concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall. A gourmet coffee blended from animal droppings is being sold at a London department store for GBP50 per cup.

Jamaican Blue Mountain and the Kopi Luwak bean are used to create Caffe Raro, thought to be the most expensive cup of coffee in the world. The European Court of Justice has ruled the UK Treasury was facing a GBP3.5 million bill because of VAT wrongly imposed on a Marks & Spencer teacake. Customers paid VAT for 20 years before authorities accepted it was a cake, which does not command VAT. Conservationalists said Scotland's beaches have the worst levels of litter in the UK. The Marine Conservation Society said plastics, visitors' rubbish and waste flushed down the toilet were the main problems. US President George W Bush said he will put a freeze on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, as requested by his top general in the country.

FRIDAY The brother of a man who died after driving a car bomb into Glasgow Airport pled guilty to withholding information from police about the attack. Sabeel Ahmed, 26, of Bangalore, India, was given an 18-month sentence but freed immediately to be deported to India. A nude photograph of France's first lady, Carla Bruni, was auctioned at Christie's auction house in New York for GBP46,098 - more than 20 times the expected price. Sending British soldiers out on patrol or into battle with defective equipment could amount to a breach of their human rights, a High Court judge ruled. Prince William was presented with his RAF wings by his father, Prince Charles, at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

The 25-year-old completed more than 12 weeks of training to become the fourth successive generation of the monarchy to become an RAF pilot. This year's Isle of Skye Music Festival has been cancelled after organisers built up debts of around GBP500,000, it was revealed.

The event, which takes place at Ashaig airstrip near the village of Broadford, was launched in 2005.

SATURDAY A Highlands ski resort hit its target of 51,000 skiers over the winter season, making it one of the best years for CairnGorm mountain. Chief executive Bob Kinnaird said they were becoming "increasingly optimistic" that skiing could be offered into May.

Celebrities including Matt Damon and Thandie Newton, main image, backed protests against the war in Darfur by being pictured destroying children's toys as a symbol of youngsters' suffering in the area. The images were released ahead of a global day of protest today. The Royal College of Physicians warned people do not realise how much alcohol they are drinking because pub measures have increased. President Professor Ian Gilmore accused the licensing industry of "being irresponsible" by offering larger measures of wine as the standard glass. White asparagus grown in Britain is going on sale for the first time. The vegetable has previously come from tins or been imported from abroad, but warmer temperatures have allowed it to be cultivated in Herefordshire.