Today's other stories in brief
No apology over Van Rompuy insult
BRUSSELS – A British MEP refused to apologise yesterday for calling the European Union president a "low-grade bank clerk", saying if anything he should say sorry to bank clerks.
Nigel Farage, a eurosceptic UK Independence Party member, verbally savaged Herman Van Rompuy in a parliamentary debate last week, saying the former Belgian prime minister was from a “non-country” and had the “charisma of a damp rag”.
The personal attack led the president of the parliament, Jerzy Buzek, to call Mr Farage in for a dressing-down yesterday. – (Reuters)
Return to jail for one of Jamie Bulger's killers
LONDON – One of the two men convicted as children of killing toddler Jamie Bulger in one of Britain’s most notorious murders is back in prison after breaking the rules governing his release, authorities said yesterday.
Jon Venables, who was 10 when he and a friend took the two-year-old from a shopping mall before torturing him and beating him to death by a railway line, was jailed for a minimum of eight years in 1993.
Venables (27) was returned to custody following an undisclosed breach of the conditions surrounding his release in 2001 “on licence”, a system where offenders are allowed out of prison as long as they follow certain rules.
“We can confirm that Jon Venables has been recalled to custody following a breach of licence conditions,” the justice ministry said.
“Offenders on licence are subject to strict conditions. If they breach those conditions, they are subject to immediate recall.” A justice ministry spokesman would not say what rules Venables had broken or give any more details. Typical rules govern where an offender can live, whom they are allowed to contact and what sort of treatment or counselling they must undergo.
Anyone recalled to prison must go before a parole board before they can be freed again. – (Reuters)