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His rehabilitation appeared complete yesterday when even Millbank whispered that it could “do business with” the Cardiff West MP it once vilified.Resurrection is possible, even after a suicide, but the matter is now entirely in the hands of Mr Michael’s Labour colleagues Only they can decide if Ken Barlow transforms into Lazarus.. Say what you like about the High Court as a venue. It may be too draughty and have poor acoustics, but over the years it has pulled all the major pop stars and yesterday it was Spice Girl Emma Bunton’s turn

Say what you like about the High Court as a venue. It may be too draughty and have poor acoustics, but over the years it has pulled all the major pop stars and yesterday it was Spice Girl Emma Bunton’s turn.
Miss Bunton, appearing suitably serious and a touch apprehensive, entered the witness box of Court 19 in front of a public gallery that was packed with adoring fans, lawyers from other cases and court reporters.The Spice Girls band member was giving evidence at the High Court in an action between the band and the official sponsors of their world tour in 1998, who are claiming that Geri Halliwell’s departure cost them £1.6m in lost profits.Aprilia, the Italian sponsor and motorcycle manufacturer, was left nursing further losses after creating a special edition scooter that bears the fab five’s now-redundant silhouette.Aprilia claims Ms Halliwell had told the other Spice Girls she was leaving the group before the deal was concluded.Miss Bunton told the court yesterday that she had never believed Miss Halliwell would actually leave. “We were always working very long hours and we just didn’t believe it,” she said. “Things were said all the time and this was just something we didn’t take seriously.”After performing in the witness box for nearly 40 minutes, Miss Bunton left the court to announce: “I would rather do a show I was nervous giving evidence. Going on stage is much easier.” The hearing is adjourned until tomorrow, when Miss Halliwell will give evidence for The Spice Girls..

The Protestant leader of Northern Ireland’s troubled power-sharing government has insist that the historic coalition wasn’t facing “a terminal crisis,” even though it could be suspended by the weekend. The Protestant leader of Northern Ireland’s troubled power-sharing government has insist that the historic coalition wasn’t facing “a terminal crisis,” even though it could be suspended by the weekend.
Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble sought to sound an optimistic note after hour-long talks in Dublin with Ireland’s prime minister, Bertie Ahern.Ahern’s government has spent the past week pressing representatives of the Irish Republican Army, through its affiliated Sinn Fein party, to make a cast-iron commitment to disarm. The goal was part of Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace accord.The outlawed group’s failure to move on the issue has jeopardised Trimble’s hold on the Ulster Unionists, the major Protestant party whose participation is essential for the Cabinet to survive.Despite considerable Protestant hostility, Trimble sat down with Sinn Fein in the four-party Cabinet two months ago- in the now-dashed expectation that the IRA would disarm in response.An independent disarmament commission reported Jan. 31 that the IRA had offered nothing concrete in two months of secret discussions. In response, the British government pledged to take back the Belfast Cabinet’s powers in advance of a planned Ulster Unionist conference on Saturday.”The basic reality is that we jumped, others didn’t jump, and consequently we’ve got problems,” Trimble said.”But I have to emphasise that they are just problems.

And people would be wrong to regard this as a terminal crisis,” added Trimble, Ahern at his side. “No matter what difficulties we might have, no matter what might flow from my own council meeting on Saturday, nobody should regard that as being the ending of this process..”Ahern confirmed he had consulted with his attorney general over whether his government might have to take the British government to court if the Belfast Cabinet’s suspension of powers proves long-term.In December, Ahern’s government approved amendments to the Irish Republic’s constitution – dropping its territorial claim to the north – hours after Britain ended 27 years of so-called “direct rule” in Northern Ireland by transfering considerable powers to the Cabinet.The administration’s senior Catholic minister, Seamus Mallon, challenged Britain’s entire rationale for seeking to suspend its powers. He said the idea of rendering the Cabinet powerless, but still intact, seemed nonsensical.”There can be no half-suspended ministers. We’re either full ministers with powers, or we’re not votes.Sinn Fein leaders angrily accused the British and Ulster Unionists of unfairly pinning all blame for the current crisis on the IRA.. The IRA was warned yesterday that it must issue a new statement on arms decommissioning by today if it is to avert the suspension of Northern Ireland’s devolved government. The IRA was warned yesterday that it must issue a new statement on arms decommissioning by today if it is to avert the suspension of Northern Ireland’s devolved government.
The message was relayed by the British and Irish governments as frenetic political and diplomatic efforts were made in Belfast, London, Dublin and Washington to force the IRA to commit itself to disarmament.Legislation to suspend the new executive and assembly will come into effect tomorrow, in advance of Saturday’s crucial meeting of the ruling council of David Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party.If no new IRA statement emerges, the Government will put the province’s institutions in cold storage to prevent the resignation of Mr Trimble as First Minister, which would have led to their collapse.In the Commons, Peter Mandelson,the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, struck an optimistic note, telling MPs there “may well be” a further report by General John de Chastelain, head of the decommissioning body, that might satisfy Unionists.After Tony Blair met Mr Trimble yesterday, Downing Street said “various ideas and creative thinking” were under discussion but insisted there was no firm proposal.Seamus Mallon, Deputy First Minister and deputy leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, also raised hopes of a last-minute move.

