Beheading Suspect Appears In London Court

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of 82-year-old Palmira Silva who was beheaded in north London.

Nicholas Salvador, of Enfield, north London, is alleged to have killed the elderly woman with a machete in the garden of her home in Nightingale Road, Edmonton, on Thursday.

Salvador, 25, was led into the glass-fronted dock with his hands cuffed behind his back, escorted by four uniformed police officers at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

He has also been charged with assaulting a police officer.

Salvador had been taken to hospital and remained under police guard before being questioned by officers and charged.

Ms Silva was found collapsed in the back garden before being pronounced dead at the scene.

The house in the busy street where Ms Silva's body was found became the scene of a major police operation after officers were called to the area.

Metropolitan Police officers said after the operation that there were no signs of a link to terrorism.

Tributes have been paid to the elderly woman of Italian descent who ran a nearby cafe.

Dilek Solma, 19, who works next door, said: "I'm so upset. She was a very smiley lady, always had a smile on her face, and loved the community."

Another shop worker Raj Thangavelselvaraj, 50, said: "She was a nice lady, she was a good lady to everyone. It's very sad."

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UK Airlines Axe Flights Due To Italian Strike

Several UK airlines have warned passengers of major disruption to flights as a result of a strike by Italian air traffic controllers.

Ryanair says it has been forced to cancel 96 flights to and from Italy. They include a number of flights serving UK airports.

EasyJet has had to axe a further 60 flights, including 20 in and out of the UK.

British Airways has also had to re-schedule a number of flights.

One re-timed flight, a service from Naples to Gatwick, left at 1.30pm UK time instead of 10.30am UK time.

The four-hour strike is scheduled to last from 11.30am to 3.30pm UK time.

However it is expected to cause delays throughout the day, with more cancellations likely.

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely said: "We sincerely apologise to all passengers who have had their travel plans disrupted by these unjustified ATC (Air Traffic Controllers) strikes."

Ryanair has apologised for the disruption

The airline encouraged all passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling.

EasyJet said: "We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact to our customers and we are offering anyone flying to and from Italy during those times the opportunity to transfer their flight free of charge to another day to avoid the strike.

"They should go to easyJet.com to make changes to their flights."

Meanwhile a spokesman for BA said: "We are doing all we can to minimise disruption to customers affected by the threatened strike.

"We have re-timed a number of flights and are using larger aircraft where possible to help more customers, from cancelled flights, fly to where they need to be.

"We are advising customers flying to and from Italy to keep checking the very latest information on our website."

A spokeswoman for consumer organisation Which? said: "If you have a flight delay because of a strike, your airline has an obligation to offer you assistance if the delay is expected to go beyond a certain point.

"You could be entitled to food, drink and overnight accommodation, if required.

"Our advice is always to contact your airline before travelling to the airport to check if your flight has been affected."

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Police Chief Warns Cuts Raise Risk Of Terror

Police Asking Victims To 'Investigate Own Crimes'

Updated: 2:49pm UK, Thursday 04 September 2014

Hard-pressed police forces are "encouraging" victims of high-volume crimes to carry out their own investigations, a policing watchdog has warned.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said the "emerging trend" was identified in an investigation into 43 forces in England and Wales.

In a report summarising its findings, HMIC said its inspectors had witnessed call-handlers asking victims of offences like vehicle crime and "burglaries of properties other than dwellings" to assess the likelihood of the crime being solved.

It said some forces asked victims whether there was any CCTV footage of the area, any potential fingerprint evidence and whether the victim knew if there were any witnesses to the crime. 

In some cases victims were asked to interview their neighbours and to search for their property on second-hand sales websites.

"HMIC finds this expectation by these forces that the victim should investigate his own crime both surprising and a matter of material concern," the report said.

"The police have been given powers and resources to investigate crime by the public, and there should be no expectation on the part of it."

Teacher Louise Kimpton told Sky News she was surprised by the response when she called police after her car was stolen from outside her home near Rochdale in July.

"The police came round and they explained that unfortunately they only had very few officers on the beat in the area so it was highly unlikely they'd find the car" she said.

"They said they would try their best but obviously if we could look round as well that would help.

"My husband and his friend drove around and eventually they found the car."

She said they contacted police and within days received a letter saying that their case was closed.

Inspector of Constabulary Roger Baker, who led the inspection, said overall police forces have "done a good job in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour".

However he said the emerging trend suggested many officers have essentially "given up" on investigating high-volume crimes.

"It's more a mindset, that we no longer deal with these things," he said.

"Effectively what's happened is a number of crimes are on the verge of being decriminalised.

"So it's not the fault of the individual staff, it's a mindset thing that's crept in to policing to say 'we've almost given up'."

The report, named 'Core Business: an inspection into crime prevention, police attendance and the use of police time,' investigated a number of aspects of modern policing, including response to calls, quality of investigation and the use of technology.

Among its findings, HMIC said some forces were losing track of suspects and wanted persons as their systems for actively pursuing them were not up to scratch.

It also identified a policing "postcode lottery", saying attendance rates at crime scenes varied widely between police forces.

In the year to November 30, 2013, for example, 100% of crimes in Cleveland were attended by a police officer. In Warkwickshire, however, that figure stood at just 39%.

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Scottish Tech Firms Fear Impact Of 'Yes' Vote

How Scottish 'Yes' May Impact Invisible Border

Updated: 10:34am UK, Tuesday 02 September 2014

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

For those that live along the invisible border that divides Scotland and England, daily life could change dramatically with a Yes vote in the September 18 referendum.

These communities, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Coldstream to Gretna, will certainly feel the effect of any changes first.

While business and families could suddenly find themselves exporting and travelling abroad, currency is the top concern for most people.

Harry Frew, owner of Cheviot Trees - a farm based in Scotland, but so near the border it has an English postcode - says the uncertainty is damaging.

