Firefighters To Strike For Eight Days Running

Firefighters in England and Wales are to strike over eight consecutive days as a result of their long-running pensions row.

The industrial action, which starts on July 14, will take place for between two and four hours a day throughout the strike period.

The Fire Brigades Union said it had decided to escalate action as current proposals on pensions and later retirement age were "unacceptable, unworkable and unrealistic".

The FBU has been negotiating with the Government for three years over plans to change the fire service's pension scheme.

The union says firefighters will end up paying more, working longer and receiving less.

The Government says the deal gives firefighters one of the most generous pension schemes in the public sector.

Justifying the strike, FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack said: "The Government must realise that firefighters cannot accept proposals that would have such devastating consequences for their futures, their families' futures  - and the future of the fire and rescue service itself.

"We have tried every route available to us to make the Government see sense over their attacks.

"Three years of negotiations have come to nothing because the Government is simply unwilling to compromise or even listen to reason despite a huge amount of evidence showing their planned scheme is unworkable.

"Shorter strike periods have illustrated the strength of feeling among firefighters whilst limiting disruption to the fire service, the public and our members' working lives.

"But the Government is merely ploughing ahead, forcing firefighters to react."

FBU members in Wales and England are also intending to join a huge strike by more than a million public sector workers next Thursday.

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Paediatrician Accused Of Sex Attacks On Boys

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

A paediatric doctor has appeared in court accused of sex offences against cancer patients as young as 11.

Dr Myles Bradbury, 41, who worked as a paediatric haematologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, is accused of four counts of sexual assault and a further four of engaging in sexual activity with boys.

The boys were aged between 11 and 15.

Cambridge Magistrates' Court also heard that Bradbury, of Herringswell, Suffolk, was found with 16,629 indecent still images of children and 20 indecent videos.

Delia Matthews, prosecuting, said: "He was in a position of trust as he was a doctor of these children who were cancer patients. They were very vulnerable."

She added he could face up to seven years in prison.

The offences are said to have taken place between December 2011 and December 2013.

The trust which runs Addenbrooke's has set up a helpline

Bradbury is also facing charges of making indecent images of a child and one act of voyeurism, where it is alleged he secretly filmed somebody engaged in a sex act.

Magistrate Stephanie Bishop said: "On what we have heard it would be inappropriate for these charges ... to be dealt with in the magistrates court."

Wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and tie, Bradbury spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

He did not indicate any likely plea and was bailed to appear before Cambridge Crown Court on July 11.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Addenbrooke's Hospital, has set up a helpline to be used "if parents, patients or former patients have any concerns".

The Trust added it was working closely with the NSPCC.

The helpline, on 0800 389 8625, can be reached between 8am and 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends.

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Queen Names UK's Newest And Biggest Warship

UK's New Aircraft Carrier: Facts And Figures

Updated: 8:58am UK, Friday 04 July 2014

As the Queen officially names the newest and most powerful warship ever built for the Royal Navy, Sky News looks at the numbers behind HMS Queen Elizabeth:

:: The design of the Queen Elizabeth Class began in 1999 and 28 million hours have been spent developing and building the ships.

:: The vessels are assembled in Britain's biggest dock by the country's largest crane.

:: Employees are given handheld indoor navigation devices to help them find their way around the ships, such is their scale and complexity.

:: The six-metre-high take-off ramp is officially called the "ski jump".

:: The fog horn is 162 decibels and can be heard from more than two miles away.

:: The vessels have their own bakery, which can produce 1,000 loaves of bread per day, as well as treats including scones, doughnuts and eclairs.

:: A typical deployment would sail with 66,000 sausages, 28,800 rashers of bacon, 64,800 eggs and 12,000 tins of beans.

:: Each of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers is made up of 17 million parts.

:: Some 250,000 litres of 'battleship grey' paint is used to apply seven coats over an area the size of Hyde Park.

:: There are more than 250,000km of electrical cable, 8,000km of fibre optic cable and 360km of pipes inside each of the ships.

:: The Queen Elizabeth Class have their own dentist, pharmacy, surgery and operating theatre.

:: The crew can wind down in the onboard fitness suite and cinema. The vessels are also kitted out with a police office and cells.

:: The ships' long-range radar can track up to 1,000 contacts in a 250-mile radius.

:: The onboard 3D radar can track a tennis ball travelling at three times the speed of sound.

:: The aircraft carriers can convert sea water into more than 500 tons of drinking water each day, which is for both the crew and providing humanitarian relief.

:: Each of the ships has 17 decks and 15 lifts for aircraft, munitions and crew.

:: The flight deck is 70 metres wide and 280 metres long, which is enough space for three football pitches.

:: The ships have floor-to-ceiling (or deck-to-deck) windows designed to withstand a major impact, each of which requires windscreen wipers up to 2.4 metres long.

:: The vessels generate 80MW of power in their propellers, equivalent to 50 high speed trains.

:: Each ship has two propellers weighing 33 tons each - collectively heavier than an entire Royal Navy patrol boat.

:: The first HMS Queen Elizabeth was completed 100 years before the launch of the new one.

:: Designing, building and delivering the latest ships has involved more than 800 apprentices.

:: The aircraft carriers can operate on 679 personnel and accommodate up to 1,600 people.

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Andy Coulson Jailed For 'Unforgivable' Hacking

Former News Of The World editor Andy Coulson has been jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of conspiring to hack phones following an eight-month trial.

The former Number 10 spin doctor showed no obvious emotion as he was sentenced and sent down to the cells.

Judge Mr Justice Saunders told Coulson and four other defendants: "I do not accept ignorance of the law provides any mitigation.

"The laws of protection are given to the rich, famous and powerful as to all."

He said he had taken into account the impact on the lives of those whose phones were hacked, and the profit made from the crimes.

He singled out the former editor for the heaviest punishment, describing the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler as "unforgiveable".

He said: "Mr Coulson, on the jury's verdict, has to take the major share of the blame for the phone hacking at the News of the World.

"On the jury's verdict he knew about it and encouraged it when he should have stopped it."

He noted that there were many thousands of hacks over the years, involving hundreds of victims.

Coulson, from Charing in Kent, was sentenced alongside three former colleagues and private detective Glenn Mulcaire, who all admitted their part in the phone hacking plot last year.

NOTW news editor Greg Miskiw, 64, from Leeds; chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, 52, of Esher, Surrey; and James Weatherup, 58, of Brentwood in Essex have all admitted one general count of conspiring together and with others to illegally access voicemails between October 2000 and August 2006.

Mulcaire, 43, from Sutton in south London, was first convicted of phone hacking with NOTW royal reporter Clive Goodman in 2006 and served a prison sentence.

Miskiw and Thurlbeck were each handed six-month prison terms. The terms will be reduced by 53 days for time spent electronically tagged.

Weatherup was given a four-month suspended sentence, while Mulcaire was given a six-month suspended sentence.