“Nothing is ever over until the last card is played,” he said.. Peter Mandelson indicated yesterday that there “may well be” a further report on decommissioning by paramilitaries before the end of the week in a bid to save the peace process. Peter Mandelson indicated yesterday that there “may well be” a further report on decommissioning by paramilitaries before the end of the week in a bid to save the peace process.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said during question time that a solution “may yet be found even at this eleventh hour. In that context I would make this appeal to the leaders of all the political parties in Northern Ireland – that they shouldn’t close their minds to any further developments.”But Mr Mandelson stressed that he would go ahead with the implementation of the Patten recommendations on RUC reform, resisting calls by David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist Party leader and First Minister, to shelve the report.* Mr Trimble, who is facing one of his most difficult weeks in office, received an honour yesterday. He was chosen by MPs of all parties for the award of outstanding political achievement at a joint reception of The House magazine and Channel 4.. The Government gave the clearest signal that it intended to send back all those on board the hijacked Afghan aircraft after the end of the four-day crisis at Stansted airport.

The Government gave the clearest signal that it intended to send back all those on board the hijacked Afghan aircraft after the end of the four-day crisis at Stansted airport.
Jack Straw, the Home Secretary said in a Commons statement that he would personally decide on any applications for asylum. and stressed that the Government was determined, by its actions, to discourage future hijackings.”Subject to compliance with all legal requirements, I would wish to see removed from this country all those on the place as soon as reasonably practicable,” he said.Mr Straw said: “As a matter of public policy, I believe that the clearest and unequivocal signals must be sent out so as to discourage hijacking, whatever its motive.The Home Secretary said the plane involved was on an internal flight from Kabul. “In such circumstances, it seems inconceivable that persons on the flight could have intended to claim political asylum unless of course they were complicit in the hijacking.” He explained that the hijacked plane had been allowed to land at Stansted in accordance with Britain’s “international obligations”.Of those on the plane, 60 had so far told immigration officers they wished to apply for asylum along with 14 dependants. The remainder had yet to make their wishes known.Nineteen suspected hijackers were arrested at the end of the Stansted siege after all the hostages were released unharmed.Essex police are trying to establish if any of the hostages had links with the hijackers amid claims that the entire incident was a mass asylum seeking plot.Essex Chief Constable David Stevens said a haul of weapons including four handguns, five knives, two detonators, two grenades with their fuses missing and a knuckle-duster had been recovered from the plane.Mr Stevens said of the hijack suspects: “They have been arrested on suspicion of having committed an offence, of being involved in some way with the arrival of the aircraft at this airport.”He said that the process of interviews may reveal that others were involved.Mr Stevens said: “It only became clear in the last hour that the people on board were expressing concern about the political situation in Afghanistan. For the first 75 hours they didn’t talk about the political situation at all.”Mr Stevens said no concessions were made to the hijackers before the end of the siege, which came at the start of its fourth day.”No guarantees have been given on any subject,” the chief constable said.”No requests or guarantees on asylum were made and none have been given.”It was very difficult for us to have an understanding why they have taken the plane. It certainly was not clear in our mind what the motive was.”The political issue was only mentioned right at the final stage.”Mr Stevens said he was in no doubt that the incident was a hijack not a mass asylum application.”I can certainly categorically state that when you find four knives, two detonators, two grenades and a knuckle duster in my opinion that is a hijack.”He said “significant threats” had been made following the crew’s dramatic escape late on Tuesday when four of them clambered from the cockpit using ropes.