"Currency is our biggest issue," Mr Frew said.

"It would be a major impact on the business, a lot of extra admin and costs. If Scotland was to end up with euros, we would have to become used to invoicing in euros. Personally I think it is something we'd rather avoid."

Whether Scotland keeps the pound, adopts the euro or produces its own tender will determine the ease and cost of doing business on both sides if the Yes campaign bridges the six point gap with Better Together.

Cross-border workers may find themselves subject to two different tax regimes.

Eventually there could be two entirely different systems for borrowing, saving, buying and selling, working and retiring between the two countries.

Stephen Hay, head of tax at Baker Tilly in Edinburgh, said: "Of course people are going to be concerned about the pound in their pocket.

"A pensioner in Scotland will receive a pension, but the tax he pays on that pension could be higher or lower than a pensioner in England under independence.

"If the tax rate is higher in Scotland then clearly the less they'll have and equally if the tax rate is lower in Scotland the more they'll have, so I would imagine that will be a particular issue for a lot of people."

The Scottish Government plans to set the state pension at £160 per week, while the UK will set the new single tier rate next year, it's likely to be slightly lower around £148.

The current Scottish Government's White Paper also suggests that in the event of independence, it would review (and possibly withdraw) the UK Government's decision to raise the retirement age to 67 - keeping it at 65.

Home Secretary Theresa May has threatened checkpoints along the boundary should an independent Scotland pursue an immigration policy more lenient than that of the UK.

That could mean commuters would require passports.

The Scottish Government proposes one major simplification though.

An independent Scotland would replace the 95 ombudsmen that deal with a range of consumer issues within the UK: from roofing, to renewable energy, to financial services, with a single Scottish Consumer and Competition authority.

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Three Arrested Over New Forest Mum Murder

Three people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a mother-of-five in the New Forest.

Pennie Davis, 47, was tending her two horses in a paddock off Hatchet Lane, near Beaulieu, when she was killed.

She suffered multiple stab wounds and her husband Pete found her body on Tuesday afternoon.

Pennie Davis was stabbed multiple times while tending her horses

Police have arrested one person on suspicion of murder, one for perverting the course of justice, and another for assisting an offender.

All remain in custody, and Mrs Davis' family has been informed.

Police have continued to increase patrols in the area to reassure residents.

Officers hunting her killer believe the murder weapon was a bladed item, possibly a knife, and was probably discarded close to the scene.

A forensic tent covers the spot where Mrs Davis' body was found

They are conducting fingertip searches of the paddock and are dredging the adjacent river.

Mrs Davis, from Blackfield, worked in a supermarket and married just four months ago.

Her husband, children and parents visited the paddock on Friday morning and left flowers with messages from each member of the family.

Mr Davis' message said: "Angel, all my love, always and forever Pete."

Family, friends and locals have left floral tributes by the paddock

One of her daughters left a note saying: "Dearest mum, you were a goddess. I swear I'll make you proud.

"I like to think you're sitting there, watching on a cloud. You had so much more to give. You had so much more to do. But now I'll be your legacy. I'll do it all for you."

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Biscotti investigation team in confidence on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Witness: Suspect 'Was Fighting' With Police

Woman Found Beheaded In Back Garden Named

Updated: 9:29pm UK, Thursday 04 September 2014

A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 82-year-old woman was beheaded in broad daylight in a suburban back garden.

Palmira Silva, a widow believed to be of Italian descent, was found at an address in Edmonton, north London just after 1pm after police received reports of a man with a knife in Nightingale Road.

Other potential victims escaped in what appears to be a random attack, Sky sources say.

Police say they do not believe there is a terrorist motive but have not confirmed if Ms Silva, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was beheaded.

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "They haven't confirmed that the woman has been beheaded, refusing at this stage to discuss the injuries she's suffered.

"But we are on very good sources reporting the fact that the woman was found decapitated and police are certainly not telling us that we're wrong in doing that."

Witnesses reported seeing a man running around the area as police arrived and he was seen attacking a car.

The first report police received said a man was attacking an animal, a cat or a dog.

One local resident, who did not want to be named, described seeing a man brandishing a machete and shouting about cats.

The Metropolitan Police said the suspect was cornered in a house by officers after moving through a number of back gardens.

Metropolitan Police Commander Simon Letchford said: "Officers who attended the scene have evacuated a number of those people from those premises to make them safe.

"During that period they distracted the man from carrying out any further attacks."

An attempted attack on two people at another address in Nightingale Road is also being investigated. Police say they believe they were able to get out of the house without being injured.

One witness has told Sky News a man was "fighting" with police.

The suspect was detained by firearms officers and taser stun guns were fired.

One officer was injured during the arrest and is believed to have suffered a broken wrist.

The man was injured in the arrest and is being treated in hospital, where he is under guard.

Police will then determine whether he can be interviewed.

A weapon has been recovered but police have not revealed what it was.

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin, who is leading the investigation, described it as a "a highly visible attack in broad daylight".

He said: "I can understand why this may cause people concern, however we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage."

Residents are still waiting to be allowed back into their homes and the road remains cordoned off as forensic officers continue their work.

Ms Silva's next of kin have been informed.

A neighbour who knew her said she was "such a sweet lady" who went to work every day in a nearby cafe.

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Live Updates: Dave Lee Travis Sex Assault Retrial

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10:54am UK, Friday 05 September 2014

The former Radio One DJ at Southwark Crown Court

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Travis 'Acted Like He Had Right To Grope Women'

Dave Lee Travis was an opportunist who acted as though he had the perfect right to grope women, a court has heard.

The former Radio One DJ is standing trial on a total of three assault charges at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Travis, 69, is being retried on one count of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault upon which a jury were unable to reach verdicts earlier this year.