The judge told Mulcaire he was "truly the lucky one", saying the full extent of his hacking was known at the time of his previous sentencing.

According to Mulcaire's notes, Miskiw tasked him 1,500 times, Thurlbeck 261 times and Weatherup 157 times, the court heard.

Mr Justice Saunders told them: "All the defendants that I have to sentence, save for Mr Mulcaire are distinguished journalists who had no need to behave as they did to be successful.

"They all achieved a great deal without resorting to the unlawful invasion of other people's privacy. Those achievements will now count for nothing."

After sentencing, David Cameron said: "It's right that justice should be done and no-one is above the law."

Eight of the 11 jurors who heard the case returned to court to hear the verdicts.

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Jayden Killing: Accused Buried Her Twice

A 22-year-old who has admitted killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend has told a court he did not confess at first because he was "too ashamed".

Ben Blakeley told Oxford Crown Court he had buried 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson's body first in a field and then moved her remains to his uncle's grave.

The accused said he thought his teenage ex-girlfriend was "joking" when she fell to the ground as he strangled her in countryside near Didcot, Oxfordshire in December last year.

The former dustman, who admits the manslaughter of Jayden but denies murdering her, said he then moved the teenager's body under a tree and covered it with a branch before he left for home.

He told the court he went back to the scene later with a youth - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - and dug a hole under the tree where the two of them buried Jayden's remains.

All Saints Cemetery where the teenager's remains were buried

Blakeley said he had told his companion they were burying weapons, not a body.

After hiding the girl's body, Blakeley said he had returned alone days later to dig up her remains and take them to a local churchyard where he and his friend had dug into the grave of his uncle, Alan Kennedy.

Asked why he did that, Blakeley replied: "I couldn't leave her there. I know it sounds sick and twisted. I don't know why I f****** thought of it, somehow I thought it would f******...

"None of it seemed real, none of it seemed real. The whole f****** thing didn't seem real.

"I know it seems sick and twisted but I thought it would makes thing better. I don't know what I was thinking. I was f***** up."

Blakeley added: "I didn't want her in a f****** field, I couldn't handle it."

Richard Benson QC, defending Blakeley, asked him: "What sort of place did you want her to be finally laid to rest?"

Blakeley leaving court last December

Blakeley replied: "A proper place."

Mr Benson asked: "Why your uncle's grave?"

He replied: "I don't know."

Blakeley at one stage broke down in tears and covered his face with his hands.

"I can't explain it. You can't imagine what it's like.

Blakeley was questioned by police in the days after Jayden's death but did not confess to what he had done.

When asked why he had not, he replied: "I was too ashamed of what I had done."

Jayden was last seen alive with Blakeley on the afternoon of December 3 last year.

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Man Spared Jail After Dogs Killed Girlfriend

A man whose pregnant girlfriend was killed by their two pitbull-type dogs in a "truly shocking, tragic and disturbing episode" has avoided a jail sentence.

Lee Horner, 34, was sentenced to 280 hours of unpaid work after being given a community order over the death of mother-of-four Emma Bennett.

Ms Bennett, 27, died after she was attacked by the dogs, named Dollar and Bella, at the couple's home in Leeds in December.

Deputy District Judge Tim Spruce told Horner at Leeds Magistrates Court that the case "crossed the custody threshold".

But the judge said he felt it was not appropriate to jail Horner in view of the loss he had suffered with the death of his partner.

Horner was sentenced to 280 hours of unpaid work

Passing sentence, Mr Spruce said the legislation was designed to protect the public from certain breeds "because these animals are inclined to be unpredictable in nature and often with devastating consequences".

The judge continued: "That unpredictability, those consequences could not be more solemnly illustrated than in the unique and tragic circumstances of the case before the court today.

"Two dogs with no previous recorded history of difficulty, danger or harm have set up their owner in circumstances which may never be entirely clear.

"This was a truly shocking, tragic and disturbing episode."

Horner last month admitted owning dogs prohibited by the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Prosecutors had described how Horner was out when police arrived at the house he shared with Ms Bennett.

Police were called by neighbours who heard a noise they first thought was an argument.

Miss Bennett was heard shouting: "No, no, no."

The two officers forced their way inside after nobody answered and found the two dogs acting excitably with blood on their snouts.

They tried to resuscitate Miss Bennett, who had suffered severe injuries to her face and head, but she died.

Prosecutor Vincent O'Malley told the court how two women social workers visited the house in July last year and Horner told one of them: "Shut it or I'll set the dog on you."

Mr O'Malley said that Horner told the other social worker, who was eight months pregnant at the time: "What you looking at? Wait until I get the dog and see if you continue looking at me like that."

Horner has been ordered to pay £500 towards the destruction of the two dogs as well as their housing since the incident.

He was also ordered to pay £240 in prosecution costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

He has been banned for life from keeping dogs.

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Colchester Murder: Police Issue E-Fit Of Suspect

Detectives investigating the murder of a Saudi Arabian student have released an e-fit image of a man they would like to speak to.

Nahid Almanea was knifed 16 times and left to die on the Salary Brook Trail in Colchester, Essex, at around 10.40am on June 17.

The force said the man in the e-fit was seen running up Hewes Close, away from the Salary Brook Trail at 10.56am.

He is described as white, aged between 18 and 25, of medium build and with dark hair.

He was wearing a long-sleeve plain hooded top that is described as "London bus red" and dark trousers.

Ms Almanea was caught on CCTV on the day of the attack

Ms Almanea, 31, has been described as an "exceptional" English language programme student at the University of Essex who was aiming to study at PhD level.

Essex Police say there are similarities to the killing of James Attfield, 33, who was stabbed 102 times on his arms, hands, back, neck and head, in a park in the town on March 29.

Officers do not know if the pair were murdered by the same person but they are keeping an "open mind".

Police at the scene of Ms Almanea's murder

Chief Inspector Richard Phillibrown, Colchester district commander, said: "We have received excellent support throughout this investigation from the whole community.

"We appreciate their patience whilst the forensic searches continue. We would also urge anyone with information, no matter how small you might think, to contact us."

Anyone who can help is asked to contact the force on 01245 282103 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Crimestoppers has offered a reward of £10,000 for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Ms Almanea's murder.

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X Factor Contestant Dropped Over Rape Claim

The X Factor has dropped one of its contestants after it emerged he had been quizzed as part of an investigation into an alleged rape.

The man in his 20s was reportedly out on bail at the time of the audition and was able to progress to the next round.

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole attended the audition

It has since come to light that the man, who has not been named, failed to disclose the allegations to programme bosses.

All contestants are required to state whether they have any convictions, have been arrested or have charges pending.

He is believed to have gone to police voluntarily and has not been charged.

He denies any wrongdoing.

The man tried out for the show last month in front of panellists Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Mel B and Louis Walsh.

The ITV programme has decided not to air the pop hopeful's audition. 

