Plebgate: Female Officer Arrested Over 'Leaks'

A female police officer tasked with protecting Government officials has been arrested over alleged leaks to the media linked to the Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" affair.

The 46-year-old, who works in the Diplomatic Protection Group at the Metropolitan Police Service, was arrested at her workplace in central London on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.

She was arrested over alleged leaks to the media linked to the row which led former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell to quit his Cabinet post following claims he called officers "plebs".

The officer arrested was present at Downing Street during the incident in September, Scotland Yard confirmed.

She is being held in custody in a London police station and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have been informed, it added.

This was the fourth arrest in the investigation, which is known as Operation Alice.

A 46-year-old male officer arrested a day earlier over the affair has been bailed to return on a date in March and has been suspended from duty.

Three weeks ago Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said that a file of evidence on the case could be handed to prosecutors by the end of January.

But Scotland Yard said on Thursday that because of "ongoing developments" no interim report had yet been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Investigators have taken statements from all 800 officers in the Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) as part of the inquiry.

Two other men have been arrested so far, both of whom have been released on bail until February.

A 52-year-old Pc who is also from the DPG and currently suspended was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office, while a 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable offence.

Four other constables in the unit, which is responsible for protecting government officials and diplomats, have been placed on restricted duty over misconduct claims.

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Convicted Murderer Released By Mistake

Police are hunting for a convicted murderer who was mistakenly released from custody in Chicago.

Steven L Robbins, who is serving 60 years in jail in Indiana, was sent to Cook County Circuit Court on Tuesday to face a drugs charge.

The case was dropped, "but for reasons yet unknown, the offender was released by Illinois authorities without being held for return", prison officials said in a news release.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating how Robbins was allowed to walk free on Wednesday night.

The 44-year-old from Gary, Indiana, was convicted in 2004 on charges of murder and carrying a handgun without a licence.

His earliest projected release date was more than 16 years from now on June 29, 2029.

Both Illinois and Indiana have issued arrest warrants for Robbins.

Officials in both states are asking for the public's help to apprehend him.

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999 Calls Tweeted By West Midlands Police

A police force is staging a "tweetathon" to highlight time-wasting 999 calls - such as someone reporting a spiritual healer as a fraud.

West Midlands Police hope the day-long social media initiative will reduce the number of inappropriate calls to its 999 system, which prevent operators from dealing with genuine emergencies.

One call received during the tweetathon - which can be followed here - was from a caller requesting assistance to obtain a refund from an expensive car wash.

A separate "emergency" call was made by a member of public reporting a spiritual healer as a fraud, while another man dialled 999 asking the police "to come out to frighten his sister", the police force said.

As part of the campaign, the force tweeted links to recordings of previous bizarre calls, including one from a man claiming to have found a hair in his food at a fast food restaurant.

Another caller sought help from emergency operators after forgetting her Facebook password, while a man dialled 999 to ask how to dial the 101 non-emergency number.

Among Friday's calls were several from babies or children playing with mobile phones, while one officer tweeted: "Interesting start to the shift..male called 999 to say he has a heart problem as he is in love with a girl whom he does not know!"

Chief Inspector Sally Holmes, from the Force Contact department at West Midlands Police, described some of the calls received by 999 operators as ridiculous.

She said: "We regularly receive calls on the 9s about lost property, people asking for directions and from people who have been denied entry to a nightclub.

"Its astonishing listening to them but they hide a serious truth. Each call often takes minutes to deal with as staff have to clarify the situation - it might not sound like much but, if someone is trying to get through to report a genuine life or death emergency, then a minute is a very long time to wait.

"I cannot stress enough that the 999 number is for emergencies only."

She urged people contacting the police for any other reason to dial 101.

Typically West Midlands Police receives over 1,500 calls a day to the 999 number.

Great Manchester Police launched a 24-hour tweetathon in 2010 to show all the 999 calls the force receives.

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Samsung Boss Wins Sibling Inheritance Battle

The boss of Samsung has won a bitter battle with his siblings over inheritance of South Korea's tech giant.

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-Hee won a court ruling on Friday against demands from his siblings to hand over billions of dollars in shares in various companies in the group.

The court allowed Mr Lee to retain all his shareholdings in the massive conglomerate.

Members of his family had accused him of hiding shares from them following the death of Mr Lee's father and Samsung founder Lee Byung-Chul.

If the court had found against Mr Lee, 71, it would have forced a restructuring of the complex web of shareholdings across the group's entities and weakened his hold on the giant conglomerate.

The high-stakes fight highlighted deep discord between sons of the founder, who denounced each other in public as the battle unfolded last year.