He also faces a further count of indecent assault alleged to have taken place in 1995.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Miranda Moore QC told the court the three alleged victims felt upset, embarrassed and unsure what to do following the alleged incidents.

The entertainer was cleared of 12 charges in February 2014

"In 2012, Operation Yewtree was set up and its major incident room received complaints referring to sexual assaults allegedly committed by a man that the complainants knew as Dave Lee Travis," she said.

"A number of women came forward after this defendant indicated on television and radio that he, Dave Lee Travis, was innocent of any such behaviour."

Ms Moore said the allegations spanned a period from 1985 to 2008 and were alleged to have taken place when Travis was working as a DJ or entertainer, or in his home as he was being interviewed.

The jury would hear from three women to whom the charges relate, as well as two other women who would describe similar incidents to support the descriptions of Travis's alleged behaviour, the court heard.

Ms Moore told the court: "Generally speaking, you will hear evidence that the ladies concerned were in their early 20s or 20s, with this defendant being older by many years when it happened, probably 20 years-plus.

Travis is one of Britain's best known radio DJs

"The defendant, according to these ladies, simply seemed to act as if he had a perfect right to touch their breasts or put his hands in their clothing to grope them."

The court heard one of the women was approached by Travis outside his dressing room where he warned her about the dangers of smoking.

"You shouldn't be smoking, think about your poor little lungs," he was alleged to have said, while touching her ribcage and moving his hands up to squeeze her breasts.

Ms Moore said the woman felt "mildly hysterical," but eventually ended up "laughing at the absurdity of the situation".

Travis is also accused of groping the breasts of a journalist who interviewed him at home in 2008. After telling her mother about the incident the woman was advised not to say anything because it could jeopardise her career, the court heard.

Ms Moore finished her opening statement by telling the jury: "You have to be sure of guilt; nothing less will do."

Travis, who is charged under his real name David Griffin, has pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

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Man Shot Dead By Police In Knife Incident

Police have shot dead a man who was threatening a woman with a knife at a house in London, Scotland Yard said.

The incident happened at a property in Islington and it is understood the man and the woman knew each other.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said the woman was unharmed and is being treated for shock.

The man was treated at the scene in Shepperton Road but died on the way to hospital.

Police cordoned off the road in Islington after the shooting

Police had sent a negotiator to the scene at 11.19pm on Thursday following reports the man had broken into a house.

Rosa Whiteread, 28, a primary school teacher who lives in the street, said: "I was asleep and I heard shouting - it woke me up. It must have been around 12.30 at night.

"I looked out of the window and I saw lots of police, there must have been around a dozen of them. I asked them what was going on, but they said they couldn't tell me.

"I'm not sure if the police were armed, but I saw a police dog. It's shocking."

Forensice officers later attended the scene

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I heard lots of shots - three or four. Like a bonfire. I've never heard anything like it before. It was really scary.

"There were a lot of police with guns. It was very scary. The people who lived there moved in around a year ago - I thought the man was her son."

Neil Basu, Specialist Crime and Operations officer with the Metropolitan Police, said: "Initial reports were that a man had broken into the house and officers were faced with a man threatening a woman with a knife.

The couple were believed to know each other

"Police negotiators and the London Ambulance Service were call called to the scene. The man was shot by police and treated at the scene but pronounced dead en-route to hospital.

"The woman is unharmed but in shock. We believe the man and women were known to each other but we cannot confirm the nature of that relationship. The man is a 40-year-old black man who was born in Islington.

"In the last 24 hours we have seen a number of high-profile incidents. Those kind of incidents are very rare indeed and London continues to be a safe city."

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Beheading Suspect Under Guard In Hospital

A man suspected of beheading a grandmother after killing a pet cat is in hospital under police guard.

Officers are waiting to question the 25-year-old, who allegedly wandered through back gardens with a machete, screaming and shouting, before he was arrested.

Palmira Silva, 82, was found collapsed in a garden in Edmonton, north London on Thursday before being pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers are also investigating an attempted attack on two people at another house in the same road before Ms Silva was killed.

Tributes have been paid to the elderly woman of Italian descent who ran a nearby cafe.

A police tent was put up at the scene of the attack

Dilek Solma, 19, who works next door, said: "I'm so upset. She was a very smiley lady, always had a smile on her face, and loved the community."

Another shop worker Raj Thangavelselvaraj, 50, said: "She was a nice lady, she was a good lady to everyone. It's very sad."

Police carried out a dramatic evacuation operation to save neighbours and an armed team tasered the knifeman as he struggled with officers, leaving one with a broken wrist.

Restaurant worker Freda Odame, 30, said: "I heard shouting and banging and I opened my curtains and saw a guy holding a knife in a back garden a few doors along. He was screaming. I could see he seemed aggressive. He looked a bit frantic."

She added: "I was shaking and I just shut the curtains. I was worried he might see me. Then the police knocked on the door and said 'You've got to get out, you've got to get out'."

Ahmed Yusuf, 19, said: "At first there were two police cars, then all of a sudden there were 20. The police said to drop everything. I said 'What's going on?' and they said 'there's a guy jumping over gardens'."

Police forensic teams look for evidence

Another resident described seeing a man brandishing a machete and shouting about cats.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said he also saw a headless cat as he watched the drama from his window.

The man said: "There was a scream so I went to the windows and saw a guy with a machete with blood dripping from it. We saw a cat on the floor without a head. He was standing in the garden and walking up and down shouting about cats."

The knifeman then appeared in the witness's garden and began swiping at plants, he said.

He went on: "He started cutting roses. We were just trying to call the police."

Metropolitan Police commander Simon Letchford said police were trying to establish the attacker's motive, but there are no signs of a link to terrorism.

He said officers smashed house windows to get people out after the man had been "cornered" in a house.

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Body Found In Field Had Multiple Stab Wounds

A woman whose body was found in a Hampshire field was stabbed multiple times, police have revealed.

