Horsemeat Scandal: Two Arrested Over Fraud

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of fraud as part of an investigation by British police into the horsemeat scandal, it was revealed today.

City of London Police said that since launching an inquiry in May it has held two men on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and interviewed a further two men under caution.

The force said it has only released details now due to "operational reasons" and would not say when the men were arrested or reveal their nationalities.

Detective Chief Superintendent Oliver Shaw said: "This is an extremely complex investigation covering a number of jurisdictions and a variety of businesses.

"We are working closely with police forces, other law enforcement agencies and regulators to determine whether horsemeat being used in a range of meat products was deliberate and coordinated criminal activity."

City of London Police was asked to work with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as part of its inquiry into the scandal.

It reviewed evidence from law enforcement agencies in Europe and the UK, as well as from the FSA.

The force launched an investigation in May and said it made the arrests "during the initial stages" of the inquiry. Officers have also carried out searches at businesses and homes in the UK.

Last month MPs condemned the slow pace of the national investigation into the scandal, with no prosecutions six months after the problem was first identified.

The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said authorities in both the UK and Ireland - where horse DNA was first discovered in processed beef products - had yet to acknowledge the scale of the illegal activity involved.

It said: "The evidence we received from retailers and food processors in the UK and Ireland suggests a complex, highly organised network of companies trading in and mislabelling frozen and processed meat or meat products in a way that fails to meet  specifications and that is fraudulent and illegal.

"We are concerned at the failure of authorities in both the UK and Ireland to acknowledge the extent of this and to bring prosecutions.

"We are dismayed at the slow pace of investigations and would like assurance that prosecutions will be mounted where there is evidence of fraud or other illegal activity."

BBC's HR Boss Quits Following Payoff Row

The BBC's HR director is to quit her £320,000-a-year post in the wake of a row over bumper payoffs handed to departing executives on her watch.

Lucy Adams will leave at the end of the financial year next March after working her notice period and without any severance pay.

She was forced to reject accusations the BBC was engaged in "cronyism" during an appearance before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee last month.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report had revealed huge payments - some totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds - were made even when departing executives were not entitled to the money.

Among them was the £450,000 handed to former director-general George Entwistle, who stood down after a few weeks in the job.

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten later admitted Mr Entwistle was paid for an extra 20 days' work to help manage the transition to a new director-general but "as it happened he wasn't required to do anything".

According to the NAO, in the three years up to last December, the BBC spent £25m on severance payments for 150 high-ranking staff.

Chief operating officer Caroline Thomson left last year with £670,000 - more than twice her salary - while former deputy director-general Mark Byford was paid £949,000 when he departed two years ago.

Ex-BBC2 controller Roly Keating returned a £375,000 payoff after learning it had not been properly authorised.

During last month's hearing, Ms Adams admitted to MPs there was a culture at the corporation "which clearly did not deliver value for money".

Commenting on her decision to leave, Ms Adams said: "I have been discussing my decision to leave the BBC with (director-general) Tony Hall for some time now. By next spring I will have been at the BBC for five years which feels like a good time to try something new.

"It has been a great privilege to lead the BBC's People division. The BBC is a unique institution and I am extremely proud of the work the team has achieved in spite of the challenges along the way.

"I look forward to continuing that work with Tony and the executive board in the coming months."

Mr Hall said: "I am enormously grateful to Lucy for all her work and I will be very sorry to see her go next spring.

"She has done a great job and contributed a huge amount to the BBC.

"I am pleased that, in the short term at least, she will continue to help me simplify the way we do business in the BBC so that we can spend more time concentrating on our programmes and services."

Rolf Harris Charged With Child Sex Offences

Rolf Harris has been charged with nine counts of indecent assault and four counts of making indecent images of a child.

The 83-year-old is accused of the assault offences between 1980 and 1986 relating to two alleged victims, who were aged 14 and 15 at the time, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The charges he faces are:

:: Six counts of indecent assault relating to a girl aged between 15 and 16, from 1980 to 1981;

:: Three offences of indecent assault relating to a girl aged 14, in 1986;

:: Four offences of making indecent images of a child between March and July 2012.

Harris was interviewed under caution on November 29 last year, five days after his Berkshire home was searched.

Police passed their evidence to the CPS on August 12.

"We have carefully considered the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police Service as part of Operation Yewtree in relation to Rolf Harris, who was initially arrested on November 29 2012 over allegations of sexual offences," said the CPS' Alison Saunders.