It brought longstanding family resentments into the open, highlighting the struggles for control that can happen at the heart of South Korea's chaebol - the name for family-owned conglomerates that dominate the country's economy.

The main claimants in court were Mr Lee's brother, Maeng-Hee, his sister Suk-Hee and the children of another brother.

Mr Lee called his older brother "greedy" while Mr Maeng-hee described Mr Lee as "acting childish".

They said that after their father's death in 1987, Mr Lee had taken over shares worth around £2.5bn in Samsung Electronics and Samsung Life Insurance that had been held under the names of other people, including Samsung executives.

Samsung is a leading South Korean firm and at the forefront of commercial rivalry against America's tech leader Apple.

The vast business empire spans many industries including finance, chemicals and consumer electronics.

It is the world's largest maker of smartphones but has been locked in patent wars around the world with Apple over various products.

Judges on two continents have even urged to warring tech firms to resolve their bitter battles.

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Liverpool's Raheem Sterling On Assault Charge

Liverpool footballer Raheem Sterling has been charged with assaulting a woman.

The 18-year-old Liverpool and England winger was summonsed to Liverpool Youth Court on a charge of common assault against a 27-year-old woman on November 2 last year.

The woman, who is known to the footballer, suffered "slight" facial injuries during the alleged assault in Toxteth, Liverpool.

The Jamaica-born footballer, who lives in Woolton, Liverpool, did not attend Friday's hearing and solicitor Mick Hogan appeared on his behalf.

Mr Hogan said Sterling would be pleading not guilty.

He said: "He is aware of today's hearing and the club are very supportive."

Mr Hogan also noted that although the alleged offence took place when the footballer was 17, as Sterling turned 18 in December, the matter should be transferred to the adult courts.

The move to the adult courts was supported by the prosecution and chairman of the bench Brian Upton adjourned the matter to Liverpool Magistrates' Court on February 22.

Sterling made his senior international debut for England last November against Sweden and has been hailed for his performances for Liverpool this season.

On Thursday, he was named in the England squad to face Brazil in a friendly next Wednesday, arranged to mark the 150th anniversary of the Football Association.

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Aamir Siddiqi: Hitmen Guilty Of Teen's Murder

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Two hitmen who managed to kill the wrong person have been found guilty of murder.

Ben Hope, 39, and Jason Richards, 38, were convicted of the murder of talented student Aamir Siddiqi.

Aamir, 17, was savagely stabbed to death by the pair after opening the door of his family home in Roath, Cardiff.

Prosecutors said drug users Hope and Richards had been paid £1,000 each to kill a local businessman who was involved in a property dispute.

Aamir Siddiqi (pictured) died on his doorstep in Roathe

They planned to carry out the "hit" at lunchtime on Sunday, April 11, 2010 and went to the house they believed belonged to the businessman.

Their intended target lived on Shirley Road in an affluent part of the city, instead they went to Ninian Road - the adjacent street. 

As he was expecting his Koran teacher to call, Aamir opened the door of his parents' home. Within seconds the masked men started attacking him with a knife.

They said nothing during the attack and the court heard how they made strange "howling noises".

Aamir's parents rushed to the front door and desperately tried to pull the men off their son.

Both parents were injured in the attack but they could not save their son, who had suffered fatal injuries.

Shortly after the killing, both defendants went shopping with their blood money.

Richards bought a new pair of trainers and a laptop computer.

A man who is still wanted in connection with the investigation is waiting to be extradited from India.

Outside the court, Aamir's sister Umbareen read a statement from her family.

"Aamir was a beautiful person with a bright future. If he was still with us he would be looking forward to turning 21 this year and completing his law degree," said Ms Siddiqi.

"We are pleased today that justice has finally been done and we can finally start to deal with the reality of losing Aamir," she said.

Umbareen Siddiqi (centre) said her family is pleased justice has been done

South Wales Police scoured an enormous amount of CCTV in their murder investigation.

If officers had viewed every frame they collected it would have taken eight years to watch.

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley, of the South Wales Police Specialist Crime Investigations Team, said: "Aamir Siddiqi was a kind and talented young man who had a bright future ahead of him.

"He continues to be sorely missed by his family and all those fortunate to have known him.

"Despite being left totally devastated at losing their beloved son and brother in such tragic circumstances, Aamir's loving family have shown tireless strength and remarkable dignity throughout this ordeal.

"The investigation team was overwhelmed not only by their support but also that of the community who came forward with information and played an invaluable role during such as complex inquiry.

"South Wales Police would like to thank Aamir's family for their support, all the prosecution witnesses, and the community for ensuring the successful outcome here today at Swansea Crown Court."