Penelope Anne Davis, 47, from Blackfield, was discovered at 4.42pm on Tuesday by her husband.

She was tending to her two horses in a field off Hatchet Lane, near Beaulieu, when she was killed.

The body of Penelope Ann Davis, 47, was found on Tuesday

Mrs Davis, known as Pennie, had five children and worked in a local supermarket.

Detective Superintendent Paul Barton said: "We carried out an autopsy yesterday at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. I can reveal that the cause of death was multiple stab wounds.

A forensic tent in the field near Beaulieu

"This is therefore a murder inquiry."

Mr Barton appealed for witnesses in the area between 2pm and 5pm to come forward. He added that no arrests had been made and there were no obvious suspects.

Searches are taking place at a farm where Mrs Davis kept horses

"This is a rural location, but it's extremely busy with local people using it as a shortcut," he said.

A white forensic tent remains in the field where Mrs Davis' body was found.

Police patrols have also been stepped up in the area and around 70 officers are involved in the investigation.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Hampshire Major Investigation Team on 101, via the force website quoting Operation Biscotti, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Bank Holds Its Nerve On Rate Rise Prospect

The Bank of England has held off on an interest rate rise at its monthly meeting amid divided opinions on the timing of an increase in August.

The Bank confirmed at midday there would be no bank rate rise in September from the 0.5% record low first introduced in March 2009.

It emerged last month that external members of the nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Martin Weale and Ian McCafferty, voted to raise the base rate from 0.5% to 0.75% - the first split vote since Mark Carney became Bank governor.

The pair saw economic circumstances as sufficient to justify an immediate rise in the rate, which directly impacts home loan and saving interest rates.

They noted that the continuing rapid fall in unemployment, alongside survey evidence of tightening in the labour market, created a prospect that wage growth would pick up.

However, their voting took place before inflation figures showed a drop in the Consumer Prices Index to 1.6% - well below the Bank's 2% target.

Official pay growth figures, also released after August's MPC vote, showed the average weekly earnings figure contracted by 0.2% in June.

Only when the minutes of September's MPC meeting are released later this month will it be clear if the data had any impact on the split within the committee.

The majority on the MPC fear that raising rates too soon could hamper growth, with sectors such as manufacturing and construction still below pre-recession level.

A rate rise would also put pressure on household finances, with a 0.25% hike likely to translate to an annual increase of £250 on a typical mortgage.

Economists and market analysts do not expect a rate rise before November at the earliest - more likely in February 2015.

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Ashya's Parents Given Treatment Plan Deadline

The parents of cancer patient Ashya King have until Friday afternoon to submit a treatment plan to the High Court in the UK so a judge can rule on his current status as a "ward of court".

Ashya, who was taken out of Southampton General hospital by his parents Brett, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, against medical advice, is expected to see a cancer specialist later at Materno-Infantil Hospital in Malaga.

The couple have been told they cannot remove their five-year-old son from the Spanish hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said local authorities had been informed by British officials that his parents should not be allowed to take him away.

Ashya's parents cannot take move him from the hospital, officials say

Sky's Europe Correspondent Robert Nisbet, in Malaga, said: "This is about the legal status of Ashya and who is responsible for him, and at the moment it is not his parents - it's the courts.

"He is a ward of court, and therefore his well-being and any treatment plan has to be approved by his legal guardian.

"The deadline is 4pm tomorrow for this therapy plan to be set - that is doctors and the family working out what is best for Ashya in terms of his treatment - and its costs, including whether the family can afford it."

The plan will be considered by Southampton General over the weekend ahead of a court hearing on Monday attended by medics from the hospital, Portsmouth City Council, lawyers representing both sides, and his parents, who will take part in the proceedings via a video link from Spain.

The five-year-old with elder brother Naveed

The couple saw their son for the first time on Tuesday when they were released from police custody in Spain, after being arrested on Saturday at a hostel in the town of Benajarafe, east of Malaga.

An international manhunt was launched after they fled the country with Ashya to mainland Europe in search of alternative proton beam therapy treatment in the Czech capital Prague.

They were freed after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case against them amid a growing public backlash.

Speaking after spending the night at his son's bedside with his wife, Mr King said: "He couldn't breathe he was so happy. He was so pleased to see us. We're trying to be hopeful."

Mr King added: "He's not in such a good state as when we left him - spirit depressed since his parents left him. We'll do what it takes. Not much else to do."

The Proton Therapy Centre in Prague has said doctors in Southampton have agreed to refer Ashya to the clinic after two cycles of chemotherapy in the UK, which is likely to take several weeks.

A fundraising page set up to help pay for the therapy has so far raised more than £21,000, while Charity Kids'n'CancerUK said they have agreed to provide the £100,000 needed for the treatment, plus living costs, after donors pledged £35,000 in 24 hours.

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Boxer Kell Brook Stabbed On Tenerife Holiday

British world champion boxer Kell Brook has been stabbed while on holiday with his pregnant wife in Tenerife, Sky sources understand.

It comes less than a month after the 28-year-old clinched the IBF welterweight title with an unexpected defeat of American fighter Shawn Porter.

Brook was stabbed in the leg and suffered a cut arm during the attack, which could have implications for a fight with fellow British boxer Amir Khan that was rumoured to be in the pipeline.

A Guardia Civil spokeswoman said: "This morning a 28-year-old British man was stabbed at Golf del Sur in San Miguel de Abona.

"He was stabbed in the left leg and is hospitalised. He lost a lot of blood. There are no arrests at this time."

Mr Brook has been stabbed before, and was seriously injured back in 2007

It remains unclear whether his plans for a first title defence in December will have to be postponed.

He is said to be conscious and in a stable condition in hospital, while his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Reporting for Sky Sports News HQ, Fraser Dainton said: "As I'm sure you can imagine, this must have been extremely distressing and upsetting for everybody involved.