"A file of evidence was passed to the CPS on August 12 2013.

"Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Harris to be charged."

Harris will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 23.

The Australian, who painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and performed at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year, has been a family favourite for decades.

He had his first musical hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport in 1960, and continued to enjoy success in the industry, gaining cult status in recent years and performing at Glastonbury festival several times.

Harris, who has lived in Bray, Berkshire, for more than 50 years, was awarded an MBE in 1968, an OBE in 1977 and a CBE in 2006, and was made Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list last year.

Syria Debate: MPs Reject Labour Amendment

MPs have rejected a Labour amendment to the Government motion on Syria by a majority of 112 votes.

The amendment had called for military action to only be taken once the UN Security Council had voted in light of a report from weapons' inspectors on the ground in Syria.

The Prime Minister had earlier said the "abhorrent" chemical weapons attack in Damascus last week had caused "sickening human suffering" and could not be ignored.

But he stressed his plans should not be compared to the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003, which led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein.

Starting an emergency debate in the Commons, Mr Cameron admitted the earlier conflict had sparked "deep public cynicism" about military intervention.

However, he said: "This is not like Iraq, what we are seeing in Syria is fundamentally different. We are not invading a country. We are not searching for chemical or biological weapons."

MPs have begun voting on a Labour amendment to the Government motion on Syria, a move which will test Mr Cameron's authority.

He warned "decades of painstaking work" would be undone if there was no international action.

"The global consensus against the use of chemical weapons will be fatally unravelled, a 100-year taboo would be breached," he warned.

The Prime Minister admitted there was no "one smoking piece of intelligence" that made it 100% certain the Assad regime was behind the atrocity.

But he said he had been convinced by the available evidence and told MPs it was now up to them to make the same judgement.

He warned Syrian leader Bashar Assad would conclude he could "use these weapons again and again and on a larger scale and with impunity" if the world stood by.

"In the end we can't know the mind of this brutal dictator, all we can do is make a judgment about whether it is better to act or not to act and make a judgment about whether he is responsible or not responsible," he said.

Despite efforts to secure a UN Security Council resolution, Mr Cameron argued this should not be the only basis for possible action.

Indicating Britain could ignore a veto by Russia or China, he said his test would be if there was "overwhelming opposition" at the UN.

The debate came after Downing Street published its legal advice for action and a letter detailing the position of intelligence experts.

Government lawyers believe Britain could launch a targeted strike on humanitarian grounds without agreement at the UN.

And evidence from the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) found a chemical weapons did take place and it was "highly likely" the Assad regime was to blame.

MPs will vote tonight on the principle of military action, with any direct British involvement requiring a further Commons vote.

But the Prime Minister's hopes of a united political response have already been dashed after Labour vowed to oppose the Government motion.

Mr Cameron had already been forced to accept the need to give UN inspectors more time to report and MPs a further vote but this was still not enough to win round the Opposition.

It called the Government's new position "opaque" and tabled an alternative motion demanding "compelling evidence" the Assad regime was behind the atrocity.

Number 10 reacted furiously to Ed Miliband's positioning, accusing him of "playing politics" and attempting to divide the country.

But in the Commons, the Labour leader insisted "evidence should precede decision" and that the UN was not an "inconvenient sideshow" but essential to building a case.

He told the House he had not ruled out military intervention but said: "We need to be clear-eyed about the impact this would have."

Calling for respect to be shown to the UN, he added: "I am very clear about the fact that we have to learn the lessons of Iraq."

A frustrated Number 10 argued that the evidence from the intelligence services and publicly available material, including YouTube videos, was clear.

"Are we seriously suggesting that rows of three-year-old children frothing at the mouth and dead were somehow made to act this out?" a senior source said.

"Experts who have looked at this video have said it is conclusive that something like sarin was used here. The idea that this was concocted in some way is ridiculous."

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said it was impossible to have 100% proof the regime was involved but insisted the available evidence was strong.

The chemical weapons attack was in the same Damascus suburb where a sustained military attack by government forces was taking place, he pointed out.

And he warned MPs: "At this very moment, the Assad regime in Damascus is watching very carefully to see whether they will get away with what they have done.

"If there is no significant international response of any kind, then we can be absolutely certain that the forces within Damascus will be successful in saying we must continue to use these whenever there is a military rationale for doing so.