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North Korea 'Hides Nuclear Test Site Tunnel'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

North Korea has concealed the entrance to an underground nuclear site to prevent satellite monitoring, according to South Korean intelligence sources.

Imagery of the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility in North Hamgyong Province seen by the South Korean officials suggests that covers have been placed over a tunnel entrance.

There is widespread international concern at North Korea's threat to attempt a nuclear detonation - its third since 2006.

Both South Korea and the US are reported to have repositioned intelligence monitoring assets to gain as clear a picture as possible of Pyongyang's intentions.

South Korea's unification minister has said that his government believes the third nuclear test will be much more significant than the first two in 2006 and 2009.

Activity around the test tunnel Pic: IHS Janes

"The first and second tests can be seen as part of Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear capability, while a third detonation could mean it is in the final stages," Yu Woo-ik warned.

He said that the third test, which analysts believe might involve the use of uranium rather than plutonium, could fundamentally change the security situation on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea successfully launched a satellite into orbit in December, defying and surprising the international community.

The move prompted the United Nations to levy further sanctions on Pyongyang. The UN resolution had the unusual support of North Korea's only real ally, China.

The Chinese backing is a clear suggestion of Beijing's frustration at North Korea's continued defiance of international law.

The international concern is that North Korea's inexperienced and young new leader Kim Jong-Un plans to combine his two developing technologies - ballistic missile capability and nuclear detonation tests - to create a nuclear weapon.

Pyongyang's rockets already have the ability to reach far across East Asia, though suggestions that they could reach the west coast of the US are thought to be wide of the mark.

Analysts also point out that there is a big technological gap between producing a rocket capable of firing a satellite into orbit and developing a nuclear warhead small enough to fit into a rocket that could then be fired accurately.

The Unha-3 rocket launched by North Korea in December

In the past, much of what comes out of Pyongyang is seen by Western governments as little more than bluster and rhetoric.

However, the surprise success of December's rocket launch did focus minds in Washington, London, Seoul and even Beijing.

The worry is the significant lack of reliable intelligence emerging from the closed country. Intelligence communities rely on the incomplete picture delivered through the many satellites passing over the peninsula.

Imagery from one satellite does show increased activity at the probable nuclear test site, an analyst told Sky News, but the picture it provides is incomplete.

Information from satellites is useful, but paradoxically, the key questions about how advanced Kim Jong-Un's nuclear programme really is will only be answered once the third test has taken place.

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Car Thieves Dump Children By Birmingham Road

Police in Birmingham are searching for two car thieves who drove off with two young children still strapped into the back of the vehicle.

The 23-year-old mother of the children was pulled from behind the wheel of her white Vauxhall Astra in Erdington on Wednesday night by two men who then stole the car, West Midlands Police said.

Her two children, aged five years and 18 months, were driven for about half a mile before being left, unhurt, at the side of the road.

A passer-by found them and they were quickly reunited with their mother.

West Midlands Police Detective Sergeant Julie Woods, said: "The car is a white Vauxhall Astra, registration KV60 BNX, and had blacked-out windows; we want to know where this car is and are asking for anyone who believes they may have spotted it to contact us.

"This was a frightening ordeal for the mum who saw her young children being driven off by the car thieves, but thankfully they were back with her unhurt in just a matter of minutes. The mum was also unhurt."

Police are going through CCTV footage from the area in an attempt to work out where the stolen Astra was taken.

Anyone with information about the robbery or has seen the car is asked to call the 101 police non-emergency number or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Turkey: Americans Warned After Embassy Attack

A suicide bomber has carried out an attack at an entrance to the US embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara, killing himself and a guard.

The bomber's device went off as he was going through an X-ray machine at a security gatehouse, Sky sources said.

Turkish interior minister Muammer Guler said the attacker was a "militant" connected to a banned far-left group in the country.

The perpetrator reportedly was a member of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and spent time in prison on terrorism-related charges.

He was believed to be aged about 30 and used plastic explosives in the embassy atrocity.

The DHKP-C is a Marxist-Leninist group that has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings against police stations in recent years. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's attack.

Damage can be seen at a side entrance of the embassy

A Turkish guard was killed in the blast and another Turkish citizen, believed to be a journalist, was wounded.

TV footage showed a door blown out at a side entrance and there was scattered masonry from a wall, although there did not appear to be any more significant structural damage.

Police cordoned off the area following the explosion, which sent smoke and debris flying into the street.

Americans were warned to avoid visiting the embassy or US consulates in Istanbul and Adana until further notice, and were told to register on the State Department's website.