"He was looking forward to a nice, quiet, relaxing time over in Tenerife with his family, but obviously this has put a shadow on things at the moment.

"The details are fairly sketchy, but the good news is that it looks like the injuries, from what we're told, are not too serious."

This is not the first time that the boxer has been stabbed - in 2007, he sustained serious injuries after being knifed in his sides and buttocks following a party at a nightclub in Sheffield.

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Reports: Woman Beheaded In Back Garden

A man has been arrested after a woman was found beheaded in a back garden in north London, according to reports.

The victim was found at an address in Nightingale Road, Edmonton just after 1pm.

Scotland Yard gave few details but said that a man is in custody.

It is not known what weapon was used.

Police and ambulance crews are at the scene. Pic: redbutdred

The force said: "Police were called to an address in Nightingale Road at 13.07pm today to reports of a stabbing incident.

"On arrival officers discovered a female collapsed in a garden area.

"A man has been detained and remains in custody.

"At this very early stage we are not in a position to give further details."

Witnesses reported seeing a man running around the area as police arrived on the street.

Police arrived at the scene at 1pm

Ambulance crews and an air ambulance were called but it is understood the victim died at the scene.

Detectives said it was too early to speculate on a motive but that there is no suggestion that the killing had anything to do with terrorism.

The Metropolitan Police tweeted that they have not yet spoken to the woman's next of kin.

"We are not prepared to comment on the exact nature of the woman's injuries," they said.

More follows ...

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Head Of Sky News On Stand Up Be Counted

Today Sky News is launching an ambitious new campaign, Stand Up Be Counted.

:: Click here to visit the site

The project sees us launch a dynamic digital platform where young people aged between 16 and 25 can talk about the issues that affect them.

Anything from personal reflections on their lives, to their frustrations around the stereotypes the media turns them into, to their optimism about the future.

According to a Sky News poll, almost half of the young people in Britain are not engaged in politics, feel their voices are not heard and don't believe that politicians are addressing their needs.

That makes for depressing reading.

We, the media, are partly to blame, often portraying young people as stereotypes, the victims or the agitators.

Indeed only 18% of young people say that traditional media is the best platform to reflect their views and concerns. I am determined to change this.

Some of the results from the poll

This is why we are launching Stand Up Be Counted.

Not only is it a place where young people can share their thoughts but it also means that we can help amplify their voices and make them a genuine part of our Sky News content.

We would like thousands of young people across the country, from every constituency, to share their thoughts with us, as they already do on their social networks.

Within just a few seconds video, blogs and comments can be uploaded and shared with fellow Stand Ups on our platform and across social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, WhatsApp and Kik.

I am 52, it's been a while since I was considered young, but when I talk to younger people now I am always bowled over about how creative, how deep thinking, and how motivated they are.

They just feel, quite rightly, disengaged from the Westminster bubble which decide the direction in what our country heads.

Some of the young people who have shared their views on the site

Likewise news organisations like Sky need to up their game, and help explain how policy decisions directly affect the lives of young people, and how they can influence those decisions via voting. We just need to avoid doing it in a preachy, patronising way.

There is a danger that young people could be sidelined, becoming so disengaged that they lose their voice - not necessarily amongst their peers - but with the establishment who contribute to shaping their future.

Long gone are the days of young people being seen and not heard, we need to do all we can to ensure their voices are received loud and clear, ensure they stand up and are counted.

:: Stand Up website: www.skynews.com/standupbecounted

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Ashya's Parents Kept In Police Custody

The parents of Ashya King will remain in police custody and unable to visit their five-year-old son in hospital after their extradition hearing in Madrid was adjourned for three days.

Brett King, 51, and his wife Naghmeh, 45, from Portsmouth, told the court they did not want to be extradited back to the UK, according to Sky sources.

Ashya, who has a brain tumour, is also not able to have visits from his six siblings who are also still in Spain because he is under police guard at the Materno-Infantil hospital in Malaga.

The boy's parents were arrested on Saturday after taking Ashya out of Southampton General Hospital to seek specialist cancer treatment abroad.

The five-year-old is unable to see members of his family

Petitions on change.org calling for the release of the Kings so they can get medical treatment for Ashya have now gathered nearly 20,000 signatures.

It comes after Portsmouth City Council revealed on Monday that the little boy was made a temporary ward of court on Friday.

Julian Wooster, the council's director for children's services, said: "At the request of Southampton hospital the council obtained a temporary Wardship Order on Friday, only to direct that Ashya King be presented for medical treatment.

"The order will be reviewed by the High Court on Wednesday. We understand this is an extremely difficult time for Ashya and his family."

Ashya King, pictured with father Brett, needs treatment for a brain tumour

Ashya's grandmother Patricia King said authorities were treating Brett and his wife "like murderers".

She said: "They've treated them like murderers, putting handcuffs on them and everything. There's no human rights for our family at all, it's disgusting.

"He's there in the hospital, he doesn't know anybody, there's police guarding him, he can't speak, he doesn't understand Spanish.

The hearing took place in Madrid - 300 miles from Ashya's hospital

"My daughter-in-law and my son have begged to see him, but they've been refused."

His brother, Naveed, 20, posted a video blog claiming the family had stocked up on food and syringes that the boy needed ahead of their journey and had bought him a new wheelchair costing up to £1,600.

Patricia King earlier said her son was selling his holiday home in Spain to pay for proton beam therapy, which costs an average of £100,000 per person.

British police officers are understood to have arrived in Spain to question Ashya's parents.

The family travelled to southern Spain through Cherbourg in France

Dr Jiri Kubes, a proton therapist in the Czech Republic where the family was hoping to get treatment for Ashya, said cancer clinics could treat him "within a few days" if a request was received from his doctors.

