BA boss in last minute strike talks

Frantic last-ditch efforts are being made to head off this weekend’s strike by British Airways cabin crew.

The airline’s chief executive Willie Walsh held face-to-face talks with Tony Woodley, joint leader of the Unite union, with time running out for breaking the deadlocked row over cost-cutting

BA chief Willie Walsh in last minute talks over plotted strike by cabin crews

The two men met at the London headquarters of the TUC, whose general secretary Brendan Barber has been trying to broker a deal for the last few weeks.

Mr Woodley left the building shortly after 1.30pm to attend a meeting of cabin crew representatives at Unite’s head office nearby.

The union leader said as he left the building: “We are meeting and we are talking.”

No action against son over suicide

The son of conductor Sir Edward Downes will not be charged with assisting his suicide, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said.

Keir Starmer said there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Caractacus Downes but it was not in the public interest to do so.

Renowned British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Joan

Sir Edward died with his wife, Lady Joan Downes, at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland on July 10 last year.

The Metropolitan Police launched an inquiry when officers were contacted by solicitors acting on behalf of Mr Downes to report their deaths.

They found evidence Mr Downes booked a hotel room in Switzerland for his parents and accompanied them overseas.

Killer jailed for ‘weapon dog’ murder

The first killer to be convicted using pioneering dog DNA technology has been given a life sentence for the “vicious” murder of a teenage boy in south London.

Chrisdian Johnson, 22, who is facing a life sentence for murder

Chrisdian Johnson must serve at least 24 years in jail after using his powerfully built pet Tyson as a weapon to savage 16-year-ancient Seyi Ogunyemi.

As his slightly built victim lay helpless on the ground, Johnson stabbed him six times before fleeing the scene covered in blood.

Johnson, 22, was convicted after forensic analysis proved to a billion-to-one certainty that blood found on him and at the scene came from the perilous animal.