"The Department of State advises US citizens travelling or residing in Turkey to be alert to the potential for violence, to avoid those areas where disturbances have occurred, and to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings," said a statement by the US Consulate in Istanbul.

Medics treat a woman who was injured in the blast

The State Department said the explosion occurred on the perimeter of the embassy.

"We can confirm a terrorist blast at a checkpoint on the perimeter of our embassy compound in Ankara, Turkey, at 1.13pm local time, or 6:13 am ET," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"We are working closely with the Turkish national police to make a full assessment of the damage and the casualties, and to begin an investigation," she added.

Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the bombing, and UK businesses in Turkey have been urged to be vigilant.

The British consulate in Istanbul said in a statement: "There has been a suspected terrorist attack on the US embassy in Ankara.

"Due to the nature of this incident we advise you to be extra vigilant and to take appropriate security measures to safeguard your staff and assets."

Ilnur Cevik, a journalist who was near the scene, told Sky News: "There was a huge bang which really shook everywhere."

Far-left groups in Turkey oppose what they see as US influence over Turkish foreign policy.

Turkey is a key US ally in the Middle East with common interests ranging from energy security to counter-terrorism.

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Holocaust Denier Ordered To Visit Memorial

A convicted Holocaust denier has been ordered to visit Hungary's holocaust memorial centre, Auschwitz death camp or the Yad Vashem memorial in Israel.

Gyorgy Nagy, who was also given an 18-month suspended jail sentence, will have to write down his thoughts about the experience in order to complete his sentence, the court said.

If he chooses the Budapest Holocaust Memorial Centre he will have to make three visits.

The 42-year-old unemployed computer technician was arrested during a political rally in Budapest in 2011 after holding up a banner reading: "The Shoah did not happen".

Shoah is a Hebrew word meaning "catastrophe" which is used to refer to the genocide to the Jews during the Second World War.

Nagy was the first person to be convicted under a law passed in February 2010 that made the denial of genocide committed by the Nazi regime a crime punishable by a maximum three-year prison sentence.

He is also banned from attending political rallies or events.

Hungary's attitude to the Holocaust has been criticised by some since Prime Minister Viktor Orban took power amid renewed tributes to Hungary's wartime leader Miklos Horthy, an ally of Adolf Hitler, and the rehabilitation of some anti-Semitic writers.

In 2012, Nobel peace laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel returned Hungary's highest state honour because of what he called a "whitewashing" of history in the European Union member state.

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Tragic London Marathon Runner Used Stimulant

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A young woman who died in the London Marathon was using a stimulant which has since been banned, an inquest has heard.

After Claire Squires, 30, collapsed and died in the run last April, a public outpouring of support led to more than £1m being donated to her chosen charity.

The inquest at Southwark Coroner's Court heard that Miss Squires died from acute cardiac failure.

On the day of the race, Miss Squires had put Jack3d in her water bottle, the hearing was told.

The popular stimulant used to contain an amphetamine-like substance DMAA, and experts say this contributed to her death.

DMAA was banned from shelves and internet sales in the UK in August last year over fears it could be lethal when used during rigorous activity.

Jack3d since removed the ingredient from their product.

The court heard how several US soldiers had died after taking DMAA during training, and it was subsequently banned by the US Army.

Mr Van Herrewage arrives at the inquest

It was legal in the UK at the time Claire was using it.

Her boyfriend, Simon Van Herrewage, said she had not used it much before, but that she used it for a boost during the London Marathon.

"She put one scoop in her water bottle and said she would only use it if she hit a wall," he said.

"She was trying to beat her previous time and do it in under four hours."

In a statement, cardiologist William McKenna said: "The presence of a substance found it the blood was an important factor in the outcome." 

Dr Nicola Drake, who treated Miss Squires at St Thomas' Hospital, told the court that the drug makes "heart levels increase".

"It makes the heart work harder than it normally would," she said.

Dr John Van der Walt, who conducted the post mortem, concluded that "acute cardiac failure due to extreme physical exertion complicated by the presence of DMAA was the cause of death."

Miss Squires' boyfriend also told the hearing that she had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat by an acupuncturist.

But her GP told the inquest that she never went to see him with concerns over her heartbeat.

Miss Squires collapsed and died a mile from the finish line of the London marathon last April.

The 30-year-old hairdresser from NorthKilworth, Leicestershire, was running to raise funds for the Samaritans in honour of her brother Grant, who died of a drug overdose in 2001, aged 25.

Before the race she had raised £500 but following news of her death, thousands of well-wishers have left donations of more than £1m.

She was treated by medical teams positioned along the route before she was rushed to hospital by ambulance where she was later pronounced dead.