"There is no guarantee that a military strike against military targets will work, but there is every certainty that if we don't make that effort to punish and deter, then these actions will indeed continue."

UN weapons inspectors are due to finish their work on Friday and will report directly to secretary general Ban Ki-moon within 24 hours.

But their conclusions will not apportion blame - they will only set out the evidence on whether a chemical attack happened or not.

Former Tory Foreign Office minister David Davis said Britain could be "conned" into military intervention in Syria by rebels who were using chemical weapons to draw the West into the conflict.

He told the Commons MPs must have a justification for military action that is "not constructed" and said a "more aggressive" disclosure of intelligence could be necessary.

The former party leader candidate added there was no "clear moral imperative" to intervene in Syria.

He said: "There are many reasons for us to worry about this concern. We do not want to be conned into a war in effect by actions designed just to do that.

"There are plenty of facts around, or at least reported facts, reported that the UN representative for human rights in Syria thought there was concrete evidence of rebels having sarin gas."

Shadow transport spokesman Jim Fitzpatrick resigned his position after saying he would vote against Mr Miliband's policy.

He quit after telling the Commons he was "opposed to military intervention in Syria, full stop".

A senior Labour source said: "Jim Fitzpatrick has tonight handed in his resignation as shadow transport spokesman."

Before the debate in Britain, Syria's Parliament called on British MPs to avoid "reckless action", warning intervention could help terrorists and lead to the deaths of UK troops.

In a letter, it declared a strike would be "an aggressive and unprovoked act of war" and said: "We ask you not to bomb us but to work with us."

Assad also issued a fresh warning on Thursday that the country would "defend itself in the face of any aggression".

Six British RAF Typhoon jets have been sent to Cyprus as tensions mount, in what the Ministry of Defence called a "prudent and precautionary measure".

Meanwhile, reports suggested Russia - a key ally of Syria - is sending warships to the Mediterranean.

Syria: Russia And US Send Warships To Med

Russia and the US have sent further warships to boost their military capacity in the Mediterannean as expectations grow of an imminent strike on Syria.

Syria's ally Russia is sending an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the Mediterranean, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

An armed forces source reportedly said the planned deployment was in response to the "well-known situation" - a clear reference to the conflict in Syria.

The navy has denied the deployment is linked to events in Syria, saying it is part of a planned rotation of its ships in the Mediterranean.

In the US, a defence official has said a fifth destroyer, the USS Stout,  has been deployed to the Mediterranean and is "heading and moving east".

The guided missile destroyer is due to relieve the Mahan, but both ships might remain in place for the time being, the official said.

Other destroyers in the region - the Ramage, the Barry and the Gravely - criss-cross the Mediterranean and could launch their Tomahawk missiles toward Syria if so directed by US President Barack Obama.

As military action inched closer, Syrian President Bashar al Assad's forces removed several Scud missiles and dozens of launchers from a base north of Damascus, possibly to protect them from bombardment, opposition sources claimed.

The White House said it is on track to release an unclassified intelligence report on Syria this week, although the information is not a "slam-dunk" that will make an open and shut case for military action.

A spokesman added that what the US is contemplating in terms of its response is "very discrete and limited".

Russia and the US have taken part in an "urgent" meeting of the five permanent UN Security Council members in New York - the second such meeting in two days.

Russia is strongly against any military intervention in Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believing it would seriously destabilise the region.

Mr Lavrov has said any attack without UN Security Council approval would be a "crude violation" of international law.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has spoken to German leader Angela Merkel by phone, with the pair agreeing the Syrian conflict can be solved politically, the chancellor's spokesman said.

"The chancellor called on the Russian president to use negotiations in the UN Security Council for a quick, unanimous international reaction," he added.

Public opinion in Germany is overwhelmingly against military action in Syria, less than four weeks before an election in which Mrs Merkel hopes to win a third term.

The warship reports come after US President Barack Obama said the US had studied evidence and concluded that the Syrian government was behind the alleged attack.

Mr Obama said any strike would be to"send a shot across the bow" and give a "pretty strong signal that [Syria] better not do it again".

He added the US had not yet made a firm decision about how to respond, but that it could take action even without the backing of allies or the United Nations.

The president's national security adviser Susan Rice, intelligence director James Clapper, defence secretary Chuck Hagel and secretary of state John Kerry are to brief Congress on Syria later, according to Reuters.

