LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is planning to become the first country in the world to offer controversial "three-parent" fertility treatments to families who want to avoid passing on incurable diseases to their children.

The methods, currently only at the research stage in laboratories in Britain and the United States, would for the first time involve implanting genetically modified embryos into women.

Critics said the technique was ethically suspect and would eventually lead to a eugenic 'designer baby' market.

It involves intervening in the fertilisation process to remove faulty mitochondrial DNA, which can cause inherited conditions such as fatal heart problems, liver failure, brain disorders, blindness and muscular dystrophy.

The methods are designed to help families with mitochondrial diseases - incurable conditions passed down the maternal line that affect around one in 6,500 children worldwide. Mitochondria act as tiny energy-generating batteries inside cells.

The potential treatment is known as three-parent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) because the offspring would have genes from a mother, a father and from a female donor.

After a national public consultation showed Britons broadly favour the idea, the government's chief physician said on Friday it should be allowed to go ahead under strict regulation.

"Scientists have developed ground-breaking new procedures which could stop these diseases being passed on, bringing hope to many families seeking to prevent their children inheriting them," Sally Davies, chief medical officer, told reporters.

"It's only right that we look to introduce this life-saving treatment as soon as we can."

But David King, director of the Human Genetics Alert campaign group said "the techniques are unnecessary and their use is ethically unsound" and criticised the government for failing to conduct a more comprehensive public consultation.

"They cross the ethical line that has been agreed by government around the world that we should not genetically alter human beings," he said in an emailed statement.

DNA SWAP

Davies said the government's health department is drafting regulations to cover the new treatments and plans to publish them later this year. The move would make Britain the first country in the world to give patients an option of mitochondrial DNA transfer to avoid passing the diseases on to their children.

Scientists are researching several three-parent IVF techniques.

One being developed at Britain's Newcastle University, known as pronuclear transfer, swaps DNA between two fertilised human eggs. Another, called maternal spindle transfer, swaps material between the mother's egg and a donor egg before fertilisation.

A British medical ethics panel which reviewed the potential treatments for mitochondrial diseases decided last year they were ethical and should go ahead as long as research shows they are likely to be safe and effective.

Because Britain is in the vanguard of this research, ethical concerns, political decisions and scientific advances here are closely watched around the world - particularly in the United States where scientists are also working on DNA swap techniques.

Pro-life campaigners have already criticised the scientific research, saying that creating embryonic children in a lab abuses them by subjecting them to unnatural processes.

Critics like King also worry that modifying embryos to avoid disease is the first step towards the creation of "designer babies", whose genetic makeup could be modified as embryos to ensure certain traits such as height or hair colour.

Asked whether she was "comfortable" with taking such a major step along the way to allowing human genetic modification, Davies said she had debated and considered the ethical implications with many experts over many years and had come to the conclusion the techniques should be allowed.

Any final decision on putting the regulations in place to allow the new treatments to be offered will be subject to a vote in parliament, but Davies said she hoped the first patients may be able to get the new treatments within two years.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Alistair Lyon, John Stonestreet)

The pop diva performed in a fashionable sling that matched her shimmering white dress on Central Park's Great Lawn on Saturday night for the 2013 MLB All-Star Charity Concert. It was for the benefit of Superstorm Sandy victims.

She asked the crowd: "We like it?"

The 43-year-old went to the hospital Sunday after dislocating her shoulder while filming a music video. She told the crowd Saturday she "was in a tiny bit of pain, but I'm OK."

Carey performed four songs which sounded live with the New York Philharmonic. Her recent performances at the BET Awards and on "American Idol" have been criticized as Carey appeared to lip sync. She kicked off the four-song concert with "My All" full of breathy riffs and added a white fur to her sling when she sang "Looking In."

"I'm not in the best of health," she said. "I'm filming this for my own self for incredible laughs."

Carey added that she was humbled to perform at a benefit for Sandy victims. Major League Baseball made a $1 million donation for Sandy relief efforts.

The singer appeared in a black dress when she returned to perform two songs; she also had a feathery black sling to match her outfit.

Randy Jackson played guitar when Carey sang "#Beautiful" and a choir joined the singer when she closed her set with "Hero."

