World Briefs

Development of a pill designed to boost sex drive in women has been halted, the German manufacturer said yesterday.

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH said this followed a sceptical response from US regulators.

The company said it made the decision because of the “complexity and extent of further questions that would need to be addressed to potentially obtain registration”.

In a review in June, the Food and Drug Administration said two Boehringer studies failed to show a significant increase in sexual desire in women who took the drug as recorded by them in a daily journal.

The company said that despite its decision it “continues to believe in the value” that its drug, called flibanserin, could have.

Boehringer Ingelheim said it would reallocate resources to areas such as stroke prevention, diabetes and cancer. (PA)

Officer charged with indecency

A police officer in Puerto Rico was charged with lewd behaviour for allegedly exposing himself to two girls.

Santiago Murray Cotto, a 14-year police veteran assigned to the department’s federal affairs office, is accused of committing the offences against the young students in March and April in a San Juan neighbourhood.

A judge ordered Murray to remain under house arrest with an electric monitoring bracelet until a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 8. (PA)

Airport intruder alert

A US Airways flight to Bermuda was cleared to depart Philadelphia hours after security concerns led officials to empty the plane.

FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said two US Airways baggage handlers on the tarmac raised concerns about a third uniformed person who was not supposed to be in the area. He said that person took off in a vehicle and has not been identified or located.

Mr Klaver says nothing suspicious was found and there are no suspicions of any terrorist link. (PA)

Plane’s emergency landing

An Air Canada flight from Calgary to Toronto made a successful emergency landing at Calgary’s airport after experiencing a problem with its hydraulics system, airport authorities said.

Flight 1150 with 158 people on board landed safely at the Calgary International Airport. No one was injured.

Calgary Airport Authority spokeswoman Jody Moseley said the pilot requested the ­emergency landing. Mr Moseley said emergency response units stood by as it made a safe landing. (PA)

Rugby star mourned

Thousands of mourners paid their last respects at a moving funeral service for tragic rugby league star Terry Newton.

The 31-year-old former professional hanged himself at his home in Wigan after being sacked by his club and banned from the sport over drugs.

It is thought the father of two took his own life after plunging into depression over his career and private life. The funeral for Newton, born and bred in Wigan, a rugby league stronghold, and a former player for his hometown club, attracted around 1,000 fans to Wigan Parish Church. (PA)

Boy spots sign blunder

Transport officials in Missouri have changed a road sign after a six-year-old boy wrote to them pointing out it was inaccurate.

David Hindes noticed that a sign in the St Louis suburb of Manchester told motorists that a single bend was ahead rather than the multiple twists and turns which actually exist.

Now he has won a tour of the county shop where signs are made. (PA)

Woman superglues eye

A woman accidentally glued an eye shut when she mistook superglue for her eye drops.

Irmgard Holm, of Glendale, Arizona, who had cataract surgery a year ago, tried washing it out but the quick-drying glue sealed her eye closed.

Staff at the local hospital cut off the hardened glue. Once the eye was opened, doctors washed it out to prevent major damage. (PA)

Car recall

Malaysia’s national car manufacturer Proton is recalling almost 16,000 cars for possible malfunctions that include sudden deployment of the driver’s side air bag.

Proton said in a statement it is recalling Gen2 and Satria Neo cars made between 2004 and 2008.

It urged owners of the models to bring them in for an inspection. (PA)