Questions are said to remain about who actually controls some of Syria's chemical weapons and whether President Assad himself explicitly ordered the alleged attack.

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta told state radio that his country condemned the Assad regime but would not join any military operation without UN Security Council authorisation.

The Syrian leader was shown meeting Yemeni politicians on state television on Thursday.

It quoted President Assad as saying the country would defend itself in the face of any aggression.

A draft resolution by the UK on authorising a strike failed to win the approval of the UN Security Council on Wednesday as Russia reiterated its objections.

China has also entered the discussion and warned the West against any military action. 

"China calls on all parties to exercise restraint and remain calm and to remain committed to the correct track of political solutions," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

British involvement in any strike will bedebated today by politicians in the House of Commons.

Meanwhile, United Nations weapons inspectors set out on Thursday morning for the Damascus suburbs in a third day of investigations.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pleaded for all sides to hold off on any military strikes.

He said his inspection team would soon finish its investigation, leaving Syria on Friday and reporting their findings to him the following day.

Samples they have collected will go to labs around Europe for testing, AP reported.

Last week's alleged chemical attack is claimed to have killed 1,300 people.

British Soldier Dies In Mont Blanc Fall

A British climber has died after falling 1,000m (3,281ft) from near the peak of Mont Blanc, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

The man, who is known to be a member of the Armed Forces, was said to be climbing with a partner although the two were not roped together, police in Entreves near the French border revealed.

The climber began his ascent on the French side of the mountain but fell on the Italian side.

A Spanish climber saw the fall and raised the alarm.

The victim's body was recovered by mountain rescue in Italy's Val d'Aosta region and taken to Courmayeur.

An investigation has been opened, the report said.

 

 

Jamie Oliver Says British Workers 'Whinge'

The television chef, Jamie Oliver, has said that if his restaurants had to rely on British staff rather than European immigrants they would close.

Oliver said that immigrants were "stronger" and "tougher" than their British counterparts who tended to "whinge" about too long hours.

He said that he had mothers telephoning him to say that their sons were “too tired”.

His controversial comments come just 24 hours after he sparked anger by saying that families trapped in "modern-day poverty" forked out on giant televisions instead of healthy food.

In his latest comments, the 38-year-old told Good Housekeeping magazine: "The average working hours in a week was 80 to 100. That was really normal in my 20s. But the EU regulation now is 48 hours, which is half a week's work for me. And they still whinge about it!

"British kids particularly, I have never seen anything so wet behind the ears!

"I have mummies phoning up for 23-year-olds saying to me, 'My son is too tired'. On a 48-hour-week! Are you having a laugh?"

He told the magazine: "I think our European immigrant friends are much stronger, much tougher.

"If we didn't have any, all of my restaurants would close tomorrow. There wouldn't be any Brits to replace them."

Oliver, whose restaurants include Fifteen, which helps the young unemployed, and more than 30 UK branches of Jamie’s Italian, said: "It's all very well when people are slagging off immigration and I'm sure there are problems.

"Older people always complain about youth and I think it's a good thing because it is always changing. The young will be better at different things. But long hours in hot kitchens is not one of them!"

China: Boy, Six, Has Eyes Gouged Out By Woman

A six-year-old boy is recovering in hospital after his eyes were gouged out in an horrific attack in China.

The child, who has been named as Guo Bin, went missing from his home in the country's Shanxi Province on Saturday evening. He had failed to return home for dinner after playing outside.

Five hours later he was discovered by his parents with both eyes missing.

The young boy’s mother, who has spoken to local media, said she found her son near their home.

His face was covered with blood but he was conscious and spoke to her, reportedly claiming that he had been attacked by a female who spoke with a strange accent.

An initial suggestion in the Chinese media claimed the youngster’s eyes were found nearby with the cornea missing.

Uncorroborated reports said that the attack may have been connected to China's illegal trafficking of human organs.

However, local police have now said they do not believe the attack was in any way related to organ trafficking and that while the eyes were found near the boy, the cornea had not been removed.

It remains possible that authorities are denying the link to trafficking in order to cover-up an embarrassing problem.

A reward of RMB100,000 (£10,000) has been offered to anyone with information about the attack.

The director of Shanxi Eye Hospital, where the boy is being treated, has said he is now making a recovery.

A local police chief, named only as Lui, said he could not speculate on a motive for the attack.