The wife and daughter of MLB legend Jackie Robinson, Rachel and Sharon Robinson, were in the crowd Saturday and earned a roaring cheer from the crowd.

____

Online:

http://mariahcarey.com/

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2013/charity_concert.jsp

____

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MusicMesfin

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - American engineer Shane Todd committed suicide in Singapore last year, a coroner's inquiry in the city-state concluded on Monday, a verdict at odds with his family's belief that he was murdered because of his work.

The case had threatened to become a diplomatic issue as Senator Max Baucus, who represents Todd's home state of Montana, had pressed for more U.S. involvement in the investigation.

The possibility of damage to U.S.-Singapore ties appears to have diminished, even though Todd's parents have vowed to push for an investigation at home. They allege Singapore's Institute of Microelectronics (IME), where their son had worked, was involved in the transfer of sensitive technology to China.

After the verdict, the U.S. embassy in Singapore said: "The inquiry into Dr. Todd's death was comprehensive, fair and transparent". The statement expressed "heartfelt sympathy" to his family, friends and colleagues.

Todd, 31, died of "asphyxia by hanging" and there was "no foul play involved in the deceased's death," said the summary of the findings by District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt, issued after two weeks of testimony by dozens of witnesses in May. Singapore law requires an inquiry into any death not resulting from illness.

Singapore sees the case as closed but will be open to the Todds "if they want to talk to us, if they want to come over and look at things again", K. Shanmugam, the foreign minister and law minister, told Reuters.

"This is not a case like a civil litigation where one side wins and one side loses. It is a sad situation."

Through their lawyer, the Todds said they would issue a statement after they had gone through the 145-page report.

U.S. AUDIT OF SINGAPORE COMPANY

Todd was found hanging from the bathroom door of his apartment in June 2012, two days after he left his job at IME. He was researching an advanced semiconductor material called gallium nitride (GaN) that has commercial and military uses.

Todd's parents believe he was murdered over what they said was his role in a project between state-linked IME and Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

Shanmugam said a "process audit" of IME by U.S. officials had begun to allow them to "satisfy themselves there has been no such illegal transfer (of technology) as has been alleged".

"The process has started. It will be continuing through this month," he said, adding U.S. experts would arrive in mid-July.

Huawei and Singapore officials have denied the accusations, saying they did not proceed beyond initial discussions into a possible project involving GaN, which can be used in equipment ranging from mobile phone base stations to military radars.

The judge concurred.

"The potential GaN power amplifier project did not even materialize. Even if it did, which I did not find, the listed specifications show it would not have violated general export control laws, nor could it have been used for military applications," he said.

"(Todd) was not in possession of confidential and valuable classified information in the course of his employment."

Huawei has been blocked from some projects in Australia and is deemed a security risk by the U.S. Congress on the grounds that its equipment could be used for spying.

Rick and Mary Todd attended the inquiry for several days before pulling out and leaving Singapore, saying they had lost confidence in the system investigating their son's death.

"What has made us say that we can no longer stay here is the testimony from the beginning, saying they are always only looking at suicide, never murder," Rick Todd told Reuters Television on May 22. "The outcome was pre-determined."

During the inquiry, Singapore government lawyers presented forensic reports that showed Todd died by hanging, based on injuries around his neck. Their findings were backed by two U.S. pathologists, who said the manner of death pointed to suicide.

The parents walked out of the hearing after a U.S. medical examiner they had hired retracted a statement that Todd had been garroted and the judge refused their request to delay testimony by another witness so they could go through it.

The Todds' belief that their son was murdered was based on documents on a hard disk drive they said they found in his apartment. Singapore disputes the Todds' account, saying police had returned the hard drive to the family after examining it.

(Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Ron Popeski)

Tyco said on Monday it received a notice from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service stating that several of the company's former units, including ADT, owed taxes of $883.3 million and penalties of $154.0 million for tax years from 1997 to 2000. (http://r.reuters.com/nyr39t)

Tyco also said the IRS had disallowed interest and related deductions recognized on the U.S. income tax returns totaling about $2.86 billion related to intercompany debt transactions.