The new series is due to be aired later this summer.

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Man In Court Charged With Two Elderly Killings

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering two elderly people in the West Midlands and London.

Leo Barnes is accused of killing Cynthia Beamond and Philip Silverstone, who were found dead in their homes 120 miles apart.

Barnes shrugged and smirked as he refused to provide the clerk at Dudley Magistrates Court with his name, address and date of birth.

The 32-year-old, of Balsall Heath, Birmingham, appeared in court alongside Chantelle Moran-Stokes, who is also charged with Mrs Beamond's murder.

The body of Mrs Beamond, aged 80, was found hidden inside her semi-detached house in Halesowen, near Birmingham, on Sunday after she was reported missing by family members.

A post-mortem found she died from head injuries suffered during a violent attack.

Mr Silverstone, who had been stabbed, was found dead on Monday at his flat in Belsize Park, north London, after concerns were raised for his welfare.

Moran-Stokes, 24, from Darlaston, West Midlands, and Barnes were both remanded in custody to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday.

Mrs Beamond is said to have been killed between June 26 and June 30, while Mr Silverstone's murder is alleged to have taken place between June 27 and July 1.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "West Midlands Police is working with the Metropolitan Police Service on this joint investigation and both forces have continued to update the families of Mrs Beamond and Mr Silverstone throughout."

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Airport Security: Clampdown On Electrics

All battery-operated and electrical items must be removed from hand luggage for extra checks at UK airports amid tightened security, Sky sources say.

The measures were revealed amid fears new bombs were being developed by terrorists. 

The new precautions will extend the removal of items such as laptops and iPads to all electrical items, including phones, electric toothbrushes and cameras.    

Meanwhile, US authorities have warned of a "specific threat" to Entebbe Airport in Uganda later today.

The US embassy in Kampala said Ugandan police had informed them that intelligence sources believe there could be an attack by an unknown terrorist group.

Armed police at Heathrow

In a statement the embassy said the threat was apparently aimed for "today, July 3rd, between the hours of 2100-2300".

It added: "Individuals planning travel through the airport this evening may want to review their plans in light of this information."

Although the embassy did not name any group, al Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents have claimed recent attacks in Kenya and Djibouti, and at home in Somalia.

Ugandan Army spokesman Paddy Ankunda said troops had been deployed at the airport and in the capital, some 35km (20 miles) from Entebbe.

Passengers queue to go through security checks at Gatwick

"People must be vigilant in the face of this threat, report any suspicious individuals seen in their areas," he said, calling on people to "stay calm and alert."

US Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said he had asked officials to "implement enhanced security measures in the coming days at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States".

A statement issued by the US Department for Homeland Security said: "We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and consulting the aviation industry.

"These communications are an important part of our commitment to providing our security partners with situational awareness about the current environment and protecting the travelling public."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin does not anticipate disruption

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the additional security was not expected to cause "significant" disruption to flights.

He told Sky News: "There will be extra security checks but they will be made in the course of events people already go through and I hope there will not be significant delays."

But British aviation security expert Philip Baum said heightened security will inevitably mean longer queues and increased waiting times to board flights at UK airports.

"It will mean (more) random searches, secondary searches and an increase in the number of passengers asked to remove shoes and possibly all passengers being asked to remove shoes if they're going on certain flights," he said.

US officials said their general security warning followed intelligence reports that Islamist groups in Yemen and Syria had joined forces to prepare an attack on the US.

Bomb-makers from al Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are believed to be working together to develop the new devices.

According to ABC News, they are trying to build non-metallic bombs that could evade metal detectors.

In consequence security enhancements are likely to include greater scrutiny of US-bound passengers' electronics and footwear and installation of additional bomb-detection machines.

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Madeleine Suspect Quizzed For Second Day

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 8:10pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was later wound down.

:: June 30 - The British team return to Portugal and plan to speak to a key witness and several suspects the following day.

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BAE Gets US Deal For 'Anti-Insurgent' Missile

UK defence giant BAE Systems has been chosen to further develop its 'anti-insurgent' missile system for the US military.

The Naval Air Systems Command said it intends to enter into sole source negotiations with the US subsidiary of the British firm to develop the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II).

The project expands integration into the arsenal used on aircraft, including the A-10 'Warthog'.

The existing semi-active laser-guided APKWS system is designed as a cheaper alternative to the Hellfire missile, at around a third of the cost - $30,000 (£17,000).

The Hellfire has become renowned for use on Predator and Reaper drones and was originally designed to target armoured vehicles.

The APKWS is designed to destroy lightly armoured and "soft" vehicles, moving or stationary, in urban locations.

It can be armed with high explosives or flechettes - steel darts - in the warhead.

Earlier this year trials were carried out firing the missile from the A-10 and the new missiles hit within inches of their target.

The MkI version has been used in Afghanistan against insurgents (pic: USMC)

It is based on a 2.75 in (70mm) rocket with guidance 'canard' lead fins, and the new version has improved laser control for accurate targeting.

The original development plan for the precision weapon began in 2002 and the first version has been in full production for three years and used in war zones such as Afghanistan.

It has been fired from more than a dozen aircraft types and been sold to US allies including Jordan, for use on its airborne gunships.

BAE Systems programme manager Joe Tiano told Sky News: "Our APKWS laser-guided rocket has a long history of success in theatre and in testing on multiple platforms including the A-10, and we look forward to exploring additional opportunities for integration on the A-10."

The sole source award to BAE Systems sees a continuation of its rehabilitation in the eyes of US authorities.

In 2010 it pleaded guilty in a US court to making false statements over foreign corruption, along with arms export and trafficking violations.

It was fined $400m (£230m), which at the time was one of the largest criminal fines ever levied in the US against a company for business-related violations.

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Superbugs 'Could Send UK Back To The Dark Ages'

Britain is to lead the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs which risk sending Britain "back to the Dark Ages", David Cameron has declared.

Tens of thousands of people around the world are dying from infections caused by bugs that have become resistant to treatment, including salmonella and tuberculosis.

An estimated 627,000 people died from malaria in 2012

The World Health Organisation has warned that unless coordinated action is taken the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

"This is not some distant threat, but something happening right now," the Prime Minister said.

"If we fail, we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again."

Dame Sally Davies: 'We must act now on a global scale'

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "We must act now on a global scale to slow down antimicrobial resistance.

"In Europe, at least 25,000 people a year already die from infections which are resistant to our drugs of last resort.

"New antibiotics made by the biotech and pharmaceutical industry will be central to resolving this crisis which will impact on all areas of modern medicine.

"I am delighted to see the Prime Minister taking a global lead by commissioning this review to help new antibiotics to be developed and brought to patients effectively."

Mr Cameron raised the issue with US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel when they met at the G7 summit in Brussels last month.

The initial £500,000 cost of the work will be met by the Wellcome Trust. Director Jeremy Farrar said: "Drug-resistant bacteria, viruses and parasites are driving a global health crisis.

