News in brief

New livestock virus spreads to England

A NEW animal disease which causes birth defects and miscarriages in livestock has now been found on 74 farms in England.

The Schmallenberg virus first emerged in the Netherlands and Germany last year, causing reduced milk yield and diarrhoea in cattle and late miscarriages and birth deformities in newborn sheep, goats and cattle.

It is thought the virus is spread by midges, and has crossed the English Channel from mainland Europe.

The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) said the infection had now been identified on 74 farms.

Positive cases have been identified on the Isle of Wight and in Wiltshire, West Berkshire and Gloucestershire. This is in addition to previosuly identidied cases the counties in the east and south of England.

BP ‘ready for fight’ in rig disaster trial

BP HAS admitted it is prepared for the multi-billion-dollar legal case that opens today into the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster to last until 2014.

Chief executive Bob Dudley said the oil giant was hopeful of doing “some deals” on the details of the case, but it was ready for a drawn-out battle.

The group will be in the dock in New Orleans alongside contractors Halliburton and Transocean, as a single judge decides who was to blame for what happened when the Gulf of Mexico rig exploded, claiming the lives of 11 men and triggering the biggest oil spill in US history.

BP will face the wrath of the US government, several states and hundreds of others in the hearing.

Footballer begins race claim tribunal

A BLACK footballer who was released from his club is bringing a claim for race discrimination.

Mark McCammon, 33, claims he and other black players at Gillingham FC were treated differently from white players.

The player said: “I’m hopeful that truth will prevail but I can’t comment any further at this stage.”

The case is believed to be the first race discrimination claim brought by a professional footballer.

Prime Minister David Cameron hosted a summit on racism last week, amid fears that high-profile incidents are harming football’s image. A spokesman for Gillingham said: “The allegations made by Mark McCammon are wholly rejected by the club. It would not be appropriate for the club to comment until the tribunal hearing has taken place.”

Coalition caught in Lords reform row

Tensions rose in the coalition yesterday as a Lib Dem peer warned the party might block boundary change proposals unless the Tories supported reform of the House of Lords.

Lord Oakeshott’s comments came as Conservative MP Philip Davies revealed he would vote against Lords reform. The Lib Dem peer said he believed it was time to move to a wholly or mainly an elected second chamber and the principle of hereditary peers was “undemocratic”.

Mr Davies maintained that the House of Lords “works” The Tory MP compared it with the European Commission, which he said was “totally unelected and unaccountable” but backed by the Lib Dems. Lord Oakeshott stressed the coalition agreement had a committment to bring forward proposals for a second chamber elected by proportional representation.