The company said four former subsidiaries would share the liabilities under tax-sharing agreements. The companies are Covidien Plc , TE Connectivity Ltd , ADT and Pentair Ltd . (http://link.reuters.com/saw39t)

Shares of ADT, which was spun off from Tyco in September, were little changed at $40.46 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Mridhula Raghavan in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

between an Indiana woman and her ex-husband in Cyprus has become an international issue.

In April, Marla Theocharides moved to Cyprus to be close to her two children, Katerina, 7, and Marcus, 4. The brother and sister have lived in Cyprus with Marla's ex-husband, Charis Theocharides, for more than two years. A Cypriot court granted Charis custody and Marla visitation rights.

On Friday, a Cypriot court issued a warrant for Marla's arrest for failure to pay child support, but she says she has no means to work without a work permit, known in Cyprus as a pink slip. Things are different back in Indiana where the court granted Marla custody of her kids.

I expect to be arrested this week, Marla told thein an exclusive interview. I am not legally allowed to work in Cyprus until they issue me a pink slip. I have applied for it but have not received it yet.

Marla married Charis Theocharides, a Cyprus native, in 2004. According to Indianapolis station , the couple later left Indiana and took their two children to Cyprus for an extended visit. Their relationship fell apart, and Marla returned with her two children, filing for divorce once she was back in the United States.

Charis filed kidnapping charges against Marla, which were eventually dropped. Even though Marla was granted full custody in Indiana, Cyprus did not recognize the U.S. court ruling, and demanded that she return her children, who are U.S. citizens, to her ex-husband. Fearing she would go to jail, Marla complied.

Now living in Cyprus, the 33-year-old says that her ex-husband thwarts her visitation rights, an accusation Charis disputed in an . Im the one that I go to the park and the swimming pools, and I get together with her, and she sees the kids, he said.

An official with the the State Department told the Indianapolis Star that it is aware of "this private legal matter" before the Cypriot courts and is "providing all appropriate assistance and will continue to monitor the case closely."

To bring attention to Marla's situation, supporters have launched anat Change.org and areto help with expenses.

Alnylam shares rose 14 percent to $42.80 in premarket trade.

The study was testing a subcutaneously administered version of the drug, ALN-TTR, to treat genetic disorder amyloidosis, which is caused by deposits of protein in tissues and organs.

The therapy is based on Alnylam's gene silencing technology that works by "switching off" certain disease-causing genes and is widely believed to hold immense potential for treating diseases ranging from cancer to HIV.

(Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

Kermit Gosnell, 72, was sentenced in May to three life terms without parole after being found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder. As part of a deal that spared him from the death penalty, Gosnell waived his right to appeal.

He was also sentenced to up to five years for the involuntary manslaughter of a patient, Karnamaya Mongar, 41, of Virginia, who died from a drug overdose after going to him for an abortion.

On Tuesday, Gosnell pleaded guilty to another series of charges, including conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, alprazolam, and codeine, and maintaining a place for the illegal distribution of those drugs. He will be sentenced on those charges in October.

Gosnell admitted to writing fraudulent prescriptions for thousands of prescription pills to individuals, in some cases without performing an exam. Customers were allowed to purchase multiple prescriptions under multiple names, according to prosecutors.

In January 2010, Gosnell wrote more than 2,300 prescriptions for controlled substances that were later filled at pharmacies, according to prosecutors.

Graphic trial testimony at Gosnell's murder trial centered on his actions at the now-closed Women's Medical Society Clinic in West Philadelphia, a clinic that served a predominantly black and low-income community. The trial cast a spotlight on the controversial practice of late-term abortions.

A clinic worker testified during the trial that Gosnell had delivered live babies during botched late-term abortions and cut their spinal cords.

(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Mohammad Zargham)

[More from BGR: ]

This article was

For Allmendinger, it was another step toward rebuilding his racing career after sitting out part of last season because of a violation of NASCAR's substance-abuse policy. It also was a return to victory lane at Road America for Allmendinger, who won at the four-mile road course in Central Wisconsin in the Champ Car Series in 2006.

Allgaier finished second, followed by Parker Kligerman, Owen Kelly and Sam Hornish Jr.

Billy Johnson led on a restart with eight to go, but he slid wide in Turn 5 and was passed by Allgaier and Allmendinger. Allmendinger then made the decisive move one lap later, snatching the lead from Allgaier at the top of the hill in Turn 6.

