Tulisa Friend Admits Selling Drugs To Reporter

A friend of former N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos has admitted supplying cocaine to an undercover reporter.

Michael Coombs, who is also known as rapper Mike GLC, pleaded guilty to supplying the Class A drug when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court alongside the star.

Contostavlos, 26, is due to stand trial after she denied being concerned in brokering the alleged drug deal which was exposed by the Sun on Sunday.

It is claimed the former X Factor judge told undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, dubbed the "fake sheikh", that she could arrange for him to buy cocaine from Coombs between May 20 and May 24 last year.

Michael Coombs pictured in December

Contostavlos, of Friern Barnet, north London, denies helping Mr Mahmood to obtain 0.5oz (13.9g) of the Class A drug for £860.

Judge Alistair McCreath told the rapper he would be sentenced at the end of Contostavlos' trial and released him on bail.

He said: "Michael Coombs, I'll sentence you at the conclusion of the proceedings against your co-defendant, whatever that conclusion may be.

"In the meantime I'll permit you to keep your bail, but you must understand that that consists of no sort of indication as to what sentence you'll get at the end of it.

"On that understanding you may go."

Coombs gave Contostavlos a quick kiss on the cheek and hug and stroked her face as he left the dock.

A jury is due to be sworn in later today, and the prosecution will open the trial on Tuesday.

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Sex Abuse Inquiry Judge Quits As Head Of Probe

A retired judge chosen to spearhead one of two key inquiries into claims of historical child abuse has stepped down before she has even started the job.

Elizabeth Butler-Sloss was picked to examine whether alleged abuse by politicians and other powerful figures between the 1970s and 1990s was swept under the carpet.

However, her appointment was engulfed in controversy because as an establishment figure herself - she was considered the wrong person among victim groups and child protection campaigners to head the Government's investigation into a possible cover-up.

In addition, her late brother, Tory MP Sir Michael Havers, was the Attorney General and Lord Chancellor in during the 1980s.

Public figures have been accused of abusing children in Westminster

He is alleged to have had a row with former Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens in the 1980s in an attempt to stop him using parliamentary privilege to make allegations about paedophilia.

Baroness Butler-Sloss, who had rejected calls to quit, said in a statement that following "a widespread perception" she was not the right person to chair the inquiry, "I did not sufficiently consider whether my background and the fact my brother had been Attorney General would cause difficulties".

She said: "Having listened to the concerns of victim and survivor groups and the criticisms of MPs and the media, I have come to the conclusion that I should not chair this inquiry and have so informed the Home Secretary.

"I should like to add that I have dedicated my life to public service, to the pursuit of justice and to protecting the rights of children and families and I wish the inquiry success in its important work."

Sir Michael Havers, the brother of Baroness Butler-Sloss

David Cameron's official spokesman insisted the Prime Minister's view that the Baroness "would have done a first-class job as chair" remained unchanged.

"The reasons for her appointment still absolutely stand in terms of her professional expertise and her integrity, which I don't think has been questioned from any quarter whatsoever, and rightly so," he said, adding that it was entirely her own decision to stand down.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has been leading a campaign for a full investigation into claims of historical child abuse and was one of several figures who had called for the peer to stand down, said she had made "the right decision".

He told Sky News: "From the moment it was announced I questioned the logic of having somebody who was so well-connected to the establishment. We always needed somebody who was more independent and could challenge the establishment like she never could."

Theresa May has the task of appointing a new chair to spearhead the probe

Home Secretary Theresa May, who will be questioned by MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee later, said she was "deeply saddened" by the peer's decision and said a replacement chair would be announced as soon as possible.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the probe was "in danger of losing direction" unless a replacement that could "maintain the confidence of victims throughout" was appointed.

Sky's home affairs correspondent, Mark White, said the resignation had dealt the Government "a terrible headache" and they have to find someone "who can command the credibility they thought the Baroness would have been able to command".

White added: "They need to do that fairly urgently now, but they have got to be careful they don't make the same mistake."

Last week, Mark Sedwill, the top civil servant at the Home Office, admitted more than 100 files containing allegations of child sex abuse at Westminster were probably destroyed.

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Pistorius Breaks His Silence On Twitter

Oscar Pistorius has broken his silence on social media by posting a string of religious messages.

The Paralympian took to Twitter on Sunday afternoon, five days after the last evidence was heard in his murder trial.