Hackers: Pro-Assad Group Targets US Websites

Pro-Assad regime hackers claim to have targeted leading US media websites, shutting down the New York Times for 30 minutes.

The Syrian Electronic Army said it had hacked sites belonging to Twitter and the Huffington Post, making them unstable, as well as closing down the NYT.

The NYT attributed the meltdown to a "malicious external attack".

When users attempted to visit www.nytimes.com, the only message that appeared was "Hacked by the SEA".

Meanwhile, Twitter confirmed the hacksaying "viewing of images and photos was sporadically impacted", but added that "no user information was affected".

The SEA boasted in a tweet: "Hi @Twitter, look at your domain, its owned by #SEA :)"  

While the Twitter site continued to function as normal, the SEA claimed to have changed domain details, redirecting social media traffic to its own server.

The shadowy hacker collective has also claimed to have changed domain details belonging to the Huffington Post news site.

The latest attacks come weeks after the Twitter feed of the Associated Press news agency was targeted.

The feed falsely reported that Barack Obama was injured in an attack on the White House.

The Washington Post website was also hacked this month in an attack blamed on the same group.

The SEA infiltrates organisations it perceives to be aligned against the Assad government.

The string of cyber attacks comes as US leaders have publicly discussed the possibility of launching an attack against the Assad government.

The potential for military action comes amid claims Mr Assad deployed chemical weapons on the Syrian people, two years into the nation's civil war.

Syria Crisis: Cameron Holds 'War Talks'

David Cameron will hold war talks at Downing Street today as military commanders draw up plans for missile strikes against Syria.

Mr Cameron will chair a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) after insisting the West must not "stand idly by" in the wake of Syria's suspected chemical attack.

In talks by telephone last night with US President Barack Obama, the two leaders agreed that "all the information available confirmed a chemical weapons attack had taken place", said a Downing Street spokesperson.

"They both agreed they were in no doubt that the Assad regime was responsible," added the spokesperson.

United Nations weapons inspectors set off on Wednesday morning to the site of the alleged attacks, a day after suspending their mission over safety concerns.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has ramped up the pressure to act on "barbarous" Syria by setting out the case for action in a national newspaper comment piece.

He maintained that "global security" was at stake and that the world "cannot allow the use of chemical weapons in the 21st century to go unchallenged". 

The NSC is expected to discuss the intelligence gathered by United Nations inspectors from their visit to Mouadamiya, the site of  last week's suspected chemical weapons attack that allegedly killed more than 1,300.

General Sir Nick Houghton, chief of the defence staff, is also expected to outline a series of options for targeted attacks against Syria at the meeting 

He will tell ministers the UK could assist US forces with cruise missile strikes launched from submarines, warships and aircraft against targets such as command and control bunkers.

Tomorrow, Parliament will be recalled for a final vote on what action should be taken.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Cameron said action must be "proportionate, have to be legal, would have to specifically be about deterring the use of chemical weapons".

It is understood the most likely military response would be a one-off or limited guided missile strikes on Syrian military targets fired from US Navy warships.

The US Navy is repositioning several vessels, including four cruise missile-carrying destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as a missile-firing submarine.

Military experts suggested a British Trafalgar class submarine might also be a potential launch platform.

Mr Cameron said any intervention in Syria would not be about the conflict itself, but preventing the use of chemical weapons by any regime.

Decisions about British involvement have not been taken, he said yesterday, adding Parliament was the "right place to set out all of the arguments".

"Obviously this is a developing situation, as I say, decisions have not been taken, but we shouldn't stand by when we see this massive use of chemical weapons and appalling levels of suffering," he said.

"But I would say this to people - there is never 100% certainty, there is never one piece or several pieces of intelligence that give you absolute certainty.

"But what we know is this regime has huge stocks of chemical weapons. We know they have used them on at least 10 occasions prior to this last widescale use.

"We know they have both the motive and the opportunity whereas the opposition does not have those things and the opposition's chance of having used chemical weapons in our view is vanishingly small."

The NSC includes Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, Home Secretary Theresa May and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg among its members.

Labour leader Ed Miliband yesterday indicated that his party would consider supporting international action.

But he added that support was "only on the basis that it was legal, that it was specifically limited to deterring the future use of chemical weapons, and that any actions contemplated had clear and achievable goals."

And Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Britain would "set a very dangerous precedent indeed" if it stood back and failed to act.

While political momentum towards intervention mounts, the British public has yet to be persuaded.

