Lawyers for the Government claimed yesterday that the controversial black American political leader Louis Farrakhan had no legal right to freedom of expression in Britain because he was not allowed into the country in the first place.
The Home Secretary had far-reaching discretionary powers under immigration law to ban individuals, and Mr Farrakhan, 68, was “well known for expressing anti-Semitic and racially divisive views”, the Court of Appeal heard.The claims were made as the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, launched an appeal against a High Court ruling that quashed a decision made by his predecessor, Jack Straw, to ban Mr Farrakhan. The court has also been told that when Mrs Cannings discovered Matthew was not breathing she called her husband before she telephoned for an ambulance.Before Mrs Cannings was called into the witness box yesterday, Ms Briggs told the jury the defence would bring expert medical evidence to show that there could be genetic and environmental reasons why babies died from sudden infant death syndrome or cot death.The trial continues today with Mrs Cannings to continue giving evidence.. “He was not the same, he was not as alert, he just didn’t seem to be right, he was not himself,” she said.The prosecution has alleged that each of the boys suffered an “acute life-threatening event” nine days before they died, both of them were alone with their mother when they died and had been seen looking well shortly before their deaths. Mrs Cannings told the court that after that episode and in the days before Jason died he had not been the same. The jury was shown a 20-minute family video and photographs as well as a 35-minute video showing the first seven weeks of Jason’s life.Ms Briggs said the final sequence in Jason’s video showed him after what the defence say is an episode of ill health. “I personally did not know what to do, I was just not with it at all, I was numb, shocked.”Asked about her relationship with her husband Terry, Mrs Canning said they were still “together as we can be” and he supported her.

To lose Matthew was just so devastating I just felt totally lost, shocked, just the feeling of, ‘Why?’”When we lost Gemma and Jason and then Matthew, each time I felt empty inside and wondered why it happened.”Mrs Cannings told the court she had no idea what the police wanted when she was arrested soon after Matthew’s death She said that she had felt helpless after his death. Her first child, Gemma, died aged 13 weeks in 1989 but she faces no charges relating to her death.The jury has been told Mrs Cannings smothered Jason and Matthew while they slept in their cots and had heard from medical experts who said both boys suffered an obstruction in their airways caused by deliberate smothering.But yesterday Mrs Cannings told the junior defence counsel, Jo Briggs, who is deputising for Michael Mansfield QC, that she had never harmed any of her children.Struggling not to cry, she said: “It’s as I said when I had been arrested; I do not know why this has happened, I really didn’t know what I had done in my life to deserve to lose my children. She had no idea why they died and each time she was left shocked and devastated, she told Winchester Crown Court.Mrs Cannings, 38, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of seven-week-old Jason in 1991 and 18-week-old Matthew in 1999. A mother accused of murdering two of her babies fought back tears yesterday as she said she had no idea what she had done to deserve losing her children.
Angela Cannings said she was left “empty inside” by the deaths of two of her sons, Matthew and Jason, and a daughter Gemma.

And another witness said he had been told that Damilola was killed for “a laugh”.The trial continues today.. A trail of blood marked the short distance he managed to drag himself before he died in a stairwell.Earlier, another 18-year-old inmate told the court that one of the brothers told him he was present during the attack.During cross-examination he admitted he had been asked by police to pass on information about the brothers.He said he had initially approached an officer with information because he wanted a letter from police to be presented to the judge when he was sentenced for robberies.Another 18-year-old former Feltham inmate earlier told the court that Damilola was stabbed because he got “lippy”. He said they get others like Damilola to go out and do similar robberies and stuff for them, but he would not.”So they were confronting him to scare him so he would do things for them.”However, he said he could not remember why the 16-year-old had said Damilola, 10, was stabbed.Two brothers, both aged 16, and a 15-year-old boy deny murder, manslaughter and assault with intent to rob.Damilola died in November 2000 after being stabbed in the leg with a broken bottle on the north Peckham estate, south London, as he returned home from an after-school computer club. Damilola Taylor was killed when he refused to carry out street robberies for a group of bullies, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.
One of the 16-year-old boys accused of the schoolboy’s murder told a fellow inmate at Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution that he had confronted Damilola and tried to scare him into helping them, the court heard.The 18-year-old former inmate said: “They had confronted the boy because they were asking him to do stuff.”He said he was telling him about the other boys he was getting to do street robberies and stuff, but he would not do it. Yesterday the Commission approved a £40m scheme to compensate UK carriers for the losses caused by the closure of airspace between September 11-14 last year.Under the tariff scheme outlined yesterday, which requires the approval of EU states and the European Parliament, the Commission would be allowed to impose tariffs on airlines from third countries benefiting from subsidies, probably by increasing airport taxes.. As a consequence EU airlines have been given direct aid only to cover losses incurred during the days on which it was impossible for them to fly because US airspace was closed.

The change will be implemented over a two-season period from the end of the 2002-03 season.Shannon lead the AIB League by two points after defeating Garryowen 22-15. Second-placed Cork Constitution also won away, 18-6 at Carlow.Gordon Hunter, assistant coach to the All Blacks during the mid-1990s, has died after a long battle with cancer.. As long as England continue to concentrate more on style than on winning they will carry on suffering unexpected setbacks like they did in Paris last weekend. No matter how good a team are, winning should be their first and foremost objective. I am sure England would claim that winning is their top priority but the evidence suggests otherwise.