He posted a collage of himself posing with children, along with the message: "You have the ability to make a difference in someones (sic) life."

The 27-year-old also uploaded a passage about how a man in "utter desolation" can still "achieve fulfillment" through "loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved".

The athlete posted a picture of himself with children

The last time he tweeted before that was on February 14 this year, the first anniversary of the day he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Then, he wrote about the "devastating accident" that caused "such heartache for everyone who truly loved - and continues to love Reeva".

The double-amputee is waiting to learn whether he will be found guilty of the 29-year-old model's murder.

Pistorius says he heard what he thought was an intruder in his house and, in "fear for his life", approached a closed toilet door and fired four shots through it.

Pistorius shot Reeva four times through a toilet door

He said he thought Reeva was still in the bedroom when he opened fire.

The athlete's first message to his 354,000 followers - posted at 5.26pm on Sunday - contained seven pictures of himself with children.

Eight minutes later, he posted a passage from Man's Search For Meaning, a book published in 1946 by Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, about his experiences as an inmate at Auschwitz.

It mentions "how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss" by contemplating "his beloved".

His last tweet contained a prayer about those living in pain

Thirteen hours later, he posted a prayer saying: "Lord, today I ask that you bathe those who live in pain in the river of your healing. Amen."

His trial resumes on August 7 and 8, when lawyers will present their final arguments at Pretoria High Court.

The judge will then retire to consider her verdict, which could take several weeks.

Pistorius faces between 25 years and life in prison if found guilty.

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Police Hunt Man Who Took Selfie At Bull Run

A man has been pictured snapping a selfie metres from rampaging bulls during Spain's famous San Fermin festival.

The unknown runner, wearing a bright red sweatshirt, holds his phone aloft as three of the half-tonne animals bear down on him.

The picture was taken during Friday's run, and since then Twitter users have been circulating the hashtag #eltontolmóvil, which means the idiot with the mobile.

Police in Pamplona are reportedly looking for the man as a local law forbids photos while taking part in the dash. He faces a fine of several thousand euros.

It is not known whether he was injured.

A man is lifted up by one of the bulls during the final run of the festival

The no-photo rule is designed to make the event slightly safer and stop people indulging in behaviour that might hold up other runners.

Two Australians and a Spaniard were gored during the final - and longest - run of the festival on Monday.

Another four people also needed hospital treatment as the six bulls chased runners down the cobblestone streets in the chaotic 848-metre dash to the city's bullring.

Daring participants run a course that is 848 metres long

One bull, named Olivito, separated from the pack and repeatedly charged one young man, lifting him up and pinning him against a wall.

Organisers said a 24-year-old Australian man suffered a "light goring" to his right thigh, while a 26-year old Australian was gored three times - to his thigh, thorax and abdominal area.

A 21-year-old Spaniard was also gored in his gluteal area.

The festival's website said some of the men's injuries were "serious" but not life threatening.

Last week, a British man was left vomiting blood, suffering four fractured ribs and a punctured lung after he was trampled.

An American, who wrote a book on how to survive the bullrun, was also badly injured.

Bill Hillmann, a 32-year-old Chicago native, was gored twice in the right thigh, festival organisers said on their website.

The encierro, or the Running of the Bulls, dates back to the Middle Ages and is the highlight of the San Fermin festival.

Many people are injured each year at the festival, while 15 people are believed to have died since record-keeping began in 1910.

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'Lack Of Women MPs Is A Real Problem'

Former equalities minister Maria Miller has told Sky News that there is a "real problem" with the lack of women MPs in Parliament.

The Conservative MP for Basingstoke told the Murnaghan programme that Parliament needed to "look at its practices" in order to encourage more women into politics.

And she said she "wouldn't rule out" all-women shortlists if the Tories could not recruit more women.

Her comments came as David Cameron is expected to appoint more women to ministerial posts at a reshuffle this week.

Ms Miller, who was forced to resign earlier this year following an expenses scandal, said: "There is a real problem there.

"We only have 22% of members of Parliament who are female, and at a time when we are seeing young girls come out of university with the best degrees, and choosing to go into areas like law and accountancy in more numbers than their male counterparts, yet in Parliament we are still struggling to attract women either as a first career or even as a second career."

David Cameron's front bench in February was entirely men

She said that women were not taking up the challenge of trying to improve their communities by going into politics.

