D Wednesday, January 13, 2010 News Blairs top spin-doctor defends dodgy dossier TONY Blair promised George W Bush in secret messages that Britain would be there if it came to military action a year before the invasion of Iraq. Alastair Campbell, Mr Blairs former communications director, also told the Iraq Inquiry he never asked the author of the Iraq dossier Sir John Scarlett to sex up the report. At no time did I ever ask him [Scarlett] to beef up any of the judgments he had, he said. Mr Campbell said secret notes passed between Mr Blair and then US president Mr Bush were regarded as so sensitive they were not circulated in Whitehall. Pony is left to drown in frozen canalA DUBLIN animal charity reacted an- grily yesterday after a horse was led on to a frozen canal before falling in and drowning. The dead animal was found frozen solid in the icy waters of the Grand Canal with a broken leg. Residents in Clondalkin reported see- ing a number of youths leading horses out onto the ice near Park West during the big freeze. The Dublin Society for the Preven- tion of Cruelty to Animals said while this may have amounted to mere stu- pidity, there is every chance the ponys death was a malicious act. Its inspectors could not determine if the ponys leg was broken during the fall, as it struggled to get out, or if it was broken beforehand making the animal a burden to be disposed of. We are not surprised. This is what happens when you have horses being kept by people who do not know how to care for them, in locations that are entirely unsuitable, said spokeswoman OrlaAungier. When you throw the bad weather in on top of everything, this is the reality. The society rescued more than 100 horses last year, but had to euthanise almost half of them, while many more were found dead at the scene. It expects fatalities to reach triple fig- ures again this year, having already been forced to destroy three horses so far this year, with the cold weather set to claim many more lives. Last week, the society took in nine puppies after a passer-by stopped a group of teenagers from throwing them in a bag into a canal in Labre Park, Ballyfermot in Dublin. Ms Aungier added: The mindset to take tiny, innocent, vulnerable animals in this freezing weather to attempt to drown them; dear God what are they going to grow up to be? By Ross McDonagh Device may end floods misery A 15-year-old schoolboy has unveiled a new device which he claims could help prevent future flood misery. As part of this weeks BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin, Michael Redmond from Presentation College in Bray designed a thermometer which checks soil temperature to alert of any increase in water levels. It doesnt get rid of floods but it helps people know the risk is there, he said. As to whether people would buy it, I might have to think of a new name Rising Water Table isnt very catchy. A heads-up: Students enjoy one of the 500 exhibits at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin yesterday. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html