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According to the BBC, those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are to receive are to be the beneficiaries of a more generous compensation scheme.

Under the old rules a soldier was only compensated for the worst three injuries from any one incident. The new rules will take in to account all injuries suffered, with compensation awarded on a sliding scale.

Those who suffer from post traumatic stress will also benefit from more generous awards and a rise in the annual amount given to soldiers for their loss of earnings.
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According to the BBC, the proposals came after eight people died on Italian ski slopes last weekend.

The law could be in place by the end of the ski season and would also include a fine of €5000 for anyone caught ignoring warnings and skiing off-piste.

Off-piste skiing is where people ski away from or between designated trails and is becoming increasingly popular. The areas are often dangerous and unstable and this has resulted in an increased number of deaths.
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A 65 year old man has died after he was hit by a bus when it mounted a pavement.

According to the BBC, the incident occurred in Albany Road, Walworth, South London and involved the number 42 bus. It happened at approximately 10.30am on 30^th January 2010.

Mr Newell Lewis suffered multiple injuries and died at King’s College Hospital.

Police stated that the bus hit several items of street furniture before hitting Mr Lewis but they have appealed for further information regarding the incident, Metropolitan Police Sergeant Paul Sanders stating that the police “…still need to hear from anyone who saw what happened that day”.
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According to the BBC, the report conducted by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) indicates that the British Airways Boeing 777 lost power due to both engines due to restricted fuel flow.

It said that the crash was probably caused by a build up of ice in the fuel system. The ice is said to have formed within the fuel system from water that occurred naturally in the fuel when a particular temperature range would cause the ice crystals to stick.

The report states that “Certification requirements, with which the aircraft and engine fuel system had to comply, did not take account of this phenomenon as this risk was unrecognised at that time”
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Following the news of a defect with the accelerator in a large number of their models, Toyota will be reeling from the news that their latest model, the Prius, may have to be recalled to fix a potentially dangerous brake problem.

According to the Guardian, the initial recall is expected to be aimed at the US and Japan, where drivers have reported momentary brake failure at slow speeds, particularly on bumpy or slippery roads.

Toyota has stated that it is not a mechanical problem, but a software issue than can be fixed in about 30 minutes. The news of this problem is a massive blow to Toyota, as the Prius model is the world’s most popular petrol-electric hybrid and was the bestselling car in Japan last year.
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According to the BBC, the warnings will be provided to both homes and businesses and will provide more people with “vital time” to get ready for an emergency.

The move follows a recommendation by an independent review panel, which was a by product of the floods experienced in the summer of 2007.

Letters will be sent in March to all homes and businesses to be signed up.

Alan Proctor, the flood risk manager, warned “One in nine homes in Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea” and stated that “By signing up almost 40,000 extra homes and businesses, we will almost double the number on our system, giving more people vital time to get prepared for flooding, protecting lives and property.”
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According to the BBC, the signs warn drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists and follow a campaign by friends and relatives of motorcyclist David Loudon who died in a crash in February 2008.

Campaigners said that some drivers perform dangerous U-turns, without thinking about motorbikes.

Steve Mears, from Portishead, said “We all know that when the traffic backs up on the road that motorists do U-turns which not only inconveniences other road users but are dangerous.”
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I was surprised to read an American court ruling involving the multinational household name “Apple” whom had been taken to court by some of their consumers over claims that iPods could cause hearing loss.

The Claimant’s in the case has sought to claim for not only financial damages but also to require Apple to provide ‘better’ headphones, improve safety features and also to test all iPod uses for hearing loss!

The two Claimant’s to the case, named as Joseph Birdsong and Bruce Waggoner, made claims that the iPod earphones were badly designed. They are designed to be placed directly in to the ear canal rather than being placed just inside the ear which they claimed increased the danger of hearing damage.
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A West Yorkshire man has been jailed following an attack on a two week old baby. The incident occurred in February 2008 when Matthew Masterman, 22, shook the baby, causing him serious injuries including broken ribs and brain haemorrhaging.

Judge Peter Benson, described the attack as “disturbing in the extreme”. The infant suffered fractures to his collarbone, ribs, knee and haemorrhaging to his brain, eyes and lower spine.

It was 12 hours before help was called for the baby.
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The Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has been given a final warning for keeping people waiting too long in its accident and emergency department.

According to the BBC, the Trust could have board members removed if it does not improve. Monitor, the organisation which polices foundations hospitals, has lambasted the Trust for failing to reach targets for patients being seen in accident and emergency for the last three years.

This was one of several criticisms of the trust and as a result they will now have to submit performance data and action plan updates on a monthly basis.
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