"It threatens not only our ability to treat deadly infections but almost every aspect of modern medicine: from cancer treatment to Caesarean sections, therapies that save thousands of lives every day rely on antibiotics that could soon be lost.

"We are failing to contain the rise of resistance and failing to develop new drugs to replace those that no longer work. We are heading for a post-antibiotic age."

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Andy Murray Out Of Wimbledon In Straight Sets

Defending champion Andy Murray has crashed out of Wimbledon, losing in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov.

The Briton lost the quarter-final 6-1 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 to the Bulgarian 11th seed - who had never previously made it to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament.

As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked on from the Royal Box, Murray won only one game in the first set before being narrowly defeated in a second set tie-break.

He looked a beaten man at points during the third set and Dimitrov, whose girlfriend is Russian player Maria Sharapova, wrapped the game up after little more than two hours.

It comes just a year after Murray became the first Briton to win the Wimbledon singles title since Fred Perry in 1936.

Speaking after the match, Murray said he was "disappointed" with his performance.

"It wasn't a great day," he said.

More follows...

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Paedophile Claim Dossier 'Handled Properly'

Historic Paedophile Allegations

Updated: 2:24pm UK, Wednesday 02 July 2014

The Home Office has published the executive summary of an independent review it commissioned into the handling of information it received about organised child sex abuse between 1979 and 1999.

The report concluded the Home Office had acted "appropriately".

It was released as Leon Brittan said he had asked officials to "look carefully" at a dossier presented to him about alleged paedophile activity at Westminster, when he was Home Secretary in the 1980s.

A copy of the executive summary is published below.

Executive Summary

1.1. In February 2013 the Home Office Permanent Secretary commissioned an Independent Review of all Home Office files from 1979 to 1999 to identify any information received about organised child sex abuse. An experienced investigator from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is leading the Review with additional oversight provided by HMRC's Director of Criminal Investigation.

1.2. The Independent Investigator has produced an Interim Report based on the examination of over 400 Home Office files and a targeted search for material directly relevant to contacts on child abuse between the late Geoffrey Dickens MP and the Home Office. The findings will be updated if the Review identifies additional relevant material in the ongoing wider search of Home Office files which is expected to be completed by June 2013.

1.3. The Independent Review has confirmed that the Home Office did receive information from Mr Dickens in November 1983 and in January 1984 about alleged child abuse. Copies of the material have not been retained but a Home Office file contains a copy letter dated 20th March 1984 from the Home Secretary in response to Mr Dickens. The letter confirms that the information was considered at the time and that any matters requiring investigation were referred to the Police.

1.4. The letter is not suitable for publication as it contains details of one case of alleged child abuse from which it would be possible to identify the victim. However, the following extract explains how the information which Mr Dickens provided was handled at the time.

"Dear Geoff,

You drew my attention to a number of allegations concerning paedophilia when you called here on 23 November and in subsequent letters.

I am now able to tell you that, in general terms, the view of the Director of Public Prosecutions is that two of the letters you forwarded could form the basis for enquiries by the police and they are now being passed to the appropriate authorities. In other cases there either seems to be inadequate evidence to pursue prosecution, for example the lady who wrote about PIE (Paedophile Information Exchange) advertising but did not secure any example of the material complained of, or they have already been dealt with in some way by the courts or the police."

1.5. Mr Dickens was a robust campaigner on child protection issues and used Parliamentary Privilege to name alleged offenders if he believed appropriate action was not being taken. He challenged his own Government on child protection issues in Parliament and in the media when he disagreed with policies or decisions. The Independent Review has found no evidence of Mr Dickens expressing dissatisfaction about the action taken in respect of the information he had passed on.

1.6. On 17th March 1986 in his response to a debate in Parliament about the use of Parliamentary Privilege, and referring to information he had received about alleged child abuse, Mr Dickens said:

"I always sent the files to the Home Office, which investigated the cases for me, and in many cases to the chief constables concerned."

1.7. On 31st March 1987 during his speech in a Parliamentary debate on the admissibility of video evidence in court proceedings Mr Dickens said:

"I should like to place on record my thanks to the Home Office and the departments within the Home Office for following up the many cases that I keep sending to it. I should also like to thank the Attorney-General. They have been very helpful and a strength to me in my campaigns."

1.8. Full details of these statements are publicly available via www.parliament.uk in Hansard reports of Parliamentary business.

1.9. The Independent Investigator's Interim Report and a full copy of the relevant Home Office file have been passed to the Metropolitan Police Service for information in relation to their current investigations of allegations of historic child abuse.

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Madeleine: Search Dogs Return To Portugal

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 8:10pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was later wound down.

:: June 30 - The British team return to Portugal and plan to speak to a key witness and several suspects the following day.

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Data Roaming Charges Cut By More Than Half

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

The cost of accessing the internet on your phone abroad in EU countries falls by more than half today, with a new cap on data roaming charges.

The tariff, introduced by the European Commission, limits the price of one megabyte of data to 20 cents (16p) – a 55% decrease from this time last year.

Mobile providers must also offer travellers reduced text messages at 5p, incoming calls at 4p per minute and outgoing calls at 15p  per minute.

However, British travellers will still pay considerably more abroad than at home.

In the UK, data costs around £10 per gigabyte. Under the new cap, a gigabyte downloaded abroad would cost £42.

The price cut comes before a major telecoms reform, due to take effect from December 15 next year.

Under the reforms, data roaming will be scrapped altogether in the EU and accessing internet data on a smartphone will cost as much abroad in the EU as in the UK.

The changes have been agreed by the commission and now must be ratified by EU member states.

Neeli Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission, said: "This huge drop in data roaming prices will make a big difference to all of us this summer.

"But it is not enough. Why should we have roaming charges at all in a single market? By the end of this year I hope we see the complete end of roaming charges agreed."

Some operators have warned that scrapping roaming could cost the telecoms industry £5.6bn before 2020.

But other mobile operators including Three have pressed ahead, offering free roaming in many EU countries, well in advance of the new rules.

The new rates apply only to EU member states – countries like Switzerland and Turkey are not affected, nor are countries outside Europe.

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Rolf Harris: 12 Women Seeking Compensation

The Fall Of One Of Britain's Best-Loved Stars

Updated: 6:09pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Despite being born in Australia, Rolf Harris' lengthy career in show business, spanning almost six decades, has ensured he is one of Britain's best-known and, until now, best-loved stars.

From his humble beginnings as a swimming champion in his native Western Australia, he moved to London in 1952 after deciding to abandon a teaching career and study art instead.

Within weeks he was singing in ex-pat clubs and two years after stepping off a liner, he signed a contract with the BBC which marked the start of a lengthy association with the broadcaster.

Artist, singer-songwriter and TV star, his legendary career earned him an MBE, OBE and CBE and Australian honours as well.

He was given a BAFTA fellowship, painted a portrait of the Queen and has met other members of the royal family countless times.