Janice Atkinson, UKIP South East MEP, said: "This little boy needs his mother at this time. He is five years old, probably doesn't speak Spanish, and will be lying in a hospital bed in distress.

"I call on the Home Secretary to contact the Spanish authorities so that Ashya's parents are released immediately. Then she should ask the assistant chief constable of Hampshire why he 'made no apology for the police being proactive' to find Ashya."

A spokesman for David Cameron said: "I think people up and down the country will understand and be moved by the grave illness from which Ashya is suffering.

"First and foremost, the priority must be that he receives the very best and most appropriate medical care.

"Of course, I am sure that every parent wants to do the best for their child. That is probably the most human of human instincts."

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Wedding Fireworks Dead Still Not Identified

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

It could be days before the victims of a fireworks explosion in Cumbria are formally identified due to the extent of their burns, Sky News understands.

The man and woman who died in the tragedy, at a wedding celebration on the banks of Lake Windermere, are thought to have been pyrotechnic technicians preparing for a display - but they have yet to be named.

Seventy guests had gathered on Saturday at the lakeside cottage of John Simpson and Nicole Rothwell, who had married earlier in the week.

As they posed for pictures after the blessing, the shed where the fireworks were stored caught light.

Eyewitness Anthony Middleton was visiting the adjacent Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre with his wife and children.

He said: "We heard a series of very loud bangs that shook the ground. Then we saw the fireworks.

"We thought it was strange to have a firework display in the afternoon, and then when I saw the smoke and the fire I quickly realised something had gone badly wrong.

"I filmed it for a short while, but then thought of the safety of my family and moved away."

The flames were estimated at about 20 metres high. Pic Anthony Middleton

Neighbours told Sky News the flames from the blaze were higher than the nearby trees, which stand about 20 metres tall.

One of them, Enid Battersby, said: "It was very frightening. It was an enormous explosion.

"There was this one big sound followed by further smaller bangs and pops and a cloud of smoke then drifted over as all the police cars and fire engines arrived."

A joint inquiry into the cause of the fire has been launched by the police, the fire service, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Forensic examinations of the scene have been completed, and a cordon around parts of the property has been removed.

The cottage and other surrounding residences within the same grounds have private jetties at Lake Windermere.

The newlyweds were today unavailable for comment.

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Anti-Terror Plans To Seize Passports At Border

The Prime Minister has unveiled new anti-terror measures to deal with the threat from Islamist militant groups in Iraq and Syria.

David Cameron told the Commons "we need a firm security response" to the threat from Islamic State (IS), which has taken over large parts of the two countries.

The PM said IS was a direct threat to every European nation, and claimed around 500 British nationals had gone to the region to fight in the conflicts there.

Mr Cameron said the Government will introduce legislation to give police temporary powers to seize passports at UK borders of Britons they suspect are travelling abroad to fight with terror groups.

The added there would be "appropriate safeguards".

He also said airlines will have to give UK authorities information on passenger lists to help identify Islamist fighters and also comply with security screening requirements.

And if the companies do not agree, then their flights will not be able to land in Britain, the PM added.

More follows...

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Sky Poll: Young Not Engaged In Politics

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

Almost half of young people in Britain are not engaged in politics, feel their voices are not heard and do not believe that politicians are addressing their needs, a Sky News poll has found.

The Survation poll was commissioned as part of the launch of Stand Up Be Counted, a brand new digital platform designed by Sky News to give young people a voice.

The survey appears to show widespread apathy and indifference towards politics among those aged 24 and below.

Click here to visit the Stand Up Be Counted site

Some of those who have shared their views on the Stand Up Be Counted site

Forty-nine percent of 16-24 year olds questioned know neither the name nor party of their local MP, the survey found.

And 47% said none of party leaders David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband or Nigel Farage best exemplify the qualities they want in their political leaders.

(L-R) Ed Miliband, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage

For example, of those questioned, more than a quarter (26%) said they were not engaged with politics and had no interest in becoming more involved.

Seventeen percent said they were not engaged in politics but would like to become more so.

Just 8% said they were fully engaged with the political process.

In total 39% expressed an interest in becoming more engaged in politics while 50% said they had no interest in becoming more engaged.

The poll also showed the frustration and lack of faith many young people have in politics.

Asked if they felt their voices were heard in society, 44% said they were not listened to despite trying to express concerns or beliefs.

Forty-two percent said they did not try to make themselves heard. And just 12% felt that they were being listened to.

Forty-five percent of those questioned said they had "not very much" confidence that politicians would address the issues that matter most.

And only 31% said they trusted government to address their needs and concerns.

The three attributes named by those polled as most desirable in politicians were honesty, being in touch with ordinary people and the ability to make tough decisions.

Asked to reveal the first word that comes to mind when thinking of politics 9% said "lies" or "liars", 8% said "boring" and 7% referred to "corruption".

MPs have faced recent criticism for rowdy displays at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions sessions.

And 53% of those questioned said they would be more likely to listen to politicians if they behaved better at PMQs. Forty-three percent said it showed politicians displaying passion.

The poll also shows that mainstream media is viewed with suspicion by young people.

Eight out of 10 of those surveyed said they did not believe that traditional media (newspapers, radio and TV) portrayed them accurately.

Instead social media such as Facebook and Twitter are more trusted to accurately reflect their views and concerns according to 46%.

:: Survation polled 1,004 16-24 year olds on behalf of Sky News between August 21 and 26, 2014.

:: Stand Up website: www.skynews.com/standupbecounted

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Schools Struggling With Free Hot Meals Plan

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

Some primary schools will not be ready to give children free hot meals when term starts this week, it has been warned.

All state educated infants, year one and year two pupils in England are entitled to free school dinners from September under plans announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg last year.