He'd have to defend his lead on three more restarts, fending off a charge from Allgaier with three laps to go and then facing two green-white-checkered finishes -- NASCAR's version of overtime.

Allmendinger once again took the lead, only to watch another caution come out for Michael Annett's accident to trigger a second overtime.

With drivers facing concerns about having enough fuel left on the second green-white-checkered restart, Allmendinger held on again to take the checkered flag and stop in Turn 5 to celebrate in front of the fans.

Allmendinger started from pole position and led early, but made a mistake on lap seven and briefly slipped off the track. He regained control and got back on track but lost two places in the process, going from first to third.

That gave the lead to Johnson, a California native with a background in sports car racing. But Johnson was penalized for entering pit road too fast on lap 14, sending him to the back of the field.

Kligerman then slid off track while in the lead on lap 19, allowing Kelly to take the lead with Allmendinger right on his back bumper.

Defending race winner Nelson Piquet Jr. then had a rough moment before the race's halfway point, plowing into the back of Brian Scott's car. Piquet's hood crumpled in the crash, costing him any chance of contention.

Allmendinger then retook the lead on lap 26, bumping his way past Kelly on the exit of Turn 5. Allmendinger pulled away and quickly built a lead of more than two seconds -- and then Kelly lost second place when he came to a stop on the back side of the track, apparently out of fuel. After getting a push back to the pits from a safety vehicle, Kelly was able to get back in the race.

Most of the leaders then pitted with 19 laps to go -- right at the outer edge of most teams' fuel windows, making it unclear whether they had enough to make it to the end.

Allmendinger retook the lead on a restart on lap 34 as Johnson climbed back into contention from his earlier pit road speeding penalty, taking third place on the restart and surging to second on lap 35.

Johnson then would charge past Allmendinger on lap 39 after a restart, muscling his way into the lead as Allmendinger lost several spots. Meanwhile, Kenny Habul caused a moment of levity when he veered off course on the restart and collected a large advertising sign, which stuck to his nose for the better part of a lap before another caution came out.

It was a big step for Allmendinger, whose racing career took a wrong turn last year when he failed a NASCAR drug test, resulting in a suspension and the loss of his ride at Penske Racing.

Allmendinger, who said he took a pill offered by a friend that turned out to be Adderall, was reinstated after completing a NASCAR-affiliated recovery program, and now is getting a limited second chance with the Penske team this year.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- State health officials have awarded $27 million in grants to help enroll more than a million uninsured New Yorkers in a new health insurance marketplace for coverage starting next year.

The grants will go to 50 organizations that will help applicants, including individuals, families and small businesses and their employees, get into the federally required and subsidized marketplace for buyers.

Enrollment begins Oct. 1. Health department officials expect to enroll about 1.1 million people with assistance in every county and in 48 languages. There are about 2.7 million uninsured people in New York.

"We want consumers and small business owners to know that we're here to help them understand their health plan options, qualify for financial assistance and enroll in a health plan through the exchange," said Donna Frescatore, exchange executive director. The state estimate of new enrollees includes 615,000 individuals and 450,000 employees of small businesses.

While the Obama administration recently announced a one-year delay in penalties for employers who don't offer affordable coverage to workers considered full time, the state's analysis shows penalties are not the driving force behind the planned expansion in coverage, health department spokesman Bill Schwarz said. That change is expected to have little effect on New York's exchange, he said.

The grants to 50 organizations, supported by 96 subcontractors, are expected to provide free in-person enrollment help with more than 430 trained and certified staff, according to the department.

Officials plan to award $27 million for the program annually for five years, Schwarz said. Meanwhile, the state has received $40.17 million in federal funds for marketing and advertising over two years and has retained the firm DDB, he said.

Under the federal mandate, people getting insurance through the exchange and who meet certain income thresholds can tap into an estimated $2.6 billion in federal tax credits and subsidies annually.

Tax credits will offset premium payments with subsidies covering out-of-pocket medical costs like co-payments, up to certain thresholds. The credits work on a sliding scale based on a percentage of income. For example, individuals with income up to 149 percent of the federal poverty level will pay no more than 4 percent of their income for premiums.