Harris also made numerous TV commercials and appeared at Glastonbury six times - opening the event in 2010 - and singing in front of a crowd of almost 100,000.

Countless generations of children and adults know him through iconic programmes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as The Rolf Harris Show, Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, Animal Hospital and Rolf On Art.

His wife of 56 years, Alwen, and daughter Bindi, 49, supported him in court throughout the seven-week trial, although only Bindi was called to give evidence in the case.

She described how she wanted to ''stab herself with forks'' after discovering Harris had been having a relationship with her best friend, who was the subject of seven of the charges.

In his 2001 autobiography, titled after his catchphrase "Can You Tell What It Is Yet", there is a telling passage in which he explained his feelings about his family.

He wrote: ''Alwen and Bindi have to come first. It has only been in the last five years that I have realised this. Late, but better than never.''

Telling, because it was in 1997 Harris wrote to the father of Bindi's best friend to tell him of the affair he had been having with his daughter when his own daughter found out.

He also wrote of how, as his career took off in the 60s, he found himself ogling women in backstage dressing rooms set aside for dancers he worked with.

Harris wrote: ''I tried not to watch - or be seen watching - but it wasn't easy, I spent most of my time reading the same page of a book 14 times realising I was holding it upside down.''

It's also clear he had a difficult relationship with his daughter and wife - blaming himself for not being with them as he devoted his time to his career - leaving them a painful second.

In the early 1960s as his career hit the big time, Alwen visited Australia with him and it later emerged she had contemplated suicide, Harris only finding out about it 30 years later when he found her diary.

Harris described how ''the words struck me like hammer blows'' adding that he ''felt terrible and I kicked myself for my selfishness''.

His awards and honours count for nothing and he will now swap his luxury Thames-side home in Berkshire for the cold harsh surroundings of a prison cell, as a convicted sex offender.

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Murderer And Violent Prisoner On The Run

Police are hunting a murderer and another violent criminal after they absconded from an open prison in Buckinghamshire.

Darren Douglas, 46, and Ricardo Dunn, 32, left HM Spring Hill open prison in Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire, on Sunday.

Douglas, originally from Birmingham, is serving a life sentence for murder after stabbing a man to death outside a pub in 1998.

Dunn, from Burnley, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent after assaulting a man in the street in 2009.

He is serving an indeterminate sentence.

Chief inspector Olly Wright, of Thames Valley Police, said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen these men in the area and can provide us with information about their movements.

"These men were both convicted for violent offences and I would advise anyone who sees them, to not approach them and call police immediately.

"Both men have links with other areas so may have travelled out of the Thames Valley to those areas. I would like to remind people that it is a criminal offence to harbour these men and anyone caught doing so would be arrested."

"Skullcracker" Michael Wheatley absconded from HMP Standford Hill

The Justice Secretary Chris Grayling was tackled over the latest prisoner absconds in the Commons by his Labour counterpart Sadiq Khan.

He said: "The proportion of offenders who are sent to open prisons who subsequently abscond is 20% of what it was when the other party was in power a decade ago.

"I do not believe it is sensible for this country to scrap open prisons. I believe it is sensible to have tougher risk assessment procedures.

"I think it is sensible not to transfer people to open conditions who have previously absconded.

"Those are changes we have put in place in the last couple of weeks.

"They are helping rehabilitate offenders, They need to be there.

"Is he actually saying that should change?"

But Mr Khan hit back saying: "Nice soundbite. They are absconding after he's made his changes. So much for keeping the public safe."

The issue of prisoners walking out of open prisons has been in the spotlight since "Skullcracker" Michael Wheatley went on the run.

In May, the 55-year-old sparked a nationwide manhunt after he absconded from Category D jail HMP Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent.

The prolific armed robber - dubbed the "Skullcracker" for pistol-whipping innocent bystanders during raids - went on to rob a building society in Surrey.

He was already serving 13 life sentences for a string of raids when he disappeared, sparking a political row over the day release of dangerous criminals.

After being caught, he was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to life behind bars and told he will serve at least 10 years before being eligible for parole.

It has also emerged that two prisoners, Scott Callaghan, 35, and Billy Harkins, 29, disappeared from the same prison on Saturday.

Callaghan is serving a sentence for perverting the course of justice and Harkins for aggravated burglary, Kent Police said.

Last month Sussex Police revealed that 89 prisoners had gone missing since the 1970s from Ford open prison and are still unaccounted for.

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Coulson 'Didn't Know Phone Hacking Was Illegal'

Former News Of The World (NOTW) editor Andy Coulson was never told phone hacking was illegal during his time at the now-defunct tabloid, a court has heard.

The ex-Number 10 spin doctor - who faces up to two years in prison after being found guilty of conspiring to intercept voicemails - has blamed lawyers for not telling him it was an offence in a bid to avoid the harshest jail sentence.

In mitigation, his lawyer Timothy Langdale QC said: "Despite the seriousness, the facts of the case do not justify the maximum penalty."

Mr Langdale told the Old Bailey it was clear from the trial that Coulson was not alone in not knowing phone hacking was illegal.

"There are some features of this sorry affair which must be mentioned because they are capable of having, we submit should have, a mitigating effect on any sentence," he said.

"Perhaps the most salient factor of the evidence is that no one at the NOTW or the newspaper industry at large in 2000/06 realised that interception of voicemail messages was illegal, in the sense of criminal."

The NOTW's own legal department, whom Coulson consulted frequently, never advised him that it was a crime, the court was told.

Mr Langdale accepted that hacking was widespread when Coulson was editor between 2003 and 2006, but rejected the prosecution statement that the newspaper "became a thoroughly criminal enterprise" during that time.

After he left, Coulson went on to be a "trustworthy and straightforward" director of communications for Prime Minister David Cameron, Mr Langdale said.

Clockwise: Evans, Thurlbeck, Coulson, Mulcaire, Weatherup and Miskiw

He continued: "Because of his role after he left the NOTW, because of the wider background to the wider investigation, Mr Coulson has become something of a lightning conductor for the political aspect."

He said the "media furore" immediately after his conviction demonstrated this vividly, but Mr Langdale maintained Coulson was still a "thoroughly decent" man.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC disputed Mr Langdale's assertion that Coulson was unaware of the illegality of phone hacking.

Evidence showed Coulson knew hacking was illegal from the summer of 2004, around the time he heard of the David Blunkett voicemail to Kimberly Quinn, Mr Edis said.

Coulson, from Charing in Kent, will be sentenced on Friday alongside three of his former colleagues and private detective Glenn Mulcaire, who all admitted their part in the phone hacking plot last year.

The prosecution has also asked for costs totalling £750,000 be paid following the trial.

NOTW news editor Greg Miskiw, 64, from Leeds; chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, 52, of Esher, Surrey; and James Weatherup, 58, of Brentwood in Essex have all admitted one general count of conspiring together and with others to illegally access voicemails between October 2000 and August 2006.