A total of £2.30 is being allocated per pupil per day to pay for the scheme, but some councils and schools say they have not had the time or money to create the new kitchens and dining rooms that are needed.

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School in Middlesex will serve meals in the classrooms and use outside caterers until its new kitchen is completed next year.

The school's headteacher, Anne Lyons, told Sky News she supports the plans to give children free food but added: "We've had virtually no funding to implement this, other than the £2.30, which is why we don't have a kitchen.

"We've had to already buy our own furniture, tables and chairs, and so that is a strain on the budget."

Mr Clegg says the changes will ensure all children get a nutritious meal and will save parents and taxpayers money.

However, a survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) published in August found 47% of councils questioned said they had not received enough money from the Department of Education to pay for the changes.

The LGA claimed on average those that were short would need to find around £488,000 to ensure all of the pupils got meals, which could mean taking money from other budgets.

In a statement, a Department for Education spokesman said 239 schools, around 1.5%, would not be ready to serve hot meals at the beginning of term, but will provide cold food.

The statement added: "We have provided significant financial support to schools to help them deliver the policy, including over £1bn over the next two years to pay for the costs of providing the meals.

"Schools and local authorities have also received £150m of additional capital to help upgrade facilities, and we have allocated an extra £22.5m specifically to help small schools."

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Ashya's Parents Wanted Proton Beam Treatment

The parents of Ashya King have said they removed him from a Southampton hospital because they were unable to get a specialist treatment on the NHS.

In a YouTube video, Brett King said they were hoping to get to the Czech Republic to seek proton beam radiotherapy for their five-year-old son.

The treatment is currently only available to treat eye conditions on the NHS in the UK, but is already being used by European countries and in the US for a range of cancers in adults and children.

It differs from X-ray methods by focusing proton beams more precisely at cancer cells, with doses aimed directly at the tumour, and spares the healthy tissue and organs behind it.

Ashya's parents were arrested on Saturday near Marbella, Spain

Speaking in the video, Mr King said: "It zones in on the area, whereby normal radiation passes through his head and comes out the other side and destroys everything in his head.

"We pleaded with them (in Southampton) for proton beam treatment. They looked at me straight in the face and said with his cancer - which is called medulloblastoma - it would have no benefit whatsoever."

Ros Barnes, whose son Alex went to the US after he was unable to get beam therapy in the UK for his brain tumour, said she would do the same thing as Ashya's family.

She told Sky News: "We were told the same thing, that Alex's tumour wasn't suitable for proton therapy by the NHS here in this country.

His family want him to receive proton beam treatment in the Czech Republic

"The alternative here was radiotherapy, and he was only four years old at the time it would have caused extreme brain damage and probably wouldn't have worked either. So yes, I would have done the same as this family.

"They wanted us to have the operation here and for him to have radiotherapy, but he would have been blind, brain damaged and in a wheelchair, if he survived, and his prognosis was terrible."

David Langton-Gilks died in 2012 aged 16 from the same medulloblastoma after receiving treatment at the same Southampton General Hospital.

His mother Sacha said more research was desperately needed into the disease.

Ashya is now in a children's hospital

She said: "I did not want to hear what they had to say, often, and I wanted to run away. You could hear the planes going over the hospital from the airport behind you could see the ferries leaving from the children's cancer ward.

"And it's like - 'get us out of here, this just can't be right for children, surely there's a better way?'

"Unfortunately, the only better way is research... we've got to get better treatments for these children because what's available now is limited, it has horrendous side effects and I'm so sorry for the Kings."

Professor Justin Stebbing, consultant oncologist at Imperial College in London, told Sky News trials on proton beam treatment had yet to be completed.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Decisions on treatment for individual patients are made by doctors who are best placed to know what their patient needs.

"We are investing £250m in new proton beam therapy facilities, in Manchester and in London, and more people are being funded to go overseas until facilities are available in the UK."

A spokesperson for NHS England added the NHS supported 99 children to travel abroad last year for proton beam therapy. The treatment costs an average £100,000 per patient, it added.

The only current proton beam facility is in Clatterbridge Centre for Cancer NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool.

Ashya's parents are facing extradition to the UK after they were arrested in Malaga at 9pm UK time on Saturday.

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Muslim Leaders Issue Fatwa Against IS Britons

Muslim leaders have reportedly issued a fatwa condemning Britons who fight for extremists in Iraq and Syria.

The fatwa, which The Sunday Times newspaper said had been issued by imams, is the strongest denunciation yet by the Muslim community of UK citizens who join militants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, formerly known as ISIL and ISIS.

It comes as former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown accused Conservative ministers of "kneejerk" responses to the terrorism threat from extremists - and the US carried out airstrikes against IS fighters near Amerli in northern Iraq.

Air drops were also made to civilians in the area, including two by British Hercules aircraft, as the Iraqi army evacuated people from the besieged town as Iraqi and Kurdish forces closed in on IS fighters.

A number of Britons are known to have joined Islamic State militants

The UK Government has raised the terror threat to Britain from "substantial" to "severe", although Home Secretary Theresa May said there was no evidence to suggest an attack was "imminent".

Issued by a learned Muslim scholar, a fatwa is an edict that may concern any aspect of Islamic life.

Technically it cannot be revoked and dies only with the person it is imposed on.

The Sunday Times reported six senior Islamic scholars have endorsed the fatwa, describing Britons allied to Islamic State cells as "heretics".

According to the newspaper, the fatwa says Muslims have a "moral obligation" to help those in war-torn Syria and Iraq, but that they should do so "without betraying their own societies".

Lord Ashdown said the terror threat should be countered 'without panic'

The term fatwa rose to prominence in the West in 1989 after the author Salman Rushdie was forced into hiding after having a "death fatwa" issued against him.

It was imposed by Ayatollah Khomeni, then Supreme Leader of Iran, who said Rushdie's book, The Satanic Verses, had "insulted" Islam.

