Scotland 'Should Determine Its Own Future'

By Niall Paterson, Scotland Correspondent

Alex Salmond has used his party conference speech to urge voters north of the border to "put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands".

As the nationalist party, committed to fulfilling an 80-year pledge to gain Scotland its independence from the United Kingdom, continues to reduce the gap in the polls ahead of September's referendum, he insisted the vote is not about him.

"This referendum is not about this party, or this First Minister, or even the wider Yes campaign," he told delegates in Aberdeen.

"It's about putting Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.

"Our party is hugely popular, and we are currently five, 10 and 15 points ahead in polls for Westminster, Europe and Holyrood respectively.

"But a Yes vote in September is not a vote for me, or for an SNP government in 2016.

"It's a vote for a government in Scotland that the people of Scotland choose, pursuing policies the people of Scotland support."

The speech, much like the campaign, made much of the fact that Scots have voted in a way at significant variance with the overall result of recent general elections.

He said: "I tell you what (the government of an independent Scotland) won't be. It won't be a government led by a party with just a single MP in Scotland.

"A government dismantling our welfare state. Determined to privatise public services.

"In an independent Scotland we can give this guarantee: The era of unelected Tory governments handing out punishment to the poor and the disabled will be gone and gone for good."

Results vary, but the Yes campaign is still significantly behind the No vote in all major polls, although the margin has narrowed in recent months.

And despite the fact the Yes campaign has yet even to come close to a majority in said polls, the SNP leader in Westminster remains upbeat, with five months of campaigning to go.

"When people are able to contrast the Yes case with the No case and understand the momentum is going in the direction of the Yes case, I'm confident we will get a Yes result," Angus Robertson MP told Sky News.

"It might surprise some people in the bunkers of Whitehall and Westminster when it does, but when they wake up they will realise this is about Scotland governing itself like so many other places have decided to do over recent decades.

"We will have excellent relations with our friends on these islands.

Mr Salmond says a Yes vote is a vote for the future of Scotland

"But we will always have a government that we actually elect making better decisions for people who life here - regardless of where they are from."

Given their lead in the polls it's unsurprising that the Better Together camp remains positive, despite considerable media and public opinion branding their campaign negative.

Asked whether it was easier for people to enthuse about independence rather than maintaining the status quo, Lewis Macdonald, a Labour member of the Scottish Parliament, told Sky News: "It's important to say there's a lot to be enthusiastic about.

"The union has worked very, very well for many generations and it's delivered us many benefits. But this isn't about change versus the status quo. This is about devolution, the kind of change that people in Scotland have wanted for a long time.

"It's a referendum that will be decided by the judgement people make at the end of the day. I think many people have made up their minds, some still have to choose.

"My expectation is that those people who still have to make up their mind will come to the same conclusion as those who have already made up their mind.

"At the moment, and for as long as I can remember the split has basically been two to one for remaining in the UK. I expect that the undecideds will come down in much the same kind of split.

"But only time will tell."

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Osborne Jail Threat For Offshore Tax Evaders

Wealthy people who stash money in offshore accounts to evade paying tax could be sent to jail, the government has said.

Chancellor George Osborne said new proposals could mean that people who hide their cash overseas could face criminal charges even if they did not intend to evade tax.

Mr Osborne, who is consulting on the new powers, said there would be "no safe haven" for anyone who cheats the Exchequer.

It comes after concerns that some wealthy people are costing the government millions of pounds a year by keeping money away from the glare of UK authorities.

HM Revenue & Customs will have the power to prosecute people who do not declare their foreign income, regardless of whether they intend to avoid payment.

Previously, in order to earn a conviction with a jail sentence, prosecutors had to show that individuals intended to avoid paying tax on foreign income.

Mr Osborne, who has been at the International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington, told the Financial Times: "We are changing the balance of the law so the burden of proof falls on those who are hiding their money offshore and we don't have to prove that they intended to do so."