Mulcaire, 43, from Sutton in south London, was first convicted of phone hacking with NOTW royal reporter Clive Goodman in 2006 and served a prison sentence.

Following a renewed police investigation he admitted three more counts of conspiring to hack phones plus a fourth count of hacking the voicemail of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

Coulson's co-defendants Rebekah Brooks and managing editor Stuart Kuttner denied any wrongdoing and were cleared of all charges.

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Giant Jellyfish Spotted In Cornwall Estuary

A 20kg jellyfish has been spotted in an estuary on Cornwall's south coast.

The one-metre-wide jellyfish was filmed in an estuary near St Mawes

The barrel jellyfish, said to be around one metre in diameter with tentacles two metres long, was filmed by conservationist Matt Slater.

He came face-to-face with the creature as he swam with his dog Mango in Percuil estuary near St Mawes.

The jellyfish, which are not harmful to humans, are normally seen in deeper waters, but it is thought the mild winter has brought more plankton near to the shore.

Like basking sharks, barrel jellyfish feed exclusively on plankton which it catches with its sticky tentacles.

Mr Slater, a marine awareness officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "It was an otherworldly experience.

Barrel jellyfish feed exclusively on plankton

"These creatures are incredibly beautiful when you get a close look at them. The tentacles really look like soft coral."

He added: "Jellies are more aware of the watery world around them than you may imagine.

"They are constantly swimming up and down in the water looking for profitable patches of plankton."

The Marine Conservation Society has received reports of jellyfish being spotted across the south coast and west coast of England, as well as parts of Scotland, because of the warmer weather.

There have also been sightings of turtles in southwest England and Wales.

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Four Men Arrested Over Gang Rape In Slough

Four men have been arrested over the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl who was attacked at a secluded nature spot in Slough.

Two men aged 33 were arrested along with a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old.

The two 33-year-olds were bailed until August 3, Thames Valley Police said, while the other two men remained in custody.

The teenager was raped in woods near the Jubilee River in the Berkshire town on Friday.

She had apparently met a group of men earlier in the day and shopped at an off-licence with one of them.

The two of them then walked along Spackmans Way before following a footpath into woods near Jubilee River, police said.

Once there, they were met by four other men from the original group, who were in a silver car, and the girl was raped by "several of the men".

On Sunday, Detective Inspector Nicola Hurdley called for anyone who had seen anything to get in touch with police.

She said: "I would like to speak to anyone who may have seen these men in the Chalvey area last night, around early evening, and who may have seen them driving around in a small silver car.

"All the men are described as being Asian."

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101.

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Coulson And Goodman To Face Bribery Retrial

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

The Prime Minister's former communications director Andy Coulson is facing further court action after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled he will face a retrial on charges he conspired to bribe public officials.

The 46-year-old, who was editor of the News Of The World until his resignation in 2007, will be tried alongside the Sunday tabloid's former royal editor Clive Goodman.

Last week a jury failed to reach verdicts on the two men, who the Crown alleges conspired together to pay royal protection police officers for copies of royal phone directories.

The prosecution in the eight-month-long Old Bailey trial claimed Coulson and Goodman wanted the phone directories for the purposes of phone hacking - charges both men deny.

Coulson worked as a spin doctor for PM David Cameron

However, the jury found Coulson guilty of conspiring with others to intercept voicemail communications (phone hacking).

His co-accused, former News Of The World editor and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, was found not guilty of phone hacking, as was the tabloid's former managing editor Stuart Kuttner.

Mrs Brooks was also cleared of other charges, that she attempted to bribe public officials for stories and attempted to pervert the course of justice by hiding evidence that may have been useful to Scotland Yard detectives investigating the phone hacking allegations.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC said: "The CPS has taken the decision to proceed with the retrial."

Rebekah Brooks was found not guilty of phone hacking

Coulson was in court to hear the retrial decision, as his defence team prepare for two days of mitigation proceedings ahead of his sentencing on the phone hacking conviction on Friday.

He was joined in the dock by private detective Glenn Mulcaire and four former News Of The World journalists, who have all admitted their part in phone hacking at hearings before the trial began.

Mr Edis told the court: "Between them these defendants utterly corrupted this newspaper which became at the highest level a criminal enterprise."

He went on: "This was systemic misconduct approved and participated in by the editor himself."

Clockwise from left: Evans, Thurlbeck, Coulson, Weatherup, Mulcaire, Miskiw

Coulson and the other defendants face the prospect of up to two years behind bars.

In court alongside Coulson and Mulcaire are former colleagues Neville Thurlbeck, Greg Miskiw and James Weatherup, who have all admitted their part in phone hacking.

A sixth defendant, former News Of The World reporter Dan Evans, was told he will be sentenced at a later date.

He testified during the trial and told the court he was hired by Coulson, in part because of his phone hacking skills.

He also claimed phone hacking was an "open secret" at the News Of The World, where "even the office cat knew about it".

Mr Edis told Monday's hearing he would be seeking court costs from the defendants totalling a combined sum of £750,000.

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Car Hits Schoolgirls On Pavement: One Dead

A 14-year-old girl has died and two others have been injured after being hit by a car on their way to school in Witney, Oxfordshire.

The crash, which also injured a male pedestrian in his 40s, happened just after 8am in Curbridge Road when the car mounted the pavement.

The 18-year-old driver of the Citroen has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The girls were walking to school

Those hit were taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where the girl, named locally as Liberty Baker, was pronounced dead.

One of the girls is understood to have been treated for serious injuries, while the other was unharmed.

The man is believed to have suffered a serious hip injury.

The Citroen is taken away from the scene

Inspector Paul Winks of Thames Valley Police said: "This is just an urban 30 miles an hour road, it's fairly straight, visibility is good.

"So I'm not 100% sure what happened this morning, it's something we need to establish.

"It may take weeks or even months to determine exactly what's happened here."

All three of the girls went to the nearby Henry Box School.

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Rolf Harris Guilty Of String Of Sex Attacks

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has been found guilty of a string of indecent assaults against underage girls.

Harris, whose showbusiness career spans more than 60 years, was impassive as the jury returned guilty verdicts on all 12 counts after a seven-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

His daughter Bindi held hands with a fellow supporter, and his wife Alwen and niece Jenny watched from the public gallery as Harris learned his fate.

The 84-year-old will be sentenced on Friday.

Justice Sweeney warned Harris it was "inevitable" a custodial sentence would be possible.

Harris at court with daughter Bindi (left), wife Alwen and niece Jenny

It is the highest profile conviction achieved by officers from Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree team - the unit set up to investigate historical sex abuse claims in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

During the trial, four females described their ordeal at the hands of Harris - with the youngest being just seven or eight years old.

He was accused of indecent assaults dating between 1968 and 1986, but several other women gave bad character evidence against him at the trial, reliving how they had been molested by him as late as 1991.