Meanwhile, Lord Ashdown has argued in an article for The Observer that the current terror threat to the UK is one "one we have faced before and one we know how to deal with - effectively, without panic and without a whole new range of executive powers which could endanger our liberties".

"Indeed, when it comes to facing threats, it was surely far more difficult to cope with IRA terrorists slipping across the Irish Sea than it is to stop jihadis returning from Iraq," he wrote.

He said Prime Minister David Cameron had initially seemed to be keen to avoid a rushed response.

But he argued Tory ministers had recently "indulged in a spasm of kneejerking which would have made even St Vitus feel concerned".

"And Labour, frightened as always when it comes to liberty and security, capitulates to the demand."

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Yes Campaign Accused Of 'Sinister' Mobbery

A Scotland referendum No campaigner has accused the Yes campaign of "sinister" street mobbery after his tour visits were disrupted by crowds.

Labour frontbencher Jim Murphy described the abuse as "sinister".

He said his last 12 No campaign meetings had been disrupted by hundreds of "co-ordinated" individuals throwing eggs and hurling abuse.

Mr Murphy has been staging a tour of 100 towns in 100 days with weeks to go until the referendum vote takes place.

The Scottish referendum takes place on September 18

He told Sky News: "I don't mind heckles, do you know what I don't mind people throwing eggs, that's just a dry cleaning bill that's neither here nor there.

"Instead of turning up and crowds of people on all sides, I would turn up and there was an organised mob of yes supporters facilitated through the Yes Scotland organisations, through websites, through Facebook and other social media.

"This is co-ordinated, it's sinister and there have been times, across the period, [there have been] hundreds of people involved in it.

"These are people intending to disrupt and silence undecided voters on street corners so they cannot have their say."

Polls have showed the gap between the two campaigns has narrowed

But Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond hit back at the claims, and said there were "idiots" on both sides.

He said: "I condemn any egg throwing or any intimidation from any side.

"I don't hold press conferences accusing Mr Murphy or the No campaign of orchestrating these events because I know that would be ridiculous to do so.

"If Mr Murphy comes bawling and shouting on a street corner near you anytime soon, keep doing your shopping go on with what you're doing.

"It's just like a guy with the 'end is nigh' around his neck, he'll go away soon.

"Let the rest of us get on with the real story, and that is hundreds of thousands of people, never interested in politics in their lives before, are now engaged in the most engaging, participative and empowering debate in political history."

On Saturday, Prime Minister David Cameron told the Scottish Daily Mail he was "emotional and nervous" over the independence referendum, but confident the Union would remain.

The vote takes place on September 18.

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Grandmother: Ashya's Treatment 'Disgraceful'

The grandmother of Ashya King has slammed his hospital treatment as "disgraceful".

Patricia King said the five-year-old boy's parents Brett, 51, and Naghemeh, 45, are "brilliant parents, both of them".

More follows...

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Ashya's Parents Wanted Proton Beam Treatment

The parents of Ashya King have said they removed him from a Southampton hospital because they were unable to get a specialist treatment on the NHS.

In a YouTube video, Brett King said they were hoping to get to the Czech Republic to seek proton beam radiotherapy for their five-year-old son.

The treatment is currently only available to treat eye conditions on the NHS in the UK, but is already being used by European countries and in the US for a range of cancers in adults and children.

It differs from X-ray methods by focusing proton beams more precisely at cancer cells, with doses aimed directly at the tumour, and spares the healthy tissue and organs behind it.

Ashya's parents were arrested on Saturday near Marbella, Spain

Speaking in the video, Mr King said: "It zones in on the area, whereby normal radiation passes through his head and comes out the other side and destroys everything in his head.

"We pleaded with them (in Southampton) for proton beam treatment. They looked at me straight in the face and said with his cancer - which is called medulloblastoma - it would have no benefit whatsoever."

Ros Barnes, whose son Alex went to the US after he was unable to get beam therapy in the UK for his brain tumour, said she would do the same thing as Ashya's family.

She told Sky News: "We were told the same thing, that Alex's tumour wasn't suitable for proton therapy by the NHS here in this country.

His family want him to receive proton beam treatment in the Czech Republic

"The alternative here was radiotherapy, and he was only four years old at the time it would have caused extreme brain damage and probably wouldn't have worked either. So yes, I would have done the same as this family.

"They wanted us to have the operation here and for him to have radiotherapy, but he would have been blind, brain damaged and in a wheelchair, if he survived, and his prognosis was terrible."

David Langton-Gilks died in 2012 aged 16 from the same medulloblastoma after receiving treatment at the same Southampton General Hospital.

His mother Sacha said more research was desperately needed into the disease.

Ashya is now in a children's hospital

She said: "I did not want to hear what they had to say, often, and I wanted to run away. You could hear the planes going over the hospital from the airport behind you could see the ferries leaving from the children's cancer ward.

"And it's like - 'get us out of here, this just can't be right for children, surely there's a better way?'

"Unfortunately, the only better way is research... we've got to get better treatments for these children because what's available now is limited, it has horrendous side effects and I'm so sorry for the Kings."

Professor Justin Stebbing, consultant oncologist at Imperial College in London, told Sky News trials on proton beam treatment had yet to be completed.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Decisions on treatment for individual patients are made by doctors who are best placed to know what their patient needs.

"We are investing £250m in new proton beam therapy facilities, in Manchester and in London, and more people are being funded to go overseas until facilities are available in the UK."

A spokesperson for NHS England added the NHS supported 99 children to travel abroad last year for proton beam therapy. The treatment costs an average £100,000 per patient, it added.

The only current proton beam facility is in Clatterbridge Centre for Cancer NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool.

Ashya's parents are facing extradition to the UK after they were arrested in Malaga at 9pm UK time on Saturday.

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