She had previously undertaken a string of gruelling physical challenges for charity, including a marathon in Belfast and the Great North Run.

Asked how long she trained for the London Marathon, her boyfriend said "she never stopped training".

"She ran five times a week and she knew how to build up for a marathon."

After the inquest Mr Van Herrewage said: "This has been an extremely difficult time for us, Claire's death has left a gaping hole in our hearts and in our lives.

"We'll always remember her with a big smile on her face trying to make everyone she met feel good about themselves.

"The outcome of the inquest left us feeling a little numb, Claire took part in the marathon to do some good and challenge herself in the same way she did for many other events.

"Claire was passionately against the use of drugs and would never ever have taken anything that would have caused her harm or even worse risk to life.

"She innocently took a supplement that at the time was entirely legal and widely available on the high street, and somewhat worryingly apparently used by so many others."

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Jeremy Kyle Cancer Battle: Host 'On The Mend'

TV chat show host Jeremy Kyle is recuperating abroad after being treated for testicular cancer.

He is understood to have had chemotherapy following the discovery of a growth late last year.

The 47-year-old presenter has taken a break from recording his ITV daytime programme while he recovers.

He is expected to return to work next week to begin filming new shows.

A statement on his programme's Facebook page said: "Jeremy was diagnosed with cancer just before Christmas. After an operation and chemotherapy treatment, I'm pleased to say he's now on the mend.

"It's been a really tough couple of months for him and his family but he wanted to let you all know that he appreciates your continuing support.

"Jeremy will be back at work next week to start filming new shows which you'll see on TV very soon."

An ITV spokeswoman said: "We wish Jeremy well and are pleased that he is making such good progress."

Kyle has hosted his TV programme for seven and a half years, putting dysfunctional relationships in the spotlight, and many have criticised it for glorifying "broken Britain".

Last week, his show was nominated for the National Television Awards for the best daytime TV show award, although it missed out to This Morning.

Kyle was a salesman before his move into broadcasting, hosting programmes in local radio.

He went on to present his Virgin Confessions show on Virgin Radio before landing his TV slot after Trisha Goddard left her daytime ITV series to head to Channel 5.

Kyle has also launched his programme in the US and has fronted other shows for ITV.

In his autobiography, I'm Only Being Honest, the twice-married presenter talked about how he suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Malala: Shot Teen To Get Replacement Skull

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

British doctors have revealed the remarkable medical procedures which will transform the life of a Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban.

There was international outrage after the Taliban shot Malala Yousufzai, 15, at point blank range in the north western Swat district, because she was campaigning for girls' education.

Following the attack last October she was flown for specialist treatment at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The bullet hit her left brow and instead of penetrating her skull it travelled underneath the skin, the whole length of her head and into her shoulder.

The shock wave shattered the thinnest bone of the skull and the soft tissue at the base of her jaw and neck were damaged. Her left eardrum was destroyed.

Within the next 10 days she will undergo two operations which will replace a missing area of skull and implant a complex electronic hearing device.

A 3D image has been released which shows the extensive damage caused to Malala's skull.

Malala leaves hospital in early January

Surgeons at Birmingham say a 0.66mm titanium metal plate will be screwed into place, having been moulded from a 3D model created through the CT image of Malala's skull.

In a separate procedure a cochlear implant will be fitted, the type of device that provides a sense of sound to someone who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.

A small area will be drilled in the skull behind the titanium plate to allow the electronics to be implanted.

Malala was released as an outpatient in early January to continue her recuperation at the family's temporary home in the Midlands with her father Ziauddin, mother Toorpekai and younger brothers Khushal and Atul.

Shortly after Malala arrived in Birmingham her father released a statement saying: "I am awfully thankful for all the peace-loving well-wishers who strongly condemn the assassination attempt on Malala, who pray for her health and support the grand cause of peace, education, freedom of thought and freedom of expression."

The Pakistan government has since given Malala's father a job in the UK. He has been appointed the education attaché at the Pakistan Consulate.

Since the attack, a campaign has gathered pace for Malala to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after she became a symbol of the struggle for women's rights in Pakistan.

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Cumbria Votes Against Nuclear Waste Site

Cumbria County Council has voted against proceeding with plans to build an underground nuclear waste dump.

Council leaders rejected a move to the next stage of studying a possible suitable site by seven votes to three.

There were huge cheers from environmental campaigners outside the council chamber in Carlisle when the decision was announced. 

More than 32,000 people had signed a petition against the £12bn underground storage facility.

Greenpeace energy campaigner Leila Deen said: "This decision represents yet another major blow for the Government's attempts to force the construction of costly nuclear power plants.