Prosecution sources confirmed to Sky News that dozens of other women have also come forward during the trial, claiming they too were also assaulted by him and police are considering whether to bring further charges.

Two Australian women have also exclusively told Sky News they were groped by Harris in circumstances which echo some of the evidence heard during the trial.

Harris's career in showbusiness spanned six decades

The main complainant against Harris - who performed in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 - was the best friend of the Australian born cartoonist and singer's daughter Bindi.

The now 49-year-old woman told how she was first molested by Harris after she stepped out of a shower during a holiday in Hawaii in 1978 with Bindi and the rest of her family.

He then groped her again on the beach before carrying out further attacks on her in the bedroom of his family home in Australia - as Bindi slept nearby - and the assaults continued back in Britain.

Prosecutor Sasha Wass described Harris as a ''sinister pervert'' who used his fame to get close to young women and girls, adding that he had a ''dark side'' and was a ''Jekyll and Hyde character''.

Key to the case was a letter written by Harris to the father of the main victim in 1997 after she had told her parents of the abuse she had suffered as a teenager.

In it, Harris wrote how he was in a ''state of abject self-loathing'', adding he was ''sickened'' by the ''misery I have caused".

The prosecution said it amounted to a confession of his indecent assaults on her and which went on until she was 29 years old - only ending when she moved to Norfolk.

The other allegations involved attacks on a girl in Portsmouth in 1968-1969, a woman in Cambridge some time between 1975 and 1979 and an Australian woman called Tonya Lee who was molested in a London pub in 1986.

In an interview broadcast last year Ms Lee said: ''I don't know how he lives his life day to day, and I don't know how he sleeps at night.''

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GPs Who Miss Cancer 'To Be Named And Shamed'

GPs who repeatedly fail to spot signs of cancer in their patients could be named and shamed.

Surgeries will be marked out with a red flag on an NHS website for patients if they are deemed to be missing too many cases.

Doctors will also be red-flagged if patients have to make repeated visits before being referred for tests, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Practices will be given a green rating on the NHS Choices site if they have quick referral times for patients who show possible signs of having the disease.

Jeremy Hunt says surgeries could "do much better" with cancer diagnosis

But GPs have hit out at the plan, with one labelling it "very unhelpful" and saying it would be counter-productive.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said tough action must be taken to bring standards at surgeries with poor cancer referral rates into line with those with highest standards.

"We need to do much better," he told the newspaper.

"Cancer diagnosis levels around the country vary significantly and we must do much more to improve both the level of diagnosis and to bring those GP practices with poor referral rates up to the standards of the best."

A survey of 70,000 patients showed that one in 10 cancer sufferers had to see their GP at least five times before being referred to hospital to be diagnosed.

More than a quarter had seen their GP at least three times before being sent to a specialist.

Dr Monah Mansoori told Sky News: "I think we're going to end up having a system where GPs will start to refer defensively, they're just going to refer anything that's vaguely, possibly going to be a cancer because they don't want to be black marked and put on this list.

"It's very unhelpful, it's going to make people not confident in their GPs and more of them will end up at A&E and this is the problem they are supposedly trying to prevent and I think there's another issue, they haven't really said what they're going to do after they've put this black mark on GP's practices that perhaps aren't performing as well."

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All Staff Get Rights To Work From Home

By Emma Birchley, Sky News correspondent

The right to request flexible working arrangements is about to be extended to apply to all staff and not just parents and carers.

From Monday, workers who have been in their job for six months will be able to ask for flexitime, to job share or to work from home.

The change will extend flexible working rights to around 20 million people.

Many businesses who already offer it say it increases staff motivation and productivity and reduces absence.

Workers may be able to avoid painful commutes to work

It has been an option for all employees at the small advertising agency Osbornenash in Norwich since they set up three years ago - and it has paid off.

Managing director Carole Osborne said: "For us as a business it has helped because we want to be able to recruit the best staff that we possibly can ... it's important that we are flexible around their lives and then also that they can be flexible around what we as a business offer our clients."

The company's senior art director, Neil Wright, has two young daughters and is able to change his hours to suit his family life.

"Obviously family is important to everyone particularly having two children and my wife also works full time," he said.

"It's very valuable to be able to balance life and work equally."

The team at Osbornenash support flexi hours

But employment lawyer Fraser Younson, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, fears it could leave bosses with tough decisions about whose request to prioritise.

Flexibility will not be an option for all businesses and there are various grounds on which they can reject an application.

Christopher Soule, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said that one reason might be if the request worked out as too expensive for the employee's company.

But Mr Soule believes that many companies will embrace the opportunities.

"About 70% of our members already do some kind of flexible working," he said.

"It will make people think about whether it will help their business and improve their business and improve their staff relations."

Workers will have the right to appeal if the decision does not go their way and apply again 12 months later.

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Manhunt For Convicted Burglar Who Fled Jail

A convicted burglar who has absconded from a Yorkshire prison is being hunted by police.

Damian Pearson, 24, fled HMP Hatfield open prison in Doncaster at around 7am.

South Yorkshire Police did not elaborate on how that happened but have appealed for help to find him.

Pearson was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for burglary at the beginning of 2013.

He is not thought to be dangerous but members of the public are advised not to approach him.

Pearson is described as white, 6ft 1in slim build. He has links to Doncaster, in particular the Wheatley Park area.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

HMP Hatfield, near Hatfield Woodhouse in South Yorkshire, houses 266 prisoners and is a Category D men's prison and Young Offenders Institution.

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Sir Elton Says Jesus Would Back Gay Marriage

Sir Elton John has revealed plans for a "very quiet" wedding - and said he believes Jesus Christ would support gay priests getting married.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the star told Dermot Murnaghan he hopes to marry David Furnish some time next year and that it would be a low-key affair.

He also revealed his thoughts about the Pope - describing him as a "wonderful" man whose tolerance was an example to the Church of England.

The entertainer also spoke about the launch of a new fund to support the training of young athletes determined to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics.

He said he hoped a concert, performed for the charity SportsAid at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire last night, would raise £500,000 for the fund.

Sir Elton performs at Stoke Park for SportsAid

Sir Elton told Murnaghan that the global fight for gay rights was stalling and that he planned to talk with Vladimir Putin in Russia on the subject in November.

"Globally, we seem to have gone backwards over the last 18 months," Sir Elton said.

"I will see Putin and talk to him - I don't know what good it will do though."

Discussing gay rights, he said that the Church of England might learn from the humility and tolerance of Pope Francis.

"The new Pope has been wonderful, he's excited me so much," Sir Elton said.

"He's stripped it [the Church] down to the bare bones and said it's all basically about love."

Sir Elton agreed that gay clergy should be allowed to get married and suggested that the celibacy vow for Catholic priests be abolished.

"These are old and stupid things. If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen.

Sir Elton hopes to marry David Furnish next year

"He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that's what the church should be about."