He added: "It is totally unacceptable for people not to pay the tax that is due and the message will be clear now with this new criminal offence that if you're evading tax offshore, there is no safe haven."

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been criticised for not prosecuting enough tax evaders.

Sky News' Ecomonics Editor Ed Conway said there has been much international discussion about what can be done to clamp down on people who hide money overseas.

David Cameron has previously announced a crackdown on so-called shell companies to help combat tax evasion and corruption.

The new criminal offence and sanctions are expected to come into effect next year, but many are expected to contribute to the consultation before that can happen.

The announcement was greeted by dismay from some, with critics suggesting the law could result in people being jailed when they were genuinely ignorant of the law.

Bill Dowdell, head of tax at Deloitte, told The Times: "It's horrifying. People should not be put in prison unless you can prove intent.

"I'm shocked to find that an offence which could lead to a prison sentence could be decided on a strict-liability basis."

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Most Voters Want Farage In Leaders' Debate

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

A new poll suggests most of the public believe Nigel Farage should take part in any televised leaders' debates ahead of next year's general election.

A Comres poll has found 51% of people think UKIP should be represented alongside David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Lib Dem Nick Clegg.

Even more - 53% - say the Prime Minister would look like a coward if he refused to take on Mr Farage.

It comes amid Conservative fears that the right-wing UKIP could top the polls in England in next month's European elections.

Mr Cameron said debates "sucked the life" out of the last campaign

The party is enjoying a popularity boost after Mr Farage easily won a television debate against Mr Clegg.

The party thinks its overall poll position - which at 15% is well ahead of the Lib Dems - means it ought to be included in any further debates.

And Mr Farage has warned that if the party is excluded he will provide "an alternative form of entertainment on the evening".

The poll was carried out for Grassroots Conservatives, a Tory pressure group that feels the liberal wing of the party has too much control over the leadership.

Mr Clegg, left, had challenged Mr Farage to a debate

James Joshua, executive director of the organisation, told Sky News that Mr Cameron would be most respected by party members if he took the UKIP threat on face to face.

But some senior Conservative strategists do not want their leader to take part in the clashes at all - because they believe three debates in quick succession before the 2010 election cost the party a majority.

Mr Cameron said the debates "sucked the life" out of the campaign.

Others argue that UKIP should not be included because they have not achieved any success in general elections with no seats, while other small parties excluded from the debates do have MPs in Parliament. 

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Schools 'Asking Parents To Pay For Textbooks'

Teachers are concerned poorer pupils are being put at a disadvantage by an increasing number of schools asking parents to pay for textbooks, computers and trips away.

More than two fifths (43%) of parents have contributed around £50 a year per pupil for things not linked to their child's school work, according to a poll by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

And 70% have donated up to £50 a year per pupil to help pay for items and trips that are related to the school curriculum.

In some cases, families have been asked for donations to help with the upkeep of school buildings.

Staff are worried children could be put at a disadvantage or made to feel left out if their parents are unable to afford the hand-outs.

The survey, which questioned around 500 people working in England's state schools, comes as ATL is due to debate the issue at its annual conference in Manchester next week.

Schools are increasingly turning to parents for help with pens and books

The resolution calls on the union to express concerns that schools increasingly need to ask parents for voluntary contributions and the effect it has, particularly on poorer families.

It says: "The burden of meeting this request falls disproportionately on poor families and increases the disadvantages for these children."

Jo Inglis, an ATL member from Wokingham who is proposing the motion, said just 7% of teachers felt that asking parents for donations had no impact on disadvantaged pupils.

Jo Fludder, a Reading teacher who is seconding the motion, said: "Parents who have difficulties putting their children into school uniform, providing them with transport to school and with food, find the added pressure of additional money demands from schools very stressful."

A Department for Education spokesman said there is "absolutely no obligation" for parents to donate.

"If a parent is unable or unwilling to pay, their child must be given an equal chance to take part in school life," he said.

