BMJ  2005;330:110 (15 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7483.110

News

In brief

Wrongfully convicted mother denied compensation: Angela Cannings, whose conviction for killing her two baby sons was quashed on appeal, has been denied compensation from the Home Office for a wrongful conviction ( BMJ 2004;328: 183[Free Full Text]). The Home Office will not discuss cases, but the reason is thought to be that Mrs Cannings' case did not fall within either the statutory basis for compensation—that "a new or newly discovered fact shows beyond reasonable doubt that there has been a miscarriage of justice"—or the exceptional circumstances in which the home secretary will make an ex gratia payment, usually when there has been a serious default by a public body.

Italy bans smoking in public places: Italy has banned smoking in all places open to the public, including hotels, bars, restaurants, and pubs. Smoking rooms will have to respect tight standards on air quality, with forced ventilation and negative pressure.

More avian flu deaths confirmed: The World Health Organization has confirmed three deaths from H5N1 avian influenza in Vietnam. The first was a 6 year old boy who died on 30 December, the second a 9 year old boy who died on 4 January, and the third a 16 year old girl who died on 10 January.

Olive oil may reduce breast cancer risk: Laboratory tests on breast cancer cells indicate that oleic acid, which is present in olive oil, reduced expression of the Her-2/neu oncogene, which is thought to trigger the disease. The study was published online in Annals of Oncology (http://annonc.oupjournals.org, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi090[Abstract/Free Full Text]).

BMA attacks government over Road Safety Bill: The BMA says that the government should use the Road Safety Bill, which had its second reading on 11 January, to reduce the blood alcohol concentration for drink-driving from 80 mg/100 ml to 50 mg/100 ml.

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