She was hopeful that a report that is due to be released on Monday, which aims to address the issue, will help, even though Parliament has been "lagging behind".

She admitted that, as someone who had gone to a Comprehensive in Wales and had not gone to Oxford or Cambridge, becoming an MP was something she had not seen herself doing.

It had only been because of family and friends that she had gone into politics, she added.

She also admitted that she had not realised what it would be like in Parliament, but that MPs needed to "look at the working practices we have and culture that we have" so that Westminster did not lag behind.

In February, Ed Miliband pointed out during Prime Minister's Questions that none of the Conservative front bench seats were occupied by women.

Ms Miller tipped Harriett Baldwin, Margot James and Esther McVey for greater future success.

But Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that voters would view a reshuffle that increased the number of women in Cabinet as a "last minute worry" about votes.

Yvette Cooper accused David Cameron of having 'a blind spot'

The Labour front bencher accused the Prime Minister of having a "real blind spot" over women and said it would be "too little, too late".

She told the Murnaghan programme: "I think if he was serious about having women in his Cabinet, he's had four years to do so.

"There's only three women in the Cabinet of between 20 and 30 people at the moment and I think this is going to look really like a last minute worry about votes because he knows that he's got a real blind spot when it comes to women."

Liberal Democrat Justice Minister Simon Hughes admitted that his party had the fewest number of female MPs out of any of the major parties and admitted that more needed to be done.

Talking about the possibility that Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg might swap Ed Davey for Jo Swinson in the Energy Secretary role, he said: "He's absolutely mindful of making sure that we have more women in government - the fact that we have people like Jo Swinson back from maternity leave firing on all cylinders in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is very welcome in the party."

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World Cup: Day Of Reckoning For Lionel Messi

World Cup Final Preview

Updated: 10:48am UK, Sunday 13 July 2014

A wonderful World Cup will draw to a close at the Maracana tonight, with a kick-off of 8pm, as Germany and Argentina battle it out to become champions.

A thrilling tournament has served up attacking football and goals galore, with many of the star names producing their best form.

Fans from across the globe have helped to create a fantastic atmosphere in all the host cities, with Brazil living up to its reputation as the spiritual home of football.

If Brazil had made it through to tonight's showpiece it would have made the occasion even more special, but incredible results are also an ingredient of a great World Cup and the hosts were on the wrong end of a stunning scoreline in the semi-finals as they were demolished 7-1 by Germany.

Germany now go on to the majestic setting of the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro and they will have the support of the locals as they take on Brazil's fierce rivals Argentina.

It is the third time the two countries will have met in a World Cup final and presents a clash of continents as Germany aim to become the first European side to triumph on South American soil.

Argentina came out on top in Mexico in 1986 before West Germany won in Italy four years later, and Germany have also knocked out Argentina at the quarter-final stage in the last two tournaments.

Germany were superb as they beat Argentina 4-0 in South Africa four years ago, but they could not go on to lift the trophy, and they will be aware that their performances so far in Brazil will count for nothing unless they are crowned champions.

Joachim Low's side have been made to work hard along the way, but when they have clicked they have been ruthlessly efficient.

Having crushed Portugal 4-0, drawn 2-2 with Ghana and edged out USA 1-0 to win Group G, Germany then needed extra-time to see off Algeria 2-1 and overcame France 1-0 before their annihilation of Brazil.

Low is unlikely to change such a successful formula now, meaning that Miroslav Klose will again lead the line after becoming the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with his 16th finals goal against Brazil.

Thomas Muller has 10 World Cup goals, and five at this tournament, and he will provide a major threat in support of Klose, along with the impressive Toni Kroos, while Arsenal's Mesut Ozil will hope to make an impact after a quiet World Cup.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira have provided midfield stability in front of a back four of Philipp Lahm, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Benedikt Howedes, while Manuel Neuer has reinforced his standing as the No.1 goalkeeper in the world.

Hummels, Kroos, Muller and captain Lahm are all on a 10-man shortlist for the Golden Ball - the World Cup's best player - but they could all be pipped to the prize if Argentina win the final.

Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano are among the nominees, but it may be Lionel Messi who is the most likely to challenge one of the Germans, or Colombia's James Rodriguez, if he can deliver one of his most dazzling displays on what has been described as a day of destiny for the Barcelona forward.

Messi caught the eye with four goals as Argentina topped their group by defeating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1, Iran 1-0 and Nigeria 3-2, but it has since been suggested that he is suffering with fatigue following a long season.

