Sugababe Amelle Berrabah has been charged with drink-driving, police said.
The 26-year-old singer was at the wheel of her Mercedes when she was pulled over by officers in Camden Street, north London, at 5.23 a.m. on Thursday.
She was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to a Camden police station where she was questioned and released on bail.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “Amelle Berrabah, 26, will appear on bail at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on October 8 charged with driving with excess alcohol.”
Ms Berrabah, Heidi Range and Jade Ewen form girl group Sugababes.
The pop band has had a string of number one singles and survived several line-up changes since forming in 1998. (PA)
Prince Michael marriage claim
Prince Michael of Kent has dismissed speculation about the state of his marriage, saying although he and his wife spend a “lot of time apart” they have a “tremendous” relationship.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the Queen’s cousin, who has been married to Princess Michael for 32 years, said their separate interests made for a “richer” life together.
He said: “I think people put two and two together and make five. We spend a lot of time apart. The Princess is a writer and she likes to get to write. We both have different interests and, although some coincide, this makes for a much richer life than always doing the same thing. So we have a tremendous (married) life and we enjoy practically all of it.” (PA)
‘I have no problem with gay bishops’
The spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Rowan Williams, backed gay people becoming bishops on Saturday as long as they remain celibate, risking more divisions within the Church on the issue.
Making one of the most explicit statements he has made on the subject, the head of the Church of England told the Times newspaper that he had “no problem” with their consecration.
But he would not endorse gay clergy in active relationships because of tradition and historical “standards” that require celibacy, he said in the interview.
Archbishop Williams went to great lengths to explain why he stands with conservatives against gay clergy when it comes to doctrine.
He said he had to decide against endorsing gay relationships for clergy and bishops because “the cost to the Church overall was too great to be borne at that point”.
“To put it very simply, there’s no problem about a gay person who’s a bishop.
“It’s about the fact that there are traditionally, historically, standards that the clergy are expected to observe,” Archbishop Williams said. (PA)
Boxer’s bed collapses
Indian organisers faced more embarrassment yesterday as a boxer’s bed collapsed when he sat on it after moving into his accommodation at the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village.
Organisers insisted that progress was being made in getting the games in New Delhi ready for next week’s start.
Concerns emerged last week after a pedestrian bridge leading to the main stadium collapsed, team officials reported the athletes’ village was “unsafe and unfit for human habitation”, and two tourists were shot and wounded outside one of New Delhi’s top attractions.
The games were meant to be a coming-out party for India to cement its reputation as a growing regional power. Instead, the nation’s image has been battered by negative publicity about its frantic last-minute efforts to get ready for an event it knew it was hosting seven years ago. (PA)
Snake in room
Two more Australian athletes withdrew today and a South African competitor reportedly found a snake in his room as complaints over cleanliness, security and construction continued to dog the troubled Commonwealth Games a week before the sporting event opens in New Delhi.
While international sports officials have said the situation had improved dramatically in the athletes’ village over the past couple of days – after inspections last week turned up rooms spattered with chewing tobacco and human excrement – some teams said the situation remained grim. (PA)
Blast in Brussels
A powerful explosion brought down several houses in the Belgian capital, killing at least two people and injuring 17, police said yesterday.
It was not clear what caused the blast in Brussels’ Schaerbeek district at around 11 p.m. yesterday but one theory was that it involved a gas leak, they said.
The force of the explosion brought down three houses and damaged nearby buildings, police said. One of the wounded was in a serious condition.
Natural gas and electricity provider Sibelga said it was too early to confirm if the blast was caused by a leak. (AFP)
Unruly passenger
An unruly passenger on a flight bound for Amsterdam forced pilots to return a plane to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the US shortly after take-off, an airline spokeswoman said.
Leslie Parker of US-based Delta Air Lines said Flight 224 left the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Saturday evening.
About 30 minutes later a passenger disturbance prompted pilots to return to Seattle and the plane landed safely. No one was injured.
KIRO-TV in Seattle reported that Sea-Tac Airport and Delta officials were conducting a security sweep of the plane. (PA)