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Little Girl's Wish List Before Going Blind

By Nick Lester, Sky News Online

A little girl who is going blind has drawn up a wish list of things she would like to see before losing her sight completely.

Six-year-old Molly Bent has been diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), for which there is no treatment or cure.

Despite her condition getting progressively worse, her mum, Eve, 26, says she takes it "in her stride".

Seeing the penguins at the zoo was on Molly's wish list

Among the "bucket list" of things the youngster said she would like to do before her eyes get "too poorly" include trips to the zoo, aquarium, museums, and Legoland.

But top of her list is Disneyland.

Following her diagnosis in December, Mrs Bent said: "We were obviously quite upset about it.

"We sort of said 'right we can't dwell on this. Let's turn it around. Let's do everything we can do, while we can do it'."

The trips have been organised before Molly's eyes become "too poorly"

What started out as a charity run by her husband Chris, 27, and a group of friends, has grown into a fund-raising drive to fulfill Molly's wish list, which has so far reached £3,500.

Mrs Bent said: "It's beyond belief. We are so overwhelmed with all the kindness of people."

The family, who live in Manchester, are currently on a holiday in Blackpool provided by Trewan Sands Children's Trust, where Molly has been enjoying horse-riding and swimming.

Tests every three months have shown that Molly's sight is deteriorating.

Playing in puddles on long walks is also fun

Mrs Bent said: "She has very little peripheral vision. She knows it's getting worse."

But she added: "She's so resilient. She knows what's happening. She know's she's struggling and she just takes it in her stride."

RP is a genetic condition, which Molly's uncle also suffers from, and her sister Charlotte, five, and brother Samuel, two, are regularly tested for the disease.

To contribute to Making Molly's Memories go to www.gofundme.com/makingmollysmemories

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Sarah Payne's Mother Praises Rebekah Brooks

Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000, has praised ex-newspaper editor Rebekah Brooks and said the News Of The World had been a "force for good".

Mrs Payne gave her support to Brooks and retired managing director Stuart Kuttner as a witness at the phone hacking trial at the Old Bailey, saying the pair had provided personal support during the search for her daughter and the Sarah's Law campaign.

"It's easy to forget in these dark times the NOTW has often been a force for good and it has something to do with the people who worked on it," Mrs Payne said.

"I do not pretend they are perfect or always got things right."

Brooks was "always in the foreground" of the campaign, Mrs Payne said, going on to explain: "I did not sleep. I could call at two o'clock in the morning and she would pick up the phone."

Mrs Payne, called by Kuttner's legal team as a character witness, said he was a "gentleman".

"He is everything my parents taught me about being a gentleman and having manners. He is a good guy. He has always been there to listen," she added.

Sarah Payne's murder led to the creation of Sarah's Law to protect children

Mrs Payne, who wrote an article for the last edition of the NOTW, described being in the newsroom during the last week in 2011.

She said: "I spent some time in the newsroom and they were very, very down about stories going on in the media around the world. I felt they were almost mourning something."

She had a big picture of Sarah Payne brought in to remind them of "what they had achieved". Sarah's Law allows anyone to formally ask police if someone with access to a child has a record for child sex offences.

Brooks, 45 and Kuttner, 74, deny conspiring with others to hack phones between 2000 and 2009.

Kuttner's legal team also called former director of the Press Complaints Commission Guy Black as a character witness.

Lord Black told the court how Kuttner was a man he turned to for help during his time in the role between 1993 and 2003 and he "never did let me down".

After the Omagh bombing, he said Kuttner and the NOTW "led the way" for the media to leave the scene, allowing the community to "grieve and to heal" and he acted the same after the Dunblane tragedy.

He also helped "deliver real change" in the media in the wake of the Princess of Wales's death in 1997, Lord Black said.

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Anger As Paedophile Demands Victim Photos

A paedophile is allowed to have intimate photos of a young girl he abused because the police cannot erase them from his confiscated laptop before they return it to him.

