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Flax bed sheets 'could help prevent spread of MRSA'
Researchers believe a plant first used by prehistoric man could help prevent the spread of bacteria, including MRSA, in hospital bed linen.
They found that fibres from the common flax plant can kill bacteria efficiently when treated with special light-sensitive dyes and exposed to red light.
Academics at the University of Brighton found that flax absorbs some light-sensitive dyes with a greater capacity than the most commonly used material, cotton. After stimulation with red light, the dyes produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that kill bacteria.
The ROS attacks bacteria in a number of ways meaning that it is less likely to build up resistance, unlike with treatment by antibiotics.
'Terminator 2' actor arrested in West Hollywood
Star of 'Terminator 2' Edward Furlong has been arrested on suspicion of violating a restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend.
Police say they found Furlong in West Hollywood hiding in a nearby property. He was released yesterday after being held on £65,000 bail. In March, the 35-year-old actor was sentenced to six months in jail for violating a similar restraining order.
He has been the subject of such orders taken out by both his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend.
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Grant Schapps doubts 'loon' remarks were ever made
The Conservative co-chairman, Grant Schapps, has cast doubt on reports in two newspapers that a senior Tory aide described party activists as "mad, swivel-eyed loons".
Asked who was behind the alleged comments, he told Channel 4:
Unfortunately I can't reveal the answer to that, simply because I was not there and as far as we are aware it was not even said, but we just don't know.
I don't believe anyone senior would say this type of thing, it's not an attitude or a view I have ever heard expressed in No 10, in Central Office. We respect and work with people who work incredibly hard as volunteers, unpaid, for the party.
– Grant Shapps, Conservative Party ChairmanI'm trying to make clear, I don't believe it's ever been said. You can always run a story that said there were 250 people in a room and one of them said this.
The trouble is with this story we don't know who is supposed to have said it.
Single ticket wins £390 million US lottery
A single ticketholder in the United States has beaten extraordinary odds to win the highest ever Powerball lottery jackpot, worth an estimated £390 million. The ticket was bought at a supermarket in Florida and so far the winner has not been named.
The chances of winning are extremely low at 1 in 175.2 million which reflects how many different ways players can combine the numbers. Officials estimate that about 80% of the possible combinations have been bought recently.
One in 10 British motorists 'fall asleep at the wheel'
More than three million British drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel in the last year. New research shows that almost one in 10 of the UK's more than 38 million motorists have nodded off while driving.
Tiredness contributed to at least 3,357 fatigue-related accidents which have been recorded over the past five years, according to official police figures obtained by LV car insurance.
Among the main causes were long and monotonous roads, a lack of sleep, driving long distances to a holiday destination or after a late work shift.
Howe: Anti-Europeanism has 'infected the soul' of party
Lord Howe has launched a scathing attack on the Conservative party leadership. In an opinion piece in the Observer, he writes:
Sadly, by making it clear in January that he opposes the current terms of UK membership of the EU, the prime minister has opened a Pandora's box politically and seems to be losing control of his party in the process.
The ratchet-effect of Euroscepticism has now gone so far that the Conservative leadership is in effect running scared of its own backbenchers, let alone Ukip, having allowed deep anti-Europeanism to infect the very soul of the party.
– lord howe, former chancellorThe risk now is that, if it loses the next general election – a far from negligible possibility – the Conservative party will move to a position of simply opposing Britain's continued membership, with or without a referendum.
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Murder investigation launched after man shot dead
A murder investigation has been launched following the shooting of a man last night, police said.
The 31-year-old man was shot on Church Road, Hove, at about 11.30pm.
He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton but died just after 1am.
Chief Inspector Helen West of Sussex Police said the incident is not believed to be random.
– Chief Inspector Helen West of Sussex PoliceThis is now being treated as a murder investigation. The man, who was found lying in the street, was quickly attended to by police and paramedics and taken to hospital but has tragically died.
This is a fast moving, developing inquiry to identify and trace the person or people responsible.
From information we do not believe this to be a random incident.We are actively seeking the offender, who we believe has left the area, and a number of police units including CID, Neighbourhood Policing, Road Policing and dog units are involved in this inquiry at this time.
Chief Inspector West said the investigation was still in its early stages and officers are "talking with a number of witnesses and have secured the scene for forensic examination".
Lord Howe: 'Cameron is losing control of his party'
Former foreign secretary Lord Howe has claimed David Cameron is losing control of his party as the Conservatives' "long, nervous breakdown" over Europe continues.
Lord Howe, whose differences with Baroness Thatcher over Europe led to his resignation and triggered her downfall, said Mr Cameron had "opened a Pandora's box politically" through his plan to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the European Union.
In a strongly-worded attack he said the Tory leadership was "running scared" of its backbenchers and had allowed Euroscepticism to "infect the very soul of the party".
Writing in The Observer, Lord Howe said the row over the lack of legislation paving the way for the Prime Minister's referendum by 2017, which led to a total of 116 Tories opposing the Government's legislative programme, marked a "new, almost farcical, low" for the party.
Rare Beatles guitar sells for £270,000
A guitar played by Beatles pair John Lennon and George Harrison sold for 408,000 US dollars (£269,000) at a New York auction today.
The Beatles Vox guitar, a custom prototype made in 1966 and later given to "Magic Alex" Mardas, a friend of the band, was sold by Julien's Auctions at the Hard Rock Cafe on Times Square.
The instrument raised a hundred thousand dollars more than its pre-auction estimate, which was between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars (£130,000-£200,000).
Harrison can be seen rehearsing with the guitar on I Am The Walrus during the Magical Mystery Tour of September 1967.
Lennon also played it in the promotional video for Hello, Goodbye but it is not in the final version of the video.
Lennon gave the guitar to Alex Mardas with a plaque on the back reading: "To Magic Alex/ Alexi thank you/ for been [sic] a friend/ 2-5-1967 John."
It was built by Mike Bennett with electronics by Dick Denney of Vox guitars, and was briefly on public display in London earlier this month.
No room for 'US-style guaranteed mortgages' says King
Sir Mervyn's concerns about Help to Buy echo those of the Treasury Select Committee, which reported on the Budget last month.
The committee warned the Government will come under "immense" pressure to extend Help to Buy in three years time.
– The outgoing governor of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King.We do not want what the United States have, which is a government-guaranteed mortgage market, and they are desperately trying to find a way out of that position.
So, we mustn't let this scheme turn into a permanent scheme. Now when is the right time to terminate it will depend on economic conditions at the time."Sir Mervyn said the economy was in a "modest recovery" but "we certainly can't be satisfied with it".
We will need to do more to use up the spare capacity, and to get back to a healthy, growing economy," he said. "But we are in a recovery period now, I think, yes.
Under the equity loan new or existing homeowners will need to raise a deposit of 5% of the value of the property they want to buy, but can borrow up to a further 20% from the Government on an interest-free basis.
The biggest loan available will be £120,000.
