AN application to stop the prosecution of former police chief Sir Norman Bettison for misconduct following the Hillsborough disaster is due to be heard today.

The 62-year-old is charged with four counts of misconduct in a public office, relating to alleged lies he told about his role in the aftermath of the tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans died.

Submissions on an application to stay the proceedings against the former Merseyside and West Yorkshire chief constable will be heard by judge Sir Peter Openshaw at Preston Crown Court.

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HEAVY rain has flooded a gorge filled with hikers in the southern region of Calabria, killing at least eight people.

Italy’s civil protection agency said 23 people were rescued from the flash flood in the Raganello Gorge. They included a 10-year-old boy treated for hypothermia who was among seven that the civil protection agency said were taken to hospital.

It was unclear how many people were missing but there were at least 36 hikers in two organised groups inside the 12km-long gorge, a popular aquatic trekking spot.

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MIDDLE-aged men who suffer from the common condition of an enlarged prostate could soon be spared surgery thanks to a new steam treatment.

The procedure, which can be done as a day-case under local anaesthetic or sedation, involves injecting small amounts of steam into the prostate.

It is expected to be given the green light for routine NHS use on Wednesday by health watchdog Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).

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DONALD Trump has expressed concern that anything he says under oath to the investigation into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election could be used to charge him with perjury.

The US president repeatedly has said he wants to sit down with special counsel Robert Mueller because “there is no collusion”.

But in an interview on Monday with the Reuters news agency, the president voiced concern that investigators could use his statements against him if they do not match up with other individuals they have already interviewed, such as former FBI director James Comey.

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Mr Trump did not say whether he would ultimately agree to be interviewed by Mr Mueller.