The man was jailed for nine years in 2013 after admitting a number of sex offences including assaulting a child under the age of 13.

He has formally asked for a laptop and a mobile telephone to be handed back, according to human rights campaigner Liberty, which is representing the victim and her family.

Photos of the victim dressed in swimwear and leotards are on the computer, but Dorset Police say they cannot delete them because they are not legally classified as indecent or prohibited.

Consequently, the man, who is in his 50s and cannot be named for legal reasons, will still have access to a large number of personal photos of one girl when he is freed.

The victim's mother said: "I am appalled that the man who abused my child can ask the police to hand over our family photos for him to keep for the rest of his life.

"My daughters struggle every day with the devastating consequences of his abuse and this will only make them feel more humiliated and degraded. Why should we continue to be traumatised further?"

Liberty is arguing the return of the laptop and phone would breach articles three and eight of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect against inhuman treatment and invasion of privacy respectively.

In a letter to Dorset Police, the human rights group said the prospect of having the photos returned to the abuser would cause "a significant amount of distress".

The group warns it would be a "an enormous violation" of dignity and personal integrity if the pictures were handed back.

The abuse of the young girl had caused the victim to suffer "enormous psychological harm" and she eats very little, self-harms frequently and is at risk of suicide.

Rosie Brighouse, legal officer at Liberty, said: "Not until the Human Rights Act could victims assert their rights in the British Courts - and Liberty is more than ready to do that on behalf of this family."

In response, Dorset Police said its "present options" were limited as the legislation used to seize the phone and computer required officers to give the owner back his property.

"Furthermore, it would be unlawful for police officers to alter the computer and phone's memories by removing the disputed photographs before returning them," the force added.

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New Hunt For UK's 'Most Wanted' In Cyprus

The List Of Wanted Fugitives

Updated: 11:18am UK, Friday 11 April 2014

The list of suspects police want to question as part of Operation Zygos:

NEW APPEALS

:: Jeffrey Bloor

Bloor, 41, from Brighton, is wanted by Sussex Police for allegedly conspiring to provide horse racing tipping services which failed to deliver what they advertised and also for fraud connected to the breeding of racehorses.

Sussex police allege that, between 30/4/03 and 13/2/08, a betting brochure was produced and distributed to known gamblers whose details had been obtained from mailing lists.

The brochure guaranteed large financial returns if a subscriber paid a membership fee. There was also an offer of large returns for blood stocks which never existed.

The money made by Bloor and his associates allegedly amounted to millions of pounds.

Bloor is described as white, of heavy build, with blue eyes and ginger hair, about 5ft 6ins tall and has a surgical scar on left side of his abdomen.

:: Richard Ardolino

Ardolino, 38, a Briton from Leeds, is wanted by West Midlands police for allegedly conspiring with others to fraudulently obtain mortgages in order to purchase houses across the UK.

The money laundering charge relates to the concealment and transfer of criminal property.

He is described as slim, with short brown hair and has a scar on his right leg.

:: Osman Aydeniz

Aydeniz, 35, a Cypriot who last lived in London, is wanted by the National Crime Agency in connection with conspiracy to supply 17.83kg of diamorphine.

Three others have already been convicted in connection with this offence. He is also wanted for conspiracy to commit theft and transferring criminal property. 

He is described as white.

:: Ozgur Demir

Demir, 39, a Turk who last lived in London, is wanted by the National Crime Agency on suspicion of conspiracy to supply 17.83kg of diamorphine. Three others have already been convicted in connection with this offence.

He is described as white.

:: Ersin Mustafa

Mustafa, 38, a Briton from London, is wanted by the City of London Police and the Financial Conduct Authority on suspicion of insider dealing with seven other individuals.

While employed at the London branch of investment bank JP Morgan Cazenove, he allegedly obtained information about future acquisitions and mergers, which were provided to others who then traded using this information.

Over a two-year period, the group made approximately £2.5m in criminal profits. In July 2008 Mustafa was arrested by the City of London Police and then released on bail. It is believed he fled the UK around December 2009.