Argentina have continued to win by narrow margins in the knockout stages, having scraped past Switzerland 1-0 after extra-time, beaten Belgium 1-0 and then required penalties to progress at the Netherlands' expense after a 0-0 draw in the semi-finals.

Di Maria missed the semi-final with a thigh injury and his fitness will continue to be monitored ahead of kick-off, with Enzo Perez most likely to make way if he is available.

Head coach Alejandro Sabella said: "He (Di Maria) has improved, that is obvious. After training, we will know better. Just now I couldn't give you an answer."

Sabella has a wealth of attacking talent in his preferred starting line-up, with Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi as well as Messi and Di Maria.

The midfield discipline comes from Mascherano and Lucas Biglia, while Manchester City duo Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis are joined in defence by Ezequiel Garay and Marcos Rojo. Sergio Romero has also excelled in goal, notably with his penalty saves against the Dutch.

Another key figure will be Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli, who follows in the footsteps of Howard Webb and will hope the final is less fiery than the match in South Africa between Spain and the Netherlands.

It would be a fitting end if tonight's game delivers a classic final, but regardless of the outcome Brazil 2014 will live long in the memory.

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Putin Tells Britain To Resolve Falklands Row

Vladimir Putin has waded into the Falkland Islands row, telling Britain it must sit down with Argentina for fresh talks to resolve the dispute.

The Russian president, who has faced international criticism over the annexation of Crimea and continuing tensions on the Ukraine border, said his country supported "the necessity" to find a solution to the 200-year-old feud.

Speaking at a dinner with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on a one-day visit to the country, Mr Putin added: "I'd like to draw attention to the words of the president regarding double discourse in international affairs."

Ms Fernandez has previously accused Britain of double standards for criticising a pro-Russian secession vote in Crimea, while using last year's Falklands referendum, in which islanders voted in favour of remaining British, to justify its rule of the archipelago.

Mr Putin shared a drink with Ms Fernandez and also played an accordion tune

At the dinner with Mr Putin, she thanked the Russian leader for supporting her country's "national cause".

"Colonisation is a dark cloud over the 20th and 19th centuries and something that should be totally wiped out," she said.

"We thank the position of Russia regarding the Falkland Islands and I am going to call a toast in the name of, as you put it, a world without double discourse ... where the international rights are the same for everyone and applied the same way everywhere."

Britain has controlled the Falklands since 1833 - except for 74 days of occupation in 1982 - but Argentina claims it inherited rights to the islands in 1816.

The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands has long been disputed

More than 900 people were killed and 2,000 injured during the war triggered by an Argentine invasion 32 years ago.

Last month, a UN committee approved a resolution calling on the UK and Argentina to negotiate over the Falkland Islands.

Argentina's foreign minister Hector Timerman told the UN special committee on decolonisation the UK's refusal to "fulfil its obligations to negotiate" over the islands' sovereignty went against the founding principle of the UN.

However, Falklands residents gave speeches at the meeting, saying they were "happy with the current status and don't want to change it".

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Israeli Troops Launch First Ground Raid On Gaza

Israeli troops have launched a ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip, the first since the offensive against Hamas began, as Palestinian deaths continue to mount.

The navy commandos' brief incursion - which ignored a United Nations call for a ceasefire - targeted a rocket launcher site, according to Israeli public radio.

The armed branch of Hamas confirmed that Israeli troops had exchanged gunfire with Palestinian fighters.

Thousands of residents in northern Gaza have fled their homes, after a warning from Israel's military that they should leave "for their own safety".

Artillery flares illuminate the sky following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Israel says it plans to step up its offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza over the next 24 hours in an effort to stop missiles being fired into Israel.

It has been massing military hardware and troops close to the border with northern Gaza.

Sky's Alex Rossi said more than 100 Israeli armoured personnel carriers and tanks are in the area.

A picture tweeted by Israel claiming to target a militant rocket site

Israel began its offensive on Tuesday in response to weeks of rocket attacks from Hamas militants in Gaza, who are understood to have fired more than 600 missiles into the country.

On Saturday evening, an Israeli warplane bombed the home of Gaza's police chief and damaged a nearby mosque, killing at least 18 people and wounding 50.

It was the deadliest single attack during the five-day conflict, which has now claimed 165 Palestinian lives and left more than 1,000 injured.