A YouGov survey for The Sun revealed that nearly three-quarters of people oppose the deployment of British troops to Syria.

And a majority of 3-1 believe the Government should be bound by Parliament's vote tomorrow.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned MPs not to rush in their decision on whether to vote for miltary intervention in the Syria conflict.

The Most Rev Justin Welby said he feared the possible consequences of intervention saying they were "beyond description and horrible".

Miley Cyrus Performs In Bikini At MTV Awards

Justin Timberlake was the big winner at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) but it was Miley Cyrus' raunchy routine which stole the show.

She appeared on stage with a troupe of teddy bears before changing into a nude-coloured bikini and dancing seductively with Robin Thicke during a performance of his summer hit Blurred Lines.

Timberlake, whose much-anticipated reunion with his 'N-Sync band mates provided one of the highlights of the night, won the coveted Video of the Year gong for his track Mirrors.

"I don't deserve this award," the 32-year-old, who picked up a hat trick of other prizes, said. "But I'm not going to give it back."

One Direction, fresh from the world premiere of their movie This Is Us, won Best Song of the Summer, while Bruno Mars scooped two awards - Best Male Video for Locked Out Of Heaven and Best Choreography for Treasure.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift picked out a former boyfriend for praise as she won Best Female Video for I Knew You Were Trouble.

The singer, who split with One Direction's Harry Styles earlier this year, said: "I want to thank the person who inspired this song, who knows exactly who he is, because I got one of these. Thank you so much."

Lady Gaga changed costumes four times as she opened the New York ceremony, although her performance lacked the shock value of previous VMAs, most notably the 2010 show at which she wore a dress made of raw meat.

Katy Perry brought the event to a close, performing her new single Roar dressed as a boxer.

Facebook To Pay $20m Over 'Likes' Advertising

A judge has approved a deal in which Facebook will pay $20m (£13m) for using members "likes" as endorsements for advertisers.

The money is to be shared between lawyers, internet privacy rights groups and Facebook users who filed claims in the class-action lawsuit against the social media giant.

US district judge Richard Seeborg reasoned that the sum, a small fraction of the billions being sought in the case, was fair given the challenges of proving Facebook members were financially harmed or that signalling "likes" for products did not imply some form of consent.

Facebook's Sponsored Stories programme used members' names or likenesses to endorse ads without getting their permission, according to the legal filing.

Judge Seeborg estimated the size of the class represented in the suit as 150 million people, but noted that so few had filed claims that there was ample money in the settlement fund.

"The settlement as a whole provides fair, reasonable, and adequate relief to the class, in light of all the circumstances, including the low probability that a substantially better result would be obtained through continued litigation," the judge ruled.

The settlement calls for Facebook to modify its rules to give members greater control when it comes to how their information is used regarding Sponsored Stories.

"Sponsored Stories, in Facebook's view, does nothing more than take information users have already voluntarily disclosed to their "friends," and sometimes redisplays it to the same persons, in a column that also contains more traditional paid advertising," the judge wrote while detailing his decision.

"Plaintiffs faced a substantial burden in showing they were injured by the Sponsored Stories."

So few Facebook members have filed claims that those negotiating the settlement proposed paying out $15 to each person and having enough cash left over for lawyer fees and routing funds to internet privacy groups, according to the ruling.

An original settlement rejected by the judge recommended the same pool of money, but allocated none of it to Facebook members.

Bubonic Plague-Infected BBQ Marmot Kills Teen

A teenage boy has died of bubonic plague in Kyrgyzstan after reportedly eating an infected barbecued marmot.

More than 100 people - including 19 doctors - have been put in quarantine after the 15-year-old's death, health officials said.

The boy fell ill after eating the meal with family and friends in the small mountain village of Ichke-Zhergez, in eastern Kyrgyzstan, close to the border with Kazakhstan.

Health officials said the boy died in the Karakol regional hospital. His body was cremated and his remains were buried with "special precautions".

A statement from the country's health ministry said that an epidemic was "unlikely", Interfax reported.

The last recorded case of bubonic plague in Kyrgyzstan occurred 30 years ago, health minister Dinara Saginbayeva said.

"The form of the disease in the teenager is not conducive to a plague epidemic," she said.

Doctors are administering antibiotics in the area where the boy lived and are trying to track down anyone who may have eaten the food.

Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection that is a strain of the "Black Death", a virulent disease that killed tens of millions of people in 14th century Europe.

Primarily an animal disease, it is extremely rare in humans. It is normally transmitted by flea bite but can also be transmitted by exposure to the flesh of an infected animal.

Marmots are a natural carrier of the disease and were targeted for extermination in the Soviet Union.

But the authorities in Kyrgyzstan stopped poisoning them from 1982 onwards due to the costs involved, Interfax said.

Syria: UK Draws Up Plans For Military Action

Britain's Armed Forces are drawing up plans for military action against Syria after the alleged toxic gas attack, which is said to have killed more than 1,300 people.

Prime Minister David Cameron will continue talks with international leaders to agree a "proportionate response" that will "deter" Bashar Assad's regime from using toxic agents on the Syrian population, Downing Street said.

Number 10 indicated that a decision could be taken before the results of a report by UN weapons inspectors into the attack, which doctors say killed hundreds, produced but insisted any response would adhere to international law.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has already said the West could act on Syria even without full UN Security Council backing.    

Mr Hague declined to rule out action, such as targeted air strikes, being launched within days.

A reported build-up of military aircraft on British base RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus suggested that planning had reached a developed stage.

Any intervention in Syria would be "in accordance with international law and will be based on legal advice to the National Security Council and to the Cabinet", Mr Hague earlier stressed.

Mr Cameron returned early from a family holiday to prepare for Wednesday's National Security Council (NSC) meeting on a possible intervention in Syria.

Earlier US Secretary of State John Kerry said the alleged use of chemical weapons was "undeniable", and that the Obama administration would hold Damascus accountable for the "moral obscenity".

"Make no mistake, President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapon against the world's most vulnerable people," Mr Kerry said.

The US State Department has also postponed a meeting with Russian diplomats on Syria that was scheduled for this week because of America's ongoing review into alleged use of chemical weapons.

Russia - the Damascus regime's most powerful ally - said America's decision to postpone the meeting on the crisis at The Hague was a "serious disappointment" and warned that any use of force against Syria would have "catastrophic consequences".

"We call on our American colleagues and all members of the international community to show prudence, strict observance of international law, and above all, the fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia's Emergencies Ministry has confirmed to Sky News that it is sending a plane to Syria today to take humanitarian aid in and expects to bring around 150 Russian citizens out.

Mr Assad denies using the chemical weapons and Moscow - which supplies arms to Syria - has backed claims that video footage of victims could be opposition propaganda.

UN weapons experts are carrying out a second day of investigations into the alleged attack in Damascus, after the inspectors braved sniper fire on Monday.

Despite this, the UN team collected some "valuable" biological and environmental samples but refused to accept other samples of blood and urine that had already been taken by medical workers.

Back in the UK, MPs are due back from their summer break next Monday but Labour and a growing number of backbench MPs from all parties - including many Tories - are demanding a chance to debate the situation more quickly.

Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander, told Sky News that MPs must be given a vote before any British military action in Syria.

But Mr Alexander said he hopes other options besides military intervention are being being considered by the UK, US and other countries.

"I don't rule out supporting the Government [on intervention], but I think it's incumbent on the Government to make its case, to produce the evidence, to answer questions and to allow Parliament to have its say," he said.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, said it was vital to "take sides" against the Assad regime and in other regional disputes.

Mr Blair, who took the decision for British troops to join the US-led action in Iraq, wrote in the Times: "I know as one of the architects of policy after 9/11 the controversy, anguish and cost of the decisions taken.

"They have to be defeated. We should defeat them, however long it takes because otherwise they will not disappear. They will grow stronger until, at a later time, there will be another crossroads and this time there will be no choice."

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said it was "inconceivable" to act before the UN inspectors had completed their work.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that North Korea tried to export gas masks to Syria but they were seized in Turkey along with arms and ammunitions, according to Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun.

After a tip-off from the US, Turkish officials in April seized 1,400 rifles and pistols and some 30,000 bullets as well as gas masks apparently for chemical protection, said the newspaper, which is known for its North Korea coverage.

China Internet Hit By 'Largest-Ever' Attack

China has been hit by the "largest ever" attack on its internet structure, crashing servers across the country, according to a government agency.

Websites with a Chinese address - ending in .cn - went down for around two hours early on Sunday, the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) said in a statement.

The cyber attacks work by overloading servers with a huge number of requests to view internet pages - so much so that the system cannot cope and 

After the first attack, a second wave was described as "the biggest of its kind ever", CNNIC said.