He is described as being approximately 5ft 6ins tall, with dark hair of Mediterranean appearance and with a stocky/muscular build.

:: Christakis Philippou

Philippou, 70, was convicted of conspiring with co-defendants to acquire, or sometimes to set up from scratch, travel agency businesses which were used as vehicles for fraud. The travel agencies attracted customers by offering cut-price holidays.

The prices were so low that legitimate companies could not compete with them. In each case, the travel agency ceased to trade, leaving customers without a holiday. This scam defrauded an estimated 20,000 people.

The British citizen is described as 5ft 6ins tall, of proportionate build, with swept back receding dark/greying hair and with bushy eyebrows. He also goes by the name of Christakis Chrysostomou.

EXISTING APPEALS

:: Hasan Akarcay

Wanted by West Yorkshire Police in connection with the Supply of Class A drugs after an alleged associate was found transporting 12.5 kg of diamorphine with a street value of £600,000.

Akarcay is of Cypriot nationality, approximately 5ft 9ins tall, stocky build with a large stomach, balding with black hair at the sides and tanned skin.

He sometimes goes by the names of Hassan Etem or Ibrahim Etem.

:: Martin Evans

Between 1999 and 2001, Evans is believed to have run an organised crime group supplying Class A drugs, most notably cocaine, MDMA and Ecstasy in the UK.

It is thought he set up a system where drugs were imported to the UK and sold and the proceeds converted into foreign currency and sent to the Netherlands for drug purchases.

Evans is also wanted for questioning about fraudulent trading offences as director of an incorporated company, Ostrich Centre Limited, in 1995.

The firm received investments from the public of several hundred thousand pounds, which he is believed to have stolen.

Evans is 5ft 11in - 6ft tall, stocky build, with blue eyes and short brown and greying hair. He also has a welsh accent and a the word 'ME' tattooed on his right arm.

:: Timur Mehmet

Mehmet is wanted for his role in a conspiracy to cheat the public revenue by the operation of a Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) fraud which cost the UK £25m.

He appeared in Court in June 2007 when he was warned he had to be at Court for his trial in October and that failure to attend could result in him being tried and sentenced in his absence.

He failed to attend the trial and subsequently he was found guilty in his absence and sentenced to eight years imprisonment.

:: Costas Sampson

Sampson is of Greek-Cypriot nationality and is accused of raping a girl he met at a Greek club.

The girl was taken unwell after accepting a drink from a stranger, when Sampson and a friend offered to take her home.

It was here that Sampson is alleged to have told a friend of the girl that he was a medical expert. He is accused of raping her while she was incapacitated.

He is also accused of stealing her mobile phone and flatmate's laptop and games console.

Sampson is 5ft 9in, of large build and with a Mediterranean complexion. He has brown eyes, black cropped or shaved hair and is right handed.

:: Mehmet Salih

Between December 2010 and November 2011, Salih is accused of being involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine in the UK.

In May 2011 he allegedly visited Lincolnshire for the purposes of delivering cocaine and collecting payment.

The police apparently recovered large amounts of the drug and upon his arrest he was alleged to be in possession of £20,000.

Salih is 5ft 6in tall, of proportionate build with brown eyes and short dark brown hair. He also has a scar on his right eye.

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Former Nanny Praises 'Brave' Peaches Geldof

Peaches Geldof's childhood nanny has written a moving tribute to the mother of two, calling her a "brave, beautiful girl" who "almost made it".

Anita Debney was employed by the 25-year-old's parents Bob Geldof and Paula Yates when she was a toddler.

In a message posted on Instagram alongside a photo of Ms Geldof, Ms Debney said she had been the "greatest joy, the most tender part of my heart and soul".

The nanny became something of a surrogate mother following Yates' death in 2000 and Ms Geldof's nickname for her was "Nee Naw".

The pair were still in close contact right up until Ms Geldof's death.