"Even the Prime Minister admits we need a plan to store waste before we can build a single new plant.

"This decision shows that dumping waste in uncertain geology near one of the country's most pristine national parks is not a solution.

"Ministers must now reconsider their nuclear ambitions and turn their attention instead to clean, sustainable and renewable energy."

Protesters welcomed the decision to vote against a site in Cumbria

Earlier, Copeland borough council voted six to one in favour of moving to the next stage in the search for a site to bury radioactive waste.

But the Cumbria County Council vote overrides any decisions taken by borough authorities in the area.

If the site had been given the go ahead it would have been the first of its kind in the UK. Currently most nuclear waste is stored at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Cumbria Council leader Eddie Martin said: "Cumbria has a unique and world-renowned landscape which needs to be cherished and protected.

"While Sellafield and the Lake District have co-existed side by side successfully for decades, we fear that if the area becomes known in the national conscience as the place where nuclear waste is stored underground, the Lake District's reputation may not be so resilient."

Deputy Leader Stewart Young added: "The case for investment in Sellafield is now more pressing than ever.

"We had always raised concerns over the lack of any plan B from Government and the fact that West Cumbria was the only area to express an interest in the process left the Government with few options if we decided not to proceed.

"It is now time for the Government to secure the long-term future of the nuclear industry and put in place robust storage arrangements at Sellafield while it decides how to continue the search for a repository elsewhere in the UK."

Currently most nuclear waste is stored at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Energy Minister Ed Davey said the Government will continue to work with communities to find a waste site.

"There is support out there some communitites realise there's a huge economic benefit for their area.

"We already store a huge amount of waste from the last six decades. We store it safely, but we wanted a long-term storage process and we're going to work with other communities to do just that."

As councillors were meeting, protesters gathered to make their views heard. 

Cumbria resident Miles Fielding told Sky News:  "There are already problems in the continent where there are nuclear dumps with leakage and known cancers occurring in the villages where the dumps are, so it's just not worth playing with."

Also outside the meeting were people staging a demonstration in favour of the plans because of the jobs a new site would create.

Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of Prospect, which represents 12,000 nuclear workers, said: "A decision not to proceed to the next stage of feasibility studies will take us straight back to the drawing board.

"The alternative to building a repository is not no radioactive waste, just continued surface storage. Therefore, the assessment of the scientific case for a geological disposal facility needs to weighed against the pros and cons of the alternatives.

"The next stage consists of experts conducting desk-based geological studies, compiling a waste inventory and discussions over the social and economic implications.

"It is still a long way from a green light for any excavation or exploratory groundwork.

"Not only does the vote have vast implications for the economic wealth of West Cumbria, which relies so heavily on the nuclear industry for jobs and growth, it potentially casts a shadow over any nuclear renaissance in the UK."

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US Economy Shrinks For First Time In Three Years

The US economy shrank in the last quarter of 2012, the first contraction in more than three years.

The Commerce Department said the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.1% in the fourth quarter.

It was a stark contrast to the 3.1% growth rate recorded during the July-September quarter.

The deepest cuts in defence spending for 40 years, fewer exports and sluggish growth in company stockpiles have been blamed.

The surprise contraction could raise fears about the economy's ability to handle tax increases that took effect in January and more looming spending cuts.

"It represents a sharp turnaround from the 3.1% expansion seen in the third quarter and confounding economists, who had on average expected to see 1.1% growth," Markit chief economist Chris Williamson said.

"The contraction was the first since the second quarter of 2009."

Food prices have come under pressure in the US due to grain price rises

Some believe the weakness may be because of one-time factors as government spending cuts and slower inventory growth subtracted a total of 2.6 percentage points from growth.

Those volatile categories offset faster growth in consumer spending, business investment and housing - the US economy's traditional core drivers of growth.

For all of 2012, the economy expanded at the rate of 2.2%, slightly up on 2011's 1.8%.

However, the economy may continue to stay weak in early 2013 as Americans come to grips with an increase in social security taxes that has left them with less take-home pay.

Subpar growth has held back hiring as the economy has only created about 150,000 jobs a month, on average, for the past two years.

That level of increase is barely enough to reduce the unemployment rate, which has remained at 7.8% for the past two months.

The Pentagon's military planners have had to slice billions from projects

Economists have forecast little change in the unemployment rate when the government releases the January jobs report on Friday.

"The details of the decline suggest that the underlying performance of the US economy is far better than the headline number suggests," Mr Williamson added.

"In particular, companies sought to cut inventories which had built up in previous months, and if the stock reduction is excluded, the economy grew at a 1.1% annualised rate.