Tel Aviv residents take cover during an air raid siren warning of an attack

The injured were taken to al Shifa hospital in Gaza City as the bombardment continued.

Dr Ayman al Sahabany, director of emergency ward at the hospital, said: "Women and children are more than half of the casualties. And children form a third of the total casualties."

No Israelis have died so far in the latest conflict, and many of the rockets fired into the country have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system.

Israeli soldiers rest in the shade of trees near central Gaza

Speaking before an international summit in Vienna, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said there was an "urgent need" to stop the bloodshed.

Earlier, France called on Israel to order an immediate ceasefire.

"We condemn the Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians," said Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Israeli soldiers walk across a field near central Gaza strip

"But we also call on Israel to show restraint in its response and in particular to respect international law and to ensure that civilian casualties are avoided."

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) defended its military campaign via social media.

"To warn civilians of an impending strike, the IDF drops leaflets, makes personalized phone calls & sends SMSes. How many militaries do that?" it tweeted.

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Schumacher's Wife: F1 Champ Getting Better

Michael Schumacher's wife has spoken publicly for the first time about his skiing accident, saying he is "getting better" after coming out of a coma last month.

Corinna Schumacher, 45, told Neue Post, a German women's weekly magazine, she was encouraged by the former Formula One driver's recovery.

"It's getting better, slowly certainly, but in any case it's improving," she said.

Her husband, 45, suffered serious brain injuries when his head hit a rock while he was on a skiing holiday in the French Alps in December.

The seven-times F1 champion was reportedly travelling at speeds of up to 60mph when the accident happened.

Schumacher was placed in a medically-induced coma after the accident

It is thought he was saved by his skiing helmet, which split on impact.

Last month, he was transferred from Grenoble university hospital to Lausanne University Hospital, close to his family's home in Switzerland.

Speaking at the time, his manager, Sabine Kehm, said Schumacher was no longer in a coma but gave no further details of his condition or medical outlook, saying only he would "continue his long phase of rehabilitation".

It was also reported in the German media he was responding to his wife's voice.

His medical records were reportedly stolen last month and were being touted for sale to the media.

Ms Kehm warned potential buyers that purchase or publication of the documents was a criminal matter.

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Archbishops Split Over Right-To-Die Debate

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has made an extraordinary U-turn by announcing he is backing laws to legalise assisted dying.

His support for Labour peer Lord Falconer's Bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords next week, goes against the Church of England's official line that the law on assisted suicide should not change.

Lord Carey said it would not be "anti-Christian" to legalise assisted suicide and that by opposing reform the Church risked "promoting anguish and pain".

Tony Nicklinson died two years ago

He said the case of Tony Nicklinson - the locked-in syndrome sufferer who died after being refused the legal right to die - had the "deepest influence" on his change of heart.

"Here was a dignified man making a simple appeal for mercy, begging that the law allow him to die in peace, supported by his family," he wrote in the Daily Mail.

"His distress made me question my motives in previous debates. Had I been putting doctrine before compassion, dogma before human dignity?"

Assisted suicide is already legal at clinics like this in Switzerland

Mr Nicklinson's widow Jane said she was "amazed and thrilled" at Lord Carey's U-turn.

His comments come as a surprise because he was part of a coalition that helped stop Lord Joffe's Assisting Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in 2006 in the House of Lords.

But while the former Archbishop has come out in favour of a change in the law, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has condemned the Bill as "mistaken and dangerous".

Writing in the Times, Archbishop Welby warned the "deep personal demands" of individuals should not blind people to the pressures others could be put under should the practice become legal.

Lord Falconer's Bill would allow adults to ask for help to die

"It would be very naive to think that many of the elderly people who are abused and neglected each year, as well as many severely disabled individuals, would not be put under pressure to end their lives if assisted suicide were permitted by law," he wrote.

Archbishop Welby said a law that permitted assisted suicide would be "bound" to lead to some people feeling they ought to stop "being a burden to others".

Under the 1961 Suicide Act, it remains a criminal offence carrying up to 14 years in jail to help take someone's life.

If successful, Lord Falconer's Bill would allow mentally capable adults in England and Wales to ask for help to die if they were suffering from a terminal illness and had less than six months to live.

Modelled on a system in place in the US state of Oregon, patients would be able to administer a fatal dose of drugs to themselves, but would not be able to be given help if they could not lift it or swallow it.

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