Asked about his own wedding, he said: "I don't think we can get married until next year.

"However, when we do do, it will be very quiet and off the cuff - we had our big shebang when we had our civil union."

Sir Elton also described the Glastonbury festival as the ultimate music event - but said he had never been asked to perform there.

Murnaghan spoke to Sir Elton at the concert for SportsAid at Stoke Park. The aim of it was to create a new athlete fund that will help young people who hope to represent Great Britain at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sir Elton, who has been involved in the charity since its creation in the 1970s, explained how he hopes to create Britain's next Olympians.

He hoped the money raised would mean "for the next eight years 20 kids will get a grant of £2,000 that they normally couldn't get.

"It is just a way of supplementing their incomes and giving them hope for the future," he said.

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Police 'Concerned' For Man Bundled Into Car

Police are appealing for information after an unidentified man was forced into a black car in Manchester.

The man was jostled into the vehicle at the junction of the A34 Kingsway and Mauldeth Road around 1.30am.

Officers said the car had alloy wheels similar to a Volkswagen Golf.

Police are concerned about the man's welfare, according to Detective Inspector Sarah-Jane Lennie.

"We don't know exactly what has gone on or why, but from the details we have we are obviously concerned for the welfare of the person seen forcibly put into the car," she said.

"I am keen to hear from anyone who witnessed anything or saw the car in and around the area in the early hours of this morning.

"I would also like to hear from anyone who thinks they might know what has happened, who the people involved are and who this person is and why he may have been targeted.

"If you have any information please call us. We will treat it in absolute confidence."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4596.

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GPs Who Miss Cancer 'To Be Named And Shamed'

GPs who repeatedly fail to spot signs of cancer in their patients could be named and shamed.

Surgeries will be marked out with a red flag on an NHS website for patients if they are deemed to be missing too many cases.

Doctors will also be red-flagged if patients have to make repeated visits before being referred for tests, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Practices will be given a green rating on the NHS Choices site if they have quick referral times for patients who show possible signs of having the disease.

Jeremy Hunt says surgeries could "do much better" with cancer diagnosis

But GPs have hit out at the plan, with one labelling it "very unhelpful" and saying it would be counter-productive.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said tough action must be taken to bring standards at surgeries with poor cancer referral rates into line with those with highest standards.

"We need to do much better," he told the newspaper.

"Cancer diagnosis levels around the country vary significantly and we must do much more to improve both the level of diagnosis and to bring those GP practices with poor referral rates up to the standards of the best."

A survey of 70,000 patients showed that one in 10 cancer sufferers had to see their GP at least five times before being referred to hospital to be diagnosed.

More than a quarter had seen their GP at least three times before being sent to a specialist.

Dr Monah Mansoori told Sky News: "I think we're going to end up having a system where GPs will start to refer defensively, they're just going to refer anything that's vaguely, possibly going to be a cancer because they don't want to be black marked and put on this list.

"It's very unhelpful, it's going to make people not confident in their GPs and more of them will end up at A&E and this is the problem they are supposedly trying to prevent and I think there's another issue, they haven't really said what they're going to do after they've put this black mark on GP's practices that perhaps aren't performing as well."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

All Staff Get Rights To Work From Home

By Emma Birchley, Sky News correspondent

The right to request flexible working arrangements is about to be extended to apply to all staff and not just parents and carers.

From Monday, workers who have been in their job for six months will be able to ask for flexitime, to job share or to work from home.

The change will extend flexible working rights to around 20 million people.

Many businesses who already offer it say it increases staff motivation and productivity and reduces absence.

Workers may be able to avoid painful commutes to work

It has been an option for all employees at the small advertising agency Osbornenash in Norwich since they set up three years ago - and it has paid off.

Managing director Carole Osborne said: "For us as a business it has helped because we want to be able to recruit the best staff that we possibly can ... it's important that we are flexible around their lives and then also that they can be flexible around what we as a business offer our clients."

The company's senior art director, Neil Wright, has two young daughters and is able to change his hours to suit his family life.

"Obviously family is important to everyone particularly having two children and my wife also works full time," he said.

"It's very valuable to be able to balance life and work equally."

The team at Osbornenash support flexi hours

But employment lawyer Fraser Younson, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, fears it could leave bosses with tough decisions about whose request to prioritise.

Flexibility will not be an option for all businesses and there are various grounds on which they can reject an application.

Christopher Soule, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said that one reason might be if the request worked out as too expensive for the employee's company.

But Mr Soule believes that many companies will embrace the opportunities.

"About 70% of our members already do some kind of flexible working," he said.

"It will make people think about whether it will help their business and improve their business and improve their staff relations."

Workers will have the right to appeal if the decision does not go their way and apply again 12 months later.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sir Elton Says Jesus Would Back Gay Marriage

Sir Elton John has revealed plans for a "very quiet" wedding - and said he believes Jesus Christ would support gay priests getting married.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the star told Dermot Murnaghan he hopes to marry David Furnish some time next year and that it would be a low-key affair.

He also revealed his thoughts about the Pope - describing him as a "wonderful" man whose tolerance was an example to the Church of England.

Sir Elton shares his thoughts with Dermot Murnaghan

The entertainer also spoke about the launch of a new fund to support the training of young athletes determined to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics.

He said he hoped a concert, performed for the charity SportsAid at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire last night, would raise £500,000 for the fund.

Sir Elton told Murnaghan that the global fight for gay rights was stalling and that he planned to talk with Vladimir Putin in Russia on the subject in November.

Sir Elton performs at Stoke Park for SportsAid

"Globally, we seem to have gone backwards over the last 18 months," Sir Elton said.

"I will see Putin and talk to him - I don't know what good it will do though."

Discussing gay rights, he said that the Church of England might learn from the humility and tolerance of Pope Francis.

"The new Pope has been wonderful, he's excited me so much," Sir Elton said.

"He's stripped it [the Church] down to the bare bones and said it's all basically about love."

Sir Elton hopes to marry David Furnish next year

Sir Elton agreed that gay clergy should be allowed to get married and suggested that the celibacy vow for Catholic priests be abolished.

"These are old and stupid things. If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen.

"He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that's what the church should be about."

Asked about his own wedding, he said: "I don't think we can get married until next year.

"However, when we do do, it will be very quiet and off the cuff - we had our big shebang when we had our civil union."

Sir Elton also described the Glastonbury festival as the ultimate music event - but said he had never been asked to perform there.

Murnaghan spoke to Sir Elton at the concert for SportsAid at Stoke Park. The aim of it was to create a new athlete fund that will help young people who hope to represent Great Britain at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sir Elton, who has been involved in the charity since its creation in the 1970s, explained how he hopes to create Britain's next Olympians.

He hoped the money raised would mean "for the next eight years 20 kids will get a grant of £2,000 that they normally couldn't get.

"It is just a way of supplementing their incomes and giving them hope for the future," he said.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More