"After a disappointing end to 2012, the first quarter of 2013 may well surprise on the upside as the economy rebounds from a temporary spell of weakness."

Companies frequently cut back on inventories if they anticipate a slowdown in sales. This in turn means factories are likely to produce less.

US economists are now waiting to see the reaction of consumers to the expiration of the social security tax cut.

Congress and the White House allowed the temporary tax cut to end in January, but reached a deal to stop income taxes from rising for most Americans.

The tax increase will lower take-home pay this year by about 2%. It means a household earning $50,000 a year will have about $1,000 less to spend, while a household with two high-paid workers will have up to $4,500 less.

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Child Held Hostage After School Bus Shooting

Police teams have massed near a property in rural Alabama where a man is believed to be holding a six-year-old child hostage in an underground shelter after fatally shooting the driver of a school bus.

The standoff went through the night after the man, whose name has not been released by police, boarded the school bus in Midland City.

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olsen told WBMA-TV the man shot the driver when he refused to let the child off the bus. The driver died later.

The sheriff's office named him as 66-year-old Charles Albert Poland Jr, who had been working for the Dale County Board of Education since 2009.

The gunman  took the child off the bus, authorities said.

About 50 vehicles from federal, state and local agencies were gathered at the mouth of a dirt road leading to the house where the boy is being held.

Neighbours named the owner as Jimmy Lee Dykes, a man in his 60s.

Dykes was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday to face a charge of menacing neighbours as they drove by the property last month.

The neighbours said he yelled and fired shots over damage he claimed their truck had done to a makeshift speed bump in the dirt road.

County coroner Woodrow Hilboldt told the AP news agency the suspect was believed to be hiding in an underground shelter on his property.

"That's what has been described to me as an underground bunker. Someplace to get out of the way of a tornado," Mr Hilboldt said.

The coroner said Mr Poland died of multiple gunshot wounds.

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Polish Is UK's Second Most Common Language

Polish is the second most common main language in England and Wales with more than half a million speakers, according to new figures from the 2011 Census.

Nearly one in 10 people in England and Wales - 8% - reported speaking a different main language other than English or Welsh in the census, findings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown.

Polish was the second most commonly reported main language with 546,000 speakers, reflecting the fact that more than half a million Poles have migrated to England and Wales in the last decade.

The new population has wrought changes across Britain, from Polish beers like Zywiec or Zamkowe Jasne served alongside British brews at London pubs, to Polish food including pulpety and delicje now common across the aisles of supermarkets.

Poles began arriving in Britain en masse after 2004, when eight Eastern European nations - Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, and Estonia - joined the European Union.

Redcar and Cleveland local authority had the highest percentage of people with English as their main language at 99% of the population, with Ealing listing the highest proportion of Polish speakers at 6%.

In all but three of the London boroughs - the City of London, Richmond Upon Thames, and Hillingdon - more than 100 languages were listed as main languages.

Of the four million residents of England and Wales whose main language was other than English, 1.7 million said they could speak English very well, 726,000 could speak English but not well and 138,000 could not speak English at all.

The least common main language in England and Wales was listed as Manx-Gaelic with 33 speakers, followed by 58 Gaelic Scottish speakers.

Because statisticians only began asking questions about foreign language use in the most recent census, there are no past figures available for use as reference.

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Israel Strikes Convoy On Syria-Lebanon Border

Israeli jets have attacked a suspected weapons convoy on the border of Syria and Lebanon, according to multiple sources.

Warplanes carried out the strike overnight on the convoy, which was said to be on its way into Syria.

Three waves of four jets carried out three separate strikes against the convoy, hitting it near the Lebanese village of Nabi Chit, about half way up the border with Syria in central Lebanon.

Early reports said the strike happened inside Lebanon, but Sky sources said the attack took place just inside Syria.

Sky News Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley said: "We know from Sky sources that the Israelis have conducted an airstrike involving three sorties by 12 planes - a very heavy airstrike, a high level of intent - on the village of Nabi Chit, near the bigger Syrian town of Zabadani.

"It's inside Syrian territory, therefore representing a possible strategic escalation.

"I'm told by security sources that were not directly involved that the most likely target were either shore to ship missles - very sophisticated missiles of the kind used by Hizbollah against an Israeli ship a few years ago off the coast of Lebanon - or sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles, both of which the Damascus regime have access to from Russia.

"They are recently understood to have taken substantial imports of these from Russia.

"Why are they such a worry to the Israelis? If Hizbollah were to get access to such anti shipping missiles and particularly to very sophisticated anti aircraft missiles, it would prevent the Israelis carrying out just the sort of airstrike that they've just done - it would shift the balance towards Hizbollah.