Ms Geldof was found dead at her home in Wrotham

Police were called to the home she shared with her husband Tom Cohen and their two young sons in Wrotham, Kent, on Monday.

Her death is being treated as "non-suspicious but unexplained".

A post-mortem examination on Wednesday was inconclusive and toxicology tests are being carried out to establish a cause of death.

Ms Debney, who has photos of Ms Geldof's sons Astala, two, and 11-month-old Phaedra, on her Instagram page wrote: "I loved her through the good times and the bad. We struggled and survived the darkest of times.

"I never lost faith in her spirit and strength. Always held out my hand to help her when she struggled and fell.

"She overcame so much and my love and appreciation of her indomitable spirit never wavered.

"The joy we shared in her beautiful babies was so deep and meaningful and filled both of our hearts with love and devotion.

"She blossomed in motherhood and excelled at raising the sweetest, happiest babies in the world.

"She was passionate in her zeal to speak up for the needs of babies everywhere and lives have been changed because of that.

"What a wonderful legacy she has left to the world. My darling girl. You almost made it."

Ms Geldof's body was released to her family on Thursday and it is understood plans for a funeral are under way.

Her elder sister Fifi Honeyblossom Geldof also used Instagram to say goodbye, writing: "My beautiful baby sister ... Gone but never forgotten. I love you, Peaches x"

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Man Who Incinerated Wife's Body Jailed For Life

A bank worker who murdered his wife and burned her body just months after they tied the knot has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.

Jasvir Ginday attempted to dispose of 24-year-old Varkha Rani's remains by setting fire to them in a home incinerator on the patio of his back garden.

He carried out the crime to cover up his homosexuality which his bride had been threatening to expose to friends and family.

A jury of seven women and five men took around 17 hours to find him guilty of murder after a three-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Ginday initially told police that his Indian wife had packed her bags and walked out on him following a row at their home in Victory Lane, Walsall, West Midlands.

Jasvir Ginday and Varkha Rani on their wedding day

The 29-year-old claimed throughout his trial that he had accidentally killed Ms Rani while restraining her with a vacuum cleaner hose. 

But the jury believed the prosecution's case that the Royal Bank of Scotland employee had planned the killing of his wife, who had only been in the country for about a month.

In 2008, Ginday had confided in a friend that he was attracted to men but could not tell his family as his mother was very strict.

It later emerged that he was frequenting gay bars and having relationships with men around the time of his engagement to Ms Rani in 2012.

The following year, after his new wife arrived from India, the pair moved into a house with his parents.

The court heard that on the morning of the crime, on September 12, he was caught on camera filling a two litre bottle with petrol at a service station.

Later that day, while the rest of the family were out, Ginday claimed that his wife had attacked him and run off with £500.

The family told police who, the following day, carried out a full search of the house and garden where they found the incinerator which was still emitting smoke.

A police officer lifted the lid off the metal bin to discover the gruesome remains of a human skull.

Ginday's back garden and the incinerator in which Ms Rani's body was burnt

An unburned black plastic bin liner was found partially covering her body. A ring was also found in the incinerator which bore the inscription "V and G 2013" - Ms Rani's wedding band.

Her cousin Sunil Kumar said: "No words can truly express the sadness and hurt my family and I are experiencing at the loss of Varkha, she was loved dearly by all, she had a great passion for life and doted on her family.

"Varkha attained a masters degree and was driven to make her life a success, unfortunately she fell prey to Ginday who had ulterior motives which Varkha would not have appreciated."

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Sarbjit Johal said: "Ginday got married as a matter of convenience - he tricked a poor innocent girl into marriage but was living a lie.

"When she uncovered the truth he could not live with it and killed her quickly then tried to dispose of her body and her possessions by burning them.

"Had another day passed before police attended, Ginday may well have successfully removed all traces of Varkha.

"I hope that this verdict brings some comfort to Varkha's family who have travelled from India to see justice is brought for their daughter."

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