"The resolution of some websites was affected, leading visits to become slow or interrupted."

The organisation did not say who might have been responsible.

Washington has repeatedly accused China of trying to hack the websites of US government agencies and businesses.

But Beijing has always denied the accusations, saying China itself is a victim of internet attacks.

Gibraltar Row: Spanish Divers Inspect Reef

The diplomatic row between Britain and Spain has intensified after footage emerged of Spanish police divers inspecting a controversial concrete reef off Gibraltar.

Spanish police published the footage showing one of its divers during an inspection of the artificial reef, which was built by the British overseas territory.

Gibraltar's government has dropped 74 concrete blocks onto the sea floor to create the reef, which it says will boost marine life.

Madrid has reacted furiously to the construction, with Spain claiming that its fishing industry has been damaged as a result.  

Fishermen say there are iron bars protruding from the blocks which tangle and break their fishing nets.

But the Rock's Governor, Sir Adrian Johns, says the actions of the police divers - as revealed in the footage - mark a "serious violation of British sovereignty".

In a statement, the Government of Gibraltar said: "Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar notes the incident of executive action taken by the Guardia Civil in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in the area of the new artificial reef.

Profile: Gibraltar

"The matter of this serious incursion will not assist in de-escalating the present tensions."

Tensions between Spain and the British territory have been described as at their worst in 40 years.

Spain has imposed tighter controls at its border with Gibraltar amid the continuing row, causing long tailbacks at the crossing.

The move has prompted angry words from British officials.

But Gibraltar's chief Minister Fabian Picardo has said the waters could be re-opened to Spanish fishermen again by October, potentially offering a means to resolve the spat.

Mr Picardo said Gibraltar would not remove the concrete blocks, as Spain demands, and rejected four-way talks with Spain, Britain and Andalusia.

On Monday, HMS Westminster arrived in Gibraltar a day after Spanish fishermen were involved in a stand-off with UK military and police boats.

The type 23 frigate was due to spend three days on the Rock, before joining several other vessels taking part in a pre-planned international training exercise in the Mediterranean and Gulf.

Edinburgh Festival: Bridget Christie Wins Gong

Feminist comic Bridget Christie has won the £10,000 award for Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh festival.

Her show, called A Bic for Her, was described as "beautifully written" and "delightfully delivered".

The producer of the awards, Nica Burns, said: "Whilst high on the laughter count, Bridget Christie's show about feminism also gives us something to think about. An outstanding hour amongst an extremely strong shortlist."

Christie, the wife of comic Stewart Lee, recently starred in her own Radio4 show.

The gongs, formally known as the 33rd Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, were presented by last year's Best Comedy Show winner Doctor Brown and special guest Steve Coogan.

The £5,000 best newcomer award went to John Kearns for his show called Sight Gags for Perverts.

The Foster's Panel Prize, also worth £5,000, went to Adrienne Truscott's Asking For It: A One Woman Lady Rape About Comedy Starring Her ***** and Little Else!

Sunday Times Settles With Lance Armstrong

The Sunday Times has revealed it has settled with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong after it was forced to pay damages over a report which suggested he had used banned substances.

The newspaper sued Armstrong for £1m last October when the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced it had "overwhelming" evidence of his drug use.

He later confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he had taken performance-enhancing substances.

The seven-time Tour de France winner - who has now been stripped of his titles - was awarded £300,000 in 2006 after he sued the paper and journalists Alan English and David Walsh.

Mr Walsh almost single-handedly uncovered Armstrong's cheating.

Following the USADA announcement, The Sunday Times demanded the return of the money as well as £720,000 costs and branded the libel "baseless and fraudulent".

It reported on Sunday that it, along with Mr Walsh and Mr English, had "reached a mutually acceptable final resolution to all claims against Lance Armstrong related to the 2012 High Court proceedings and are entirely happy with the agreed settlement, the terms of which remain confidential".

Armstrong said he justified his actions in the years that he won the Tour from 1999 to 2005 because doping was then part of the culture of the sport - and he did not believe he could capture cycling's greatest race without illegal assistance.

He did not see it as cheating, he said, adding: "I viewed it as a level playing field."

He described his favoured "cocktail" of EPO, blood transfusions and testosterone, recalling that at the time he told himself that his history of testicular cancer somehow justified it.