"Israel has always enjoyed air superiority in the region, and it would lose it if these missiles were able to find the way into Hizbollah's hands.

"There is less of a suggestion that it was targeting chemical weapons."

Israel has in the last few months boosted its security and put a lot of tanks on its northern border with Syria, around the disputed Golan Heights. It has also installed its Iron Dome anti-missile missile system which has been used successfully to stop rockets coming out of Gaza.

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the report. Hizbollah also failed to comment.

In the run-up to the raid, Israeli officials had been warning publicly of the threat posed to their country should high-tech anti-aircraft or anti-tank missiles reach Israel's enemies.

Lebanese militant group Hizbollah is a known enemy of Israel and has connections with Syria.

Israel fears sophisticated weaponry stockpiled by Bashar al Assad's regime could fall into the hands of Hizbollah and could then be used to launch an attack against its citizens.

It was originally thought that Israel had waited until the convoy had crossed the border into Lebanon. A strike just inside Lebanon would had caused fewer diplomatic problems for Israel as it would avoid provoking Syria's ally Iran.

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Brit Charged Over French Jogger's Murder

A British man has been charged with the murder of a woman who was killed while out jogging in France.

Robert Plant, 32, was being held in Montpellier after the badly beaten body of Jouda Zammit was found in brambles earlier this week, police said.

A search was launched after the mother-of-three failed to collect her three-year-old daughter from school in Nimes in the country's south.

Plant was arrested after police carried out house-to-house enquiries.

Police sniffer dogs later discovered her body, and police believe she was sexually assaulted while out jogging, repeatedly hit around the face, and so brutally stabbed she was unrecognisable.

Earlier, police said they were confident they have a DNA match with the suspect.

More follows...

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EastEnders Murder: Tony McCluskie Jailed For Life

The brother of former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years for her murder.

Tony McCluskie had previously admitted manslaughter but was found guilty of murder by an 11 to 1 majority.

The 36-year-old window cleaner had claimed he killed his sister after a tirade of abuse. He said the last thing he remembered was her coming at him with a knife.

Miss McCluskie's torso was found floating in the Regent's Canal in east London a week after the killing after the suitcase her brother had used to dump the body broke open.

Her limbs were found wrapped in black bags a week later, but her head was not discovered for six months.

She had been hit over the head at least twice before her body had been hacked into six pieces.

Tony McCluskie was caught on CCTV dragging the suitcase containing her body

Alison Saunders, London's Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: "The strong case against McCluskie led to him admitting unlawfully killing his sister and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying it was not intentional and that he had lost control.

"But the prosecution did not accept his plea to manslaughter. We felt that the evidence of brutality showed a deliberate intent to cause death or serious bodily harm to Gemma, which amounts to murder."

The prosecution said Miss McCluskie had been killed after telling her brother to move out of the flat they shared in Shoreditch, east London last year.

Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, said there had been tensions between the pair for some time.

"Gemma told a friend 'He's permanently stoned. He puts a spliff in his mouth first thing in the morning and doesn't know what he's doing'," he told the court.

"On Thursday March 1 last year, McCluskie had got up, gone to the bathroom and forgotten the taps were on in the sink.

"Unsurprisingly, Miss McCluskie was exasperated by this. She had had enough.

Gemma McCluskie's blood was found on a knife in the kitchen of her flat

"Later, while she was out, her friends heard her arguing on the telephone with her brother about what had happened.

"It is clear that Gemma regarded this incident as the last straw and that she wanted the defendant to move out."

After the verdict, Tony McCluskie Senior said he would not desert his son.

"I know that my son, Tony Junior, is suffering too. I will not desert him even though he has committed this terrible crime and taken Gemma's life.

"I hope and pray that one day Tony will be released from prison with a better understanding of his actions."

After the murder, McCluskie sent his sister a text pretending she was still alive and ending "Love ya xx". He later told police that his sister was seen in a local kebab shop after she went missing, and that she had visited their mother in hospital.

The court heard that McCluskie received a series of hoax telephone calls following his sister's disappearance.

In the first call, the defendant was told that if he wanted to see his sister again he needed to take £2m to Benfleet International station. A second call requested that he also bring $500 worth of Iraqi currency, before a third repeated the demand for £2m.

"The truth is that the defendant could not have believed his luck," Mr Aylett said.

"The calls can only have added to the state of confusion as to Gemma's whereabouts."

Police later traced the telephone calls to an address in Kent and arrested a man.

Miss McCluskie played Kerry Skinner, the niece of Ethel Skinner, in the BBC soap in 2001.

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